Ok,

I spoke with Gualala about it. I am still within my two year warranty. When I find out I will post it here.

Ok,

I will answer my post a second time. I spoke with repair department of Gualala. They are replacing my motor. They said sometimes the gear boxes go out earlier than other. They are honoring my 2 year warranty with no problems. They are recommending I get a robo stick to help balance the light better. Lightrail3.com

over and out, done my dharma

Glad you got it resolved finally. I've been considering a track but haven't spent the $$$ yet. How are the plumies doing?

I'm glad to hear that you got your problem taken care of. I have the same system but have had no problems. It's been up and running for about 4 years now.

Wg and pm,

hahaha. I spoke too soon. I had mine up again and it started that screeching sound AGAIN!. They will tell you at AHL and Gualala that that sound is normal at first. In my case, it just got worse. I sent it back a second time and they checked it out and recommended I get a robostick. I have one on the way now...Will come back and let you know...My first motor lasted about 7 mos total. They look at me like a freak when I tell them...but I have tried very hard to level everything out, etc.

Anyway, hopefully robo will do the trick. Gualala has been good. They extended my warranty for another two years until 2/07. My first one was up this December. It seems like I just got it. It seems to me that they shouldn't screech at all. Maybe it is my 12 foot track. Maybe it is having the light too close to the motor and the load is not evenly distributed(causing the wheel to tilt slightly) After talking with them several times, it finally came out that they had the same problem on one of theirs and after dicking with it for a while(like I have) they got a robostick and it fixed the problem. Heck, I've spent $20 mailing it back twice, what's $25 more.

My plumies were doing great until the motor conked out. Then they fell back a ways...I had lots of blooms...Now a lot of them are gone...Still about 25 open, which is pretty good for my garage and fluorescents for 6 weeks.

S

ok,

I got my "Robo Stik" a few days ago. I brought tiny levels up my ladder with me and made sure the light was level and screwed it secure....

So far after 4 days none of the old screetching sounds...

This is what I think happened-

I have a 12 foot track...

The electrical cords from the light are almost stretched to the limit(still leaving some slack of course)...But the chord was pulling the light cock-eyed-ever so slightly...enough to tilt the black rubber wheel.

That was causing the black wheel to pull to one side-along with the chains I used to attach it-which were not balancing the load of the light right either.

Robo Stik fixes all that.

What the robo stik does is it secures the light on all 3 axis- X, Y, and Z. It will not let the cord pull your light away from the motor...And it prevents any pulling(that you can't see) from the chains you might use to attach your light to the motor. I had my light pretty close to the top of the ceiling to get all my plants....this made it hard to level out the light underneath...

Those of you who are reporting "never had problems" with the Light Rail track robo mover are probably on shorter tracks...or are hanging your light with rs or hanging it lower from the motor.

I would recommend the robo stick to anyone who has a 12 foot track set up....or who wants the light as high as possible to the ceiling...

Now I see what everyone says...silent quite humming...very nice.....

Hope it lasts for 4 more years now!!!!

I shout out props to Gualala robotics. They put up with my questions and extended my warranty for another 2 years....

Scott

Hi Scott, Hearing your problems and others I went for the 600 Watt Beam Flicker from Hydrofarm. We also grow plumeria. The Beam Flicker was not enough light for flowering however it was pushing good growth. I added five inexpensive 150 watt Sodium's from Farmtec in two phases which has resolved all my issues. The house is hoop style 20'X 12' X 9' high. All grafts are taking in less than 4 weeks and about 200 cutting are popping claws after 3 1/2 weeks and glistening. In addition, we have inflows coming up everywhere . This lighting thing has its learning curve when it comes to plumeria. I have some flowers getting ready to open in the next couple of days I'll post a pic.

Jack

Hear is what the proper light has done for our plumeria in the GH.

Jack
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Jack,

Great photo. Great to hear your set up. You sound like a tinkerer like myself.

I wanted to add that my 400 HPS will pop inflos on my plumerias. The problem for with it is that it wasn't growing any leaves!!!! I was getting all inflo and no leaves-it took them six weeks in the summer outside to look normal again...I thought I did something bad to them. They had to 'redevelop' claws again! Very strange but they had to emerge out from the tip again...They had disappeared. lol

I have been using the 1000 watt Agrosun metal halide this winter(the light on my infamous track) and I am getting inflos popping and even my dark reds(Duke, etc.) to bloom fairly dark red... It also grows leaves for me and is excellent for cuttings (the tips glisten, and push up and open claws..) They do really well under it-providing I have the root zone heat at around 85F/29C on a heat mat. I have lost one out of the 30 cuttings from last summer. That is good for a cold grower and for cuttings that were ALL mailed in(even the Hilo Beauty is doing great too! Shock!) Actually that is very very good considering the mailing stress and time off the tree-and the fact that a few arrived very stressed late in the year. I am even able to receive cuttings in late November without worries...That is a giant improvement also. Plumerias, to me, are high energy plants. They like high bottom heat and high light energy....one without the other and they don't do as well.

Also, all my plumies in the garage with no windows.

I was interested to try a 1000 watt HPS bulb with some blue in it...The straight HPS is too unbalanced for a situation like mine where there is absolutely no sunlight available.

Scott

Also, I have made some more adjustments to my light track. It started to squeak a little here and there...again...I determined that the chord was hitting some plumeria leaves and over time this was jostling the robostick enough to unbalance the light again. The chord now has about 5 feet slack instead of the 1 foot they recommend(to do this I had to put my ballast up off the ground about 5 feet) and the light, for the most part does not wobble as it runs down the track. This has eliminated the screetching for the time being but I fear it will be a continual readjustment process...

Anyone need some 400 watt HPS Poot lighting http://www.blunt.co.uk/cat/light/hs2000-side-t.jpg mine has remote ballast and also check out link it is new LED plant light kind of high price but no heat not what it sounds you guy,s need it seems I always had too much heat,you guy's need to enclose your area and insulate to retain heat and have the ability to control your humidity and temperature plus you can make grow chamber much more reflective if you want any advice email me with your needs and I will be glad to try and help

Here is a link that might be useful: New LED's

Hi Scott,

You may be right about the length of the track, mine is only 6 ft. But at times the cords still catch the hood and cause it to move sideways. I need to keep an eye on it.

Love the pic Jack! It is just breath taking.What is the name of this one?