Light movers

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Sorry Bean , gotta get your own grub.

Yea a stepper motor setup that would do one run a day would be nice. But would you reset it each night so that in the morning, it was on the same end of the tank to get the true sun arch across the tank?

I've seen a thread somewhere on here where someone has done that. Don't know how it turned out though.

Yea I think there may be a line or two out there who would help. I'm sure we all have our own line somewhere.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Ohh I am sure that I have my detractors. I knida enjoyed beatin the snot out of em as a youngster. These days I have better things to do... Like use my brain to beat the snot out of em

Blown63... yeah it would reset at the end of the photoperiod. My originalplans included a gearmotor and pulley system to raise and lowe the lights... but instead I will be using a Dimmable T5 for sunrise, sunset (doh that damn song again).

Bean

 

[hahnmeister]

I think it might be easier to do with a switch relay than a stepper motor... but I get the whole stepper motor idea: so you can hook it up to a HC11 or something and have it programmed.

Otherwise, a regular mover on some sort of optical relay, or contact relay along the track would work well with a regular digital timer. Once every hour the timer would come on and move the light 6" to the next relay. Timer shuts off and the switch is reset. Timer comes back on and the light moves 6"... It would be a dead easy thing to do on a mechanical level. The reset at night would be easy as well... just leave the mover on for an extra minute after the lights go out, and make sure that the switches all just work one way... so the light could return to starting position.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Hahn, the reason I want a "stepper" is simple.

I can program the "on time" and "off time" and then divide that into uniform time steps to move the light. Doing it with a regular motor would require a rotary counter, or some other type of controller. It could be done, but the stepper is easier. The same goes for trying to use relays and limit switches...

In theory with the stepper you need NO limit switches or other feedback. You simple count the steps the motor makes in each direction and translate that into a linear distance. In practive both ends of the run would have a simple limit switch for calibration and safety purposes.