The Troyer's Gemini 24 is a unique circular gourd rack designed for Purple Martin landlords who want generous capacity combined with an innovative open design. Instead of traditional cross bar, the Gemini uses two large five-foot diameter aluminum rings, creating a distinctive circular housing system that gives you plenty of room to arrange your gourds.
The Gemini holds 24 gourds and features a 16-foot, 3-inch square high-tensile aluminum pole, 24 solid aluminum gourd mounting arms, a vertically lifting hub and a cable-and-winch system that raises and lowers the rings without rotating the hub.
Manufactured in Pennsylvania by the Troyer's, the Gemini combines heavy-duty aluminum construction with an innovative design that makes it one of the most distinctive gourd racks available for a Purple Martin colony.
Why Purple Martin Landlords Choose the Gemini
The Gemini is designed for the Purple Martin landlord who wants something different from a conventional gourd rack. Its two large, five-foot circular rings create an open, spacious arrangement that gives you flexibility in how your gourds are positioned. The unique circular design provides excellent visibility and makes the Gemini a distinctive and attractive addition to a Purple martin colony. The Gemini comes standard with 24 gourd mounting arms, with 12 gourds arranged on each ring. As your colony grows, the Gemini can be expanded by adding additional mounting arms and gourds, allowing you to place up to 16 gourds on each ring for a total capacity of 32 gourds. This gives you the optional to start with 24 gourds and expand your housing later without replacing the rack. Another advantage of the Gemini is its convenient vertical lifting system. The rings and hug can be raised and lowered for easier access to your gourds, making nest checks, maintenance, and seasonal management much more manageable. for landlords who appreciate an open design, generous capacity, the ability to expand their housing system the Gemini offers a unique combination of flexibility and convenience.
The Winch System
One of the most useful features of the Gemini is it cable-and winch system, space which allows the entire rack assembly to be raised and lowered for easier access to your gourds. Instead of having to work high above the ground, you can lower the Gemini to a more comfortable, working height for nest checks, maintenance, and seasonal management.
Because the Gemini uses two large 5 foot circular rings, we strongly recommend upgrading to the worm gear. The worm gear design provides controlled movement when raising and lowering the rack and makes handling the large Gemini rings more manageable.
For added convenience, we also recommend adding two extension handles to the worm gear winch. The extension handles allow you to operate the winch from farther away from the rack as the large rings are being lowered. This gives you more working space around the Gemini and makes lowering the rack more comfortable and convenient.
The worm gear winch can be operated with a cordless drill using the appropriate 5/8-inch hex socket provided. A standard electric drill should be used; impact drivers should not be used with the worm gear winch.
Flexible Gourd Capacity
The Gemini Gourd Rack comes standard with 24 horizontal 90° gourd mounting arms, providing a 24-gourd configuration with 12 gourds positioned on each one of the two large circular rings. This open arrangement gives Purple Martin landlords plenty of flexibility when positioning their gourds and managing their colony.
The Gemini can also grow with your colony. If you want to increase the number of gourds in the future, adding mounting arms can be added, allowing up to 16 gourds per ring for a total capacity of 32 gourds.
For landlords who prefer a different gourd arrangement, the Gemini also offers an optional Vertical gourd mounting configuration. The vertical option uses 24 vertical gourd mounting arms and is available as an upgrade from the standard Horizontal 90° arms. This gives you another way to configure your Gemini based on your personal preferences and how you want your gourds arranged.
Built for Easy Nest Checks
The Gemini circular design makes nest checks convenient by allowing the entire act to be raised and lowered with the winch system. Lowering the rack brings the gourd down to a more comfortable, working height, making it easier to inspect, monitor your colony, and perform seasonal maintenance.
What's Included
The Gemini Gourd Rack includes:
- Three-piece 3-inch square, 16-foot aluminum pole
- Heavy-duty aluminum ground stake
- Two 72-inch solid aluminum top perch rods with stainless set screws to hold them into the ball top.
- Aluminum hub with nylon glide buttons
- Two 5-foot circular aluminum rings
- Twenty-four solid aluminum gourd mounting arms
- Stainless-steel hitch pins
- 3/16-inch stainless-steel cable
- Cable guide and pulley
- D&L 350-pound brake winch
- Winch mounting brackets
- Stop pin
- Safety pin
- Aluminum ball top
- Stainless-steel hardware
Mounting
The heavy-duty ground stake should be installed in concrete with 24 inches below ground and 24 inches above ground. The pole then slides over the portion of the ground stake extending above the concrete.
Gourd Compatibility
Holds up to 36 gourds. The gourd mounting arms can accommodate Troyer Gourds and many other plastic or natural gourds. Gourds are not included with the rack unless you select one of the available gourd bundles.
Using Troyer Gourds?
That's easy. Troyer gourds come ready to hang with the proper horizontal hanging hole, so there's no need to modify them before installation. If your gourds do not already have the proper front-to-back hanging hole, simply drill a 3/8-inch in the neck of the gourd. Some gourds, like the SuperGourd offer drill guides.
Popular Gourd Choices Include:
A Serious Rack for a Serious Purple Martin Colony
The Troyer Gemini is built for Purple Martin landlords who want more than a basic gourd rack. It's unique to ring design provides generous capacity while giving you flexibility in how your goals are arranged. With its heavy duty construction, convenient winch system, and the abilities to expand from the standard 24 gourds to as many as 32, the Gemini is designed to grow with your colony.
For landlords who appreciate an open, spacious rack, design, and want a system built for a long-term use, the Gemini is an excellent choice. If you are serious about managing a growing.Purple Martin colony, the Gemini is the rack built to handle the job.
