Diary PCBuds mini-grow

[f-e]

What are you running there? 4 lots of 20V 4A? So 80w for each regulator. That's right at the top of their range. They are 75w if you can keep them cool with additional heatsinks.

I might be tempted to run two boards in parallel, for each of the four circuits. Each board would still need a little help keeping cool, as they are 35w without heatsinks. You could just glue any heatsink to the chips though. Bit of thermal epoxy could glue on a flat headed screw. That would get 35w up to 40w surely, as it's likely doubling the chips surface area.

You would really have to run one and look it over. If you feed one say 30v while asking it to produce 20v, that is a lot more work than feeding it 22v and asking for 20. I pick 2v as the offset as often you need the input higher than the output. I think this design doesn't but I picked up on the 38v max in and 36v max out. Again... testing

Cheap boards. Hopefully parallel is fine. It usually is. I would ask though or look on youtube perhaps

 

[PCBuds]

The plant was probably using those leaves.. Result of late defoliation is usually airy buds as plant tries to develop leafsurface and grows the bud leaves fast.

Airy buds would be OK.
I figure it should help them fight off mold easier.

She still has a lot of leaves left.

 

[PCBuds]

What are you running there? 4 lots of 20V 4A? So 80w for each regulator. That's right at the top of their range. They are 75w if you can keep them cool with additional heatsinks.

Well, I screwed up.
I didn't do a power calculation.

Right now they are running at 4.65 amps and 19.7 volts, so almost 92 Watts.

I might be tempted to run two boards in parallel, for each of the four circuits. Each board would still need a little help keeping cool, as they are 35w without heatsinks. You could just glue any heatsink to the chips though. Bit of thermal epoxy could glue on a flat headed screw. That would get 35w up to 40w surely, as it's likely doubling the chips surface area.

So I guess that I need to order 4 more? Or check for other options.

You would really have to run one and look it over. If you feed one say 30v while asking it to produce 20v, that is a lot more work than feeding it 22v and asking for 20. I pick 2v as the offset as often you need the input higher than the output. I think this design doesn't but I picked up on the 38v max in and 36v max out. Again... testing

That's what I was assuming. Trying to feed it the lowest possible voltage to get the proper voltage out.

 

[PCBuds]

I bought 4 more.
I'll just take my chances on being able to run them in parallel.

I don't have thermal epoxy, but I have thermal tape, and thermal paste.

I'm going to have to figure out where to put 8 of those boards.

My closet area is going to get kinda busy.

 

[exploziv]

Honestly, since u ordering and waiting for stuff, a couple of bucks in thermal adhesive would be a good investment. Some small radiators made out of aluminium and with fins can be obtained as well for a couple of bucks a bag or from old electronics.. like integrated circuit boards, pc motherboards, some psu's.

 

[PCBuds]

Honestly, since u ordering and waiting for stuff, a couple of bucks in thermal adhesive would be a good investment. Some small radiators made out of aluminium and with fins can be obtained as well for a couple of bucks a bag or from old electronics.. like integrated circuit boards, pc motherboards, some psu's.

OK.
I did actually order thermal glue before but then it turned out to be thermal grease, so I tried again and it turned out to be thermal paste.

Then I ordered the thermal tape, (sticky on both sides).

So I just ordered this stuff.
Let's hope is is actually thermal adhesive.

I've also got some aluminium heatsink fins to work with...

 

[exploziv]

Weird. I got the same hearsink plaster in same package and it was adhesive. Very strong after drying! Those heatsinks are pretty big for the small pieces you'll need. I got 10 pieces of 10 x 10 x 5-8 mm heatsinks for like 2 usds last year.

 

[PCBuds]

Weird. I got the same hearsink plaster in same package and it was adhesive. Very strong after drying!

Yeah, I don't know ?
Mine didn't harden. It just stayed like really thick toothpaste.

Those heatsinks are pretty big for the small pieces you'll need. I got 10 pieces of 10 x 10 x 5-8 mm heatsinks for like 2 usds last year.

I was intending on cutting them up but I will look into some small heat sinks.

 

[f-e]

I also have plaster. It's an odd name for it, but it sticks stuff.

I thought you might of messed about with the first four first. You must have money to burn

 

[PCBuds]

I also have plaster. It's an odd name for it, but it sticks stuff.

It's kinda thick like plaster, but it doesn't really harden. It just dries out like a glob of toothpaste.

I thought you might of messed about with the first four first. You must have money to burn

Lol,
Well, I already had all the heat sink tape and plaster from when I was trying to glue gutted SILs to cookie sheets and pop cans.

And, the first four would only work for two of the four loads that I have.

I don't really have money to burn, but if something costs less than about $30, then I'm usually OK with it.

 

[PCBuds]

Here we go 20 pieces.
$3.11 CAD.

 

[f-e]

More cheep cheep than spring.
26mm wide modules, 15mm high.
Makes me think about some trunking that could hold them all in a row. Then at one end, a PC fan.

It doesn't take long for that idea to evolve. The size difference between heatsinks that do or don't have fans is huge. You should look what boxes are available, before any glue gets used. So as to orientate the fins inline with the airflow. Other components seem to be suggesting a cross wind.

I quite like plastic boxes. Boards can just be cable-tied.
The timers here are all cabe tied to trunking that contains the 12v psu and relays/sensors. Just perforating the trunking to thread the ties through. The holes actually visible are to put a screwdriver though to reach connections where orientation was awkwark

 

[piramidon]

I made a purchase...

Silly me, I thought you'll show us your new DeLorean...

 

[PCBuds]

Silly me, I thought you'll show us your new DeLorean...

Lol

 

[PCBuds]

... You should look what boxes are available, before any glue gets used. So as to orientate the fins inline with the airflow. Other components seem to be suggesting a cross wind.

I was wondering about that.
whether to have the fins in line or cross wind, or mounted horizontally or vertically, or whether they need a fan.

Either way, it might take until the middle of January for everything to arrive.

 

[f-e]

I have been getting some crazy delivery time quotes, but the usual few weeks in reality. Many offer a few services and the two free ones are china post and a competitor. Same times. The competitor tends to be selected for you, and takes that long. I think Ali are getting some deal themselves to be doing this. As it used to be china post by default. Who have it on a plane quite quickly.

 

[H.Marks]

Yes more light power.

I started with a 20, eventually to a 100 and recently to 1200w.

Best investment you can make.

My first grow.

https://www.icmag.com/forum/marijua...7944596-sticky-beast-automatic-zamnesia-seeds

 

[f-e]

meh. said it didn't post before, but it did

 

[PCBuds]

I have been getting some crazy delivery time quotes, but the usual few weeks in reality. Many offer a few services and the two free ones are china post and a competitor. Same times. The competitor tends to be selected for you, and takes that long. I think Ali are getting some deal themselves to be doing this. As it used to be china post by default. Who have it on a plane quite quickly.

Apparently there is a worldwide shortage of shipping containers and the cost of one has quadrupled and even more.

The cheapest shipping is by boat.

It takes longer to load and unload the containers because of a lack of dock workers and truck drivers.

 

[PCBuds]

Yes more light power.

I started with a 20, eventually to a 100 and recently to 1200w.

Best investment you can make.

I agree.
Of all the ways that you can spend money on growing Cannibis, I've found that lighting makes the biggest difference with total yeild in the end.


Be careful with the specs. listed for your lights.
Grow lighting tends to fudge their numbers.

Check the label on the light to see how much current it draws from the outlet.

Multiply the current by the voltage to get the true wattage of your light.

I've seen grow lights with "150 WATTS" printed in big letters on the box.
It was only a 23 watt light in reality.


I seriously doubt that this is actually a 1200w light..

It's probably some sort of 1200w equivalent or something.

Not that it's a bad light or anything, it's just that you tend to pay through the nose for anything related to Cannibis growing.

My closet "only" has 400 watts worth of lightning but its real watts.

If it was a grow light, they would call it 2400 watts.