Clone/veg Pc tower case....

[S-V-K]

Hi,
i would like to build veg/clone pc case(on the way) and possibly test out perpetual grow but that's for different topic.
I have spend last night searching this forum and all mighty google without results.This is all i have found: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=54232&page=30 see very last post.

I'm currently running pc case with 3x55w pll tubes-DWC-2 plants.

Would you recommend me to use in clone/veg case pll tubes or cfl light bulbs ???
I came across of plenty conflicting posts-cfl is better or pll is better ect.
Bottom part of the case will be for veging and top one for clones.
Can somebody point me to any thread with similar case/design ???
Or what's your personal opinion.
Thank you very much for all help and input

 

[ScrubNinja]

I don't have a thread for it but:



Any questions please ask.

PLLs are a much better choice than CFLs. It's just a fact because look at the coil design of cfl. The light is restriking itself like no tomorrow. A linear tube can be reflected quite efficiently but how do you reflect the light bouncing around in between the CFL's coils?

CFLs have a power factor of around .5 or .6. PLLs have a power factor of > .9

PLLs fit perfectly in pc cases and give a solid roof of light.

PLLs have remote ballasts.

PLLs are much thinner and will take up like a quarter of the headspace that a 45w CFL will.

CFLs are easier to find.

 

[S-V-K]

Hi Scrubninja,
thank you very much for your fast reply.Case which you are running is exactly what i would like to do
I will take your advice and pll is the way to go.How many watts you have in your case ???
Was just concerned about heat-girlfriend is freaking out from fans-air pump.Thus this case have to be silent
Here is just idea about lights for clones : 1 x pll 24W Multiphospor Very warm white 3000k
1 x pll 24W daylight 860 6000k

For veging chamber : 1 x 36W warm white 830 3000k
1 x 36W 860 6000k

What do you think about it ???? Is 72W for veg chamber enough ????
I'll be limited by lenght of the case thus 40W pll will not fit in :-(

Cooling will be provided by couple 120mm fans(0,25A).growing medium will be DWC system for clones/veg stage of growth.
What do you think about ARIO oxy pump ??? http://www.expressaquatics.co.uk/hydor-ario-1-4049-p.asp

Sorry for that many questions, i'm newbie to indoor growing :-(
Thank you very much all your help

 

[ScrubNinja]

No problemo 72w is plenty bro. The one in the pic is not in use anymore, semi pulled apart. But in that pic it has 3 x 23w CFLs downstairs, and I think a 13w for the mom up top. It was nothing special as far as design goes. It got quite hot which is why I used it for mom/vegging and it worked great.

I would say your best option is to use a heatshield and ventilate that seperately. This is the best method for reducing the fan power needed (which means less noise AND better cooling). Blow/suck the air over the bulbs towards the base. This is just what I've deduced from reading a lot - I haven't built a cab with a heatshield yet. Also just starting my first pll grow, so ya know.

See post #4 for how an expert does it (albeit not in a PC). Even though he doesn't mention the amps of the fans he used, it's quite obvious not much fan power is needed. It's a very efficient system and stealth = efficiency. When I rebuild my pc case, it will absolutely have some form of heat shield be it a glass plate, or a cooltube, no matter the lighting choice.

I don't know much about air pumps but I have an Infinity AP-950. It's twin outlet, dual speed, and pumps 0.16 cfm per outlet. Seems quiet to me when situated correctly, but a lot of noise comes from the bubbles no matter which stones/wands I've tried. The one you link to gives no specs. I know that in the organic soil part of the forum, the organic tea brewers have a formula to work out if the air pump has enough CFMs to oxygenate a given amount of water, so I would imagine that DWC growers may have a similar formula.

Hope any of this helps.

 

[S-V-K]

Got nearly everything neccesary to start building the case
Ninja i have question on you...
Clone chamber will have 2x26W plls and veg chamber 2x36W plls...
I have seen your latest purchase,what you think about them???
Why i'm asking-because this deal is interesting http://www.comwales.com/eshop/product.php?productid=70997
Can you recommend me any pc fans for this small project ???
Would like to avoid glass but noise of the fans is issue for my girlfriend
Thank you

 

[ScrubNinja]

Hey man, I really like the 24w pll I got, it seems fine for early seedlings. But the base of it gets hotter than the base of a 55w!! Even brushing your hand over it quickly at the base would give you red skin! So you really have to put the main focus of cooling to keep those bases warm. I have a cheap, weak 80mm fan blowing straight on the base and the rest of the air deflects along the bulb towards the tip and it's great. I have my seedlings very close to the bulb, maybe an inch away. The base and the bulb is very cool and the back of my hand doesn't feel any noticeable warmth at all.

There's only so much I can recommend without much info but I'll assume you won't be using a carbon filter. I seem to recommend the Thermaltake Smart Case Fan II to everybody. It's very versatile and has a speed control and fairly decent specs, so should cover everything from a pure stealth grow, to a more noisy, productive system.

I'm just glancing at my case right now and thinking about it: if you use glass, you will still need at least 80mm gap for each light section anyway, so that decent fans can be fitted. Times 2 = 160mm of height gone! So maybe glass isn't the best choice. Anyway, if I was doing your case, with no scrubber, I would feel pretty confident of cooling it with four Smart Case Fan IIs or any decent fans around 0.5A each (again I recommend my ones for the speed control mainly). For each level I'd have one blowing directly on the bases, and one for exhaust, and no intake fans. If money is tight, you could probably use weaker fans for blowing directly on the bases - it doesn't take much to cool them really.

SVK, I want to say something respectfully as possible - I remember your last case and the troubles you had with it, even with some excellent fan power and some great help from Aerohead. So I think the only thing that could be a problem after that is just poor design somewhere that we can't see. If you haven't read hoosierdaddy's thread called Understanding Airflow (or was it "Air Flow" perhaps), then please consider it. There's so much more involved than simply bolting a good fan in and calling it finished. Hoosier breaks it down in a way that is very relevant to things like pc cabs. I hope this helps. You'll have a great case when it's done.

 

[S-V-K]

Thank u ninja for very quick reply-valuable reply
U r refering to this uncoolable case ???


First pic=1x ultra kaze 3000 ... 1x lian li 0.25A 1600rpm... passive hole 200x240mm (facing tank thus hard to see)

Second pic= 2x ultra kaze 3000
Lowest posible temps=room temp 23C --- case temp 25,6C
Temps with DIY carbon filter=room temp 23C --- case temp 27,8C
This case is like wind tunel=noise is completely out of this world.Ultra kaze is 46-48 dba and i have 3 of them
I have gone through 101ventilation thread BUT it's quite complicated

Aero is using same case+ 1x blower fan and his temps are nearly perfect..
Any ideas ????
Maybe your Light proof vent can sort my noise and airflow problem...Meybe u will know---i have hell a lot of 3mm thick aluminium plates in work + folding machines
Minimal fold side can be 15mm x 15mm x 3mm thick L profile + 3mm spacers=is it going to work as a light proof ????

Thank u scrub ninja

 

[S-V-K]

Just an update how i'm progressing
Pll tubes are little bit longer than i was expecting thus i'm going to make case longer by 17cm.This extension will hold exhaust fans+sockets+air pump+ballasts....Little more cutting is still necessary because the midle floor panel isn't fitted yet-oh and case is gonna be on the wheels for easy moving.

 

[ScrubNinja]

Hey buddy the light louvers are a good application here, but 3mm thick angle is way too thick I think. You want as thin as you can get, as that's sort of the principle of how it works. The 3mm stuff will be good for spacers.

One very major factor with your other case is that Aero doesn't use a carbon filter. And I get the impression it's still quite a loud case. So I don't think you will ever get that to be a genuinely quiet case.

My number one thought on the problems of that case is that your intakes are restricted. You can cut as big of an intake hole as you want. You can completely remove that panel if you wanted, but it is never going to count until it is unrestricted in the whole flow. The front "fake" panel is always the culprit here. Show me the front of your case and I garuantee there is not enough intake holes in it to match the intakes you have cut inside. That's my take on it.

Edit: Now I think of it, I think you mentioned you tried with no front panel. : Oh well, I have no idea then.

 

[S-V-K]

Hey buddy the light louvers are a good application here, but 3mm thick angle is way too thick I think. You want as thin as you can get, as that's sort of the principle of how it works. The 3mm stuff will be good for spacers.

One very major factor with your other case is that Aero doesn't use a carbon filter. And I get the impression it's still quite a loud case. So I don't think you will ever get that to be a genuinely quiet case.

My number one thought on the problems of that case is that your intakes are restricted. You can cut as big of an intake hole as you want. You can completely remove that panel if you wanted, but it is never going to count until it is unrestricted in the whole flow. The front "fake" panel is always the culprit here. Show me the front of your case and I garuantee there is not enough intake holes in it to match the intakes you have cut inside. That's my take on it.

Edit: Now I think of it, I think you mentioned you tried with no front panel. : Oh well, I have no idea then.

Hey man,how is growing ???
Temps are now OK-during the summer i wasn't able to cool that case as i wanted...27C-28C was lowesst possible temps i have achieved.Roughly 2-3C higher than room temp.
I'm going to make it from same material as u.Need to stop light leak...
Thanks for input

 

[S-V-K]

Just update



Hopefully i will finish it today