400w HPS Stealthcab FIRST GROW

[gdbud]

I'm sorry to here about your miss hap.
It looks like your cool tube cracked on the inlet side? is this so?
I accidentally turned off my fan for about 1 hour with no harm to my tube although it got around 100+ degree in the cabinet.
Yes if the ballast is outside the cabinet just use the 400 watts.
If you use the darkroom louvers just remember that they will restrict 50% or greater of your air flow.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Yeah, you might even need the next largest louver. If you plan to get a reflector, you may have to check for any additional hot spots.

 

[gdbud]

for the price I would get two 8" louvers instead of the next larger size.

 

[Guest 88950]

sorry about your cooltube.

if you are too tight on space then do a vertical scrog where your cooltube hangs vertically and your scrubber can sit at the base of the cool tube. i dont do scrog or vert but there are some really cool grow set-ups here just brows around.

theres a thread where the scrog net is positioned to one side of the pot and 4 pots are placed so the scrog screen are touching. the screen is on a square frame.

what method are you growing with? soil, ebb & flo, dwc...........

good luck

 

[littlebud]

cooltube is the only way

 

[indigopisces]

Hey all! I'm back and didn't want you thinking I abandoned this thread or anything. I've just had a hectic week with my birthday and all BUT, your posts have been on my mind!

Since my last post I bought a new cooltube and a two socket timer, so both the exhaust and light turn on at the same time.
I got a good deal and the guy at the grow store had a cooltube he was selling personally so I got it for $50

I haven't ran it for more than an hour since I put the new tube in due to fear of heat now. Nothings changed except my formerly balanced PH water is now cloudy.

GD: Yes it cracked on the inlet side. They told me at the dispensary to use tempered glass? And thanks for the tip on louvre's restricting %50, I'll have to keep that in mind. I think I will get two 8"...

Disco: How would you check for hotspots as I DO have the reflector in there now...

SuperSilver: I appreciate your empathy. I'm using drippers on the top res and that drips back down into the nute res underneath the shelf, the nute res has an airstone in it and pumps the nutes back through the drippers...

My thoughts about this now are:
A: What specific tools should I use to cut this cab with for the intake?
I want to be accurate and not ruin the stability of the cab.
Any input on this would be appreciated as I'm going to home depot on tuesday and will be renting the tools. I refuse to ruin the dremel here...

B: What fan should I use to hang in place of the duct booster that doesn't make a lot of noise and has the power to push through a scrubber?

I'm thinking of making the intake either two 8" louvre's on the bottom square panels of the front doors. This would be easiest on the cab. OR making one on the front and one on the side as the side panel is only 11" wide and I don't want to cut into the posts that hold it together. What are your thought's? Another thing to consider is if I make the intake that low, the shelf will restrict like, 2" of airflow and it will be half above the shelf and half below it. I think the clearance between the front of the shelf and the front doors would not only accommodate that (look in the pictures of a previous post to see what I'm talking about), but also provide clearance for the louvre's unless I can think of a light trap that doesn't extend too far into the cab, hmm, maybe these?

After making this intake I'd say it's ready minus the odor control system.

OH! I almost forgot I was recommended by the guy at the grow store to just put a scrubber down in the cab wherever and run duct to the cooltube after buying a bigger fan. Just a thought because it's either that or I'll somehow run duct from the exhaust to a rubbermaid tub like GD did and have the fan in the tub maybe?
I really have to be considerate of the noise here...

Thanks for your input!

 

[Directrix]

Hey, that's awesome that you figured it out man! It's a lot of hard work, but it's going to pay off. It just takes A LOT of trial and error.

 

[bcell]

Plant some seeds! Plant some seeds!

 

[indigopisces]

Thanks Direct! I'm getting used to the guys in the growstore chuckling at me when I say I'm having "growing pains". But I'm just hoping to make this cab last, meaning
NO MORE WARM REZ PROBLEMS!

Guys what kind of saw should I use to cut this intake? I want to put two 8" louvres on the bottom front panels. Will there be enough clearance between the front of the shelf and the doors to make this work? I feel like after installing these intakes- my temp problems will be resolved.

As for odor? Thank GOD I found this thread:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=42585

I'm definitely getting that vaportronic wall mount and putting it underneath the exhaust, that's waay more affordable than me getting a bigger fan, installing a scrubber (although before I found this I was CLOSE to doing what Disco did with the pencil cup ) and fret about the noise. Also allow me to distinguish that the noise I'm talking about is the commonly referred to "whoosh" sound of exhausting air, because of that twist button, it restricts it, thus amplifying it.
To take care of that I'm considering purchasing a speed controller as I calculated only 22.5 cubic feet for the cab. With the intakes installed I'm theorizing I can turn this down and STILL have 5 exchanges per minute... is this too good to be true?


So here's what's to come:
After receiving more input as to which saw to use and if the clearance is enough for louvre's on the front: I'm cutting the intake.

I'm purchasing the vaportronic in a couple weeks when my budget allows for it.

And then it's attack of the clones baby! I can't wait either!

Thank you guys for keeping an eye on my thread because I feel this is the only place I can brag about growing.

 

[gdbud]

If you have a Harbor Freight near you get a router speed control unit $19.99. Its the same fan speed control unit the grow shops sell but cheaper.

 

[indigopisces]

Thanks GD I DO have a harbor freight by my house and I'll be visiting them soon, that's another check off my list.

I was the depot earlier today and they recommended I rent a reciprocating saw to cut this intake with.
(I guess with the MJ laws changing here in CO everybody has been going to home depot for their growing needs )

As for the intake, I all I could find was this...

I think I'll put one on each of the lower panels of the front doors of the cab. That's 80sq in of non-restricted airflow that I can easily close during the daytime with that little switch you see in the middle of the vent in the pic...

Happy growing guys, I'll be starting soon enough..

 

[gdbud]

Bad choice you will need the air flow even during the dark period plus if you forgot to open you would bake your plants. I would go with two of the darkroom louvers you found.

 

[corradogang*]

to make a a light proof aire inlet hole simply make to hole a about twice to volume of the outlet, cut it around the bottom of the cab get some ducting to fit make sure it fits snug in the hole put a couple of 90 degree bends on it and expanding foam around whre the duct fits into the wood

 

[indigopisces]

Thanks for the quick input guys!

GD: acting upon your suggestion, I will NOT be using the heater covers.
I stray from the louvers since I can't find any locally and you see that almost 3" extension coming off the back there to hold it in the hole? THAT'S why I'm still searching for other options.

Corra: I would want to make two 6" holes on the lower left side and do as you suggested but are there any options to just put something over the holes that doesn't extend out of the cab or into it at all?

I was thinking en leu of this situation to maybe put some thick black foam like from a vaccuum filter: http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-Style...?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1268423994&sr=1-47

On the outside. I know this is restricting but how much? Maybe 30-40% which is better than the louvers which I can't find anywhere except online. I hesitate ordering online because if the product shows up at my door and it needs too much clearance between the front of the shelf and the door. That will take me two seconds to give it back to the post man and wait for the refund...

Would you mind sharing some light trap insight Disco? I'm still too "young" to PM you just yet....

Thanks all

 

[buggin]

I was thinking en leu of this situation to maybe put some thick black foam like from a vaccuum filter: http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-Style...?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1268423994&sr=1-47

On the outside. I know this is restricting but how much? Maybe 30-40% which is better than the louvers which I can't find anywhere except online. I hesitate ordering online because if the product shows up at my door and it needs too much clearance between the front of the shelf and the door. That will take me two seconds to give it back to the post man and wait for the refund...

Would you mind sharing some light trap insight Disco? I'm still too "young" to PM you just yet....

Thanks all

What's up indigo... you asked for my input over on RUI so here I am to oblige...

I can tell you from my experience that those black vacuum filters don't block all the light... air gets through pretty good (three 4" inlets for me using those... one is right up against a wall though so it's really more like 2)... some light comes out which for me isn't a big deal because of the location of the light coming out--well it just isn't an issue, i'll just say that

but you could "shoe box" the inlets

basically cut the long side out of a shoe box and attach it over your inlet and then take a bigger shoe box and cut a long side off it.. attach it over the other shoe box facing the opposite direction... boom two 90 degree turns... matte black inside if you are seeing any light reflecting
i'm a terrible artist but i MIGHT be able to draw something up to explain that if it isn't clear

 

[littlebud]

i cover my intakes with a hepa fillter 3inch and it blocks almost all of the light..i pull through scrubber and exuast through cooltube and out of cab.

 

[littlebud]

3 inch door nob saw