wow have i been waiting for this thread, just as i think i have worked out Blumats too
I would like to thank everyone that has posted productively in this thread, or PMed me with destructions for this monstrous machine.

1) how the hell do you attach a tailpiece to a smartpot?
2) isnt there problems recirculating coco : i was always taught that it made EC go up and PH go down. This was my experience when i tried it.
3) there seems to be a wide variety of mediums used from coco (slow draining) to turdface (very fast). Is there an opinion of pros and cons to this?
4) there is mention of tuning the air gap between res water level and medium level. Is there a rough guide as to what this size should be?
5) i take it the control bucket has a float valve to control the air gap / water level and is gravity fed from a secondary res to keep it at level.
6) because we have a recirculating system, do we ever "flush" the nutes and replace them with fresh ones?
7) i believe the volume of pulse is still debated, but what should i be looking at? This is relevant to the size of the return lines.

Being that im in Australia and not the USA, I have a few technical issues with what you may find simple. Supply shops differ.

4) does the tailpiece HAVE to be 1.5 inches diameter? What if i went approx 3 inches? I would imagine that filling a thin tailpiece with certain medium would be tricky.

more to come im sure, but this thread is really what ive been waiting for. It starts at the start with the basics all in one place.

[DocCrow]

Originally Posted by village green

I'd be happy to. Do you know how to take a downloaded document and post it on here?

next to the smiles button there is an attachment button. You can use that to attach a PDF just like a picture.

I am in the process of adapting the PPK to a Micro Perpetual SOG in a cabinet. 36 plant sites in 2.5 sq' cabinet. 400 watts of CFLs in 2.5 sq' should yield me a minimum of 360g every 9 weeks. I should have it up and running in a couple of days, and have been taking a bunch of pics so I can put up a thorough how to once I am done.

[ImaginaryFriend]

1) how the hell do you attach a tailpiece to a smartpot? Be clever.


2) isnt there problems recirculating coco : i was always taught that it made EC go up and PH go down. This was my experience when i tried it. No... if you precharge it, you shouldn't see any major swings.

3) there seems to be a wide variety of mediums used from coco (slow draining) to turdface (very fast). Is there an opinion of pros and cons to this? Whatever is available.


4) there is mention of tuning the air gap between res water level and medium level. Is there a rough guide as to what this size should be?

Start at 3-4 inches, adjust at will.

5) i take it the control bucket has a float valve to control the air gap / water level and is gravity fed from a secondary res to keep it at level.

correct.

6) because we have a recirculating system, do we ever "flush" the nutes and replace them with fresh ones?

Depends on your nute regime and your plant demands. Jacks is pretty stable for a lot of folks. If you watch your EC vs. pH levels, they'll tell you if you have buildups.

7) i believe the volume of pulse is still debated, but what should i be looking at? This is relevant to the size of the return lines.

Not so relevant on return lines... three inch air gap should give you just under a gallon of volume before you overflow your lower buckets. WRT pulse volumes, the trend seems to be that 'more is better.'

4) does the tailpiece HAVE to be 1.5 inches diameter? What if i went approx 3 inches? I would imagine that filling a thin tailpiece with certain medium would be tricky.

1.5 inches is pretty substantial. Incidentally, D9 used a piece of plumbing for under the sink called a 'tailpiece'. Any tube jammed with media should be fine.

[johnnyrotten]

Originally Posted by DaveTheNewbie

wow have i been waiting for this thread, just as i think i have worked out Blumats too
I would like to thank everyone that has posted productively in this thread, or PMed me with destructions for this monstrous machine.

1) how the hell do you attach a tailpiece to a smartpot?
2) isnt there problems recirculating coco : i was always taught that it made EC go up and PH go down. This was my experience when i tried it.
3) there seems to be a wide variety of mediums used from coco (slow draining) to turdface (very fast). Is there an opinion of pros and cons to this?
4) there is mention of tuning the air gap between res water level and medium level. Is there a rough guide as to what this size should be?
5) i take it the control bucket has a float valve to control the air gap / water level and is gravity fed from a secondary res to keep it at level.
6) because we have a recirculating system, do we ever "flush" the nutes and replace them with fresh ones?
7) i believe the volume of pulse is still debated, but what should i be looking at? This is relevant to the size of the return lines.

Being that im in Australia and not the USA, I have a few technical issues with what you may find simple. Supply shops differ.

4) does the tailpiece HAVE to be 1.5 inches diameter? What if i went approx 3 inches? I would imagine that filling a thin tailpiece with certain medium would be tricky.

more to come im sure, but this thread is really what ive been waiting for. It starts at the start with the basics all in one place.

To attach a smart pot, just cut a slit through the bottom with a razor so it fits tight...

I used a 1.5" because its an actual plumbing item with a flange on it that seals good with a smart pot...D9 uses 1.5" and that's fine with me...

[DocCrow]

1) how the hell do you attach a tailpiece to a smartpot?

cut a 1.5" dia hole, instert tailpiece and glue in place with amazing plumbing goop https://www.eclecticproducts.com/plumbing.htm

2) isnt there problems recirculating coco : i was always taught that it made EC go up and PH go down. This was my experience when i tried it.

Jacks Hydro is the answer here. https://www.jrpeters.com/Products/Hyd...droponics.html
get the 5-12-26 hydro and the 15-0-0 Calcium Nitrate. Run a solution of 360PPM Jacks and 240PPM CalNit during all stages. Use RO water and you will never need to worry about PH or EC again.

3) there seems to be a wide variety of mediums used from coco (slow draining) to turdface (very fast). Is there an opinion of pros and cons to this?

I think it is aminly personal preference. Seems to be plenty of variety here, and I don't think one medium will make that much of a difference over another. I use coco

4) there is mention of tuning the air gap between res water level and medium level. Is there a rough guide as to what this size should be?

3" seems to be a good starting place. If your plants seem over watered increase the air gap. If your medium is too dry decrease the air gap.

5) i take it the control bucket has a float valve to control the air gap / water level and is gravity fed from a secondary res to keep it at level.

yes

6) because we have a recirculating system, do we ever "flush" the nutes and replace them with fresh ones?

Not necessary, (at least when using Jacks nutes) just top off the bulk reservoir when it starts to get low. Res changes would make this much less boring

7) i believe the volume of pulse is still debated, but what should i be looking at? This is relevant to the size of the return lines.

to the point of saturation. Think if you were hand watering Coco how much would you need to water to 25% runoff. This will depend on how much meduim you are growing in.

Being that im in Australia and not the USA, I have a few technical issues with what you may find simple. Supply shops differ.

You can try here. These are double ended so you get 2 tailpieces per.


Anyone else can feel free to chime in here, or refute anything I have said if you feel it is incorrect. I have done a TON of research on this, and will have mine running in a couple of days.

[village green]

Originally Posted by DocCrow

next to the smiles button there is an attachment button. You can use that to attach a PDF just like a picture.

I am in the process of adapting the PPK to a Micro Perpetual SOG in a cabinet. 36 plant sites in 2.5 sq' cabinet. 400 watts of CFLs in 2.5 sq' should yield me a minimum of 360g every 9 weeks. I should have it up and running in a couple of days, and have been taking a bunch of pics so I can put up a thorough how to once I am done.

Hey DocCrow,
I got a message that my file is 5.09 gigawatts or some shit and all it allows is 1.0...so is theresome way to break the pdf file into say six sections?

[DocCrow]

Originally Posted by village green

Hey DocCrow,
I got a message that my file is 5.09 gigawatts or some shit and all it allows is 1.0...so is theresome way to break the pdf file into say six sections?

not without the advanced version of adobe acrobat that I know of. Email it to me and I will give it a go

[FlowerFarmer]

About to get into PPKs myself around the start of the new year. (if we are all still alive of course )

D9 has me hooked! I've been reading through his wicked pulse thread, but its quite the read. Even filtering by D9 I'm still digesting through it.


I'll likely be mimicking his 3.5Gal bucket on top of a another. I pretty much understand the system, but I have a question..

The "tailpiece" that extends down into the lower bucket.. How is the wicking achieved? Is there some type of wicking material within this tailpiece? (Edit - I now see above that it is packed with media)..was posting the same time as the above question/reply.
What are the zipties for on the base of the tailpiece?

Maybe I missed it, but he didnt seem to mention anything when detailing the "module" build? How does solution wick from that lower bucket up that tailpiece and into the media?

//

Also, (I'm sure this info is somewhere)

His "main res" is auto topped by a even larger res. Does this contain his full strength mix that he pumps in after mixing elsewhere? I remember reading that he inputs (does this mean his top res) with a lower pH to achieve a slightly higher pH in his main res "floor level" Is this correct and does his do something similar with his nutrient strength?


I think I've got it right:
It seems as though we have an intermittent pulse top feed that passes through the medium and drains both through the holes on the side of the bucket (and the screened tailpiece opening?) into the lower bucket where water level is controller via a "control box" float in the main res. This has a small hole in the bottom to prevent the res from topping off too much during a pulse feed. This main res is auto topped by a larger res above it. I got that right?

[village green]

Originally Posted by FlowerFarmer

About to get into PPKs myself around the start of the new year. (if we are all still alive of course )

D9 has me hooked! I've been reading through his wicked pulse thread, but its quite the read. Even filtering by D9 I'm still digesting through it.


I'll likely be mimicking his 3.5Gal bucket on top of a another. I pretty much understand the system, but I have a question..

The "tailpiece" that extends down into the lower bucket.. How is the wicking achieved? Is there some type of wicking material within this tailpiece?
What are the zipties for on the base of the tailpiece?

Maybe I missed it, but he didnt seem to mention anything when detailing the "module" build? How does solution wick from that lower bucket up that tailpiece and into the media?

//

Also, (I'm sure this info is somewhere)

His "main res" is auto topped by a even larger res. Does this contain his full strength mix that he pumps in after mixing elsewhere?


I think I've got it right:
It seems as though we have an intermittent pulse top feed that passes through the medium and drains both through the holes on the side of the bucket (and the screened tailpiece opening?) into the lower bucket where water level is controller via a "control box" float in the main res. This has a small hole in the bottom to prevent the res from topping off too much during a pulse feed. This main res is auto topped by a larger res above it. I got that right?

It's been a couple of years but I seem to recall that early in the development of the PPK different people including Mistress experimented with traditional wicks like nylon rope. However, it was found that packing the tailpiece with the medium, such as coco or turface, gave better results.

[TURBD]

You could always hire Ashes to build you some. I hear he's looking for work. ��
Too soon?
I am glad this is getting done. I was thinking it was petty difficult sourcing info and pics of the build. If that PDF gets posted that would be sweet. Thanks for all the info.