Designing my new CFL micro-SoG

[ThePhiloStoned]

I'm modifying the Dr. BudGreenGenes-style perpetual micro-SoG for my next grow.

I want the inside dimensions to be 36"x18"x36" (3'x1.5'x3') that's 4.5 sq. ft. & 13.5 cu. ft. of growing space, I also wish to add an 8" wide lung compartment for filtering odor on the right end of the cabinet.

The growing space is meant to house 24-36 flowering clones in half-liter 3" diameter pots (per Dr. Bud's wisdom) on a 3-in/3-out perpetual rotation, this area is built to accomodate 8-12 week flowering strains on a nonstop perpetual harvest.
The lung compartment would have a Virtual Sun 4" Exhaust Fan & Filter Combo mounted in the center from the ceiling down, there will be a 5" gap on the upper portion of the dividing wall to the lung compartment. The left side of the box will have 3 computer fans mounted in the lower portion of the side wall for intake with a strip of odor control a/c filter to minimize odor leaks.

The lighting will be 12 23-watt CFLs (that's 276-watts & 19,200 lumens) mounted in two rows of 6 down the width of the ceiling of the cabinet. 3 of them will be 6500K and 9 of them will be 2700K. The lights will be run on an 11-on/13-off schedule.

I plan to have a speed adjuster on the exhaust to dial in the temp/humidity...

Any helpful suggestions or links to threads I should study to help me with this project?

P.S.: This should yield me 21+ grams/week once dialed in and could be expanded to more than 3-in/3-out easily to accommodate higher demand...I'm thinking 5 or 6 in/out would leave me smoking as much as my wife & I could handle.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

No opinions yet? Well I'll check back later.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

*bump*

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

*bump*

 

[iTarzan]

I think it is a neat plan. Most times I think people that do some micro grows are in situations where they need to hide the grow from people they live with. That is not your case though. Why 276 cfl and not a 270w HPS? You would get better penetration and more and better light.

I understand start up would be a bit more costly but not much.

That said this will be a cool thread. The Domino's Pizza conveyor oven cfl perpetual grow. Plants go in one end and buds come out the other.

 

[soursmoker]

I always loved Dr. Bud threads... I tried it myself but ended up going to a 150w HPS and went vert, best results came from that IMO.. but that was just my situation..

I think a setup like this can work very well with the perfect strain once you have it all dialed in...

only thing that sucks is numbers if that matters in your state..

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

My state will crucify you over one plant just as much as a thousand...and no I don't need to hide from people I live with, only the police & neighbors...my reason for going micro is just to create a perpetual SOG that has a small physical footprint whilst still being a decent producer. I chose CFLs because of the ease of bulb replacement and the ability to play with the lighting spectrums...I want to make it like a gradient across the box with one side being mostly blue transitioning to mostly red lighting on the other end, also I might increase the intensity to 27W bulbs on the latter side of the box.

Eventually I plan to run a 3'x3' tent with a 400W bulb and a 4'x4' tent with a 600W bulb, a SOG in one and a 64-top ScrOG in the other but those are plans for a later date with better funding...atm I also keep a gene pool of bonsai moms & dads running under standard flouro shop lights.

 

[MicroRoy]

I have been missing your thread.

I like this style.

I hope you slap up some pics as you set it up.

 

[iTarzan]

Rock On!

I will tag a long to see what happens.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

I'm working on some design sketches if I can figure it out on Google SketchUp, already drew them by hand (thanks to 8th grade shop class for that skill)...

 

[GMT]

Would flouro strip lights not be simpler than CFLs? The spectrums available to aquarium keepers make them a better option in my view.

 

[soursmoker]

My state will crucify you over one plant just as much as a thousand...and no I don't need to hide from people I live with, only the police & neighbors...my reason for going micro is just to create a perpetual SOG that has a small physical footprint whilst still being a decent producer. I chose CFLs because of the ease of bulb replacement and the ability to play with the lighting spectrums...I want to make it like a gradient across the box with one side being mostly blue transitioning to mostly red lighting on the other end, also I might increase the intensity to 27W bulbs on the latter side of the box.

Eventually I plan to run a 3'x3' tent with a 400W bulb and a 4'x4' tent with a 600W bulb, a SOG in one and a 64-top ScrOG in the other but those are plans for a later date with better funding...atm I also keep a gene pool of bonsai moms & dads running under standard flouro shop lights.

well then in that case go ahead! LOL I know how that feels!

great idea with transitioning the spectrums....

sounds like you got it figured out..

I'll be watching for sure..

I've always found exhaust to be the trickiest with small cabs...
and a lightproof intake..

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

Would flouro strip lights not be simpler than CFLs? The spectrums available to aquarium keepers make them a better option in my view.

Possibly, I'm just not familiar with the spectrums, intensity, or cost of replacement of fluoro strip lights...one thing that might be an issue is, wouldn't there be less lights in a strip setup (like 4-6, as opposed to 12)? If so that would give me way less wiggle room to play with a spectrum gradient.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

Why 276 cfl and not a 270w HPS? You would get better penetration and more and better light.

You see there is a trade-off, a 270w HPS would generate far more heat than each of my 23 or 27 watt CFLs meaning you can get within 1-2" of my CFLs and you prolly couldn't get a plant closer than 6-8" from that HPS. Which would significantly reduce my vertical growing height in an already cramped grow cab.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

I've always found exhaust to be the trickiest with small cabs...
and a lightproof intake...

Yeah after reading through Ventilation 101 by red_greenery I think I might have to adjust my ventilation scheme a bit. My 4" exhaust fan is rated at 192 CFM with carbon scrubber attached it runs at 50% or less efficiency so about 90 CFM for ease of math...my box (lung compartment included) has about 17 cubic feet of interior area. red_greenery states that you should have 1-5 MpAC (Minutes per Air Change) so that would mean operating my fan at 5-20% power and changing my active intakes to passive intakes...I'm thinking six 2" PVC elbow intakes at the bottom where my pc fans would've been and two at the top in line with the two rows of lights...IMO this would serve to cool the lights some yet have most of the airflow coming in from under the plants.

 

[amanda88]

There is a considerable falling of returns with cfl's, and the 12x23w = 276w you intend to use would be better spent on acquiring a more useful grow light, tho you would have to deal with any excess heat, which would be part of your existing ventilation anyway ...just my imo!

 

[MicroRoy]

Yes the cfl has the one draw back.

You just need to change them out when half there life is over.

I think The Dr changed out half of his at a time.

I think it works out running 12/12 swap them out every 400 days.

Thats a lot of bud between changes. You can save the half lifers to use around the house.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

a more useful grow light

Well the main reason I'm even using CFLs is that I do not want to use a single light in this system...I want to use many lights, I want to be able to mix up the spectrums and play with differing intensities.

I think it works out running 12/12 swap them out every 400 days.

I think I can live with replacing my bulbs once a year, shoot the bulbs have like a 5-year warranty, I could prolly replace them for free.

I'm definitely a big fan of CFLs, I've grown really great bud with them before...I will use HIDs in some larger grow spaces I have planned in the future, PL-L's are of interest to me as well I just need to understand them better before I use them. I even have lofty ideas of a mixed lighting setup with low wattage HIDs, LEDs, T-5s & CFLs, just for shits & giggles.

 

[ChasingGreen]

Check out my custom reflector in my album, it's my version 3.0. Hell, you could even have it perhaps, I upgraded.

 

[ThePhiloStoned]

That's a nice reflector, it's hard to tell from the pics but is it air-cooled? How did you make it? If you don't mind me asking...was thinking of making one of Tick's Batwings or something simple like mylar glued to cardboard angled at the top of the box, honestly I hadn't decided which way to go with a reflector at all.