Krypto's Ultimate Controler

[Guest]

Well I'll be damned .

The guy who is selling them on ebay and the place I refered you to in the begining of the thread are the same person.
After spending nearly two years looking for an inexpensive supplier of these floats one day he just popped up on ebay selling only the floats I was looking for.
I didn't like buying them off of eBay because I figured I would have written up this tutorial "actually a better one" soon after building it making it an easy trail to follow through the sellers feedback.

HMMNNNNNNNN .

Well I built the thing and had the same problems you people are currently having with the floats bouncing up and down.

What I found was that I traced the first wiring on the original model and copied those connections on both the upper and lower floats.
WRONG!

The second set of floats is connected in the opposite manner. I can't remember which one it is off the top of my head right now but it written properly in this tutorial. I have checked it and re-checked it while writing it.
The Controler I built while writing this wroks fine, Gunns has witnessed it in action with a room full of giant Cali-O Clones just recently.

I've been sooo damn busy it still looks like shit, still has the tupperware container as the control box even though I have found the perfect box's now at Radio Shak.

The second set of switches absolutely DO perform a function.
They keep from happening what is happening to you people who's pump keeps comng on and off.

There can Only be one of two problems "or both"
Your connection on one of the sets of switches is wrong "they would be alike to be wrong".
OR
Your floats are not spaced far enough apart on your buckets.

I would not recommend building this controler until I have had the opportunity to go over it again, re-checking it and possibly making it easier to understand and build.

Good Luck with your gardens my friends .

 

[Guest]

Bump, for all you bucket growes out there. One of the best thread in my opion on DIY bucket controller.
Later

 

[Harry Gypsna]

Well, im just about ready to try again at doing this....and now Ive got a hgelpful friend who owns a growshop and is an electrician by trade to help with the sussing out of UK parts.....Ill be making my own thread when I do it providing of course you dont mind Krypto....
I didnt think you were around here anymiore actually....dunno what gave me that impression....glad to know that u do still comne around mate...would be a real downer to lose you with this thread.

 

[billbob]

The second float valve on the bottom is a stay on trigger. If you raise the first float (activating the pump) and then the second float and then let go of the first you will notice the pump still runs.

 

[Guest]

I like the overall design. There is a flaw though in my opinion : there is no catch for a float malfunction etc. I've seen these things overflow with different people (I worked at a grow shop) because the sensors or something stopped working, got jammed, who knows. I wish there was a shutoff or backup system. I've seen peeps get great plants from these, but if the pumps are too strong or a floatie malfunction, and its 30 gallons of water in ur grow area...I seen some pissed off people...

 

[Harry Gypsna]

You could say the same of a recirculating DWC though really or any system that has a lot of water in it...we all know ppl who have had a cracked res or something..... I think its just a case of shit happens lol

 

[Bonzo]

Since this thread is alive again and the issues of float failure, and many other problems associated with the controller im gonna refer back to my first thread on how to give ebb & flow buckets a whirl without a controller and all the doo dads involved with it. I want to make clear that i combined a design i found on another sight with ebb & flow buckets. The only way this system can overflow is if the roots clog the fill/drain, which is pretty easy to control with a rotation of the buckets every other day or so. Only drawback is the buckets have to sit above the rez, so a low wide rez is recomended.

Check it out. Im going back to it for my next run.

peace to yall and good luck with whatever you choose.

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=7876&highlight=Super+Simple+ebb+flow+Buckets

peace

bonz

 

[Bonzo]

By the way Harry , i agree, shit happens, period.

And i do agree GDW, thats a great thread, just doesnt work in my space to have the drum and controller, not enough room. Defenitely going to give one a shot one of these days.

bonz

 

[Harry Gypsna]

Well Ive come to the conclusion its pretty hard to source all the parts i need over here...and with that ill say its annoying lol....so im gonna buy the brain box and make the rest....urban garden do em ....Ill be using it to control the levels on a DWC set up....this is all way off though..ill be using a float valve set up to begin with.

 

[Guest]

That's what i did. Bought the control and built the rest with black buckets. Alot easier for me and full proof.
Take care

 

[blackfin]

has anyone else built the controler i have a low head room situation and this design would be great because i wouldn't have to keep the flood table higher than the res

i think i'll give it a shot any way

 

[tokinsmokin]

need to keep this one going, Kryptonite if you ever check your thread out again, or someone else can answer this, do you like lava rock or hydroton, why?

 

[Guest]

ok great design!!! love lots of pics...but isnt dwc supposed to be about simplicity?

 

[tokinsmokin]

uhh, bandan, apparently you didn't read this thread. This isn't about DWC its about how to build an Ebb & Flow set up (multi flow) setup. This set up should produce better results than DWC.

 

[Guest]

Apologies for not getting back to this. In my defense I have REALLY had my hands full of lifes many issues.

I'll be getting back to this thread next weekend.

I'd like to add that in 5+ years of using this I have NEVER had it overflow not even ONCE.

 

[Guest]

ok great design!!! love lots of pics...but isnt dwc supposed to be about simplicity?

What's not simple about it? Once the controler is built and system set up, I guarantee you it is the easiest to use system out there.
I usually fill the res, check PH etc., and walk away for a week at a time.
This summer I went on a two week vacation and when I came back everything was just Bigger.

 

[Guest]

Krypto,

Great thread bro! Got my controller built and mounted to a 3.5 gal control bucket. Quick question for ya, is there any problem using a 3.5 control bucket with 5 gal site buckets? Is it fine if the site buckets are only flooded to a bit above the bottom of the net baskets, or do they need to flood to the top of the bucket?

Also, do you see any problem with putting the fill hose entry (into control bucket) at the bottom of the bucket so no water noise is heard? (rather than having the fill port near the top of the bucket so you hear water fall noise)

peace Krypto, and thanks for saving me a few hun-stacks.....

 

[Bonzo]

i think you can just raise your controller...........i think

bonz

 

[10k]

Can I get a HAIL YEAH!!!!!!

Thread bumped and tagged for reference.

Excellent thread Kryptonite

Can you post a wiring diagram/schematic for this device?
(I'm having alot of stoner problems here working from just the pictures)

 

[BlindDate]

KISS

KISS

One dangerous, scary, ghetto setup for sure. When they start to bring out the silicone sealant, it's time to run.


You all realize of course that you can do the exact same thing with

2 Beckett Pond pumps

2 simple timers (like Intermatic or those $7 mechanical ones)

1 mechanical float valve (mounted in the controler bucket)

Like This:

Place one pond pump in the res and plug it into a on/off timer (this one pumps nutes through a float valve mounted in the controller bucket). Place the other pond pump in the controler bucket also on an on/off timer (this one simply pumps nutes back to the res).

Program your timers so that they alternate and leave them on long enough to ensure that they complete the fill/drain cycle. Add an extra 5 minutes to be sure, it does not matter. I recommend the Beckett direct drive pumps rather than magnetic dives because they can run dry with no problem (like when the one inside the conroller bucket empties).

And there you have it. Much Much more reliable, no funky ghetto wiring, no relays, no construction projects. Doooh!!!

Any questions?