M
Mr. Sparkle
Mechanical thermostat, or can also easily be done with an arduino, relay, and say a tmp36 temp sensor, which depending on where you source things is less than $10
-
Happy Birthday ICMag! Been 20 years since Gypsy Nirvana created the forum! We are celebrating with a 4/20 Giveaway and by launching a new Patreon tier called "420club". You can read more here.
-
Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!
Mad's DIY LED PC Grow #1
- Thread starter MadR1
- Start date
Cool, Thanks again. Pretty cool reading about your bucket setup.
Put the PC case on some bricks for more safety. In case of flood, spilling water, or maybe if you really need to mop the floor barefoot power down first.
Yes I should learn more electronics basics. For example, my lights just have a two pronged plug to go in the outlet, where my store bought ones have 3. The whole ground issue is something I'm eager to learn about. I fried one of my drivers! Heard a pop sound, and half of my middle/brightest light went out. (2 driver light). So I powered that down and started to trace the wires quickly. Sure enough I notice that one of my heat shrink wraps had come loose and the solder point had become exposed and touched the side of the PC case. Yeah, thankfully I didn't get shocked. Have since upgraded all of my points to double shrink wrap and made sure everything was more secure. What other options do I know about? Those screw on cap things? Terminal boxes? Electrical tape and shrink wrap over that? As usual I'm rambling. You don't need to be my google. But I like you all more than google. Puff n pass
I put my drivers on a thick metal thing so they aren't sitting right on top of the PC case.
I am always striving to make safety improvements. I cut 2x4's to wedge in the middle of my tent's top and bottom frame poles for added support since I started hanging the heavy led lights. Why stress the frame if it's a cheap grow tent?
It does seem kinda crazy to me that diy lights tend to have live circuits on the front of them. Some method to shield the LED's solder points? Spraying plants under a HPS could be just as bad since those bulbs can explode. Putting a glass frame like my store bought lights have, just captures more heat?
I've been cleaning the house, but soon I'll get back to electronics study.
Plants seem happy.
Put the PC case on some bricks for more safety. In case of flood, spilling water, or maybe if you really need to mop the floor barefoot power down first.
Yes I should learn more electronics basics. For example, my lights just have a two pronged plug to go in the outlet, where my store bought ones have 3. The whole ground issue is something I'm eager to learn about. I fried one of my drivers! Heard a pop sound, and half of my middle/brightest light went out. (2 driver light). So I powered that down and started to trace the wires quickly. Sure enough I notice that one of my heat shrink wraps had come loose and the solder point had become exposed and touched the side of the PC case. Yeah, thankfully I didn't get shocked. Have since upgraded all of my points to double shrink wrap and made sure everything was more secure. What other options do I know about? Those screw on cap things? Terminal boxes? Electrical tape and shrink wrap over that? As usual I'm rambling. You don't need to be my google. But I like you all more than google. Puff n pass
I put my drivers on a thick metal thing so they aren't sitting right on top of the PC case.
I am always striving to make safety improvements. I cut 2x4's to wedge in the middle of my tent's top and bottom frame poles for added support since I started hanging the heavy led lights. Why stress the frame if it's a cheap grow tent?
It does seem kinda crazy to me that diy lights tend to have live circuits on the front of them. Some method to shield the LED's solder points? Spraying plants under a HPS could be just as bad since those bulbs can explode. Putting a glass frame like my store bought lights have, just captures more heat?
I've been cleaning the house, but soon I'll get back to electronics study.
Plants seem happy.
Attachments
Last edited:
Another thing from my Noob perspective on all this, is regarding all the talk of cheap led's burning out quick if they are run at full potential. Why not use a more powerful light but under-run it some? It's just about efficiency? Cheap larger watt leds are just arrays of smaller watt ones, but the new generation of cobs are different and more efficient somehow?
In my early experiments I was powering a 900mA light with a 600mA driver. The voltage requirements were the same. Was that just a less bright light? Or was it sucking way more juice than it was supposed to? Definitely didn't get as hot as chips when the gear matches correctly.
I've used all the CPU fans from the 3 Dino computers I gutted. No more lights to make.
In my early experiments I was powering a 900mA light with a 600mA driver. The voltage requirements were the same. Was that just a less bright light? Or was it sucking way more juice than it was supposed to? Definitely didn't get as hot as chips when the gear matches correctly.
I've used all the CPU fans from the 3 Dino computers I gutted. No more lights to make.
Transplanted 3 into bigger cups. Put 1 in other veg area. Topped these two. Put the tops into soil in my regular 12/12 area. Maybe they will take root and show sex before these get to big? I suspect I will need to move 1 more out and start SCROG training. Some light LST.
Peace!
Peace!
Attachments
"Stay frosty". Still growing strong.
Planning to make my screen tomarrow. Maybe make the final transplant in another 4-5 days, a week?
Can I turn whole plant onto its side when I transplant, to get the new branches as low in the case as possible? Also I was thinking to make my screen at an angle in the case to get more surface area. Any thoughts on screen height and angle here? It's a Mid-Tower for sure.
Peace!
Planning to make my screen tomarrow. Maybe make the final transplant in another 4-5 days, a week?
Can I turn whole plant onto its side when I transplant, to get the new branches as low in the case as possible? Also I was thinking to make my screen at an angle in the case to get more surface area. Any thoughts on screen height and angle here? It's a Mid-Tower for sure.
Peace!
Attachments
Electricity studies going pretty good. Not as intimidated as I used to be.
Why is Current denoted as I?
That's a bit of a curve ball to me. But I believe I've memorized the three elements of electricity. Voltage, Current, Resistance.
I tested the driver I blew out with my meter. Yup, dead.
Tested this constant current driver that says it puts out 36v. I got 46, normal to be a bit different like that? My meter is even more basic than the one I posted a pic of earlier from my net studies, eh?
Why is Current denoted as I?
That's a bit of a curve ball to me. But I believe I've memorized the three elements of electricity. Voltage, Current, Resistance.
I tested the driver I blew out with my meter. Yup, dead.
Tested this constant current driver that says it puts out 36v. I got 46, normal to be a bit different like that? My meter is even more basic than the one I posted a pic of earlier from my net studies, eh?
Attachments
If you are going to do a PC case grow, get a big server case. Right?
Topped them, and bent over the top branches. Even if I SCROG one of them, seems there is very little room for such a thing in this case. In a mid tower, can it be done? I gotta loose at least half of the cup height when I transplant. Even then I have my doubts.
Want to put the fan on the outside of the case instead. If a leaf got caught in there that could get messy.
This has been a great cure for whatever Bordem I was having.
Peace!
Topped them, and bent over the top branches. Even if I SCROG one of them, seems there is very little room for such a thing in this case. In a mid tower, can it be done? I gotta loose at least half of the cup height when I transplant. Even then I have my doubts.
Want to put the fan on the outside of the case instead. If a leaf got caught in there that could get messy.
This has been a great cure for whatever Bordem I was having.
Peace!
Attachments
Upgraded the case to something only 2" taller, 1" wider, a couple inches less deep. That old dell one was having door problems anyhow. I do want to convert it to stealth someday. This case has a clear plastic window on the door. I think it would be cool to take that out and have a piece of art that hangs there with some glued on magnets. Easier to check up without always taking the door off. Darn I is lazy. When I make it stealth promise to forget I told you about it ok folks?
Added 2 10w FS cheapies for side lighting, proper drivers. This is going on with the top, daytime light. Might take away the side light during bloom. Still want to mount the fan on the back, just some planning involved.
Transplanted the smaller one into a quick SIPish, a quart and a halfs maybe worth of FF-OF soil. Watered with ph adjusted 6.5-7. My container is clear but I plan to wrap it up soon. Sure dries out quick in such a small environment like that.
Thinking to just poke holes in the container to attach a wire screen for SCROG.
She responded the best to being bent, the other one I, oops, snapped a branch. This one bent hard now at the main trunk seems ok with it. I hope it's a female...
Added 2 10w FS cheapies for side lighting, proper drivers. This is going on with the top, daytime light. Might take away the side light during bloom. Still want to mount the fan on the back, just some planning involved.
Transplanted the smaller one into a quick SIPish, a quart and a halfs maybe worth of FF-OF soil. Watered with ph adjusted 6.5-7. My container is clear but I plan to wrap it up soon. Sure dries out quick in such a small environment like that.
Thinking to just poke holes in the container to attach a wire screen for SCROG.
She responded the best to being bent, the other one I, oops, snapped a branch. This one bent hard now at the main trunk seems ok with it. I hope it's a female...
Attachments
Last edited:
Stealthify my rig part 1, the front grail. Duct tape style. Not cheap 99c store tape either. Eat your heart out McGyver!
This "Silverstone Technologies, Presision series" case also has holes on the bottom for a fan. Would be some work, but you could cut away that bit of grail and hide the soil under a special made table to get a lot more headroom. Someday maybe. Handy opening at the bottom for air intake, that needs a light baffle?
This "Silverstone Technologies, Presision series" case also has holes on the bottom for a fan. Would be some work, but you could cut away that bit of grail and hide the soil under a special made table to get a lot more headroom. Someday maybe. Handy opening at the bottom for air intake, that needs a light baffle?
Attachments
Not really a proper SCROG, but I'm flipping the switch. Changed timers for 12/12. Rather be on the smaller side than to big for the case. Bet that won't happen. This is one of the happier plants I've grown in a while.
My intake is on the bottom of the case for now.
Unplugged my side light, the 2 10w FS.
Counted 16 tops. I could sure go for 16 bowls of some blueDreamG13something. Their father plant was strong. Close to one hitter quitter, 2 hits maybe. BD mother.
Oh! I found 2 healthy looking seeds in a 3.5 gram bag I purchased today. (CookiesNCream). That's what I will do in this case next, if this one works out. I take it as a sign that I'm testing an s1 there and I find my first bag seed s1s. Though I always hope it's a breeders intentional work that's fallen into my hands.
The other Dream Hazies I planted are all together in a 5gal bucket/SIP put into 12/12 a few days ago. This is good timing to start flowering the PC one. I can use my fav method of odor control, pollinating em a bit with a male. That seems to make them stink way less to my poor sense of smell.
Lights are now
Morning: 2.5 hours
Daytime: dHours
Night: 2.5 hours
Total light Time: 12hrs
Some equation to add it up and calculate for dHours noting that there is an hour of overlap each way. Learning circuit basics is starting to change my thinking to more non-linear eh? Wasn't thinking morning, day, eve, but morn, eve, day. That's not Algebra! I'm just high.
Another couple of wires.
My intake is on the bottom of the case for now.
Unplugged my side light, the 2 10w FS.
Counted 16 tops. I could sure go for 16 bowls of some blueDreamG13something. Their father plant was strong. Close to one hitter quitter, 2 hits maybe. BD mother.
Oh! I found 2 healthy looking seeds in a 3.5 gram bag I purchased today. (CookiesNCream). That's what I will do in this case next, if this one works out. I take it as a sign that I'm testing an s1 there and I find my first bag seed s1s. Though I always hope it's a breeders intentional work that's fallen into my hands.
The other Dream Hazies I planted are all together in a 5gal bucket/SIP put into 12/12 a few days ago. This is good timing to start flowering the PC one. I can use my fav method of odor control, pollinating em a bit with a male. That seems to make them stink way less to my poor sense of smell.
Lights are now
Morning: 2.5 hours
Daytime: dHours
Night: 2.5 hours
Total light Time: 12hrs
Some equation to add it up and calculate for dHours noting that there is an hour of overlap each way. Learning circuit basics is starting to change my thinking to more non-linear eh? Wasn't thinking morning, day, eve, but morn, eve, day. That's not Algebra! I'm just high.
Another couple of wires.
Attachments
Last edited:
Day: 8
She showed two white hairs! Wait, the other 5 from same seeds are females to. Darn it! That’s what I get for messing with these S1s. Only ever grown selfed seeds one other time, some elite clones also like OG Kush Tahoe.
Stretching a lot. Keeps shooting up and I keep pushing them under the wires. Broke 1 top beyond repair. Fan ate up 1 leaf pretty bad.
Gotta start adding nutes next feed? Cal Mag?
Filling up the footprint nicely though huh?
She showed two white hairs! Wait, the other 5 from same seeds are females to. Darn it! That’s what I get for messing with these S1s. Only ever grown selfed seeds one other time, some elite clones also like OG Kush Tahoe.
Stretching a lot. Keeps shooting up and I keep pushing them under the wires. Broke 1 top beyond repair. Fan ate up 1 leaf pretty bad.
Gotta start adding nutes next feed? Cal Mag?
Filling up the footprint nicely though huh?
Attachments
ReikoX
Knight of the BlackSvn
You're going to have to get us a shot of those plants with white light. Can't tell any issues with those purple lights.
Word, ok. Will in a moment, I do have some white lights finally. My new veg area is now 2 Vero 18 whites. Plants love that.
On the right is the known female, my Dutch Treat Jilly Haze. Super tasty daytime saliva dom hybrid. Super fast grower and cloner and easy to clone. More bug resistant than the GSCx from seed I’m finishing up on now.
Just put her in to replace big healthy clone of same that I just put into my 450w ish 3wLED tent.
Hope the one on the left is female. From seed, it’s GSC thin mints x ?dutchTreat... I lost track for a while, mother tasted like oranges and chocolate! Looks all fat Indica like, my fav. Though I sometimes think I must underfeed them compared to the others. (I know how to grow hempy bucket coco organic hydro better)/ all soil these days cause I like the buzz better that way.
On the right is the known female, my Dutch Treat Jilly Haze. Super tasty daytime saliva dom hybrid. Super fast grower and cloner and easy to clone. More bug resistant than the GSCx from seed I’m finishing up on now.
Just put her in to replace big healthy clone of same that I just put into my 450w ish 3wLED tent.
Hope the one on the left is female. From seed, it’s GSC thin mints x ?dutchTreat... I lost track for a while, mother tasted like oranges and chocolate! Looks all fat Indica like, my fav. Though I sometimes think I must underfeed them compared to the others. (I know how to grow hempy bucket coco organic hydro better)/ all soil these days cause I like the buzz better that way.
Attachments
Don’t know what it is really. Gsus is supposedly (God Bud x G13. The OG is x OG Kush x ?the unknown, -Hermy mother) x Blue Dream clone) mother of this seed.
God Bud? Never tried that one.
Hope I can make a seed here that will someday enjoy sunshine. My landlord said no to outdoor this season. Bummer! I think the laws may have changed to no outdoor at all in this area anyhow for next season. I would totally build a small greenhouse in the front yard! Have some pollen I saved of unknown ThinMintsX.
G13 I had was one of the top strongest I have tried, like SFV, Silver Haze, Mass Super Skunk, Sour D, Dutch Treat, Purple Alien OG, Ultra Violence... I dislike the name of that one. I’m a pacifist. My favorite buzz is GSC and crosses, but I don’t consider that the strongest. Most sedating and distracting to my back pain. I think Cannabis allows me an easier time distracting me from my pain by enabling easy focus on other things.
I eat brownies before going to the dentist.
Peace!
God Bud? Never tried that one.
Hope I can make a seed here that will someday enjoy sunshine. My landlord said no to outdoor this season. Bummer! I think the laws may have changed to no outdoor at all in this area anyhow for next season. I would totally build a small greenhouse in the front yard! Have some pollen I saved of unknown ThinMintsX.
G13 I had was one of the top strongest I have tried, like SFV, Silver Haze, Mass Super Skunk, Sour D, Dutch Treat, Purple Alien OG, Ultra Violence... I dislike the name of that one. I’m a pacifist. My favorite buzz is GSC and crosses, but I don’t consider that the strongest. Most sedating and distracting to my back pain. I think Cannabis allows me an easier time distracting me from my pain by enabling easy focus on other things.
I eat brownies before going to the dentist.
Peace!
Last edited:
