"Mini PPK Grow" - Jacks 15-12-26 - Coco/Perlite

[Ravenboy]

ahhh figured it out. this will do the job nicely, when installed in a case

will handle 10 amps of AC current

#12.99 U$D? i think i can afford it. it will take a while to get here via USPS, but the peace of mind will be worth it one its installed.

http://www.engineeringshock.com/sto...face_Kit_Control_the_relay_with_moisture.html

this place is a cool website.... lots of interesting DIY electronic kits

 

[Phagoos]

The rain detector is most likely going to see corrosion because I don't think they use an AC signal. Secondly with the mineral build up I think it will always be on very quickly.
If anything you should use an isolated system for detection and not rely on the 'wetness' of a surface to detect the water level.

 

[Phagoos]

I'd rather use something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/172131562805

 

[Ravenboy]

a question for those readers who have used or are using PPKs now:

when i hook up a central res, there is no room in the tent. The "retaining pool" is longer than the tent, the extra space is where the res will be. to so that the drain lines have to exit the tent. the opening on that side is 4" high off the bottom of the tent. I'd rather not have the drain lines exit the site reservoirs close to the floor, and have to rise over this 4" elevation, then run back on the floor to the main res. That leaves a hump in the drain lines - it might be difficult to get the air out of the hump

but does it matter if this hump in the drain line has air in it. as the fluid is pumped from main res to drip rings, flows out the drain line, the water will still "try to seek its own level" won't it? the water in the drain line will still rise and flow over the hump won't it?

if its a bad idea for there to be air in the hump, i could put a T in each drain lines at the high point, and connect them back to the main res at a point higher than where the drain lines inter the main res. that would drain the air into the main res,

or: i could just slit the tent at the floor - i don't want to do that, if i leave argentina i will be selling the tents - I'd rather sell them with no slits to explain

id rather be facing the air in my hump scenario than facing the prospect of awkwardly explaining my slits.

 

[delta9nxs]

I was thinking about the "stuck timer" flood scenario. The way my PPKs are, a timer stuck in the ON position would cause a large portion of 4.5 gallons to end up in my retaining pool.

I am going to get a relay that senses water, if no water, the cycle timer is ON> if its wet, cycle timer stops; a flood wold be only a few liters.

you would be better off using a good digital repeat cycle timer. i have been using these for years and have never had one fail. under 100 bucks at most online stores.

http://blueprintcontrollers.com/Product/Details/BDCT601

 

[Snook]

a question for those readers who have used or are using PPKs now:

when i hook up a central res, there is no room in the tent. The "retaining pool" is longer than the tent, the extra space is where the res will be. to so that the drain lines have to exit the tent. the opening on that side is 4" high off the bottom of the tent. I'd rather not have the drain lines exit the site reservoirs close to the floor, and have to rise over this 4" elevation, then run back on the floor to the main res. That leaves a hump in the drain lines - it might be difficult to get the air out of the hump

but does it matter if this hump in the drain line has air in it. as the fluid is pumped from main res to drip rings, flows out the drain line, the water will still "try to seek its own level" won't it? the water in the drain line will still rise and flow over the hump won't it?

if its a bad idea for there to be air in the hump, i could put a T in each drain lines at the high point, and connect them back to the main res at a point higher than where the drain lines inter the main res. that would drain the air into the main res,

or: i could just slit the tent at the floor - i don't want to do that, if i leave argentina i will be selling the tents - I'd rather sell them with no slits to explain

id rather be facing the air in my hump scenario than facing the prospect of awkwardly explaining my slits.

I faced the same dilemma, I cut the 1/2" hole.. if they grow it they'll understand and a little goop would fix it down the road, or a tire patch... my gap was at 3.5" couldn't face the 4" rise..

 

[delta9nxs]

a question for those readers who have used or are using PPKs now:

when i hook up a central res, there is no room in the tent. The "retaining pool" is longer than the tent, the extra space is where the res will be. to so that the drain lines have to exit the tent. the opening on that side is 4" high off the bottom of the tent. I'd rather not have the drain lines exit the site reservoirs close to the floor, and have to rise over this 4" elevation, then run back on the floor to the main res. That leaves a hump in the drain lines - it might be difficult to get the air out of the hump

but does it matter if this hump in the drain line has air in it. as the fluid is pumped from main res to drip rings, flows out the drain line, the water will still "try to seek its own level" won't it? the water in the drain line will still rise and flow over the hump won't it?

if its a bad idea for there to be air in the hump, i could put a T in each drain lines at the high point, and connect them back to the main res at a point higher than where the drain lines inter the main res. that would drain the air into the main res,

or: i could just slit the tent at the floor - i don't want to do that, if i leave argentina i will be selling the tents - I'd rather sell them with no slits to explain

id rather be facing the air in my hump scenario than facing the prospect of awkwardly explaining my slits.

nothing worse than awkwardly explaining slits in your hump scenario!

yes the air will form a block or at least a partial block in the drain line. you could install a T as you said but with a valve on it to bleed off the air.

 

[Ravenboy]

you would be better off using a good digital repeat cycle timer. i have been using these for years and have never had one fail. under 100 bucks at most online stores.

http://blueprintcontrollers.com/Product/Details/BDCT601

Good Advice for sure. However it does not meet 4 of my requirements - and any one is a show stopper


its funny about what "better off boils down to" it always depends on the specific circumstances,maybe


i didn't explain my requirements well enough, i am sure

first argentina is 230v. but it doesn't matter if the company you linked to has a 230v version (read on)

second; smuggling stuff in is easy, especially if its little things that are cheap and
look like they'd be a hassle to look up online (in customs at the airport). Bringing in anything that looks (on the X-ray) to be both expensive and electronic is the fast track to the inspector going to google to find a price

50 % import duty here. so your cycle timer got spend fast. but (read on)


third, i already have a 2 units each a 5 channel digital (analog relay, i do hear a click) cycle timers that cost 50 bucks each built on 5 osram individual cycle timers
50 bucks. 100 for ten timed channels.

and 4th doesn't cover any catastrophic flood events. a stuck cycle timer is only once source of a disaster in a hydro system. it might be the least likely scenario
but my solution covers both likely and unlikely water running wild scenarios

detail:


I have one cycle timer and one pump per PPK site. I like it that way, so unless I could find one for less than 50 bucks that has 5 individual timed outputs ( as my two digital cycle timers do) i'll keep what I'm running

since they are digital and all

and i've yet to see one fail ...... however, only two years I've used these

but my point is, if one ever does, for 12 dollars i can avoid a larger shopvac episode - or if a pump hose pops off a drip ring, or if i spill a coke in the tent, or if i have a site res leaking

all timers shut off and an alarm sounds.

for 12 dollars and a little DIY work. i also want to add a piezoelectric buzzer ( requires another relay to invert the sense of the alarm - pump powered off because of flood - so alarm needs to be ON ) - another 4 bucks each for those two items

I'm paranoid that way

 

[Ravenboy]

nothing worse than awkwardly explaining slits in your hump scenario!

yes the air will form a block or at least a partial block in the drain line. you could install a T as you said but with a valve on it to bleed off the air.

yes thats better than more holes in the side of the main res

good idea, thanks!!!!!

 

[Ravenboy]

Y'all would laugh at my grow room...

very Rube Goldberg. I cant cut any holes for vents. I have an exhaust for the room that fires if the room gets too warm ( or cold depending on season) , another that fires if its to wet (or to dry if in veg), and each tent vents itself into the grow room. the grow room ventilation is how i tweak the tents' climate

I use the bedroom (grow room) door to modulate how much warm or cold air is drawn in from the hallway

I am retired, so its not big deal. i adjust everything every few days depending on the climate

and i don't buy much from the grow weed industry. JAcks I buy , but thats not from grow weed websites, Coco, yes. blocks when on sale. Bluelab meters but again thats not a cannabis culture company

anything electronic comes from eBay, always from china. always at 1/10 or less retail price.

switches and outlets - cheap stuff from our mercadolibre.com.ar

and i bring stuff from the usa that our home depot lookalike doesn't have - and coco, and jacks, and electronic relay stuff, bluelab stuff, led panels,

carbon filters (ok ones) and fans and extractors, i can buy here. not as good, but i need 220v.

i don't buy from the weed grow shop industry because in a properly working world it would not exist. these are plants. there is already an industry that covers plants.

 

[Ravenboy]

I faced the same dilemma, I cut the 1/2" hole.. if they grow it they'll understand and a little goop would fix it down the road, or a tire patch... my gap was at 3.5" couldn't face the 4" rise..

thanks for the feedback, i see the point!

now that you 'xplained me to it.

 

[Ravenboy]

I'd rather use something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/172131562805

View Image

ahhh thats new to me

if it can pick up splashing water, even better! this is for the FLOOR of a tent -




my flood events are BIG and HARD - a loose hose sperw 1/2 stream of water from a 900 liter per hour pump.
a gallon in 20 seconds

the one i listed would quickly fire (meaning turn off the timers) if water from a spraying feed line was flung around in the tent
its adjustable, you COULD make it fire on one drop of water. that would be too sensitive

so cool - if true

how much is it

 

[Ravenboy]

The rain detector is most likely going to see corrosion because I don't think they use an AC signal. Secondly with the mineral build up I think it will always be on very quickly.
If anything you should use an isolated system for detection and not rely on the 'wetness' of a surface to detect the water level.

corrosion. nope. treated for that


its DC. its just a relay. the AC for the timers would go thru the relay part. thats totally isolated from the 5v sensor part.

this isn't going to corrode unless it gets wet. if its dry, power goes to the cycle timers and hence to the pumps.

if wet, power stop. flood stops. clean up the flood, clean the sensor. repeat

no skip that repeat part. i don't want two floods


normal state would be bone dry, hopefully for eons

this is for the FLOOR of the tent. Mineral buildup? how many floods you expect i will have?

if i have one hopefully the same scenario doesn't repeat (at least)

and they are 12 dollars. i bought 5 of them - have spares

and on the relay side they handle ten amps of 230V AC. so the 5 things that my cycle timer is running, the sum of their amperage must be below the ten amps of the relay feeding the cycle timer box - two amps per channel, thats fine

how cool is that. i use the cycle timers for more than just the PPK pumps, like a mongrel timed room exhaust fan - so not to compete with the humidifier so much...

and it would be ok they were turned off during a flood (since the cycle timer box would shut down if the floor of the ten gets wet)


and i am looking for the video i saw somewhere of a guy using one of these for a main res level control. his mix and may res tanks were side by side.

with a moisture relay near the bottom the main res, if the pump feeding the main res from the mixing res fails, it could also be automatically shut off

the tanks are side by side, and the feed line from mix to main res was routed so that it could not siphon back into the mix res ( had an air gap).


preventing the stuck mechanical or electromechanical float valve scenario.

specs say the sensor is ok with salt solutions, and other non water stuff
thats an idea i hope works too - still looking for that video

 

[Ravenboy]

I should explain

If there did not exist so many opportunities for DIY craftsmanship in this hobby, i might not do it

if I bought everything i dreamed i wanted, I could not afford this hobby, i would not do it

and if i didn't DO this hobby, i would not smoke weed

see where this is going

DIY Rules - and it stretches my mind, i come from a technical design and implementation background.


and finally there is the challenging aspect of living in argentina. I have to be as creative as i was in the 1960's when thinking uo things to build. we had stuff for DIY back then, more than now
but technology went past the DIY thing. Heath kit close. Allied Radio shut down, Radio Shack became a retail outlet, model rockets became scarce

the usa and europe adopted Buy it/use it/ toss it why fix it consumerist economics

if YOU live in USA, Europe, even a few of the OTHER countries in south america, if DIY stuff is limited worldwide, for sure here in argentina we have less , compared to YOU

i like it. get to build weird, totally functional stuff,with a mix of junk, stuff from the EASY store, mercadolibre.com.ar (our Ebay) and small smuggled chinese relays and controllers

!Ché... yo agarro viaje!

 

[Ravenboy]

oops

 

[Ravenboy]

if you read this journal, its obvious when i am having a glass of wine and a smoke waiting for lights on

which is still 3 hours away. fortunately i am out of wine

i post a lot...

so maybe i do a lot of posting ... this is kind of my way of thinking, do it online, get feedback, share the energy

taking about sharing the energy

thanks again to D9 (or the PPK and his support) and all of you (for reading, supporting, thinking) !!!!!

 

[delta9nxs]

i had no idea they were 230v down there! that would change a lot of things.

i have built repeat cycle timers from mechanical on-off timers before. the drawback being that you have to design in and live with a preset time frame. like 15-30-45-60 min.

they must really want that import tax money!

when i lived in puerto rico there was a 20% import tax on cars, tv's and other electronics, appliances. really sucked!

 

[Ravenboy]

i had no idea they were 230v down there! that would change a lot of things.

i have built repeat cycle timers from mechanical on-off timers before. the drawback being that you have to design in and live with a preset time frame. like 15-30-45-60 min.

they must really want that import tax money!

when i lived in puerto rico there was a 20% import tax on cars, tv's and other electronics, appliances. really sucked!

yes its a drag and 50 is worse, and i can only receive to smallish packages a year of more than 1000 dollars (50% import duty)

less than 1000 is unlimited. still 50% - including shipping cost, so we have to think about what we buy online

-------
the sram cycle timers.... they are pretty much state of the art for cheap timers like this. digital. probably a mechanical relay.nothing so old school about these. has pushbuttons on the from to set the interval and units
and LED display of what is happening. not entirely so modern, not an antique either

yep been there with the cycle timers, thats why i use these sram 10 dollar ones


these are really flexible. might be bothe 110v and 220v, if not i would be surprised if there isn't a 110v version
but it does happen that some really cool stuff is not available except for 230v
its getting to be a big consumerist work out there (think: india, china)

0 to 99 for the digits,
tenth of seconds, seconds, minute and hours for unit measurement.

sp if your off or on time is shorter than 1/10 second, or longer than 99 hours you ARE SO TOTALLY SCREWED


settable in that resolution for both on and off parts of the cycle

i have never found it limiting.

its limiting if you aren't comfortable with wiring and electrical DIY stuff. I had to download a video in korean to realize there is a jumper to install that isn't in any to the supplied wiring diagrams. ( he showed the wiring clearly in the video, i don't know korean)

always an adventure. but its works! and there are a bunch of online eBay companies selling this item. its so cheap, you can keep one for a spare (though I've yet to have one do anything but work)

also there is an eBay chinese 35 dollar temp humidity sensor/two channel out relay (temp and humidity) that can function as a heater, cooler, dehumidifier,humidifier depending on how you program it. it in the same case, different color as this cycle timer. different company.

both of these gizmos : the face is 2 inches square, and they are about 4" deep. come with the plugs when one is required (the timer ), mounting hardware and faceplates (timer only, but fits the temp humidity controller too)



i use 2 of these right now. to humidify or dehumidify the grow room, to raise or lower the temp

and another two to control side lighting in the two tents ( if it gets too hot, like when tent all zipped up when lights are on , turn off side lighting, and use only central main panel)

and when i dry weed in a tent, i use all of this to keep humidity in the tent a constant 62 (relative humidity percentage) at 75 degrees (Fahrenheit scale) . i don't sweat the drying process. if i harvest a little early i have to burp jars for a little while.

harvest too to late? its STILL 62RH, no big deal. and its perfect for the jars and boveda bags without burping


all continuously. reliably. safely.

at such a low cost it is laughable

 

[C.O.B.]

Ravenboy, read your Coco/perlite hempy thread,(thanks i picked up a few pointers from it...total pond barley extract for one) as well as your mini ppk thread. Glad you made it this way. Also read thee whole ppk thread by D9. Joined the site after reading it thinking I'd get to see pics....Nope! .

I've been running hempies(100% perlite) for years and finally switched to coco/perlite hempies and have been in them as well as coco/perlite smart pots for a out 8 months now.

Reading your hempy thread led me into the ppk world. Thank you. I now feel confident enough to try a mini ppk for 1 maybe 2 plants. It'll take a few months to totaly make the switch, but I feel I need to construct and run at least 1. Did SOME researching after joining up and really couldn't find an updated build/tutorial on the system. I know there have been updates or modifications to the original pulse ppk, ie... I saw that tire valves were replaced with grommets and ....

I have coco and perlite. Also have access to flor dry and rice hulls. I really want to try that combo. IN your opinion should I just try the mediums I have on hand before diving in?
Lastly, can you point me in the right direction for a build list for a 3.5 on a 3.5 gal mini ppk? I'll have to admit, I haven't read this thread yet except the last page, but I am on my way back to the beginning.

C.O.B.

 

[Ravenboy]

i am liking this thread, thanks for participating , everyone

one hour AND 16 minutes and tent one lights up for its first 12 hour day!!!!!