how much did they cost, and where did you get them?
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how much did they cost, and where did you get them?
yeah i got ya, smurph. i told you i was having a bad morning. sorry.
-shake
Sorry, forgot to answer that.Quote:
Originally Posted by fluid69
The socket was just over $2 plus tax. I got 4 of those, 4 splitters, a cheapo 15ft extension chord, and an $11 4-pack of lights all for about $40.
No problem. I had to wake up and drive a half hour to take a music test at 8am... And I'm not a morning person. Nor do I completely understand 7th chords, but that's over now, and I think I did alright anyway...Quote:
Originally Posted by headshake
a music test? sweet. i love music. okay, i can't say i would love the test.
how is everything working in the fridge now?
-shake
i got an electrical question for you smruph. i know jack squat about home electrical. if i have a 24" florescent tube light and it has a green, white and black wires (green is ground, white is hot, and black is neutral?) how do i wire that to a 2 wire plug? they were hardwired into the underside of someones desk.
what is neutral, exactly?
thanks for the potential help!
-shake
LOl shake black is hot, white is neutral ,green is ground.If you want to hook up an ungrounded outlet (not advised),then hook the white wire on left side black on right side and curl the ground WAY out of the way.(right an left are referd as if your looking at the face of the outlet).Or if your not using the outlet,only the wire's, then it's white-white black-black keep unused ground wire away from both.
Dive:stoned:
thanks dive, that why i asked! i fixed avionics (comm/nav/weapons) on helos, but don't know shit about house wiring. all the wires on an aircraft are white!
i'll just wait to get some good lights. lol.
-shake
I don't like household wiring, AC, analog, or anything like that, but I just now got done with an analog class in school. And I generally know how to deal with it all.Quote:
Originally Posted by headshake
We made two circuit boards. one has an LED and a microphone, we used transistors (what the course was mainly about), resistors, and capacitors to amplify what current our voices made the microphone output, and drive the LED. We used a photoresistor (the things on some outdoor lights that turn em on when it gets dark) to read that light, and used more transistors, resistors, and capacitors to drive an 8ohm speaker.
Getting just the right amount of feedback, and canceling all the noise was really tough.
When it comes to digital, I know what the hell's going on. I can design just about anything with logic gates.
And yeah, shake, Music theory test this morning at 8am.... hard to believe I'm still awake. haha.
I have two primary pieces to buy now, a timer (which won't really be needed till later, but I'm thinking about giving em 20/4 or 18/6) and even though I went back to lowe's, and home depot, I didn't walk out with a thermometer...
lol about the thermometer! i remember learning about logic gates. wow, that was a long time ago.
what the hell is the neutral for anyway?
-shake
Some call it neutral, some call it negative. In one way of looking at electron flow, you could say that it flows from a more negatively charged point to a more positively charged point.Quote:
Originally Posted by headshake
right, i understand that. i guess it's because you have an earth ground and the negative in house wiring as opposed to just a positive and negative in aircraft?
safer that way i suppose.
-shake
This is a budget grow, so lets do a tally of costs so far
2x 2pack 23w 1600lumen CFLs: $8.12 *2 = $16.24
Light socket 4x $2.66 = $10.64
Socket Splitter 4x $2.06 = $8.24
15' extension chord = $2.92
4 23w 1600 lumen CFLs = $11.98
+tax: 3.12
So far, I've spent $53.14
Not too bad.
Got a cheapo thermometer and ... Uh oh. Its mostly the new lights, 8x23w cfls get it pretty hot. We're lookin at like 90 degrees, this will be fixed ASAP, but it might not be a refrigerator grow anymore, we'll see. I'm on my phone right now so uploading pics is different, I'll try to get em on here.
got the pics. Turned the fan on and it's looking better. I need to address that asap.
:stoned:
Gah. I'm in a weird spot right now. This isn't taking place at my house, so I'm confined by other people's rules. The fan is too loud, so I have to redo that completely so it can run and nobody will ask questions. (They leave the house with only the wife's sister [30s] at home babysitting, and we don't need her snooping around wondering what that sound is). I put the timer in there, but the other guy is convinced that they are too young for anything less than 24hrs of light per day (I had it on 20). I'm trying to tell him that it will help with the temperatures (Which was 86 when I asked him about an hour ago!).
With the fan, the issue is that its a metal fan blade spinning pretty fast, and personally, I don't wanna lose a finger, so I'm keeping it looking like the heater it once was mostly because that's a screen to guard me or anyone else from touching the metal fan. I think I'm going to keep it at bottom, but point it outwards, using ducting if I can... Either that, or put it up on the shelf with the plants and use ducting to shoot it down and out.
I still have some more dank seeds, and the 4 that I've planted haven't poked out yet. The ones you've seen have been from regular mids....
the plants will be fine on 18/6. some people prefer this schedule as it saves money on electricity and it gives the plants some dark time to focus on making roots.
you can adjust your lighting schedule accordingly and not run the lights during the hottest part of the day.
is that two plants in the same pot?
-shake
I got sidetracked with all of that electrical talk - not sure I followed much of it, but who knows what me brain retained. I agree with shake on the 18/6, and I'd concur with the fact it should help eliminate some of the heat problem as well as provide some dark period to focus energy on root development - here I am simply parroting what I've read on this board.
I have not read anything about it, but I wonder if dry ice may provide you some relief from the heat while adding some CO2 to the enclosed fridge? Since dry ice sublimates relatively slowly, I wonder how long a small block may last to lower your temps?
The easiest way to lower your temps may be to add additional passive air intakes with additional upper level exhaust?
Continued good luck, Smurph!
Yeah, I know that 18/6 will be fine from what I've read, but I'm the only one doing research. The other guy doesn't even have a computer... let alone internet. I had to convince him, but I got it. it's on 18/6 now, and in fact, the light should've just now turned back on.
They got one more watering with nutes. I didn't tell him not to in time. I think I'm going to flush them now, they've been watered three times now with nutes.
Got another fan from wal mart. It was marked $7.00, its a small 4" metal fan that's pretty quiet. Check out the new setup...
The fan is hanging from the chord that the lights are on, I have it pointed downward to blow air down to where I have the current exhaust fan. I'll try to move it elsewhere one of these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smurph
omg, where did you get those sockets? they look pretty awesome... i love how adjustable they are!
I have begun planning the changes i;m going to need to do to my cab for my next transplant, and figuring out how i want to arrange the lights to maximize their effeniency has been a little tricky... i haven;t quite figured out what i want to do yet, but i could see myself using something like those... its like track lighting, but without the track!
I got them at Lowe's. Around here, they are the only ones that have them between wal mart, Home Depot, and Lowe's. They are about $2 each. This is my first grow, and I already know that these sockets are basically the best I could've gotten (going for low price). I don't particularly have to keep my plants short now that I can place and dangle lights at any point, every 4-6 inches down the plant, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by syde00
I've found that wal mart is the cheapest place for pretty much anything else, though. I saw the same exact battery or 12vdc (plug-in) powered fan at Lowe's advertised with "Every day low price" of $9 compared to the same at wal mart for $6
Right now my babies are more near the top of the refrigerator. Mostly because of how much more convenient hanging the light is with the screws in the top of the fridge for hanging the other end of the cable off of. Heat, of course, rises, and is the biggest problem with the whole op right now. I might put them down farther and see if I can help temps at all.
I cut the cups that have sprouts in them. Now, the soil is pretty much at the top. That's how Engineers roll... The cup is neither half empty nor half full, it's simply just too big.
Good news...sort of. This morning at about 11am (approximately 1hr after lights are scheduled to turn back on), the temperature was 80. Better. :pimp:
The next two weeks are supposed to be shitty and wet... which means the temps will be about 10 degrees cooler outside. Supposed to be between 59 and 83. That's gonna give me a few days to get this shit straight.
Dude, you just made me chuckle - my bro is an engineer, and I can see that dude sayin' somethin' just like that! Flippin' hilarious! Looks like your setup is gettin' sweeter - lookin' forward to more beautiful bean footage!Quote:
Originally Posted by Smurph
Update... got some pics from outside the fridge this time
Moved the babies to a lower shelf about a foot off the bottom of the box. the intake is fully below the shelf, it's just a 7" hole, you can see it from the outside in pic 4. You can also see how tight of a space we got back there. I noticed today that this place isn't in the way of any good circulating air... Will that be a problem with refreshing CO2?
Pic 3 shows the fan taped to the ceiling, and the cardboard door taped on for a seal. Without this, ventilation basically didn't do shit.
Pic 2 is the current setup. Got a couple reflectors on there.... Not much else...
Pic1 is the babies. The biggest in the previous pics is the one not doing so hot at the top of the pic... Kinda a not good situation there. Hopefully it'll pull through. The other two are obviously loving the extra light I've put in there for em. They look like they're gonna be the next stars....
Head, I did have two plants in that middle pot, but no longer. Just one.
The temp did get down to 80 tonight. That's more progress. I read on here somewhere that I want to keep the temps between 65 and 85, or in the mid 70s for optimum, so that's kinda where I'm shooting for.
I feel that the biggest issue right now is the fact that my room is 5ft tall... The day that I decided to start growing in the fridge, I didn't know about the SOG/LST/SCROG techniques for smaller spaces.
Since I have to worry about noise so much, and can't ventilate it how I'd like (we have a huge electric powered turbine that really moves some damn air. This would have us GOLDEN, but we can't be loud...), I'm reconsidering the box.... I'm about to go look through other grow setups and see what I can do...
Good news. Tempa are pretty steady at about 82. I'll be ok with that for now. Better news: everyonr's doing just fine. Nine plants now. Some have just broke ground, though.
I set the light cycle to 20/4 because we don't have our larger buckets yet, still using the beer pong cups, and I don't need any more root development just right now, but I do want temperature help.
growth is great. Everyone looks healthy, the big one from before did get some yellowed leaves, like I said, I had to do some cutting. Lets see how that turns out.
Just finished making all the reflectors. I took the "wings" off all the others. Just the two in the pic shown still have the wings on em, it helps round it all out.
Count is 4 mids plants and 5 dank plants, the dank plants and 1 mids plant are lagging by a few weeks, and have been mostly in great conditions (unlike the other 3 mids plants that had to deal with 2 CFLs, no ventilation, and probably some pretty high temps for a little bit, but they are troopers!!!)
The temps are hovering around 78 now. Way better... The plants all look good, two dank. Seedlings popped through one cup so I put one in its own container, I think it died. Oh well....
This is no longer (at least not for today) a Refrigerator grow. They have all been moved to a closet because the termite guy is supposed to come today. He won't be spraying inside at all, though (the fridge is in the unfinished garage). The temps were in the 70s doing a lot better. We're thinking about building a new box, or getting plywood and cutting a door. That way we can use weather stripping or something to seal it off with.
Question: I found some "Carbon filters" at wal mart for about $10 each, They are just the screen part, so you can make your own filter (perfect), but are they the same carbon filter that I'll need to filter out smell later on?
If it's a carbon filter, it should work...I'm sure there is some way of rigging it up in your grow to work just fine
Those little massey Fans from wal-mart are the shit. i am current using them. dunno if this helps but i broke off the stand with the 3 rubber cushings and bent the prongs when the pins went and screwed it and using it as my outake fan, my other ones on the inside but they will help with temps. also investing in a few more will help with vent and heat issues. Keep that green thumb green!Quote:
Originally Posted by Smurph
I actually just got a bigger massey fan. Same maker, just bigger. i think it's a 9" fan. It'll be my exhaust fan (or my other exhaust fan. Haven't decided if I want just that one, or two) That fan is now blowing up over the lights, it basically makes the lights heat go up rather than toward the plants.Quote:
Originally Posted by camoxnhx
Now why not use the bigger one as the outake and use the one you have in there to create airflow to hlep your plants with structor plus it will help move the hot air upwards faster to your out take fan.
Currently I have a heater (gutted, turned into just a fan) at the top as my exhaust. It is bigger, with an equal sized hole at bottom for intake. I have the 4" pointed upward between the plants and the lights. Not on the plants, but enough to make the leaves move just a little bit. This moves the air that the lights heat up upward to the exhaust fan (heat rises as it is, but the fan pushes the heat away from the plants and gives it a little boost on its journey onward, upward, and outward to the sun!)Quote:
Originally Posted by camoxnhx
I'm lookin' forward to your new grow box, if indeed you determine to build one. Always fun to watch an engineer at work; even though I believe you said you were studying electrical engineering, most engineers I've run into have a good general mechanical sense. I'm sure a new box would be an easy thing for you to throw together. On the other hand, it seemed like you had just about achieved your goals with the fridge - what with all of your plants thriving, so it's tough to overlook the age-old adage - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
As for your space issues, LST is a very easy method to learn. There are plenty of threads/posts on this board with picture by picture explanation on how to LST; it should work like a champ for you to save on headroom, and you've plenty of time until you should begin.
Keep up the good work, Smurph!
Yeah, I'm a programmer at heart. I have written programs for various reasons for the past 10 years freelance. I was also in a robotics competition (though I don't wear glasses, button-downs, or the like) in high school. We kicked ass. Second place overall in regional, got best design, and got knocked out in the semi-finals at nationals.Quote:
Originally Posted by jakezking
My job doesn't pay too well so funds are TIGHT. I'm going to have to build out of mostly what we've got lying around our two houses. I'm a McGuyver of sorts. I'll keep ya posted
there's nothing wrong with that smruph! i do the same thing. nothing beats out ingenuity!
-shake
I haven't been over there to see it in a few days, but I hear they aren't in the best of conditions right now. I need to cut some plywood to fit over that fridge door and get some weather stripping for houses or something to make a decent quick seal. Anyone know where to get long strips of magnets? I need like 15ft of it, that'd be the best seal. Without a seal (and it doesn't have to be perfect, just enough that the easiest path of air is through the bottom hole), on this fridge, there is no use in even wasting electricity on a fan...
Either that, or we're gonna make a new box. About how short can I afford to make it, and not be too crammed in there? I have never seen a fully grown LST'd plant. Assume about a foot for the pots, and another for the lighting setup.I'm thinking about 4ft ought to do me well. Of course, Like JakezKing said, it's not particularly broke, so why fix it.... All I'm--err... the house owner-- is worried about is light pollution. That ought to be fixed when I stop using cardboard and tape as my door....
Update.... I got a chance to go by and see the progress, and it is now officially a closet grow. I suppose I'll build a box to put it in inside the closet.... The house owner feels more secure with it in his room's extra closet rather than out in the garage in a refrigerator. Whatever. The ventilation isn't perfect, but the plants don't seem to be doing too bad. I snapped a pic of what we have so far.
Tell me what ya think
You should cover up the sides of those clear containers. The roots don't like light. Maybe add a little more perlite next time you re-pot also (20-25% perlite) :thumbsup:
Those bigger ones in the small cups might be ready for a re-pot already...
yeh... but I'm broke, as usual. Think milk jugs will work so long as they're not clear?
Yeah. Definitely a closet grow, not a refrigerator grow, but still a budget grow. Hopefully someone will come up with some plywood (or other wood) I can cut up and make a good box with.
Now I have to think about how tall I want it or need it. I'm thinking, with my super adjustable lights, I can put three splitters per socket to make 4 light groups that are 6" from the next set. If they need to be within 4" as I read somewhere else on this site, they'll be good at 6" from each other. That would allow me to keep it pretty tall and bushy. I'm thinking 3-4ft tall plants. So, a 5' tall box, and the width and length will be determined by what I use for new pots
Which brings me to the second thing I've been thinking about. I don't really wanna go spend 20 or 30 bucks on 7-8 gallon pots to see a few of them get canned because they had males. I'm thinking about using either 2-liter bottles, cut them down just a little, or if that's not providing enough width for the root system, gallon milk jugs cut down an inch or two.
Any ideas? :hippy: