Thermal Image resistance???

[boaz]

I'm not so much worried about the thermal image as much as the pattern of energy used. I had an outragous electric one bill time so I asked the elec co about it and they sent me a report on the electric usage on an hour by hour basis. I guess there is some sort of device that sends my electric usage to a satallite or something every hour. (and this is in B.F.O. ) I've been a bit reluctant to grow indoors since then. I mean if you have high voltage lights on a timer it really would take much a program to id "unusual" energy usage patterns.

Maybe low energy L.E.D.'s might help but still if they are on a timer that has got be easy to spot. I'm thinking maybe a sky light window might be the way I go next time. Natural sunlight but still indoors away from critters and other nosey pests.

[Mississippi Steve]

I'm not so much worried about the thermal image as much as the pattern of energy used. I had an outragous electric one bill time so I asked the elec co about it and they sent me a report on the electric usage on an hour by hour basis. I guess there is some sort of device that sends my electric usage to a satallite or something every hour. (and this is in B.F.O. ) I've been a bit reluctant to grow indoors since then. I mean if you have high voltage lights on a timer it really would take much a program to id "unusual" energy usage patterns.

Maybe low energy L.E.D.'s might help but still if they are on a timer that has got be easy to spot. I'm thinking maybe a sky light window might be the way I go next time. Natural sunlight but still indoors away from critters and other nosey pests.

Easy enough to fix the electrical usage..... switch all the lights in the house to CFLs, use CFLs for grow lights, and start the cycle at the beginning of summer to coinside with air conditioner usage. Have the A/C serviced by a certified Master Tech to get it as efficient as possible.

*NOTE* once you start your lighting cycles, don't stop.

I use 2 sets of lights.... I am not worried about the hourly thing as Mississippi Power doesn't have those technologies for residential(yet). The first set is 10 CFLs (23W) over the top, and 10 dual tube 4ft fixtures. In veg, I run the CFLs only on 18/6, then once transplated to the 5 gallon buckets, I use both sets of lights on 12/12. It all kinda balances out in the end.

[MadSativa]

First of all the cops dont go around searching for houses with high levels of heat randomly. They would have to have reason to. Also a small grow area wouldnt yield enough heat to really do anything anyways too. They couldnt come close to showing it was a grow room.

Are you sure about that, as far as I have heard all states use the flir system on the ghetto birds. And most States if not all have a small unit that fly around in small aircraft and that is thier only mission to find grow ops using the F.L.I.R. system. (thye have other descriptions in their mission statment, but mostly it is bullshit) In my small city I see the plane flying around every morning at about 0500, in the northern areas the dea has a blackhawk helicopter and that is all they do, all day every day.

Managing heat is done best buy insulating, and lows, home depot has many options for insulating, the pink stuff works well but use alot. We insulated a house once with over 4 feet of the pink stuff and about 2 feet in the walls and when we turned on the lights in the early morning. with a FLIR scope their was still a heat signiture but no more than the rest of the house with regular lights on.

[boaz]

Easy enough to fix the electrical usage..... switch all the lights in the house to CFLs, use CFLs for grow lights, and start the cycle at the beginning of summer to coinside with air conditioner usage. Have the A/C serviced by a certified Master Tech to get it as efficient as possible.

*NOTE* once you start your lighting cycles, don't stop.

I use 2 sets of lights.... I am not worried about the hourly thing as Mississippi Power doesn't have those technologies for residential(yet). The first set is 10 CFLs (23W) over the top, and 10 dual tube 4ft fixtures. In veg, I run the CFLs only on 18/6, then once transplated to the 5 gallon buckets, I use both sets of lights on 12/12. It all kinda balances out in the end.

thanks for the spec's on the CFL's. :greenthumb: yeah, i was thinking CFL's would probably okay, too, since I already use a lot of CFL's for outdoor lights, etc. I'm probably safe to grow, I don't think they really monitor at that detail unless you request it, but then again, its two years to life for cultivation here , in Oklahoma, so I tend to be a bit over cautious. :jointsmile:

I have grown with CFL before and had pretty good luck but I could have used some more lights, I think. I might give them another shot. that and the sunlight. I've got a buddy that grows some really nice juicy plants just growing in the windows. its painfully slow but the plants look great. :greenthumb: I think my next project may be a hybrid of CFL enhanced natural sunlight. :jointsmile:

[Mississippi Steve]

here's a pic of what I am talking about. I use a regular box fan to control the heat and for ventilation inside the cab.

[boaz]

^ cool. that is a work of art. the plant, too. :jointsmile:

[houseman]

as far as I have heard all states use the flir system on the ghetto birds. And most States if not all have a small unit that fly around in small aircraft and that is thier only mission to find grow ops using the F.L.I.R. system. (thye have other descriptions in their mission statment, but mostly it is bullshit) In my small city I see the plane flying around every morning at about 0500, in the northern areas the dea has a blackhawk helicopter and that is all they do, all day every day.

I agree, around here me and a few others noticed a small unmarked plane circling the city bout 2 or 3 am, and as far as "invasion of privacy" the feds stay out that mess by passing the info to local police dept, then the coppers do thier thing going on an "anonymous tip" lots of people getting busted on these "anonymous tips" and when its court time during the DISCOVERY part of it, all these details are supposed to come to light, but somehow remain anonymous....that way the feds stay out of the whole thing and local PD gets the credit for the BIG BUST...happens all the time so don;t be naive, thinking they have no right to fly over your house and take thermal pictures....thanks to Bush and his patriot act the fed does alot more than we would like to think

[geoluv]

^ that would just look kinda like a tanning bed on its side from a thermal camera.

the biggies are the hid bulbs, im pretty sure there isnt anything else in a normal household that gets as hot and is the same shape as a HID bulb.

9 out of 10 grow ops get raided because someones lips were too loose. usually they are trying to bargain their way out of their own mess and this situation can make even the most loyal of friends flip, this is why you tell NO ONE, its best for everyone.

[yokinazu]

i got a few tips to avoid thermal detection.

1. centralize the grow area. put it as close to the centre of your house as possible. the further away from walls the less chance heat will leak out.

2. get as close ,or below, to ground leval as possible. the more house above your heat souce the better.

both do one thing put as much barrier between the heat source and the outside walls of the house. think about it its much easier to see an attic grow room than a basement grow when flying over with thermal imaging equipment.

3. insulate. this is also kinda the same principal as above but the better insulated the house the less heat the house losses making the whole house appear the same basic temp all over.

contrary to popular beleif thermals cannot see "through" walls but can detect hot spots. the idea is to diipate the heat into the rest of the house as quickly as posible.

4. mimic natural light cycles. have your day cycle running when the sun is up and the light out at night. most thermal imaging is done at night so the surrounding area is cooler making it easier to see the hot spots. if they are flying over at 2 or 3 am even in the dead of winter in minasota you can set setyour light to bring on the night cycle before then. wich means that if your lights are off they aint producing heat wich aint makin hot spots.

basicaly just use a little comonsense and planning on the location of a grow as much as any other part of it.