Just need advice on a generator and blocking infared.

[juggernaut]

I am in the works of buying a property with a large building out back .

It was used as a woodworking shop.

I just need help on setting up a system to line the interior walls with anything to block
infared or suggestions.

Next I would like to find a generator capable of working 16-24 lights and some equipment. I would like to run it 24 hours a day.

 

[fishwhistle]

Honestly if you are worried about IR why would you want to run a loud generator 24/7 365?Not only that but you constantly have to fuel and maintain that thing and if it goes down(and it will) your gonna need a backup or your totally fubar,the logistics of fueling alone is gonna blow your cover unless you are in the middle of nowhere,is there no power available in your spot?Its alot cheaper,easier and incognito than a gennie not to mention cleaner.If it was a woodshop it should have power and you also have a great cover story and excuse for power consumption.

 

[Cort]

The cost of fuel will eat up any money above nutes and equip. You could very easily go into debt with this style of grow.

 

[Future]

Well I'm assuming he's growing for profit, so that should out way any costs, unless is for a small room then it makes zero sense.

For IR blocking purposes I'd wrap the room in this

And for a good Diesel engine I recommend http://www.hardydiesel.com/ with a good housing you can get these babies humming virtually silent ;) edit: here too http://www.generatorsales.com/diesel-generators.asp
ps low rpm's are key

 

[Cort]

The most fuel efficient gen on that site: at half load 2250w (enough for 3x 600w OR 2 1k and a fan) uses about .25g/hr
3gal day x 49 days 147 gals
147g x 4$ = $588.

keep in mind, this is just for the flower cycle only. No veg lights, no oscillating fans, no power during lights off and no cooling. The cost would be substantially higher when you add these.

Not to mention, that gennie is 3400 bucks. Cheaper models do even worse for fuel.

 

[Future]

Selling a 16-24 light crop will cover it, easily.

 

[Haggardass]

if your worried about blockin infrared then dont you think the damn genny would raise suspicion? cops arent stupid they wouldnt need infrared at that point you have a 10k dollar generator running 24/7 and its not powering anything? i mean gennys arent illegal but if your trying to avoid suspicion this isnt the way to do it.

 

[StonerB]

Why bother to make a "stealth" grow that will require that much fuel. I can think of MANY more legit reasons to use power than to use fuel. A woodshop is a good cover that will take lots of power and probally need exhausts for when painting to remove fumes. There isnt too many legit reasons to buy hundreds of gallons of fuel, I beleive you are more likely to get the ATF knocking on your door thinking you have hobbies that go BOOM. The room itself can be done and be done damn near silent but noone in this country can get that much fuel without raising an eyebrow or two. You might as well put up a radar tower and anti-aircraft artillery.

 

[purpleberry]

The fuel is the easy part. Drop a couple hundred gal tank in a truck under a camper shell or bed cover and go visit a few gas stations.
If you had a source of unlimited cold water and place to dump it, hiding all the heat would be easy. The exchaust for the gen could even be cooled down.
With the right set up you could hide a grow 100% from any IR or other eyes in the sky. It just takes $ and well thought out design. If you really have to worry id dig a basement under the shop with blind folded workers. LOL
Another thought is having a way to know when anyone would be overhead, Not sure if radar is legal or obtainable.

 

[StonerB]

The fuel is the easy part. Drop a couple hundred gal tank in a truck under a camper shell or bed cover and go visit a few gas stations.
If you had a source of unlimited cold water and place to dump it, hiding all the heat would be easy. The exchaust for the gen could even be cooled down.
With the right set up you could hide a grow 100% from any IR or other eyes in the sky. It just takes $ and well thought out design. If you really have to worry id dig a basement under the shop with blind folded workers. LOL
Another thought is having a way to know when anyone would be overhead, Not sure if radar is legal or obtainable.

Filling up fuel in that manner is exactly what law enforcement looks for. You are creating a rolling firebomb, just like any crazy would do if they intended to drive that truck into a building. Getting it is no problem, the dude at the station wants your money just as bad as the guy getting several thousand bucks for the gen. Having them not report your plates as you leave on your way to the next station or having a reason for the fuel when stopped is a whole other story. Getting something is WAY different than getting something without being noticed. You WILL be noticed buying that much fuel.

 

[purpleberry]

Really, dude its not hard to hide. Ive had trucks that had 2 extra tanks under the bed for long hauls, and never had a problem filling them. Put a extra 40gal tank on the frame and fill it once a day as needed at different gas stations each time and pay cash if you think you have to watch out
. Where i live theres farm land everywhere and all the farmers have fuel tanks in there bed over 100 gal and they fill them all the time with diesel. No one would even blink a eye here. you do it right in front of a cop and no way they would even care. Maybe its different in a city, Wouldnt matter in farm county.

 

[StonerB]

Buying diesel is acceptable because it is known to be put in tractors and such. Buying that much regular gas will get noticed especially when you do it that often. I would bet the farmers show up maybe once a week to fill the tanks NOT daily. Also if you spend all day driving to different gas stations when the fuck do you have time to tend the grow. I see your point but even in areas where bulk fuel gets purchased frequently if you do it TOO frequently you will get noticed. I used to live in the desert where we had both a lot of farmers and also weekend warriors filling up for dirtbikes, RV's , sandrails........whatever. In small towns nobody will stop you or care what you are doing but they will deffinatly start talking about it around the bar. This is NOT good. Most farmers are known to the locals and they know there habits and buying patterns, as does law enforcment. When somone else starts buying that much people get curious...especially when you always pay in cash. Local law enforcment is not your concern, the folks that moniter bulk fuel purchases will be watching you with a satelite. This may sound far fetched and it might be unlikely to happen but I can guarentee its entirely possible. Many gas stations in farmland actually rely on the farmers who buy bulk because they are good customers. Like any business they know who the good customers are....you dont want to be on that list without an excuse.

 

[DrCALIGREENTHUM]

I like the Idea of off grid power, I think everyone has a point here, but with the proper precautions it can be pulled off given the right location, property etc.
If your gonna be dropping that much $ on a genny Im sure you'll be able to find a way to hook you up with diesel in a low key fashion.
Buy a 1000 gal res, bury it and start filling way before you do your op. I dont know about running it 24/7 unless you have some serious land even then you always run the risk of it taking a crap on you like fishwhistle said. Then your royally fucked trying to get another 25kw genny lol.

Good luck with it bro, keep us posted

Heres a post from OBS back in the day on Gennys

"multiquip whisperwatt ultra silent 25kv $$$$ .. the very best generator and least noise
60 days running 15k will run around 950=1100 gl
i recall figuring aprox $193 in fuel cost to produce 1lb

bigger generator had a lower operating cost per lb until you go up to the 80kv then costs went up . the 70kv was most cost effective but uses 2x fuel but runs more than double the light of the 25kv ... i recall the 70kv runs $148 in fuel per lb ..

these are rough but close number but figuring running at 75% capacity , now the 25kv is rated to only be able to run 9k watts in it's amperage rating but in reality we have run 20k watts on the 25kv genny .. the key is the start up you need to set it up to fire only a few ballast at a time until all are on .... hid draw their biggest amps at start up so ... nowirenuts.ca can build a sweet lighting controller to do this"