New Simplified Way to Water

  • Thread starter ComfortablyNumb
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frostyfarms213

frostyfarms213

27
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ComfortablyNumb said:
So, yeah. A small plastic bit gets buried in the soil with one sensor in it.
A set of wires comes up to a plug into the sensor net. It could even be USB. That makes it easy to graphically assign it as well.
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this is what im using now... https://www.vegetronix.com/Products/VH400/


from the perspective of a small home grower the cost to buy a sensor for each plant might get prohibitive as well as a commercial grower especially when you are talking hundreds if not thousand of plants...
 
ComfortablyNumb

ComfortablyNumb

6,099
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frostyfarms213 said:
this is what im using now... https://www.vegetronix.com/Products/VH400/


from the perspective of a small home grower the cost to buy a sensor for each plant might get prohibitive as well as a commercial grower especially when you are talking hundreds if not thousand of plants...
Click to expand...
Whoa...'spensive. I was thinking of a couple of single point sensors like the end of this:
 
Soil Meter
frostyfarms213

frostyfarms213

27
13
Nectarivorous said:
You'd still have to have the timer linked to the pump no? Otherwise the pump is on 24/7 pumping into a closed system for most of that. Not ideal for most pumps. Unless I've misunderstood what you're saying ☺️
Click to expand...
you would want a probe or some sort of controller that is in a Normally Closed or Normally Off state... but yes it could be troublesome and definitely want a watchdog circuit
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
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With regards to the ideal spray, it's tricky with low pressure aquarium pumps. As an irrigation man I know the fittings that are ideal for this application, but the need 200psi to operate properly so no good.

I've designed an alternative to the hydro halo which I'm having made up by a local metal worker. I'm designing it to fit a 3-gal fabric pot which I'll be using on my next grow, but is obviously scalable.

It will have 3 or 4 legs like a hydro haloes with the holes on the bottom to fit these. Essentially imagine a round metal tray with a tall lip around the edge, with a cut out line where you scan slide it around the plant. Has a 1/2" irrigation fitting embedded in the lip. Many many tiny holes drilled all across the area. Water flows into the tray, and dribbles through the hole like true rainfall. No channels through the coir creating hydrophobic spots, no need for expensive pumps and equipment to get the necessary pressure for sprays.

Will post photos when they're made up but hopefully you can imagine it from my description haha
 
ComfortablyNumb

ComfortablyNumb

6,099
313
Nectarivorous said:
With regards to the ideal spray, it's tricky with low pressure aquarium pumps. As an irrigation man I know the fittings that are ideal for this application, but the need 200psi to operate properly so no good.

I've designed an alternative to the hydro halo which I'm having made up by a local metal worker. I'm designing it to fit a 3-gal fabric pot which I'll be using on my next grow, but is obviously scalable.

It will have 3 or 4 legs like a hydro haloes with the holes on the bottom to fit these. Essentially imagine a round metal tray with a tall lip around the edge, with a cut out line where you scan slide it around the plant. Has a 1/2" irrigation fitting embedded in the lip. Many many tiny holes drilled all across the area. Water flows into the tray, and dribbles through the hole like true rainfall. No channels through the coir creating hydrophobic spots, no need for expensive pumps and equipment to get the necessary pressure for sprays.

Will post photos when they're made up but hopefully you can imagine it from my description haha
Click to expand...
I don't see it in my head (yet) but I'm happy to hear you are already working on a better spray design. This is how it's done folks. Everyone tossing in their own skills and expertise to build something new that benefits us all.
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
Nectarivorous said:
With regards to the ideal spray, it's tricky with low pressure aquarium pumps. As an irrigation man I know the fittings that are ideal for this application, but the need 200psi to operate properly so no good.

I've designed an alternative to the hydro halo which I'm having made up by a local metal worker. I'm designing it to fit a 3-gal fabric pot which I'll be using on my next grow, but is obviously scalable.

It will have 3 or 4 legs like a hydro haloes with the holes on the bottom to fit these. Essentially imagine a round metal tray with a tall lip around the edge, with a cut out line where you scan slide it around the plant. Has a 1/2" irrigation fitting embedded in the lip. Many many tiny holes drilled all across the area. Water flows into the tray, and dribbles through the hole like true rainfall. No channels through the coir creating hydrophobic spots, no need for expensive pumps and equipment to get the necessary pressure for sprays.

Will post photos when they're made up but hopefully you can imagine it from my description haha
Click to expand...
I've also requested prices from an injection moulder as well. If it's viable I will start selling them to my local grow shops. I can't be the only one out there frustrated by the lack of genuine options for actual even coverage when running a low pressure system. Hydro halos are good but to get good coverage across four large pots I need to crank the flow which creates holes and exposes roots, and still only waters one ring around the pot.
 
frostyfarms213

frostyfarms213

27
13
Nectarivorous said:
With regards to the ideal spray, it's tricky with low pressure aquarium pumps. As an irrigation man I know the fittings that are ideal for this application, but the need 200psi to operate properly so no good.

I've designed an alternative to the hydro halo which I'm having made up by a local metal worker. I'm designing it to fit a 3-gal fabric pot which I'll be using on my next grow, but is obviously scalable.

It will have 3 or 4 legs like a hydro haloes with the holes on the bottom to fit these. Essentially imagine a round metal tray with a tall lip around the edge, with a cut out line where you scan slide it around the plant. Has a 1/2" irrigation fitting embedded in the lip. Many many tiny holes drilled all across the area. Water flows into the tray, and dribbles through the hole like true rainfall. No channels through the coir creating hydrophobic spots, no need for expensive pumps and equipment to get the necessary pressure for sprays.

Will post photos when they're made up but hopefully you can imagine it from my description haha
Click to expand...
i would love to see these, i have considered doing something similar on a 3d printer
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
ComfortablyNumb said:
I don't see it in my head (yet) but I'm happy to hear you are already working on a better spray design. This is how it's done folks. Everyone tossing in their own skills and expertise to build something new that benefits us all.
Click to expand...
Hopefully this terrible drawing helps? 😂 3-gal pot, stakes go in, tray sits on those. Water feeds straight into the tray where it pools and 'rains' through the perforations in the bottom.
 
7E84DA28 AFC3 4222 8EC0 FD23AAA07E4B
frostyfarms213

frostyfarms213

27
13
ComfortablyNumb said:
I don't see it in my head (yet) but I'm happy to hear you are already working on a better spray design. This is how it's done folks. Everyone tossing in their own skills and expertise to build something new that benefits us all.
Click to expand...
also early on you said sprayer, what type of sprayer are you talking about
 
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