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Grow lights, heaters etc, on a budget

Discussion in 'Propagation This Month' started by clueless1, Oct 5, 2012.

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Kristen Under gardener
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fat controller said: ↑
the temperature is still very slowly rising on the upper shelf (in 0.1º increments, so it would appear that the wooden shelf is absorbing some of the heat and is then acting as a thermal reservoir
Click to expand...

The sensor might take some time to react too (depending on air flow through its vent holes etc.)

I moved one of my sensors to the boiler room earlier on today, as I have put some seeds in there. Boiler was off, but its toasty in there. It too the sensor an hour to go from 20C (the room it came out of) to 20C (boiler room). Its a straight line graph ... thereafter it was flat again.

Bit disappointing really, if I needed to monitor something that changed temperature faster than 10C per hour!

fat controller said: ↑
I reckon that 30 mins on, 90 mins off is about right to maintain between 24º and 27º on most days
Click to expand...

Don't suppose you've got a central heating thermostat lying around? That would be better than a timer I think? Perhaps block some vent holes up / a bit. Better not to have to turn on the heater at all / as much
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Kristen, Jan 26, 2014
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No, I don't have such a thing - to be fair, 60w for the odd half hour for a few weeks of the year isn't going to be that bad; the cabinet is going to take up residence in the living room which rarely drops below 18º so the heating is only going to be required for the more petulant seedlings really (begonias for example)

Fat Controller, Jan 27, 2014
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Jenny namaste Total Gardener
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fat controller said: ↑
the more petulant seedlings really (begonias for example)
Click to expand...

And me FC....
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Jenny namaste, Jan 27, 2014
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Jenny namaste said: ↑
And me FC....
Click to expand...

You're not petulant though Jenny?

Maybe we could rig up a mobile light and heat stand especially for you? Rig up three or four of the LED panels to the top of a hanging basket tree, and a couple of the tubular heaters strapped to the side - it could be moved around and plugged in next to wherever you are....
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Fat Controller, Jan 27, 2014
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Jenny namaste Total Gardener
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Oooh,
how creative FC. It may even tempt me to venture out into the garden. Not finding much incentive right now,
Jenny
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Jenny namaste, Jan 27, 2014
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Note for blueprints - LONG extension cable needed.......
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Fat Controller, Jan 27, 2014
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fat controller said: ↑
Note for blueprints - LONG extension cable needed.......
Click to expand...

83.9 miles...
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Jenny namaste, Jan 27, 2014
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Looks like you have a nice tidy grow cupboard FC

Of course you know you will soon be needing another .......

S.
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sumbody, Jan 27, 2014
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Tonight I've adapted my heated propagator, with a bit of stuff laying about in the shed.
I use the heated propagator usually with 2 sheets of glass laid across the top when germinating seeds, but have problems when they reach a few inches tall.
With the grow lights being rather successful I needed somewhere to put my plants to grow on in March.
I can now start my cannas, gingers and bananas off in this now too!

(Sorry for the poor quality pic phone)
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mowgley, Jan 28, 2014
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Disco time, my lights have arrived Even came with a handy set of straps so you can hang it easily
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Loofah, Jan 29, 2014
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Rigged.

Adjustable heated propagator with the lights on a timer suspended above via a tripod.
Timer set to be on from 3pm-midnight and 6am -8.30am. There's good enough light in that location for the rest of the day
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Loofah, Jan 30, 2014
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Kristen Under gardener
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I think the lights are too far away, and having to go through perspex will reduce effectiveness too. Need to be 2" away from the seedlings - however, until they are seedlings no light needed? (some seeds need light to germinate, but window light will do for that I think).

Once germinated presumably they won't need to be in the enclosed propagator and can then be directly under the light?

Some reason for two lighting periods? I'm thinking 3pm-2:30am would be better as you aren't lighting during daylight so much, but no doubt there are other considerations
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Kristen, Jan 30, 2014
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With the LEDs being directional they blast plenty of light straight downwards. There's some canna seedlings in there that you can't really see too. The chilli seed packet mentioned light aids germination so I figured I'd just lump them all in together! There is a certain amount of light reflected off the propagator lid however which I'm peeved at but can't do anything about. It will come off after germination.
The timings are based on light levels in the room. In the morning it doesn't get light enough until about 8.30 so there's a quick boost (the mrs also doesn't want the light on until the wee small hours. No I don't know why)

Loofah, Jan 30, 2014
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Kristen Under gardener
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Loofah said: ↑
With the LEDs being directional they blast plenty of light straight downwards
Click to expand...

I'm not convinced they will carry much "power" at that range. (The "power" dropping off with distance according to the inverse square law :( )

Loofah said: ↑
the mrs also doesn't want the light on until the wee small hours. No I don't know why
Click to expand...

Worried about the Police Chopper with heat seeking camera looking for "bright light sources at night"? She obviously doesn't want them breaking the door down to impound your Chillie plants
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Kristen, Jan 30, 2014
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Kristen said: ↑
I'm not convinced they will carry much "power" at that range. (The "power" dropping off with distance according to the inverse square law :( )
Click to expand...

Potentially but the directional nature helps with that. I also happened to look directly at the lights when I tested them out and it was blindingly bright at much further away than the plants to lights. I'm not concerned about low light intensity.
That said, has anyone with these lights measured it at different distances?
[Probably already done somewhere in the thread, but for quick ref http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2...-square-law-what-it-means-for-photographers/]

Loofah, Jan 30, 2014
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