Water timing for aeroponics?

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sweetcheekz

Active Member
Hey guys, I'm doing stinkbudd's setup with ezclone sprayers and 400gph pumps going 1 minute on and 5 minutes off and have had two cap arts dne timers fail on me.

Using a cheap analog timer with the push down pins that can do 15 minute intervals...how much off time should I have for every 15 minutes on time?

Thanks in advance
 
T

Totalnewbie

Member
f that, go to radio shack, buy a 1-2x 330-500 uf cap.
get 1 1m varible resistor, and a smaller one, 100k-1m or so.
get a 555 timer; and a 12v relay, above 200ohm with NO and NC contacts.

wire it to astable mode
sentexDOTnet/~mec1995/gadgets/555/555DOThtml

330uf cap will provide resolutions with a 100k resistor of up to I think 60 sec on, and 4-5 mins off. 660 will be double.


If you're not into thinking, just go buy a better timer online or something.
 
Mike Young

Mike Young

Well-Known Member
Totalnewb builds his own 555 timers. That's cool. But to assume that anyone who can't do so is an idiot... Not so cool.

You can run 15 on, 15 off. It's not ideal, but it'll work. I recommend the 422 flip flop timer. It is $100, but will last the test of time, and can be adjusted to accommodate even the most demanding timing scenarios. I.e. HP aero.
 
S

sweetcheekz

Active Member
Ok thanks. I'll get the cheap $10 timer for now and see how it works. If I see a bit of stress I'll spend the extra cash.
 
T

Totalnewbie

Member
I never used that word. I think anyone has the ability to learn, but they have to want to. Honestly I don't have experience to tell him if 15 on/off would work. It probably will, but with less than stellar results.
Since he doesn't have the cash money to get good equipment, I did the best I could to suggest something that can accommodate anyone's needs. With a little reading he could build a sloppy timer and learn something if he even has the means to want or do so in the first place.

I advise more research and a different setup. Right now you're over watering. The roots won't have nice hairs on them, and growth will slow (still likely better than soil). Drying times may need to be increased, and aeration of the nutes will help bring more DO to the roots.
However you cant escape overwatering the roots with your setup and you'd have to go aero for more improvement in that area. Not saying that something else could be holding back your growth such as co2, light, temp. ect.

Good luck with your system mate, bless you and all that believe in freedom.
 
Mike Young

Mike Young

Well-Known Member
Totalnewbie said:
I never used that word. I think anyone has the ability to learn, but they have to want to. Honestly I don't have experience to tell him if 15 on/off would work. It probably will, but with less than stellar results.
Since he doesn't have the cash money to get good equipment, I did the best I could to suggest something that can accommodate anyone's needs. With a little reading he could build a sloppy timer and learn something if he even has the means to want or do so in the first place.

I advise more research and a different setup. Right now you're over watering. The roots won't have nice hairs on them, and growth will slow (still likely better than soil). Drying times may need to be increased, and aeration of the nutes will help bring more DO to the roots.
However you cant escape overwatering the roots with your setup and you'd have to go aero for more improvement in that area. Not saying that something else could be holding back your growth such as co2, light, temp. ect.

Good luck with your system mate, bless you and all that believe in freedom.
Click to expand...
It's all good. I can attest to 15 on/off times. They actually worked quite well in my old system. I'm off to greener pastures now. Here's a couple of pics from that grow...
006.jpg017.jpg
 
S

sweetcheekz

Active Member
Totalnewbie said:
I never used that word. I think anyone has the ability to learn, but they have to want to. Honestly I don't have experience to tell him if 15 on/off would work. It probably will, but with less than stellar results.
Since he doesn't have the cash money to get good equipment, I did the best I could to suggest something that can accommodate anyone's needs. With a little reading he could build a sloppy timer and learn something if he even has the means to want or do so in the first place.


Mike Young:

I advise more research and a different setup. Right now you're over watering. The roots won't have nice hairs on them, and growth will slow (still likely better than soil). Drying times may need to be increased, and aeration of the nutes will help bring more DO to the roots.
However you cant escape overwatering the roots with your setup and you'd have to go aero for more improvement in that area. Not saying that something else could be holding back your growth such as co2, light, temp. ect.

Good luck with your system mate, bless you and all that believe in freedom.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. Just wanted to clear a couple things up
-I do have the money to buy equipment, but if there's a cheaper and equally efficient way of doing something, I'll take that route. I'll pay if it has to be paid though....
-I may timer as you shared while using 15 onoff temporarily But I'd like to know why 15 on is too much before I go building something I may not need. Is it just too much water at once? If it need's more air I could just push another pin or two and go 15/30 -- 15/45?
-I've read a lot of people using 1 min on and 5 min off with great results, how is it they're all over watering?
-I've done a ton of research (and yes, I still know very little about growing) and I think I'm headed in a good direction...as long as I can keep coming to RIU when I come across a scary bridge lol. I don't want to switch setups yet...Yes, later, but I'd like to give this a go for at least a few months first.
-Not sure what you mean go aero instead, that's my setup? Or did I read what you said wrong? I'm not sure anything's holding me back at this point, I just started. I just threw a plant gifted to me into flowering while the clones/seeds I started are two weeks old.
-In 2 weeks I've have 7 pieces of equipment fail (2 timers, fan was grinding, co2 PPM meter wires came out the back, ballast wouldn't fire up, sealed hood's latch was broken, ph meter didnt work) and all of these things I bought new except the ppm meter. No matter how much research I do, I won't be prepared for this luck until I face it lol...

Anyway, I'm gonna try 15on/45off and check on them every half hour and I'll adjust accordingly. If it doesn't give the results that I expected (which may not be realistic anyway lol) then I'll prob try and build one of the timers you suggested.

Thanks :)


Mike Young
Thanks for sharing the pics :) Pretty sweet
Mind if I ask what method you found to be greener for ya?
 
Mike Young

Mike Young

Well-Known Member
I'm not that familiar with the stinkbud system. Is it a combo of nft/aero? I would be a bit concerned about 45 min off time. Roots could very easily dry out in that amount of time. But again, I'm not that familiar with the system. You ideally want to wet the roots, and then let them have a dry period to absorb the nutes. It only takes a small amount of time to wet the roots, hence all the talk of over-watering. Not really doing harm, but not doing any favors either. I have graduated to hp aero. I'm not really going to try & convince you why I think it's the best system out there, as that's a whole other discussion.
 
T

Totalnewbie

Member
This is my favorite HP DIY thread gardenscureDOTcom/420/aeroponics/133136-project-forget-fogger-im-going-hpDOThtml, check it out, swim was able to make a 100psi system for under 500 thanks to ebay and the use of 150psi expansion tanks; and this guy did tons of research that lead swim from a change from "aero" submersible LP pump sprayers that used large droplets to the required high pressure to make the proper size droplets in microns.

It's long and he goes through all kinds problems of med-high pressure systems, as well as the solutions; and benefits of aero vs fog, and stuff. I wasn't able to find a thread of a guy that discusses root hairs and "santa's beard" nor was I able to google it. However, the misting cycle can be fine tuned to deliver just enough water to lightly cover the roots in order to keep the tiny single cell thick hairs from clumping and dying. These hairs are the best way to absorb water and nutes and then through osmosis the roots carry the water up the stem to the leaves where most of the water lost is through the stomata
which are tiny holes in leaves that let carbon dioxide in. These hairs only live for a day, so each day you look at the individual hairs they've been replaced by new ones. When you over water you clump them together, the hairs; killing them and losing their benefits. You've probably seen them on seedlings.

Swim started a plant in a basic LP "aero" with a 420GPH pump. The plant ended up forming a taproot which is kinda like a thick straw; but ideally you want lots of fish bones and hairs. There are ones out there so fine tuned that over 500ppm burns the plants thanks to the efficiency of HP aero and ideal water times. Which only leads to nute savings $$.

If 15 drys the roots well enough then stick with 15; the on time is simply time wasted not drying and re misting. The more cycles you can squeeze in a day I would theorize should enhance nute delivery. So over-watering slows potential* growth in my head.

Sorry to hear your misfortune with equipment! Good luck to you in the future! Get the botany book in the thread I linked; its a great read.
 
Mike Young

Mike Young

Well-Known Member
Nice call. Those of us in the hp aero world are very familiar cavadge's journey. As well as anything else that can be dug up on the net. For me it all started with the atomix, and scavenging any bit of info on that system. The system I've put together is, in my opinion, going to mimic that as close as possible, without the use of air assisted nozzles. Likely to be my next venture. If you YouTube high pressure aeroponics take two, you can see a vid of the system I've put together. Still waiting for my mom to grow enough to cut clones to put her to the test. I'm fairly confident that it will fair well.
 
boodadood

boodadood

Active Member
i just picked up a mechanical cycle timer from ebay...a company called "Raindrop" makes them...it cost me 18 bucks delivered...its just like those 15 min on/off timers but it has 40 second buttons instead...check it out at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Repeat-Cycle-Timer-40-Min-Hydroponics-Aeroponics-1yr-w-/220808741711?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33693a034f

the only thing is, and i didnt notice it when i bought it, is that its not grounded...i had to use one of those 2 prong to 3 prong adapters
 
Mike Young

Mike Young

Well-Known Member
I've heard at least one claim of those things going tits up. Not nearly as bad as the cap timers though. Should hold you over for awhile. They do make a 3 prong as well, btw...

Actually, the one I was thinking of was very similar, but green. They make a 3 prong. Not sure about this company?
 
boodadood

boodadood

Active Member
cool...i only found one other reference too them before i ordered it...im thinkin mechanical is still more reliable than electric...and i shouldve looked a lil harder for the grounded version..thanks man
 
S

sweetcheekz

Active Member
Nice, I'll check my local hydro store for it.
Right now I have them at 15 min on 1 hour off (and checking on plants every half hour). I did 15 on/off and they started looking over watered so my setup my be a bit different than yours when you did 15/15.
I have a feeling I'll be adjusting the timer quite a bit in next few days lol
 
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