Looking for Suggestions on a Grow Room Environment Conroller

DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
Hey guys, so probably a dumb question, but Im looking for a LED controller that I would be able to use as both a timer and a digital dimmer and set to a schedule and was looking for suggestions. Those are really the only 2 functions Im needing right now, however at some point in the somewhat near future I wouldnt mind setting up my grow to be completely automated if need be (temp, humidity, lights, fans, watering) and would prefer to have everthing done by 1 system, or through an app if possible. Looking for suggestions how to go about setting this up, or places to look for these controllers. Ive tried doing some looking into it myself but I am having trouble as Im not really positive what exactly I need to be looking for. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Renfro

Renfro

Well-Known Member
I am not sure exactly what you are trying to do but maybe a repeat cycle timer and a normal timer?
 
DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
Renfro said:
I am not sure exactly what you are trying to do but maybe a repeat cycle timer and a normal timer?
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Sorry I probably couldve worded my post better. Im looking for a controller that I can use to get all my lights on timers on separate channels. I have my main lights for 18/6 and 12/12 that Id like to get all on 1 timer (with the ability to control each channel separately). As well as supplemental UV lights Id like to run on an interval of 40mins off 20mins on during 12/12. Id also like the controller to able to dim my lights to a cerrain percentahe instead of guessing with a potentiometer. I know controllers like the Bluefish and Storm do this sorr of thing but I dont need all the other fancy stuff they do like pair to the weather outside. Im also looking for a controller to automate my temp and humidity and have that be able to be on a night day cycle. Watering Im not so worried about automation, CO2 I dont have rn. But if theres 1 controller that would do all these things at once or if theres multiple pieces of equipment Ill have to get is what Im not sure of.
 
A

Apalchen

Well-Known Member
I don’t know of any controllers that have more than two channels. The one I have been leaning toward getting is trol master Argo hydro x. I will get from mangotech store as he has customer support set up for the controllers. It seems to be fair price and can add on stuff as you acquire equipment.
 
Timezone

Timezone

Well-Known Member
DrGreenT420 said:
Im looking for a controller that I can use to get all my lights on timers on separate channels. I have my main lights for 18/6 and 12/12 that Id like to get all on 1 timer (with the ability to control each channel separately). As well as supplemental UV lights Id like to run on an interval of 40 mins off 20 mins on during 12/12. Id also like the controller to able to dim my lights to a certain percentage instead of guessing with a potentiometer.
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Have you ever wanted to build your own?

There are many microcontrollers out there that, with a little bit of wiring and programming, will do exactly what you want to do. One that I'm familiar with, the Arduino Uno, has 14 digital input/output pins (for turning things on/off, (output), or taking measurements such as temperature or humidity (input)), and of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs (which is what you need for dimming) and 6 analog inputs that can be used for soil moisture and CO2 ppm measuring.

It's something worth considering. Maybe I'll do a "how to" post if there is enough interest and when my new Uno arrives.
 
DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
Timezone said:
Have you ever wanted to build your own?

There are many microcontrollers out there that, with a little bit of wiring and programming, will do exactly what you want to do. One that I'm familiar with, the Arduino Uno, has 14 digital input/output pins (for turning things on/off, (output), or taking measurements such as temperature or humidity (input)), and of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs (which is what you need for dimming) and 6 analog inputs that can be used for soil moisture and CO2 ppm measuring.

It's something worth considering. Maybe I'll do a "how to" post if there is enough interest and when my new Uno arrives.
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Im definitely open to building my own, Ive been looking into that the last few days. I came across the Arduino Uno a few nights ago and have since been liking that as my option for now. What you described would be PERFECT. Id be very much interested in a how to from you. Saw some on YouTube but would definitely trust someone off here more for helping me with my specific needs. Was trying to wrap my head around how I was gonna teach myself arduino in a short period of time. At some point I may still get the Trollmaster as that was what I was originally looking into, but considering Ive DIYd all other aspects of my grow Im really likeing the sound of being able to pretty much build the Trollmaster but exactly how I want it and for less money for just a bit of work. Would there be any way to get that arduino to pair to an app to control the lights and temps from my phone ?
 
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Timezone

Timezone

Well-Known Member
How computer savvy are you? Could you install the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) per the instructions located here:
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage
and get it running? That is probably the first prerequisite for anything I could show you. Even without an Arduino, one can write, modify, and debug programs. I use it to program two devices, the Arduinos and ESP-8266s. It can be used to program other devices as well. If you have done this, go ahead and explore the IDE. There are code examples available to read and try, if you decide to purchase one... and then there's the question of which one to buy?
Or, what to buy. Maybe the Uno won't cut it and you'll require something more...
DrGreenT420 said:
Would there be any way to get that arduino to pair to an app to control the lights and temps from my phone ?
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Like that. A quick Google search shows it can be done I believe with a wifi shield or an ESP-8266.
While the Uno can do a lot on it's own there are limits. A lot can be done with additional shields. They have been around for a while so they are usually inexpensive, and there are a lot of programs already available but there are alternatives to consider as well. If you need more IO ports, there is the Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 with 54 digital input/output pins (of which 15 can be used as PWM outputs(used to dim lights and control the speed of some fans)), and 16 analog inputs. I'm doing my latest project with a Raspberry Pi and several ESP-8266-12e(s). The ESPs have has 17 GPIO pins (0-16), however, you can only use 11 of them and only 1 of the 11 is analog, but they have usb and wifi built in.
Anyway, think about it and when I get the Uno I'll see what I can do.

Disclaimer? I do not represent, have ownership in or am in any way connected with any of the products or companies mentioned above.

Later.
 
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DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
Timezone said:
How computer savvy are you? Could you install the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) per the instructions located here:
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage
and get it running? That is probably the first prerequisite for anything I could show you. Even without an Arduino, one can write, modify, and debug programs. I use it to program two devices, the Arduinos and ESP-8266s. It can be used to program other devices as well. If you have done this, go ahead and explore the IDE. There are code examples available to read and try, if you decide to purchase one... and then there's the question of which one to buy?
Or, what to buy. Maybe the Uno won't cut it and you'll require something more...

Like that. A quick Google search shows it can be done I believe with a wifi shield or an ESP-8266.
While the Uno can do a lot on it's own there are limits. A lot can be done with additional shields. They have been around for a while so they are usually inexpensive, and there are a lot of programs already available but there are alternatives to consider as well. If you need more IO ports, there is the Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 with 54 digital input/output pins (of which 15 can be used as PWM outputs(used to dim lights and control the speed of some fans)), and 16 analog inputs. I'm doing my latest project with a Raspberry Pi and several ESP-8266-12e(s). The ESPs have has 17 GPIO pins (0-16), however, you can only use 11 of them and only 1 of the 11 is analog, but they have usb and wifi built in.
Anyway, think about it and when I get the Uno I'll see what I can do.

Disclaimer? I do not represent, have ownership in or am in any way connected with any of the products or companies mentioned above.

Later.
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Id definitely consider myself at least pretty decently computer savvy, but have been out of it for a lil bit. Gonna dust off my computer and install that IDE and play around a bit. Ive done some looking around on that site already and came across some codes I think I could either just use, or tweak slightly to get what I'd need. Came across this arduino, pretty much the same board, only has 1 less I/O and connects to wifi. https://store.arduino.cc/usa/arduino-uno-wifi-rev2.
 
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Timezone

Timezone

Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware of this wifi enabled Uno. It looks interesting and I'll be looking for more information, programming libraries and examples that are available. I suggest you do the same before purchasing and read reviews to see what you're getting into. Thanks for expanding my knowledge base.
 
DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
Timezone said:
I wasn't aware of this wifi enabled Uno. It looks interesting and I'll be looking for more information, programming libraries and examples that are available. I suggest you do the same before purchasing and read reviews to see what you're getting into. Thanks for expanding my knowledge base.
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Just seein your updates. First time logging back on since RIU was down. I considered going Bluetooth BLE instead but am liking that Wifi Uno Rev 2 seems perfect what Im trying to do, if anything slightly future proofed as well. Its a pretty new board so there isnt much for libraries specifically for it yet, although its literally just an Arduino Uno with the added wifi module and a 3.3v regulator, so any example code should still work as long as you just treat the board as an Uno. Already got my sensors picked out as well (DHT22 for temp/humidity, K30 for CO², and a soil moisture sensor from SparkFun. Gonna add in a water pump in the near-ish future. Picking up a few of these as well to control my heater, fluorescent UV lamps, and dehumidifier and pretty much whatever else I want to go through the Arduino and my app, https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14236. Built an app through Blynk to control everything, was actually pretty easy and came out great. Only thing Im worried about now is coding for everything but Im hoping between prewritten codes, the help of the app, and the help of the IDE I could figure it out. Came a long way since the start of my post, lol.
 
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Timezone

Timezone

Well-Known Member
Timezone said:
There are many microcontrollers out there that, with a little bit of wiring and programming, will do exactly what you want to do.
Click to expand...
Now that I have a better idea of what you have in mind, Take a look at the ESP-32S development board. Many features, much cheaper (~$10 at Amazon, ~$3 at AliExpress), Wifi and Bluetooth built in, programed with the Arduino IDE, etc. I think this might be a better choice than the Wifi Uno and be better supported in the future.
The DHT22 comes in a couple of forms, 1 with 4 pins (requires an extra resistor added), and the other with 3 pins (does not require extra resistor added). I'd use the 3 pin.
51Kw7Fl5QrL._SL1000_[1].jpg 61GOMnMXmPL._SL1100_[1].jpg
DrGreenT420 said:
... soil moisture sensor from SparkFun
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That sensor measures the resistance to a current flow through the soil and will last a month or two due to electrolysis. Better to get a capacitive soil moisture sensor as they last much longer.
61am5IkMqzL._SL1000_[1].jpg
Take a look and let me know what you think.
 
TrippleDip

TrippleDip

Well-Known Member
If you're not settled on arduino, take a look at the raspberry pi. They have options from $6 and up with wifi, bluetooth, etc. I like them when you start building more complicated things because it's easier to debug and program when everything's all on one system and you can write exhaustive logs to the sd card or usb for debugging (I've never used arduino, but am a big fan of PIC micros)
 
DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
Timezone said:
Now that I have a better idea of what you have in mind, Take a look at the ESP-32S development board. Many features, much cheaper (~$10 at Amazon, ~$3 at AliExpress), Wifi and Bluetooth built in, programed with the Arduino IDE, etc. I think this might be a better choice than the Wifi Uno and be better supported in the future.
The DHT22 comes in a couple of forms, 1 with 4 pins (requires an extra resistor added), and the other with 3 pins (does not require extra resistor added). I'd use the 3 pin.
View attachment 4328429 View attachment 4328430

That sensor measures the resistance to a current flow through the soil and will last a month or two due to electrolysis. Better to get a capacitive soil moisture sensor as they last much longer.
View attachment 4328447
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Click to expand...
Sorry for the late reply, had a busy few days, but I did do some looking into the ESP-32S, while that looks like it'd be a much cheaper option for controlling most of what I need, one of the main reasons for going with the Arduino Uno Wifi was the PWM I/Os for dimming my LEDs. As far as the soil moisture sensor, Id definitely prefer having that capacitive sensor. I was just trying my best to get everything I needed from 1 place, and had done some reading that the SparkFun style water sensors could be programmed to only kick on for ~10ms to get the reading and have it be off the rest or the time its not needed. Very much appreciating everyones help and suggestions.
 
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DrGreenT420

DrGreenT420

Active Member
TrippleDip said:
If you're not settled on arduino, take a look at the raspberry pi. They have options from $6 and up with wifi, bluetooth, etc. I like them when you start building more complicated things because it's easier to debug and program when everything's all on one system and you can write exhaustive logs to the sd card or usb for debugging (I've never used arduino, but am a big fan of PIC micros)
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I wouldnt say Im completely set on Arduino but definitely leaning that way pretty heavy. Its what I've already done most of my research into and seems like its more of what I need, at least based on looking at a few Arduino vs Raspberry Pi rules of thumb, and a lot of people recommending Arduino for beginners. I didnt know anything about either when I started so I could just forget everything I know about Arduino and try and teach myself Raspberry Pi instead if you really think Its be a better option. On a side not tho, Im not sure If the app I already made would work with a Raspberry Pi, I might be kinda locked in.
 
Timezone

Timezone

Well-Known Member
One last suggestion, a board I just ran across, is 1 x Wemos® Mega +WiFi R3 ATmega2560+ESP8266 32Mb Memory and can be found here:

https://www.banggood.com/Wemos-Mega-WiFi-R3-ATmega2560ESP8266-32Mb-Memory-USB-TTL-CH340G-Compatible-For-Arduino-Mega-p-1205437.html?akmClientCountry=America&utm_design=41&utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=Mail_US17_email&utm_campaign=newsletteremarsys&utm_content=elaine&sc_src=email_3654610&sc_eh=56c1f292d535fb791&sc_llid=625750&sc_lid=147629482&sc_uid=SbWWz4kV1D&cur_warehouse=USA

I have no experience with this board yet, but I might buy one... they program like an Uno, they're cheap enough and are shipped from a US warehouse so should arrive quicker than from China. Being based on the Mega, with 54 digital input/output pins (of which 15 can be used as PWM outputs(used to dim lights and control the speed of some fans)), and 16 analog inputs, it should provide enough for a while.

I hope this has helped. Good luck.
 
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