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My Setup


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  #1  
Old 05-15-2010, 07:28 PM
Aengineer Aengineer is offline
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Location: Michigan, USA
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Default My Setup

Hi,

I'm new and wanted to show off the system I just built. I have a few design photos attached if anyone is interested.



I have seeds sprouting in rockwool and a couple swiss chard have been put in the system already. I have an extra lid and will be drilling it for standard 2" net pots. Will be able to make a 15 site "greens" garden with it.

Ordered an led UFO Light the other day. This hood I built is fine for now. The LED is for flowering plants.

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Last edited by Aengineer; 05-15-2010 at 08:11 PM.
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Old 05-15-2010, 09:52 PM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Looks like a nice setup, the green baskets look like drain pipe caps or fittings. Were they expensive? The insulation on top is interesting, it will help reflect light back up, as well as help protect the reservoir from the heat of the lights. Although using led's wont put out much heat at all. The drain spout is an interesting idea also.
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Old 05-15-2010, 10:26 PM
Aengineer Aengineer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GpsFrontier View Post
Looks like a nice setup, the green baskets look like drain pipe caps or fittings. Were they expensive? The insulation on top is interesting, it will help reflect light back up, as well as help protect the reservoir from the heat of the lights. Although using LED's wont put out much heat at all. The drain spout is an interesting idea also.
Thank you.

The green baskets are 3" atrium grates with UV inhibitors. I can get them online for less than $2.50 each. They are extremely heavy duty and will last forever, so I think they are worth it in the long run. A 2 - 1/2" hole saw is perfect for these.

The two cfl's put out a little heat, but the dashboard reflector is mainly for reflecting light back up to the plants. As an added bonus we have plenty of extra light in the living room. I made the hood from a galvanized metal tote they sell at Lowes. The trapezoid shape is perfect for focusing the light.

I love having the drain spout. Easy to take samples for testing the ph and draining the reservoir.

Glad you like.
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Old 05-16-2010, 11:31 AM
ohman11 ohman11 is offline
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Are you using this for clones? If not that may be too many baskets but I really like the design. You did a great job!
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Old 05-16-2010, 12:32 PM
Aengineer Aengineer is offline
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Originally Posted by ohman11 View Post
Are you using this for clones? If not that may be too many baskets but I really like the design. You did a great job!
Thanks!!

The design calls for two nested totes. So I have another lid that will have holes drilled for 2" net pots (15 sites) . Mostly for leaf lettuce, but I can clone with it at some point.

The lid is very strong. If you look at the lid before I painted it, you'll notice lines squaring the atrium screens. Those are 1/2" reinforcing ribs molded into the bottom of the lid. The atrium screens have an over-sized lip that overhangs those ribs also. I don't know what the stress limits are on these lids, but I just supported a gallon jar of calcium nitrate and it didn't flinch.

The totes are made by Iris. They are called ultimate totes, I get them at Lowes. A little more expensive but you get what you pay for. Just wish they had black ones so I wouldn't have to mess with painting them.

I can probably get them cheaper online.
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Old 05-16-2010, 07:18 PM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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I could be wrong but I think ohman11 was thinking that with 15 plants in the same amount of space, they may be to close together to really grow into full size plants. I was thinking the same thing, but not clear if you planed 15 sites in one tote, or if you planed to use two totes for the 15 sites. Also I don't know how big the plants you intend to grow will need will get.
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