Black Outs.

[Bulénath]

How do most growers deal with black outs?

I would think clones and mothers are first priority. So what do you use to keep your female clones and mothers from stressing out from black outs during the bad seasons?

Let's say you only have 2400W of ballast for flower. Not a very big operation, but extremely important none the less. What sort of alternative power would be feasible to install for such a size grow?

I am even thinking about keeping a small veg chamber in my close relatives home, just incase the power dies in my immediate arrea...

Basically, any information regarding dealing with black outs will be very helpfull.

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

Howdy Bulenath. Dont even try torun at full power. Just be hapy to get by. Thats what I do anyhow. I run 2400 watts in my flowere room too and I got me a li'l 3500 watt generator. It works ok. I dont even try powerin my lights with it. I just use it to keep my pumps and chiller runnin. I just plug in a li'l incadesant light bulb to let the Flowers know what time it is. Thats all Ya really gotta do. Just keep your pumps and chillers runnin and dont even wory bout proper lighting. Lettem tuff out the light situation. Theyl be fine. All theyl notice is a "cloudy day". Just get a li'l genarator to power your pumps and chillers in case of a power outtage. Fukk the hid lighting durring outtages. A li'l 100 watt bulb will be enoughf to keepem on scedule.

 

[Bulénath]

Hi HairlessCaveApe,

I appreciate the information.

Last black out, I found a battery opperated CFL and used that for my clones and Mama only. If they flipped hermie on me, I'd loose thousands of dollars because I smoke what would normally cost like $1000-$1500/month on the street because of my pain...

during last year's bad season, the first blackout came along, and nothing happened. I was like "No big deal".
But, the very next day, the same thing happened, more than once that very night alone! And then on the Third day too!

After that, my entire harvest was fucked. At that time, I didn't have any special batery operated lights that could do the trick....A flashlight at best!

There any good battery operated lights to recommend? What about that small generator you are talking about?

Same question goes for the opposite method of control....Are there any memebers with rather extreme means of keeping things runnig smoothly during an electrical crisis? Special Generators to keep the HID's on and electronic control equipment perhaps?

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

You can get a li'l 3500k gen for just over 300$. A bit under sometimes too. Theyre worth it. I just use mine to power my root6 zone chiller, root zone chiller pump, and system pump. I plug a li'l 100watt incadesent in for the plants photoperiod. I dont try to run my hid's cause my pump draws 1000watts(yea 1k)and its on a short duration timer that turns it on every 2minits and 50 seconds, for 50 seconds. Even tho my gen's rated for 3500 watts it bogs down seriously whenever my pump comes on so I dont wanna run my hid's with that kinda fluxuation in my electrk commin outta my gen. I just plug in a li'l 100 watt bulb for the plants lighjt scedule. If your not usin a big ass pump or any other equipment that'l make your gen bog down and cycle seriously I guess ya might be able to run a couple hid's but I dunno. I think hid's might need somekinda wave evener outer or something before you can plugem into a gen.

 

[Bulénath]

Thank you again for a very detailed post.

The enviorment out here would require my Air Condition to remain on 24/7. Certain times of year ambient RH along with ambinet Temperatures reach 70% or more and 75F! When that type of humdity floods the room during a black out, and without decent ventilation aswell, things get really sketchy...

Sets the drying process back a couple of days aswell, because the harvested buds sponges the humdity back up!


The type of generator you are talking about sounds ideal. I wouldn't mind investing more than $300, if it helps with all aspects of secutiry.

(sound, reliability, etc..)

 

[NiteTiger]

Only thing I've got hooked up to a UPS is my fan, took keep my carbon scrubber running.

That uses 275 watts at full power, and I've got the fan speed controlled down to 25%, so the server size UPS I'm running can keep it going for about 48 hours.

The girls can take extended periods of dark well, it's just the light coming long enough during their night cycle that can fuck them up. I keep my girls running on a day cycle that corresponds to the actual day cycle. I feel this not only helps with potential FLIR scans, but it's also normal to see a spike during waking hours.

So, my philosophy is that smell is the single most important thing in any grow. That's my priority, to keep that fun running as long as physically possible.

My family backpacks, we don't think twice about no power

 

[CaptainStoner]

I don't think HID control gear can be run off generators unless they're REALLY big, specialist units. Certainly not standard gensets. It's the same sort of prob as running them off inverters, too much inductive load although fully electronic ballasts perhaps could, being less of a spike than an electromagnetic ballast.

Don't know how long plants can survive without light in their day cycles, other people will have to answer that but:-

I've just built a 55w pc case box for bonsai mums and clones. For me, the main consideration is keeping my mothers going. All my fans in flower, all fans in veg, and the veg lights are run through a UPS, which has enough power to keep said items going for at least 24hr. Our power is pretty rock solid here, never off for more than 4hr at a time even when we had insane flooding and they had to share loads.

You could design a circuit with a couple of relays, i did design this myself some time ago but have since forgotten it.. just a little backup lighting circuit..

My brain ain't working right at the moment but it shouldn't be too hard to design the circuitry to make a relay power on when the HIDs should be on but arent.. exclusively with relays, IIRC..When that relay is power ON, use its output to power something small like a T5 tube just to keep the plants timings right.. use the UPS to power said fluoro..

I'll work the circuit out again when my brain functions..

 

[Bulénath]

Thank you both, I appreciate the help!

All infomration is welcome, let's keep this going...

 

[OahuGrown]

So wait... Do you live where i live?

Cause the whole island had the power outage like a week ago.

 

[iriebowl]

yeah it sucked, if it was day time wouldnt have been so bad but at night I had to bust out the dive light LOL. good thing I aint got my cab running anymore (but it sucks not growing)



irie

 

[Bulénath]

Na keiki o ka aina representin' the 150 club, makes me so proud


Any other suggestions are always appreciated!

 

[OahuGrown]

yea I would like to rep the 808 state in the 150 club but I decided to do cfls first then move up to a 150 later. aloha

 

[Bulénath]

Sorry to hear that Ohaugrown. If you ever need any help, please feel free to ask. Also I forgot to mention in the Club, thank you for the information regarding the fan company with the sketchy salesman who asked if you "are growing trees?".

See you around ICM Oahugrown, much respect and Aloha.

 

[kallenavndk]

wow its a fat girl loooking really tasty bro

Here she is

I dont have any clues what to do when its a black out , but if you have a garden or a window then maybe solar lights , the lights that light when its night because the suck sun energi all day could provide u whit some light if u have enough , but i think i would use a batteri lamp ..........

 

[Bulénath]

Thank you for the kind compliment!
That is my "Nuclear Cloud" strain, which takes 133 days of flower...Well, atleast under a 150HPS. She put out 150 grams alone!


Anyone use battery powered CFLs for black outs?

 

[kallenavndk]

Is it your own breed? i Think its a good yiel ratio she trows of ...And im sorry for asking but what is your Ilness ?

 

[kallenavndk]

You said u had pain so i got interested i know alot of people whit pain(i work whit them) and any trick or info that might help them i will pass on ....

 

[Bulénath]

No Problem.

I have had Six broken bones, all of them joints. Three shoulder dislocations, shoulder surgery, titanium plates on my Tibia and Fibia, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Now days, thankfully for my Medical Marijuana card, I have finnaly tappered completely off of opioid/opiate pain medication and chemical based medication to ease my pain. I only use marijuana now.

But that has little to do with my real problems for which I use medical marijuana, and sadly in this American state we cannot get Medical Marijuana for my other, really horrible problems.. I have very bad anxiety, insomnia, and depression. In all honesty I would not be alive today if it wasn't for marujuana, becasue of the depression and anxiety alone. The insomnia never helps. And the pain to top it off, well, sometimes I feel like I am going insane juggling it all.

Strangely, (and probably because of my relative younger age), I never looked much into medical strains, only knowing that Sativas are better for depression, and Indicas better for anxiety. And although my family has a history of addictive personalities, I really feel that, in the end, all I really need is a good ol fassioned sedation.

However, some strains, mostly straight up Indicas, make me very apathetic and lazy, which in turn cause despression. And staight up sativas, only if I am not active that day, give me bad anxiety...

So the best mix, I have found is about 60/40 or 50/50. Though I am young grower and pale in comparrsion to many experienced medicinal growers, so perhaps in time, my view on strains will change, along with my body and mind...


Hope that helps somewhat atleast!


As for my strain (Nuclear Cloud is my Best friend's strain honestly) being a high yeilder?...

Well perhaps if I utilized the maximum space available from day one. However, do not forget, ever, that most growers adhere to the 1 gram per watt ratio, only in the context of 60 days, or two months tops! So over all, the GPW ratio wasn't all that great, even when coupled with two other plants harvested earlier from the same cabinet & same grow.



As for black outs...