Automated PH Control

[Guest]

So the pump for 75, the probe 45 and the controller for 125 for a total of 245. thats not bad at all. They also have TDS controllers, its a 160 for the controller, 45 for the probe and the same pump for 75 equals a total of 280. So you could have a complete automated system, at least for pH and nutes for 525. If you add a float valve and pump for topping off the res you could have a completely automated hydro system which would be freaking awesome.

Exactly dude! These new minicontrollers make putting together any type of automated system a frikkin snap. Check out the manual for the unit and if you can read you can put a system together. You can have one EC probe trigger 3 or more pumps, the relay in the controller is 2 amp rated, for nute additions. I'd say dilute the nutes, as I think Nut Job recommended, and bingo. For multi part nute combos with say a 2:1:1 ratio dilute the nutes on the '1' ratio components twice as much as the '2' so the pumps are dispensing the same net nute amount. Also the more diluted the solution the less sensitive the dosing will be so you won't be overshooting or throwing things out of whack easily and provides for a greater margin of error.

Anyway...I'm stoked on this stuff if you couldn't tell .

 

[Uncle Bob]

I thought about making my own also using the various components like the Hanna controller and peristaltic pump but when I added up the true costs with shipping and all, it was not worth it. The controller, the pump, the electrical fittings, switches, power supply, case, pH probe, chemical tubing that will work in a peristaltic pump and resist acid/base, (REAL important) tube fittings, etc. And then after all that it would still look ghetto. $399 was a deal.

 

[Grownz]

This is a very informative post with some great links!! Thanks to Uncle Bob for starting this thread and Curmudgeon for the links and posts!
Here's another link from the site you posted - http://www.automatedaquariums.com/h_turt.htm I like the idea of Datalogging!

The following contains stoner ramblings and day dreaming!

I was thinking, if you set up a PH controller and TDS controller you could (Theroretically) go a whole grow with out messing with your nutrient solution. But then it struck me, you can only have one set point on the TDS meter. You would have to up the setpoint when your plants required it.
Wouldn't it be cool if you could set it up, to up the PPMs say a few hundred every several days or so, depending on your schedule... Kinda like a timer idea. Couple this with res top-up, enviroment control and some way to raise your lights etc etc.. You could set up a system and come back 8-10 weeks later! lol J/K. I'd still check every few days even if i had complete control over everything. Just a thought...

SERIOUSLY.....now, i looked over and read the links and this question still burned in my mind, can the TDS controller control more than 1 pump like Curmudgeon says? If so wouldn't it need more than 1 relay?
And also i think the diluting idea is probably the best approach reguardless of how many pumps your activating. What would you dilute your top-up solution to? Say your setpoint for you res is set to 800ppm. Would you dilute your solution(s) to 1000ppm? Or higher? Suppose it would be a case of trail and error or it dosen't matter at all because eventually it will reach it's set point...

Wow, i ramble....Maybe i'm just too stoned!lol

 

[Guest]

I thought about making my own also using the various components like the Hanna controller and peristaltic pump but when I added up the true costs with shipping and all, it was not worth it. The controller, the pump, the electrical fittings, switches, power supply, case, pH probe, chemical tubing that will work in a peristaltic pump and resist acid/base, (REAL important) tube fittings, etc. And then after all that it would still look ghetto. $399 was a deal.

I hear ya...if I were a manufacturer I could get some parts at wholesale which makes putting them together and selling profitable. You don't need a power supply...just line voltage and the pumps come with tubing and like I said I like projects. I did add it up and I do think $400 is a decent deal but I'm confident I'll save $$$ and learn something along the way which for me is more important. I'm gonna be setting up a pretty complex system with multiple pumps, controllers and timers so buying 'off the shelf' is definitely a less desirable option.

Grownz...you can run as many pumps through the relay as it can handle amp wise. I gotta do more research on my proposed setup to see exactly how to configure it. You're right any controller will only allow a min/max and wish they had a differential you could adjust but they're soooo cheap. The pH Nanny has a switch to manually switch between down and up. I would not dilute anywhere near that much but do believe the smaller the res you're working with the weaker the solution should be so any change ramps slower.

Anything I can do to set things up for greater automation will be worth the initial investment in the longer...I'm tired of messing with the little stuff.

 

[Guest]

Caveat emptor...this all looks great but I'm still researching and can definitely be wrong on somethings but nothing that can't be figured out...that's part of the fun though...

 

[Uncle Bob]

Curmudgeon

Diluting solutions is not necessary so long as you dose it very slowly. The pH Nanny doses at only 1.5 ml per minute. That is why it never overshoots the setpoint. Of course if I were dosing nutrients I might want it a little faster since each res change would take a few hours to bring the ppm back up. But then even a few hours is no big deal and since it doses them so slowly a "top off" solution is not required. Dose directly to the reservoir.

 

[Guest]

Curmudgeon

Diluting solutions is not necessary so long as you dose it very slowly. The pH Nanny doses at only 1.5 ml per minute. That is why it never overshoots the setpoint. Of course if I were dosing nutrients I might want it a little faster since each res change would take a few hours to bring the ppm back up. But then even a few hours is no big deal and since it doses them so slowly a "top off" solution is not required. Dose directly to the reservoir.

Splitting hairs...keep your Nanny bro and glad you like it and whatever else...

 

[Truth]

i just want to know where to get one for a cheap cheap price, that is all.

 

[Guest]

i just want to know where to get one for a cheap cheap price, that is all.

Where to get what for a cheap cheap price? Are you talking about a pH Nanny or something similar? Build your own for about $300 max or buy a Nanny for about $400. I provided a link already awhile back for basically an identical unit for $385. Take your pic. Hey Uncle Bob...why haven't you provided a source for the pH Nanny??? Is something rotten in Denmark? Just provide some frikkin details or fuck off!

 

[Breezy420]

Just provide some frikkin details or fuck off!

Whats your problem, I think this is rather uncalled for.

 

[clowntown]

Does it allow for a drift? For instance, once dosed to 5.5, will it allow it to rise a bit higher (say, 5.8) before dosing back down?

 

[Nifty_PoT]

^^i would think so how else would it work?

 

[clowntown]

It could work by dosing down as soon as it leaves the desired set point (i.e., set to 5.5, starts dosing as soon as it sees 5.6 or higher).

 

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon
Just provide some frikkin details or fuck off!

wtf. I'm gone for a week and this? Don't be a dick. Here is their website:

http://www.all4hydroponics.com/

clowntown,

You are right. It starts dosing as soon as the res leaves the setpoint. No drift allowed.

 

[Grownz]

Thanks for supplying the link Uncle Bob!
I'm just wondering how they can put the hanna contoller in their plastic case with the dosing pump etc and then label it as a there own. I thought hanna wouldn't be happy about this?? They are making a tidy profit but you pay for convience.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Well, before I bought the PH Nanny I looked at other units including the one from Automated Aquariums and they were all doing the same thing, just not nearly as nice. The Automated Aquariums unit used a real crappy cheapo pump, no switches, no BNC output for the probe, etc. Then, being a do-it-yourselfer I thought about making my own and saving some money, but like I said, after adding it all up the price was the same and then I would have some ghetto looking breadboard system.

I'm happy with it and after using the thing for several months I would never go back to manual ph adjustments. Being able to keep ph levels at an exact number all the time lends a great opportunity for comparison. I plan to try different levels on each grow. For now it's 5.5 but on my next grow I'm going down to 5.2 (that is what Lucas recommends).

 

[BlindDate]

OK you sold me. I'll order one today. I'll post the results after I've used it for a few weeks. Probably in the hydro forum since I think it's a more suitable place.

 

[nUt_jOb]

man i might have a money order for one of those in the mail today.. I built my own one for one of my systems and it came out DIY crappy.. it did the job when i was using tap water but with RO u need to dose ph up and it doesnt do that.. this unit will... and yes i know how to use a relay to DIY but still.. $400 and u never have to deal with ph again.. SOLD

Any ideas on nute dosers or am I still going to have to go DIY on that?

 

[Guest]

wtf. I'm gone for a week and this? Don't be a dick.

You're right...I was a dick...and also drunk for a month straight. I finally woke about and went WTF myself...sorry. I don't know what you're talking about regarding the BNC connector as there's one on the back of the minicontroller. I asked before and I'll ask again...who manufactures the unit? It's really easy to find out. I'd like to mention it to my local store so they can stock it for the locals not online with their purchases. It's just sometimes I see people come on the boards and present products but they're really sellers. I added up the parts and I'll save about $100 and the pump I got lined up is not crappy...at least I don't think so based on my research but we'll see. I'm also assembling a multinutrient dosing system using 1 controller and 5 separate nutrients in 5 separate tanks/pumps. It'll be automated with res drains/fills, nute dosing and after dosing the pH adjustment cycle will kick in.

Anyway...I think the Nanny is a great little unit and for the money. It's a pretty good deal. I like to left my pH fluctuate so setting up my home brewed system on a digital timer to let the pH drift up for a bit then turn on, correct down and let drift again. I'm not a nail it at one pH kind of guy and like to let it fluctuate some.

Grownz...Hanna don't care as long as they sell units. I think they have it in their plan to sell to manufacturers who use the controllers as an OEM part.

Nut Job...If you go to Hanna's website and download the manual for the controller you'll see there is a set of contacts for dosage marked #4. When open it's acid and when shorted it's alkaline. That's the only thing the switch on the front panel does.

Hope this helped...someone...somewhere...

 

[Ono Nadagin]

aye the unit will as far as I understand it only dose for up or down at one time... it is not capable of doing one or the other unless you flip the switch and change out the bottle of ph adjust