Green Smoke
Member
Shit, forgot to insert the pic
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Green Smokes Micro SOG
- Thread starter Green Smoke
- Start date
Yeah man, that's it exactly! You will probably need a small fan or two on the far side at the "tip" end too, for circulation and keeping the lengths of lamp cool. I kind of messed things up, but I wish I had gone solidly for that slit idea in the beginning. Air just leaks in all over the place so I don't get much flow where my attempted slit was.
But to sum it up, any other way than the slit will result in heat blowing around your cab before getting removed. With the circ fans on the far side, they cool the relatively cool lengths, and by the time the air reaches the exhaust end, it's died out to a gentle general movement in the direction of the exhaust point. Aka perfection.
My slit
But to sum it up, any other way than the slit will result in heat blowing around your cab before getting removed. With the circ fans on the far side, they cool the relatively cool lengths, and by the time the air reaches the exhaust end, it's died out to a gentle general movement in the direction of the exhaust point. Aka perfection.
My slit
christoph'sbud
Member
that new cab design is looking awesome, love the pl-l's and the exhaust!
christoph
christoph
Green Smoke
Member
Thanks Christoph 
Ok Scrub, what about this
Lower the lights just a little and I can fit a blower above the bases. It blows across the bases to a second blower that exhausts. I forgot to add it, but I could place another blower at the other end of the lamps and aim it toward the bases. Main exhaust is covered by 2 120's with slotted grills on both sides. If I get the right kind of grills, they might not leak light. I still have 19" top to bottom for growing and I can avoid cutting a hole in the top. Think it will work?
Ok Scrub, what about this
Lower the lights just a little and I can fit a blower above the bases. It blows across the bases to a second blower that exhausts. I forgot to add it, but I could place another blower at the other end of the lamps and aim it toward the bases. Main exhaust is covered by 2 120's with slotted grills on both sides. If I get the right kind of grills, they might not leak light. I still have 19" top to bottom for growing and I can avoid cutting a hole in the top. Think it will work?
Well, no. I don't like it much I'm afraid. That's just regular old inefficient attempt at cooling that I now have to deal with. You'll face the same issues that I face and moan about occasionaly. Not saying it won't grow you some weed, but it's not efficient at what it's doing.
In your latest example, the fan that pushes air across the bases (the most heat generated in the cab) is blowing it all over your cab, not just a fine direct flow to the exhaust point. If you use the slit, the very hottest air/heat is getting sucked directly away/up and directly out of the cab, very efficiently. It has nowhere else to go. The fan/s I suggested for the tip end are blowing the heat towards the exhaust point too.
Also in your example your bases will be cooled unevenly, and some will barely get any flow at all. And finally, the two big circulation fans on the rear wall are just blowing the heat from the extended lamp sections randomly wherever it goes.
In your latest example, the fan that pushes air across the bases (the most heat generated in the cab) is blowing it all over your cab, not just a fine direct flow to the exhaust point. If you use the slit, the very hottest air/heat is getting sucked directly away/up and directly out of the cab, very efficiently. It has nowhere else to go. The fan/s I suggested for the tip end are blowing the heat towards the exhaust point too.
Also in your example your bases will be cooled unevenly, and some will barely get any flow at all. And finally, the two big circulation fans on the rear wall are just blowing the heat from the extended lamp sections randomly wherever it goes.
Green Smoke
Member
Randomly? The 120's are exhaust fans. They pull air out. Airflow should go like this
I can see how you would have a problem with the blowers, but I promise you, there is nothing random about those 120's.
I can see how you would have a problem with the blowers, but I promise you, there is nothing random about those 120's.
Ok my bad, I do see now. But it still doesn't change much in the long run. You're primarily exhausting from the coolest part of the roof with the big fans and the little one handling the bases is still blowing it all over the place.
I look at it like this - you can do it the way I outlined and enjoy very efficient easy cooling with minimal fans and I figure that is what the question is about. Or you are left with all the rest; the way you've suggested, the way I do it now, the way anyone is doing it basically, who is not exhausting directly from the bases. We are all blowing heat around the cab where the goal is to suck it out.
Like I said, we all manage to grow weed, and cooling PLLs isn't that tricky anyway, but I still think you should do it "my way" as it were. I have a ton of heat problems in summer and I couldn't see that happening with the slit. It's about removing the heat efficiently, shortest path from a to b. If it's not getting sucked straight out then it's heating up the ambient temp inside.
This is old school knowledge btw. It's in several of the classic pll threads. Peace.
I look at it like this - you can do it the way I outlined and enjoy very efficient easy cooling with minimal fans and I figure that is what the question is about. Or you are left with all the rest; the way you've suggested, the way I do it now, the way anyone is doing it basically, who is not exhausting directly from the bases. We are all blowing heat around the cab where the goal is to suck it out.
Like I said, we all manage to grow weed, and cooling PLLs isn't that tricky anyway, but I still think you should do it "my way" as it were. I have a ton of heat problems in summer and I couldn't see that happening with the slit. It's about removing the heat efficiently, shortest path from a to b. If it's not getting sucked straight out then it's heating up the ambient temp inside.
This is old school knowledge btw. It's in several of the classic pll threads. Peace.
100% Dundee
Member
If I was trying to find a way to cool a setup like yours, I would cut out a long hole along the back, behind the bulbs. Probably only about 1/2inch below the lights is as mucha s you'd need. Get a piece of plexiglass or glass from a picture frame and put it right below the lights, at the bottom of the cutout, leave a little space around the sides and front. Then create a 'manifold' of sorts to hang off the back that the fans attach to, this will suck all of the hot air up around the glass, over the bulbs, and out the huge slit at the back. Similar to the thing you had a few posts back with the fan sitting on top of the box and the little square passage attached to it, except on the back of the box. I made a few bad MS paint photos to kind of visualize what i am talking about since it might be pretty hard to understand.
In the left side of the pic you can see the red outline of the glass or whatever you could place under the bulbs to semi-cooltube it. THe black portion at the back of the bulbs is what would be cut out, and the red outline is the "manifold" you would have to make.
On the right side I did the same thing, but from a different view. If you did something like this and cut some holes down at the bottom for passive intakes amd maybe one little fan to move some air around inside, youll be golden. Wouldnt need all those other little blower fans either.
Edit: This is basically what I do in my grow box currently and it is working very very well, that is why I suggested it. Feel free to check out my thread to see actual pictures of what this could look like in a similar type grow.
In the left side of the pic you can see the red outline of the glass or whatever you could place under the bulbs to semi-cooltube it. THe black portion at the back of the bulbs is what would be cut out, and the red outline is the "manifold" you would have to make.
On the right side I did the same thing, but from a different view. If you did something like this and cut some holes down at the bottom for passive intakes amd maybe one little fan to move some air around inside, youll be golden. Wouldnt need all those other little blower fans either.
Edit: This is basically what I do in my grow box currently and it is working very very well, that is why I suggested it. Feel free to check out my thread to see actual pictures of what this could look like in a similar type grow.
Green Smoke
Member
Take a closer look, that final blower is indeed sucking air out of the cab. The other blowers push air toward it, but that one blower on the back is outside the cab. It blows along the back, but on the outside. I really feel like that is exhausting directly from the bases.
This nightstand is old and crappy, but it's still all I got and it sits next to my bed. I really want to avoid cutting the top if I can help it.
Dundee, thanks for the tip. Glass was the only way I could keep temps down with the old design. I'm hoping to avoid it this time, but if I do, it will definatly have a seperate exhaust for the lights.
Well I understand then if you don't want that sort of modification. Hmmmm. I'll be honest, I don't know what's best out of the rest. What you have looks reasonable although I'd be thinking to just have one major exhaust point, where you have the exhaust blower now (on rear wall near bases). I wouldn't use blowers for any of them though, as they just aren't efficient at pushing air. They're efficient at making pressure and noise, which is not needed. Depends on the specific blower though, I guess.
The glass idea is tempting but I'd be worried about uv and lumen loss. It certainly would fix heat issues though.
The glass idea is tempting but I'd be worried about uv and lumen loss. It certainly would fix heat issues though.
Green Smoke
Member
The glass is also a maintainence issue. It gets dirty fast and if you don't clean it you lose lumens. Maybe if I make a cover for the bases and move a 120 to that corner I can pull more air away from the bases. I know you don't like blowers Scrub, the ones I'm trying out are .8 amps and 52db. Only 27cfm but they are not that loud at all. I'll be doing lots of testing before I call anything done.
Cool - looking forward to what you come up with. I want to rebuild mine soon.
Green Smoke
Member
Worked 65 hours this week. I'm now locked into a three year project and the hours will be massive. I knew it was comming, so why oh why did I disassemble my cab. I thought I would have it back up within a couple weeks. 
The upside, getting good work after a year on unemployment.
The downside, when I get home, I just don't feel like doing anything. The upside, the 5 blowers I bought on ebay cost $13.00US, a pretty fine deal me thinks. They also move air pretty good. The downside, they are indeed loud, I'll have to live with it. The upside, my sickly little mini me plants were actualy quite tasty. The downside, the yield was pathetic and they are almost all smoked up. 
Finding suitable Pl-l bases at a reasonable price is giving me a headache. Suggestions are welcome, nay, solicited.
The upside, getting good work after a year on unemployment. The downside, when I get home, I just don't feel like doing anything. The upside, the 5 blowers I bought on ebay cost $13.00US, a pretty fine deal me thinks. They also move air pretty good. The downside, they are indeed loud, I'll have to live with it. The upside, my sickly little mini me plants were actualy quite tasty. The downside, the yield was pathetic and they are almost all smoked up. Finding suitable Pl-l bases at a reasonable price is giving me a headache. Suggestions are welcome, nay, solicited.
S
sillyhead123
how did you light proof this cab between veg and flower. Can I do this in a huge computer tower case?
S
sillyhead123
This is a great micro sog. Would anybody have any input on where to purchase a 2 chamber micro cab?
bucketbrah
New member
Anyone know how to lightproof this? Also how would ventilation work?
