Its Time to Grow Computerized!!!!!!!

[Guest]

DJ is haveing a huge sale on his website. I dont work from him and I get nothing for stating the following facts:

Total compter automaztion is the easiest, cheapest, fastest and the ONLY way to grow.

You can control everything! Lights, pumps, CO2, temp, humidity, res temps, PH and tds levels and best of all you can moniter it from anywhere in the world!

I have been using Growtronix for the last year and I have to say it has made my life much easier and my plants much happier.

Do a google for Growtronix I promise you you will NOT be disapointed.

Now for my disclaimer, I know I dont talk much on these sites however I do read on here daily what I have learned of the last couple of years would have taken 5 times longer if I didnt read and read and read. I really dont konw why I am even speaking out on this now (I need to get to work in my garden) but I really do think that computerization is the wave of the future in growing the best plants. As I mentioned earlier, I get nothing from promoting this system, but from the bottom of my heart I really do believe this will help the community of growers. Grow smarter!!!!!!!

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Yeah, I just informed the community not long ago also. Not very many people seems interested, but then again they dont know yet the potential.

I for one am starting to loose my faith in GT because I have been waiting on my ph/tds meter for over 2 months now and DJ just keeps giving me excuses. I think 2 months from the day he recieved payment is far beyonde enough time to build it and send it out. and because of this I can not start a grow because I have no other way of metering my ph. So I'm getting a little pissed off and am very close to start talking negatively about GT.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Though I do love the idea and have very high expectations of it. I hope I get it soon becuase I could have already had a harvest by now.

Check my cab out.
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=33660

It came together very nicely and I had the perfect computer to put in it so I can lock my doors and have everything self contained. I've probably put about 40 hours of solid work on this, and thats including the few mistakes I make and had to go back and fix it.

But once I get the ph/tds meter all systems will be a go. I had purchased peristaltic pumps and are using them for ph dosing. I will get a few more and use it for nutrient dosing also.

 

[Guest]

I havent bought those items yet. I still use the hand Milwaulkie I got and my groteck meters. If I were you I would buy a good hand meter anyway. Its always good to have 2 meters.
I Have a 10k grow going and I still check nutes and PH evey day by hand. If I had the GT stuff I would still check by hand until I felt comfortable the what DJ sent me was working properly. I am the one that replied to you earlier today on the GT forum. BBG.
DJ gets backed up sometimes but most times he gets it right out to you. I have never meet or talked to the man (except email) but from what I know of him to date is that he is a pretty smart cookie with good business sense, Be patient Grasshopper it WILL come. Buy a hand meter to be safe. Its better for 2 opinions then one.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

I had a hanna ph meter that I had to send out for warrenty repair. Well, when I first purchased the ph/tds meter he said I'd have it within 6 weeks and after 7 weeks I emailed and he said 2 more weeks because it takes a lot of time out of him to build (4 hours he said to be exact). 2 weeks later I emailed him again and he said his suppliers aren't getting things out to him and that this ph/tds meter was something he was going to make a priority. Still nothing. My whole system is based on this ph/tds meter and withou it I dont care for the system.

Seriously, he has until next week otherwise I'm going to demand a refund on everything and return it all to him. Thats BS that I've had to wait this long. I dont care if it takes him even 8 freaking hours to build. It's been 2 months and that is plenty of time to squeeze in 4 hours and to get all the parts in for it from suppliers.

I dont care what the situation is with his company, I paid and was told 6 weeks and have been patient. $299 is not pocket change to throw at something.

I mean seriously, if he knows that this wait is going on forever he should label it as out of stock on his site, not leave it up for more people to purchase more and get pissed about the wait. Not very good salesmanship.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

thats weird. The forums messed up and didn't post up on the forum menu that I made a new post. weird. oh well.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

It's week 10 since I've paid and I'm still waiting. this is truely pissing me off. I think I'm going to return everything. My whole setup was based on this damn ph/tds meter so I wouldn't have to worry about ph dosing. I'm serisoulsy about to send everything back to DJ and tell him I want a refund. This is truely BS.

 

[coolx]

I was thinking of buying a full GT system with lots of extras - well over $1K's worth, now I'm definitely thinking twice. DJ may be a nice guy but this is really bad business. I'd be really pissed off if I had to wait a full grow cycle.

 

[coolx]

just thought .... why is he having a sale anyways if he can't get the shit out fast enough in the first place?

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Everything else was out to me promptly, just this one meter. I've had emails back and forth with him and I will give him a little more room. He now has it listed "out of stock" with a 16 week expected delivery time listed. If you agree to buy it then you agree to the 16 week period.

At the time I bought it there was a 6 week expected delivery time. Shit happens out of peoples control.

I do have to say otherwise he is a great guy and is doing a lot on his own and has a wonderful product. He does work on this a real lot and is constanly trying to improve things.

He does have all his time split up between making devices, tech support, programming, research into newer products and all by himself at the moment.

I will give him some more room, I was just getting scared that I might get screwed but I feel better now.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

it's been 14 weeks and I'm still waiting. I tell you, this is VERY agrivating.

I would figure that someone who has already paid $300 for something would be at the top of the priority scale, especially after 14 weeks.

And the thing that pisses me off is that my whole system is junk without this meter.

I would request my $300 back, but the rest of my system would be useless. I would have to request the cost of my system and cost of my time back on top of the $300 because I can't go and return everything and I bought this damn meter and then started building my system expecting that I would recieve what I paid for.

This is really starting to be bogus.

 

[Sinfuldreams]

Bumber
Mabe give DJ the link to this thread?
I think it sounds like growing pains.
He needs to Out Sorce the PH meters.
That seems to be the one meter he never has, aside from the CO2 kit.

The Java Program is what I want.
If your a Techie you can make your own meters and temp probes ect.
Because when you get right down to it, PMM and PH are what most of us want it for.
hope he hires more folks or buys the metters wholesale or something.

Sin

 

[DeadlyFoez]

I wouldn't make my own stuff. I honor and respect DJ enough to not go and make my own things. Thats where he makes his money and I wouldn't screw him like that.

Plus, the new version (still in beta) requires you to authenticate your hardware through DJ before it can be used with the new version.

I'm scared that I'm going to get screwed out of $300. I send him emails all the time and he very rarely respondes to me.

He has said in the past that he can make custom devices for whatever someones needs are, but I have asked him about making many things for me and he just doesn't responde. It's not like I dont offer him money for his services. But apparently he doesn't want the income. Just doesn't make sense to me.

And I hate to bitch about it because I like the guy and I think his stuff is great, but how can I not complain when I've been waiting 14 weeks when initially he said 6 weeks, and 6 weeks was almost too much for me to swallow back then.

I'm never going to be able to get a harvest at this rate...eventhough its only tomatoes. But it's not about what I'm growing, it's about what I paid for.

 

[cepov]

interesting..

I'm also planning to make cheap fully automatic growroom based on embedded NetBSD and Velleman k8055 experimental board for controlling all stuff.
Embedded PC I intend to use is Linksys NSLU2

If anyone is interested I can share my experience.

My work is in progress because I still don't have all the parts I need.

 

[Guest]

I understand your frustration but I gotta tell ya I would be lost without this stuff. Why try to reinvent the wheel when someone has done it for you. Its much cheaper then ANY comparable product out there. Total control! I havent ventured into the PPM or PH moniters yet. I was holding off till all the bugs were worked out. That end of the stuff is still a litte pricy to me, still cheaper then other competerers but still beyond my budget. I wouldnt worry about getting ripped off. DJ knows we growers talk. I am sure you will get your order. But its still very frustrating I am sure.

 

[BCboy]

I'm in guys. I ordered my Growtronix system today. Be prepared to answer some questions

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Congrats. Its some good shit once you got it setup and DJ is always updating things.

What did you buy BCboy?

 

[BCboy]

Here is my list. Cross my fingers with the digital ballasts. GT is a java based prog so i can run it in linux if I wanna right?

Products
------------------------------------------------------
2 x Door and Window Sensor (GT-0-05)
1 x Co2 Adapter (GT-0-08)
1 x Premium Switchable Relay outlet (GT-2-2)
2 x 1 - Premium Relay outlet UPGRADE
1 x Growtronix Hydro-Tronix™ Package (GT-1-04)
3 x Temperature Sensor (GT-0-01)
1 x "In network" Power Adapter (GT-0-02)
-------------------------------------------
Telaire - Software - UIP8000 Software
Telaire - 8002b - Ventostat 8002b

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Nice, u should be about ready to roll. No you can't run it in linux. I wanted that too. Earlier versions you could, but it was too much of a pain for him and most users are windows based, so he went the easier route. I really wish I could run from linux. It'd would be so much better that way. Maybe we should start a thread in the GT forums asking for linux support, get enough ppl and we could make it happen, but that would mean more time for him to work on it and less time for him to work on my ph/tds sensor.

Take a lookie at my C24 cab and see how I mounted the temperature and humidity sensors. I just used some "hide a cable" type thing and modified it to make it so I could move the sensor up and downand keep the wire and other wires hidden to make it look clean. I bought it from Home Depot.

 

[BCboy]

I really like your peristaltic pumps. What is the deal with the ph/tds sensor, will it be working soon? I'm gonna grow in some dirt for a little bit to work out any kinks, that and cause I've already gone way over my budget. I'm not all that adept in Linux so widows will be fine for me. Do you run your minipc from a flash drive? I thought a bare Linux install running from flash would be nice. Now i need a blackberry or something $$$ lol