What's new
  • ICMag with help from Landrace Warden and The Vault is running a NEW contest in November! You can check it here. Prizes are seeds & forum premium access. Come join in!

Mad's DIY LED PC Grow #1

M

Mr. Sparkle

Mechanical thermostat, or can also easily be done with an arduino, relay, and say a tmp36 temp sensor, which depending on where you source things is less than $10
 

MadR1

Member
Cool, Thanks again. Pretty cool reading about your bucket setup.

Put the PC case on some bricks for more safety. In case of flood, spilling water, or maybe if you really need to mop the floor barefoot power down first.

Yes I should learn more electronics basics. For example, my lights just have a two pronged plug to go in the outlet, where my store bought ones have 3. The whole ground issue is something I'm eager to learn about. I fried one of my drivers! Heard a pop sound, and half of my middle/brightest light went out. (2 driver light). So I powered that down and started to trace the wires quickly. Sure enough I notice that one of my heat shrink wraps had come loose and the solder point had become exposed and touched the side of the PC case. Yeah, thankfully I didn't get shocked. Have since upgraded all of my points to double shrink wrap and made sure everything was more secure. What other options do I know about? Those screw on cap things? Terminal boxes? Electrical tape and shrink wrap over that? As usual I'm rambling. You don't need to be my google. But I like you all more than google. Puff n pass

I put my drivers on a thick metal thing so they aren't sitting right on top of the PC case.

I am always striving to make safety improvements. I cut 2x4's to wedge in the middle of my tent's top and bottom frame poles for added support since I started hanging the heavy led lights. Why stress the frame if it's a cheap grow tent?

It does seem kinda crazy to me that diy lights tend to have live circuits on the front of them. Some method to shield the LED's solder points? Spraying plants under a HPS could be just as bad since those bulbs can explode. Putting a glass frame like my store bought lights have, just captures more heat?

I've been cleaning the house, but soon I'll get back to electronics study.

Plants seem happy.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1599.jpg
    IMG_1599.jpg
    94.8 KB · Views: 23
Last edited:

MadR1

Member
Another thing from my Noob perspective on all this, is regarding all the talk of cheap led's burning out quick if they are run at full potential. Why not use a more powerful light but under-run it some? It's just about efficiency? Cheap larger watt leds are just arrays of smaller watt ones, but the new generation of cobs are different and more efficient somehow?

In my early experiments I was powering a 900mA light with a 600mA driver. The voltage requirements were the same. Was that just a less bright light? Or was it sucking way more juice than it was supposed to? Definitely didn't get as hot as chips when the gear matches correctly.

I've used all the CPU fans from the 3 Dino computers I gutted. No more lights to make. :cry:
 

MadR1

Member
Transplanted 3 into bigger cups. Put 1 in other veg area. Topped these two. Put the tops into soil in my regular 12/12 area. Maybe they will take root and show sex before these get to big? I suspect I will need to move 1 more out and start SCROG training. Some light LST.

Peace!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1608.jpg
    IMG_1608.jpg
    90.8 KB · Views: 28

MadR1

Member
"Stay frosty". Still growing strong.

Planning to make my screen tomarrow. Maybe make the final transplant in another 4-5 days, a week?

Can I turn whole plant onto its side when I transplant, to get the new branches as low in the case as possible? Also I was thinking to make my screen at an angle in the case to get more surface area. Any thoughts on screen height and angle here? It's a Mid-Tower for sure.

Peace!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1633.jpg
    IMG_1633.jpg
    81.7 KB · Views: 30

MadR1

Member
Electricity studies going pretty good. Not as intimidated as I used to be.

Why is Current denoted as I?

That's a bit of a curve ball to me. But I believe I've memorized the three elements of electricity. Voltage, Current, Resistance.

I tested the driver I blew out with my meter. Yup, dead.

Tested this constant current driver that says it puts out 36v. I got 46, normal to be a bit different like that? My meter is even more basic than the one I posted a pic of earlier from my net studies, eh?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1637.jpg
    IMG_1637.jpg
    40.9 KB · Views: 26
  • IMG_1635.jpg
    IMG_1635.jpg
    55.1 KB · Views: 26

MadR1

Member
If you are going to do a PC case grow, get a big server case. Right?

Topped them, and bent over the top branches. Even if I SCROG one of them, seems there is very little room for such a thing in this case. In a mid tower, can it be done? I gotta loose at least half of the cup height when I transplant. Even then I have my doubts.

Want to put the fan on the outside of the case instead. If a leaf got caught in there that could get messy.

This has been a great cure for whatever Bordem I was having.

Peace!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1712.jpg
    IMG_1712.jpg
    58.4 KB · Views: 25
  • IMG_1714.jpg
    IMG_1714.jpg
    80.6 KB · Views: 26

MadR1

Member
Upgraded the case to something only 2" taller, 1" wider, a couple inches less deep. That old dell one was having door problems anyhow. I do want to convert it to stealth someday. This case has a clear plastic window on the door. I think it would be cool to take that out and have a piece of art that hangs there with some glued on magnets. Easier to check up without always taking the door off. Darn I is lazy. When I make it stealth promise to forget I told you about it ok folks?

Added 2 10w FS cheapies for side lighting, proper drivers. This is going on with the top, daytime light. Might take away the side light during bloom. Still want to mount the fan on the back, just some planning involved.

Transplanted the smaller one into a quick SIPish, a quart and a halfs maybe worth of FF-OF soil. Watered with ph adjusted 6.5-7. My container is clear but I plan to wrap it up soon. Sure dries out quick in such a small environment like that.

Thinking to just poke holes in the container to attach a wire screen for SCROG.

She responded the best to being bent, the other one I, oops, snapped a branch. This one bent hard now at the main trunk seems ok with it. I hope it's a female...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1898.jpg
    IMG_1898.jpg
    98 KB · Views: 25
  • IMG_1893.jpg
    IMG_1893.jpg
    55.7 KB · Views: 23
Last edited:

MadR1

Member
Easy door, reflective material from the floor of a grow tent.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1904.jpg
    IMG_1904.jpg
    60.3 KB · Views: 28
  • IMG_1907.jpg
    IMG_1907.jpg
    76.1 KB · Views: 23

MadR1

Member
Stealthify my rig part 1, the front grail. Duct tape style. Not cheap 99c store tape either. Eat your heart out McGyver!

This "Silverstone Technologies, Presision series" case also has holes on the bottom for a fan. Would be some work, but you could cut away that bit of grail and hide the soil under a special made table to get a lot more headroom. Someday maybe. Handy opening at the bottom for air intake, that needs a light baffle?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1916.jpg
    IMG_1916.jpg
    29.7 KB · Views: 24
  • IMG_1911.jpg
    IMG_1911.jpg
    41.4 KB · Views: 23
  • IMG_1915.jpg
    IMG_1915.jpg
    40.4 KB · Views: 28

MadR1

Member
Couple SCROG wires at a time. What's the hurry? She was so perky today, what bend?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1925.jpg
    IMG_1925.jpg
    68.4 KB · Views: 28

MadR1

Member
Pinched all the tops and added a couple more SCROG wires. I'm impressed with her thick stalk.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2097.jpg
    IMG_2097.jpg
    86.8 KB · Views: 25

MadR1

Member
Not really a proper SCROG, but I'm flipping the switch. Changed timers for 12/12. Rather be on the smaller side than to big for the case. Bet that won't happen. This is one of the happier plants I've grown in a while.

My intake is on the bottom of the case for now.

Unplugged my side light, the 2 10w FS.

Counted 16 tops. I could sure go for 16 bowls of some blueDreamG13something. Their father plant was strong. Close to one hitter quitter, 2 hits maybe. BD mother.

Oh! I found 2 healthy looking seeds in a 3.5 gram bag I purchased today. (CookiesNCream). That's what I will do in this case next, if this one works out. I take it as a sign that I'm testing an s1 there and I find my first bag seed s1s. Though I always hope it's a breeders intentional work that's fallen into my hands.

The other Dream Hazies I planted are all together in a 5gal bucket/SIP put into 12/12 a few days ago. This is good timing to start flowering the PC one. I can use my fav method of odor control, pollinating em a bit with a male. That seems to make them stink way less to my poor sense of smell.

Lights are now
Morning: 2.5 hours
Daytime: dHours
Night: 2.5 hours
Total light Time: 12hrs
Some equation to add it up and calculate for dHours noting that there is an hour of overlap each way. Learning circuit basics is starting to change my thinking to more non-linear eh? Wasn't thinking morning, day, eve, but morn, eve, day. That's not Algebra! I'm just high.

Another couple of wires.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2128.jpg
    IMG_2128.jpg
    73.8 KB · Views: 27
  • IMG_2129.jpg
    IMG_2129.jpg
    52 KB · Views: 28
  • IMG_2127.jpg
    IMG_2127.jpg
    90.5 KB · Views: 24
Last edited:

MadR1

Member
Day: 8

She showed two white hairs! Wait, the other 5 from same seeds are females to. Darn it! That’s what I get for messing with these S1s. Only ever grown selfed seeds one other time, some elite clones also like OG Kush Tahoe.

Stretching a lot. Keeps shooting up and I keep pushing them under the wires. Broke 1 top beyond repair. Fan ate up 1 leaf pretty bad.

Gotta start adding nutes next feed? Cal Mag?

Filling up the footprint nicely though huh?
 

Attachments

  • 5F35E22C-2847-4B2C-AA6E-FC36D55B1CAA.jpg
    5F35E22C-2847-4B2C-AA6E-FC36D55B1CAA.jpg
    73.6 KB · Views: 31
  • 1FC47A9C-B939-439A-A426-54F819296FCA.jpg
    1FC47A9C-B939-439A-A426-54F819296FCA.jpg
    43.4 KB · Views: 27

ReikoX

Knight of the BlackSvn
Day: 8

She showed two white hairs! Wait, the other 5 from same seeds are females to. Darn it! That’s what I get for messing with these S1s. Only ever grown selfed seeds one other time, some elite clones also like OG Kush Tahoe.

Stretching a lot. Keeps shooting up and I keep pushing them under the wires. Broke 1 top beyond repair. Fan ate up 1 leaf pretty bad.

Gotta start adding nutes next feed? Cal Mag?

Filling up the footprint nicely though huh?

You're going to have to get us a shot of those plants with white light. Can't tell any issues with those purple lights.
 

MadR1

Member
Word, ok. Will in a moment, I do have some white lights finally. My new veg area is now 2 Vero 18 whites. Plants love that.

On the right is the known female, my Dutch Treat Jilly Haze. Super tasty daytime saliva dom hybrid. Super fast grower and cloner and easy to clone. More bug resistant than the GSCx from seed I’m finishing up on now.

Just put her in to replace big healthy clone of same that I just put into my 450w ish 3wLED tent.

Hope the one on the left is female. From seed, it’s GSC thin mints x ?dutchTreat... I lost track for a while, mother tasted like oranges and chocolate! Looks all fat Indica like, my fav. Though I sometimes think I must underfeed them compared to the others. (I know how to grow hempy bucket coco organic hydro better)/ all soil these days cause I like the buzz better that way.

:woohoo:
 

Attachments

  • E90EF6BA-D7D7-493C-B5F3-BBC7D5125273.jpg
    E90EF6BA-D7D7-493C-B5F3-BBC7D5125273.jpg
    79.1 KB · Views: 30

MadR1

Member
Also, before I tie her down more. I did see flowers starting. Been topping to keep it shorter. Is a jungle in there!
 

Attachments

  • 362579FE-7DE3-4E30-B0D6-BBBD46F81F17.jpg
    362579FE-7DE3-4E30-B0D6-BBBD46F81F17.jpg
    90.4 KB · Views: 27

MadR1

Member
Need to feed next water cause starting to lighten up in green color maybe?
 

Attachments

  • 7FC27025-CE9C-400D-8146-2E5D036C744E.jpg
    7FC27025-CE9C-400D-8146-2E5D036C744E.jpg
    98.5 KB · Views: 29
  • FC602220-280C-4CD1-BD92-433B857789E2.jpg
    FC602220-280C-4CD1-BD92-433B857789E2.jpg
    89.8 KB · Views: 31
  • 433D015F-6EBC-43F7-B0D1-E39F31B5C8AB.jpg
    433D015F-6EBC-43F7-B0D1-E39F31B5C8AB.jpg
    57.5 KB · Views: 26
  • A16E070E-E356-4630-8F9F-87332914DD20.jpg
    A16E070E-E356-4630-8F9F-87332914DD20.jpg
    58.4 KB · Views: 31

MadR1

Member
Don’t know what it is really. Gsus is supposedly (God Bud x G13. The OG is x OG Kush x ?the unknown, -Hermy mother) x Blue Dream clone) mother of this seed.

God Bud? Never tried that one.

Hope I can make a seed here that will someday enjoy sunshine. My landlord said no to outdoor this season. Bummer! I think the laws may have changed to no outdoor at all in this area anyhow for next season. I would totally build a small greenhouse in the front yard! Have some pollen I saved of unknown ThinMintsX.

G13 I had was one of the top strongest I have tried, like SFV, Silver Haze, Mass Super Skunk, Sour D, Dutch Treat, Purple Alien OG, Ultra Violence... I dislike the name of that one. I’m a pacifist. My favorite buzz is GSC and crosses, but I don’t consider that the strongest. Most sedating and distracting to my back pain. I think Cannabis allows me an easier time distracting me from my pain by enabling easy focus on other things.

I eat brownies before going to the dentist.

Peace!
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top