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Diary PCBuds mini-grow
- Thread starter PCBuds
- Start date
PCBuds
Well-known member
I caught 3 gnats today that we're flying around the window plants.
So I guess I'm not done with them yet.
I'm not worried about it.
It's worked out well so far.
I'm thinking that my living soil is working to fight them off.
It's a good test.
It's a lot cheaper and easier to prevent them than to try to fight them off after you've got them.
I should have put a scoop of soil from my cooler into the window sill pots when I made them but I didn't think of it.
So I guess I'm not done with them yet.
I'm not worried about it.
It's worked out well so far.
I'm thinking that my living soil is working to fight them off.
It's a good test.
It's a lot cheaper and easier to prevent them than to try to fight them off after you've got them.
I should have put a scoop of soil from my cooler into the window sill pots when I made them but I didn't think of it.
PCBuds
Well-known member
I finally got off my ass and made a second submersible strip light.
It's been a while since I worked on it.
That's why I have the scuba diving fish in my insignia.
I remember checking out the website for the silicone modified conformal coating, and they said that you can put it in the oven on some low heat and it will help cure the coating, so I just plugged it in to warm it up.
I put three coats on and I'm not going to submerge it until tomorrow after it's cured better.
The stuff causes cancer so I made sure to breathe in the fumes. It smelt kinda nice. Lol
It's been a while since I worked on it.
That's why I have the scuba diving fish in my insignia.
I remember checking out the website for the silicone modified conformal coating, and they said that you can put it in the oven on some low heat and it will help cure the coating, so I just plugged it in to warm it up.
I put three coats on and I'm not going to submerge it until tomorrow after it's cured better.
The stuff causes cancer so I made sure to breathe in the fumes. It smelt kinda nice. Lol
PCBuds
Well-known member
I was worried that the copper would be right to the edge of the board, with exposed copper that would be hard to seal up properly, but there is a border around the entire circuit board.
I cut the quick release clips off the board and coated the metal really good.
I spayed the board down with electrical contact cleaner to help make sure the coating sticks and doesn't leak any water up into the wires.
I used regular silicone last attempt and it didn't seal along the wire and it leaked.
The ends of the board have the edge of the LEDs and the metal pretty close to the end so I made sure to put three thick coats on.
I'm worried about sealing the wire and where it goes into the plastic insulator.
I'm going to put the coating on really thick at those spots.
I cut the quick release clips off the board and coated the metal really good.
I spayed the board down with electrical contact cleaner to help make sure the coating sticks and doesn't leak any water up into the wires.
I used regular silicone last attempt and it didn't seal along the wire and it leaked.
The ends of the board have the edge of the LEDs and the metal pretty close to the end so I made sure to put three thick coats on.
I'm worried about sealing the wire and where it goes into the plastic insulator.
I'm going to put the coating on really thick at those spots.
PCBuds
Well-known member
You can see how the coating is glowing so I'm wasting some photons, and I probably have some refraction going on, but I don't care.
I'm sure that I can compensate for any losses by being able to crank it up to the 700 ma maximum or beyond, once it's submerged.
The temperature is only 22°C at 18 volts, so I turned it up.
I'm sure that I can compensate for any losses by being able to crank it up to the 700 ma maximum or beyond, once it's submerged.
The temperature is only 22°C at 18 volts, so I turned it up.
PCBuds
Well-known member
I found this info, ...
https://www.mgchemicals.com/product...coatings/silicone-modified-conformal-coating/
I'm going to crank it up till it gets a bit warmer.
It's kind of neat how I can just turn it on to warm it up instead of putting it in the oven.
https://www.mgchemicals.com/product...coatings/silicone-modified-conformal-coating/
I'm going to crank it up till it gets a bit warmer.
It's kind of neat how I can just turn it on to warm it up instead of putting it in the oven.
PCBuds
Well-known member
Just for shits&giggles. Lol
My goal is to make a water-cooled light that I can pump water through and string up around my plant. Lol
My last attempt wasn't sealed and the water made contact with the metal of the circuit board and I had electrolysis going on making hydrogen and oxygen which can explode.
The experiments are exciting. Lol
Actually, just a coating of the stuff protects the LED segments so I wouldn't need the plastic shields on the strips along the walls of the closet.
The LED strip lights have been known to burn out when the plants grow into them.
Coating the segments with the conformal coating is a lot easier than cutting and installing the plastic shields.
Sampas92
Just newbin
Water cool like that, interesting, dont die please kkkkk
PCBuds
Well-known member
Thanks,
I am being careful. I was aware of electrolysis before my test, so I knew what to look for.
You test for voltage from the positive and negative outputs of the power supply and stick the second probe in the water.
If you see any voltage, your circuit board or wires have a water leak.
This is how I recklessly tested the conductivity of a SIL in distilled water.
Distilled water doesn't conduct electricity but I couldn't bring myself to stick my finger in the water to prove it. Lol
Sampas92
Just newbin
I remember this photos on blynx thread kkkk i know that one of my rows of lights are not grounded, my finger told me kkk
PCBuds
Well-known member
Check that you don't have line and neutral reversed in your light sockets.
PCBuds
Well-known member
My whole underwater light thing is kind of pointless.
Instead of having one strip running at maximum current and liquid-cooled, I could just run two strips at the test current and not need any cooling.
But it's kind of a fun experiment.
I could put one in a tray of water at the bottom of my grow to light it up from below and it would work as a humidifier as well. Lol
Instead of having one strip running at maximum current and liquid-cooled, I could just run two strips at the test current and not need any cooling.
But it's kind of a fun experiment.
I could put one in a tray of water at the bottom of my grow to light it up from below and it would work as a humidifier as well. Lol
