Tent Auto-watering Options 2021?

[tr1ck_]

What are the best auto-watering options nowadays? When I used to be here more frequently a lot of people talked about Blumats, are those still popular? What is else do people like?

So I have decided to break out the trusty old DR80 tent again after a handful of years away. Unfortunately I have some trips that will take me away from the tent during the run. I am wondering what some of the best options are nowadays for auto-watering an organic soil grow with a small number of plants (probably 4) I would be open to both a permanent option, or something that I only use when I am out of town.

 

[exploziv]

I just use diy electonics to read soil humidity and water when needed. Blumats work too but it's too much work and assumption included. By reading the exact humidity level I can check anytime if it works or not. Also it's set and forget.

 

[tr1ck_]

I just use diy electonics to read soil humidity and water when needed. Blumats work too but it's too much work and assumption included. By reading the exact humidity level I can check anytime if it works or not. Also it's set and forget.

If you don't mind I would appreciate more details of your setup. That sounds intriguing.

 

[iloveweed123]

I don't personally use them, but autopots and biotabs fits what you're looking for

 

[flylowgethigh]

I have fabric pots on a perlite wick SIP, and it is working well. Otherts plant right into soil on top of a wicking SIP bed.

 

[exploziv]

Just a few capacitive soil moisture sensors hooked up to an arduino wifi for now. A water pump pumps water into the grow tray when needed.

 

[Cannabis Critic]

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They have the experience to help you.

 

[Cannabis Critic]

I apologize if I made a mistake re. advertisements.

 

[thailer]

I use the SIPs that are hooked up on a reservoir for water only soil growers. Not sure if you’re looking for something that can be used with fertilizers or not.

 

[Amynamous]

I’ve never heard of SIPs.
Very intriguing.

http://albopepper.com/sips.php

 

[thailer]

albopepper is where i learned a lot of good info from. they're basically foolproof so you don't have runaway drippers like blumats, and the plants just love them so yield has gone up on my keeper cuts. here's a video of my system i just set up. there's a sticky thread in the Organic Soil subforum also.
https://youtu.be/yZJkkQh4YDM

 

[f-e]

I paid about £3 for little 12v board and 50p for a 12v pump. 12v psu was £2 so with postage is was under $20

There is a problem, that the moisture probe will go green and fail in time. Electrolysis. So many people turn it off at night, so it lasts twice as long. Then you can go further and run it just 15 mins in the hour.

I need to go capacitive and see if the same controller can be used. It's just a project for the guy at the shop, so I'm in no real rush.

My searches are going so slow I had to take the first link. They want $16 but Ali want about $3
https://www.amazon.com/XH-M214-Humi...il+Moisture+Controller&qid=1617418268&sr=8-18

A capacitive sensor is about $1.50 delivered. I think they work together. The controller aint bad. You set a minimum soil RH as when to turn the pump on. Then a max RH where the pump turns off. For the price you could just keep buying prongs for it. 316L or graphite if you have them, but the capacitive sensor is so cheap it's a must try.

 

[Phagoos]

f-e make sure to seal the edges of the capacitive sensor to prevent water (and salts) from entering. Otherwise it will stop working very quickly.

 

[f-e]

Phagoos Thanks buddy. I was prompted to look a little more and saw a video showing just that

It seems 'the stick' has a 0-3vdc output that won't be much use for the nice controller. The nice controller has a wire that needs pulling down towards ground to register a higher RH. I guess I could pull it down with a transistor and operate the transistor with the 0-3vdc though a divider. It's both very simple, and more work. Nice result though once working. Truly marketable.

I might be a bit crap and just go plug'n'play. I have a liquid level controller, which like most have a low level and high level wire. Once the low level wire is out the water, a reply operates (a pump/valve) until the top wire see's water again. Then it's all off again until the bottom wire is out the water again, upon which the pump relay goes again, until the top wire... and so on. You use the tank till empty and then it fills to the top.

That can be seen as a logic controller. Going from A too B. The sensor wires are quite happy being touched together, I do it all the time to run my pumps.

I need 'the stick' to supply that analogue voltage to a voltage controlled switch/relay. Another $3 board I bet. This way the sticks wires to the voltage controlled relay so the relay operates at any point you wish between 0 and 3vdc. This pairing is simply a humidity stat. It's simple relay output can feed the level controller. Acting to short the water sensor wires together. It's just a single RH point though, and we need A too B. So a second voltage controlled relay can watch the same stick to give a second relay output for the other water level contollers logic input. There we have our A too B. From one voltage controlled relay board to the other.

The only bother here is user error difficulties. The setup procedure would be the low level set full low, and the high, full high. Then as the RH dropped to what you thought low, you would adjust up the low level knob until the relay clicked on. Then as the pump put in the water you would wait until damp enough and turn the high level knob down until the pump went off. Then you have both high and low set.

I probably wouldn't share the stick. I would use two. Putting one in the runoff for my high level. Perhaps with a delay timer so the pump ran a little longer after seeing the initial runoff.


I already miss the idea of the digital board that has it all in one. However the multi-board approach will work. The better idea still needs work. It's just a basic amp circuit. I 'could' do it. I'm just not best suited to the job.

 

[exploziv]

I haven't sealed my capacitive sensors but they still work after at least 2 grows and a trial period. I will look into sealing the new ones if I find these ones fail. Did u guys had any that broken down from humidity?