Soniclos Grow Closet and First post

Thanks for the suggestion @Rugar89 I’m going to try a 4 inch filter first, then start adjusting from there.

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Well didn’t take long for me to want to change things up.
I mocked up a little diagram to help me plan it out, and I think it all will work out well.

  1. The blue L (upside-down), I’m going to relocate the fan from the current location to the top left of the drawing, adding about 6 feet of ducting to slow things down. That plus the filter I think I will be good there.

  2. The Green oval, I plan on making an intake path, using the inside of the wall between the studs as a path to take in fresh air. The office side (larger room), the vent would be low to the floor, obscured by some storage, but plenty open to air (and limited light). The grow side would be higher on the wall (maybe around 1 foot higher) to keep light from entering the grow room. I think I need this because I have my door pretty air tight now (to keep light out), sure I wouldn’t pull vacuum, but the flowers might like to breath right? I think foam at the top and bottom with some truck bed liner (thick rubberize spray paint) should will probably help keep the noise down.

  3. Last the red oval is the current “exhaust” port for the house, well at least this side of the house. I might tie into this at some point, since it’s a basically just a large vent with a couple of ducts butted up to it.

Gosh I after the first couple of grows, Ill probably just tear it all down and redo the way I really want. I also mocked up some plants I’m waiting to post my actual plants till I see a little more from them, only 3 days old and still waiting on my big LED lamp… slowest boat I think. Right now I’m using 3 23watt CFLs.

At least this is keeping me off the streets and in trouble :wink:

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I like this @soniclos most of us all change things eventually, and even more so after the first grow.

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@Covertgrower change is the only constant.

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The next big change is almost here
Currently running a 3x 23 watt CFLs in a very not optimal configuration.

This will be here tomorrow
https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Protective-Sunglasses-Greenhouse-Hydroponic/dp/B07542RDR1?tag=greenrel-20
I picked up a “used like new” one for $172 with 2-day shipping from Amazon.

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A cheap aluminum pans from $store with a couple holes for your lights works great for a diy reflector

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Yes was looking at the insulated foil board at the home improvement store. I think a couple of sheets will be coming home with me on the next trip.

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Well be careful when you order “Like New” equipment from Amazon. Some times you end up with someone’s dead return. Lucky for me Amazon knocked another $80 off the light, making my cost on the 2000 watt paper weight less than $100 dollars. Once I removed the melted power switch and added two switches in place to make “veg” and “bloom” switches (power I can handle at the timer). As a bonus I found it has 8 nice driver packs in it, and only 6 are fully used, and 1 isn’t connected at all. Everything else inside looks decent quality wise, it’s pulling an actual 2.42 amps @ 118volts for around 290watts, about right for “2000 watt” LED lights.

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There’s a driver in there not being used?! These lights need to be getting better, not heading in opposite direction lol. Spectral distribution graph shows no indication of uv or ir that they’re advertising. Not that it really matters, wouldn’t change too much within your grow.

How did you separate the drivers/diodes for the switches?

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They just so happen to be bundled that way. Just traced the wires back, not a complex product. It looks like just red and blue, nothing else in-between. For the price it’s working out nicely. I plan on adding some reptile lights later on to fill in the missing uv.
Damn I always have plans.

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So the blue diodes are powered from different drivers then the reds?

I wouldn’t stress about the uv much, and there are probably better options than the reptile bulbs.

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Im not in anyway suggesting that you use UV, but if you’re a believer a would go with these. Just make sure that you research the proper times to use.

https://www.amazon.com/AgroMax-Foot-22-625-Fluorescent-Light/dp/B01LWPINP2?tag=greenrel-20

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There are, but some things are on hand.
Right, it’s a little more complex than that, but I don’t really feel like a long drawn out post. Nor do I believe it’s all the manufacturers work that I received. This wasn’t “Like New” in any way, dents all over, scratched all over, but I paid less than half what I put in the budget and I could fix it. And ok I call it “veg” and “bloom” but really I just cut sections of the panels, so I picked the ones that hit mostly blue and put together a few relays for a little logic and a couple a rocker switches. I do a little tinkering. I just been leaving it all on anyway, the plants seem to like that :slight_smile:

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I was planning on using the smaller CFL style I have here just to play with.

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Nothing wrong with that, I was just curious. Most of them aren’t separated into channels of different wavelengths on the pcb unless they were specifically designed to be operated like that from the beginning. Fv of the blue diodes is different than the reds, making layouts individually more complicated. And the manufacturer then usually has to source and stock more parts. So they’ll usually only go through that process if they plan it being added feature and charging more.

The uv is pretty simple, the biggest decision there is who to believe. Some say you can stimulate the same resin production with 400-460nm which the average led provides plenty of. Others aware by uv. All I know is that if you’re actually supplementing uvb, it will usually fry plants if done during the entire light cycle.

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