The far red thread

[Mellodrama]

What kind of timer do you guys use when you have these red lights set to come on for 10 minutes or so right after main lights out?

I've often wondered about that. I assume it's gotta be another timer, independent of your main lights. Seems like one problem would be the two timers slowly moving away from (or towards) each other.

And what kind of timer gives you 10 minute increments?

It'd be great to get some pointers on how you growers control these small secondary light circuits

 

[captainmorgan]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TGO6RY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[churchhaze]

What kind of timer do you guys use when you have these red lights set to come on for 10 minutes or so right after main lights out?

I've often wondered about that. I assume it's gotta be another timer, independent of your main lights. Seems like one problem would be the two timers slowly moving away from (or towards) each other.

And what kind of timer gives you 10 minute increments?

It'd be great to get some pointers on how you growers control these small secondary light circuits

Unfortunately, I think we all use a separate 24 hour timer for the far-red circuit. I'm still waiting for a good design to come out to simplify this. I designed a digital circuit for it, but it was overly complicated and felt like it would be pointless to implement.

What we need is a "simple" circuit that's stupid easy to implement... preferably something that already exists for some other non-led application.

It should trigger a relay for an arbitrary amount of time that doesn't need to be precise, then stay off until it's reset by the light turning on and off again.

 

[mc130p]

Unfortunately, I think we all use a separate 24 hour timer for the far-red circuit. I'm still waiting for a good design to come out to simplify this. I designed a digital circuit for it, but it was overly complicated and felt like it would be pointless to implement.

What we need is a "simple" circuit that's stupid easy to implement... preferably something that already exists for some other non-led application.

It should trigger a relay for an arbitrary amount of time that doesn't need to be precise, then stay off until it's reset by the light turning on and off again.

*They* make lots of timed relays with various triggers. There are also DIN mount timers, like this one I have my eyeball on:

http://www.omega.com/pptst/PTC-15.html?pn=PTC-15#RelatedList

Also considering a small PLC.....

 

[churchhaze]

*They* make lots of timed relays with various triggers. There are also DIN mount timers, like this one I have my eyeball on:

http://www.omega.com/pptst/PTC-15.html?pn=PTC-15#RelatedList

Also considering a small PLC.....

I was thinking something along the lines of a reset-set flipflop combined with a 555 timer in monostable mode. The 555 timer, having a flipflop built in, may be all that's needed for the whole timer. It's times like this I wish I didn't smoke so much damn weed..

 

[AquariusPanta]

Digital timer with two plug inputs, each with their own time setting revolving around same time circuit. Basically two digitals in one... ~$50

 

[mc130p]

I was thinking something along the lines of a reset-set flipflop combined with a 555 timer in monostable mode. The 555 timer, having a flipflop built in, may be all that's needed for the whole timer. It's times like this I wish I didn't smoke so much damn weed..

This is definitely the cheapest option 555 timers are a dime/dozen practically.
I'm looking for something to run the entire tent.... If I could do it with one component, that would be ideal for me Also, I'm still on a soldering hiatus and I don't want a breadboard hanging around in the tent

 

[churchhaze]

This is definitely the cheapest option 555 timers are a dime/dozen practically.
I'm looking for something to run the entire tent.... If I could do it with one component, that would be ideal for me Also, I'm still on a soldering hiatus and I don't want a breadboard hanging around in the tent

I've been hoping someone else would invent one and that I could just implement their tested design! After all, 730nm flower initiators are a huge market, right? lol

Hey SDS.... wanna make us a 730nm pulsing design using 555 timers and set-reset flip flops? I dun smoked myself retarded.

 

[hyroot]

you just need those boards from inda gro. Those 730's run off a battery that holds a 5min charge. The battery charges off the light while its on. Then when the light shuts off. The battery is triggered to power the 730's. The cool part about using a battery instead of a timer is as the battery loses power the 730's dim like the sun setting so to speak

I wonder if that's even a factor in finishing time between induction and led using 730's at lights out. Or is that led has more deep red. My outdoor takes longer to flower than my indoor

 

[guod]

The cool part about using a battery instead of a timer is as the battery loses power the 730's dim like the sun setting so to speak

 

[AquariusPanta]

So you guys are thinking about having everything in one setup rather than COB fixture and 730nm bar?

 

[Tazbud]

The cool part about using a battery instead of a timer is as the battery loses power the 730's dim like the sun setting so to speak


View attachment 3398959

I was trying to see how you'd trigger it to come on, the thought here is the initiator coming on with & staying on some seconds longer than the main light/cob?

 

[caretak3r]

heres my $20solution
http://rollitup.org/t/3-on-9off-utilizing-diy-730nm-pfr-pontoon-and-a-tentacle-of-light.771118/#post-10028139

 

[churchhaze]

I have an idea for the 730nm timer that's a lot simpler than my previous one.


After simulating it, I put it together, but with a 4.7uF cap for about 5 seconds instead of 9 minutes, and it works exactly how it should at 5 seconds. When testing with a pullup resistor and a switch to 0V, connecting switch, and holding will only turn on the output for 5 seconds. If you pull the input to 0V again before the time is up, it will not reset the timer.

The RC differentiator that feeds the 555 trigger so a square wave input becomes transient spikes to trigger the far-red pulses. The diode clips the positive part of the spikes which are not needed.

Now I just need a way of sensing to see if the light is on and giving a 0 or 5V input, and relay to turn the 730nm driver on.

 

[churchhaze]

What is the best way of getting a 0 or 5V signal to see if your lights are on or off? The problem is I need 0V or 5V, not high impedance or 5V.

 

[bicit]

I have an idea for the 730nm timer that's a lot simpler than my previous one.
View attachment 3405876

After simulating it, I put it together, but with a 4.7uF cap for about 5 seconds instead of 9 minutes, and it works exactly how it should at 5 seconds. When testing with a pullup resistor and a switch to 0V, connecting switch, and holding will only turn on the output for 5 seconds. If you pull the input to 0V again before the time is up, it will not reset the timer.

The RC differentiator that feeds the 555 trigger so a square wave input becomes transient spikes to trigger the far-red pulses. The diode clips the positive part of the spikes which are not needed.

Now I just need a way of sensing to see if the light is on and giving a 0 or 5V input, and relay to turn the 730nm driver on.

Would an inexpensive photo cell be able to work?

 

[churchhaze]

Would an inexpensive photo cell be able to work?

That looks like an expensive photo cell, not an inexpensive one. I'm messing with a cheap as dirt photo cell and a pull up now. Can't get it to work with a pull down resistor pull down... only with a pull up resistor.

I shine a flash light at it and the output led turns on for ~5 seconds. (it works backwards to how it should)

 

[churchhaze]

I can flick a lighter next to it and it will also turn on for 5 ish seconds every time I try. Flicking again while the LED is on does not cause the timer to reset.

 

[guod]

some Basics to learn....

SCHMITT TRIGGER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmitt_trigger

 

[bicit]

That looks like an expensive photo cell, not an inexpensive one. I'm messing with a cheap as dirt photo cell and a pull up now. Can't get it to work as a pull down...

I shine a flash light at it and the output led turns on for ~5 seconds.

Picture for representation only. I think that one is $12