Automation!

Timers on Lights are necessary. I'm not a big fan of cheap timers but they work. I've automated my house with Arduino's and Alexa. (Blinds, Lights, TV, Cameras, Garage Door, etc). I'm going to control my Grow Lights and Fan(s) with Sonoff's. The basic unit will cost $6.00 off ebay. Then with an App on your phone you can set a timer schedule or turn things off from anywhere. If you're using a Closet or area where the Light could be seen by a repairman, Pest Control Person or someone who just shows up... OH CRAP, I need to turn the Lights and Fan OFF. Just open the App on your phone and turn the stuff off. If you want to get more into the Arduino stuff there's Moisture Sensor designs on the Web or automate your Water if you leave for a day or two. (Looking down I see "Automatic Watering System". It's possible with a Sonoff or Arduino.)

I use Arduino units (several different devices), ESP8266 NodeMCU-12e units, and Raspberry Pi devices to automate my grow.

Here's a basic sample of what I've integrated to have an online presence. Several aspects are not online yet (relays that control fans, humidifiers, measure nutrient mixture tanks etc). I do have some of the basics presented at this time, including the entry door and motion sensors for the basement where my grow operation is located. It's a separate alarm system from the one for my entire house.

My current grow op monitoring dashboard

I do not allow my lights to be controlled from the web (although it's very easily possible). I do trust my timers (they are relays connected to an ESP, and I wrote the software). Far less room for accident by only allowing read-only access to those. I will be able to control fans and other things though. I expect I'll have them all online by the end of this weekend, and I can turn on and off the alarm remotely.

I’ve had a wifi timer fuck up a couple times. Woke up in the middle of the night to my lights on. Never use those things again

Especially my irrigation system. Don’t need my pumps turning on and dumping my whole reservoir at once.

bk78 said:

I’ve had a wifi timer fuck up a couple times. Woke up in the middle of the night to my lights on. Never use those things again

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I've heard stories of things like this. I've heard stories of situations where online IoT services also triggered devices to go on/off when they shouldn't.

My experiences I've been informed about were for industrial services not related to growing, but the problems are the same.

I keep my light timers local, without any outside influence for exactly these reasons.

Some things are best left remotely monitored only, without a way to manipulate them.

I have a really cool security system in my house that uses pretty much any type of smart thing. Garage, locks, cameras all run and controlled by the same thing.
I started out trying to use smart plugs for my lights. Using those plugs gave the ability to control it all with my phone, create my own lighting schedule on the app, and see if they were on/off ect. Within 2-3 weeks, I sent the plugs back. They were like $80 for a pair of them.
They were unreliable, had communication errors, and didnt do what they were supposed to sometimes. I also had a couple times where they turned half of my lights on when they shouldnt have and one other time didnt turn them on at all.
I went from those to mechanical walmart timers with the tabs and havent had an issue since.

fragileassassin said:

I have a really cool security system in my house that uses pretty much any type of smart thing. Garage, locks, cameras all run and controlled by the same thing.
I started out trying to use smart plugs for my lights. Using those plugs gave the ability to control it all with my phone, create my own lighting schedule on the app, and see if they were on/off ect. Within 2-3 weeks, I sent the plugs back. They were like $80 for a pair of them.
They were unreliable, had communication errors, and didnt do what they were supposed to sometimes. I also had a couple times where they turned half of my lights on when they shouldnt have and one other time didnt turn them on at all.
I went from those to mechanical walmart timers with the tabs and havent had an issue since.

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I'm using an 8 socket power strip with timer built in to 4 of the sockets, the other 4 are always on. Just finish second grow with it, not one issue but then again I am only using about 5% of its capabilities programing wise

Empty tents are sad, but I have girls moving in soon, need to finish the lights

Powertech said:

I'm using an 8 socket power strip with timer built in to 4 of the sockets, the other 4 are always on. Just finish second grow with it, not one issue but then again I am only using about 5% of its capabilities programing wise

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I have a cheap digital programmable one on the veg tent because that doesnt really matter all that much imo. I check them often enough that any failure is correctable. My flower lights only pull just over 11a total. I had them on 2 separate 15a walmart timers, but i recently found a 2 outlet 15a one when I went to grab another one. I have 2 pairs of 2 320w drivers wired to 1 heavier gauge power cord.
Recently made a new electrician friend and he helped me get this 50a control box wired into my panel. I can use it with a timer to control everything or even split it to have 1 side switched and the other side constant on. Right now I just leave it always on and use it to power the entire room. The only thing actually plugged into the basement circuit is my clone tent.
That power strip is my fans and dimmers. I really need to put a ups there.

Mechanical timer for the lights, Temp/RH and speed controller on the exhaust fan and thermostat on the heater is enough automation for me. Any of those apps etc are gathering info about what you're doing and not shy about sharing it with all sorts of undesirables like cops and rippers.

I like my privacy.

Man tech is great but I have seen it cause more harm than good in some situations. Lighting is one I am very sensitive about. I have my trusty timer that never has failed and I wouldn't ever wanna mess that up. I got no reason for anyone coming thru my crib and having to hide my stuff and turn out the lights from remote so what do I know lol. I suppose if thats something you might encounter it may be worth it but I probably wouldn't even grow there in that case.

I've been using home automation for years. (All my window blinds are Adruino, Servo and LDR operated). I can't remember when something did not operate as it was programmed. I turn on several (7 or lights in the house On or Off daily on a schedule and no one has showed up yet to see why. I'm just not a fan of the $10.00 timers. (I'm more Concerned about Google! Google Watches You/Us CONSTANTLY.) If I'm not here, I can Check to see if somethings Not On or Off. From a Safety standpoint when I'm not here you'd never know it. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm curious about the Adruino moisture meters but unsure if I'll build one. With anything Electronic it has to be tested. I've also used the ESP8266's. Neat small device. Nice system spek9!

will only trust my analogs for my lighting just my opinion

Gond00s said:

will only trust my analogs for my lighting just my opinion

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I've been programming and engineering electrical devices for 20 years, so I'm very confident in my work (plus I test extremely rigorously), which is why I can trust my own custom-built timers and automation.

With that said, I would not trust someone else's online application to handle such critical things as grow lights. For monitoring state only, yes. For manipulation, no.

There is a lot of badly written software code out there with all of these companies trying to fast track themselves into the IoT space. One missed data poll while on an away-from-grow-op trip could seriously mess up an entire crop.

In the tents that I don't have my own automation, I use the manual push/pull pin type mechanical timers as others have mentioned.

spek9 said:

I've been programming and engineering electrical devices for 20 years, so I'm very confident in my work (plus I test extremely rigorously), which is why I can trust my own custom-built timers and automation.

With that said, I would not trust someone else's online application to handle such critical things as grow lights. For monitoring state only, yes. For manipulation, no.

There is a lot of badly written software code out there with all of these companies trying to fast track themselves into the IoT space. One missed data poll while on an away-from-grow-op could seriously mess up an entire crop.

In the tents that I don't have my own automation, I use the manual push/pull pin type mechanical timers as others have mentioned.

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Yup simplest to set up

In my opinion we're (I'm) here to Learn. I've been Wrong Before. As I said, I'm just not a fan of cheap mechanical timers. I've owned them for probably 30 years. Have I ever had one to fail, I honestly don't remember but with operating Lights while on Vacation if the power went off, the time shifted by the amount that the power was off. The "stuff" I have running now where its Arduno's or bought wifi switches have been spot on for 2+ years. Can the Internet go down and screw things up. Well Yea, things won't operate if there's no WiFi so from that standpoint a Mechanical Timer Should be Better.
a fairly large lot and if you get to within 75' of my house, I'll know it. I don't have any Concerns that someone is Coming In My "Crib" unannounced or I can tell you, they've made a deadly mistake but the area where I plan on putting my setup is in a location that sometimes a Neighbor or Friend will go. In that case "Hang on one Second" and I'll turn off the fan and lights (and Cameras) by Wifi.

One of my funny stories I went to a Vacation Rental a few years back on a Service Call. Ringing the door bell an Older Guy comes to the door and opens it. I introduce myself and why I'm here. Walking into the Living Room there's about 6 or 7 Old Folks (65 to maybe 75 years old) they must have just put out a Joint when I rang the door bell. They looked like the Cat that just ate the Canary. Naturally I just ignored it and went about my business. I could have given a Rats Butt but they had the look of "OH SHIT... WE'RE CAUGHT". In another case I went to a home and was instructed to get the spare hidden key outside and go on it. Walking through the living room there's a big ash tray with about a 1/2 oz, papers and a lighter sitting on the arm of a recliner.

Have set my room up with home assistant and sonoff devices flashed with Tasmota. Has been in production for a couple of months now. Controls heater, ventilation, lights, watering circulation. Has infinite possibilities. Running on a Linux laptop for now

FrankenGrow said:

Have set my room up with home assistant and sonoff devices flashed with Tasmota. Has been in production for a couple of months now. Controls heater, ventilation, lights, watering circulation. Has infinite possibilities. Running on a Linux laptop for now

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10Fo... I need to change some of my Sonoff's to Tasmota. So far mine have been great. Did your check spek9's Automation View above. It's Bad Ass.

CaptainBuzz said:

10Fo... I need to change some of my Sonoff's to Tasmota. So far mine have been great. Did your check spek9's Automation View above. It's Bad Ass.

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Thats pretty impressive. Considering he put all of that together himself. Mine is just an implementation of existing stuff... I have attached my console.

CaptainBuzz said:

10Fo... I need to change some of my Sonoff's to Tasmota. So far mine have been great. Did your check spek9's Automation View above. It's Bad Ass.

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Thanks

I've got a couple of investor friends who are trying to push money at me to put together a real prototype system for grow room automation. I'm in the due diligence phase to see if the demand is there, especially in Canada and newly regulated states in the US as more and more people are trying their hand at home growing. A side-service will be monitoring and supporting them with their grows.

Raspberry pi.
Web server
Python

Easy peasy.

I hear a lot of people's concerns about automation, and it's valid to a point. But if done correctly I'd say it's more reliable. Those mechanical electrical timers fail, and fail often. I've bought expensive ones, digital ones, and even beefed some up with capacitors to suppress the arc that burns the contacts out when it opens.
But a pi with solid state relays could make your life easier. Solid state so there is no mechanical moving parts to wear out.

You could write a simple python script to turn them on/off on a timer and have enough gpio pins left to add things like a photoresistor feed back to tell you the light is ACTUALLY on it if something has failed. Probably add ambient temperature sensor and light fitting temps too.

With access to the internet (or locally on your intranet) you could use an NTP server to keep the clock up to date and accurate with network time. So in the event of loss of power the pi booting back up will know exactly how long it's been off. Have it run a report for you, alert you it has lost so many minutes of power. You could write code to decide if it's best to just leave the lights off now, or turn them back on. You could select "start reducing the day" and have the pi reduce the light phase by 10 minutes a day. Maybe if you have colour spectrum control you could set a sunrise/set as well with more red at the beginning/end of the day and blue in the middle.

You could just make a small PHP site with self signed TLS certificate and login credentials, or get a certificate authority to sign your certificate for you so it looks schmick.

No need to worry about the signal getting munted through wifi and your pump or light getting stuck on or off. The Pi hard wired to your system does the control, not your phone. You just point your browser to http://192.168.0.69:26483/growroom and check stats or turn on/off features. When your disconnected the pi does the work. If it hits an issue (photoresistor fails to detect light come on) it'll email your account "Help, pr1 has not detected light". You'll get a push notification on your phone if it's recieving emails.

There is just so much you could do with a pi and they are very reliable. For a year now, I've had a pi on my network that I log into remotely and paste a link to a torrent file. It connects via a VPN and retrieved it. Excellent since I work 1000's of miles away. I've also got one at my parents house and have set up a pi VPN between both houses so both networks are essentially connected. It's a vlan great for sharing resources.

Automating your grow with a raspberry pi is not to be scared of. It could be so much more reliable than traditional automechanical means.