Trichy Bastard
Well-Known Member
Happy New year everyone- guess I'm still stuck with the old thread title LOL....
Well, not quite right Kona, it hasn't reached that status yet... It's just at the top of the list because it was posted in last, but it's fair to mention it does have a formidable 40,000 views- so someone must be interested...Yay and the thread is sticky'd (sp) hehehhee this thread yay love all the good info!!!!!! Go Tb Happy New Year again hahahaha had pancakes, no waffles lol!!!
I'm not familuar with the formula you speak of.
The optimal mist target per atomizer is <1ml per 100L of chamber volume per misting. Here is a link to the post back on page 5.I'll have to ferret the specific post, but there is a target optimal mist volume to chamber volume ratio per mist cycle - something like < 1ml/L of air volume or something- in my mind it is the single most important thing to know in order to achieve a proper HPA setup. You have to calculate your chamber volume and nozzle flow rate x number of nozzles.
According to that I am supposed to be at about 5ml. I looked at the post. But I have to wonder if that is per plant or what, it dosen't say. I have 9 plants in my chamber. If I had say 5 plants I would need less volume than for 9 plants. The more plants the more moisture needed I would think. This needs to be clairified i think imop. 5ml would be very little for 9 plants. I know this is per misting but it still seems low to me. What do you think?The optimal mist target per atomizer is <1ml per 100L of chamber volume per misting. Here is a link to the post back on page 5.
Of course you know what's best for your particular setup. Especially because your accumulatorless, you may have to take a slight different approach to meet the same end, but I guess it's just a guideline to look for when designing the system. The real world performance still has to be measured and then you gotta give the plants what they require...My experience tells me, the time depends on ambient temps as well as temps inside the pod being within a cool range (~ 60-75*). Above that and it can get quite humid/hot in the pod necessitating longer feed cycle times, otherwise the roots will dry out
The amount of plants shouldn't matter- this is likely the best saturation level for a "feeding". Of course with more plants you'll have to just have shorter off times. I think the idea is to attain a certain level of wetness, without soaking the roots, to be most conducive of the "fuzz"... Also the strain, lighting conditions, temps and stage of growth will dictate how often the "feedings" need to occur... I think the idea is to use the littlest amount of mist possible, while the plant still shows no signs of dehydration. I think this spurs the most efficient fuzzy root structure, which increases the surface area tremendously, and also allows optimal O2 absorbtion. Also- don't think for a second your mist nozzles are spitting out what they're rated for, they usually spray a bit more than what the specs say. Atomizer had a smart way to measure the volume by collecting the spray in a syringe for a set amount of time. And even more ingeniously, he was able to figure out precisely how long each mist cycle was (mechanical delays and all) by running video of the nozzles in a spray cycle through a video editing program in slow motion, and counting the frame times from when the first sign of mist showed up and ended.According to that I am supposed to be at about 5ml. I looked at the post. But I have to wonder if that is per plant or what, it dosen't say. I have 9 plants in my chamber. If I had say 5 plants I would need less volume than for 9 plants. The more plants the more moisture needed I would think. This needs to be clairified i think imop. 5ml would be very little for 9 plants. I know this is per misting but it still seems low to me. What do you think?
You just about got it- if you want the system to be manually recharged. I'd recommend adding a pressure switch (may be included on most pumps), and definitely a pressure relief valve for safety. Then the system will be fully automated and all you gotta do is add fresh nutes to the res when it gets low. Also, you have to put the filter after the pump- because the pump's suction is not enough to adequtely overcome the resistance of the filter without laboring heavily (I already tried). The solenoids are simple open/close valves and don't have pressure settings- the regulator does all that for you. It's best to have a solenoid for each mister, but short runs are okay between the solenoid and possible multiple misters,-BUT- the more line inbetween, the less control and mist run-on you'll get. And proper HPA is all about control.
I have dialled back from 4sec/2min to 3.5sec/2min now at 3sec/2min. I dial it back a little every couple of days and the roots are fuzzing up a little more every day. I have one plant that is not doing this as fast as the others, after inspection I found it had a nozzle clogged up near it. I put in another nozzle that flow a little better but that nozzle is not flowing like it should. I just ordered some more 0.016 bio nozzles to replace ones that need it.The amount of plants shouldn't matter- this is likely the best saturation level for a "feeding". Of course with more plants you'll have to just have shorter off times. I think the idea is to attain a certain level of wetness, without soaking the roots, to be most conducive of the "fuzz"... Also the strain, lighting conditions, temps and stage of growth will dictate how often the "feedings" need to occur... I think the idea is to use the littlest amount of mist possible, while the plant still shows no signs of dehydration. I think this spurs the most efficient fuzzy root structure, which increases the surface area tremendously, and also allows optimal O2 absorbtion. Also- don't think for a second your mist nozzles are spitting out what they're rated for, they usually spray a bit more than what the specs say. Atomizer had a smart way to measure the volume by collecting the spray in a syringe for a set amount of time. And even more ingeniously, he was able to figure out precisely how long each mist cycle was (mechanical delays and all) by running video of the nozzles in a spray cycle through a video editing program in slow motion, and counting the frame times from when the first sign of mist showed up and ended.
mind posting a pic of your wired solenoids into the timer? thanks manI have dialled back from 4sec/2min to 3.5sec/2min now at 3sec/2min. I dial it back a little every couple of days and the roots are fuzzing up a little more every day. I have one plant that is not doing this as fast as the others, after inspection I found it had a nozzle clogged up near it. I put in another nozzle that flow a little better but that nozzle is not flowing like it should. I just ordered some more 0.016 bio nozzles to replace ones that need it.
So I think I am on the correct path. With the one plant not doing as well I feel I don't have too many nozzles at this point. Maybe after they get the zz top roots maybe at that time I need to reduce nozzles. I have my wiring to my solenoids where I can un plug each one individualy. I have a solenoid at each nozzle, so cutting back on nozzles will not be a problem, all i have to do is un plug the solenoid controlling it.
I am going to continue on my current path to see what happens. Thanks TB for all your help so far on my science project.