NoTill Perpetual Grow

[Quokk@]

it looks like a goer Quokk

 

just a couple of suggestions, which might suit ...

 

if possible ... i'd be tempted to make both spaces the same size. that way you would have two separate grow spaces where you could grow two different strains at the same time - each grow space would be used from seed to flower. these could be offset, so that when one is in veg, the other is in flower. if you can build a third small space ... that could be your drying area. this way you wouldn't need to move your blumats or the pots ... meaning you could get even bigger pots.

 

this would be easier if using seeds, instead of mothers and clones ... 

 

also ... if needing stealth, i'd look at getting a fan that will play nicely with a fan controller or variac. once you have the fan dimensions ... building a hush box out of some thick ply and lined with some of your acoustic insulation, will also work well with your your acoustic ducting and room insulation. lastly ... and often overlooked ... is the noise from moving air around n the grow space. it can be very difficult to get a quiet pedestal fan and many times, after all the work has been put into quietening the exhaust fan ... the circulation fan ends up making more noise.

 

for my current setup, i need things very quiet. it's only a small space (about 100 x 60cm x 200), so i use three noctua 200mm computer fans on a fan controller. hopefully other growers can suggest some quiet air circulation fans for bigger spaces.

Thanks for the feedback Pug, you've given me a lot to think about mate

 

I haven't grown for more than 25 years & just getting my feet wet again I currently have a 1200x600x1800 tent in that space with a CanFan 6" which can't be run on a variable speed & it's a noisy bugger. I might ditch this & look at a variable option.

 

The idea of two spaces the same size is tempting, I'll do some size calculations. I have a Kambrook desk fan that is very quiet but won't fit in the tent, I'm saving this for the larger setup.

[Porky 1982]

You can buy a variable speed control for your fan. I have the 8 inch and it’s very noisy with out one. Still a bit noisy with it.

 

 

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[pug1010]

so many options ... great stuff, I reckon.

 

like you and porky ... I use a canfan - for me it is an RS125 (5inch). this one is the old style, one-speed option ... which works really well with a variac (an sms controller is also supposed to be pretty good with them, as they are tough as). for my space ... i dial it back to 118v, which is a sweet spot for sound/vibration. if it helps, i can take a couple of pics later tonight, so you can get an idea of how much room the hush box and ducting take up in a 150 x 70 x 225 (overall) grow space.

 

have a great day ... sunny, blue skies outside ... nice.

[Porky 1982]

You can buy a variable speed control for your fan. I have the 8 inch and it’s very noisy with out one. Still a bit noisy with it.

 

 

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[Quokk@]

Thanks Pug & Porky, I have a Can-Fan Max Pro with the 2 speed switch on it. According to the manufacturer only the EC series can be variably controlled. The CanFan variable controller is another $210. Are you saying a generic controller should work? That'd be great

 

Would love to see the pics of your setup Pug.

[pug1010]

hiya Quokk:)



reckon you're right about your fan info mate.



below is info from a canfan csr ... seems pretty much the same ...

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If you are using the Q-Max 150/ 555 m3/h with the AC motor, you cannot use a fan controller to reduce noise, because the motor is not suitable for voltage control (it’s a 3 speed motor).  The Q-Max EC 150 can be controlled with our Can Fan EC fan controller.



 

if you use the RS and want a stepless control for it, an electronic fan speed controller is possible to use, as well. The motor inside the RS models is not that sensitive when it comes to controlling it. Of course, the variable transformer is still the best option. One electronic speed controller that works well with RS models, is the SMSCom fan speed controller (5amp).
 
The best way to test a fan controller and see if it will damage the fan is to plug your fan into the fan controller and set the fan controller to 20%, if the motor starts to buzz, it’s no good, if the motor makes no noise that you can use that fan controller.

________



i've attached a few pics too ... hope you can make sense of them ... they go from left to right ... kind of. it's hard to get a good shot due to tight spaces.

 

out of interest mate ... has much changed with the standard growing equipment or methods over the 25 years?

 

Edited October 3, 2019 by pug1010

[Quokk@]

Thanks for the photos Pug, that seems to make sense. Lovely ladies by the way

out of interest mate ... has much changed with the standard growing equipment or methods over the 25 years?

I tried a 2ft growlux tube in my wardrobe as a teenager, no ventilation at all haha - nothing spectacular. Also had a bunch growing in foam fruit boxes a few years later that I could move around (outdoors). I did some LST (though it didn't have a name back then) which did increase the yield a lot. I do have some photos somewhere that I'll try to dig up.

 

Looking at your suggestion of 2 spaces the same size, my only issue is the fan / filter combo would be too wide to fit in one space. I'd have to hang the fan outside of the room or enclose it in between the 2 spaces in a lightproof box. I've done a 3D version of this idea https://www.tinkercad.com/things/5HKNcXAJIQ8

[pug1010]

hehehe ... so a few changes then over the years ... reckon your new design is going to be pretty spicky.

 

one option, if the two grow spaces still look viable, would be to put the fan (in a hush box) on top and outside of your grow space (maybe the other side of your rez) and then use a Y splitter on to ducting and then on to two smaller carbon filters - one in each grow space. basically ... fan --- ducting ... Y splitter ... ducting --- carbon filter. this gets a lot easier if the grow space, the ducting length and the carbon filters are all the same. a fan controller would also make things way easier and quieter. if you use phresh filters, they usually have a long and short version of their filters for the same diameter. i'm using a short one ... about 30cm long and about 18cm in diameter.

 

these are just suggestions though Quokk ... i reckon the main thing is to select a design where you smile every time you look at your plants. also ... it's nice to have something that is safe and user friendly. this has always been a problem for me with the blumat gravity system. i want to use them, but am worried about having water near or over electrical in my setup.

 

thx for the kind words on the little acapulco gold ... hehehe ... actually, there is only one plant, but she fills the whole space. if possible, i prefer to just grow one plant in a bigger pot than a few plants in smaller pots. this makes everything simpler for me and a bit cheaper and i reckon the yields are pretty much the same.

[Quokk@]

hehehe ... so a few changes then over the years 

Found those photos & scanned em, quality is a bit crap but I guess they have a nice retro feel to them ... 

[Quokk@]

 it's nice to have something that is safe and user friendly. this has always been a problem for me with the blumat gravity system. i want to use them, but am worried about having water near or over electrical in my setup.

I know what you mean Pug with the electrical & water, I'm currently using some soft plastic bins from Bunnings. The total capacity of these is less than the reservoir. Also my res has an overflow that is drained outside (see pics)