KingGhidora's 2x4x5ft tent grow/5x solstrips (now 8x). From scratch!

Indoor Growing Growroom Diaries
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What’s up everybody! My first topic on OG2.0 and my first grow since back when OG1.0 was around. A few of you know me from the newly created Discord chat server:

You can find the link here - it’s great! https://overgrow.com/t/i-made-an-unofficial-overgrow-com-discord/9081

The guys on there have been a ton of help in getting me up and going. Thanks @Jellypowered @Roux @MadScientist @GrapeApe @Pedro_Bann @Mr.Sparkle you all have been awesome and I appreciate it!

Intro

So, I will be running a 2ft x 4ft x 5ft tent with a SolSheet that I put together from one of @Baudelaire’s kits. I will be attempting to germinate some feminized Headband seeds by @Scissor-Hanz. I have been told they are tough to germinate but well worth it. Due to laws I am limited to a maximum of 4 plants :angry:. So I have opted to grow in 4 smart pots using Royal Gold Tupur. I will be ScrOG’ing (I think!). I will be hand-watering for now, using @GreenleafNutrients MegaCrop augmented by GH CALiMAGic.

I plan on trying to work on automating my grows in the future piece by piece. I’d even like to put together something with an Arduino/Raspbery Pi 3 to serve as the controller. I code for a living and technology is one of my passions, so… yeah. I am also hoping to add 5 more solstrips before flower. But anyways we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

The Build

So I have my tent (2x4x5ft) in this weird little “addition” to the house it is about the size of a walk-in closet, but it is NOT insulated. However it can be kept relatively stable I think by keeping the door to the closet open (It is off of the bedroom). Half of the room is reserved for the tent and some misc grow equipment, the other half clothes and stuff.

So without further delay, here are some pics… I am going to be limited it first because of the site rules.

The seeds:

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The tent, light, pots and “drain pan”:

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Did I mention I dropped 4 seeds to soak at 10:15pm or so 3/25/18? Hopefully this is the conception!

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More to come tomorrow… I still have to fill the pots with the Royal Gold Tupur, and set up my little seedling dome. Oh, and did I mention that I will be setting up a WiFi camera I have inside the tent. I hope to put together a time lapse in the end. We’ll see!

And yes, I still need an exhaust fan. I am hoping to get one of the AC Infinity Cloudline T4’s in the very near future. You can’t see it in the pic, but I have a clip on fan blowing directly on the light for added heat dissipation there.

Hope you all enjoyed this start to a new grow. From scratch!

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Very awesome setup! Love the square pots! Should be a good grow with everyone helping along the way and youre off to a great start!

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Thanks! I hope so! I’m definitely looking forward to it. Big thanks and shout out to everyone on the Discord who has been helping me out along the way so far on design decisions, wiring up the light, etc… you are appreciated. That means you to @toastyjakes even though I didn’t tag you above!

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Ha! Don’t thank me… I’m a fun mini troll… I help where I can but it’s mostly parroted from all the greats

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That shitty handwriting looks awfully familiar!

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Here are a few more pics where you can see the strips and how the light is hung (adjustable ratcheting hangers). Also a pic of the outside for good measure.

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That’s awfully strange! :wink:

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And one more picture, because I just realized I posted a pic of an empy cup of water! Lol.

2 seeds sank immediately, 2 floated. It was suggested I name the sinkers Titanic 1&2 :sweat_smile:

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What a great start! You will have no problem pulling alotta nice bud from your setup. I am pulling up a chair :popcorn:

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I am settled in for the show and I am glad you put up that picture with the seeds in it, i was going to comment that you might have something missing.

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Welcome! And lol @ the glass of water! I got to looking and was like wait a sec! Don’t smoke and post people! :smiley:

Also just thought I’d note that I repositioned the cup to the top of the cable box covered by a towel and I noticed all 4 are now floating :thinking:. We shall see!

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Nice @KingGhidora. Subbed for this. Pretty much anything else strip related too.

Are you gonna double the strips over time? I’d wanna run 300w in there rather than 150w. (I’m in the same size tent with 500w+ at my disposal)

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Hey you guys, move over and keep it down up front.

Us short guys wanna see too. :eye:

99

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@anon58740919:
I am running the SolSheet X (5 strip version), so if I am not mistaken that’s 48W per strip at 100% power to a max of ~240W. I am driving it at 185W (probably more like 200W) with the MW HLG-185H-24 non dimmable version.

But to answer your question - Yes! I’m a little short on cash as I had to acquire everything for this build from scratch. But yes, I definitely am planning on adding 5 more strips, hopefully before flower. My only concern there is that it being 48" tent and the SolSheet being 26" leaves me a little too big for adding a second sheet. I really want to do a ladder build with 10 strips like a lot of people are doing. However, to do that I will have to remove the 5 solstrips i have from the sheet pan and they are secured with thermal tape… not sure yet if it is feasible to remove them without damaging the strips. I’ll have to cross that bridge soon. First I need to get the T4 exhaust fan though.

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I always work on the principle of running a strip around 30w as that’s where they’re most efficient so I never look at the 48w as true wattage. (I should remember other people like yourself may do). In regards to the thermal tape chances are you will split the PCB at least with paste you can warm it and slide it off with a bit of gentle persuasion. I’ve heard good things about ac infinity but they’re not too accessible over here. Similar to quantum meters. I know I’ve just paid twice as much as @Jellypowered. Customs duty is silly over here especially bundled with a “handling charge” so I’ll stick with my Amazon prime special fan for now lol.

Is it worth trying to get a sale on your solsheet and putting the cash towards a rack build do you reckon? Just curious

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Possibly but that would mean down-time … I’d have to do it between grows and I don’t know who I’d sell it to unless it was someone on here. I will keep the idea in mind though.

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If anyone has any ideas on how to add 5 more strips to the tent (2x4x5) I am all ears. The dilemma is that the 5 strips I already have are mounted to a 26" wide baking sheet already.

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I have an idea but it involves tinsnips or an angle grinder and a skilled operator, that is of course if they don’t just peel off with a razor blade.

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What? Just cut them out and leave the aluminum sheet attached?

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if necessary, you would need to leave the remaining sheet in a fairly flat state though.

It would already have the holes in it so there wouldn’t be a problem there.

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