Automating my spot

I read about this automating my garden business in this month's Maximum Yield. Has anyone ever tried those automated grow room set-ups?

I was looking at www.smartbeecontrollers.com. They happen to be the ad next to the article, and if this does what it says, I can make sure everything's working right when I'm not there? I just want to know something went wrong immediately instead of finding out in the morning.

This site says it ties all the systems into an iPad app. Anyone have experience with these? I think Growonix makes of these too.

Good? Bad? Meh?

Yeah, I need something for automation too so I can free up time for my real hobby..viral marketing

yes i have looked into to this in very long detail

it is 100% possible but u are talking some mad coin to get it going correctly

first thing is water u need to tap into the system and set up a rez system with a ball float valve(u can do this with a sink a expand a hose )
from there the water is filled and sits until the RDWC calls for it in the mixing cell (i did the work in dwc flood and drain the others might work but need tweaking to ideas and design

now the mixing cell u will need to have a PH controller.........and a feed controller (this is where a good chuck of coin goes too) there are a bunch on the market even some computer(as in laptop/desktop) all kinds of setting and choice u can have up to 8 different feeds but the ph controller is only one way (so it will only PH up or down so if u want both u need 2)

now u need to do this 2 times 1 for veg and 1 for flowering

the design of the room now gets little more fun ........with a dwc u can build a false floor or just set 4x4s on the ground and lift up the bucks on the bottom of the buckets u need to have empty valve so the water flows out when it time to change it (u also need method of turning off water pump air pumps and making sure the rez does not keep filling the mixing cell) ..............water drains out u let the system fill up with clean water u do bubble it for a few mins then dump that water out (u just washed and cleaned the buckets plus anything on the roots should not be there ie salts and other junk) ...........it fills again then u let the program balance it out and add the feed to your set program

using a desktop will allow u to set the computer up and network from outside and well work on it like u are there so u just have to connect everything using jerry rigged cervos and switches(remote or hard wired)...............u link in some cams to keep eye on things and get u direct read outs ...............only time u need to go in is to move the plants from veggie to flowering and flowering to harvest or filling up the feed tanks (u will need gallons of feed for this to work correctly quarts u would replace once every 2 weeks ) if u make own make sure it is blacked out (they are completely out of direct light and in cool place ).............ones that need to be shaken that is just mounting on a board that sits on springs and use a motor to make it sway around before each feeding time/check


the rest of it is simple just set it up using LED for the lower heat and chance of fire (if something falls it might be awhile before u notice and fix it so go safe) maybe even hook in some lvl safety switches to the light if it is not flat the power is broken and the lights go off they might not make them anymore ppl were assholes and using for bad things basically mercuy switch

Im personally not going to trust any significant op to a system that uses wireless sensors such as this zigbee product.

i don't have the experience that snaps has, but you don't need a fortune to automate.

SnapsProvolone said:

Im personally not going to trust any significant op to a system that uses wireless sensors such as this zigbee product.

Click to expand...

I agree, it would suck for a little EM interference to ruin your whole crop.

I'm going to experiment with one of these http://autopot.com.au/default.aspx?PageID=80a942e2-b020-4bba-9d46-72a9d8e4184b feeding a RDWC system though, water input will be from a 1000L IBC of distilled water which I will pre-add cal-mag, silica, and maybe any boosters, I'll see.

SnapsProvolone said:

Im personally not going to trust any significant op to a system that uses wireless sensors such as this zigbee product.

Click to expand...

Using a system like this, any failure should cause an alarm, and alert the appropriate person. If you don't like wireless, then run wires!

well the good news is

i know a camrea system u can tie into your network and it will send alerts to your phone (if the program is running in back ground) if any motion is detected/ or if any sound is detected ..........so if u set up something with a alarm it would trigger a notice to u with in a few secs of it happening

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SNH-1011N-SmartCam-Security-Camera/dp/B009XP1HS2

i also know of this ..................alarm system u can wire it to the window/door and motion detection ...............best part not like normal ones it will call set phones (not a alarm ppl or the cops)..................aslong as the phone line is not cut if anyone enters that area i am told (power line can go out it has battery back up ) ......the equipment is on radio so they work with battery

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ZR50GI

Jason Hadley said:

I read about this automating my garden business in this month's Maximum Yield. Has anyone ever tried those automated grow room set-ups?

I was looking at www.smartbeecontrollers.com. They happen to be the ad next to the article, and if this does what it says, I can make sure everything's working right when I'm not there? I just want to know something went wrong immediately instead of finding out in the morning.

This site says it ties all the systems into an iPad app. Anyone have experience with these? I think Growonix makes of these too.

Good? Bad? Meh?

Click to expand...

How come every thread I open that has a link to some product's landing page is posted / started by a new member with 1 post?

Wait, so

SnapsProvolone said:

Im personally not going to trust any significant op to a system that uses wireless sensors such as this zigbee product.

Click to expand...

So is the problem the product, or the zigbee network? Shit, now I have to find out what zigbee is...

Jason Hadley said:

Wait, so

So is the problem the product, or the zigbee network? Shit, now I have to find out what zigbee is...

Click to expand...

If stealth and security is an issue, any wireless system should be avoided imo.

Iponix makes some good controllers, with an optional network module, but doesn't rely on a wireless sensor network.

SnapsProvolone said:

If stealth and security is an issue, any wireless system should be avoided imo.

Iponix makes some good controllers, with an optional network module, but doesn't rely on a wireless sensor network.

Click to expand...

the camera is wired or wireless (setting up a protected wireless system is fairly simple now a days lock the mac addy) then set in a vpn for access or u can go really fun and start spoofing ip addies from across the world to get in u would need to know the one u set it too .........take the cops a few weeks to crack it if u kept it the same as for nsa and the big hitters they are already in your system tho software backdoors (most anti virus know about this and do not tell u since they know it is a goverment program)

as for the alarm system it is radio it sends a signal when it is broken or detects motion ........the base gets it then dails out there is not long term permit connection it is a burst transmission system


i thought about all this ..............to block it they will need a jammer system and since that is a area of effect system and not directional they can not use unless it is at the time of a raid (it would blanket the area and cause all ppl's stuff to mess up)

edit...............if u are really worried about then just line the walls and the ceiling with copper mess the signals will not pass out of it (no cellphones no transmissions outside) other then by hard lined wired system .......but the inner wireless network would be safe and work (they could not tap it unless they tapped your internet traffic ....no way for them to pick up the signal unless the mess is broken )

IMO this network would be like waving a white flag at leo, come n get it...

As justugh pointed and one of my concerns, reliability/vulnerability of a wireless sensor network. Easy to jam.

Just not feeling it personally. I bet there are dozens of 13 year old kids that could hack this.

I'm talking about this zigbee wireless sensor network, not the internet interface.

SmartBee™ Control System and all SmartBee™ sensors communicate wirelessly, creating a mesh network which can theoretically have up to 65,000 sensors through a system comprised of a wireless control unit (The Hive™ Gateway), wireless sensors and remotely controlled outlets. No bus cables or Ethernet lines, just insert the sensors in your grow space for instantaneous discovery by our software...
With the SmartBee™ Control System your lighting, irrigation and atmospheric controls are all working together within a single integrated solution. The SmartBee Control system uses the ZigBee wireless communication protocol (802.15.4 ZigBee software stack) that is self-discovering, self-provisioning and self-healing – the more devices you have, the stronger the system becomes. Each sensor is designed for accurate reading and reporting of grow room data utilizing this groundbreaking wireless technology.

SnapsProvolone said:

I'm talking about this zigbee wireless sensor network, not the internet interface.

SmartBee™ Control System and all SmartBee™ sensors communicate wirelessly, creating a mesh network which can theoretically have up to 65,000 sensors through a system comprised of a wireless control unit (The Hive™ Gateway), wireless sensors and remotely controlled outlets. No bus cables or Ethernet lines, just insert the sensors in your grow space for instantaneous discovery by our software...
With the SmartBee™ Control System your lighting, irrigation and atmospheric controls are all working together within a single integrated solution. The SmartBee Control system uses the ZigBee wireless communication protocol (802.15.4 ZigBee software stack) that is self-discovering, self-provisioning and self-healing – the more devices you have, the stronger the system becomes. Each sensor is designed for accurate reading and reporting of grow room data utilizing this groundbreaking wireless technology.

Click to expand...

Oh, I see your concern, they could just drive around searching for devices using the 802.15 band and bang, they know there is a grow room nearby. I think that the tech would have to be more widely used before they took steps like that, but I see the risk, and why take it just to be a little lazy.

There are other automation options out there that don't pose this risk, I've thought about building my own arduino automation controllers, but then I figure I could just keep an eye on my stuff, haha

I am familiar with ZigBee but not SmartBee. I have a different primary objection for SmartBee, who wants to use an operating system developed in China? (I guess so the Chinese govt can check on your plants?)

I agree that wire beats wireless, for many reasons. Easier to run a low voltage wiring harness.

Searching the net for "zigbee hack" provides insight.

again any trick they can think up ...........u can think of a counter too with just simple logic

http://www.lessemf.com/paint.html

..............blocking wireless signal out is very simple now a days because of hackers .............they off a film for windows that act just like the paint .......it forms a bubble around u your wireless will still work inside the bubble but will not get any outside signals ...............u will need a hardline modem and or phone (your cellphones will not work)

and setting up your internet/home network is not hard if u spend the time to get the correct programs and counter measures to keep it safe

http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/products
this is the only anti virus i know of on the market that tells the goverments fuck u it is a virus we tell the ppl and remove it ..........check it out for self
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-debate-allowing-government-spyware-/38640280
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/07/fsecure_to_feds_malware_is_malware_and_youre_not_getting_any_favors/
http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_us/news/press-coverage/2014

this is the protection the cartels use on their systems

Trusting a grow to an unsecure system that can be tampered with is lunacy at its finest.

I have a fully automated grow room, none of which is wireless or uses a smart phone app for access. The "hard wired" grow room will always be superior to a wireless setup and impervious to anything other than equipment failure.
The moment I have a temp go out of range or a fan failure or any point in the system goes out of bounds, I am notified.

Automation is kewl, but I would stay away from wireless anything dealing with a grow room, nor would I have an app on my phone that lets people know you have a grow.

No amount of automation can replace common sense.

Peace and Stealthy Grows

Asmallvoice

hardwire is only good if u can enclose the wires so nothing can get to them

if they are not protected it is a very simple thing to tap into it and u would never know anything (atleaset with wireless u can look and see attached system)...................anything u can build someone can think a way around it ...............it is all a odds game

at some point and time something will happen and u will get caught ....................nothing u can do to stop that outcome except quit

aslong as u are doing something u are pushing the luck..............it might be 3 years or could be 20 years but sooner or later the luck runs out

i only figured out 2 methods to protect the line but u ppl would never do it .........because u think u are safe all the wires that are anywhere other then infront of u is incased in a pipe .................the pipe is sealed and vacuumed out then u take a pressure gauge attach it to the start of the pipe .........look at it every day as long as the vaccum has not been broken your lines are safe ...........if it is broken odds are u been tapped

other method is the same thing but fill the pipes wit gas do if they drill or cut into it fire they get sprayed with gas spark lights it they are scared for life or dead for being a sneaky asshole