What is the best way to set up these lights and ebb/flow trays ???

Hi everyone...!

I am scratching my head here and figured some of you guys might come up with something better than I could...

I took my first few hydro steps in an Aerogarden... got 1.2 oz of some really good Sativa goodness...

After that harvest, I moved in to my homemade tent... DWC aircooled 600 HPS... which worked out really well... I am looking at some really fat ladies right now...

But it's cramped... and I moved... to a place where I have a room just for the ladies.. and a few other plants... flowers and food...

Which brings me to this post...

What would be the best way to set up my equipment in the space I have...

The room is... 10' x 12' or 3m x 3.6m

Here are the pieces of the puzzle...

3 ebb flow trays @ 44" x 26" or 112cm x 66cm - 2 trays sit on top of 100 gallon res - one tray has own stand

1 ebb flow tray @ 41" x 41" or 104cm x 104cm - has own stand

3 x 600 HPS w/ air cooled hoods

2 x 6" 424 cfm centrifugal fans (one for the lights and one for exhaust through a big carbon filter) - exhaust runs 24/7 - the other fan only when lights are on

1 x 4" 170 cfm centrifugal fan (speed controlled for intake) - on a thermostat

The biggest challenge so far has been to figure out how to mount the lights...

At first I thought those bicycle hooks from the joists in the ceiling would be enough... but after installing them and running some rope through them, I did not trust THE HOOKS at all...

So I am thinking about building 3 wooden posts, and run my rope through them...

I am open to all suggestions...

I wish I could give you guys a picture or something, but I lost the charger to the camera...

Everyone knows I am all about the photos.. but the camera is dead...

So c'mon in and help me get this project off the ground...

Much appreciated...

Cheers...

Gypsy...

get a few pieces of angle iron. and a few lag bolts .. use the lag bolts to bolt the angle Iron to the ceiling joists then hang your lights from chains from the angle Iron



get angle iron with holes in it

Yeah vette is the construction expert. I'm sure lags and angle iron would hold you lights up. Did you already buy all this stuff gypsy? I think if you re-designed a bit you could get greater yield out of that space.

korvette1977 said:

get a few pieces of angle iron. and a few lag bolts .. use the lag bolts to bolt the angle Iron to the ceiling joists then hang your lights from chains from the angle Iron



get angle iron with holes in it

Click to expand...

Thanks Vette!

I will probably follow your suggestion... I just got to find some steel...

The house is an old "homestead" type home... 2 stories and the room is on the second floor... the attic is about 1.5 foot high and filled with insulation... no access from up there...

I will to cut the ceiling from below... I guess I can just patch it back in...

I considered using those ceiling fan brackets that fit in between the joists, but I like you idea better...

Thanks!!!

NewGrowth said:

Yeah vette is the construction expert. I'm sure lags and angle iron would hold you lights up. Did you already buy all this stuff gypsy? I think if you re-designed a bit you could get greater yield out of that space.

Click to expand...

I do have all that... been secretly stashing stuff... most of it was hand me downs, some bought...

But I am always open to suggestions...

Fire away...

and Thanks for stopping by guys....

No problem.... Use washers too ,I forgot to mention them with the lag bolts

Ever looked at stinkbuds set up? It is an aeroponic PVC. Well take that and think vertical. Look up the hydrogon, they are not too hard to build if you modify plans already around likes stinks. I'm going to do a aeroponic fog set up in my closet here with four aero tubs for a perpetual harvest. You can pack a lot of plants in a small space if you do it right.

GypsyBush said:

Thanks Vette!
I do have all that... been secretly stashing stuff... most of it was hand me downs, some bought...

But I am always open to suggestions...

Fire away...

and Thanks for stopping by guys....

Click to expand...

my lights are all pretty light. even my hps can't be more then 2 or 3 pounds. I use some cheap hooks from walmart anchored in some good solid wood in the ceiling, and hang some chain from walmart rated for 10 pounds. my only problem is clumsiness

Sure thing man... Thanks...

Now that we have established the HOW we mount them...

Who feels like playing TETRIS?

How would YOU arrange the 4 odd sized tables?

I was thinking of putting the 41"x41" against the narrow end of two 26"x44"s...

and adding the last one on the side... making sort of an odd triangle...

I apologize for no graphics.. I'll work on that...

right now...

NewGrowth said:

Ever looked at stinkbuds set up? It is an aeroponic PVC. Well take that and think vertical. Look up the hydrogon, they are not too hard to build if you modify plans already around likes stinks. I'm going to do a aeroponic fog set up in my closet here with four aero tubs for a perpetual harvest. You can pack a lot of plants in a small space if you do it right.

Click to expand...

I have... I like vertical.. but a guy can only do so many things at once...lol...

I am doing ebb flow because I had access to stuff...

I do however plan on having the tables in the middle of the room so I can line the walls with a PVC constant flow DWC for my watermelons, melons, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, thyme, sunflowers, violets...etc...... using the wash out light...

But right now, I have to get this done... I have enough clones to fill the tables and they are just screaming for light!!!! not next week...

lorenzo08 said:

my lights are all pretty light. even my hps can't be more then 2 or 3 pounds. I use some cheap hooks from walmart anchored in some good solid wood in the ceiling, and hang some chain from walmart rated for 10 pounds. my only problem is clumsiness

Click to expand...

I hear you... but I don't want to take a chance... there is the bulb, the socket, the hood, the glass the ducts... wooden house... crash! kill plants... short in the water... start a fire... no thanks... I want something I can hang from... that way I know I do not have to worry about that...

That sounds like a cool idea Gypsy! They selling these "Aerowall" things on e-bay for only $150 they look cool for veggies.

NewGrowth said:

That sounds like a cool idea Gypsy! They selling these "Aerowall" things on e-bay for only $150 they look cool for veggies.

Click to expand...

I'll check it out...

But the whole point of the thread was to figure out the best way to arrange the trays...

I got to get some graphics going here...

hang tight...

GypsyBush said:

I'll check it out...

But the whole point of the thread was to figure out the best way to arrange the trays...

I got to get some graphics going here...

hang tight...

Click to expand...

Ok sorry gypsy I was just getting excited. I like watching your projects.

NewGrowth said:

Ok sorry gypsy I was just getting excited. I like watching your projects.

Click to expand...

Don't apologize NG... get a paper and pencil out and start drawing brother...!!!!

I'll be posting something here in a sec...

I have a grid paper section in my garden journal post it up Gypsy!

OOps... kinda big...

But this is what I was thinking... with the trays... and the red dots being the lights...

NewGrowth said:

I have a grid paper section in my garden journal post it up Gypsy!

Click to expand...

Now you confused me... I even snooped around your threads...

Can you shed some light...?

GypsyBush said:

Now you confused me... I even snooped around your threads...

Can you shed some light...?

Click to expand...

Get some grid paper. One little square and equals "one square foot" Draw your room on the paper to scale. Then draw your tables to scale as well cut them out and place them on the grid in different configurations until you find the one that works best.

Ok off to work

wuddup man. I'd have to personally go with the light yoyos like the one you had in the tent, n the one I have in mine aswell. The hoods are light like you said, so why not go with what's easy? The only problem I could see happenin is the yoyos not being long enough to get right down onto your canopy. Are your reflectors cool tubes? Gimme a night to think on it n I'll throw out another thought man. Sorry for takin so long gettin back to ya man I'm tired as all hell right now, but lemme wake up n read the thread with a freshly baked mind in the morning, n I'll see If I can throw my half a cent into the mix without soundin like a moron lol

GypsyBush said:

OOps... kinda big...

But this is what I was thinking... with the trays... and the red dots being the lights...

Click to expand...

NewGrowth said:

Get some grid paper. One little square and equals "one square foot" Draw your room on the paper to scale. Then draw your tables to scale as well cut them out and place them on the grid in different configurations until you find the one that works best.

Ok off to work

Click to expand...

Did you see the drawing above? that is kinda what I did, but not the room, just the trays...

Can anyone come up with a better puzzle?

K1Ng5p4d3 said:

wuddup man. I'd have to personally go with the light yoyos like the one you had in the tent, n the one I have in mine aswell. The hoods are light like you said, so why not go with what's easy? The only problem I could see happenin is the yoyos not being long enough to get right down onto your canopy. Are your reflectors cool tubes? Gimme a night to think on it n I'll throw out another thought man. Sorry for takin so long gettin back to ya man I'm tired as all hell right now, but lemme wake up n read the thread with a freshly baked mind in the morning, n I'll see If I can throw my half a cent into the mix without soundin like a moron lol

Click to expand...

Yo-Yos, chains, .. that is not the issue...

I need to figure out how to arrange the tables... and the lights for maximum efficiency...

Cheers...

At first I thought those bicycle hooks from the joists in the ceiling would be enough... but after installing them and running some rope through them, I did not trust THE HOOKS at all...
It wasn't because of trusting them, they are just too long. I replaced them with a pulley that had an 'eye' on the end, less than $2.00 a piece at Big Box Stores. Earl has a way of doing this that is simple and cheap, I think it was from his camping experience. He posted that somewhere.
Yes , I did see that you have a project there, 3 lights four tables, one cooling fan for the lights, hmmm...couple of days to mess with that. A single 600 would cover the first two stages, you would get some light from the next fixture. I would be inclined to try the all on the long wall, 2-600's over the three 2' by 4' tables and the remaining one over the 3' by3'. There are a lot of things to consider, attic above? where are the plugs, where can you put the ballasts, etc.
Take a look at mine, it always has the same configuration??? yeah right. VV