v12xjs Offline
Full time Thc toker

Hi Dephar
I used to use a basic filter that helped a bit with covering smells and blocking light. The filter was made from the activated carbon sheeting used in cooker extractor hoods, it's available from most electrical retailers in big sheets for about £10-15/metre. Just ask for universal replacement foam.
For 80mm fans I cut a piece about 130mm square and placed it over the fans so there was an inch overhang on each side and then used an elastic band to hold it in place over the fan.
As it's only small it needs replacing every 4-6 weeks for best effect. I also found that for the smellier strains I could drop a little essential oil onto it that would mellow things out even more but that only lasts about 4-6 hours, so best for emergencies really.
Let me know what kind of bulb you are thinking of and I'll try to point you in the right direction.

Sup v12 I know you use less smelly strains but have you ever used a carbon filter in your pc grow case and if so can you explain your build for it, apart from that would you be able to upload some more detailed pics of your grow room as I'm just in the middle of building mine

Got an update for ya. Sorry it took so long, I might go a bit inbetween posts but I won't be gone from THCT.

Top man. I'll get a chair

Started a diary here.

V12,

From 2AM to 7AM temps ranged from 91F to 93F, 32.8 to 33.9. It was a relatively warm evening. Those were mid case temps from my digital thermometer posted on the back wall. I painted the thermometer white to avoid direct heating. The coolest part of the day is sunrise of course. During the grow I'll probably run the system from 12am to 12pm. And I'll work on the plants in the mornings. I can see maximum case temps getting up to 95F on really bad days.

I'm going to get a light meter that measures LUX and use it to gauge the output of the bulb from new to old. It won't tell me anything about the consistency of the spectrum but it will show a loss in intensity.

It makes sense that case temps drop a few degrees when the plant is in residence. The plants suck up light and heat.

V!2,

Worried about the effectiveness of the 70w bulb. Not sure if the uv block helps or hinders the plant. I remember that too much uv can be bad for the plant. My temps are about as high as I want to go so I'll settle with the 70w for now.

I'm planning on 3 liter pots to support an organic grow. But I've seen most of us are going with less than 1.5 liters. Do you think 3 liters is too much?

The CDM-T 70w looks like it gives off less light than a 125CFL?? But I'm guessing the quality of the light is bomb compared to a CFL.

Should I plan on changing the bulb within about 6-9mos? Or push it all the way to a year?

Hey NL, I'd have to agree with you about wearing shades with these bulbs.
The soil mix and prep sound like your plants will have a real good start in life
Appreciate the tips aabout going organic.
Got my fingers crossed the temp tests have gone ok. Good luck.

I've got the bulb and ballast installed in the case and I'm running temperature tests for the next hour. Got to wear shades when messing with the light on. The seeds are ordered. I've got the soil (MG organic potting mix) and typical amendments which I'll be mixing over the next few days. Then I'll let the soil simmer in the bucket for a month before I use it in the pots. That way all the beneficial microbes will have broken the raw organics into something a little more palatable for the plants.

If you every want to go organic you can pick up the instinct within a few days of hard research. I just read other well known DIY orgainc mixes and studied the ingredients a little bit. SubCool's Super Soil is a pretty good place to start.

Hey NL, sounds like a good plan. For sure those are all great strains.
I've never really gone down the true organic route, but before I started using coco as my medium I used the GH Flora Nova nutes which are fully organic and worked really well.