PC Case grow - Stealth + Perpetual + LST

Hey v12, thanks for your reply. I actually have some extra money and decided I will be purchasing a new better more permanent case for this. I recall you posting a link for the Broadway Com Corp R-900 case on Newegg, so I took a look and found the newer version, the R-910 and will be purchasing that for my PC grow case.
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162054)

My plan now is to put one 120mm fan on the front bottom and one 120mm fan on the back top with a 90CFM rating. The case already has fixtures for them and I can build a couple simple light traps for light proofing. I will connect those fans to a fan controller and use a simple power adaptor to power the fan controller because I agree with you that the PSU might raise the temps a bit too much. I'll then plug the charger into a power strip on the backside of the case. Because of the high priority for stealth I had this idea of taking a broken/old PSU and gutting it and using the frame. Mount the frame where the PSU would go and have the power strip cord coming out of it. I think that will take care of my stealth needs and not bring any unneeded heat into the case.

Now the thing I need some input on is the lighting. I also agree that side lighting will take too much space, so do you think 5 CFL light bulbs in total mounted on top, 4 will be 26 watt 2700k bulbs and 1 will be a 26 watt 6500k bulb is enough for 3 plants, 4 at most in a perpetual grow?
I think that amount of lighting is just enough where it wont make the case overheat, but I'm not sure if it's enough for the plants?

Heres my crappy sketch of my design, tell me what you think:


I'll also try to make some kind of system where I can lower the lights maybe.

Anyways, I think I've covered everything I need to. I hope I'm not hi-jacking your thread and taking attention away from your beautiful grow, it's just your opinion is important to me seeing as how long you've been doing successful grows in a PC. But who knows, maybe my poorly drawn diagram will help someone or motivate someone to start another PC grow.

PS: I agree RIU needs a dedicated section for micro grows because we have plenty of successful ones full of good information. But, if they don't make one soon and you decide to move your grow to a different forum please inform us because I will go register at that forum for the sole purpose of following your thread . Thanks for your help. When I start my grow I'll definently shoot a PM your way with the link. I think I should stop typing now. Cya.

Ludicium-nice design! A few things to take into account. The powerstrip idea in the PSU is great, but it will generate heat, especially with everything plugged in. I actually have a ballast in my PSU, but without a fan pulling air through it temps raise several degrees. V12 was right about pushing air into a case, of just about any size really. The air just kinda swirls and sits there a little longer raising temps, normally. But if you leave the fan off the bottom front, and have an 80mm blowing through your PSU it may work better for ya. Hope I might of helped ya out and good luck with your grow!!

Hey Lucidium.
I'd forgotten how good that broadway case was, I'm totally jealous
Your plans look good mate.

There's a couple of issues around fan placement that I'd consider changing. If you look where the bottom fan is you can see that the intake could easily get blocked by the pots.
I also like to draw an imaginary line from the top of the cold air intake to the top of the exhaust because I think it shows exactly where the cooling will be effective. As cold air is heavier than warm air there will be no cooling above the line. That's the reason I place an intake at the top of the case.

To get free psu's just visit local pc repair shops and ask if they have any busted units you can have, tell them you are doing an elecrtical class and need to practice soldering and they will just give them to you.

Gumball and I are both using a most ingenius light trap idea posted here:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=135524

It's prolly easier to raise the plants up rather than dropping the lights down, besides, if you have a perpetual going on you will always have a full sized plant in the case so the lights will need to be at the top all the time anyway. CD covers are ideal to stand the plants on.
For a guide on bulbs you will have 1.3 sq ft in the new case so 12,000 lumens total is the max you could use and 9,000 lumens would be the minimum I'd be happy with. Anything between those numbers will produce great plants.

I have everything more or less as I want it now and my case is bursting with activity so I'll get on with another journal tomorrow. I'll let you know where to find it.

------------------------------->Not Trying To Hijack This Post<------------------------------------

I'm just starting out with my pc box here are some early shots.



Any suggestions for a newbie

Hey wbarber69.

Just a polite notice that I consider your post to be a hijack of my thread.
You made no reference to me, my grow, my friends or anything else mentioned in this journal. You didn't even say hello.
I will not tolerate SPAM.

Please delete your post using the edit button below it and don't post in here again. I'll refer it to the mods for deletion otherwise.

I would have sent you a more subtle version of this via private message but you have blocked all users from contacting you. I guess you know your way around public forums.

v12xjs said:

Hey wbarber69.

Just a polite notice that I consider your post to be a hijack of my thread.

Click to expand...

Not to placate but, I just laughed my ass off at that post.

This thread is still my PC Grow bible, I actually saved the entire thing to a .txt file to have it on one f'n page. It sucks to see the micro-grows not get any respect. I would have to guess that the PC Case/Grow Box'trepeneurs make up the biggest growth spike in growers overall.

It's a great thing for everyone. There is a lot to be learned and shared between warehousers and micro-growers. There is such a large group of experienced growers here, it's really stifling to push people away out of convenience.

Anywho, I'd rep v12 every time I logged on if I could...props brother.

^ditto^
sorry
lol

its okay guys its his thread and there are just 111 pages of other people posting on his thread. And he's right I do know my way around a forum. Chances are some of you may even belong to one of the other 100's of forums I've posted in over the years, and if you've ever come across any of the thousands of posts I have out there you'll see that about 5% are me asking a question and the other 95% are of me helping out other posters with their issues. Which is why I figured it would be okay to post a little info on what I got and see if anyone could help me. Mainly, because I do "know my way around" a PUBLIC forum.


Now if anyone is interested, I am so new to growing, that right now I'd ask a newbie for help. I've always wanted to get into my own grow, and after stumbling across the pc box method, and something called LST I think I may be able to get one or two little plants to grow. I've never really grown nything in my life. But I love weed, and it loves me. I'm tired of paying out my ass for something that comes from the earth, and I'm tired of trying to track down the "Good Shit". I (like most of the forums I frequent) found a community here that seems to be filled with like minded souls, who seem to have pure intentions and helpful spirits. I have no prior knowledge as to what I am doing, and am basing every action I take from info I acquire from this forum. I first started out by accidentally finding the pcgrowbox.com website and then started to dig around looking for more info on the subject and have been amazed at what I found out. I never knew that one could grow with cfl's or could use such a small space or even produce small high yielding plants. I became fascinated by the idea and decided that the only way I would be happy would be to try. I being a real tech enthusiast was able to procure everything I needed to get the box underway by just reaching over there and over there a right here... And in less than a day I was on my way. Now I am in the process of reading up on everything from soil composition to nutrients and timing. I have come to one conclusion through all my research. Learn everything I can for next time, Right now just put some bag seeds in some dirt and wait. And until I can even prove to myself that I can at least get them to sprout then I am not moving on to the next step

I will be right here every day looking for more info. I don't care if every moderator goes ahead and deletes my account. I can still read everything that has been posted. I will do whatever I can to learn how to do this. And once I have some experience under my belt I will be right back here helping others. Because thats what I do when I join a forum.

I will keep detailed logs and pics of everything I attempt and every success I make. I will start my own thread on this subject someday. I just can't right now, because I have no clue what I am doing or where I will go from here.

Thanks all for your patience and understanding.

well at least they didnt have to come back and edit that one to make themselve look good!!!

WOW! Where have all the good times gone

Hey gum, sorry you spoke too soon.
Thanks for the props. Same for you ghetto.

A few posts have been edited or deleted in here recently so just in case anybody missed it, wbarber69 used the classic police tactic of pretending he was an absolute newbie looking for help but his actions betrayed him and he is not what he seems.
Just be aware.

Right on there v12! We are a funny creature, us humans. Maybe one day some of us will de-evolve back too apes?

Sorry gum, needed to reboot.
LOL. Might be a better world if we all changed to apes. I don't think they have traffic wardens

Sorry to see this great thread interrupted like that, I saw the original post and thought the guy should have asked before posting up those pics like that, it was out of order to just post up pics in somebody elses thread as it can cause confusion and ruin the flow for other readers. Glad its sorted.

Looking forward to the next update V12

Btw, have you had a run in with a traffic warden?

maturesmoker said:

Sorry to see this great thread interrupted like that, I saw the original post and thought the guy should have asked before posting up those pics like that, it was out of order to just post up pics in somebody elses thread as it can cause confusion and ruin the flow for other readers. Glad its sorted.

Looking forward to the next update V12

Btw, have you had a run in with a traffic warden?

Click to expand...

You know I was wondering bout the traffic warden statement!! They get the best (or worse) of us sometimes!!

Greets ms and thanks.
Been meaning to pop over to your new thread, really glad you got it started.

I take someone to hospital on a regular basis and the visits can take longer than expected sometimes but the wardens on site are all egocentric power crazy dictators on speed, so I'm getting parking tickets at the rate of 3 or 4 a month!
Sorry about the obscure reference.
Kind of cool you changed your avatar btw. I like Bez but he was convicted of beating up his gf in front of their young child at Manchester Crown court last week. I can't respect a guy who could hit a woman.

Sorry I've been so remiss with a new journal.
I posted some very recent updates in the pc growers gang group last night as it didn't look right having a tent grow up in there.
I know I said I'd have a new journal on the go by now but things haven't really been going my way lately and I've had no time to make a permanent home for the clone op yet. I'm still a bit torn between a couple of new systems I'd like to try as well. Things are looking really good though, so I just need to get my act together and decide on the new approach.

Here's a few pics by way of an update:

Miss July: Began germing 1st July, 1st flower 30th July. Sagamartha NL#9 fem seed.




Miss August: Began germing 1st August, just started shaping the stem to keep her within the pot. Another NL#9.



Bella and Stella: cuttings taken from Miss July around 1st August. Located either on a windowsill during the day or under the cmh through the night. Both need repotting urgently.



Molly and Dolly: Top and bottom of same Purple Haze cutting, they were split 2 days ago with Dolly being rerooted and Molly set up in the Uncle Ben style to provide 4 tops. Molly is in 100% sphag moss and will either go into the case in the next 2 weeks or possibly become a mother plant. If she goes to flowering she will be treated as a moss hempy bucket and prolly fed with orchid nutes as they are specifically designed to work with a moss medium.



There is another clone called Dirty Mary but I have no pics of her. She's from a reveg violator kush and was taken at the same time as the Purple Haze but has failed to shine. I only took her as a backup but I'm thinking I will keep her in the case under 12/12 until September 25th when natural light outdoors hits 12/12. With any luck she will have done 4 weeks in flower by then and she could possibly finish outdoors before the frost comes.

Hey,Dude.
I have a pretty strange request. Can u post all strains names what u grow in pc case. Hard to read all 112 pages.

Thanks for the update v12, everything looks good in your world!!

Didn't you start the summer with an outdoor grow also?

Hey kilpox, that apology was mostly for you.
I'd have to read all those pages myself mate, I'm a stoner too you know

From memory:
Amstel Gold - short compact plant, easy to grow. Low yield due to abuse but great stone with nice flavour.
Paradise Seeds Ice Cream - short compact plant, very vigorous and easy to grow. High yield. Wonderful flavour with powerful dreamy high.
CH9 Jack - leggy plant, easy to grow. Low yield due to heavy sativa influence. Not suitable for a pc grow.
Sensi Seeds White Label Northern Lights - vigorous, compact, very difficult to grow (2 of 5 died on me). Awesome yields, great flavour, strongest mainstream weed available IMO.

I'm sure there's others but I can't recall them just now.

Hey gum, you're talking about my sons

Oh, sorry to hear, I guess it turned out male

If you remember without having to go through your journal, what do you think the problems were with the white label NL that caused them to die? I want an NL so bad, I think I will try Nirvanas first, a little more affordable. I hate to be cheap about seeds, but them damn things cost so much!! My wife looks at me stupid whenever I bring it up. But I found her one, psicodelicia I think. Has coffee and caramel aromas/flavor. She's a coffee nut!!