What do you guys think of this idea..? PC GROW

Hey guys,

First thread I've started, hopefully not the last!

For the past while I've been investigating online (mainly lurking here) and I'm planning on using a pc case for my grow op (there's ton's of them kicking around my house, would easily go un-noticed!

I've played with the idea of investing in LED's but now thinking of holding off until they become more stable/cheaper. My original idea was to go cfl, but I wanna try maximise yeild here and if not have a perpetual grow going.

My general idea (somewhat flexible, just not a huge budget or space) is:

Either one or two pc cases, having one as a veg/mother room and the other as just a flowering room. Then I'm also thinking of just using one case and using an Nlite for the PUR factor, and switch the bulbs or should I have 2 rooms and make it perpetual? I think the latter is prolly going to be the more popular choice, just wanna make sure.

I don't wanna use too much electricity max would be around 250W (ideally 150 maybe even that new Philips HID light - can't remember name). I found some kits with either 125/150W nlites and a pro with 200W. My one worry is, if I'm using Nlites, will the radiating energy (i.e. depth of light into bud) be the same as a regular flouro? and in that case would I be better off using either a 150-250W HPS which can penetrate? I don't wanna use HPS if I can due to heat/electrical worries. Basically, how do Nlites compare to HPS in microgrows? Since the lightsource being far from the plant won't really be a problem.. Hoping this could be a positive thing for micro's.

I'm hoping to use a combination of new technology and creativity to get something decent from a micro (don't know if I'm bothered if I''m getting less than an O from each harvest).

It's mainly reason for being is to try save me money, instead of giving it away to none deserving shams around my city.. Also, almost forgot to add, I intend on doing everything I can chance: Fimming, SCroG/SoG, LST (pretty much the same thing) just anything I can think of that seems to work. I don't mind experimenting to find a reliable method that can hopefully be given praise someday.

Another idea I had was outdoor, but we've terrible weather here, so might invest in some strong seed (northern hemisphere type e.g. Swiss Miss/Early girl). Anyways, that's a different topic altogether!

I appreciate any input positive anybody has to try and share!




Cheers!

Wez

International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums - Mr Micro Presents : The Nanomachine
cases are good if stealth is key otherwise there fairly cramped yield wise a scrog screen works well tho

Cheers for the reply, you tasty sounding bud!

Yeh, that's pretty much my inspiration, I've come across that and others like it a few times in my interweb travellings. I was thinking of doing the same grow, but maybe in a server case, so it's a little bit bigger and more room for some flowering females! I don't need that big of a veg room as I don't want big tall plants, just dense bud when flowered and prolly a mother to clone from. I'm thinking of trying 12/12 from seed to improve growth but only/mainly in the part that I actually want, the top cola.

Would it be a bit rediculous to try a Fimmed, SCRoG and grow it from seed at 12/12?

I may be pushing it a bit, but I don't think anything should be too stressful for the plants, apart from the FIM bit which has obviously worked before, but alongside the other techniques?

Also, when growing from 12/12, does anyone know do you change from blue to red like normal? or say I was to use a PURple light, would I not need to change it? Or am I getting confused and over complicated because I'm high? After thinking about it.. I reckon it's lighting as normal, just the time schedule changed. Am I correct?

I know I'm asking a load of questions here, but I have researched hours, so I have made the effort (if that counts!).

Cheers!

*Second Edit: just realised you've got 420 posts! Woot!

cool 421 now lol if you go 12/12 from seed stick with the flowering lights be it warm white or hps have fun

Brilliant, that helps alot! Maybe I could just use one box, 12/12 from seed with the one setup, no changing rooms/bulbs.

Could nearly afford two 12/12 boxes for the same price..

if you go to expandmywealth.com there is a set up simular to what you want for about 20 bucks....Currious about this myself so hopefully you will keep posting....

Hmm.. Very interesting link there TPS! That's pretty much what I'm going for, just gonna be spending a majority of the money on lighting!

In my eyes the more light the better, but instead of increasing power, I'm going to increase efficiency (I feel bad wasting so much energy & damaging the earth growing something that we all praise for being natural, which naturally grow out in the sun!).

That $20 growbox is pretty much what I want, but to have a much better bulb in there, either PURple / red cfl's or ideally LED's (which I want for the extra space), and if I splash out in the end, maybe a 150W HPS sidelined by 2/3 cfl's for that thick, dense bud.

I think this really is the future for people that smoke, but don't deal. If pc grows get perfected, then everyone could have one, and nobody'd know! They're uber stealth, low in electrical draw and heat (main ways of being found) and if caught, it's obviously not for dispensing, just personal.

Can't wait to get this going! Finally smoke my own!

EDIT: The reason I wrote this reply was seeing you were in the same boat.. To be honest I reckon from reading up, enough results have shown me (enough being say 10 different examples I've come across) that harvests are weak enough in a pc-grow that I wouldn't bother with the lighting, he said originally to use a 50W incandescant, that last word pretty much says useless.. And that happens to also be the main reason it's $20. The reason it's normally expensive to buy them is because of the good lighting. I reckon I'm going to end up having cfl's somewhere in my box, either backlighting or main, so I can't down them, but I reckon HPS just wins. I've been trying to find out about the penetrating power of Nlites, but haven't found much on that aspect. If they can grow solid buds, I'm getting them, otherwise it's defo 150ish W HPS all the way.

And for the record, I'm doing this on a shoestring budget, with stealth and big yeild my main objective.. I'm aware of the difficulties I could come across, but I don't mind spending money where I need to. Hoping to get all the right stuff bit by bit, so that once I get my own place I can use the same equipment in a slightly bigger grow.