Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Greenbot - Hydroponics system

Greenbot 

- yes, I couldnt come up with something better. 

I used the idea posted http://www.3dponics.com/ which seemed simple and nice, for building the whole hydroponic system (breeding seeds its another whole topic, google for it). In order to keep the water flowing into my system, I also fabricated this circuit from electronics-lab, basically this circuits makes a simple one-position switch, works as a "one click: its on" "one more click, its off" circuit, since I was going to use a simple water pump, the cheap ones used in feng-shui ponds, to recirculate the water into the system. 3Dponics uses a airpump (used is fish ponds).

List of matterials:

Plastic 1.5lts bottles
5v power source
on/of switch circuit
Housing for the circuits
Water pump
3dPonics printed items
Extra materials such as: electronical, soldering tools,  power sockets, paint, materials for keeping your plans in the system (rocks, coconut shadings, etc)



First: Building the Toggle ON / OFF Switch


Please visit the electronics-lab page, is has a TON of OPSH circuits. This one is pretty simple, the circuit's pcb is there to download. I used a 5v activated relay, and a arcade button like switch (This one came with a light inside the button, as to tell when its on and when it is off).


Its a simple relay toggle switch, using a "one position" switch


I used an arcade button, with lighting on it, as to know when its on and when its off. Pretty straight forward. 2 Cables are used for switching, and two as power supply for the led inside the button. The led has to be wired to the on/off toggle switch relay.


No major problems building this circuit, and it works perfect, make sure to isolate and my choice I used an insolator spray on the pcb side just in case.

Second: power supply

Either you can build you own one, or.... reutilize something. My choice was to use and old cellphone wall charger, it outputted 5v, so one problem out.
I scrapped a 5v blackberry wall charger for this. Reutilising something at home its always good.

Heres the basic wiring for power supply to switch circuit.

Third: hydroponics building.

First of all your need some seeds, I germited mine using a device that makes them grow with moisture, you just need to leave it with some sort of heating source, and the rest its time.
 These are my chilli seeds sprouting. You can easily moist a kleenex and leave the seeds in a tupperware container on a  dark place, or sitting up your router as to have some heat below and will work as fine.
 I hanged mine!!!
 This is my soil: mixture of rocks and wood chips... since chilli plant tends to get big and heavy they need a way to stay in ground.

The is fashionable and very nice solution, but if you want to keep it simple and cheap, you dont need this part. Bottles are easy to find, and you can use the bottle cap with a hole to drip to the next one.
The top irrigator, can also be made out of something else.

The idea from 3dPonics is great: a vertical hanging hydroponics system, looks great, and (I am hoping) it will work fine. It can also be done indoors.

I also made my contribution for a wall hanger

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