Teal Smith

hahaha just... wow. I'll check for sure Bud, I actually like it when people are direct. I like to know! Never thought anything bad of it, it is appreciated. I'm very much the same, actually. You potentially ended up saving me alot of money and ball ache

Well that just makes me feel a whole lot better! Amazing. I never knew the ruderalis gene was that resiliant. Great! So make sure the timers aren't battery-backed up, then just go for it? Try shoot for as close to 18 hours per day as possible and if the power cuts then, meh...

@StickyD420 You saw one explode?!? hahaha wow I believe you may have helped me dodge a bullet. Legendary. Thanks again man, I'll definitely check out Battery Power Zone, and match up the batteries to the inverter! Awesome info, much appreciated.

@StickyD420 Nice one! Shot for the heads-up. So which brand would you recommend instead of Mecer? I used to do a lot of business with ACDC, but found their returns/repairs policy was terrible. I was also under the impression they sold really cheap Chinese stuff.... That was years ago, though. Maybe that's changed now

It's a kak picture, you can't tell much

@StickyD420 Good info on batteries matching the inverter, too. Cheers, bud :) I'll make sure.

Wait, so the Mecer units aren't pure sine wave?? I was told they were. I'll give them a buzz tomorrow

Autos for sure in this case, already have the seeds. But with 3 or more load sheds per day, I'm pretty sure that even autos would run into problems. I have an inverter for my phone & internet, and another for my TV and sound. I'm no stranger. They are however too small to use for my grow tent, though... but they are a game changer for sure

Thanks the unit I've been quoted on already has it built in. I've also got Autos ready and waiting. See, I done my homework ;) ;)

What is the joke @ORGANinc.? Thanks Skunk, the Mecer unit already has one built into it.

Thanks for the link. I've already been quoted on a good Mecer unit for my size requirements, and batteries for a little less. Key Electric, JHB. Now just waiting for funds to accumulate so we can buy one.

Thanks for your input man. Ya, we did also consider the greenhouse thing but it's positioning in our garden wouldn't be ideal. Some day I'll do one with lights, that's my ultimate setup idea. Think we'll hang on a few weeks until we can afford the UPS. Cheers dude!

@SAgrower no real problem, but they are very nearby and I don't want to raise any flags. I just want to remain incognito

Aiyayaai! hahaha Seems like there are no tips, tricks or shortcuts... Plants need light. Period. Thought I could get away with an emergency light-type of solution but not during stages 3 and 4, too much downtime. I think we should wait until we have the funds to afford a UPS inverter. IF Eskom does decide to loadshed during later hours, we'll be screwed. I'm not going to chance it - too much at stake. Thanks for all your input, everyone, it is appreciated.

Thanks! I wish that were the case for us in our area.... Just looking at our load shedding schedule, looks like the times are pushed back 2.5 hours every 3 days. Best to look at the picture attached so you can see what I mean (pay no attention to the yellow circles). The times marked with a blue block are the load shedding times. Looks like load shedding will happen at all different hours of the day, even from 9pm - 9am.There is always the chance I'm misunderstanding the load shedding schedule :D

Yep, it's actually exactly what we were planning on doing when we could afford an inverter. Right now I'm more looking for any tips and tricks or any other inventive ways around load shedding, without having to buy an inverter etc. wondering what everyone else does? Or do most inddor guys these days have either inverter or generator for indoor grows in SA?

Haven't started yet. After over 11 weeks of waiting for our order to arrive, we are now ready to start, but first we want all our ducks in a row beforehand.

Yes, a good idea... That's exactly what my plan would be IF we could afford the UPS right now. But like I said, we can't. 2 of my 4 lights + all fans on UPS circuit, the other 2 lights on Eskom. It's more than a tiny setup and the UPS will be expensive. I also agree with you fully and prefer UPS to generator for all the reasons I already said in my post, and don't mind spending the extra money on UPS. But that's not really the point. It's just that right now we don't have the money, like I was saying. I was looking for any other tips or tricks that don't involve buying a UPS....

Thanks CoolJ. You're lucky. Unfortunately that's not the case in our area. The times are constantly changing, and so are the stages. There is no one slot available at any given time that won't change in a few days, and continue to keep changing. The schedule is pushed back 2.5 hours every 3 days. Wish they would make it the same time every day! If it could be guaranteed that there will be no more load shedding every day after a certain time, then it would be easy to plan ahead.

How is everyone dealing with load shedding? For an INDOOR grow, as far as I can see, there are these options: 1 - Buy a generator. Not possible due to the noise and complaining neighbours. Servicing and spares also a nightmare in our area. 2 - Buy a UPS/Battery backup with inverter. Possible, but we are looking at a hefty price tag to accommodate 4 lights and 4 fans, which we don't have the $$$ to spend on this right now. 3 - Buy emergency backup lighting. Eskom goes off, the lights come on automatically. Now here's the thing.... I know the plants can be "tricked" into thinking it's "daytime" for a couple hours a day, even with little to zero PPFD... But with the new load shedding schedule, on some days, our area is set to have between 7.5 and 10 hours per day of load shedding. That's ALOT of hours to run lights with no PPFD. The load shedding timetable is constantly changing too, so we can't plan our light schedule around it either. What do you guys do for load shedding? Are there any tips or tricks I'm not aware of? TIA PS - Outdoors is not an option - neighbours are an issue.

Samsung LED LM301H + Epsitar deep red Expandable and dimmable 5x 140w boards running at 120w each Power: 0-600W (Actually I got the upgrade - 2 x 320W Meanwell drivers Spectrum: 3500K Voltage Range: 48V System Efficiency: 3.0J/W Dimensions of boards:1110mm x 55mm x 15mm Dimension of tracks/frame : 940mm Driver: HLG-600H-48B @StickyD420 Not sure if I'm allowed to post links? but got it from Online Grow Shop. Thankfully before they had their price increase!

@StickyD420 They seem to be great but haven't started growing yet. The amount of light they emit is ridiculous. They are built well, though, and seem legit

No worries at all... Looking good, Prom... Will have a look into your Royal Gorilla thread when I have a gap. Thanks for the info bud... You guys have been awesome

I don't have a problem with mold or anything, it was more a preventative measure. As you can imagine, this setup cost me so I want to make sure I nail it 1st time with as little margin for error as possible. Seems I've come up with the solution anyway. Basically, using dehumidifier and air purifier inside the room, then pulling in intake from there, so air should be clean. I'll also be trying out a stocking/pantyhose over the intake to filter a little extra... Will be running 8" fan on intake & either 2 x 6" fans for exhaust (or maybe another 8" instead). I rate I'l be good. Which strain did you end up with for good mold resistance, as a matter of interest?

Absolutely man.... will do... It's been so great geeting advice and chatting to everyone, I'll defo be sending more time here