Noob - Top LED - RDWC - 4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Time to return the favor,

I don't know how else to thank 420mag and her awesome community for all I have learned here. I hope sharing my first to flower grow with everyone helps. I took a few months to set up my grow and had to do it on a shoestring over that time. The advice I learned here saved me time & treasure. It is my hope to pay it forward in the hopes that another grower who may be in the situation I found myself in may pick up even one tip of trick to save themselves a few bucks for either better equipment, or at least meds ; )

My build was done on a tight budget but it wasn't a cheap build. I had to design everything around physical limitations if I was going to be able to do this at all. I also have to veg and flower in the same tent and dealing with heavy pots simply wasn't an option. A gallon of milk from the icebox is more than I can handle sometimes so it was either DWC or RDWC for me. After trying HPS I had to switch to LEDs to manage heat. I practiced vegging for for five months and that brings me to date; my first to flower grow.

I hopefully have attached a video tour of my setup but if I failed at that I will give you the skinny on my fat tent.

The Setup:

One 4x8 Tent
Five 96x3w TopLED Reflector Series
One 6 foot Light Rail
14 Bucket, 12 site, 45 gal RDWC with Chiller
Mods for Handicapped grower
Mods for Safety
Three cameras, and lots of time to document, make, and upload videos

I've never done this before but I am enjoying my experiments and am willing to share. I'm growing a plant given to me by a friend. Nothing known outside our area, just some sativa/indica cross that is hardy, does well indoors, isn't to stoney and works hell-a-good on my specific pain. Who knows, if this grow makes it I may try some of the juicy strains I see posted in these forums all the time.

Wanted to close with giving a shoutout to Colorado Finest. Saw his vids on YT and it got me motivated to share my grow here. I hope to be as good as he is when I grow up (grin)

Have a GROOVY Day
Dahbig Kahuna
tommyj

 

[ashpac]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Hello friend! It is great that you do not let your condition to take away your energy and you did find this nice hobby which surely is giving you plenty of positive energy! Subbed, will follow your journal. Good luck to you!

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Thanks Ashpac. Most of my posts will be in video format because it is actually easier for me. All my vids will be uploaded to my TommyjTV youtube account and then posted and talked about on this forum. I went and check out your grow and as soon as I can figure out how to sub it I will follow your closet grow. I like how neat you have everything and the reflectors on your CFLs are awesome and smart.

Have a GROOVY Day
Dahbig Kahuna
tommyj

 

[BarnacleBill]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

"42"! Great reference! OMG I almost forgot! Now all my problems are once again solved . Great tent, I really like it!

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Thanks Barnacle Bill, I too am (or was) a sailor. (I was a Special Olympic Sailing coach for over a decade)

Have a GROOVY Day
Dahbig Kahuna
tommyj

 

[BarnacleBill]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

what is the brand of light rail your using? I think it would meet my needs and application. Also want to say thanks for your views on the LED lights. Im getting ready to set up a little grow tent myself and while I was considering going with 5w I never really considered the drivers. Now Im really considering dropping to 3w and a light rail.

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

My light rail is made by LightRail® Light Movers

Sometimes you can get them on Ebay for less than on manufactures site so go check it out and I can assure you of two things; moving the lights is awesome for the girls, and, this particular light rail will not bite you in the arse

Have a GROOVY Day
Dahbig Kahuna
tommyj

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Well, I wasn't able to finish my "The Story So Far" vid but will get it up tomorrow. Instead I will post a transplant I dat to do yesterday fliping a soil teen to RDWC ready. Little slow physically today so I hope this is good for a post today guys and dolls.

Have a GROOVY Day
Old Fart Grows
Dahbig Kahuna
tommyj

 

[ashpac]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Hi, man! I first time seen that anybody transplanted plants from soil to hydro, even have read that it does not works well. How your little plant is feeling now in hydro?

 

[CO Finest]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Outstanding setup. Thank you for the kind words. I am pumped up to see your grow take off. I love the light brackets by the way.. I wish you the best and will keep a eye on your grow.

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

Hi Ashpac, You are right that sometimes a transplant from soil to hydro doesn't go well AND if you are running pure synth in your rez like I am you are introducing organics into your water. The plant I took out of that hydro and put in the soil was also a transplant from soil to hydro and wasn't doing well. It was on the way back and would have most likely don't fine but since I dropped the one in soil on my floor I decided to give it a go with the new transplant. I've had about 75% success rate going from soil to hydro but I don't do it often.

I just went an checked in on her for you and she is doing well and is already growing more. I will take pics later and get them posted. Thelma went over and spent the night with her to get her comfortable in her new home.

Have a GROOVY Day
Old Fart Grows
Dahbig Kahuna

 

[BarnacleBill]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

yeah I thought that might be the brandbut I wasn't certain I was trying two match the symbol on the motor. and they are definitely cheaper on eBay! I never really considering the fact that each LED would be putting only one spectrum on that particular part of the plant. The reference off using a piece of paper to see it was great. Thanks again

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Re: NOOB- TopLED/RDWC/4x8 Tent Grow - Mods 4 Handicapped Old Fart

3 Week Update,

Greeting fellow Riders On The Storm,

This is just to update on the Batcave before heading off into the weekend. However, didn't get it up until today. I hope to get faster at the vid stuff but sometime working in the garden gets the lion's share of my energy. I will get vids posted as fast as I can crank them out.

The week we find our heros getting a little testy (no not turning male) filling in very fast and needing some laying on of hands. The transplanted soil teen is doing fine and I will zoom in on her in a future vid. They drink about a gallon of water a day at this point and I have given them just a bump in newts to bring them up to 390. I don't know what to make of my red stems. Looks Mg so I have been letting the Ph drift up to make sure it is available but I'm kinds half wondering if the plant doesn't go a bit red stem under the LED??

Let me know what you have experienced. Not sure if I need to start taking Xanax for anxiety..

Have a GROOVY Day
Old Fart Grows
tommyj

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Hey all, The Old Fart here,

I am really new to this posting thingy and can't figure out where I put my "signature" information like I see on so many posts. The area where people have a list of their grows and stuff. Help please. (NEVER MIND, the old fart fingered it out on his own with the help of his meds ;-)

Also I am back in the studio (back in bed after an active weekend) so I will be editing and posting another update video today. Also hope to get more footage with the net strung up and how the girls are growing through it. The girls are finally starting to take up more newts than water.

Anyway, just wanted to post a quick note letting peeps know I haven't gone missing.

Have a GROOVY Day
Old Fart Grows
tommyj

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

4 Week Video Update

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Sorry I have not actually gotten into taking pictures documenting my first clone to flower grow. However, I have been moving in that direction.

My son has given me charge of his Pentax point and shoot. I have been using a simple Flip HD camcorder for what seems like a decade now and all I have had to do up until now is turn the power on and hit the record button.

This new camera records better video, does pictures, and has way more options as a camera than I ever would have loaded onto such a small device. The only problem is that there is this thingy called a "Menu" guarding the wonders of this brilliant piece of technology from my eager and sticky fingers.

But Don't Despair.

Hope is not lost. My son made three videos for me showing how to get right to where I need to be. Additionally I got the computer set up to download images from the Pentax. I will play with it over the next few days so I will at least be able to really document the flowering part of the grow. I can also do white balanced camcorder recording on the Pentax and we will need that soon because these girls are looking like they are about to flip out on me.

So Relax, get medicated, and please enjoy a few minutes in the Batcave with Dahbig Kahuna. This weeks video episode is my FOUR WEEK UPDATE

We will also visit the teen that got transplanted from soil to RDWC three days ago for anyone who is interested in checking in on her.

Have a GROOVY Day

Old Fart Grows

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Hey Guys and Dolls,

oops, published the last vid on the wrong channel & was past time to edit my post when I realized my error. Here is the new link:


Just another video entry following the Soil to RDWC transplant experiment and a few minutes of sitting over my sholder when I figure out what my different newts do to my ppm.

Have a GROOVY Day
Dahbig Kahuna

 

[Mars Hydro]

Hello, I am in

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Just a a text update here : (

Had great plans for today but I only have one dab left and other activities needed the mobility it affords me (going to SSI with disability can be exhaustive and land my ass in bed for over 20 hours a day). So I took to research and accessing my memory banks for any mistakes I could be making that I was aware of that is showing me red stems even though people I got the strain from tell me it is like that.

If it is the strain or not I figured out that I have been making a mistake. Or I could be mistaken about this assertion. MAN It Sucks Being A NOOB!!! At any rate, I have not been adding enough newts and Mg as I add water to the system. I was watching the Ph and would add Root Zone and some Mg but I was really focused on the Ph because with all those new hydroton pellets it seemed to keep drifting up quickly and often. I would check the Ph and the ppm and the girls seemed to be taking water and the ppm was flat. I was figuring because the plants were small.

They are now drinking two gal a day and I saw my ppm go down so I was bumping newts. This was going to be the last two week veg rez, but now I am thinking I should flush and put new newts in at 450-500 for another 10 days to see if that helps my stem color any. I should be able to record some footage tomorrow & I at least spent time learning how to operate the new video and picture camera.

That's all for now And tomorrow is the girls 5 week mark so that works out great with Friday being the first for future tracking.

Have a GROOVY Day
Dahbig Kahuna
tommyj

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Here is my 5 Week VIDEO Update (finally, took footage on Thursday). This vid just follows me in the Batcave while I do regular plant maintenance. In this vid we find me "spacing out" one week from the flip. I have raised the newts to 450 ppm and have been getting the Mg issue in check.

WARNING: This video is only intended for the seriously medicated viewer. Watching this video without proper medications may result in permanent brain damage!!

 

[Dahbig Kahuna]

Hey There Guys & Dolls,

Got a mid week update as I get ready for a newt change at the end of the week. I am facing brown slime and am beginning to knock it back. Have help on the way from the folks over at SkunkLabs. If anyone is following the soil to RDWC transplant the fate of that girl is revealed in this episode.