Mechanical timers

[WarBux79]

I just wanted to say this forum and the people here are much more helpful then any other 420 forum I belong too. Here is the situation. I am thinking about getting a mechanical timer to use for my intake/exhaust system so I can more effectively use CO2. I always thought that I could make the timer turn on/off the exhaust every 15 mins or so, but a friend just told me that the mechanical timers can only turn something on and off once in 24 hours and that I would need a digital timer because they have more flexibility and allow you to turn something on/off several times a day.

This might sound dumb but he has me half convinced that it might be true. Before I go buy a new timer I wanted to find out the truth first.


Thanks!

 

[zierf]

well that is a yes and a no answer The machanical timer has the little red and green tabs? if yes, then it is kinda true but if u can get more of the colored tabs then u can turn off and on more in a 24 hour period. But i think you can only go as small of a time to about 15 min.
with the digital ones most of them ( if the cheap ones) will let u program 6 cycles of off/on and u can get it down to as low as 1 min on then off.
so i guess it is all in what u are looking for if u want more then 6 times on/off then u might want to look at better digital timers and not the cheapys at wal-mart or the local hardware stores.

one note on the machanical timer to consider is they are tricky to try to perfictly sink up to another timer. U might be off a min or 2 if that is what u are doing . Also they sometimes will not turn off or on when they are set to. By when the green clip goes by the trigger it does not trip it or vis versa. It has happen to me a few times . U come home and the lights are not on and they should be . Its just the clip didn't trigger it to turn on . But has passed the trigger

 

[WarBux79]

The mechanical timer that I have have these little black sticks you push down around the outside of the dial. They have 5 minute intervals. I never thought about syncing them up together. That is a good point. Perhaps I should just spend the extra 20 bucks and get a digital timer.

 

[Baja Big Dog]

Why not get a digital one, check Ebay, or Lowes has them for 16 bucks, very versatile, but there are mechanical ones the have many "pull out" pins, that can do what you want it to do.

But if you fan system is sealed, through the light fixture, the fan run time should not effect the CO2, since the fan system is isolated from the room, and shouldn't have an effect on the room.

 

[Weed420]

If you're talking about one of these type of mechanical timers.
Water Heater Timer (Little Gray Box)
Yes you can buy extra trippers and have it cycle the power off and on. I think you'd probably have to go to 1/2 hour increments though. Not a lot of room for trippers on the wheel. This is the one I use to drive everything in my flower room.