Hello everyone!
I recently purchased a CAB and figured I'd review it here for anyone considering buying one. I have no affiliation with the creator other then my purchase and questions I have asked him.
For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, CAB is basically a mini computer with control of power switching relays. I had actually thought of building something like this to monitor and control my grow rooms more efficiently and in my research came across CAB. The CAB runs on its own operating system just like a computer and even has built in web browsers and other programs to use. You can pretty much use this box as a desktop computer. It has built in WiFi and Bluetooth and is controllable over your wireless network or remotely via the web if setup properly & securely. It even has ethernet port and can be plugged right into your router. The CAB also has onboard HDMI and 4 USB ports. All I had to do was plug in a wireless keyboard/mouse USB adapter and HDMI to my TV along with the power supply cord and I was online within minutes.
What makes this micro computer so useful for growing cannabis and other indoor plants is the control it gives you. The unit has 4 switchable power circuits that can be used for your lights, fans, AC, pumps or whatever you need to control power to. No more need to use a timer for your lights and pumps, the control panel has built in programmable timers for both. If I was still running my flood and drain tables this would have been an amazing controller for them.
The CAB also features a built in tempature probe with real time display on the interface. It also has low and high tempature triggers for fans or AC units witch I find really useful. Now I can leave the exhaust fan off in colder temps to retain some heat during lights off and have it come back on as soon as the lights warm up the room again.
But my favorite part is the remote monitoring I can now do via my wireless network. The control panel even has a webcam input so you can plug in a webcam and check on your room in real time! How cool is that! I'm actually going to go buy a webcam just to test this feature. Even just being able to see the tempature from my bed is so relaxing because as long as my tempature is good everything should be working as is and I don't need to go check in as much.
Shipping is pretty discreet, there was only one logo on the box and it looks more like a game then anything to do with growing.
The packing was great I'm sure Ace Ventura could have delivered this thing and it would still work fine.
The overall quality of everything is pretty good. The plastic on the wire Y connections are a bit flimsy but there pretty much just for show anyways. I didn't open anything up to inspect it but the computer unit it's self feels very sturdy and the wiring looks like it's pretty high quality. Not like those cheap Chinese plugs I have seen before. Each circuit is protected by a fused link very easy to inspect or change if anything does happen.
Here it is in action running one of my tents remotely.
The interface is very easy to use. Like I said it's pretty much a standalone computer so you just point and click. I have been setting up the unit from my phone after I did the initial wifi connection by plugging it into my TV and keyboard. The control panel graphical interface is a bit sloppy, something like a website from the 2000s. But it's very simple and easy to use and might be designed that way.
Overall I'm very pleased with the unit. It does exactly what they said it does and everything is in real time. The wifi and remote control panel with webcam feed is my favorite part I just love checking in on things whenever i want.
I have a lot of respect for the creator of this device. In the past week or so I have watched all his videos following his work on this thing and he does it all by himself. He prints and assembles these things as well as develops the software and being somewhat knowledgeable in this feild, that is a lot of work for one person on a budget. Any questions or concerns I had were answered promptly via e-mail and in great detail witch made me feel comfortable with my purchase.
Would I recommend one of these computers to anyone growing? 100%. Not to mention it saves you time and money in the long run removing timers and thermostats for lights and ventilation. It's really like programming and automating your grow!
I hope this review helps you make your decision for buying one of these units. If you have any questions don't be shy to ask
I recently purchased a CAB and figured I'd review it here for anyone considering buying one. I have no affiliation with the creator other then my purchase and questions I have asked him.
For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, CAB is basically a mini computer with control of power switching relays. I had actually thought of building something like this to monitor and control my grow rooms more efficiently and in my research came across CAB. The CAB runs on its own operating system just like a computer and even has built in web browsers and other programs to use. You can pretty much use this box as a desktop computer. It has built in WiFi and Bluetooth and is controllable over your wireless network or remotely via the web if setup properly & securely. It even has ethernet port and can be plugged right into your router. The CAB also has onboard HDMI and 4 USB ports. All I had to do was plug in a wireless keyboard/mouse USB adapter and HDMI to my TV along with the power supply cord and I was online within minutes.
What makes this micro computer so useful for growing cannabis and other indoor plants is the control it gives you. The unit has 4 switchable power circuits that can be used for your lights, fans, AC, pumps or whatever you need to control power to. No more need to use a timer for your lights and pumps, the control panel has built in programmable timers for both. If I was still running my flood and drain tables this would have been an amazing controller for them.
The CAB also features a built in tempature probe with real time display on the interface. It also has low and high tempature triggers for fans or AC units witch I find really useful. Now I can leave the exhaust fan off in colder temps to retain some heat during lights off and have it come back on as soon as the lights warm up the room again.
But my favorite part is the remote monitoring I can now do via my wireless network. The control panel even has a webcam input so you can plug in a webcam and check on your room in real time! How cool is that! I'm actually going to go buy a webcam just to test this feature. Even just being able to see the tempature from my bed is so relaxing because as long as my tempature is good everything should be working as is and I don't need to go check in as much.
Shipping is pretty discreet, there was only one logo on the box and it looks more like a game then anything to do with growing.
The packing was great I'm sure Ace Ventura could have delivered this thing and it would still work fine.
The overall quality of everything is pretty good. The plastic on the wire Y connections are a bit flimsy but there pretty much just for show anyways. I didn't open anything up to inspect it but the computer unit it's self feels very sturdy and the wiring looks like it's pretty high quality. Not like those cheap Chinese plugs I have seen before. Each circuit is protected by a fused link very easy to inspect or change if anything does happen.
Here it is in action running one of my tents remotely.
The interface is very easy to use. Like I said it's pretty much a standalone computer so you just point and click. I have been setting up the unit from my phone after I did the initial wifi connection by plugging it into my TV and keyboard. The control panel graphical interface is a bit sloppy, something like a website from the 2000s. But it's very simple and easy to use and might be designed that way.
Overall I'm very pleased with the unit. It does exactly what they said it does and everything is in real time. The wifi and remote control panel with webcam feed is my favorite part I just love checking in on things whenever i want.
I have a lot of respect for the creator of this device. In the past week or so I have watched all his videos following his work on this thing and he does it all by himself. He prints and assembles these things as well as develops the software and being somewhat knowledgeable in this feild, that is a lot of work for one person on a budget. Any questions or concerns I had were answered promptly via e-mail and in great detail witch made me feel comfortable with my purchase.
Would I recommend one of these computers to anyone growing? 100%. Not to mention it saves you time and money in the long run removing timers and thermostats for lights and ventilation. It's really like programming and automating your grow!
I hope this review helps you make your decision for buying one of these units. If you have any questions don't be shy to ask
