Here's what I'm wanting to do... My box is in the garage. I want a sensor that when you open the door going into the garage, it shuts down the power to the grow box so no one can detect anything. Then after the door is closed it waits a few minutes (when the coast is clear) before turning the power back on. It would involve a magnetic contact switch on the door, but that's all I know. Any suggestions???
Im afraid I'm of no help to you but this is a very intresting idea and i look foward to some responces
id use a simple motion sensor off a light or what ever. wire that to a relay to power to the lights. pretty simple really, but relays that can handle 20+ amps get a lil noisy. but thats my experience. i have a 3 pole 60 amp contactor on my lights now...mucho overkill but i had it in my spare parts collection, but yeah that thing sounds like a hammer to a chalk board when the "sun" rises the circuit u seek is a simple one...can do it with 2 components and 4 wires, assuming u use 110V and no grounds...ok so possibly 6 wires Happy Growin'
cripes...lost power ok trial #2 parts: 2 pole contactor/relay extension/powercord #10 with 3 conductors prefered white black n GREEN misc solderless crimp connectors alarm switch(motion, light, sound, whatever) some #10 white and #10 black n some #12 green STRANDED WIRE dont use solid wire, it is for cave men and ocean goers. u need to have a contactor or relay rated for the total wattage of all components that are being shut off. this means total amps on startup. the coil voltage of the relay/contactor must be the same as ur power supply. for simpllicity sake we'll go with 110 volt system. ok take an appliance cord with the male end (cut off the female and strip the wires back to connect them to the contactor). u'll need a set of strippers n crimpers and some assorted solderless crimp connectors. also some #10 black and #10 white and some #12 green. theese wire sizes are quite large but only for simplicity sake. if u know how to figure what size wire u actually need go ahead...this will run the average setup in my OPINION. if ur house burns down its ur problem. ok so wire black from the cord to one side of the contactor/relay and white to the other. we call this the common side of the relay/contactor. make sure NOT to connect them to either side of the same set of contacts this will create a dirrect short. you want the contacts to connect power from the plug to the equipment. now run black wire from the common side on the same terminal as the black wire from the cord to the switch contact of the alarm switch. run black wire from the other contact of the alarm switch to one of the coil connections on the relay/contactor. run white wire from the other coil connection to the common connection where the white wire from the cord is connected. now connect ur equipment to the other side of the relay contacts. connect the green from the cord and an additional #12 green in one yellow open horseshoe connector. and attatch this connector to the screw that holds the contactor relay in place. attatch the other end of the green to the case on the alarm switch if necessary, and the ground from all ur other equipment. Happy Growin'
I think you could do that with one form C relay and that magnetic door relay. I will try to do a diagram if i get time. Basically when the relay switch is closed the power side is closed, same in the inverse. relay $20, plus the switch and some wire.
I did something like you are asking. I made one using one of those outdoor timers for Christmas lights. It works by when it gets dark and the sensor detects that it turns on the power for the amount of time I set. 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours and continuous. So I built a light tight box and put in a night light and one of those timers. I wanted to turn on a small fan or something ( I can't remember ATM) when the lights went out in the room. So I powered the night light off the HPS power. It shut off that small fan or whatever I was running when the light was on and turned it on when the light went off. You would need a switch on the door that breaks the circuit when the door is closed and closes the contacts when the door opens. That is powers the night light when the door is open and turns it off when the door is closed. Just thought to share.
That sounds more like what I was thinking - something SIMPLE. My garage is very dark so as soon as the door is opened the light has to be switched on, which would in turn switch OFF the growbox when it detects the garage light. Now I just gotta find one of those light sensors...
I don't think this is going to be an easy project. The ideas above are good, but I need something that leaves the power off for a few minutes after the door is closed. Normally, someone will open the garage door, walk in, and close the door behind them. The power needs to stay off until there is no one around. I suppose a motion sensor would work for turning off the power, but it would turn it right back on if it didn't detect motion. That wouldn't be good if someone was still in the garage but not moving enough to set off the sensor. I don't know why they don't make something pre-fabricated like this that I could just buy and plug in.
That would be an On delay relay. I bought one for my light so that it will cool down. 15 minutes. I have this unit http://www.4hydroponics.com/grow_room/caphlc3.asp
