Simple, Cheap, Hydroponic System
 

Hi all, I am a "backyard econo-miser" Found a cool Hydroponic System on YouTube and built one. I believe I have about 160.00 into the whole thing and most of that cost was for the bilge pump (65.00) I have since found 12V pumps and am using solar (3) homemade 60W solar panels and two deep cycle batteries to run lighting and the pump. As it sits, I am using a 115Vto12V timer (found in 'solar lawn light kits) but plan on getting a 12V /12V timer off ebay so I don't have to use any 115V at all.

I have some other neat projects I am working on as well. Like my Solar Hot Air Furnace and my M.A.S.H. Unit [Microwave, Assisted, Stand Alone, Heat Exchanger] All are working models. I guess I can't post images yet 'cause I'm new but I'll get them up soon.

Welcome to the site.

It sounds like you have some interesting projects going on. We would love to hear about them.

Feel free to break up a post into several smaller posts to get your count up. We just do it to ward off spammer.

Thanks for the Welcome
 

Yep, I plan on looking through a bunch of posts today. Hopefully I can find enough to comment on and get the count up. I kinda proud of the projects. The Microwave Assisted Stand-alone Heater's [M.A.S.H. Unit] "idea" is patented I did make a working model and tried to find the patent holder but could not locate him. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to pursue a case like this? Thanks for any input

Here is the M.A.S.H. Unit. Basic function was - Thermostat would call for microwave to come on. Microwave heated [cooking] oil inside a polypropylene coil placed inside the oven. supply and return through rubber grommets on the side of the oven. A small pump would circulate the hot oil through a separate heat-exchanger. A separate thermostat would call for the fan to come come and blow the heat out through the coil into the room. It was a lot of fun to build but I'm afraid the Wattage vs. BTUs is probably not very efficient. I am not a 'math' person so I don't even know how many BTUs it produced but it worked at any rate :) Anyone care to try figure it out? I did find a patent on the 'idea' but never was able to contact the patent holder to show him a working model. cool - though I was pretty proud of it :) Here's a link to it

MASH_Done | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This is the hydroponic system I mentioned earlier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9275823@N07/8361853072/

nice hack. is that Basil I see?

Basil it is
 

It was full of Strawberries and peppers by summer's end :)