fredg
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Posts: 367
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Post by fredg on Mar 25, 2015 20:54:07 GMT
This is the final version ( for now) I have decided to go with. The three pumps are now all on this MkIII version. All I need to do now is introduce my seedling Darlingtonia to the Sphagnum baskets. I'll be slipping in a few pots of Cephalotus too.
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coline
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Life's essence: patience
Posts: 484 
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Post by coline on Mar 27, 2015 17:02:41 GMT
Fred, wanted to ask you, where did you get your trays? they seem very stiff and durable
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fredg
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Posts: 367
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Post by fredg on Mar 27, 2015 18:26:48 GMT
They're made by Stewart and are double tray size. I think they were £2.65 each at the time.
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coline
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Life's essence: patience
Posts: 484
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Post by coline on Mar 28, 2015 14:25:28 GMT
I see, and they are from the UK, shipping from europe is more difficult than from USA as I wanted to order a full crate, even so, they have a good price as they seem very big
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fredg
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Posts: 367
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Post by fredg on Apr 7, 2015 7:21:43 GMT
Not quite final.
Tall trees in neighbours' gardens was cutting out the late direct sun in the west so I have now adapted the holders and swivelled the solar panels directly south.
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Post by adelea on Apr 8, 2015 0:34:36 GMT
Now for solar run CPU fans.
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fredg
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Posts: 367
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Post by fredg on Apr 10, 2015 16:14:11 GMT
I already have some solar "dancing flowers" which flap their "leaves" to create air movement. Fans are unnecessary  |
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fredg
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Post by fredg on Jun 14, 2015 15:52:30 GMT
Update
Water pump No.4 is now in operation. It has replaced the sole surviving solar air pump in the initial, now abandoned, air pump trial. I found a much cheaper supplier for the T connectors (and the L connectors) but the diameter was slightly larger. I fitted the tubing by heating in boiling water to make a good tight fit. I then discovered that with the larger diameter I could make the spray bars from giant chunky drinking straws (they come in packs of 30). They're very cheap and easier to work with than the tubing so another bonus. I should be able to easily adapt the narrower diameter T connectors to take these when spray bar replacement is needed.
As I had a base already made for a solar panel as supplied with the air pump I adapted the design to fit in the water pump panel. This I feel is superior to the ones already fitted to the other three panels so I'll probably replace all those at some stage.
Tray No.1 was the only one with the pump station in direct sunlight and this did lead to a need to clean out thread algae this week in the gap between the two rearmost inner trays as it was beginning to affect pump efficiency. I made up a plastic cover to restrict sunlight to prevent this in future. A second cover is over pump No.4 as that will develop the same problem if prevention is not applied.
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