Inkbird Environment Control Automation - VPD Made Easy!

[Northeastrobie]

7 hours ago, NezA said:

 

Cheers man just doing my part of people find it useful that's all that matters.

 

Vapor pressure deficit and atmospheric pressure are two different things. Although the unit of measurement is the same the pressure being measured is an entirely different concept. A bit like how joules is used as a measure of energy but depending on what's being measured for instance joules can be used to measure thermal energy or kinetic energy so in this way it can mean different things. Like she said in the video VPD is the pressure that the environment is putting on the plant to transpire. So "kPa" is just how we quantify pressure in this context.

 

To answer your question atmospheric pressure negative or positive shouldn't influence your VPD as this is dictated by humidity vs temp. There might be an interaction I am not aware of, but I haven't personally seen anything on the subject.

 

Hope this helps

 

-NezA

Thanks for the reply pal, seems and interesting thing i think once I get my room dialed in abit better with temps and RH ill be looking into VDP (not the naughty kind ).

The environmental control is on its way im excited to get it up and running will take so much guess work out of tuning everything for the weather thanks again for sharing! 

 

[Northeastrobie]

Finally got round to installing my inkbirds, love that I can check the environment at any time (oh and its bordering on a disorder constantly checking lol) 

Was wondering how you changed your veg and flower command colours matey I can only seem to get random pictures of rooms ? 

Also I didnt realise how much the humidity fluctuated untill I had this app what a great addition cant thank you enough for posting! 

 

[NezA]

Hey @Northeastrobie

 

What app did you download?

 

On the final screen when creating a rule underneath the box where you name the rule there's an option called "Style" where you can select what colour you want the rule to be. Obviously doesn't really effect anything just helps make it clear at a glance which rules are which.

 

I was exactly the same with the obsessive checking when I first got mine after a while it eases off, because you check and everything is exactly where it should be because it's all dialed in perfectly. I've gone from checking multiple times an hour to just once or twice a day now. It's so effective that it's boring now and the novelty has worn off they're just doing their thing making sure my ladies are perfectly comfortable.

 

Great bit of kit I hope you enjoy and they bring you many bountiful harvests!

[Northeastrobie]

2 hours ago, NezA said:

Hey @Northeastrobie

 

What app did you download?

 

On the final screen when creating a rule underneath the box where you name the rule there's an option called "Style" where you can select what colour you want the rule to be. Obviously doesn't really effect anything just helps make it clear at a glance which rules are which.

 

I was exactly the same with the obsessive checking when I first got mine after a while it eases off, because you check and everything is exactly where it should be because it's all dialed in perfectly. I've gone from checking multiple times an hour to just once or twice a day now. It's so effective that it's boring now and the novelty has worn off they're just doing their thing making sure my ladies are perfectly comfortable.

 

Great bit of kit I hope you enjoy and they bring you many bountiful harvests!

Hello mate, ive got the inkbird pro app I think  just had a quick check mine dosnt seem to have anything at the bottom its not important mind the picture of someone's living room is quite bonney i spose lol.

I'm still dialing mine in tbh, lights off temps are still abit low for my liking but I've just upgraded the full set up so still teething, well impressed with the inkbird stuff and the phresh v2 with gas controller though. 

Same to you bud and thanks again for the advice ! 

[NezA]

@Northeastrobie 

 

If you're using the ITC 308 WiFi and the IHC 200 WiFi the app you want is called Inkbird Smart (that's the one I'm using) it looks like there's a couple of different batches floating around where the instructions say to download different things but if you want it setup how I have it that's the app I used bud

Edited December 22, 2020 by NezA
E2A

[Northeastrobie]

47 minutes ago, NezA said:

@Northeastrobie 

 

If you're using the ITC 308 WiFi and the IHC 200 WiFi the app you want is called Inkbird Smart (that's the one I'm using) it looks like there's a couple of different batches floating around where the instructions say to download different things but if you want it setup how I have it that's the app I used bud

I'll do that mate mines only running very basic just now untill its tuned in, it says in the installation instructions to download the pro version but its likley just out of date or I'm not using it properly lol.

 

[Sammyb]

On 13/10/2020 at 2:19 PM, NezA said:

Right as promised over in my grow diary here's a post about my Inkbird environment controllers. I have the IHC-200 WiFi humidity controller and the ITC-308 WiFi thermostat, I managed to get these for a steal at 50% off but full retail price these go for ~£100 which makes them significantly more affordable than many other environment controllers on the market.

 

I'm using these devices to control my VPD and I have to say I'm extremely impressed. Both my temps and humidity have been extremely stable. Thanks to these devices not only are my temp and humidity perfectly stable, but both are being kept in the perfect range in relation to eachother, for optimal VPD.

So a little bit about how these work. Each controller has a probe sensor and 2 power outlets, one for a device to increase humidity or temp and one for a device to decrease humidity or temp respectively, depending on what you have each controller set to they'll automatically switch between the increase/decrease devices to keep the temperature and humidity within the desired range.

 

For example, for the humidity controller you could have a humidifier and additional extraction or a dehumidifier pugged in (or both with an extension.) When the humidity is too low it will run the humidifier until humidity hits the desired range then it will stop running the humidifier. If humidity starts to creep up it will run the additional extraction / dehumidifier until humidity is back where you want it. The same applies to the thermostat. Each device is only run when it is needed. 

 

There are basic versions of these controllers that don't have WiFi and for the budget conscious or non technical people they're potentially a good option, although don't think they'd offer the same level of precision when it comes to controlling your environment. But the WiFi version has an app that can be installed on a smartphone that's absolutely fantastic. The app itself allows you to remotely monitor and control both controllers independently from anywhere you have an internet connection. Which is a great feature in and of itself. However more importantly it has an automation feature that allows you to create rules for each device that can be triggered from the status of the other device or some other external factor.

What follows is a short guide as to how I have these devices setup and how I created rules that will trigger and adjust each device as my environment shifts the devices will adapt to compensate, keeping my VPD in the ideal range constantly.

 

Sensor placement. 
I placed my sensors at canopy level and far enough away from my heater and humidifier so that I'm getting an average reading rather than over indexing on any one reading. Obviously you know your grow space so make sure you're placing your probes in an appropriate location and that you're getting a good reading.

The trickiest part of the setup was getting the devices to register on my WiFi but after a couple of attempts we were in business. To be fair the app does a brilliant job of guiding you through the process and it's pretty straightforward.

 

Once they are connected and registered on your network you'll see each device listed in the app.

 

From here you can manually set the desired value for each device. I personally use temperature to drive my humidity and set the temperature value to 24.5c and my temperature range pretty much fluctuates between 24-25c consistently. On the odd occasion I have seen it as high as 27 and as low as 22. But I haven't seen those extremes for weeks now, not since I was initially dialing in the setup. Now everything is dialed in though it's extremely stable indeed. 

 

Creating Automation Rules

 

Ok so to create a rule firstly we select the smart option at the bottom of the screen.  

 

Next select the automation tab.

 

 

On my screen you can see all my veg rules in green. Obviously the first time you see this screen it will be empty and rules will be added in the order you create them. To create a rule select the blue "+" icon in the top left. You'll then be presented with a screen that allows you to select what type of trigger condition you want to set. Because I want the devices to balance each other I chose the "when device changes status" option.

 

 

 

My temperature like many of you, I'm guessing, tends to be far more stable than my humidity. So I opted to have my temperature value drive my humidity value. So on the next screen we select our thermostat. (ITC-308-WIFI)

 

Here we're are presented with a list of options. I have used the "current temperature" parameter.

 

 

Each rule I have created is set at 1c increments. I also use the "<" (less than) condition I originally set this to "=" but as soon as the temp shifted by 0.1c the rule would cease to apply so using "less than" at 1c increments covers the entire range of decimals. Select the upper limit of the temp range you want to cover. 

 

 

On the next screen we need to select what we want to happen when those conditions are met. In this instance we want to run our humidity controller so select "run device" 

 

 

Now select the humidity controller (IHC-200-WIFI)

 

 

Next we want to select what we want the humidity setting to be, so select the "Setting Humidity" option. Use the slider to get in the right range if you want to be really precise you can use the + and - icons to make fine adjustments.

 

 

Here you'll want to refer to a VPD chart to select a humidity value that's appropriate for the temperature threshold you have selected for this particular rule. The rule we are creating is for flower so I have used the appropriate settings assuming a -1c leaf temp offset, these values will give us a RH of 51% between 24-25c

On the last screen you get a summary to review before saving and activating the rule.

 

 

So for this example we are using <25c as our threshold temp. So to recap what we have said to the app is "if the current temp on our thermostat is <25c then set our humidity to 51%" now where this gets really interesting is that you can stack the rules up so if I set a <26c rule for 53% humidity we have now told the app 2 things:

"if the current temp on our thermostat is <26c then set our humidity to 53%, unless the current temperature on our thermostat is <25c then set our humidity to 51%"

You can then add additional rules for <24c etc etc and you continue to stack these rules one on top of the other until you cover your entire temp range and a couple of c either side just in case.

 

There's a whole heap of other options I'm yet to explore with this but just this functionality alone for the price is pretty fantastic. Yes there's quite a bit of setup involved but once it's done and your rules are saved you never have to look at it again other than activating or deactivating the rules for the various growth stages. 

 

At the moment I only have a complete set of rules for veg setup. By the time I flip I will have created a full set of new rules for optimal flower VPD. You can colour code the rules so you can easily see at a glance which rules are for which stage my and you can activate and deactivate any given rule using a toggle. So when I need to, I can just switch between different rule sets easily and there's no need to recreate rules from scratch all the time.

 

 

If people find this post useful I might explore some of the other features in the app and make additional posts over time.

 

Keep it green

 

-NezA

This was a really good read. Only been going about 2 years now and had my ups and downs with it I have the none WiFi versions of these and they were great but have stopped working. I was looking into the Gas environ controller but it's big money so this has made me had another think. 

[Benjic93]

Hey @NezA, I'm thinking of purchasing the inkbird ITC - 308WIFI and also a TD silent fan. Will these work together? Silly question but will it keep the fans running constantly? Just if temp to high it will run faster and vice versa? Was going to purchase the cloudline until I noticed they actually shut off completely if temp is lower. Cheers 

[NezA]

Hey @Sammyb thanks for chipping in. The long term reliability is something I was concerned about but I figured if they last me a couple of years at the price I paid then I'd be happy with that. I guess we'll have to wait and see I have used inkbirds gear elsewhere I know their BBQ thermometers get solid reviews. Maybe you were unlucky? But yeah as alternative that doesn't break the bank they do a great job.

 

@Benjic93 alright mate unfortunately it's an on or off no speed control option. So my extraction has its own speed controller and operates independently from the thermostat then I have an active intake that kicks in when things get too hot.

 

I also debated whether or not it'd be possible to wire it up in such a way that you could have a WAC1 to dial the speed down but when the temp exceeds the threshold the mains output from the controller bypasses the WAC1 and runs the fan at max. But I'm not the best when it comes to circuits so not sure what the implications of wiring a fan to multiple power sources would be. I looked into current activated switches as well in the end it all seemed too much agg and I found a work around that did what I needed. I'm sure there's bigger brains than mine out there that could come up with something nifty though.

 

There are other options though, you could run an additional extraction that kicks in only when needed. I'm probably going to rig up a little DIY Aircon unit for the warmer months.

 

[BushDoctoR]

15 hours ago, Benjic93 said:

Hey @NezA, I'm thinking of purchasing the inkbird ITC - 308WIFI and also a TD silent fan. Will these work together? Silly question but will it keep the fans running constantly? Just if temp to high it will run faster and vice versa? Was going to purchase the cloudline until I noticed they actually shut off completely if temp is lower. Cheers 

 

The TD silent fans have two wiring configurations for fast/slow so yes it is possible to switch between high and low speeds but without knowing the ins an outs of the inkbird I cant say exactly how you would go about it. I'd reckon this could be done relatively simply via a relay if you're handy with your wiring. Could also possibly be by wiring the fast speed to the cooling plug and low speed to heating plug but unsure exactly how the inkbird works, you may end up with some middle ground where the fan doesn't work at all. Relay is the best bet.

[Benjic93]

4 hours ago, BushDoctoR said:

 

The TD silent fans have two wiring configurations for fast/slow so yes it is possible to switch between high and low speeds but without knowing the ins an outs of the inkbird I cant say exactly how you would go about it. I'd reckon this could be done relatively simply via a relay if you're handy with your wiring. Could also possibly be by wiring the fast speed to the cooling plug and low speed to heating plug but unsure exactly how the inkbird works, you may end up with some middle ground where the fan doesn't work at all. Relay is the best bet.

Thankyou for that, my wiring knowledge is zero to none. I've wired a QB thats as far as I want to take it lol. I may just have to purchase the TD and keep low and use the inkbird for a oil rad and inline if that's my understanding of what @NezAwas saying? 

[NezA]

6 hours ago, BushDoctoR said:

you may end up with some middle ground where the fan doesn't work at all. Relay is the best bet.

 

I can confirm you would as when the temp is in the correct range neither the cooling nor heating sockets are powered. I'm sure there's a work around though your suggestion about relays sounds like the best route. But I can't offer any advice on that front I'm afraid.

[BushDoctoR]

On 02/01/2021 at 10:10 AM, Benjic93 said:

Thankyou for that, my wiring knowledge is zero to none. I've wired a QB thats as far as I want to take it lol. I may just have to purchase the TD and keep low and use the inkbird for a oil rad and inline if that's my understanding of what @NezAwas saying? 

 

I'm happy to draw up a hi/lo relay circuit if you (or anyone else) is interested. Seems a shame to waste the hi/lo wiring configurations on the TD.

 

Alternatively I can give you a sketch for a manual hi/lo speed selector using a regular 2 way light switch. I've recently installed a TD that way in my partners shop.

[Benjic93]

18 minutes ago, BushDoctoR said:

 

I'm happy to draw up a hi/lo relay circuit if you (or anyone else) is interested. Seems a shame to waste the hi/lo wiring configurations on the TD.

 

Alternatively I can give you a sketch for a manual hi/lo speed selector using a regular 2 way light switch. I've recently installed a TD that way in my partners shop.

Really appreciate that thankyou. Wouldn't want you going out your way though man. Would you recommend Td for stealth then? If on low are they quiet but able to pull enough air? I'm debating the TD or hyperfan stealth v2 OR cloudline t4/s4 

[Stardawg909]

On 1/2/2021 at 11:28 AM, NezA said:

 

I can confirm you would as when the temp is in the correct range neither the cooling nor heating sockets are powered. I'm sure there's a work around though your suggestion about relays sounds like the best route. But I can't offer any advice on that front I'm afraid.

I've just bought both the ink birds with WiFi for 90 quid which for what they do isn't bad I'd say, just wanted to know your thoughts on if it would be worth keeping for me as I have a gas hyperfan controller linked up to my fan and extraction, my reason for getting this was to save the dehumidifier going all day during flower if it wasn't needed and then lights off for the oil rad I've got and to be able to see temps without the dreaded ladder climbing I thought this would be a great bit of kit just for that alone but would u think its worth having. I can never get my humidity past 50 with my humidifier at the early veg stage but it will creep up soon enough when they get a little bigger, just want to add your post with all the details of the commands is amazing and I'm Deffo gonna copy those and see how it goes if the inkbird is worth keeping with what I have already, you Deffo know your stuff so I look forward to reading your thoughts on this. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Stardawg909