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New Greenhouse controller

I have been looking into all of this and stumbled across a guy that is making a controller for other solar type things but is not using the arduino. He has a controller that he makes that has 8 temperature inputs that connects to 4 relay outputs. 2 temps to one relay is how it is set up. I needed a way to have my heat coil in my wood stove have water running through the pipes as soon as the wood stove was fired up. I am going to put a battery backup on the pump so it never runs out of water(no steam explosion plus it has a pressure valve on it.) Then I needed a way to control which way the water should come from. The storage tank or the propane heater. It reads the temperatures and opens and closes 2 zone valves to accomplish this. The last thing it will do is control the solar panel and turn on the pump when the water in the panel is warmer than the storage tank.

I bought one for this boiler application and thought why not ask him if he could change it. It also is able to be logged to a PC. So if we could use this in another program I am sure we could make it so it could give a text message or warn us if something was wrong.

I asked him if he could make it so only one temperature input would control 4 relays. This would give me a way to control my vent on the outside of my wet wall, the wet wall and the 2 greenhouse fans. This way I can have the greenhouse automated so the vent opens as it gets to 67 degrees. Then a fan comes on at 70 degrees next the other fan comes on at 74 degrees and finally the wet wall comes on at 78 degrees. Then it does the opposite as the heat goes back down.

If anyone is interested in one let me know.

After he gets this one made and I test it out I will see what other things we could come up with. I am sure we could make something that would check PH and have a relay turn on a dosser pump to add PH up or down. Or check DO and anything else needed. It would be getting the correct probes for it and having hi program this. He said that he could add 2 more relays to the original board but he would need more than just 1 board to do it on. It always checks temperature that is what it was designed for originally.

The greenhouse controller is selling for $150.00 with a case, power supply and sensors. A really good price. I have been looking at other controllers that do the same thing for over $500.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sahib Punjabi on October 16, 2011 at 5:59am

Sounds interesting...I may try one of these in due course.

God bless,

Permalink Reply by Brad Howard on October 16, 2011 at 2:33pm

Joe does this guy have a web site? Do you have an email address for him?

Thanks,

Brad

Permalink Reply by Joe Bifano on October 16, 2011 at 6:28pm

I am representing him so you can message me what you are looking for.

Permalink Reply by Manross on November 19, 2011 at 3:07pm

We have the exact thing to do all of this and then some. It is called RelayMan (Relay Manager).

It will allow 16 inputs from any type of sensor (temp, humidity, contact, pressure...Etc.) and controls 8 relays of output.

It has the ability to send emails/texts when an event occurs and you create your own IF Logic.

Example:If temp1 (inside temp) > 100 then turn relay1 on (exhaust fan) and send email/text to ??

We are currently finishing up a new board for RelayMan v2.0 which will have more functionality.
(64 inputs and 16 relays plus web interface and all DC/Solar power ability.

This new version will be available after the first of the year.

If you would like more info, give me a shout.
Jeff Manross

Permalink Reply by Joe Bifano on November 19, 2011 at 3:31pm

send info

Permalink Reply by Manross on November 19, 2011 at 3:58pm

Send me an email to jeffmanross@hotmail.com

I will reply with a PDF of screen shots.

Jeff

Joe Bifano said: