So even though I personally have other more tried and true places to grow, my current crazy grow not included , the idea of a PC case grow has always intrigued me from a marketing stand point. I mean think of all the kids out there who still live with there parents, or all the college kids living in dorms who would love to grow there own smoke but feel there current living conditions stand in the way. More then that think of all the people out there who are too lazy to sift through all the information on sites like GC here, let alone who are handy enough to build a stealth grow area that actually works. It's no wonder eBay listings like THIS and THIS exist. But at $400-$700 a kit these guys are way too greedy and missing a respectable cash cow in my opinion. Now let me rant for a few minutes on just how stupid those specific grow cases above are. First and foremost a much taller case would be mucho beneficial. Secondly there grow lights are fixed in one spot at the top of the case which anyone who's grown knows is going to cause the plants to stretch for the light and in an already height restricted area! Thirdly, I'm no hydro expert but from what I've read such a small hydro tank is hard to keep pH balanced. Not to mention just the word "hydro" to someone who would even think of buying a kit like this has got to be an intimidating prospect. My idea is simple, a stealth PC grow case that actually works at an affordable price. I've built a prototype and I can keep the sell cost at $199 (plus shipping) while still making a respectable profit. Some of the things it would include are: *Fox Farm Organic Ocean Forest soil *Organic Veg/Flowering ferts *80mm carbon scrubber air filter over the internal PC exhaust fan for odor control *2 6500K AND 2 2700K CFL bulbs (one of which could be a Fresh2 bulb for added odor reduction) *Adjustable light fixture to get right over the plants *and last but not least an External Temp LCD display & fan speed controller to add a lil bling and believability to the PC rig My thinking is if you drop $240 to get this rig to your door, and can grow just 1/2 ounce of dank, in its 24.5"H x 7.5"W x 16.5"D size, it'll have paid for itself the first grow. Ok so there's my pitch, not an original idea but it pisses me off when I see crap like I linked above so I'm thinking of doing it right for people. Actually selling a product that really works and is affordable, and making some extra cash myself in the process. What I'm looking for by posting all this is feedback on 1) The actual grow case and pitfalls I need to watch out for, (pics of it to follow btw) and 2) The legality of selling such an item. I talked with eBay and I could list it there but I couldn't use the word marijuana anywhere, id have to say it's for tomatoes or some shit. Ya,.. like anyone wants to hide the fact there growing tomatoes. Or I maybe I could just sell um to peep on sites like this and actually offer some helpful literature along with it so people would know what there doing MJ wise... ok now I'm just brainstorming and rambling. Let me know your thoughts!
Sounds reasonable, I'm sure you'd have lots of potential buyers for it, seeing as it isn't an outrageous price and includes a good amount of decent supplies. Along with selling a manual along with it, I think it would be a great buy for a novice grower who needs a little extra help. Yeah, post some pics for sure.
My only question is how smell proof it would be? Most people put there cases on the desk, or in an open area and if the fans are throwing the smell right out into the room i'd assume it'd smell everything up pretty quick.
I agree with you completely. I have always thought that if those companies would wise up and sell cheaper, they could make way more money. I have been experimenting with PC grows for a while now, the most recent of which I have documented in this thread: http://forum.grasscity.com/grow-room-design-setup/159517-soil-hydro-pc-grow-box.html I think the key to getting a functional PC Grow Box with maximum yeild is a 1 plant, ScrOG (Not sure about soil or hydro, I guess for the novice soil would be best). But the real key is getting a 2ft tall server case, rather than the standard 18" tall desktop case. Coupled with one 105w CFL (Get one of each spectrum), your plant should thrive happily. Lastly, don't use traditional pots, use more of a window sill like horizontal planter box. If you need a business partner/builder/investor for these units, I would love to help you.
haha so your selling a pc grow case anyone can make with stuff from your local walmart? and I think its a stupid fucking idea to sell something for 200 dollars that someone can make them self for 100
no its not the "exact thing" he made. but think about it dude. how much fucking different can two of these be from one another? everyone has the same space constraints, so naturally everyone is going to have a similar looking box. Im using one 7000 lumen CFL rather than 8 tiny ones like him, and i'm using larger 120mm fans along with a soil planter. how can i make it any different? why is it a stupid fucking idea? people buy these for 500 dollars because they dont feel like building them themselves. thats the whole point. build it for them, make it easy, and sell it cheap. it will sell. just because YOU wont buy it for 200 dosnt mean 800 million stupid lazy college kids who want to do this but dont feel like building it wont either.
Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. You got me all jazzed to hammer out the final details of this. Well I've got more then one tricks up my sleeve to deal with the smell but we'll see once I get a grow going in my prototype. Which I feel is a must before I sell anything to anyone. I've got seeds of some really stinky shit too which I plan to use. Gotta always test worse case scenario first head4life: No matter how you edit your comment you still didn't read my initial post thoroughly. In reply to what you first wrote, no its not an original idea and I never claimed it was. It's been done before more then once but as for whats out there for people to buy,.. people who either wont or don't feel comfortable making there own mind you,.. it hasn't been done right and being that other then my girlfriend my two main loves in life have been computers and weed I would love nothing more then to offer a product to those not willing to spend $100 and do it themselves that actually works and comes with good shit not crap you don't need just to jack up the final price like in both those listings above. In my gut I agree with what you first said, I usually hate unoriginal ideas but this one just hasn't been produced right so I don't think it's lame of me to attempt to make a product that actually works for people. mike827: Thanks for the offer, I'll totally keep you in mind and be watching your grow closely. I'm not even high right now but we're totally on the same wave length dude! I was already thinking only one plant too, my prototype IS a 2' server case, and to keep it from touching the light and to create more yield I plan on having a scrog fence in it as well. I've got some other ideas on how to train the plant as well I'll let everyone in on later..
And I thought I was the only computer geek turned pot grower! So naturally, I had a 2' server case lying around waiting to be converted too! lol But I definitely like your idea of using the Fresh2Ti bulbs, but I haven't found any of a really high lumen output. Ive been messing around with carbon filter mesh stuff and I find it to be next to useless compared to a full activated carbon filled one. Have you seen the "perfect odor neutralizer"? If it could be downsized, (even though it would still use valuable space), it would probably be more effective than the carbon filters. (although I would still use them because of their light blocking abilities.) What are your ideas on lighting? one monster 105w CFL or more tinier ones like others on the city. Is your lighting gonna be movable, or fixed? EDIT: I see in your inital post you are using two lights, how many lumens does that output? one 105w CFL gives off 6900 lumens, while the Dual spectrum II's sold by www.stealthhydro.com claim 8000 lumens. (Stealth hydro is the only place I have seen these bulbs available, normally I hate hydro websites because they jack the prices up on everything.) How about light proofing? I've had some trouble light proofing the seam of the case door, but aluminum foil tape works wonders on everything else. Sorry if i'm hijacking your thread. P.S. did you have as much fun as I did taking out rivets with a screwdriver? Keep tokin man, btw I love your behind the couch scrog, it's total genious.
Not sure of the lumes of the Fresh2 bulbs, never bothered to look because I assume there as much as any other 27watt 2700K bulb out there. There being 2700K is perfect though cuz that's ideal for flowering and that's when the plants stink the most nEwayz As for lighting ya I'm using two 6500K CFL's for veg and two 2700K for flowering. Possibly make one of the 2700K a Fresh2 if more odor neutralization is needed but there kinda pricey at $12 a bulb and I've found the one I have doesn't work that well when it back behind my couch right over the plants but it clears up 100% of the smell in my room if I put it in the ceiling fan light and leave it on for just 10 minutes. Maybe this package I offer could come with a Fresh2 bulb for the room the rig was gonna be in not for in the case. Oh and I made a L bracket, super-glued 2 round magnets on the one side, mounted a twin light socket on the other and it magnetically sticks to the door on the other side of the case. You can slide it up, down, put it on the SIDE of the god damn plant if ya want! (ill get pics of that up soon) Light proofing=Aluminum tape too, still a few leaks to get but I'm waiting on the LCD temp sensor and fan control first. (which I'll wire into the 12v converter powering the fans,.. just hope I have enough mA (milliamps). The specific unit I'm getting has 8 fuckin temp sensors! You'll be able to measure the temp all over the place. Inside the case all over, outside the case, in the dirt if ya want even. Ha! a screwdriver? What did you just beat um out? I used my drill, 8th inch drill bit drilled through a pop rivet takes it right out. That's actually how they recommend you remove them. When I'm done id like this case to be really professional looking so people feel like they bought a solid product. Tuck all the wires away nice ya know PS: It might not look it in the pics but I can get the 2 lights all the way up to the roof without touching the carbon filter so I lost no vertical grow room from it at all.
Stealth Hydro is a rip/consumer alert. Their lights are literally slightly bigger versions of the cfls i bought at home depot. Save your money and go to home depot for those bulbs. They are not specially made bulbs and lamps. Don't waste your time, go to home depot.
I would also recommend not actually installing the scrog fence, but including it with the case. that way, your customers can choose to do a micro SOG too, or just effin... grow a short 1 cola plant if they want. Keep updating us with your ideas, I know I've got my chair pulled up and I'm willing to offer as much advice from a consumer standpoint as possible.
I really like the carbon filter you got there, any comments on its effectiveness? When I was testing my carbon filter I got some of the smelliest garbage, cheese, sandwiches, etc and put it in to see if I could smell anything. (I didn't have any growing at the time ) tryitoutside: thanks for the tip, i have never personally ordered from them, because I thought I could make a better version of everything they sell. (ITS JUST RUBBERMAIDS!) I'm still thinking about using a window sill planter so that the roots can spread out horizontally, but will they actually grow sideways? or will geotropic rules make them grow with gravity?
I just recently killed off a male plant and looked real close at how the roots grew in the 10" pot I had it in. They not only hit the bottom and grew left to right but they grew back up the sides a bit so I'm def looking to get some kind of rectangular window sill like pot for the case, was thinking that from the start not only so the roots could grow out more but so if someone who buys wants to plant 2 plants they can. "smelliest garbage, cheese, sandwiches" Ha!! That's awesome.. I just tested mine an hour ago, I lit an incense stick in the thing and let it burn completely. I know they smell 50X more potent then a pot plant cuz I've used them. If I put my nose right to the case I could smell it a little but but its not even completely light tight yet so I wouldn't expect perfect. One of those sticks usually smells up my entire room though and 3 feet away sitting at my desk I smelled nothing so I'm gonna guess a Fresh2 bulb wont even be needed. tryitoutside: I wish they were cheaper but I love those Home Depot bulbs too. I bought some supposed 100w 6500K bulbs off eBay once and they had no marking on them at all when I got um saying 6500K or watts. and they weren't near as bright as the 100w bulbs from Home Depot to my eyes. China made sold 3 times before it get to you shit like that pisses me off! That's why I want this product I'm working on to be so worth its price tag.
Well, you definitely win the prize for the magnetic light hooks. I had mine hanging with wire and tape, and last night the tape failed and the light landed right in my cup, so now the plant is burned to shit and im 99% sure its dead. So i guess im gonna have to get some L brackets and magnets for the next go around. I'm really pissed by the way.
Seriously, don't let any bad feedback get to you. The progress you guys are making in this is remarkable. The idea of using a server case is great. Put your minds together and I'm sure a crazy ass grow box will come of it! Keep us updated. Actually, if you guys have a final product... PM me.