Fiber optic cables direct light straight to fan leaves.

[gradolabs]

This spectrometer gives a real time feed through, you guessed it, a fiber optic cable to discern the boundaries of your light cone. Carefully position your light source to cover the most sensitive areas of your plants to maximize photosynthesis. It is a grand, though, so file this under gifts for the eccentric billionaire.

http://www.amazonsupply.com/dp/B007V5ZXHM/ref=pd_sim_1

 

[gradolabs]

The interior, housing the diodes and optics, will be treated with barium sulfate, or a thin machined cylinder of spectralon if it's cheaper these days. Rough figures for the reflective efficiency of mylar, BASO4, and spectralon, are 85, 95, and 99 percent respectively.

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/Barium_Sulfate.pdf
That's an academic link regarding barium sulfate.

http://www.labsphere.com/products/r...tings/high-reflectance-materials/default.aspx
That's a commercial link regarding spectralon.

 

[gradolabs]

I can't wait to throw the switch on the prototype for the first time. It's going to burn a hole through my ceiling and shoot down a satellite. Like I need the trouble.

A conversation with my lab partner:

"Maybe we should turn it down..."
"Yeah... hold up I'm getting a phone call. NA...SA... huh, probably a salesmen."

 

[gradolabs]

This week is electronics engineering intensive... working on the hardware package that'll monitor the junction temperature and display it on a single line dot matrix or led display so you can keep the temps regulated with absolute certainty. Thermistors are the key here, who's resistance varies with the temperature of the semiconductor. Measure the resistance and do a little math and bingo bango, you've got yourself a digital thermometer. Gotta keep them temps low if I'm gunna have 7 five watt leds sitting in a tin can.

 

[JM]

fantastic work here you're doing grado...
Cant wait to see it's prototype!!!

I also cant wait to get our testers all back together...
this place will be a lot busier again...

 

[gradolabs]

http://embedded-lab.com/blog/?p=916
That's an open source digital thermometer using a pic microcontroller. Too easy.

Geez, I am way too close to actually building this. What did I get myself into, I wonder... In two weeks I went from hey wouldn't it be fucking sweet if blah blah blah to... hey, what color do you want me to anodize the case for you? I blame the internet. If Leonardo da Vinci had an ipad with wifi he would have taken over the world.

 

[gradolabs]

Next problem... I'm going to add a small relay and timer to the circuit so you can easily program it to turn on and off at regular intervals. Who knows, maybe even a wifi or bluetooth chip so you can control it with your smartphone. The sky is my limit.

 

[gradolabs]

 

[JM]

nie breadboard work mate1 ;gthumb; i can see this is gonna be stellar! :dance2: :booya:

 

[gradolabs]

I cant take credit - thats a pic from the tutorial, but it helps me stay focused. Easy to replicate and infinitely useful.