Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Check out nov/december silicon chip mags for some pic based water level sensors using pressure sensors.... It sends data back wirelessly to a base station to display tank levels, temperature and can control pumps...

I see you have most of it built (gotta love vero board) so it might give you some ideas...

Got every one of them TimC, from 2001 bound in Lever Arch Files.
Very handy those files for that purpose.

Been to Andean area (in Peru) some years ago, Cusco, Sacred Vale of the Incas, Machu Pichu.
That's where I learn about some of the crops,
but had no idea I would find here more than potatoes and corn,
until I saw a pic of your yacon harvest.

December 24 and your water is 10C? Wow it must be cold in Melbourne this year!

I will be using these. They are not fancy, but they are rugged and using a relay to reverse the signal it will work nicely to shut off pumps if water gets to low.

yep, had an arctic blast here before the next heatwave,
missed on two days with 40deg.C over New Year,
spent few days on 90 miles beach

my stocking density didn't warrant any tests for now but were checking
the water temperature,

Early mornings - 1 to 2 deg. C warmer than outside (in shade)
Midday - about 13 to 14 deg. C cooler
Late aft. (6pm) 9 to 10 deg. C cooler

and right now at 11.30 pm both at 25 deg.



hade two homemade microswitch based floatvalves running the sum pumps
but they do not allow for any hysteresis, to many stop/starts,
replaced already one with a conventional floatvalve and will replace
the other as well, but will be excellent for my new need

will be using only 5VDC control voltage with current limiting resistor
instead of 240VAC, so will not have to be so rugged.

hey steve.............good to see you back in action.

is there anyway you can integrate a timer/ logic cct to fix your on/ off probs....bit like a P.I.D controller in a 4-20mA loop

Steady on Bundy.... you've gone all straight on me

no, not worth it, will reuse it for low water detect., no need for hysteresis

Steve,
Been meaning to pass this on to you for some time.
Your height gauge is great, and for me it had a 4" hysteresis.
But if you want more, and I remember discussing with you, it's really simple, without the use of any microcontrollers or timers.

I have attached a circuit diagram to assis with my explanation.

You need:
two switches, one high and one low.
1 240V relay.
Connect them up to latch as shown in the drawing
In the drawing, all level switches OPEN when water goes ABOVE the point. because the microswitches you have have 2 poles you can manage this no problem.
Oh, and you need 2 floats too :-)

ok: here goes

Drilling two holes through one float, put in grommets and a piece of conduit
to pull through a line for the other float, and an extra 240VAC relay.

not much of a problem, but too much hassle

got one floater switch from irrigation shop for about $50 to try,
no piggyback plug, has to be wired in,
will change the other as well

Cocopeat eh? I assume this is pretty much ground up coconut hulls. We sure don't lack for those - I suspect on any given day I could have 2 or 3 hundred coconuts off the farm - I have a shredder. So, a ratio of 1:1 might be good?

The coconut meat can go to pigs and chickens - they love the stuff. (so do I but there is a limit to the amount I can eat!)

You know - I have to stop doing this - I start reading at the beginning of the thread and think I am at the end - when there are six pages more. I guess you could say I am living in the past - sorry.

It's the best way to do it Dude. It might take a few weeks to read everything but u get a feel for how ppls systems have evolved, their issues and how these have been addressed.