Probe health check/cleaning/calibration

Russel_Richardson · July 8, 2020, 5:46pm

Oh really, from Grobo? I didn’t know they had that in a video.
It needs to be within the app or weekly notifications though cause I feel like not a lot of people are doing it

Cutty3026 · July 8, 2020, 5:53pm

Yeah i misread it does say 3 months check but I still will be doing mine like I say every other month especially if you use different types of additives

vegetato · July 8, 2020, 5:54pm

Have any tricks for for getting the res lid open when the roots have decided to hook around things and clamp it shut? I usually wait until end of grow when this happens as they seem to snap apart easier after they’ve dried out.

buzzy6 · July 8, 2020, 6:09pm

Makes some sense

Cutty3026 · July 8, 2020, 6:24pm

Yeah push the pod into reservoir and quickly retrieve it after you take lid off…but like you say it will have to be done at harvest

SWSVIC · July 8, 2020, 6:28pm

I asked the same, definitely bugs me out, don’t know which option is the lesser of two evils… do you chance it and not calibrate until the end of the grow, or chance it and risk ripping up roots that could be entangled?

vegetato · July 8, 2020, 6:39pm

I would check the drained water and see what that pH level is, if it looks off then chance it – if it doesn’t then leave it be.

It hasn’t been using either pH up or pH down lately so am not too concerned but have been wondering if there’s any trick to minimizing the tearing of roots when they wrapped around things. There is a lot of resistance when trying to open the lid, and some roots have managed to hold my bottom float sensor up – that’s what I’d really like to reach in and fix.

SWSVIC · July 8, 2020, 6:43pm

Yes, I always do. So far it has been perfect and I agree, little to no pH up or down is used. (I pre-pH)

SWSVIC · July 8, 2020, 6:44pm

They reached in around the plexiglass root guard?!

Cutty3026 · July 8, 2020, 6:44pm

Now that’s tough

vegetato · July 8, 2020, 7:18pm

Yeah, I can dig up a pic of it earlier on – had noticed one strand making its way behind but it was only one little root at the time.

Fast forward a few weeks and then the sensor stopped working.

This was the last I saw of that root:

I should’ve dealt with it at the time but didn’t notice until it was too late (sensor had stopped working, and res was held tight at that point).

SWSVIC · July 8, 2020, 7:19pm

Tricky little sucker

vegetato · July 8, 2020, 7:31pm

Agreed. I’m going to put an airstone in that little chamber next time, I think there is some current from my existing placement which causes the roots to gravitate to that area.

Todd.grobo · July 9, 2020, 1:38am

agreed. On day 53 myself so ill check mine this weekend.

Pedro_Semorile · July 9, 2020, 4:23am

This is a great suggestion !!!

Russel_Richardson · July 9, 2020, 5:31am

I’m not going to lie I’ve been lifting mine every d/f. I have fungus gnats so they’ve been under the hood. I can lift mine up 5" at least until I feel roots tugging. Let me tell you I have lots of roots lol. Maybe just luck of the draw this time or maybe cause I keep lifting it’s made it easier for me. I got both probes out no problem. My lights are off currently so I’ll do the check in the morning, just getting home from work. Nothing like welding in 40+ degrees lol

I’ll post my findings when I clean it

Russel_Richardson · July 9, 2020, 5:42am

Even if you can just get the front of the lid open enough to get the top of the probe wire, that’s what I would do and just try and wiggle it out of the little slot it’s in.

I’ll try out some ways to see if I can describe it better cause I have some room to play with lol. Better me trying things out than you if your worried about the roots tearing

SWSVIC · July 9, 2020, 12:03pm

Thanks Russ

Russel_Richardson · July 9, 2020, 5:44pm

So yeah I don’t even lift the whole lid. For now anyway, I just lift the front up. My girl is between the two fans and tilting it up gives me ample room, it’s more than 5" clearance at the moment so getting them is no problem for me