Power strip (5+ outlets) with a weekly timer?

kdt15 · Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:42 am

Anyone got recommendations for these, or at the very least just one with a timer so i can do 12/12 or 18/6 or something (for everything on the strp)?

Wed Mar 07, 2018 3:41 pm

I'm not sure about a power strip that's 5+ with a timer... or a timer with more than 4 plugs. I did find this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002TQUF ... 0436628140. but it's only 4 outlets on timer 4 always on outlets.. so you would need two of them for 5+

my first though was daisy chain the a.c. sides to get you down too one or two outlets used over 5+.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084 ... k_id%7D%7D

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147 ... k_id%7D%7D

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y ... k_id%7D%7D

there's the male and female connectors and the cables to daisy chain. a few wagos and some shrink wrap would also be useful.

I'm guessing the daisy chain parts would be a little cheaper than 2 of those power strips... but way more work... including soldering.

edit: kinda had a drup moment.. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0V4F1P/re ... il_5?psc=1

there's always "T" connectors.. 2 drivers on 1 a.c. cord... if your using 110v just make sure you get a cord that can handle the amps.. ( I forget what driver size your running.. but 2 hlg320's is almost 7 amps combined.. need 10 amp cord)

ShowMe · Mon Mar 12, 2018 7:56 pm

I started out using these programmable power strips. I don't think they are a good idea. The ones I've used rely on a little watch battery to keep time, and the manufacturers want you to replace them every 6 months or so. If the power goes out or if you trip a breaker when the battery is dead, the strips will lose their settings and revert to default. It's happened a few times, and had one incident where the lights were on for about 36hrs during flower and it totally screwed my bud up.

You can get two Sonoff POW modules for the price of one programmable power strip: https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-pow.html

You can change the schedule and check electricity usage from your phone, and all the settings stay if the power cuts out. The "POW" is my favorite Sonoff device so far, but they have some $5 switches that would work, too.

kdt15 · Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:21 am

ShowMe wrote: ↑
Mon Mar 12, 2018 7:56 pm
I started out using these programmable power strips. I don't think they are a good idea. The ones I've used rely on a little watch battery to keep time, and the manufacturers want you to replace them every 6 months or so. If the power goes out or if you trip a breaker when the battery is dead, the strips will lose their settings and revert to default. It's happened a few times, and had one incident where the lights were on for about 36hrs during flower and it totally screwed my bud up.

You can get two Sonoff POW modules for the price of one programmable power strip: https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-pow.html

You can change the schedule and check electricity usage from your phone, and all the settings stay if the power cuts out. The "POW" is my favorite Sonoff device so far, but they have some $5 switches that would work, too.

so for these 2, do i just plug these into a wall outlet, then plug in a power strip into the device, perhaps 5 strip outlets each to hit 10?

ShowMe · Tue Mar 13, 2018 4:19 pm

One switch would probably suffice, I just said two to illustrate how inexpensive these things are. Check this video out: https://youtu.be/DyN4tn9v8zA

You could cut a power cord and wire the thing in like the guy did in the video. If you have a power strip already you would just cut the power cord, strip the wires, push them into the sonoff switch, and secure everything with electrical tape. It would be much better to mount the sonoffs with your drivers and work it in with their wiring so you can get individual control. You can get as nutty as you want with it.

Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:50 am

I'm super tempted to try messing with these things too. Let me know what you think if you end up getting them.

Sativant · Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:05 pm

I've been using several of them for about 6 weeks, including the Sonoff Pow. While they are cheap, relatively easy to set up, they sometimes go offline. I would not rely on them for a timer for anything important as they could potentially just go on or off at the wrong time and mess up your crop, for example. It is really nice to be able to monitor the environment in my closet while I'm at work. I can also control all the parameters remotely. It is cheapest to buy them directly from itead.cc . They take little while to arrive, but they're about half what they list for on Amazon.

I do use them for environmental control. I have a Sonoff TH16 to monitor temperature and humidity and control heat or exhaust fan accordingly. The TH16 turns on the heat when needed, and tells another (Sonoff Basic) switch to turn on or off the exhaust fan. When they've gone offline they haven't screwed things up too much.

It is possible to reflash their firmware so that they don't rely on an internet connection, just a network connection to one's own server, which can be something as simple as a Raspberry Pi, for example.
I think it's worth looking into these switches. I plan on using the Sonoff Pow to dial my light to the desired wattage. Once DigiKey sends me my backordered strips...

MoosingAround · Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:05 pm

The sonoffs are great for how cheap they are. One thing to note is that the older models don't have an Earth ground pass through, and you're going to want your driver and frame grounded. I think all the POWs do (at least mine do).

I can't speak to their reliability, as I've only had one running with default firmware on an 18w seedling light for a month.

The community @ home-assistant.io/ have integrated sonoff. It was pretty easy to get working on a Pi, and can put together charts of wireless sensor readings and wifi webcam into a cool little page.

Sativant · Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:08 pm

MoosingAround wrote: ↑
Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:05 pm
The sonoffs are great for how cheap they are. One thing to note is that the older models don't have an Earth ground pass through, and you're going to want your driver and frame grounded. I think all the POWs do (at least mine do).

I can't speak to their reliability, as I've only had one running with default firmware on an 18w seedling light for a month.

The community @ home-assistant.io/ have integrated sonoff. It was pretty easy to get working on a Pi, and can put together charts of wireless sensor readings and wifi webcam into a cool little page.

You can just wire the ground around the switch, as it doesn't have to go through it, if you know what I mean.

Yes-the Home Assistant integration seems to be the way to go. That's what I'm aiming to do. As soon as I can do it successfully. I have Home Assistant on my Pi, just haven't had time to configure it correctly.
Do you have it working on a Raspberry Pi, Moosing ?