Electronic Cycle Timer Controller
The Cycle Timer Controller is a New Zealand made electronic controller which is ideal for growers who need to save money on the electrical running cost of their pumps or for those who can’t find a suitable irrigation controller with the appropriate simplicity or a high enough number of start times.
The Cycle Timer Controller has two dials – one for the “ON Time” (hours, minutes or seconds) and one dial for the “OFF Time” (hours, minutes or seconds).
The Cycle Timer Controller can be supplied with either one or two power relay boxes for cycling 1 or 2 electrical appliances or you can connect two electric solenoid valves into the unit.
The benefits are as follows:
Electricity Savings – In regions where electricity costs are quite high or where electricity is produced via a generator, the cycle timer allows a grower to significantly reduce power consumption.
Irrigation Pump Electricity Savings – Method #1
Divide a re-circulating NFT system into two zones. Each zone can be isolated with an electric solenoid valve. Instead of one large pump feeding an entire re-circulating system all at once, a smaller pump can be used instead and pulse between the two zones.
The cycle timer will power one solenoid valve for the desired “On Time” and leave the other solenoid valve turned off. It then switches over and powers the second solenoid valve while the first one remains turned off. Provided there is no more than a 5 – 10 minute “Off Time” during hot days which can cause plant stress and wilting, this pulsed feeding system will significantly reduce power costs and the plants will enjoy the benefits increased oxygenation of the root zone.
Irrigation Pump Power Savings – Method #2
Divide a re-circulating NFT system into two zones. Each zone can have its own isolated set of feed pipework but share a common set of return pipework running back to a shared tank.
Two smaller pumps can be connected to the feedpipe systems for each zone, with both pumps feeding from the same tank.
Pump #1 for Zone 1 irrigates for a set period of time (.g 5 minutes) while Pump #2 for Zone 2 is deactivated for 5 minutes. The Cycle Timer Controller then switches them over and Pump #1 becomes deactivated for 5 minutes and Pump #2 runs for 5 minutes. This process continues non stop 24 hours a day.
A check valve on each pump prevents them from losing their prime whenever they are deactivated.
The power savings are significant and these savings can be directed towards investing in improved oxygenation equipment or an Automated Dosing controller (E.g a Bluelab Dosetronic) to improve the quality of the crop.
Ideally both pump system should have a venturi attached for oxygenating the tank water or an air pump can be used.
Cycling an Electrical Appliance – Any electrical appliance such as an irrigation pump, hydroponic lighting equipment, air pump etc can be pulsed so that it turns on for a set period of time and off for a period of time.
No 24 Hour Timer Restrictions – Ideal for Indoor Lighting – No longer are indoor growers restricted to a timer that can only offer a 24 hour time period for when using artificial lighting. Most timers are restricted 18 hours ON, 6 hours OFF for Vegetative growth or 12 hours ON 12 hours OFF for the Flowering stage.
Vegetative cycles can now be shorter at 14 hours ON, 4 hours OFF and Flowering cycles of 6 hours ON and 12 hours OFF. If the Cycle Timer controller is used to control the lighting for these shorter time periods alongside the correct environment control equipment (C02 injected 1800ppm, Relative Humidity a 70 – 75%, Temp at 30 – 35C) then excellent yield gains and shorter crop cycles can be obtained.
Superior Start Times – Most irrigation controllers are limited by the number of start times you can program per day or have the inconvenience of having to program a wide range of setpoints. If you have a pump or solenoid valve that needs to be repeatedly turned on and off on the same frequency day in & day out, then the Cycle Timer Controller is ideal for this. Simply program your desired “On Time” and the desired “Off Time”, plug the device you require to be cycled into the Power Relay on the Cycle Timer and leave it to run.
Pricing
Cycle timer + Plug pack NZ$420.00 + GST
The cycle timer has 2 x 24V AC outputs.
It can control 2 x 24V AC appliances direct wired into each 24V AC output (e.g 24V AC solenoid valves)
Or, if you wish to control 240 Volt appliances a Single Power Relay is required for each 240V appliance you wish to control. The 240V appliances plug into each relay and the Cycle Timer controller automatically triggers each relay to turn the appliances on and off.
Each power relay is $110.00 + GST
