IntelliDose™ – The Intelligent Hydroponic Doser
Now doses up to 8 parts (i.e. 7 parts + pH down or 6-parts + pH down + pH up or 3-part nutrient + pH down + 4 enhancers, etc.)!
It’s finally here! The IntelliDose™ autodoser from Autogrow Systems® in New Zealand has arrived in the States and is available through the doser experts, American Hydroponics.
Talk about easy! The era of hand-dosing seven days a week is over. The IntelliDose™ controls your nutrient and pH levels for you, on demand. Whether you are beginning with a small hydroponics garden or making a living as a full scale hydroponic farmer, the IntelliDose™ takes care of your plants!
The IntelliDose™ will dose up to a three part nutrient recipe (additional valves to go above 3-parts also available), with the ability to program adjustable ratios for each of the parts. Imagine the possibilities! As plants consume nutrients, it compensates by adding more nutrient concentrate. As water levels decrease, it can balance the ion ratios in your reservoir by adding water (with installed float valve). It measures in 3 scales, CF, EC or ppm, and can measure from .1 to 99.9 CF / 0-4999 ppm.
Are you tired of fiddling with your pH daily? Tired of calibrating, testing and topping off to make it “just right”? With the IntelliDose™, those days are behind you. Simply calibrate the pH probe twice a month, designate your set point and the IntelliDose™ does the rest. Your plants will love you for it! The IntelliDose™ will run pH Up or pH Down for even better accuracy. The
pH range is 2.0 to 12.0.
Now, for the most exciting part! For the first time ever you can control the unit with your PC. You can easily install software on your computer and connect the IntelliDose™ through a USB cable (all supplied). Once connected, you can run the AutoSet Wizard™ and your system’s dosing times, intervals and necessary levels will be programmed for you. If you like to have more control, you can manually set up the IntelliDose™ via PC or on the monitor itself.
With the IntelliDose™ you can:
- Utilize the data logging feature to track the nutrient uptake, pH fluctuations and temperature changes
- Set the alarm for a phone alert via PC modem if something goes wrong
- Designate different ratios of your A, B and C nutrients for exact measurements
- Automatically adjust your nutrient levels between day and night
So, take a leap into the future and unleash yourself from your reservoir! Contact the pH and nutrient dosing experts at BetterGrow Hydro at info@bghydro.com to find out more information.
The IntelliDose Complete includes:
- Intellidose monitor
- Sample pot
- Probes
- Calibration solution
- Software
- USB interface
- Instruction manual
- All hardware
In order to have a complete pH & TDS/EC dosing system you need to purchase the Intellidose Complete, either the 4-Part Solenoid Board or the Peristaltic Triple Pump Set, at least one pH Stock Tank Kit or Acid Tank Fitting Kit, and either a set of 1-Part Nutrient Stock Tank Kits or Nutrient Tank Fitting Kits (one kit for each nutrient part i.e. 2 kits for a 2-part nutrient or 3 kits for a 3-part nutrient). You will also need to "tee" off of your existing water pump (if it is strong enough) or purchase at least a 200 gph
4-Part Solenoid Board: Includes 4 Solenoids, mounting board and all hardware. After placing the nutrient stock tanks on a shelf, you would mount the solenoid board to the wall below the tanks. You would then attach the tubing (included) from the stock tanks to the top of the solenoids. You would also attach a tube from your pH stock tank to one of the solenoids. Then, you run tubing from the bottom of the solenoids directly to your reservoir. When the reservoir needs nutrients or pH up or down, the solenoids click open for a defined period of time, allowing the nutrients or pH adjusters to flow from the stock tanks, through the open solenoid valves, into the reservoir.
Peristaltic Triple Pump Set: Includes 3 commercial grade dosing pumps; 1 pump for your "A" nutrient, 1 pump for your "B" nutrient, and 1 pump for either pH up or pH down. If you wanted to dose a 3-part nutrient solution, you would use all 3 pumps for your 3 nutrient parts and then purchase a Single Solenoid to use for the pH up or pH Down. You could also purchase 2 Single Solenoids to dose both pH up and pH down (although most growers find they only need to dose one or the other). Peristaltic pumps are similar to what you might find in a hospital or an operating room; they pump very precise amounts of liquid. The main advantages that the Peristaltic pumps have over using Solenoid valves is that Solenoids require gravity to function. The stock tanks containing the nutrients have to be placed above the solenoids, and the solenoids have to be placed above the reservoir. The Peristaltic pumps don't have this limitation, since they can suck the solution from the stock tanks, even if the tanks are placed lower than the pumps, and pump them into the reservoir, which can also be placed either higher or lower than the pumps. Peristaltic pumps are also more accurate at metering out specific amounts of nutrients and don't require as much "dialing-in" as Solenoids do.
Single Solenoid: Includes 1 solenoid and all hardware. Single solenoids are useful for increasing the number of nutrient or enhancer parts that can be dosed by the Intellidose.
Nutrient Stock Tank Kit - 1 Part: Includes 5 gallon bucket with lid, 8' of 1/2" tubing, tank fitting, ball valve and adapter. You need one kit for each nutrient part you wish to dose (i.e. 2 kits for a 2-part nutrient, 3 kits for a 3-part, etc.). You can also choose to use a fitting kit along with your own buckets, or create something yourself.
pH Stock Tank Kit - 1 Part: Includes 64 ounce bucket with lid, 8' of 1/2" tubing, tank fitting, ball valve and adapter. Can be used to hold either pH up or pH down.
Nutrient Tank Fitting Kit: Includes tank fitting, ball valve and adapter. Add your own bucket and tubing to make a complete nutrient tank kit.
Acid Tank Fitting Kit: Includes tank fitting, ball valve and adapter. Add your own acid-resistant bucket and tubing to make a complete nutrient tank kit. Can be used for either pH down or pH up.
Relay Box - Twin 24 DC: The Intellidose has the ability to automatically dump all or part of your reservoir for you at predefined times. Some growers dump their reservoir once per week, others dump a small amount each day and rarely do a complete change, and the Intellidose has the ability to handle both scenarios, without you even having to be present! If you wanted to take advantage of this feature, then you would need a relay box and a an additional water pump. The relay box gets wired directly to the IntelliDose, and has two outlets. Handles a maximum of 15 amps total.
BGH realizes that the Intellidose sounds like a very complicated device, but in reality is very simple to setup and use. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding the Intellidose system and our experts will be happy to assist you.
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Works tirelessly to keep your nutrient tank in perfect balance.
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Automatically adds nutrients and corrects pH as the plants feed.
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Built-in USB – PC interface with USB cable and IntelliGrow software included.
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Simple to operate – with AutoSet
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Good looking and smart – the perfect companion for your nutrient tank
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1 part, 2 part and 3 part dosing with variable ratios
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20 week schedule to automate A:B:C ratio and EC changes
Feature packed
This hydroponic doser sets a new benchmark in the small dosing controller market. The Intelli-Dose is absolutely feature packed to enable it to cope with just about any hydroponic system. Just take a look at the specification overleaf.
Simple to operate
The secret to its simplicity is that the controller can be configured to suit various systems and when this is done all of the irrelevant settings disappear from the menus and PC screens. In addition to this, the controller can even be instructed to set itself up.
Knowledge is power
Once you have used the PC interface you will never go back to a controller without it. The reason is simple; you get to see all the settings in one list – no more fumbling around looking for a menu screen. You also get accurate logs of exactly what happened – you can see at a glance just what effect each dose is having and if anything starts to go wrong you will see it immediately. In addition, the PC can sound an alarm or even phone you if anything goes wrong.
Special functions
The controller can be set to operate with a different EC for day and night. Plants need weaker nutrient when they are transpiring in the heat of the day and stronger nutrient at cooler times. Now you can give them exactly what they need. An “add water output” can be used to reduce the EC as required. The irrigation output can be used to switch on an irrigation pump periodically to irrigate plants grown in pots. This can also have different settings for day/night.
AutoSet may be used to initially set the dosing timings. Just fill reservoir tank with plain water and stock tanks with regular solution – then select AutoSet. The system will perform a series of tests (by dosing and measuring the results) in order to automatically set the system dosing times.
For standard 2 part nutrients, proportional dosing may be selected so that it makes bigger doses when it is a long way from the setpoint and smaller doses as the setpoint is approached. A 20 week schedule can be entered that automatically adjusts the EC and even the A:B:C (or A:B1:B2) ratio over the first 20 weeks of the plants growth. Now, how intelligent is that?
Features:-
Nutrient measured in EC, CF or TDS (user selectable)
Temperature measured in oC or oF (user selectable)
Date format dd/mm/yy or mm/dd/yy (user selectable)
Doses 1 part, 2 part or 3 part nutrients (adjustable ratios for 3 parts)
20 week scheduling of A:B:C ratios and EC - fully automatic changes every monday morning
Doses pH lower and/or pH raise
Autoset – automatically tests the system to choose best settings for dosing times and interval
Proportional dosing available for 1 and 2 part mixes (not suitable for 3 part)
20 week scedule for EC and A:B:C ratio
Possible to set different EC for day and night (avoid tip burn on lettuce etc)
Can raise EC (by dosing) or lower EC (by automatically adding extra water)
Three types of alarm independently selectable – local siren, PC sound card, phone alert via PC modem. All alarms can be independently disabled.
Irrigation pump output (or can be used for lighting control) programmed by time of day or time interval (different interval for day/night).
Fail safe dosing shut outs – stops dosing if probe failure detected or if it suspects incorrect settings.
USB cable and IntelliGrowTM PC software supplied for Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP. Supports up to two Intellidose controllers
Specifications:-
Nutrient measurement units EC, CF or TDS (EC x 500)
Measured range 0.00 to 9.99EC, 0.1 to 99.9CF, 0 to 1999 ppm
Nutrient resolution 0.01 mS/cm, 0.1 CF, xxx ppm
Nutrient measurement accuracy +/- 0.1 EC, 1.0 CF or 10ppm - temperature compensated
Nutrient dosing range 0.00 to 5.99EC, 0.1 to 59.9CF, 0 to 1190 ppm
pH resolution and accuracy – 0.1 pH
pH measurement range 2pH to 12pH
pH dosing range 5 to 7 pH
Nutrient and pH dosing times settable from 1 second to 30 seconds
Dosing interval settable from 0 minutes (continuous dosing) to 30 minutes
Dosing operates valves sequentially to reduce power surge
Temperature resolution and accuracy 1oC, 2oF
Temperature range 0-50oC, 32-125 oF
Operating temperature range 0-50oC, 32-125oF (and not in direct sunlight)
Power source – mains transformer pack supplied - 24VAC; specify mains voltage and pin type (power to controller can be between 12V and 24V either AC or DC)
Outputs will have the same voltage as the supplied voltage from the power pack. The supplied transformer is 24V AC and so the outputs will be 24V AC.
Large graphics display using simple four key interface (similar to cell phone key operation)
Nutrient sensor uses DiPulseTM technique to resist fouling
Dosing shut-off
- if nutrient is below 0.1EC, 1CF, 10ppm
- if pH below 4.5 or above 8.0
- if dosing effect is counterintuitive ie by dosing pH lower the measured pH goes up
- if sensor fault detected
Supplied with PC software and 5m USB cable
Can also be supplied with solenoid valve kit or peristaltic pump kit