A Couple Speed Bumps in the Race

It should surprise no one that with every competition there are a few ups and downs. My heart goes out to the Hubble Master and how he's coping with all this 'Fine English Weather' we're having. Even the Manual Mater Maker is subject to 'brown outs' - with her investor putting the kibosh on her most decidedly Earth Unfriendly space heater. Looks like no one is safe from the unexpected.

Myself included. While the Mater Matic is very self-sufficient, it has had a couple 'speed bumps' as well. I discovered why I've seen high consumption of water from my reservoirs. It wasn't so much from the wicking as it was from the siphoning. My pressure reducer is also a backflow preventer, which unbeknownst to me will drain water at the slightest amount of back pressure. As the Mater-Matic pushes water 'uphill', the water in the main line holds a certain amount of pressure due to its 'head', or vertical height from the source. Why it backflows only some of the time is still a mystery, but the effect was noticed when the watering tubes were submerged. When the reservoirs filled up, the tips of the feeder lines were in the water. So when the water supply shut off, the backflow started, and it drew the water back through the feed lines, down the main line and out the preventer. My solution was to use a couple clips to hold the feed tubes above the waterline. While this won't stop backflow from the mainline, at least it won't continue to siphon the reservoirs.

I also had another minor setback - remember when I mentioned the game plan to hook up a fan for ventilation?

ZZzzttt ... POOOF!

Fortunately, no squirrels were harmed in the making of this ventilation system, however after the smoke cleared (literally, although it was just a couple wisps coming from the motor), I realized two things 1) I fried my fan, even at 12 volts DC and less than 1 amp of draw, and 2) I need to go find a 'Electrical Wiring for Dummies' book. At least I can beat you two to the jab :)

I've also oriented my lights vertically. This will bring all sides to bear on lighting my trays, and hopefully give an even spread. It took some finagling with the supports, along with a few other mods. As you can see to the right, I've used an extra pegboard hanger and some adhesive strips to re-position my thermometer/hygrometer  I've also moved the lights down closer to the seedlings.

Incidentally, the top number is the relative humidity and the bottom is the temperature. Less easily seen are the number pairs on the right, indicating the daily high/low reading for both.

Trials and tribulations aside, I still have the lead in the number of seedlings in the race. Three more popped up today, bringing my total to 17 sprouts. Having so many means better odds in finding a few champions, but it also means I must take a wider photo. So you two can jab all you want about size. I have my dime in place to give you all a sense of height (to the right of the bulb)...