Hello everyone,
I’m new here and I want to buy a Farmbot, but first I have to know some information about the maximum height; just because I will put it inside a grow room.
So, could someone tell me how much is the distance of the highest point of the arm when it is raised to the maximum height with respect to the tracks?
To better understand I am sending you a photo of the distance I would like to measure, but I would need to know when the arm is in the highest position.
@lukef We just went out and measured. The vertical distance from the top of a raised bed to the top of the z-motor cover with the z-axis fully raised is 1,465mm. It would be safe to use in an enclosure with a ceiling height above 1.5 meters.
Is it possible to cultivate at different height than the one of the raised bed ? If so, what is the maximum cultivable height above the raised bed, and the minimum Farmbot reachable height below the raised bed level ?
@lukef If I am understanding you correctly, you are asking if you can grow plants at a level that is above the normal soil height. This is possible, but:
If you raise the plants too high, they will eventually hit the gantry when they grow to full height, which could lead to problems.
If you go too low, the gantry will not be able to reach the plants. This may or may not be a problem depending on what you are trying to do (eg: photography and watering would still work, but seeding would be a challenge).
Other things to keep in mind:
The z-axis has a set of screws that can be used to shorten the travel path. If you don’t want to use the full length of the Z-Axis, you can adjust some screws so that the motor never travels past that point.
There is a SOIL HEIGHT setting that can be adjusted from the web app
There is a STOP AT MAX setting that can be set on a per-axis basis
There is a SAFE-Z feature that allows you to set a “safe height” to avoid hitting objects at a certain height.
All rails (X,Y,Z) can be cut with a saw to an appropriate length. Cutting the Z-Axis to a shorter height will require a high level of precision as well as possible adjustments to the lead screw. I haven’t seen anyone do this, but it would be possible with a careful effort.
I Would like to cultivate some very short vegetables at two different levels. The first level will be slightly below the raised bed level so it will be fine, the other one is above. I wanted to know how above the raised bed level the Farmbot could operate so that I don’t go too high.
@lukef That seems like an interesting idea, but how are you planning on accessing both levels? Won’t the top level block the gantry from accessing the second level?
Also, as an example of how small a FarmBot can be, here is a photo of my “FarmBot Jr.”. It is used mostly for software testing at my desk. As you can see, it is possible to make the device very small.
