Crafted by Hand in the USA
Made for Botanical Timelapse
To film plants, you need automation. You can’t be stepping into the set every few hours without disturbing the shot. Whether you’re running pumps for watering, foggers to keep mushrooms vibrant, or misting systems to maintain an entire environment, everything has to happen on schedule and without touching the subject.
You also need to separate grow lighting from fill lighting. Plants require real day and night cycles, while your camera often needs a very different light profile to expose the scene properly. This controller lets you run both independently: strong, biologically accurate grow lights for the plants, and clean, stable fill lighting for the camera, each on its own schedule and fully isolated.
The result is predictable lighting, healthy plants, and perfectly stable footage over long shoots
Precision Control Module
For the control module I’m using the dual core ESP32-S3. It’s fast, dependable, and keeps the timing accurate over long shoots.
The OLED screen is intentionally subtle: high-contrast for visibility, but not brightenough that it won’t cast light into the scene or affect exposure. Programming is handled through a dedicated EDIT button and a four-button navigation cluster.
High-Power Solid-State Outputs
I built the system around four grounded outlets, each driven by its own discrete solid-state relay. Every channel is fully isolated and rated for up to 25 amps, so you can run lights, pumps, foggers—whatever your setup needs—without worrying about flicker, chatter, or mechanical relay wear.
High-Capacity Power Architecture
For power, I designed this to be more than just a relay box. The main 120/240V bus is wired with 12-gauge conductors, so it can comfortably handle high-powered industrial grow lights while still leaving headroom for pumps, foggers, or studio fixtures on the other channels. A dedicated 5V bus runs the control electronics and peripherals cleanly, isolated from the heavy AC work. There’s also a built-in power meter so you can see, at a glance, how much load you’re pulling and keep everything in a safe operating zone.
Rugged Design
I built the enclosure to handle real-world abuse. It’s impact-resistant, easy to carry, and uses a push-pull active cooling system to keep the relays and power hardware running safely. The handle makes it simple to move around the set or grow room, and the whole housing is designed to stay solid and reliable wherever you put it.