Hey Kyle,
I built this for a farm in Shrewsbury, VT so I asked them to answer your questions since they're the one using it now. Answers in-line below:
*Was the humidity and temperature relatively consistent on the top shelf vs. bottom? Was there any drastic difference in germination times?*
Germination was consistent throughout the chamber...I haven't measured any difference in temperature and humidity from top to bottom, but on a practical level it works great.
*How has the heating/water system held up over time? (you mention the galvanic reaction above - is it worth going with stainless?)*
It's only been in use for a year, but there haven't been any issues with the materials.
*Any other substitutions in materials you would have made in hindsight?*
I'm happy with the materials. Some things we learned are that its necessary to cover the seeds more than if they were going to naturally germinate...the high humidity environment can cause the plants to send their roots into the air, rather than the soil. We're going to experiment by partially covering the top of the water reservoir to keep the humidity below 100%. It's also imperative to remove the trays just before germination...in the completely dark environment we've had trays with no sign of germination one evening, and the next morning the cotyledons are over an inch off of the soil on a thin leggy stem.
Chris-- We'd be thrilled to work with you, share content, co-develop, etc. Perhaps a phone conversation could bring us closer to a concrete concept of what that might look like.
The plumbing heat tape works great and it's safe. Built in thermostat makes it good for this application. This is being used in VA right now so not the coldest temperatures. Would love to see it tested at a colder climate. Report back if you do, please.
Improving the user experience of the site is emerging from our [Organizers Calls](http://farmhack.org/tools/organizers-call) and web development conversations as a high priority. All are welcome to join in the collaborative development and brainstorming processes at any time.
We have a developer working on a usability study for the site at the moment. The outcome will be more helpful feedback like what you're providing here. It will ultimately result in the FH site being easier to use and more accessible.
We're also talking about automating "Welcome" messages when users register and when they make their first post. These would users the documentation and usability guidance which should be more apparent.
We do have documentation guidance in the [Tool Template](http://farmhack.org/tools/tool-template-wiki) but it may not be that accessible. The [getting started](http://farmhack.org/wiki/getting-started) page at the top of the home screen may help with that but perhaps it needs to be made more readily available and interactive.
Thanks again for the comments.
*Improve by collaboration, grow by participation*
Comments
In general, I'm wondering how
What platform is appropedia built on?
What kind of heater cords for roofs?
Thank you for the feedback!
Welcome, Mark!