Timer 1 - 20 minutes every hour (HELP)

[pyejonny]

Hi all I am a complete beginner at electronics all I have is a breadboard (picture attached) and a load of components, what I need to build is a circuit that turns a normal 1.5v battery operated air pump on 1 - 20 minutes every hour, ideally id like it to only turn on only when its light but that is only if it is feasible within the limits of my breadboard. I am at a loss with this, I have tried many walk-throughs and tried to understand how it will work but I am at my final straw.

if anyone has the time to upload a picture of how I would complete this circuit on my breadboard I would be unbelievably grateful.

 

[GreenGiant]

does it need to vary between 1-20 minutes or is that something you will set every time it comes on?

while this is definitely possible to do, it is not going to be easy, and your breadboard is a little small for pretty much all of the possible solutions that I can come up with.

The only 2 solutions that I can come up with for a board that size would be use a microcontroller (like an arduino or similar), or use a time on/time off relay setup with a controller potentiometer. I cant imagine you would have either in a collection of just general components, but it is something to look for.

 

[pyejonny]

Hi there I have a potentiometer it says B10k on the bottom. what if it was just say 10 minutes every hour rather than a variable amount would that make it a lot easier? Or if I was to make it a variable amount but only 10 or 20 minutes every hour.

ideally if the latter option of 10 or 20 minutes is easy enough that would be preferable. thank you for the help.

 

[pyejonny]

The project I'm working on is a hydroponic system that uses an aeration pump to carry water around the plants. its a 1.5 V battery operated air pump that I need to create a circuit that gives the option of having it completely off or running 10 or 20 minutes inside every hour of daylight to feed the plants.

Though if it is a lot easier to have one time, the best would probably be 15 minutes of every hour during daylight.