This may be a bit lengthy, so bear with me...
Does anyone see a market for a standard sprinkler controller that can also be remotely controlled? Think of your run of the mill controller, let's say something like this one - http://irritrol.com/controllers/controllers_kwikdial.html Now imagine the knob was removed, and all programming and manual zone control could be done through menus on an LCD. You would have a few buttons to navigate through the menus and to set the time, manually turn zones on and off, set schedules, etc... at the controller itself just like any other controller. Now add to this a Serial port and or Ethernet port, maybe even a power-line interface like Insteon.
The idea is that it could be installed and programmed by a non-techy person, say a landscaper (also think new home construction), just like any other controller. BUT, it can also be connected to a network so that schedules can be overridden due to weather conditions and tied into a full blown automation system. This way one could still manually adjust sprinkler heads without having to run to a PC to turn zones on and off, or if a program was running, you could just walk over to the controller and cancel it. The idea would be similar to any automated light switch where you have a manual control of a light, yet still have the automation capability.
The reason I'm asking is because I'm looking to build such a thing and possibly selling it if all went well. I love HA, and can't stand working for the man anymore. I have a few other product ideas as well, but I really have a need for something like this so I figured I'd start with this idea first.
Your thoughts?
Does anyone see a market for a standard sprinkler controller that can also be remotely controlled? Think of your run of the mill controller, let's say something like this one - http://irritrol.com/controllers/controllers_kwikdial.html Now imagine the knob was removed, and all programming and manual zone control could be done through menus on an LCD. You would have a few buttons to navigate through the menus and to set the time, manually turn zones on and off, set schedules, etc... at the controller itself just like any other controller. Now add to this a Serial port and or Ethernet port, maybe even a power-line interface like Insteon.
The idea is that it could be installed and programmed by a non-techy person, say a landscaper (also think new home construction), just like any other controller. BUT, it can also be connected to a network so that schedules can be overridden due to weather conditions and tied into a full blown automation system. This way one could still manually adjust sprinkler heads without having to run to a PC to turn zones on and off, or if a program was running, you could just walk over to the controller and cancel it. The idea would be similar to any automated light switch where you have a manual control of a light, yet still have the automation capability.
The reason I'm asking is because I'm looking to build such a thing and possibly selling it if all went well. I love HA, and can't stand working for the man anymore. I have a few other product ideas as well, but I really have a need for something like this so I figured I'd start with this idea first.
Your thoughts?