The RAIN8 units dont really look to do what I need. I'd reallu like something controllable from my home server (or a web page would be better) as well as from the physical location. If I am workin on the sprinklers I wont be able to trudge in the house to turn them on covered in mud. Any ideas?
Seeking very cool home irrigation controller
- Thread starter nexus99
- Start date
AnthonyZ
Active Member
So, are you wanting to bring up control of the sprinklers from, say, a laptop that you've brought outside? Easiest that comes to mind, since you're an HAI user is to use the HAI relay board and then control from either PC Access or SnapLink. Or you could use the Rain8 for connection to the solenoids and still use PC Access or SnapLink to run 'em.
I use a combination of:
Rain8Net relay boxes (for valves and to control pump relays)
MainLobby Server - running on a PC
MLComDevice plugin (supporting the Rain8Net boxes via RS232)
MLComDevice plugin (supporting the WGL W80032 RF receiver via RS232)
X10 Palm Pad RF transmitter
Basically, when I am outside fiddling with sprinkler heads, I can hit the X10 Palm pad that transmits to the W800R32 receiver. MLComDevice then interprets the serial data which "tells" MainLobby Server that "Someone just hit the "A1" button On". MLServer is configured to listen for that A1 command. It responds by telling MLComDevice "go tell relay 3 on Rain8Net box 2 to turn on".
Of course for daily use, there is a schedule for regular watering. There is also a touchscreen where the user can interact with the system from indoors.
Rain8Net relay boxes (for valves and to control pump relays)
MainLobby Server - running on a PC
MLComDevice plugin (supporting the Rain8Net boxes via RS232)
MLComDevice plugin (supporting the WGL W80032 RF receiver via RS232)
X10 Palm Pad RF transmitter
Basically, when I am outside fiddling with sprinkler heads, I can hit the X10 Palm pad that transmits to the W800R32 receiver. MLComDevice then interprets the serial data which "tells" MainLobby Server that "Someone just hit the "A1" button On". MLServer is configured to listen for that A1 command. It responds by telling MLComDevice "go tell relay 3 on Rain8Net box 2 to turn on".
Of course for daily use, there is a schedule for regular watering. There is also a touchscreen where the user can interact with the system from indoors.
I use a Rain8 UPB with my HAI Omni, the Omni has a program to schedule it.
I use my iPhone with H@me or WebLink II from a browser to manually control the valves for testing purposes (usually iPhone out in the yard).
pete_c
Guru
I use Rain8 via MCS Sprinklers. I test with a Palmpad or touch screen interface. I can remotely control or modify it via the internet. Initially started with a Rainbird controller. It had no interface to a computer. The application waters the lawn based on a number of variables that it gets from my weather station, moisture sensors, internet weather, water flow meters and last a schedule (odd / even and timeslots in a day). There are watering restrictions where I live and the cost of water is excessive.
Here are some screenshots -
Touch screen
Zone status web interface
Calendar view
Rain8Net mounted inside of RainBird Box
Here are some screenshots -
Touch screen
Zone status web interface
Calendar view
Rain8Net mounted inside of RainBird Box
TXFlatLander
Active Member
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
I use an older Relay-8 with X-10 control and also use a Palm Pad remote. Best thing about that remote is when using it while trouble shooting problems (nothing like finding a leak and being able to turn the zone on and off while hovering over the trouble spot).
Just about any web page can be brought up on a pocket PC, iPod Touch, or iPhone which is how I manually control my sprinklers while I'm working on them. Before I got the iPhone I used an X-10 PalmPad to trigger the manual events. I use an EtherRain8 controller from QuickSmart but I'd suspect a Rain8 could be controlled the same way.
What automation software are you running?
Ken
What automation software are you running?
Ken
refinished
Member
I use a RAIN8 combined with a HomeSeer Plugin that allows scheduling and web control of the zones. The plugin does not have a name of which I am aware, but it's described here: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=127508 The RAIN8 simply provides a means for your computer to control the valves. I don't use the RAIN8s internal timers at all.
The plug-in provides some handy scheduling options that are unique to irrigation, but the zones are also addressable as standard Homeseer devices. That makes the possibilities nearly endless. I have mounted an 8 button upb switch in my potting shed that does all sorts of things like 'Turn off all zones', 'Disable/Enable scheduled watering', and 'Water the flower garden for 10 minutes'. It's not delicate - works every time w/o gotchas.
This gives three modes of control - scheduled, no-UI-needed button control, and full web control. Perhaps some combo of that will suit your need.
I am wanting to set up for remote control but don't have a web enabled portable device and the yard is slightly too big for cordless phone or X10 palm pad. I need about 500 foot range. So I am thinking to use my cell phone - touch tones for control and TTS for feedback. For IVRS I installed VOCP (linux) but found the DTMF decoding in my voice modem was not so good. So I need to figure out a better plan but have a limited budget. Have considered using ham VHF handheld transciever with DTMF pad and hardware decoder - would have to check if this is legal use of ham radio. Another option would be a hardware DTMF decoder. The soundcard could be used for the decoding but haven't found any open source software I could figure out (yet).
For sprinkler zone control I am looking at a PIC based solution:
http://www.rgbled.org/sprinkler/index.html
It gets commands via a serial port and there is an XPL interface. A few people have controlled if via misterhouse, which is my automation software...
For sprinkler zone control I am looking at a PIC based solution:
http://www.rgbled.org/sprinkler/index.html
It gets commands via a serial port and there is an XPL interface. A few people have controlled if via misterhouse, which is my automation software...
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
You really should consider using the timers as an emergency off in case you loose communications with your automation system. These timers reside inside the Rain-8 unit themselves and are one of the great advantages in using a WGL Product for irrigation controls.
refinished
Member
I mean to say that I don't use the timers to dictate when or how much water is applied. They are set to the max - 250 minutes, the out-of-the-box default - as a failsafe. As far as losing communications... knock on MDF, that's never happened. I use serial devices, a UPS, Windows 2000, and clean power. Never happened - so far.
PaulD
Active Member
petec....I am using the Rain8Net Pro along with the free S/W provided by WGL. However, I have been looking at other options which give me more day-to-day control. The WGL S/W does not provide for any option to vary the schedule from day to day other than odd/even days. I looked at the MCS S/W earlier as a option but I don't have any details on its capabilities. Does the MCS S/W give any options to create a variable schedule over multiple days?
The MCS software looks pretty cool.
I like the Rain8Pro UPB too. At least there is a button I can push in case of emergency.
My environment is HAI UPB automationa nd security. I have a Windows Home server running always on.
I need to see if the MCS software will run on WHS (its really just server 2003).
Preferably I'd like a solution that can be configured via PC but stores the schedule locally. That way if the PC dies the sprinklers keep on trucking. Just without the cool updates from weather stations, etc.
I think that control from my iPhone would be awesome as well.
Anything else out there that might fit this bill?
I like the Rain8Pro UPB too. At least there is a button I can push in case of emergency.
My environment is HAI UPB automationa nd security. I have a Windows Home server running always on.
I need to see if the MCS software will run on WHS (its really just server 2003).
Preferably I'd like a solution that can be configured via PC but stores the schedule locally. That way if the PC dies the sprinklers keep on trucking. Just without the cool updates from weather stations, etc.
I think that control from my iPhone would be awesome as well.
Anything else out there that might fit this bill?
