Seeking very cool home irrigation controller

[jharrell]

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.

That's why I use my Omni for the schedule, I can manually control with the iPhone each valve or start the program or stop the program, plus the rain sensor is just wired into a zone on my Omni so not only does it prevent sprinklers from running if it has rained, I display a message on my console.

Heres the Omni program for reference:

2. WHEN SprinklerPrg ON
THEN LOG Sprinkler Start
3. WHEN SprinklerPrg ON
THEN Sprnk Zone 1 ON FOR 1 HOUR
4. WHEN Sprnk Zone 1 OFF
AND IF SprinklerPrg ON
THEN Sprnk Zone 2 ON FOR 1 HOUR
5. WHEN Sprnk Zone 2 OFF
AND IF SprinklerPrg ON
THEN Sprnk Zone 3 ON FOR 1 HOUR
6. WHEN Sprnk Zone 3 OFF
AND IF SprinklerPrg ON
THEN Sprnk Zone 4 ON FOR 1 HOUR
7. WHEN Sprnk Zone 4 OFF
AND IF SprinklerPrg ON
THEN SprinklerPrg OFF
8. WHEN SprinklerPrg OFF
THEN LOG Sprinkler Stop
9. WHEN SprinklerPrg OFF
THEN Sprnk Zone 1 OFF
10. WHEN SprinklerPrg OFF
THEN Sprnk Zone 2 OFF
11. WHEN SprinklerPrg OFF
THEN Sprnk Zone 3 OFF
12. WHEN SprinklerPrg OFF
THEN Sprnk Zone 4 OFF
13. TIMED 4:00 AM ----F--
AND IF Rain Sensor SECURE
THEN SprinklerPrg ON
18. WHEN Rain Sensor NOT READY
THEN SHOW Rain NO BEEP
19. WHEN Rain Sensor SECURE
THEN CLEAR Rain
20. WHEN Rain Sensor NOT READY
THEN LOG Rain
21. WHEN Rain Sensor SECURE
THEN LOG Rain Off

 

[PaulD]

I need to see if the MCS software will run on WHS (its really just server 2003).

I would like to know that also for same reason. If you find out anything, post it here.

 

[nexus99]

I need to see if the MCS software will run on WHS (its really just server 2003).

I would like to know that also for same reason. If you find out anything, post it here.

I got an email from their support dept saying they are working on turning the application into a WHS service. That would be perfect for me!

 

[kurtmccaslin]

I currently use a cheap dumb timer from home depot, but have already scoped out the system for my next home in 2-3 years. My dream system is a rain-8 controller in parallel with a "smart controller" The rain 8 would be used for manual control-- things like testing the system and scaring deer away from the garden, putting extra water on new plantings. For the optimizer, I plan to go with a dedicated smart controller. A few years back, I looked into programming a smart controller and decided it was much cheaper and more effective to buy an existing solution. If you google the word "evapotranspiration" you will find a lot of info on the subject. Things like air temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and solar radiation all effect the rate that your yard dries out and the frequency of watering needed. I have a rain sensor on my current system, and it helps--- it shuts the system down for 2-3 days after a rain. It helps, but is not smart enough to increase the water frequency when it is hot and dry, or decrease when it is cold and humid. I do that manually on a monthly schedule that I have designed with 10 years of trial and error for my location.

I have found 2 smart systems that seem to fit the bill. One is the Weathermatic, which has its own built in weather station-- www.smartline.com

The other is www.cyber-rain.com This one does not have a weather station. It checks the weather on the internet and adjusts your watering schedule. The advantage is that it can incorporate forecasts, but the disadvantage is that it is not as site-specific.

If anybody has experience with any of these systems, I would be very interested in how they work.

 

[refinished]

My dream system is a rain-8 controller in parallel with a "smart controller" The rain 8 would be used for manual control-- things like testing the system and scaring deer away from the garden, putting extra water on new plantings. For the optimizer, I plan to go with a dedicated smart controller.

I don't have any experience with the hardware solutions, but MCS will calc ET that accounts for history AND forecast for you and water accordingly utilizing the RAIN8 for valve control. This would give you intelligent watering and the ability to spray deer at will with one device. I just bring it up since you didn't mention having found a software solution for an ET-based schedule using the hardware controller you ref'ed. I personally decided against using it due to it's complexity -> my simple needs. I could see how others would find it just the ticket.

 

[kurtmccaslin]

I don't have any experience with the hardware solutions, but MCS will calc ET that accounts for history AND forecast for you and water accordingly utilizing the RAIN8 for valve control. This would give you intelligent watering and the ability to spray deer at will with one device. I just bring it up since you didn't mention having found a software solution for an ET-based schedule using the hardware controller you ref'ed. I personally decided against using it due to it's complexity -> my simple needs. I could see how others would find it just the ticket.
[/quote]

Great idea. I was not aware of this software. Thanks for the tip.

 

[nexus99]

I don't have any experience with the hardware solutions, but MCS will calc ET that accounts for history AND forecast for you and water accordingly utilizing the RAIN8 for valve control. This would give you intelligent watering and the ability to spray deer at will with one device. I just bring it up since you didn't mention having found a software solution for an ET-based schedule using the hardware controller you ref'ed. I personally decided against using it due to it's complexity -> my simple needs. I could see how others would find it just the ticket.

As soon as this is realeased for the Windows Home Server I am in.

 

[bbruck]

I am using a weathermatic with its weather station. I decided to get it rather than the HA-based solution because it really does a lot of things that I'd have to spend a LOT of time doing manually. For instance, for each zone, you input the type of vegetation, the slope, the type of soil - and it automatically calculates such things as the run/pause time to prevent run-off; stops sprinkling if the wind is too high, etc. etc.

However, like you, I'd really like to run an HA controller in parallel to be able to start/stop zones manually.

I'd love to know if it's as simple as - well - doing exactly that - getting the insteon device, then running the wires into the weathermatic so I could start the zones with my iPhone in addition to the weathermatic.

If anyone knows, I'd love to find out.

(I'd also like to somehow be able to tell when a zone was turned on - whether by insteon or the weathermatic - and have that report back into the computer, so I can track run times from one central location. Wonder if that would be possible...)

 

[comet48]

Go hard wired. I used the UPB Rain8's and had all sorts of problems! I emded up going Elk relays. They woek fine as long as you can work within the Elk limitations.

 

[Steve]

Comet, what sorts of problems did you have? Were they UPB/control related or more general Rain8 problems?

 

[PaulD]

Go hard wired. I used the UPB Rain8's and had all sorts of problems!

I went the serial route. I had been advised by a distributor that the serial approach was much more reliable than the UPB approach. I cannot comment on the UPB approach but my serial approach has been rock solid.