Home Irrigation Sprinklers - PC Control?

[hampstor]

I'm curious how many of you are running an irrigation system in your yard...

I'm currently running a system with hunter MP heads, an irritrol kwikdial controller and an irritrol wireless rain sensor. I'm considering switching over to the Irritrol PC controlled setup since it can pull weather online and then get rid of my rain sensor. Is anyone running the Irritrol PC controlled system, or other PC controlled system? Wondering how effective this is in Calgary.

[Nate25]

Originally posted by hampstor
I'm curious how many of you are running an irrigation system in your yard...

I'm currently running a system with hunter MP heads, an irritrol kwikdial controller and an irritrol wireless rain sensor. I'm considering switching over to the Irritrol PC controlled setup since it can pull weather online and then get rid of my rain sensor. Is anyone running the Irritrol PC controlled system, or other PC controlled system? Wondering how effective this is in Calgary.

Unless you want to be able to use it through your computer, its probably not worth the money. Is the rain sensor wireless? PC controllers are nice but the software can be a bitch to setup. Only real advantages are the computer use and the remote. But they do work fine in Calgary for the ones i've seen

[hampstor]

The rain sensor is wireless and after talking to my irrigation buddy, he recommends i hang onto it anyway. As far as cost, the PC control system is actually not significantly more than the kwikdial for me since he's taking my old one on exchange. I was more concerned about how well it will work in Calgary.

The kwikdial works great for what I need, however for the neglible price difference for PC Control, i wanted to hear of any exp's in Calgary to hear if the gimmick was decent or not

[Nate25]

Well if you can get it cheap give it a shot, the ones i've dealt with in Calgary have seamed to work fine. As long as you're good with the computer aspect of it.
I have had more issues with the PC than the kwikdial though, which is understandable because there's alot more going on with the PC one. The kwikdials just a simple controller, easy to use.

[jazzyb]

how does the pc interface with the sprinkler system?

[BlackArcher101]

The concern I'd have with the PC relaying on internet weather reports, would be unless you live right next to the reporting station (ie the airport), then the rain you received at your place could be far different than what's reported. This could result in you having to manually turn the sprinklers on all the time or giving it too much water automatically.

Definetely stick with the rain sensor you have.

[Nate25]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101
The concern I'd have with the PC relaying on internet weather reports, would be unless you live right next to the reporting station (ie the airport), then the rain you received at your place could be far different than what's reported. This could result in you having to manually turn the sprinklers on all the time or giving it too much water automatically.

Definetely stick with the rain sensor you have.

Prob your best bet if you want to be more accurate. Im guessing your using a Irritrol RS1000 Rain sensor? We mainly use those and they seam to work fine, if you're concerned about rain you can adjust the top i think from anywhere from 4mm to 12mm of rain or something like that. As long as its positioned right and not too far away from the inside brain

[hampstor]

yep the RS1000 is what I have right now. That's a good concen about PC contolled, I never considered that issue with the weather report before. Thanks for the input, maybe ill just stick to what i have!