Off-grid Iro Usage

Hi there, first time poster - i apologize in advance if this info has been covered elsewhere, but i have not been able to find much.

I have a few questions regarding whether or not the iro is a good fit for me. I really hope it is because the notifications and ability to check in on the system would amazing.

So I am running off of a solar powered battery bank, with an internet connection that mostly works, but sometimes goes down.

The first question is about the functionality of the unit when it loses its internet connection? will it continue to water according to the pre defined schedule? i’m not so concerned with the weather sensing/prediction, only that my watering schedule will stay on track when i am away (with or without internet).

Part 2 of this question - if i lose my internet connection will i still be able to control the unit through my wifi router and phone (local network)? Or is the unit basically dead without an outside data connection? I suppose i could always hotspot my phone, but again, when i leave will it keep going?

Another question is about the customization of watering schedules. Sometimes i might want some weather input to alter my schedule, but mostly i want my zones running for exact times. Is there a way to set it so it just follows my schedule, or is it always shifting according to the weather station inputs (this is unclear in all the marketing info)?

The other controllers I have been considering are the Hunter Pro-C and I-core. After having read about combining multiple iro’s for expandibility though, i don’t really see the advantage of the Hunter Controllers - other than they are dumb, and will keep running as long as they are powered (funny that being dumb in certain cases is an advantage).

Thanks in Advance!

Yes, it will run the last programmed schedule.

We currently do not support local connectivity. Looking at this option, but not on the short term road map. If this is a big concern, the RainMachine might be a better fit, although to get external access I believe you need to setup port forwarding. The two controllers are built on entirely different principles.

Absolutely, you can disable all of the smart watering features.

Agreed :wink:

:beers:

wow, amazing reply - thanks Franz. This is a big part in why I would like to be part of the Rachio community. This level of customer service and community is HUGE! Looking at the RainMachine though, it does look like a better fit for my setup. Being off-grid makes local network connectivity a big + feature. However, my house in town will be getting an Iro soon - I look forward to supporting companies (such as Rachio) that have really refined the vision for customer interaction/service/problem solving … such a breath of fresh air :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Great, I know the team at RainMachine and their product is a good fit for your use case. There are fundamental differences in the technology and it’s great to be able to make these type of decisions.

Great, just let us know if you have any other questions regarding setup, etc.

Take care!

:beers: