@utemorley2012 & @jeremyshultz, which soil sensors are you currently using? (or hope to use?)
I do not currently use them. I am just waiting for you guys to come up with some sort of compatibility with one brand or another and I will just buy whatever works with the Iro.
This request is a huge stretch and probably not possible. I would just like a better way to calculate this value. It is a struggle with catch cups and audits and all that. Probably not possible but you all are very smart so you never know.
@utemorley2012, thanks for clarifying. Weāre always looking for ways to save water & make the Iro easier to use. Simplifying this step of the configuration process would be useful to many users. Great idea!
In addition to some things people have said to improve calculated water usage, couldnāt the app allow us to specify the number and type of sprinkler heads per zone? Wouldnāt this be more accurate then relying on the square footage?
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I am in the market for a Smart irrigation system. The main features I look for are:
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Soil Sensors- This sensor needs to be small enough that a lawn mower wont effect it, and it is not soar to the eye. Spruce is going in the right direction, although they could also make their sensors smaller
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Smartthings integration
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Zigbee/ Zwave capable
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One thing I am interested in is seeing automatic notifications on a mobile device reaching out to single-family residents when there is a storm forecasted (shutoff irrigation) or to adjust irrigation schedule during other weather events (cold-weather, hot-weather, evapo rates, etc.)
Iād love to find a third party Internet connected flow sensor
Wish #1: Weather Underground PWS data integration. I want to use my PWS data!
Wish #2: Custom (or at least lower) trigger thresholds for rain delay. The lowest 1/8" setting isnāt low enough for drought stricken areas like SoCal. Iād like it to trip at 0.02", if I so desire.
Wish #3: There was a third ātop threeā wish, but I just canāt recall right now, so Iāll leave this placeholder until I remember it. 
Wish #4: Notification āgroupingā. I water in multiple passes with a break in between, due to the clay content of my soil needing extra time to soak in. As a result, I get 4 notifications every time my lawn gets watered. I would prefer to āgroupā the notifications so I get one notification that watering has started, and another that it has stopped, which would cut my notifications in half. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice.
Wish #5: How about for fixed schedules that run in the wee hours, some sort of early warning notification about weather-related triggers? My sprinklers run at 1am on a fixed schedule, so I donāt know until midnight whether or not the Iro has noticed that itās been raining ALL DAY until it checks at midnight. The ability to have a notice pop up at, say, 6pm, to say something like āDue to rain (or rain in the forecast), your schedule has been placed on rain delay and tonightās programs will not run.ā Or something like that.
Wish #6: Since there is NO display on the hardware, some sort of cheap āremoteā to trigger and test the unit, or the sprinklers would be great. Iād like my gardener to be able to test things, but Iām not about to hand him my phone to do it (even if I was home when he usually comes), and he doesnāt have a SmartPhone. I have an old iPhone Iād be find with leaving by the Iro out in the garage, but itās too old to run the current software. Perhaps a simpler version of the software that will run on really old iPhones, just to display the schedule and/or test the connected stations?
Awesome wishes @kman! Thanks for sharing them with us. My favorite is #2 
Did you happen to remember Wish #3 yet?
Interesting idea. Just curious, does your gardener have an old school cell phone? Perhaps we could setup a SMS text command for this.
Hmm, Iām not sure if he has a plain cellphone or not. Seems likely, at least. The SMS option is interesting, though. Not clear how that could be secured, howeverā¦ I wouldnāt want anyone in the world to be able to text my Iro and start up my sprinklers! There would probably need to be a whitelist of phone numbers authorized to text, which would add complexity.
The reason I mentioned the old software is I have an OLD iPhone 3G collecting dust in a box somewhere that I could just leave in the garage by the controller, where he could access it. If something happened to it, I really wouldnāt care. But the OS is too old to run the current software, unfortunately. 
Still havenāt recalled Wish #3, but when I do, Iāll be sure to update!
Why not just get it on your Wi-Fi and then you can use the web based interface?
A) Thereās a web-based interface? This is news to me.
B) Iāll have to look when I get home to see how simple the interface is, but letās just say I suspect connecting to and interfacing with a web interface will be beyond the intellectual capacity of this particular gardener.
There certainly is a web interface. Just go to https://app.rach.io/ and enter in your credentials.
In regards to your gardener, our limited access is pretty clear cut. Once you provide access to your gardener all he/she will have to do is click on the Access Iro link provided in the email and a Rachio webpage will be opened. From there they can manually run your zones. This article reviews how to provide access.
If you have any additional questions dont hesitate to ask.
Thanks.
Again, you overestimate the technical prowess of my gardener. He does not have an email address. Or own a computer.
Weāre not talking about a professional landscaping company with an office and staff. Weāre talking about a guy from South America who has a beat up pickup truck with a lawnmower, some clippers, and a couple of shovels in the back, who gets paid in cash.
Nor does he speak more than a few words of English.
Nor does he have a SmartPhone he can use to access a webpage while on site. (although itās possible he could use an old 3G iPhone if I can make it easy enough) Iām not 100% certain he has a cellphone, although his wife does. (She speaks some broken English and generally manages his schedule to let us know about cancellations and such)
This is not an uncommon scenario in SoCal.
Great idea @Striker169. Just curious, do you have a landscaper that uses limited or complete access?
@kman, I can relate to the simpleness of some gardeners. Perhaps a WeMo switch might be a good work around? We had a user set one up using an IFTTT recipe to trigger a disabled schedule on the Iro. Sounds like it would be perfect for your scenarioā¦just tell him to press the button.
Hereās the details on the WeMo + IFTTT setup.
When you think of Wish #3, let us know 
Interesting use of the smart switch. Is the Iro IFTTT compatible? I guess the WeMo switch can generate a āeventā that triggers the IFTTT, which can then trigger the Iro? The thread you linked doesnāt actually give any information on how they actually made it all work. Seems like a good idea, although realistically Iād need a button for each station (which gets pricey pretty fast at ~$50/ea).
Seems to be that the worldās simplest app (4-8 buttons, each runs the associated station for 1 minute per press) that will run on an old Smartphone (just connected to Wifi, no cellular access needed) would make for a stupid-proof remote control that can walk around the property as long as youāre in wifi range. Old phones can be had for the price of one of those Belkin switches, maybe less, if you donāt have one.
Hi @kman, yep the Iro is compatible with IFTTT. Hereās some details on how to set up a recipe.
Hmm, good question. Iāve never set one up myself, but will look into the details. I think the configuration was setup to run a schedule after āxā seconds of pushing the button. It sounds like youād like your gardener to be able to run any zone on command?
Good point and great idea. Iāve just been trying to think of work around for you in the short term. I remember a user created a handy web tool to speed up sprinkler winterizations. Perhaps this could be used on an older phone (or tablet) via an internet browserā¦would just need to keep the phone charged
Can you find a way to turn on Zones 1 and 7 when my neighbors walk their dogs on my grass?
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