Yeah, but it’s a dry 115F.
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Hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahah
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Interesting discussion. Y’all talkin code way over my head, but I have been using other smart controllers for years and the Rachio has won me over for now.
If you set a daily fixed schedule, won’t the controller replaced what is lost on a daily basis like Smartline? Weather intelligence checks one hour prior to cycle start, so perhaps set the start time for 6-8 pm…I’m curious and I’m going to run a mock schedule. AZ are you using drip? and the precipitation rate?
I like the graphs and if frans is listening can we get them using the fixed schedule?..eventually.
Well I thought I could insert an AZ zip code and geo location, but Rachio won’t let me. We have received 5-6 inches in the last week, so…guess you have to be there.
Hey @GreenSprinkler I’m using some Raindrip soaker hose and set the PR to 0.6 in/hr. I’m not familiar with Smartline, but I know that a fixed schedule will just water when you tell it to and for the duration that you give it. Flex Daily, on the other hand, is only watering when it needs to based on the weather, what type of soil you have, and what type of plants you have. It assumes the same watering duration every time and only changes the frequency.
Smartline calculates ET on a daily basis using high/low temp detected by an on site sensor and average daily solar index. Add in other parameters crop, device, soil, exposure ect. It is designed to replace what is lost.
I have to use fixed schedules in every city I service. I got a notification June 1 that a seasonal adjustment increase had been applied to my controller, even though it has been unseasonably cool and rainy. My system has not run since May 9. I’m in North Texas where is gets warm too…just not yet.
You may have to set your daily run times to replace the 0.35" ET, about 35 minutes, if you have 12" dripper spacing and 12" lateral spacing.
Sounds like Smartline compares more directly to Flex Daily. I have 1/4" soaker tubes, the kind that are basically porous throughout and don’t have spaced emitters. It makes it kind of difficult to get a reasonable PR, so I kind of dialed it in by checking the raised garden soil after a watering and later in the day. It seems to be about right somewhere between 0.5-0.6 in/hr. I plan to switch to the type of 1/4" drip tubes you’re referring to, although I think I bought the 6" spaced version. Thanks, and enjoy your cooler weather!
You will want to feed them from a 1/2" drip or blank tubing line. Keep the 1/4" to 10’ length, otherwise friction loss will catch up with you. I just attach them at one end then cap the other end, makes it easier to move them out of the way during crop changes.
I’ve had enough of the cool weather. My phone has been dead…ready for hot and dry
That makes sense. I’m waiting on they guys who installed my irrigation to come back and put in drip kits so the pressure is a bit higher than it should be. Thanks for the advice, as this is the 1st time I’ll be using those tubes!
minimum 15 psi, maximum 50 psi. 25 psi Pressure reducers are typically used.
Great, thanks again!
So I took @plainsane 's suggestion and added a Flex schedule for the peak summer period that supplemented my morning Flex waterings with early evening Fixed watering. The Fixed watering ran yesterday. I didn’t see it reflected in the moisture graphs, but I figured I needed to wait for the Flex schedule to kick in this morning to show the added Fixed watering in the moisture balance estimates for future days. I was surprised that wasn’t the case. Note that the Fixed watering was reflected for yesterday, but it isn’t included in the estimates for future days. Is this the intended operation ??
I mentioned this earlier. I don’t know if it is the intended operation but it is the actual operation.
I think it would be better to reverse your plan and run the Fixed schedule in the morning and the Flex in the evening. This way if enough time is allowed between the fixed schedule and the flex schedule, the fixed watering will be taken into account when the Flex recalculates the need for watering right before it runs. I’ve been playing with this idea to supplement the Flex schedule but it means the moisture graph is not useful past the next scheduled watering.
@rodmitch I see your point, and agree that swapping the flex/fixed start times might be interesting, but what is surprising here is that having a fixed schedule in the plan for the next two weeks isn’t reflected in any of the forward looking estimates. I’d be interested to hear from @franz or @emil if this is intended. It would be helpful to have it in this case as I’m trying to play the moisture balance game with a supplemental fixed schedule, and the plots & tables would be helpful along those lines.
I agree. Pretty much by definition, nothing is more predictable than a fixed schedule!
eventual consistency homie.
the water does get accounted for, maybe a display bug, but nothing to worry about in the form of functionality. @franz will need to comment, but this doesnt bother me, this would require their linear regressions be rerun each time the fixed schedule is tweaked maybe they need to save the cpu ticks.
keep in mind, the moisture that is applied will be reflected when evaluating mad so in this case, you will have to disable the fixed schedule when you dont need it, else it will keep kicking the flex run down the road everyday.
same would happen if it did account for that moisture.
the key take away is, the accounting work is not reflected in the graph, but is at scheduling time.
I’m glad that it does get accounted for, but with these drastic temps and a sensitive garden being able to see the graph for next week and have the fixed watering in the predictions sure would be helpful. We’ll see what the man @franz has to say. Thanks as always for the insight.
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Weathermatic’s Smartline is decent for a residential or light commercial product with an on site sensor , but it has no WIFI connectivity. I had a Toro Evolution with an on site Et sensor. But no comparison with Rachio.