After programming the daily schedule through Wi-Fi, I don’t see any importance for maintaining the internet connection. Then comes my wish for updated firmware:
If you have programmed only Fixed schedules with no weather intelligence, the system should continue to run indefinitely without an internet connection. If you are having trouble with this, please provide details.
Anything ‘smarter’ needs the internet connection to adjust the schedule based on rain, wind, temperature, etc.
If your situation would normally use the internet connection but you want a ‘default’ schedule in case of an extended outage, that’s a reasonable feature request. In detail, how do you think that should work?
You bought an expensive sprinkler controller if you don’t want/plant to take advantage of its smarts.
#2 is already how Rachio operates. Once the “fixed” schedule is set, it will continue to be executed while controller is disconnected from the internet. Firthermore any smart schedule (flex daily for example) will revert to fixed few days after connection is lost.
Yes, it’s relatively expensive, but I never seen a great design like this in all controllers. So you can say the reason for buying it was (basically) the the design. Still I have some concerns about reprogramming it or changing the schedule… (not sensor or smart monitoring by server).
If reprogramming still needs the internet then this is a problem for me… I will lose the best good looking controller. call me old fashion dude!
If it didn’t program and reprogram without the internet then it’s not mine.
Alas, while controller does allow running a zone (mostly for troubleshooting purposes) from the controller, changing schedule requires internet connectivity. If your phone comes with the hotspot functionality, you can change the schedule at anytime, via the app or the website and activate the hotspot next to the controller to upload the updated schedule next time you are near.
Thanks but this doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to use the internet… I have fios 1000m router and a few phones with data… but the thing is about doing controls via the internet. that’s also why I don’t and wouldn’t have account with Bitcoin… etc. (off-topic). I will gift this to a friend and shop for other Rachio product. If Rachio added the option of Bluetooth beside Wi-Fi then that would be great and I can develop my own app to program and control it… remember it has already weather sensor inputs. If Rachio already has SDK then I can buy it .
Rachio has pretty good API support, but any interaction still takes place via the Rachio server (no direct / offline control). Possible exeption maybe the homekit API support, as the controller accepts commands directly, but I’m not sure if they are simply forwarded to the server for processing or executed outright.
I don’t this exists. because the data is stored on the server not the device… so all processing should take place at the server. Unless the add a single function and update the mobile app and the device firmware… that user can compile a schedule and send it to the controller via Bluetooth. This will solve many problem… see now how many topics about connectivity issues?