What is the best irrigation controller for Homeseer?

[outbackrob]

I am just about fed up with my GoControl irrigation controller. SOMETIMES it will turn on a valve, sometimes it won't. SOMETIMES Valve 2 for 20 minutes works, sometimes only Valve 2 for 30 minutes will work. It's bizarre, and I am tired of it. Truth be told, I'm tired of trying to get it to work after my wife has tried a million times and says, "It always used to work with our old system." LOW WAF statement! I've had all the wires tested from the controller to the valves. All are perfect. I have a second oontrol controller that I used at Halloween so I swapped it out with the sprinkler one and it has the same issue. Sometimes the valve will work, sometimes it won't, but if you jockey around with them, most of the time you can get it to work. It's a PITA! Oh, and I have purchased a few power supplies, too thinking it may be them. It does not appear to be.....

SO, I'm going to punt. I NEED nine zones but could use more. Wife needs a decent phone app or an EASY(er) HSTouch screen.

Do Raintree or Orbit interface with Homeseer? Is EtherRain still available? I REALLY need a solution!!! HEEEEELLLLLLPPPP!!

[Uncle Michael]

I just started using EtherRain with mcsSprinklers. It's been working flawlessly so far. I have 22 zones (3 controllers). They have an 'official' control system, but I have no experience with it. mcsSprinklers may not meet your WAF requirements, but you can design your own with HS.

[mulu]

I use OpenSprinkler. I have the plugin but I am not currently controlling it via HomeSeer. OpenSprinkler has 'virtual' rain sensors and can do rain delays when it was raining. The problem is that even when it was just sprinkling a little bit it still does the rain delay. So during the time when we often just have very light rain I disable the rain delay. That's probably where HomeSeer can come in, i.e. disable or enable the rain delay depending on the month or maybe some other criteria. I haven't tried if the plugin actually can do this but I would assume that's something pretty basic.

The default module comes with 8 zones but it can be extended. I had zero issues with it, i.e. it triggers zones reliably. Maybe there is an issue with your wiring, the valves, power supply of the controller, etc.

[outbackrob]

I just started using EtherRain with mcsSprinklers. It's been working flawlessly so far. I have 22 zones (3 controllers). They have an 'official' control system, but I have no experience with it. mcsSprinklers may not meet your WAF requirements, but you can design your own with HS.

Flawlessly sounds GOOD! Where did you find your EtherRain controllers? I could not find a distributer in the US..

[outbackrob]

...You may be able to use the same method to control your valves.

That looks pretty freakin awesome! Unfortunately, I already have a full system with 9 zones around the property....

[Michael McSharry]

I have other users of mcsSprinklers with GoControl and they seem to be happy. How are you trying to use the GoControl? Could it be something with your Zwave network?

Quicksmart is where you get the EtherRain.

[AllHailJ]

I know you are sick of the GoControl but I will offer up an alternative and what I found unacceptable. The Rain8Net+ Sucks. After using Rain8Net, I feel your pain.

I have built scripts to water with the GoControl and have had no problems with it since building this page. I have HSTouch where I can set and control it. I also use virtual devices, timers and counters. It has never given me a problem after I got it working. I can control each zone and I can water and soak as well. I have high WAF as she can do it from her phone if she is working in the garden. I have 11 zones. The cycle system is recommended by my water utility and it uses alot less water and I don't water the street with runoff anymore.

Here is my screen in HSTouch:



Here are the scripts I use to control the

ZoneTimeUp.vb.txt
ZoneTimeDown.vb.txt
TriggerWaterLawn.vb.txt
FlowerTimeUp.vb.txt
FlowerTimeDown.vb.txt
CyclesUp.vb.txt
CyclesDown.vb.txt

Here are the Events:






[ATTACH]n1405837[/ATTACH] - All in a single tarball after list of files above seemed corrupt.

[racerfern]

I have the same unit and it's spot on. I don't use the old rain sensor that came with the house, I use events and the Jon00Cumulus plugin to get data from my weather station.

You can't have two controllers with the same issue???

Although you said all the wiring checked out, that sounds like a bad ground or a shorted/jumped connection either at the unit or somewhere along the wiring. Have you ever seen the status light blink any messages? Does it happen more when things are wet? Again, shorted connection.

From the manual (sorry for the formatting)
Bi-Color LED States
Color Status
Red-On No Hub
Green-On Connected to Hub
Orange-On Stuck Button
Red - Blinking Valve Fault (open/short
Green - Blinking Searching for Hub
Orange - Blinking Flow Fault (too low/too high)
Red/Green - Toggle Off due to sensors or weather.
Red/Orange - Toggle Power out of range.
Green/Orange - Toggle Communicating with Hub

[Uncle Michael]

Flawlessly sounds GOOD! Where did you find your EtherRain controllers? I could not find a distributer in the US..

http://www.quicksmart.com/qs_er_purchase.html

[Mr_Resistor]

Another vote for Etherrain and MCSSprinklers. (but with the same experience...rock solid)

The units are available direct from the maker http://www.quicksmart.com/qs_etherrain.html

[langenet]

I have 2 Rain8Nets master and slave still working perfectly fine after 8 years. They are in my pool house and are controlled via a global cache ip2sl and virtual serial line port vpse via EOP. I thought of replacing them and likely will at some point, but they work great with mcssprinker and haven't let me down yet. Old school, I know. But does the job.

[outbackrob]

THANK YOU All for replying to my plea for help!! LOADS of great info. Not sure how I missed Quicksmart.com today...… I have had the wires tested TWICE. If I directly connect the transformer to common and a zone wire, I can get that zone to come on. Hook it to a GoControl and it only sometimes works. I know. It sounds nuts but that is what's driving me CRAZY!

Again, THANK YOU for all the info!! I will go through it all and digest it. I may even give the GoControl another shot with all the scripts! THANKS AllHailJ !!!

[clafa]

Hi,

i have the rachio sprinkler controller.

i use the plugin to control zones with the screens I built in hstouch . wife likes the rachio app,

i have a hard wired rain sensor and the rachio app has predictive forecast built so I dont have the need for hs3 to read the weather and take action.

i like that rachio takes care of future rain and the local ran sensor of prior rainfall. i have the 1st generation of rachio...you can find them cheap on ebay..

cheers

[wpiman]

I am just about fed up with my GoControl irrigation controller. SOMETIMES it will turn on a valve, sometimes it won't. SOMETIMES Valve 2 for 20 minutes works, sometimes only Valve 2 for 30 minutes will work. It's bizarre, and I am tired of it. Truth be told, I'm tired of trying to get it to work after my wife has tried a million times and says, "It always used to work with our old system." LOW WAF statement! I've had all the wires tested from the controller to the valves. All are perfect. I have a second oontrol controller that I used at Halloween so I swapped it out with the sprinkler one and it has the same issue. Sometimes the valve will work, sometimes it won't, but if you jockey around with them, most of the time you can get it to work. It's a PITA! Oh, and I have purchased a few power supplies, too thinking it may be them. It does not appear to be.....

SO, I'm going to punt. I NEED nine zones but could use more. Wife needs a decent phone app or an EASY(er) HSTouch screen.

Do Raintree or Orbit interface with Homeseer? Is EtherRain still available? I REALLY need a solution!!! HEEEEELLLLLLPPPP!!

I have a GoControl with MCSSprinklers pro. It appears to work well for me: but if a valve didn't come on: I might not alway know.

It is very close to my Znet though.

Have you checked the AC voltages coming out of it? Perhaps your power supply isn't beefy enough? Maybe check them at the sprinkler head as well. Might be an IR drop.

[outbackrob]

.... Have you checked the AC voltages coming out of it? Perhaps your power supply isn't beefy enough? Maybe check them at the sprinkler head as well. Might be an IR drop.

I have checked connectivity several times, I am fairly sure the voltage has been checked, but I am NOT sure that CURRENT has been checked. Maybe that power supply ISN'T beefy enough for those trouble making valves.... Good call. I will check into that