Automating Sprinkler System with WAF in Mind

[Pete]

Just had a Rainbird sprinkler system installed using Rainbirds ESP-Modular controller. As I would like to slowly ease my irrigation into integrating it with HS and dealing with WAF is there a way to communicate with my Rainbird controller? It has an RF 6-7 remote RF connector on it. I have already ordered remote RF interface for it. Optimally it would be nice to read/edit it's programming via a seria or like interface. Anyone know about these new modular controllers?

[Rupp]

Pete,
For not much more money you could get a rain8 controller and have full control of your system from HS and the web.

[kevind]

or just hook up the valves to a secu16 for controlling the valves themselves. this is what i do as i already use an ocelot and works flawlessly. use hs for timed events to turn on the valves on waterig days for example

[Pete]

Rain8 and Rainbird

Rain8 sounds like a nice option. I would like my failover to be the Rainbird controller.

[MrX10]

I also just had a similar system installed that came with the Rainbird esp modular controller. I would like to have the controller do it's thing, but would like for homeseer to know when each zone/valve is opened/closed and also when the rain sensor is triggered. I have 7 zones currently operating. What would be the best option for one-way communication to homeseer?

[Pete]

HS watching Rainbird

Just ordered wireless option for Rainbird model RMX-1 Remote. It communicates to ESP module via 6-7 pins and will monitor. I am not sure if this is one way or two way communications. The processor in the ESP module appears to be a Rainbird custom job. An ESP schematic would be nice. I did find a parts list for the processor board. If a parts list exists then my guess is that a schematic also exists out there for repairing it. My current guess is that the communications to the wireless remote have to be basic. Will see where the external wireless connections go on the motherboard. It cannot be that complex.

[Brian Raynor]

Before getting my Ocelot/SECU16 to control my irrigation, I had an old rainbird controller as well.

Looking at the output terminals with a dvm, I discovered a way to detect if ANY of the zones was active, by the present of 24vAC (ie: not just off each zone, but just two wires that had 24v any time any zone was active).

Took that through a full wave bridge rectifer (to conver tto 24vDC) and then small voltage regulator to push it down to 5vDC (and a cap across the output) and wired that into the input of a Power Flash.

thus, I could have an X10 signal so HomeSeer knew whenever the irrigation was running (and it worked VERY well too). Wouldn't know what zone, but I did know if it ran - important because I had a rain sensor to cut it off if the grass was already wet.

I also put an applicance module on the 24vAC that was feeding the rainbird so I could enable/disable the irrigation if I wished from HomeSeer. While the 24vAC also powered the electronics of the controller (and cutting it would basically mean all the programs were gone), it also had a 9v battery backup in the event power dropped. I foudn that the controller would run for weeks (at least) off the 9v battery (for keeping it alive, of course not for controlling the valves). So basically, I didn't worry about that matter.

Anyways, was a quick and dirty solution that gave me a little bit of status and control and total cost (since I already had the controller, Applicance and Universal modules) was under $5 (just for the chips to do the voltage conversion).


Just a thought if you don't want to get a Rain8, or Ocelot, etc...

Of course now I have MUCH more capabilities with the Ocelot/SECU16 combination... And since i have that integrated with my HAI OPII, I can also call in and disable/start/enable, etc the irrigation (all this whether or not HS is running). Works very well.