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    RainMachine/Rachio/OpenSprinkler

    I am trying to decide on a sprinkler system. My requirements are pretty simple:

    * Configure it through HS, i.e. not apps or websites (besides setting up an account)
    * Set soil type, sun exposure, etc through HS
    * Take input from a water sensor and/or weather forecast
    * Allow different criteria for different zones, especially lawn vs dripping system, etc.
    * Good integration with HS

    It looks like the most appropriate ones are RainMachine, Rachio or OpenSprinkler. What is the best one to choose?

    #2
    I looked at many systems but excluded a lot because there wasn't any integration with HS. Also many were excluded because they aren't "smart". I really don't want to create my own "smart" sprinkler system. Instead, I want the sprinkler system to provide the smarts. I simply wanted to have some feedback into HS. Rachio looked quite interesting in that regard. However, I finally decided for OpenSprinkler because there are constant updates, it is wired (which I prefer, WiFi is an option), there is strong community support, it is less expensive ($150 + free plugin vs $200 + $40 plugin), etc.

    On another note, initially I liked the idea that Rachio automatically adjusts things based on soil, type of vegetation, etc. However, in my case this really is irrelevant because besides one lawn area I am going to use a lot of drip irrigation. With drip irrigation you have a lot of different emitters that adjust the volume of the water. Rachio has no idea about this so all this fancy configuration is kind of useless. The only "smart" part that is relevant is the weather input (did/will it rain, humidity, temperature, etc). OpenSprinkler has this and I expect/hope that there is better future support to improve existing devices rather than having to buy a new one (which Rachio might be more likely to force you).

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