SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

It isn't a buyer preference on a controller. It's a home inspector, who is likely to know the difference between a piece-o-crap controller you got for less than $100 and a Hunter I-Core .

So you now can enjoy a controller with unlimited everything. That comes with unlimited ability to generate conflicts that must be resolved. And resolving unlimited potential for conflicts gets you back to the endless operating manual that makes the ESP-SMT so unloved.

And again, tell the world why individual programs for each zone is not possible on a conventional controller. That you don't see them is an indication that they are probably more a burden than a blessing.

Lawn watering isn't made optimal by a controller alone. It will require sensors, for weather and soil moisture.

BlueSrpay supports rain sensors. I like moisture sensor better, but I can't find a moisture sensor that is reliable and practical. Besides, my system does not have wiring for moisture sensors.

I like BlueSpray features. Basically, I'd like to water my lawn according to seasonal weather:

Summer - from 4/15 to 8/31: 5AM (10 min), 6AM (5 min), 10PM (5 min), every 3 days.
Fall - from 9/1 to 11/15: 7AM (10 min), 7PM (5 min), once a week.
Winter - 11/16 to 2/15: off
Spring: 2/16 to 4/14: 7AM (10 min), 6PM (10 min) twice a week.

And there is also seasonal budgeting where you can adjust from 0% to 150%.

Now, I can set it for year round customized schedule only once and forget about it. No more running out to the garage and manually adjust it every time I need to water less or more.

You don't need a big thick manual with BlueSpray or IC. I didn't say conventional controller can't do individual program for each zone. My only gripes with conventional controller is that the dial and button interface is cumbersome and old. I can't imagine using the dial and button to program it like I could with a GUI like BlueSpray.

Quoted from "mrfixit"

I'm done with this topic.

Why the hate?

Sorry if my queries bother you. I hope I didn't offend anyone. I'm just doing my homework to find the best controller for me.
I appreciate all of your professional input and opinions.

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

Only sensor control allows you to "set and forget" - everything else is approximation, no matter what the controller programming is, and as you noted, sensors are not perfect.

By the way, it is curious you would mention seasonal adjustment of all watering times, because your 'perfect' controller would have already taken everything into account, and no need would then exist for a Seasonal Adjust

When dealing with weather, nothing is exact. Close enough approximation is good enough. I know many people just set their controllers to a fixed schedule all year round and never bother to change. I was that way too, until it rained less and the water bills hiked. But programming a sprinkler controller is such a chore that it is the least favorite thing to do. I think this is the reason why people would just rather waste the water.

Do you mean the seasonal adjust % on BlueSpray? Yes, it seems redundant if you have seasonal schedule, but I think it is for those lazy people who would just adjust the watering % instead of making a schedule for each time period. Just another option.

I've played with the BlueSpray demo, and the UI is pretty slick. I like the fact that the interface has a picture of your lawn and a representation of where your zones are on your lawn. This is way better than Irrigation Caddy, IMO, and it's wifi! That means I don't have to run a cat5 cable into my garage.