Wireless Irrigation Featuring the RainPoint Smart+ Garden Watering System
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- We're getting more options when it comes to watering automation. I knew it was just a matter of time before the smart home style apps caught up with wireless sensors and valves. Here's an example of how the technology is being implemented: the RainPoint Smart+ Garden Watering System allows you to connect sensors for air temp & humidity, rain gauge, soil moisture and light levels. It allows you to program wireless irrigation valves (and/or programmable pumps & outlets) either by timed events or with cycles controlled by the sensor inputs. Cool. I'm already thinking about how I can use this to control mist in a propagation area!
Time will tell how the sensors hold up to the elements and continued use, but as it arrives everything seems heavy-duty enough and it worked as expected out of the box.
RainPoint wanted me to pass along a 15% discount offer for those interested in their full system RainPoint web: www.rainpointo...
Rainpoint Smart+ Garden Watering System Super Experience Package: bit.ly/41faiPY
15% Code(only for Smart+ Garden Watering System Super Experience Package): FraserValleyRoseFarm
Valid until July 7 2023
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Irrigation valves by michael (Flickr) CC BY-SA 2.0
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Thank you for this info!
I’m so busy this would make my life so much easier… I’ve been avoiding because I didn’t know if I could figure out. Really appreciate this.
Big fan of these videos, Jason. There's a ton of new tech, but it's difficult as a newbie what has "value".
With all the data points and your endorsement, we see how valuable this can be !!
Cheers 🌱👍
I have been using smart irrigation for +7 years and never looked back. My system is cloud based. It pulls weather conditions to very localize area (rain, humidity, etc.).
The game changer in your setup is the soil moisture meter. I grow citrus plants in pots. The ability to measure moisture is something my system is not able to support.
Looks interesting but sometimes new and improved is not always better. Good luck with your new system.
I was just looking for something that can collect rain after the thunder storm nearly flattened all the new growth in the roses.
The technology available today is absolutely amazing.
The choices are beginning to expand rather quickly and the types of devices are impressive. I have worked with solar/battery powered control stations and infrared signal switches for the past 20 years, but they are basic on/off timers, solenoid valves, timer centers, and things of that nature.
These new wireless devices are bringing the hard wired world into the wireless home market which is really the best way to get real world testing for durability, efficiency, quality control and longevity results. Like everything available to purchase, some will prove to be good products, some will be ok, some will just work, and the rest will be junk.
Reviews and customer feedback will sort that out rather quickly.
The soil sensor intrigues me, but I would prefer something about 2-3 times larger for outdoor ground saturation. The sensor you show looks to be for potted plants.
Deciding what best suits a particular space is no longer just getting a plastic, metal, or glass rain guage.😂
Thanks. I had a call a while back with someone from GeoDrops - a company in development of a new generation of soil sensors (also wireless). His feedback was that the changes they could track across the top 6" of soil would normally be enough data to inform irrigation decisions. And while I'm on the topic, his main criticism of competing products (presumably including this one from RainPoint) is that the sensor readings aren't graduated. The entire plate sends one reading. The one they're developing takes into account the different values from top to bottom of the sensor area. I can't say at all which will end up being the winning tech, but I'm glad to see some investment in this area. The soi sensors I used 10 years back in the greenhouse business were wired and gave flaky reading nearly immediately.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Guage.
Exactly.
I have to disagree with the 6 inch depth because that only applies to potted plants and the grower environment.
In the outdoor space the need for a deep sensor applies to trees shrubs, roses, and any type of deep growing plants.
Farms are typically planted in that 6 inch depth, but orchards are not. Peanuts, potatoes, lavender, grapes, and most tubers and mounded growing are 10-18 inches deep with many even deeper.
The unfortunate thing about the depth sensors is the manufacturers lack of interest in actually making the gradient style.
Just like litmus strips the technology has been around for about 40 years.
I remember using a 12 inch tube with a wire inside that had bare sections every half inch that registered ohms resistance to indicate the depth of moisture. It was primitive, but efficient. The gage face had a line for each half inch indication and it just worked.
Of course it was just as easy to use a shovel and scoop the same depth of soil.
There are so many uses for an accurate depth gage. In your area underground springs can be good or bad depending on what you are doing. Having a deeper sensor would help identify different types of springs that reach the surface and subterranean springs that don't.
Farmers typically use drain tile to drain subterranean water, but in the home garden, orchard, or nursery that source of moisture might be a solution rather than a problem.
The biggest difference between manufacturers and growers is the lack of vision.
A grower will find ways to make success, but a manufacturer is only concerned about what will sell and make a profit.
At least the crossover of useful products is becoming more grower adaptable.😉
Great, I hope this works out for you, As for me, I'm relying less and less on "Automated" systems and going back to the tried and true methods of doing as much without electronics or electricity, in all aspects of my life.
Very nice - something to be said for simplicity.
Greatvideo Jason. I allways look forward to your interesting postings. Thanks for sharing.
The other unmentioned negative of these smart systems is how much user data the companies app are collecting from your phone (beyond what is needed to make the app run). Unless you can find one that allows you to run the system locally, with no access to data in other apps, and no cloud data storage, I'd steer clear of it.
Valid. It bears thinking about with all sorts of social media, online shopping and especially now with cloud-based services.
The main unfortunate reality of all app run systems. However, some of less intrusive than others, they all definitely collect data.
I blv you have said that you like peachy coloured roses. Are you familiar w. Nitty Gritty peach (Rosa 'RUIR10091A') which does well in hot humid conditions 4-8 zones? Looks so pretty in the photos I'm looking at in my Fine Gardening mag. 5 petaled open style Butterfly Rose (Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' ) is one I like with its pale to dark pink petals & bright yellow center. It actually starts with flame orange buds, then peach before it changes to the pinks, then white. Wow. Or so the magazine says.
Thanks Katherine. I'll have to check it out.
In the homgar app, there is an option for a 4-zone water timer; however, i have not been able to find one for purchase. Does a 4-zone rainpoint timer actually exist?
I really love the idea of wireless, but am I correct in understanding it only controls two zones? I’m currently using 5 zones in my small backyard nursery and would love to lose the wires. Thank you for all the great content. You always present beautifully and keep it short and sweet. Awesome!❤
Thank Kathie. The kit I looked at included a 2-zone timer and also a wireless outlet, but the app allows you to connect the hub to additional devices. They have 1-zone, 2-zone and 4-zone wireless valves. I didn't test the range (from the hub) beyond say 50ft and I still obviously can't comment on how long the batteries last or the longevity of the devices, but something to consider anyway.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thank you for the reply. I totally overlooked the 4 zone capability. As for batteries, my current controller uses batteries. I’m going to take a closer look for sure. You’re awesome!
This may be off-topic, but I was looking for the best Rose to put in a tea garden. Some people say that it should be one with a strong scent, think one that is used traditionally for medicinal purposes is also interesting. I think landscape to climbing roses in and maybe three Bush roses would be best. But have no idea where to start on what kind of Rose I actually want. What would you recommend.
Excited to hear about your new garden. This is one of those questions I love to hear a viewer or customer asking, but I also know up front that they'll have to answer for themselves. If you decide to prioritize fragrance, here are some of my picks (of many): th-cam.com/video/r0HjUhdIC3I/w-d-xo.html If you're looking for a way to choose between some of the more popular modern roses, here's another vid to look at: th-cam.com/video/yeQl4uvm5mw/w-d-xo.html If you're looking for more of an overview of the different types of roses here's one more: th-cam.com/video/02QSPNdKIS4/w-d-xo.html
The main problem I have with installing wired controllers is that I'm colorblind. Luckily I'm not going to create any fireworks with low voltage wires, but going wireless would be nice.
For some, wireless is fine.
But for others who require the reliability, a wired connection will always be here to stay.
It's the same with so many different industries, there's a push to go wireless because it makes installation convenient.. But it isn't very convenient when one of those wireless solutions fail, and your livelihood fails with it.
Sure wired solutions can fail. Like you mentioned with corrosion, stresses on the wires causing failure. But if you know about those things going into it, you can use the appropriate wire/connectors/connections to ensure that it won't fail. (or at least reduce the likiness of it failing to near 0)
Thanks. My experience working for a larger grower back this up. There were literal kilometers of wired connections in conduits around that place. Most of them worked for years with no problems. Every now and again there'd be a failure, and that was a real pain, but for the most part I was quite happy to repair a connection or re-pull a line rather than look for a wireless solution. For a home gardener it might be a little different calculation - less setup and a slick interface (compared to what's traditionally been available) might tip the scales if the tech holds up.
Very true. In the commercial settings, hard wired is definitely the standard; however, the technology is quite sophisticated and if it proves reliable they will definitely use it, especially if more accurate data is available to be collected for better results.
Hi Jason, how do you think this sort of system would hold up for ‘pulse watering’ Eg watering at intervals throughout the day 5 minutes at a time. Seems like it would be a good set up
It seems to be pretty flexible on the timings. Under the mist setting, for instance I see that you can set a start time, a finish time, a mist duration and an interval - so it sounds to me like a pretty good match for your needs.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm awesome, thanks 😊
I live so rural, we don't even have internet services here, but I wonder if you can link these to something like an Apple AirPort
Many of these types of systems REQUIRE a connection to the cloud to function. It's the manufacturers server which have the 'smarts' to sort/store and present the data to you. Without an internet connection, many of these types of devices just won't work as intended.
I'm not too familiar with this one. So maybe it's different and all communications are local, but I doubt it.
I can't say I did any testing on how well (if at all) it would work without an internet connection. The app (on cell or tablet) communicates with the hub through your router, while each of the input and output devices communicates only with the hub. I guess in theory this leaves a situation where the hub could lose connectivity to the router after setup but still be monitoring, logging, and supporting irrigation schedules and decisions. It's something I might not pay a lot of attention to if my internet situation were stable and for ornamental garden beds, but you better believe I'd want to know for sure if I were relying on this for commercial crops and/or my internet connectivity was spotty.
Many apps do function and communicate with the devices they connect with, but each manufacturer is different about their access allowance with or without internet service.
Drones are a good example, although they require a network connection does not mean internet is needed.
The network is simply a wireless connection like Bluetooth or near by device connections.
Typically a message will appear that warns you of certain features that may not work properly, but other functions will.
I would imagine most of these types of devices simply need a wireless connection to the app to function. Data storage may be a different matter depending upon a particular company.