New Intelligent Sprinkler Controller

Stumbled upon this new device: https://www.rach.io

The Iro by Rachio has WiFi and both iPhone and Android apps. It gets weather data online to help water more effectively and to adjust your watering schedule. Don't know if there is an API. Available in 8 or 16 zone versions.

[jay (support)]

This blog post, combined with these FAQ questions:

Do I need WiFi for Iro to work?
Yes. All you need is a WiFi connection for Iro to work properly.

Is there a built in backup schedule?
There is. Anytime your controller goes offline it will continue to use the last updated schedule. We'll immediately notify you and walk you through any steps required to restore its connectivity.

lead me to believe that an internet connection is required. Not sure if their RESTful API is going to be opened given their security - so it's hard to tell if a 3rd party app could control the device, either through their cloud servers or directly.

Just wondered if anything got developed for the Rachio controller? You can now purchase the these at Home Depot. If not, is there a plugin for another network smart irrigation controller?

Thanks,

Larry

I purchased one of these today. Will be hooking it up this weekend. Possible replacement for another smart controller the Roslen Net-Aqua. Rachio appears to have a more mature feature set and more market penetration.

Hope Rachio and Indigo will speak to each other soon.

I purchased one of these today. Will be hooking it up this weekend. Possible replacement for another smart controller the Roslen Net-Aqua. Rachio appears to have a more mature feature set and more market penetration.

Hope Rachio and Indigo will speak to each other soon.

Let us know how you like it. My 15 year old timer is getting really tired and tiresome. I want to get something more flexible like the Rachio.

Please let us know how it goes for you. I want to replace my sprinkler controller with a smart controller as well. I'm just concerned with going with a sprinkler that relies on connecting to a manufactures web service. I would hate to only have the smart sprinkler for a year or two and the manufacture goes out of business and there is no server for it to connect to. The controller would have very little functionality if any at all.

Larry

...Possible replacement for another smart controller the Roslen Net-Aqua.

I have been using a 16 zone netAQUA for about 6 months (1 Main unit + 1 expansion unit). The unit has worked well with no major problems. They say they will be releasing an update this month that will add a basic API (schedule length adjustment) and ETo calculations. The minimal API will meet my needs completely, since I really want to have an independant system not tied to Indigo. But, still have the ability to override if needed.

I will report when I get the update.

I've been using an Irrigation Caddy IC-W1 for 9 months now, works well, has a indigo plugin, like Berkinet, I want a system that runs independently with occasional control and status reports to Indigo.

The IC guys keep updating the firmware and promise to add new features as well, all in all it's been a good unit.

...Possible replacement for another smart controller the Roslen Net-Aqua.

...They say they will be releasing an update this month that will add a basic API (schedule length adjustment)... ...I will report when I get the update.

I now have a copy of the beta with the basic API. It can do the following:

1. Global Watering Enable
2. Global Watering Disable
3. Cycle Manual Start
4. Zone Manual Start
5. Watering Abort
6. Percent Modification

The interface is pretty simple to use. It is HTTP based and uses RESTful like commands of the form: http://192.168.1.100/netaqua_api/watering_settings/...
Commands can be sent using curl (pycurl). For example...

Code: Select all

http://192.168.2.100/netaqua_api/watering_settings/global/watering/disable -v -X PUT  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" -H"Content-Length: 0" 

For me, the key functions are 1, 2 and 6. This lets me have Indigo stop (and restart) all watering AND modify the global watering times as a percentage of the pre-programmed time. You can set the multiplier from 0 to 200% in 5% increments. What you cannot yet do is alter the time of individual cycles. However, for implementing local weather based controls (I.e. ETo or ETo like) this seems to be enough to do the job. They have also implemented a monthly (for 12 months) fixed percentage adjustment that can be pre-set in the web interface.

BTW, for those who prefer to have Indigo control everything, the API looks like it can do that using the Zone Manual Start.

There is still more work going on for their next release, including some automatic time calculations based on forecasts, so I don't know when this will actually be available. But, what they have right now is pretty close to all I could want. (except, maybe, Lots and Lots of cycles. - Where, a cycle is a set of zones and times per zone).

IMHO, well worth looking at, especially for large systems.

I gave up on the Roslen Aqua-Net and went with Rachio. Set up a 16 zone at my girlfriends house. Like it so much bought one for my house replacing an Insteon EZ Flora. Pretty mature software. iPhone App. Can add temporary users and have it time out at a particular date. Works with IFTTT. Talks to Nest. I get notifications of zone starts and stops on my phone. Talks to local weather stations. ET. Now sold at Home Depot. This is the second time I jumped on something that was born on Kickstarter and ended up being disappointed. Perhaps the Roslen will get there I just don't need another hobby. The Rachio is just too easy.

Anyone want to by a 18 zone Roslen Controller?

Lik to Rachio IRO API


http://rachio.readme.io/v1.0/docs

I know this is an old topic but I'm looking into automating my sprinklers and was curious if anyone got this talking to indigo. Looks like a good product.

Based on the fact that you can send http calls to the device there's no reason it can't/wouldn't work with Indigo (though I don't own this device yet, though it looks like my next purchase).

Just set up an "action" that sends text to the device when you click the appropriate button (that you create of course).

I'm debating now between Rachio and Rain Machine.

Any updates on plugin availability for either?

Still nothing I guess. I just got a Rachio today. Maybe I'll find time some day to learn how to make a plugin.

I'm actually just looking for basic turn on/turn off various zone functionality.