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Tim Foster

Lives in: Conkal, Yucatán, MX
Using: SPRITE-12 , WHISPERER
Growing: Manila grass, Zeon Zoysia Grass

Questions

Soil Types

11
Tim Foster
Updated at 2019-12-14 13:28:44 UTC
Topic: Netro App

The app asks me to define my soil type and gives me a small list to choose from. I'm no gardening expert by any means and so I'm not really sure I've got this right. I selected the most draining type based on nothing more that guesswork really. We're in Yucatán, México so the entire area is limestone rock, but this website (https://sites.google.com/site/soilsoftheyucatanpeninsula/soil-types) gives more detail about the soil types in Yucatán. All this has done though is confuse me more. 


Is there any reliable way that I can determine my soil type in Netro? The website says it's likely to be one (or a combination) of Gleysols, Histosols, Vertisols, Solonchaks, Leptosols, and Cambisols

Watering

11
Tim Foster
Updated at 2019-12-14 13:23:21 UTC
Topic: Smart Watering

I have my first period of rain coming up, so the smart schedule isn't planning on watering until Christmas Eve. Since getting the sensors working properly I've been very happy with the smart watering, but the rain predictions here tend to be a bit sketchy. As my system is saying it won't water because there is rain expected, does it automatically adjust itself and water if the predicted rain doesn't arrive?


Also, I have it set to not water if expected rain is 5mm. What is the difference in this context between expectation and forecast?

Neither whisperer is now working

11
Tim Foster
Updated at 2019-12-05 17:56:44 UTC
Topic: Troubleshooting
I have two whisperers, one in zone 2 at the front and one in zone 4 at the back. We're in Mexico so it's ridiculously hot and sunny all the time. The unit at the back faces north west. The unit at the front faces north. Both units are now dead. Neither will reset or power up. 

Can't add new managers

11
Tim Foster
Updated at 2019-12-03 20:00:25 UTC
Topic: Netro App
I can't add my wife to the system. Her email is first name.surname@domain.co.uk but the app says "invalid email" when I try to add her.

Installation Direct to pump

11
Tim Foster
Updated at 2019-10-03 11:23:32 UTC
Topic: Installation

OK. I have my plumber installing this. Unfortunately, this is México and so beyond the basics, most plumbers are struggling about in the dark. We've figured most of it out, but we're a bit in the dark on a couple of bits.


I have the following:

A ground source well with a Franklin Electric submersible pump as my water source. This pumps directly from the ground to the zone controller.

The zone controller is an Antelco EzyValve4 solenoid (https://antelco.com/us/products/valves/automatic/ezyvalve-4). This has a water input and four zone outputs. Each of the four solenoids has two wires and their website shows how to connect 1 of the wires together as the common and then the other four for each controller. This is all good.

The problem is power to the pump. The Netro installation video says "if you have a master valve, connect that to the M slot". I googled a bit and found "A master valve is an automatic valve that is installed at the point where the irrigation system connects to the water supply. (Sometimes this circuit is called a “pump start circuit”. Both types of circuits work identical, and can be used for a pump and/or a master valve.) The controller turns the master valve on and off."

So, does this mean I connect the power from the pump directly to the "M" slot? and would this then turn on the pump when a zone is opened for watering? So, Zone 1 comes on to water the garden, does this also switch the pump on?

From what I understand the pump will be 110v, so do I need a relay unit between the pump wire and the Neatro (24v)?


Can anyone give me a confirmation that this is the right way to configure it please?

Whisperer seems wrong

11
Tim Foster
Updated at 2019-09-22 15:02:12 UTC
Topic: General

I only got my system delivered yesterday, so this could be something that I doing wrong, I have one whisperer in the back garden and one in the front. I live in Merida Yucatan and so it's hot all the time. The whisperer in the back is in direct sunlight most of the day yet it's reporting the temperature as 24. The one in the front is shaded by the house yet that is reporting 33. Both seem to be reporting incorrect moisture levels in both the topsoil and subsoil. Yucatán drains through stone to underground water sources so I would expect both topsoil and subsoil to be showing very arid.


Can anyone advise?