WI-FI Sprinkler Controller

Skydrop Wi-Fi Sprinkler Controller Helps Scheduling Watering Times Using a Smartphone App or Web Browser Also it Will Anticipate Watering Needs Based on Local Weather Forecast

Automatic sprinkler controllers have been around forever, but the newest crop ofdigital home? irrigation regulators from companies like Greenbox, Rachio, and Skydrop make it possible to control your sprinkler system remotely via your wireless network. The Skydrop Wi-Fi Sprinkler Controller ($299) not only lets you schedule watering times using a smartphone app or Web browser, it will anticipate your watering needs based on your local weather forecast and lawn conditions, and can be programmed to adhere to local watering restrictions. Installing this snappy-looking device takes less than 10 minutes, and the app is well-designed and easy to use. Granted, Skydrop$299.00 at Amazon?is double the price of a standard controller, but it still merits an Editors' Choice award for connected sprinkler controllers.?

Design and Setup

With its streamlined design, gunmetal gray finish, and large aluminum jog dial, the Skydrop controller looks nothing like a traditional square-box sprinkler controller. It snaps onto a 2.7-by-6.2-by-0.5 inch (HWD) wall plate, which contains eight watering zone wiring ports, two common wire ports, a master valve port (for systems equipped with a master valve option), a hot terminal for testing purposes, and a power plug port. All of the wire ports are tool free; just push the wire in until it clicks and press the rubberized button to release. There are two slots on the bottom that are used to run power and zone wiring to the plate, and there's a small built-in level on the top used for mounting the plate properly. If you have an?extra-large lawn, Skydrop sells an expansion unit for $50 that allows you to add an additional eight watering zones.

The controller measures 3.4 by 9.7 by 1.9 inches (HWD). It has a 4.3-inch LCD in the center, and a round, 3-inch jog dial on the right. The dial sports a silver aluminum band around its outer edge and a backlit ring around its inner edge. The ring glows blue when the system is in watering mode, green when it is waiting for its next scheduled watering session, and red if there's a system error. Inside is a Wi-Fi radio that supports the 802.11b/g/n networking protocols.

In addition to the wall plate and controller, the Skydrop comes with four mounting screws, a power adapter, numbered stickers for the zone wires, and an Installation and Quick Start Guide that walks you through the installation process. Missing is any information explaining how the controller actually works, what the different colored lights mean, and how your input will affect how often Skydrop will water your lawn. However, the folks at Skydrop are currently working on a comprehensive user guide that will address these issues.

Installing the Skydrop was quick and easy. I marked each zone wire with the numbered stickers (I have five watering zones) before removing them from my original Orbit controller box. I removed the Orbit box and attached the Skydrop wall plate in its place (the Orbit controller was installed in a utility closet in my basement where the sprinkler plumbing is located). I ran the zone wires, a common wire, and the power wire up through the slots, connected them to the appropriate wire ports, snapped the controller into the wall plate, and plugged in the power adapter. The entire process took a little under 10 minutes

Features and Performance

You can program Skydrop using the jog dial and LCD screen, but it's much easier to do using a?Web browser, or the iOS or Android app. When you first set up Skydrop, you have to answer a few questions regarding your lawn environment and location. It asks you what zip code you're in so it can monitor the local weather, and it wants to know what kind of soil you have (sandy, loamy, unsure) in each watering zone. For example, lawns with a sandy soil base will require more water because sandy soil does not retain water very well. Conversely, lawns with a loamy base require less water.

Skydrop also wants to know what types of vegetation you'll be watering (grass, shrubs, trees, ground cover), sprinkler types (spray, rotary, drip), shade (none, partial, full), and slope (none, slight, steep). Using this data coupled with your local hourly weather updates, Skydrop then creates a customized watering schedule designed to keep your lawn looking its best while conserving water. It even provides a daily history of water usage that shows you when the lawn was watered and how much water was supplied by the sprinklers compared to how much was supplied by rainfall. You can also create your own watering schedule if you don't want to use Skydrop's recommendations.

Source: PCMag

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• Innovation
• Irrigation
• Technology