In the following article, I describe the functionality of the LinkTap software for controlling LinkTap irrigation computers via the web. Since the software is the same for all LinkTap models, what is written here applies regardless of the LinkTap model used. In this article, I will show you what functions this software contains, how to use it, what sets it apart from the smart irrigation software of competitors and how it performs overall.

The article is intentionally very detailed so that you get an overall overview of the software’s range of functions and can also see whether the software covers very specific requirements.

The software is available as an app for Android and iOS devices. In addition, you can use it as a web version via the LinkTap website, so that you can also access it via a desktop computer or notebook.

LinkTap product overview

First, there is a quick overview of the LinkTap models currently available. The software described is used in all of these.

Depending on the hardware requirements of the individual models, a few functions may be restricted: For example, the functions relating to the water flow sensor are only available if the computer also has a water flow sensor. And you can only program more than one output if the computer also has several outputs or if you have alternatively connected several computers to the software.

Note: As a reader of this blog, you can benefit from our cooperation with LinkTap and save 5% on your purchase. Simply enter the coupon code LINKTAP-IG when shopping in the LinkTap online shop!

A water flow meter is permanently installed in the LinkTap D1 and Q1. With the LinkTap G2S and V1, one can optionally be connected outside the computer. With the LinkTap G2S, an alternative water flow meter from LinkTap for very small water quantities (“Micro Flow Meter”) can also be used optionally. Unlike the standard water flow meter, this can also measure very small water quantities (3 to 80 gallons per hour), which occur, for example, in micro-irrigation applications.

According to information from LinkTap, the product segment will soon be expanded to include the LinkTap T1, another irrigation computer with two outputs. However, unlike the D1, this is built according to the principle of the Q1, so the control unit and valve unit are structurally separate. In comparison, the T1 meets even higher requirements in terms of watertightness and protection of the battery against moisture and condensation, making it particularly suitable for use in damp or coastal environments or areas at risk of flooding.

In addition, an extension is planned with the LinkTap Extender, which can be used to set up a mesh network around the gateway and thus achieve even better radio coverage. One or more extenders are installed for this purpose. These can be connected to the power supply or powered by a battery. Such a mesh network can be an important improvement, especially for large gardens or for locations with structurally demanding requirements.

Main menu/Navigation

When you start the app, you will see the following start screen, from which you can navigate to the individual functions:

My first impression was that the colors used in the app could be a little less garish. But that’s a matter of taste and negligible. What’s more important is that at first glance it’s difficult to see how the navigation works and it’s hard to guess where which setting option might be hidden. That’s not a big problem, as you’ll get used to it over time and it’s certainly due to the large number of functions that are offered.

The main menu is basically divided into five main areas:

1. Creating programs and controlling the irrigation computer
2. Global information and control options for all irrigation computers used
3. Basic settings
4. Gateway settings
5. Contact and product information

I’ve marked these five areas in the following screenshot:

The most important area in daily practice is the first, where you can create the irrigation program and carry out spontaneous irrigation runs. Depending on how many LinkTap irrigation computers you operate with the app, you will only see this part once or several times for each of the connected computers. LinkTap does not differentiate here whether it is individual computers or a computer with multiple outputs. Individual outputs of a computer are also displayed in the same way as separate computers.

The second area with the global control will also be used again and again in daily use. Areas 3 and 4 for the basic and gateway settings are needed primarily at the beginning in order to initially make the desired global settings.

The fifth area, the bar at the very bottom, does not contain any primarily important functions in my opinion. Here you can access the help and the web shop, rate the product, contact the manufacturer, call up control values ​​for the gateway and computer and call up the alerts for the last 14 days. In my opinion, this very prominently placed navigation section could have been used for more important things, or even left out completely to keep the navigation clearer.

Setting up an irrigation program

With LinkTap, even if you have multiple computers or a computer with multiple outputs, the program is not created in one step for all of them, but individually for each device/each output. In order to see all program activities together when using multiple devices, you have the option of calling them up in a global overview. More on this below.

A new irrigation plan is created by clicking on the “Create/Edit Watering Plans” button on the computer for which you want to create the plan:

In the next step, select one of the following 6 modes:

Interval mode

Watering is carried out at consistent intervals, e.g. daily, every 2 days, every 7 days, every 30 days. Freely selectable from 1 to 30 days. Such an interval mode can be used, for example, to water a freshly sown lawn that needs short watering several times a day in the first few weeks.

7-Day mode

This is the classic setting mode that is offered in most watering computers and is also required in most applications. You specify how long and at what time you want to water from Monday to Sunday. The program is then repeated in the same way week after week. In my example, I only have one start time on each day, but you can of course also specify several runs per day in this mode.

Eco mode

The screenshot shows that Eco mode has been activated. In technical jargon and in most competitor products, this function is called “Cycle and Soak” and means that the irrigation time is divided into irrigation and waiting phases. This makes sense if the soil is overwhelmed and cannot absorb the water during irrigation and puddles form or water flows away. This can be an issue especially on slopes or with clayey soil.

In my example, I set “valve on” to 20 minutes and “valve off” to 30 minutes. This means that irrigation always takes place for 20 minutes and then there is a 30-minute irrigation break. Since the irrigation time is set to 40 minutes in total, irrigation takes place for 20 minutes, then a 30-minute pause, and then another 20 minutes. The entire irrigation process therefore takes 70 minutes rather than 40 minutes.

Odd-Even mode

In this mode, you can decide whether you want to water on even or odd days. The irrigation plan is set for one day and then carried out on all even or odd days as defined.

Month mode

In this mode, you set a daily irrigation plan for the 12 months January to December. This gives you the opportunity to adjust the irrigation to the seasonally changing climatic conditions. You don’t set a plan for months in which you don’t want to water.

In my opinion, this mode is well-intentioned but because daily irrigation is fixed, it is hardly usable in practice. This setting option depending on the month would make much more sense for the 7-day mode. Competitors offer a similar option of varying the irrigation for the different months using an adjustment factor under the keyword “Seasonal Adjustment”.

Calendar mode

This mode gives you the maximum possible flexibility by allowing you to set the desired watering cycles for any desired date. I have outlined this below as an example for a period of time. The disadvantage is that it is of course relatively time-consuming to set the watering separately for each day. But if you need maximum flexibility and don’t mind the effort, it might be worth considering.

Main valve mode/setting a master valve

This is not a mode for controlling an irrigation program like the other five modes, but rather this mode gives you the option of using the irrigation computer as a master valve. A master valve like this is used to secure the irrigation in the event that the irrigation computer’s outputs do not close properly. In such a case, the irrigation would continue to run and could cause damage or at least waste a large amount of water.

To prevent this, you can put a master valve in front of it. This opens together with the outputs of the valves behind it and closes again together. This means that both the master valve and the valve behind it would have to fail for problems to arise, which is extremely unlikely.

I had previously only known the option of working with a master valve from irrigation computers for controlling external solenoid valves. This option has not been available for faucet control irrigation computers so far, so LinkTap offers a real innovation here. This illustration from LinkTap shows the possible structure of such a solution:

In principle, you can use any of the models sold by LinkTap as a master valve. In practice, you will be more likely to use the inexpensive G1S with just one output than models with multiple outputs such as the D1 or the Q1. This solution is comparatively expensive compared to the one using external solenoid valves, as the cheapest LinkTap computer, the G1S, costs around 60 dollars, whereas you can get a “bare” solenoid valve for around 20 dollars. But it is still a nice and innovative alternative solution that LinkTap offers here!

The settings for the master valve are made in the following mask. Here you specify which computers should be switched together with the master computer and you can define a time period that the master computer opens or closes before or after the zone valves. This can be necessary, especially in conjunction with a pump, to ensure an appropriate pressure build-up.

In addition to creating an irrigation program, there are two other setting options in the irrigation plan menu:

Configure instant watering via the computer

You can specify the length of time that irrigation takes place when the blue instant watering button on the computer is pressed. The default setting is 30 minutes
And the functionality of the blue button can be restricted. By default, an irrigation cycle starts when the button is pressed. This can be restricted so that the button must be held down for 3 seconds for the cycle to start or stop. Or you can deactivate the button completely so that instant irrigation can no longer be started or stopped directly via the computer.

This option can be very helpful in practice to avoid accidentally triggering irrigation cycles or to set a key lock should third parties tamper with the button.

Copy irrigation plans

You can also do this via “Create/Edit irrigation plans” and, as the name suggests, you can copy irrigation programs that you have set up on another computer/output to the computer/output from which you call up the menu.

Additional functions and setting options in the irrigation computer menu

After you have created an irrigation program, it will be displayed on the associated irrigation computer:

Below is an explanation of what the other symbols and buttons shown here do:

Instant Watering

This means that instant watering can be started at the touch of a button in the app. Two buttons are displayed: “Instant Watering On” and “Instant Watering Off”, which can be used to start or stop instant watering.

The duration of instant watering can be set as desired; the default setting is 5 minutes. You can also optionally use the Eco function for instant watering, i.e. divide the running time into watering and waiting phases.

If you click on the “Multiple” button, you can set up to 6 instant runs. For each of these, you can enter the duration and the pause until the next run. LinkTap thus provides an intelligent feature in conjunction with the automatic water distributor from Gardena. In this way, you can use the water distributor to water several zones in succession during manual instant watering. This puts LinkTap ahead of the manufacturer of the automatic water distributor Gardena, which does not offer such an option in its own watering computer software.

Device Info

or

The main menu displays five icons that provide quick information on the following:

• Connection to the water flow sensor (present or not present). If present, the gallon usage of the last watering run will be displayed.
• Wi-Fi signal strength
• Battery level
• Water flow alarm notifications activated or not activated
• Instant watering directly via the button on the computer (activated or not activated)

Clicking on one of these icons takes you to the device information screen:

There you will find the following essential information and setting options:

• The computer/output can be given a name
• The quality of the WiFi signal is displayed and you can even track it for the last 14 days. This can be a very helpful option in the event of problems to find the error or to rule out that it is in the WiFi connection. In my opinion, this is a very useful feature that is currently only available with LinkTap.
• Battery Level
• Location – Only serves for internal differentiation if you have several irrigation computers in use in different places and want to keep track of everything.
• Smart Anti-Freeze Protection – This is a very smart feature that was added with the March 2025 update and is currently only available on LinkTap. This requires a bit more detail, so I’ll introduce it below.
• Battery Type – Is pre-assigned to a certain battery type by default and can be changed to other types. This is to send the notification about a low battery level as appropriately as possible, since the different battery types have different discharge properties and therefore a notification is necessary at different battery levels. For example, with a standard 9 volt alkaline battery, a warning is given at 10% charge, as it runs out very quickly from this level, with lithium batteries only later due to the higher power density.
• Alarms – These options are only displayed if the device contains a water flow sensor. Alarms can then be activated based on the measured flow. I will describe this extensive point in detail below.
• Solenoid valve model – Depends on which type of watering computer you are using. If you use external solenoid valves from third-party suppliers, you can set the pulse width for opening and closing and the capacitor charging duration in milliseconds.
• Number of Gardena Automatic Water Distributor outputs skipped – Another very thoughtful detail from LinkTap! If you use the LinkTap computer together with a Gardena Automatic Water Distributor and have activated the “Skip if low Temperature” setting, you can specify that not just one output of the Gardena Automatic Water Distributor is skipped when the temperature is low, but up to six. This ensures that the order in which the outputs are run through is not mixed up after resuming.
• Stopping the watering plan when the computer is disconnected from the gateway – This is deactivated by default. The programs are not only available in the app, but are transferred directly to the computer, so the computer can continue to run them even if there is a disruption in communication with the gateway. If you don’t want that, i.e. if you want irrigation to be stopped in the event of a disconnection from the gateway, you can activate this option here.

Smart Anti-Freeze Protection

This feature requires a temperature sensor built into the water timer. This is included in all LinkTap D1, T1, and Q1 timers, and in all G1S and G2S timers produced from 2023 onward.

The LinkTap software already has a certain degree of frost protection even without this feature, as it warns you of predicted frost, allowing you to winterize the timer before the onset of winter. However, this leaves a gap that can be caused by extreme weather changes when the temperature drops from significantly above zero to below zero within a few days or hours. This rarely happens, but it does happen, and inevitably leads to the damage of many thousands of timers. In this case, the warning comes too late, or there is too little time to react.

The problem is the water in the pipes, which expands when it freezes and bursts the timer. Smart Anti-Freeze Protection is designed to solve this problem: If the temperature drops below a certain level, a short irrigation cycle is automatically triggered to flush the freezing water from the pipe. If the temperature remains below the minimum, the flushing cycle is repeated at regular intervals.

This function is enabled by default, but you can adjust it as desired:

• Change the temperature at which frost protection takes effect
• Change the flushing duration
• Make the flushing process last a certain amount of time longer the colder it is
• Set the flushing intervals
• Specify which output on the computer the flushing should occur at (only if multiple outputs are available)

Water flow alerts

These setting options in the device info screen are only displayed if a water flow sensor is available. They are a very useful tool for securing the irrigation system. This reduces the risk of damage caused by valves not opening or closing correctly to a minimum. These alarm notifications are independent of the push notifications in the basic settings, which relate to other events not related to water flow. These can be found separately in the Basic Settings chapter.

There are four alarm options to choose from:

Water shut-off failure alert

Occurs when the water flow sensor registers further water flow within a certain time after the valve has been closed. The valve has therefore not been closed properly. This can lead to huge problems and damage if irrigation continues for hours and days and floods occur in your own and surrounding gardens.

Water cut-off or stop flowing alert

Occurs when the water flow sensor does not register any water flow during irrigation. This means that no water is reaching the irrigation computer, e.g. because the tap has been turned off or an upstream pump is not running. In order for the flow to be registered by the sensor, it must be at least 0.18 gallons per minute (11 gallons per hour). This could possibly be undercut for irrigation runs for very small micro-irrigation zones in which, for example, only a few flower pots are watered with drippers. If false alarms occur for such zones, then this option should be deactivated!

Optionally, you can also deactivate the alarm if the irrigation was started directly on the irrigation computer using the blue button (since in this case you would be able to see whether water is flowing or not right there on the scene).

Unusually high flow alert

Occurs when a predefined maximum water flow is exceeded. By default, this is set to 9.25 gallons per minute (555 gallons per hour). This could happen, for example, if there is a leak in the pipeline.

If the event occurs, you can optionally have the valve close automatically. As before, you can also deactivate the alarm here if the irrigation was started directly on the irrigation computer using the blue button.

Unusually low flow alert

Occurs when a predefined minimum water flow is undercut. By default, this is set at 0.53 gallons per minute (32 gallons per hour).

If the event occurs, you can optionally have the valve close automatically. Here, too, you can deactivate the alarm in the event that irrigation is started directly on the irrigation computer using the blue button.

What does an alarm do?

If an alarm event occurs, you automatically receive a push notification on your cell phone and a warning email to the email address stored in your account. Optionally, you can store two additional email addresses to which the alarm notifications should be sent. In this way, you can, for example, also store a neighbor who can then intervene in an emergency if you are not on site.

Important detail: If the system registers one of the four alarm events, the alarm is not triggered immediately, but several control measurements are carried out first. This minimizes the risk of false positive alarms. For this reason, push notifications and emails are sent with a delay of around 10 to 45 seconds.

Flow Meter Correction Factor

Under this point, you have the option of storing an adjustment factor if it turns out that the flow meter always measures a little too high or a little too low in practice. If, for example, the flow is always shown 5% too low, you could change the correction factor to 1.05. Then, instead of the previous measurement, 105% of the previous measurement would be shown.

Advanced Flow Monitoring

In addition to the previously described water flow monitoring options, LinkTap offers advanced water flow monitoring options since the firmware update in June 2025. These are hidden under the “Advanced Flow Monitoring” menu item:

Behind this unassuming term lies a very powerful feature that enables the use of LinkTap flow monitoring for applications beyond traditional garden irrigation.

This specifically applies to irrigation applications where the watering computer does not open and close at a preset time, but rather the valve remains continuously open. Instead, the water flow is controlled by an external device such as a sprinkler with a built-in motion sensor (used to deter unwanted animals), a flow switch, a float valve, or a water level switch. Typical applications include:

• Refilling water in a pool or pond
• Sprinklers activated by motion sensors
• Watering places for animals that refill as needed
• Monitoring water consumption in the home (faucets left open, pipe bursts)

The diagram below shows a watering schedule. A watering schedule can be programmed with a maximum duration of 23 hours and 59 minutes. The valve will then remain open for almost 24 hours. Within this time period, there may be periods of water flow and periods without water flow.

Watering schedule with periods of water flow and periods without water flow

The previously described flow monitoring options are insufficient for such applications, as they only check that a valve has been correctly closed or opened and whether a certain maximum value is exceeded. However, they cannot be used to analyze whether the individual irrigation phases within a an irrigation run consisting of several stop-and-go phases and the sum of the phases as a whole meet the expectations.

Advanced flow monitoring closes this gap. The following settings can be configured here, covering five different scenarios:

The following things are possible with the five scenarios:

• Notification or shutdown if a water flow phase lasts too long
• Notification or shutdown if a certain gallon or liter value is exceeded during a water flow phase
• Notification or shutdown if all water flow phases combined during an irrigation run exceed a certain duration
• Notification or shutdown if all water flow phases combined during an irrigation run exceed a certain gallon or liter value
• Notification if all water flow phases fall below a certain gallon or liter value during an irrigation run

Notifications can be sent either via email or as a push notification on your mobile phone. The settings are made for each zone output, and it is possible to exclude irrigation runs manually initiated by pressing a button on the computer from the rules.

My opinion: A very innovative feature that I have not seen from any other computer manufacturer!

Watering history

This icon provides an overview of the irrigation runs that have taken place over the last 30 days. In addition, the irrigation runs that were skipped due to rainfall or low temperatures are also shown – in a different color. The history can be changed to 60 days or 90 days. By clicking on the download symbol, the data can also be downloaded as a tabular csv file.

By clicking on one of the green daily bars, a detailed view of the relevant irrigation day can be called up, which also shows the exact water quantities/costs and flow rates:

Weather-based control – based on precipitation

The LinkTap software offers two ways to control irrigation depending on the weather. The option “Skip Watering if Rain” is the first of these. You can use two rules to cancel planned irrigation runs:

• Do not water if the rainfall in the last x hours was over x inches
• Do not water if the rainfall in the next x hours is over x inches

The rules are checked before the planned start of an irrigation run. As soon as one of the two rules applies, the irrigation run is skipped. This means that it will not take place until the next scheduled time. Unless the weather rule would prevent this again at that time. For the hours, you can choose between 72, 48, 24, 12 and a minimum of 6 hours, and for the amount of rainfall you can freely enter any desired value. To activate weather control, the checkbox must be checked.

Weather-based control – based on temperature

The second value that can be automatically included in the irrigation is the temperature. The temperature is obtained both from a temperature sensor built into all LinkTap computers and online via the weather service.

Weather control via temperature can be carried out in two ways using 4 rules:

• Increase or reduce the amount of watering if the maximum temperature on the day of watering is below or above a certain value
• Skip irrigation if the temperature is below a certain value when irrigation starts or if the maximum temperature on the day of watering is below a certain value

The values ​​can be entered freely. Temperature controlled watering is activated by setting the checkbox next to the rule you want to activate. Only rule 3 or rule 4 can be activated, not both together.

Adjust watering duration

Of course, you could also do this simply by adjusting the irrigation program accordingly. However, this function gives you the option of adjusting the length of the irrigation without having to change the program.

This can be useful, for example, if you have created your program based on the warmest month and it is now late summer and the irrigation requirement is correspondingly lower. In this way, you can leave the program that works well as it is and simply adjust it by a certain control value, which you can then remove later.

Other competitors call this option “seasonal adjustment”, although the competitor does this on a global level for all valves. With LinkTap, it is done on the level of the individual computer/output. On the one hand, this gives you more flexibility, but on the other hand it is also more cumbersome because if you use multiple computers/outputs you have to make these settings several times. An additional option to be able to set this on a global level would be desirable here. I sent this point to LinkTap as a suggestion for improvement and received feedback that they will look into it. This may be added accordingly for future updates.

A special feature of LinkTap is that the adjustment factor can be set in minutes as well as in percent. When you set the adjustment, you are immediately shown how the running times change as a result. A downward adjustment of up to 1% of the original running time is possible, and an upward adjustment of up to three times the original running time is possible.

Pause device

Gives you the option of pausing the watering computer/output for 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours or until further notice. This can be useful, for example, if you have to do some work in the garden for a few days and therefore don’t want watering. Or before the end of the season to shut down the computer until the start of the next season.

Note: This function is also available at a global level for all managed watering computers/outputs. I will introduce this option further down.

Global functions (affect all computers/outputs)

In contrast to the functions presented previously, which are always defined for each watering computer or output, these functions apply to all watering computers/outputs stored in the app. These functions are located in a common menu bar at the top of the app:

I will present the functionalities behind it in the following:

View local weather

The local weather for today and the forecast for the next 6 days can be called up under the weather icon. The weather information is obtained from Apple Weather and is the basis for weather-controlled irrigation. The weather information depends on the stored location. LinkTap does not currently offer the option of using data from your own weather station.

Display of the currently irrigating devices

Shows which of the irrigation computers/outputs are currently in use. If a water flow meter is present, the current flow rate is also displayed.

Pause all devices

Pauses all irrigation computers/outputs. The same selections are available here as at the individual computer level.

Resume all devices

Cancels an existing pause for all devices.

There are three more icons hidden behind the three-dot symbol.

Irrigation history for all devices

Displays the completed irrigation runs collectively for all computers/outputs.

If you click on one of the daily bars, you can see a detailed list of the irrigation runs that have taken place:

Irrigation plan for all devices

Shows the scheduled irrigation runs collectively for all computers/outputs.

Batch Watering

Enables instant watering using multiple computers/outputs. For example, you can have watering computers/outputs 1 to 4 watered at the same time. However, you should make sure that there is enough water for simultaneous watering.

Or you can have watering computer 1 watered first and then computer 3, etc. etc. When watering in succession, you can choose between three rules to set the pause between runs:

• Time – You set a fixed time at which the watering run begins
• Delay 1 – You set a specific time period after the start of the group watering at which the watering run begins
• Delay 2 – You set a specific time period at the end of the watering run of the previously running device at which the watering run begins

You can create up to 4 such batch waterings. You can switch between batch waterings 1 to 4 using the … symbol in the top right!

A small inconvenience: Even if you want to enter your irrigation runs in minutes, you still have to fill in the seconds field (with 0) for the entry to be accepted. However, this is not a major problem and will probably be improved in future software versions.

With group irrigation, you can also optionally divide the irrigation runs into irrigation and waiting phases using Eco mode.

The checkbox “Add a shortcut to the home page” means that an additional start and stop button for batch irrigation is displayed in the main menu. This is useful if you want to use the batch irrigation you have created in the same way again and again.

Basic Settings

These are settings that do not refer to the irrigation computer, but apply to the entire app. You can access them by clicking on the gear symbol in the top left.

The following basic settings can be accessed and changed here:

I describe the possible settings below:

Language, Date Format, Time Format, Temperature Unit, Rainfall Unit, Volume Unit, Currency Symbol

During the initial setup, the app recognizes which country you are from and stores the language, temperature unit (degrees Celsius, degrees Kelvin), precipitation unit (millimeters or inches), volume unit (liters or gallons), currency symbol and the usual format for date and time. If you want to change these, you can do so under the corresponding menu items.

Appearance

Here the appearance of the app can be changed from a light to a dark background.

Gateway, Watering Device/Extender

Other gateways and irrigation computers can be added here.

By clicking on the following symbol, a topology of the LinkTap devices can also be called up:

This shows the devices in the LinkTap system and how they are connected to each other. By moving the devices in the diagram, you can arrange them logically. This allows you to create a graphical overview of the relationships in the system, especially for larger systems.

Device Health Check

Here you can view a history of the last 14 days regarding the connection status of the gateway and watering computer, signal strength and battery charge level. This is particularly useful if a problem occurs and you are looking for the cause.

Weather Forecast

By default, a forecast for the next 7 days is set, alternatively this can be changed so that the next 4 and the past 3 days are displayed.

First Day of the Week

Allows you to choose whether the week should start on Monday (= default) or Sunday. The display of the watering plans is adjusted accordingly.

Push Notification

The LinkTap software offers the option of being automatically informed about a series of events. All of these notifications are activated by default. In addition, there are warning notifications related to the water flow for devices with a water flow sensor. These are managed directly in the watering computer menu. I have already introduced these notifications above.

Notifications can be enabled or disabled for 9 events:

• Notification when an irrigation run starts
• Notification when an irrigation run ends
• Notification when an irrigation run is suspended due to rain
• Notification when an irrigation run is suspended due to low temperatures
• Notification when the computer’s battery level is low
• Notification when the gateway goes online or has been offline for more than 6 hours
• Notification when the irrigation computer goes online or has been offline for more than 6 hours
• Notification of temperatures below freezing (freeze warning)
• Notification when you have locked the blue manual irrigation run button(s) on the computer and someone presses these buttons.

My Profile

Gives you the option to change the user name and password selected during registration and the email address stored.

Share My LinkTap Devices

An important menu item that allows you to give up to 6 other people access to the LinkTap software. This means that other family members can access it, or you can also give your neighbor access while you are on vacation, for example.

To do this, simply enter the email address of the person you want to invite:

The person then receives an email with an invitation link and then registers for guest access with their own username and password. Access can be made either via the app (previous download required) or directly by logging in to the LinkTap website without the need for a download. As soon as the invited person accepts the invitation and logs in for the first time, the inviting account is notified of this by email.

Guest access contains more or less the same functionalities as the main account. This means that new programs can also be created and modified, or various settings can be changed. The only two things that I noticed as limitations are inviting other users yourself and changing the settings for alerts. LinkTap does not differentiate between full access and restricted access, as is common with some competitors.

The invited users are displayed in the app:

You can also revoke access from the invited people or delete them completely. The first option is useful if the user may be granted access again later, the other option if that is not the case.

FAQ/Feedback/App User Manual/About

These four menu items do exactly what they are named after:

• FAQ – Opens the FAQ page on the LinkTap homepage
• Feedback – Opens an email addressed to support@link-tap.com
• App User Manual – Links to the current version of the PDF user manual. As I discovered myself, this is not always completely up to date. Some functions from the app were still missing from the description.
• About – Shows the app version currently being used. Depending on the settings on the phone, the app is automatically updated as soon as a new version is available or can be updated manually. At the time of this report, the app used was the following:

Gateway settings

You can access the gateway-specific settings by clicking on the blue arrow to the right in the main menu:

All gateway settings can be viewed and changed here:

Here is a description:

Name

Here you can give the gateway a name.

ID/MAC Address/IP Address

The internal ID, MAC address and IP address of the gateway are displayed here.

Status

Shows the connection status of the gateway. This can be connected, not connected or not synchronized.

Turn off lights on the gateway

If you activate this option, the three indicator lights on the gateway will only light up for 1 minute if everything is working correctly and then turn off.

Local Time and Location

Here you can change the local time by selecting a time zone and the location where the gateway is located. The location is relevant for obtaining the correct weather information.

Volume or costs in the irrigation history

By default, the gallons of water used are displayed. Alternatively, you can change this to irrigation costs.

Water Price

The water price applicable at the irrigation location can be stored here. The irrigation costs are then calculated based on this price. If you don’t have any water costs, e.g. because you get the water from your own well, you could still enter the water costs of the local water supplier and in this way show the cost savings from your own well.

Displayed flow rate

By default, the last flow rate of an irrigation run is displayed. This can be changed to the average flow rate.

Weather data retention period for the “Rain Skip” function

The current weather data is retrieved from the Apple WeatherKit weather service a few minutes before the start of an irrigation run. If weather control is activated, this can lead to the irrigation run being skipped (“Rain Skip”). This retrieved weather data is stored for 6 hours by default. This means that if another irrigation run were to take place within 6 hours, the data would not be retrieved again for it, but the stored data would be used instead.

This storage time can alternatively be changed to 12, 18 or 24 hours. This could be useful in conjunction with an automatic water distributor if you want to ensure that stopping the first watering run always results in the stopping of subsequent runs or that carrying out the first watering run also results in the subsequent runs being carried out.

Device Sleep Mode

You can choose between Power save mode (= standard) and Performance mode. In Performance mode, the maximum response time of 5 seconds is slightly shorter than the 15 seconds in power save mode. In return, the battery life is shorter in performance mode.

Wireless Module

Here you can call up the Zigbee channel number used by LinkTap or reset the wireless module so that it selects a new Zigbee channel number.

Scan and Manually Set Channel

This gives you the option of manually selecting a Zigbee channel. This can be useful if there are problems with the automatically selected channel. After the scan, the system shows you the available channels with a percentage of their suitability.

Firmware version

Shows the software version used for the gateway.

Gateway auto firmware update

Is enabled by default so that the gateway is automatically updated when new versions are available. If you do not want this, the option can be disabled.

LinkTap internal functions

This has now described all functionalities, except for those in the menu bar shown at the bottom of the app.

In my opinion, this contains rather minor functions that mainly concern internal LinkTap matters and some of which have already been offered elsewhere in the app:

• ? symbol: Link to FAQs and instructional videos
• Shopping cart symbol: Link to the LinkTap web shop
• Rating symbol: Link to the LinkTap product rating page
• Mail symbol: Contact option via email and link to the LinkTap Facebook page
• First aid kit symbol: Link to the device status check, in which the connection data to the gateway and irrigation computer, as well as signal strength and battery charge level for the last 14 days is tracked
• Bell symbol: Here you can access the notifications received in the last 14 days

Interfaces

Amazon Alexa

The LinkTap skill makes it possible to carry out some computer activities or query information via Amazon Alexa. An overview of these options can be found on the page https://www.link-tap.com/#!/alexa.

Google Home

LinkTap could also be controlled with Google Home until September 2023, but with a very limited range of functions. However, Google Home is currently no longer supported. However, integration into Google Home is possible via the detour of using IFTTT (If this than that). How this works is explained on the LinkTap homepage.

Apple Homekit

Apple Homekit is not natively supported, but a connection is possible via the detour Homebridge.

Program interfaces (APIs)

Very positive: LinkTap currently offers 11 APIs with which program functionalities can be called up or executed from third parties. This enables a connection to a large number of external automation systems. The following functionalities are currently possible via API:

• Activate/deactivate irrigation
• Activate interval mode
• Activate even-odd mode
• Activate seven-day mode
• Activate month mode
• Activate calendar mode
• Pause irrigation schedule
• Delete alarm
• Retrieve historical irrigation data from the last 30 days
• Set a webhook URL to receive various events (e.g. irrigation start, irrigation end, …)
• Delete webhook URL

Conclusion and recommendation

Since I tested the LinktTap software for the blog for the first time in 2020, it has been improved in many areas and numerous functions have been added. In principle, it is a very positive sign when software is being actively developed. Most competitors are doing very little in this regard.

The software now makes a very good, mature impression to me. The LinkTap software developers are likely to have their ears very close to the customer and actively incorporate customer feedback into the development. In my view, this is a very positive approach and is reflected in the software in some details that are not found in competitors, but which make sense in practice. As an example, some detailed settings that can be made in conjunction with the automatic water distributor from Gardena are mentioned. This can make life a lot easier in practice.

One certain drawback is the lack of the ability to connect sensors, for example to control irrigation based on values ​​measured by a soil moisture sensor. In this respect, other systems sometimes offer very extensive options.

However, the integrated weather-controlled irrigation system is in some ways a replacement for the need for sensors, as it actively incorporates rain and temperature into the control system and thus replaces a rain or temperature sensor. Only the soil moisture sensor cannot be replaced 1:1 using weather data (Update: The possibility of using a soil moisture sensor is planned, see future outlook!)

On the other hand, the possibility of using a water flow sensor is very positive. This is a very useful way of protecting irrigation against dangers and LinkTap offers comparatively inexpensive options for integrating such a sensor. In some models, it is already on board as standard or it can be added for comparatively little money.

The API interfaces that LinkTap provides are also great. This also enables LinkTap to be connected to various external home automation solutions.

One small downside is that you cannot use your own weather station to obtain the weather. Hydrawise and B-hyve offer this and it would also be an important improvement for LinkTap. (Update: It is in the planning stages, see future outlook!)

All in all, the LinkTap system is currently a very successful and highly recommended system.

Future outlook

During my research for this blog post, I also asked LinkTap about the status of the software’s further development and received a very positive response, stating that they are currently working on a number of additional features suggested by users.

For example, in the foreseeable future, it will be possible to integrate your own weather station into the software.

And two wireless soil moisture sensors are currently being developed that can measure not only soil moisture but also humidity and temperature. These sensors are expected to be on the market in about six months.

Comparison with competitors

Compared to the Gardena Smart System, which has seen very little development for years and is limited to the absolute basic functions with a little weather control, LinkTap is now miles ahead in terms of software. The only understandable reasons in my view why you might consider choosing Gardena instead would be that you already control other devices such as the lawnmower in the Gardena Smart System and want to control everything in a common system, or that you rate the comparatively slightly more water pressure-saving design of the Gardena Smart Water Control (less narrow inlet) as highly important.

LinkTap also remains clearly first compared to the Rain Bird Smart Watering System, although it should be noted that this is only available for irrigation computers for controlling external solenoid valves. The Rain Bird Smart Watering System is rather disappointing, especially in terms of weather control.

In terms of functionality, LinkTap does not quite reach the level of my personal favorite, Hunter Hydrawise. Hydrawise simply offers even more extensive weather control functions, the option of using your own weather station and extensive options for integrating sensors. Hydrawise also only has computers for controlling external solenoid valves, but no faucet control irrigation computers.

Compared to Orbit B-hyve, I would now rate the LinkTap system higher. B-hyve is also very extensive and well thought out, but it follows a completely different principle, where most things are done using autopilot and the user has much less opportunity to intervene independently. I like LinkTap’s approach much better, but that is partly a matter of taste. LinkTap’s significantly higher hardware quality compared to Orbit B-hyve products also speaks for itself. In return, however, Orbit can of course score points with a comparatively very low price.

The last of the big competitors, Opensprinkler, is in a different league to a certain extent. Opensprinkler is also rated very highly in terms of functionality and, above all, offers an open source concept, both for the software and the hardware. If you want that or want to implement very independent solutions, then OpenSprinkler is a hot tip. OpenSprinkler also only offers a computer to control external solenoid valves.

The range of irrigation computers with 4 outlets is very small. And I only know of three smart irrigation computers with 4 outlets and web connection. In addition to the LinkTap Q1 presented here, there is the Orbit B-hyve XD*, which unfortunately had major hardware weaknesses in my test and therefore I cannot recommend it, and a no-name product from the Far East that I have not tested and which is sold under the Diivoo brand*. I have tested the LinkTap Q1 and will show how it compares and whether it is an alternative worth considering if you are looking for a smart irrigation computer with many outlets.

Who is LinkTap and what does the company offer?

The Australian company LinkTap is a relatively young company, but has been present on the irrigation computer market since 2015. Its range only includes irrigation computers with web connection. What they all have in common is that they require an additional network gateway, also offered by LinkTap, to operate them, which establishes the connection between the in-house network and the irrigation computer.

The gateway does not communicate with the irrigation computer via WiFi like other competitors do, but rather via the Zigbee protocol. This is intended to ensure more reliable transmission and can be particularly important if you need a long range, i.e. the irrigation computer is located quite far away from the gateway.

Below is a brief overview of the LinkTap product range. The software used is the same for all computers. All models require an additional gateway. In some cases this is included in the sales offers, in others it is not.

Further information on the individual models:

LinkTap G1S

The company started with the LinkTap G1, a faucet control irrigation computer with one outlet. The successor G1S is now on the market. Apart from slight design changes, this is largely the same as the previous model, but has been expanded to include an additional practical option to manually start an irrigation run at the touch of a button.

LinkTap G2S

The G2S is the same as a G1S, but has been expanded to include a water meter and a fall detection sensor.

LinkTap D1

Is very similar to the models described above, only with two outlets instead of one. The D1 contains a water flow sensor for both of the outlets, but this is installed internally, so it cannot be removed or replaced.

Link Tap Q1

This is the newest model in the LinkTap product range, which has 4 outlets and which I will present in detail in this article.

LinkTap V1 (ValveLinker)

The models described above and also the Q1 model described in this article are all so-called “faucet control computers”. These are irrigation computers that can be screwed directly onto a faucet and have one or more valves built into the computer. The water runs directly through the computer during irrigation.

With the ValveLinker, LinkTap also offers the second type of irrigation computer that is available on the market. This does not come into contact with water itself, but is a kind of control center that transmits electrical impulses and thus switches external solenoid valves. The V1 is available in three model variants, for one, two or four zones. This can be recognized by the designation Z1, Z2 or Z4 in the product name or by the number of blue control buttons: the one for one zone has only one button, the one for two has two buttons and the one for four has 4 buttons, with which the desired zone can be switched.

The V1 is battery-operated and switches 9 volt DC solenoid valves. These are not included in the offer and must be purchased separately. LinkTap does not offer solenoid valves itself; commercially available solenoid valves from other manufacturers can be used.

Using an additional module (Valve Linker DC Converter) that can be purchased separately, the V1 can be switched to a power supply or it can also be powered by a solar panel using this module.

LinkTap Q1 Product Range

Unlike other manufacturers who offer irrigation computers with 4 outlets, the LinkTap Q1 does not consist of a single part, but LinkTap separates the actual irrigation computer from the solenoid valves. So there is the control unit and a separate part with the 4 water outlets, in which the 4 solenoid valves are housed (valve unit).

The set I ordered also includes the gateway. Without one, the irrigation computer cannot be used! However, sets without a gateway are also offered as an alternative. Purchasing such a set without a gateway makes sense if you have already used a previous model, or have only increased the number of LinkTap irrigation computers and therefore already have a gateway. A gateway can be used with up to 15 devices.

The rest of the package contents consists of cable connections for connecting the gateway to the power and the network or for connecting the control unit to the valve unit, as well as mounting material and 4 tap connectors for connecting the valve unit to hose couplings. LinkTap, like all other manufacturers, also includes 1/2 inch tap connectors. In my opinion, this is an unnecessary bottleneck that causes pressure loss and I therefore always recommend replacing them with 3/4 inch tap connectors!

There are also two connection threads included with which you can reduce the 1 inch inlet of the valve unit to 3/4 inch or 1/2 inch. This enables it to be used with both 1 inch, 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch taps.

Overview of the complete package contents

Installation of LinkTap Q1

First of all, a small criticism on this point: The manufacturer states that the device can be installed in 2 minutes. That is exaggerated! Even if the installation is basically simple, even an experienced user will need at least 10 minutes. If you have a little less experience with technology in general and installations like this in particular, then it’s more like 15 to 20 minutes.

That’s not to say that the installation is difficult or laborious, but the time estimates should still be as realistic as possible. This criticism applies equally to practically all manufacturers I know of at the moment, who all give very optimistic estimates when it comes to the time estimates.

The set I bought didn’t include an instruction manual. I asked LinkTap, the computers are always delivered with an instruction manual as standard, so this was probably a random error in delivery. But that doesn’t matter too much, because you can also read the instruction manual on the LinkTap website.

The installation is done by downloading the app and following the instructions there!

Download the app and set up an online account

The LinkTap app can be downloaded for Android phones from Google Play or for Apple phones from the App Store.

You can then log into an existing account or, if you have not used any LinkTap products before, you will need to register a new online account. You set a user name and password that you will later use to log into the account.

Installation of gateway, control unit and valve unit

First, the gateway is installed. Here is another point of criticism that I also expressed in 2020 in my article on the LinkTap G2. The gateway is connected to the socket with one cable and to a LAN port of the local network with a second cable.

In the end, this is not a huge problem, but is actually positive for a reliable connection, but a necessary LAN port is not mentioned anywhere in the sales offers or on the manufacturer’s homepage. This need for a LAN port is rather unusual for a smart irrigation computer compared to competitor products and therefore not to be expected. With competitors, installation and ongoing operation is usually possible via a WiFi connection, so this fact should actually be explicitly pointed out!

If you have a LAN connection in your house anyway, then the router also has several Ethernet ports that you can use for the gateway. This is not always the case with WiFi routers. These sometimes have no Ethernet output at all or only one, which may already be used for other purposes. In such cases, you can use an additional WiFi repeater with a built-in Ethernet port (Amazon Link), which costs around 15 USD.

Update: LinkTap has announced that future models will offer both options, i.e. connection via Ethernet as well as Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). This should be the case for models from around 2026.

After you have connected the gateway to the power and network, the app will ask you to enter the gateway’s unique number. You can do this either manually or, even more simply, by simply holding the QR code on the back of the product in front of your phone’s camera and automatically reading the code.

The gateway is then automatically found and is ready to go. This is confirmed by 4 green lights lighting up.

The control unit is added in the next step in the same way by entering/scanning the ID on the back of the product. Before this, it must be provided with two 9 volt batteries. These are not included in the delivery.

Don’t be surprised if nothing happens after inserting the batteries, because the control unit still has to be switched on separately with its own switch! I have not seen any other irrigation computer with its own on/off switch, but in practice it is a very useful feature, as it allows you to switch the computer off with minimal effort if it is not being used for a long time, without having to remove the batteries.

The valve unit does not need to be installed, but is simply connected to the control unit with two cables. One cable is used to control the solenoid valves and one is used to communicate with the water flow sensors built into the valve unit.

Attaching the control unit and valve unit

The control unit and valve unit must now be mounted in the desired location. In many cases this will be a water tap, but the computer can of course also be mounted just as well after a pump. The control unit can be screwed onto a 1 inch, 3/4 inch or 1/2 inch external thread; the corresponding thread reducers are included.

A special feature of the LinkTap Q1 is that the irrigation computer is split into two parts, namely the control unit and the valve unit. According to LinkTap, this should have the advantage that the irrigation computer is not as heavy and therefore less weight hangs on the water tap. This is actually true if you compare the device with the Orbit B-hyve XD with 4 outlets, for example, which is a relatively heavy and unwieldy device.

A small disadvantage of this separation is that the control unit has to be attached separately. Since the cable connection is only 3 feet (1 meter) long, this has to be done in the immediate vicinity of the valve unit. The manufacturer also offers 10 foot and 30 foot cable connections as an alternative.

Mounting plates are included for wall mounting the control unit. If you don’t want to drill holes in the wall, you could alternatively make a stand onto which you can screw the part.

Hardware

With faucet control irrigation computers, the quality of the hardware, i.e. the physical device itself, is a very important factor! This type of irrigation computer is subject to comparatively high levels of stress due to direct contact with water and its exposed installation exposed to the weather.

The products I have tested so far have shown two typical weak points:

1. The computer becomes leaky after 2 or 3 seasons
2. An integrated solenoid valve eventually stops opening at all or no longer opens reliably

Unfortunately, the manufacturing quality or the quality of the installed solenoid valves leaves a lot to be desired in many of the products on offer. You don’t notice this at first, but often only become noticeable in the second or third season and then quickly end in total damage. I can therefore only strongly advise you to rely on high-quality products in this area and to study the online reviews carefully before making a purchase.

When it comes to the quality of the hardware, the LinkTap products are positive in my experience. This is also confirmed by the very positive rating on Amazon with 4.7 out of 5 points.

As is usual with LinkTap, the LinkTap Q1 is also very robust and of high quality. Both the control unit and the valve unit are made of very stable, high-quality plastic. Details such as the battery opening, the cable connections and the threads also appear to be of high quality. Nothing wobbles and everything closes tightly.

In my tests, I have already experienced a few negative surprises, particularly with regard to the battery compartment, with compartments that are difficult to open/close or very fragile battery connection points. This is not the case with the Q1, with which the battery compartment can be unscrewed very easily and quickly, the inserted batteries are firmly in place and well protected.

A special feature of the LinkTap Q1 is the separate on/off switch mentioned above. Another positive feature is the very simple option of starting irrigation directly via the control unit at the touch of a button. When one of the four buttons is pressed, the corresponding zone outlet is opened, and when pressed again, it is closed again.

These 4 buttons can also be optionally locked via the app if, for some reason, direct control via the computer should not be possible. In such a case, the LED next to the lock symbol flashes several times when someone presses the locked button.

There are two threaded inlets on the back for mounting.

There is still room for improvement at the inlet of the Q1: As with practically all irrigation computers currently on the market, the water inlet of the Q1 is quite narrow. The water pressure loss could be reduced further with a larger opening. LinkTap states this to be around 5 to 8%.

A special feature of the LinkTap Q1 is that it allows the simultaneous use of several outlets, which is not possible with many other watering computers. Simultaneous use is possible both directly via the control on the watering computer and via the app. Of course, in practice you always have to ask yourself to what extent the available water quantity is sufficient for this, but you could, for example, have several smaller zones irrigated at the same time.

Software/Programming

The LinkTap software used in Q1 has been extensively revised and improved since my first test of a LinkTap irrigation computer in 2020 and LinkTap is now one of the best solutions available on the market. The LinkTap software is continuously being developed and also contains some functionalities that are not available in other irrigation computers! According to a request from LinkTap, further functional extensions are to be expected in the coming months.

I will present the software used in the LinkTap computers in detail in the following post:

Blog post: How the LinkTap app works

Following is a tabular overview of the key software points:

Computer

LinkTap Q1

Software system

LinkTap

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

On a zone basis

Start times

100

Watering duration

3 seconds to 24 hours

Types of irrigation

Interval mode, 7-day mode, odd-even mode, month mode or calendar mode

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

No, however, Home Assistant integration is supported, allowing local access without a web connection.

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Additional functions for contractors?

Yes, professionals have the option of creating an user account on behalf of the client and setting it up and testing it for them before handover to the client.

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Water flow meter is permanently integrated into the computer!

Computer

LinkTap Q1

Software system

LinkTap

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

On a zone basis

Start times

100

Watering duration

3 seconds to 24 hours

Types of irrigation

Interval mode, 7-day mode, odd-even mode, month mode or calendar mode

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

No, however, Home Assistant integration is supported, allowing local access without a web connection.

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Additional functions for contractors?

Yes, professionals have the option of creating an user account on behalf of the client and setting it up and testing it for them before handover to the client.

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Water flow meter is permanently integrated into the computer!

Continuation

Computer

LinkTap Q1

Define irrigation triggers?

Rules can be defined regarding rainfall and temperature, which can suspend irrigation runs or adjust the duration of irrigation

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Before starting an irrigation run, storage for 6 hours

Integration of your own weather station possible?

Currently no (but should be possible in the future)

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

No - but adjustment is possible for each outlet

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Master valve usable?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant possible via IFTTT

Ongoing costs?

None

Computer

LinkTap Q1

Define irrigation triggers?

Rules can be defined regarding rainfall and temperature, which can suspend irrigation runs or adjust the duration of irrigation

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Before starting an irrigation run, storage for 6 hours

Integration of your own weather station possible?

Currently no (but should be possible in the future)

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

No - but adjustment is possible for each outlet

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Master valve usable?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant possible via IFTTT

Ongoing costs?

None

Following is some additional information on selected points:

Irrigation types

The irrigation program can be created based on 5 different modes: interval mode, 7-day mode, odd-even mode, monthly mode or calendar mode. This should cover all possible scenarios. If necessary, the calendar mode gives you maximum flexibility.

Defining irrigation templates

It is not possible to explicitly create templates, but irrigation plans that have been created once can be reused elsewhere, which amounts to roughly the same thing.

Granting access to other users

In the program, you can give other people access to the app. An email invitation can be sent to them from the app. As soon as the invitation has been accepted, the person who sent the invitation is informed. Guest access can be managed via the app and access once granted can also be revoked.

Warning notifications

Extensive warning notifications can be activated for up to 9 events. And additionally for other events that affect the water flow. The notifications are received via push notification on the cell phone and by email: Special feature: You can enter up to 2 additional email addresses to which the warning emails are sent.

Use of weather data

By default, weather data is obtained from Apple WeatherKit based on the address entered. Actively selecting a specific weather station is not currently possible. However, according to information from LinkTap, the option of using your own weather station will be created in the future. This is currently only possible with Orbit B-hyve, Opensprinkler and Hunter Hydrawise (for an additional charge).

Pause irrigation

Irrigation can be suspended flexibly for 6, 12, 24, 48 or 72 hours or alternatively paused until further notice.

Start irrigation manually

LinkTap offers a very extensive range of functionality in this regard. In addition to normal immediate irrigation, so-called batch waterings can also be started across multiple outlets, so that, for example, irrigation takes place first at outlet 1 for a certain period of time, then at outlet 2, etc. These batch waterings can also be saved and carried out again and again in the same way.

Use master valve

LinkTap is the only faucet control irrigation computer I know of that enables the use of a master valve. For this purpose, a second LinkTap computer can be defined as a master valve.

Price and purchase options

For the complete LinkTap Q1 set including gateway, you should expect to pay around 255 to 300 USD. Without the gateway, it is around 40 USD less.

As far as I know, the computer can only be purchased online. Either directly from the LinkTap online shop or from Amazon, where there’s a constant selection of numerous models.

Note: Readers of this blog can use a 5% discount coupon when shopping in the LinkTap online shop, coupon code: LINKTAP-IG! The shop also offers free shipping.

Conclusion and recommendation

The LinkTap Q1 is no bargain at around 255 to 300 USD. Its direct competitor, the Orbit B-hyve XD (Amazon Link), which also has 4 outlets, can be purchased for around 120 USD less, and the no-name Diivoo Computer (Amazon Link) is available for a similar price to the Orbit.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, the LinkTap Q1 is currently the best choice among the smart irrigation computers with 4 outlets. This is partly due to the high-quality hardware of the Q1. This has proven to be a crucial Achilles heel in many of my previous tests of faucet control irrigation computers.

What is the point of saving money when buying if the irrigation computer then has to be thrown away after 2 or 3 seasons because it becomes leaky or the valves no longer switch correctly. The LinkTap products are manufactured to a higher quality than the competition and have proven to be very reliable and durable in my tests so far. The computer is completely leak-proof right away, without any additional sealing material, and the solenoid valves also switch absolutely reliably.

This is also confirmed by the numerous online reviews, in which, unlike some competitors, there are hardly any mentions of defects. For comparison: With the alternative Orbit B-hyve XD, I came across a defective device twice during my test, which is why I cannot recommend this device for purchase. Either the manufacturing quality at Orbit is so bad in principle or there is at least a lack of quality control.

The no-name product from Diivoo is currently a complete unknown. But I think there is a great risk that it will be similar there. In addition, with such an unestablished product, it is unclear how long it will continue to be developed and technically supported. In the worst case, web access will no longer work from one day to the next if the provider stops the service. The computer would then be unusable.

In addition, LinkTap’s software has blossomed into a really strong product in recent years. You can see that a lot of effort is being put into constantly improving the program and that customer requests and complaints are actively taken into account and incorporated into the product.

The weather control based on precipitation and temperature is currently not quite as sophisticated as my favorite in this regard, Hunter Hydrawise, but is now at a good level. In my opinion, LinkTap currently has the best smart software among the faucet control irrigation computers, even ahead of Orbit B-hyve and miles ahead of Gardena.

According to my research at LinkTap, further software extensions with important features such as soil moisture sensor support or the option to use your own weather station are currently in the starting blocks. As the owner of a LinkTap device, you benefit from future improvements, as existing devices always automatically update to the latest software.

The wireless connection of the Q1 also worked really well in my test. There was not even the slightest interruption. Not that there have been huge problems with other products in my tests, but it has happened that the connection to the computer didn’t work right away on one or two occasions. The LinkTap Q1 worked flawlessly throughout the entire test period. It’s quite possible that this strength will be even more noticeable in more difficult conditions with greater distances, as my test environment was rather undemanding in this regard.

Another big plus point is the included water flow sensors for all 4 outputs. These give you the opportunity to professionally monitor the irrigation system and, if necessary, have it switched off automatically if problems arise. This is an important point that is often overlooked in practice, as a valve that does not close correctly can cause major damage if the error is not noticed for a long time. Of the three smart irrigation computers with 4 outlets, only the LinkTap Q1 contains such water flow sensors.

Compared to the competition, the temperature warning of frost on LinkTap is even more sophisticated. A temperature sensor is built into the Q1. The competitor Gardena Smart Water Control, for example, also has one of these. However, LinkTap does not rely solely on the built-in sensor, but also queries the temperature values ​​from the online weather service. This means that frost warnings can be sent early, a few days before the frost occurs, and the warnings are more reliable because the measured value is checked against the temperatures from the weather service.

Conclusion: The LinkTap Q1 is currently the best choice among the smart irrigation computers with 4 outlets. It is not a bargain, but with its reliable hardware, reliable wireless connection and now also very good software, it is worth the money!

The Smart Water Control is the current top model from the European irrigation company Gardena. In the following practical test I describe what functions it includes, how to install it, how well it all works in everyday life and how it compares to the competition.

The Gardena Smart Water Control belongs to the category of irrigation computers that have the solenoid valve built into the computer and through which the water flows directly. In contrast to the second type of irrigation computer, which does not come into contact with water and only sends switching pulses to the connected solenoid valves via a cable connection. The Gardena Smart Water Control is also one of those irrigation computers that allows the use of the automatic water distributor.

The Gardena Smart Water Control is available in different versions:

• Just the watering computer
• Set consisting of watering computer and necessary gateway (“Gardena Smart Water Control Set”)
• Set consisting of watering computer, gateway and smart sensor
• Set consisting of watering computer, gateway, smart sensor and smart robotic lawnmower (“Gardena Smart System Start Set”)

In any case, you also need the gateway for operation; this is the basis for being able to operate one of the Gardena Smart products. Only if you already have this at home, e.g. because you already own the Smart Sileno robotic lawnmower from Gardena, can you forgo the purchase and purchase the irrigation computer alone. At the time of my research, the Gardena Gateway is not available to purchase individually. If you need it, you have to buy it in one of the sets listed above. The set consisting of an irrigation computer and gateway costs around 240 USD; you can get the irrigation computer alone for around 130 USD. Multiple irrigation computers can be operated at the same time with one gateway.

Gardena Smart Water Control offers on Amazon:

The counterparts of the Gardena Smart Water Control in the field of web-controlled irrigation computers are the Eve Aqua, the LinkTap G2 and, above all, the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer, which I put to a practical test too. You can find a key data comparison of the web-controlled computers in the sprinkler timer comparison post.

Scope of delivery

I ordered the Water Control Set, consisting of an irrigation computer and gateway, for 220 USD:

Gardena Smart Water Control set

Below are the parts included in the set. Everything makes a valuable impression. At first glance, the irrigation computer appears robust and well made. The enclosed descriptions are very brief, as the installation is explained in the app to be downloaded.

Parts included

The scope of delivery includes:

• The irrigation computer
• The gateway
• A power cable for the gateway
• A network cable to connect the gateway to the LAN network
• Reducer to 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch for connection to the tap
• Information sheet on compatibility with the Apple Homekit
• 2 instructions for installing the gateway and smart devices

Functions

Below is an overview of the functions included in the Smart Water Control:

Program watering plan

The app allows for very flexible irrigation planning: According to the Gardena homepage, 6 irrigation runs per day are possible with the Smart Water Control. This limit set in the software seems to have now been lifted; in the test I was also able to complete more than 6 runs in one day. I stopped my attempt on the 11th run. I then found further information on the web, according to which 36 runs per day are possible. Nevertheless, the limit of a maximum of 6 zones that can be controlled with the computer remains, as the automatic water distributor required for this only goes up to a maximum of 6 zones.

An irrigation plan is created by creating individual irrigation runs. Each watering run has a specific start time and a specific end time. In addition, it must be defined on which day of the week (Monday to Sunday) this should take place. Alternatively, you can run a run on several days a week.

Each additional desired irrigation run is stored in the same way. In this case, I leave a 5-minute break on Monday after the end of the first run because I use an automatic water distributor and it needs the break to continue switching.

Automatically created watering schedule

The app guides you through an automatically created watering schedule using an assistant in “Gardena Support Mode”. Questions about the garden and the plants it contains can be answered in 7 steps. Don’t be surprised if in the automatically created irrigation plan each sector always has two irrigation runs that start in quick succession: this corresponds to the current state of knowledge, which sees an advantage in slightly moistening the soil a few minutes before the actual irrigation. This is intended to ensure that it can absorb moisture better during the actual irrigation run. Gardena also sets the irrigation runs in the morning hours by default. The proposed schedule can then optionally be further refined manually.

Automatic adjustment to sunrise and sunset

This option is only available if the watering schedule was created in Gardena supported mode, not if it was freely set. If it is activated, Gardena automatically adjusts the start times of the irrigation runs to the changing sunrise times throughout the year, so that watering is always carried out with as little evaporation as possible. The duration of the runs remains the same.

Take rain forecast into account

Since the June 2020 update, the app includes local weather data. To do this, the location of the irrigation must be stored once in the app. This weather data can be used to skip an irrigation run if there is an 85% probability of heavy rain. In principle, this is a very useful function that was already known from LinkTap and other systems. Unfortunately, the implementation is currently much worse than with LinkTap: currently only the next 6 hours are taken into account for the function; rainfall that occurred before irrigation is not taken into account at all. And you can’t adjust the behavior and the parameters to be taken into account as needed. There is still a lot of room for improvement in future updates!

Take data from the Smart Sensor into account

This option is available if you have also integrated a Gardena Smart Sensor into the network. This is not included with the irrigation computer but can be purchased separately.

The Gardena Smart Sensor is first of all a classic soil moisture sensor that is inserted into the soil in a representative location for the garden and then periodically reports back how moist the soil is. Based on this information, Smart Water Control can cancel scheduled watering runs if the moisture level exceeds a certain percentage.

In addition to the soil moisture, the Smart Sensor also measures the temperature. The temperature measurement is currently only used for an automatic frost warning, apart from that it can only be displayed in the app for information purposes.

Activate hibernation function

This option pauses all programmed watering runs until further notice. However, they remain stored and can be reactivated again by ending hibernation.

Start and end the irrigation run manually on the computer

By pressing the push button on the computer twice, a watering run can be started immediately without using the app. Pressing it again will end it again. The watering duration of the run cannot be entered on the computer; instead, the length of the last manual watering run carried out is automatically used. If you want a different length, you have to change it via the app. This also works for an irrigation run that has already started. This function is possible regardless of a functioning connection to the gateway.

Pressing the push button twice starts an irrigation run

Miscellaneous

• Battery life according to Gardena: 1 gardening season
• 25 smart devices can be connected per gateway, meaning several irrigation computers can be operated per gateway
• Up to 36 watering cycles per day possible (Note: There are different information from Gardena about this, see above in the article)
• Maximum watering time: 600 minutes
• Shortest possible watering time: 1 minute
• Operating pressure: 7 to 174 psi
• Two-year manufacturer’s warranty (excluding damage caused by improper use)
• Integration into Apple Homekit and voice control via Siri possible
• Voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assissant is also possible via the web service IFTTT.com (If this than that)

Alerts

The Gardena Smart System offers push notifications about device errors, warnings, information about updates and the connection status of the product. You can specify which alerts you would like to receive in the push notifications menu.

Smart Home Integrations

In addition to the Gardena Smart System, the Smart Water Control can also be integrated (at least rudimentarily) into other smart systems, although often only the absolute basic functions can be used:

Installation

The entire installation of the gateway and watering computer took me about half an hour. The individual steps are quick to complete, but the installation is also used to update the device to the latest software version and this software update can take a few minutes.

It is very convenient that the gateway can be installed using both LAN and WiFi. You can either simply connect the gateway to an existing modem, router or repeater, or you can let it establish a wireless connection to the WiFi instead. The same applies to ongoing operation: The gateway can be connected directly to the LAN or integrated via WiFi.

The installation steps are explained in the two enclosed brochures. But the easiest way to install the device is to download the Gardena smart app right at the start and then follow the steps shown in the app. Just install the app via Google Play (Android phones) or the App Store (Apple phones). Simply search for “Gardena smart” there.

If you don’t have a cell phone available or would prefer to install and/or operate the device via your PC, you can do so using your computer’s web browser at https://smart.gardena.com.

The app guides you through the installation step by step:

• Create an online account on the Gardena Smart Platform
• Switch on the gateway
• Go to the Wi-Fi settings on your phone and select Gardena there
• Connect to the gateway and save your home Wi-Fi and access password
• Select the watering computer from a list of Gardena products and insert the batteries
• The computer is recognized and the software is automatically updated

Ready to go, now the computer only needs to be mounted on the tap or after a pump.

Please note:

• During registration, you may not need to re-register if you have already used other Gardena services that require a login, such as the Gardena myGarden irrigation planner. The same login is always used here.
• The LEDs on the gateway and irrigation computer show you whether the Internet connection has been established correctly.
• Gardena supplies a 1/2 inch tap connection for the output of the irrigation computer. This should ideally be replaced with a 3/4 inch tap connection, otherwise you will create an artificial bottleneck.

Be sure to replace 1/2 inch with a 3/4 inch tap connection

In addition to the irrigation computer, there are a number of other Gardena products that can be controlled via the gateway:

• Smart Sensor
• Sileno lawn mower
• Water pump
• Socket
• Gardena Smart Irrigation Control irrigation computer (sister product to Smart Water Control for controlling external solenoid valves)

How well does the device work in everyday life and how does it compare to the LinkTap G2 and the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer?

The installation was easy for me. After downloading the app, everything is explained step by step and everything worked as stated. At around half an hour, the installation takes a little longer than when I tested the competitors LinkTap and Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer, but Gardena also updates the device to the latest software during the installation. So most of the half hour is just waiting time, during which you can do other things; the tasks you have to do yourself take maybe 5 to 10 minutes. Screwing the computer onto the tap takes 2 minutes.

I find the option of starting a watering cycle directly on the watering computer very convenient compared to the competition. If you don’t have your cell phone with you, you don’t have to turn around, you can just start a simple cycle. It would be even better if you could also set the running time directly on the computer (the device always uses the last running time used, a change can only be made via the app).

The computer software is good and user-friendly, you can quickly find your way around. It is also nice that you are always kept up to date on the status of the network connection and the battery.

The connection between the watering computer and the gateway worked perfectly in my test. The gateway is on the first floor, the watering computer hangs on the outside water tap in front of the house, about 20 to 23 feet away as the crow flies. According to Gardena, much greater distances are also possible, up to 330 feet in good conditions. For a while, Gardena offered additional antennas that could be used to increase the range of the gateway. These are no longer available because, according to the information on the Gardena homepage, they did not result in a substantial increase in range and thus brought little improvement.

You don’t have to be within range of the gateway to operate the irrigation computer, but you can do it from virtually anywhere in the world using your cell phone. In theory, you can start the irrigation run from work or when you’re on vacation. Or, as a more realistic scenario: you can decide directly from your vacation whether to carry out irrigation or to skip it if it has rained enough in the previous days.

Compared to the LinkTap G2 and also the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering tTmer, you are informed of far fewer events via push notification on your cell phone or email. With the competitors, you can choose from a variety of events that you would like to be informed about or not, with the Smart Water Control you are currently only informed about the most essential things such as defects. Gardena still has room for improvement here! At least a notification about the start of irrigation runs programmed in the irrigation plan or a warning about frost would be a very practical thing, because then you can be sure that everything is working correctly.

The Gardena computer has significantly fewer watering modes compared to the LinkTap G2: one compared to six. However, with the one mode you can basically set everything you need or that can occur in practice, so in my view this is not really a disadvantage.

I do find it a little disappointing that there is no separate mode for the in-house automatic water distributor. You can of course program this – as with other providers – by correctly arranging the start times and leaving the necessary pause in between, but this could be offered in a more convenient way, especially because both come from the same company. Such a mode was already available in previous Gardena watering computers.

It is pleasing that local weather data is now finally available for watering at Gardena. Only the implementation of the function is still rather disappointing in the first step, there is still a lot of potential for improvement. The main problem is that only future rainfall is taken into account. But if, for example, it has already rained properly on the day of watering, then watering will still take place. This definitely needs to be expanded. And the gallon values ​​at which watering is no longer necessary and the period to be considered must be able to be set by the user as required, as is usual with LinkTap. In this respect, LinkTap is still the clear winner, even if Gardena has now managed to catch up a bit. And Orbit B-hyve also offers extensive weather control options and even the possibility to connect your own weather station.

The possibility of control with the Smart Sensor is basically a big plus point. Control via soil moisture is a very intelligent thing and works well. But here too, Gardena can still do much better in terms of the app and also make good use of the other functions of the Smart Sensor (measuring temperature, the measuring of light intensity has been discontinued in the new model).

I personally am not very enthusiastic about the sunrise function, the benefit is too small for me. Nice gimmick, but in my opinion not really necessary.

The winter break, on the other hand, is very useful so that you can interrupt the program without any problems without having to delete it.

What I also noticed in principle is the fact that Gardena sets very strict limits for users in some areas where it actually does not seem necessary in terms of software. Be it manual watering, which can last a maximum of 60 minutes, or the watering plan created with Gardena’s help, where you can exclude a maximum of one day from watering. I find it difficult to understand the reasons for this. Although this is not a major problem, it may offend one or two users with their individual usage scenarios. LinkTap and to a some extent Orbit us an opposite strategy here and allow the software to do what the technology allows. I think this is the better strategy.

A big plus point compared to the LinkTap G2 and to the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering timer is the much larger possible water flow of the Gardena computer. In my test with the LinkTap, the limit was around 350 gallons/hour and a zone that requires a lot of water could no longer be watered correctly. With the Gardena computer, the same zone works without any problems. Gardena uses the same inlet and outlet sizes here as with the previous models.

3/4 inch inlet of the Gardena Smart Water Control

Conclusion and recommendation

So what is my conclusion about the Gardena Smart Water Control? First of all, I have to say that a lot has improved since the product was introduced in 2016. In my opinion, the product didn’t initially deserve the “Smart” designation, as the functions that could be carried out via the web were too few, so that the computer was more or less a classic watering computer that could be operated via a mobile phone.

Since then, software updates have been released every few months and new functions have been added one after the other. The app downloads these updates automatically, so that you as a user benefit from every new feature.

The Gardena Smart Water Control now has a range of functions that justifies the high price. In my test, the whole thing worked as user-friendly as you would imagine.

But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Some functions that are already offered for computers from other manufacturers are still missing or are not yet available in the desired quality. The fact that there are almost no push notifications is also a deficit that should actually be quite easy to fix.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, the Gardena Smart Water Control is a recommended purchase in the area of ​​web-enabled irrigation computers! This is because the hardware works well: Gardena has years of experience in this area and builds computers that correctly take into account the important basics such as the necessary flow rate. The fact that you can still operate the device directly (start and stop) is also something that makes sense in my opinion. This way, you are not completely at the mercy of the web and can also intervene manually if necessary. The closest competitor, the LinkTap G2, is on par with Gardena in terms of software and in some areas even a bit more ambitious, but has a significant hardware deficit in the important area of ​​flow rate. Another strong competitor is the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer, which cannot keep up in terms of hardware either, but is superior in terms of software and is also much cheaper than the Smart Water Control.

In terms of price, the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer is a challenge to the smart competing products from Gardena, LinkTap, Eve Aqua and others. But can it keep up with these providers in terms of quality and software? I looked at the irrigation computer and compared it with the competitors.

Who is Orbit?

Orbit is a US manufacturer of irrigation products that, alongside the big three Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro, has now achieved a fairly significant position in the end-user market. Not only with irrigation computers, but also with numerous other irrigation products such as spray nozzles, pipes, connectors, sensors, solenoid valves and other valves, water distributors, etc. Outside the USA, Orbit’s level of awareness is currently significantly lower; the Orbit irrigation computers are currently primarily offered here.

In terms of price, Orbit is positioned below Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro. In 2021, Orbit was taken over by Husqvarna, the parent company of European competitor Gardena.

Model comparison Orbit B-hyve and Orbit B-hyve XD

In the segment of smart irrigation computers that can be attached directly to a tap, Orbit currently offers two models:

• the very affordable Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer presented here
• and the Orbit B-hyve XD Smart Hose Timer, which is available in several versions with up to 4 water outlets

Below is a brief comparison of the two models:

Computer

Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Timer

Orbit B-hyve XD Smart Hose Timer

Zones

1

1 to 4 outputs depending on the model

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$64.99

$69.44

Computer

Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Timer

Zones

1

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$64.99

Computer

Orbit B-hyve XD Smart Hose Timer

Zones

1 to 4 outputs depending on the model

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$69.44

For both models you need an additional WiFi hub to connect them to the WiFi. According to Orbit, the hub should be placed within 50 feet of the wireless router and the irrigation computer should be placed within 150 feet of the hub. The hub is simply plugged into a socket and the hub and irrigation computer communicate with each other via Bluetooth.

For the B-hyve XD you need the newer 2nd generation WiFi hub. According to the manufacturer, this should be a little more powerful than the first generation, which is used in conjunction with the B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer presented here. If you operate several irrigation computers, a common hub is sufficient. According to Orbit, the 2nd generation hubs are also able to communicate with B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timers, but the 1st generation hubs are not able to communicate with the XD Timers.

The big difference between the two computers lies in the water flow meter, which is integrated into the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer presented here. This automatically measures how much water is used and you can therefore easily track water consumption in the app. A very practical thing that you won’t find anywhere else in this price range. The XD does not include such a water meter.

In terms of price, the Smart Hose Watering Timer and the XD in the simplest version are about the same at around 80 to 90 USD for the computer including the hub. Attention: Packages of computer and hub as well as the computer alone are offered on the web. So pay close attention to what you put in your shopping cart!

The Smart Hose Watering Timer is only available in a single version, namely with one water outlet. The XD, on the other hand, is available in 3 different versions with one, two or four water outlets. There is also a small difference in the number of programs: With the XD, for reasons I don’t understand, one more is possible. But that shouldn’t really matter for the majority of users; you can usually get by with 3 programs without any problems.

Scope of delivery

I purchased the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer in a shared bundle with the associated WiFi Hub:

Apart from the watering computer and the hub itself, the only other things in the package were a power plug, an information sheet and a small quick guide:

Simply plug the hub into the USB input of the included power plug:

No batteries are included. The battery compartment is located at the front of the computer, two AA batteries must be inserted. Attention: I had problems during the test because one of the batteries accidentally didn’t click into the device properly. The computer had power and everything seemed to be working correctly, but I was unable to establish a connection between the hub and the irrigation computer. The power of one battery alone is apparently not enough. Only after I discovered the error and pushed the battery all the way into the battery compartment did it work!

Hardware

At first glance, the computer appears to be of good quality. I had previously had similar experiences in the test with the sister product, the Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor. The battery compartment can be removed without tools and with little effort, but is still anchored very securely.

No settings can be made on the computer itself, so operation and programming is carried out exclusively via cell phone, tablet or desktop computer. A manual watering run can be started by pressing the power button for 3 seconds. By default this lasts 10 minutes, the length can be changed online in the program. By pressing the power button, watering that is already running can be stopped manually at any time.

The LED diode on the computer also gives you information about the status of the computer: A red flashing diode means that the batteries are weak and need to be changed, a yellow flashing diode indicates that the next watering run has been missed due to rain (rain delay). If the diode flashes white, the software on the computer is currently being updated.

The B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer works with water pressure between 10 and 100 psi. With the smart computers tested so far, the water supply was often a point of criticism. Only Gardena makes this large in its Gardena Smart Water Control so that there is as little pressure loss as possible. In this regard, the B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer cannot stand out positively, the inlet is also quite narrow, see picture with the dirt filter removed:

If you have enough water pressure available at the tap or the irrigation system is designed with a buffer, then this will not play a major role in practice. However, if the water pressure is already limited, then this is a disadvantage.

At the water outlet, Orbit – like all other manufacturers – supplies the computer with a 1/2 inch tap connection. In practice, this is an unnecessary brake that costs a lot of water pressure and should definitely be replaced with a 3/4 inch tap piece. You can get one of these for $2 to $3 on Amazon or at a hardware store.

A water flow meter is integrated into the B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer, which is why it has a somewhat strange shape at first glance. There is a wheel built into the computer. Based on the rotations of this wheel, the computer calculates the amount of water that has passed through the device. When setting up the device for the first time, you will be asked to calibrate the sensor. At first glance, this seems illogical and raises the question of whether the amount of water is not measured live but is extrapolated based on the calibration result. According to my test, this is not the case, the amount of water is determined live during operation, regardless of the calibration result, even if no calibration is carried out! Why is calibration needed then? As it appears, this only serves to display an extrapolation of the expected water consumption when manual irrigation starts.

Water consumption can be viewed via software and compared on a daily, monthly or annual basis. Hardly any other manufacturer offers an integrated water flow meter; I can only think of the LinkTap G2, which you can purchase including a flow meter for a small additional charge.

The computer does not have a sensor output, so no rain or soil moisture sensor can be connected.

Putting into operation

To get the computer ready to go, it must first be equipped with 2 AA batteries. These are not included in the scope of delivery.

And the WiFi hub must be plugged into a socket not too far away from the WiFi router.

You can save yourself the time of looking at the operating instructions; instead, in the next step you simply download the app, which explains everything else step by step. Depending on the device, you can download the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. If you already have a B-hyve account, you can log in to it, otherwise you will need to register for free on the B-hyve platform.

At the end of the registration you will be asked whether you want to set up a new device or to control a device that has already been set up. The first is the case when you set up a newly purchased device, the second is an option that gives you access to a device that has already been set up, for example if a family member has already set it up and now another family member should also get access to it. Or if you want to give your neighbor access to the system while on vacation.

The device to be installed must now be selected from a list of all smart B-hyve devices. If, as in my case, you want to install the irrigation computer together with the hub, then you have to select the entry from the list that shows both the computer and the hub.

The hub will then automatically be installed first, followed by the computer. This is done in a very simple and convenient way for the user, as the system automatically detects the plugged-in hub and the switched-on watering computer in the vicinity of the cell phone in just a few steps. Finally, you just need to enter your WiFi access data and you’re ready to go.

If you want to use weather-dependent smart irrigation, it is also necessary to tell the computer the location of your own garden.

Programming the irrigation computer

If you want, you can have a setup assistant help you set up the program, or you can set up the individual settings yourself using the menu.

Link tip: I explain in great detail what setting options there are and what they do in the blog post about the Orbit B-hyve system.

In the Orbit B-hyve system, the user has two different options for programming the irrigation computer:

• You create programs yourself
• The irrigation is carried out fully automatically using the autopilot of the B-hyve system, taking into account local weather data and data about the garden and the plants to be watered (“Smart Watering”)

In the first mode you can set up the irrigation precisely according to your own ideas, but you have no or very limited options to automatically include weather data in the irrigation. In the second mode, the system basically freely determines the irrigation and determines how often, on which days and at what times it is watered and when irrigation runs are skipped. However, as a user you have the option to limit these freedoms and, for example, exclude certain days and times from watering.

I explain in detail how the setup of both modes works and what setting options are available in the B-hyve system in the previously linked article.

The key data on the B-hyve software are summarized below:

Key data on the B-hyve software

Computer

Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor

Software system

B-hyve

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

On a program basis

Programs

4 (only the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Timer has only 3)

Start times

4

Watering duration

1 to 240 minutes

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent watering plan or Smart Watering Autopilot (system decides independently when, how often and how much to water)

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Yes - access only to basic functions or to advanced functions

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Computer

Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor

Software system

B-hyve

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

On a program basis

Programs

4 (only the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Timer has only 3)

Start times

4

Watering duration

1 to 240 minutes

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent watering plan or Smart Watering Autopilot (system decides independently when, how often and how much to water)

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Yes - access only to basic functions or to advanced functions

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Continuation

Computer

Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor

Define irrigation triggers?

In Smart Watering mode, triggers for suspending irrigation can be actively influenced; self-created programs cannot be influenced

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

No information, probably once a day

Integration of your own weather station possible?

Available at no extra charge via integration on the PWSWeather.com website

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

System decides automatically in Smart Watering mode, no manual setting possible

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None

Computer

Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor

Define irrigation triggers?

In Smart Watering mode, triggers for suspending irrigation can be actively influenced; self-created programs cannot be influenced

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

No information, probably once a day

Integration of your own weather station possible?

Available at no extra charge via integration on the PWSWeather.com website

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

System decides automatically in Smart Watering mode, no manual setting possible

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None

Below is further information on some of the points mentioned:

Access options

In addition to access via the app on the cell phone, the software can also be accessed via a desktop computer in the web browser at my.orbitbhyve.com.

Programs/start times/watering duration

With the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer, up to 3 programs with a maximum of 4 start times and a maximum running time of 240 minutes each are possible. This is one program less than the other Orbit B-hyve computers. The reason for this restriction is unclear, but it won’t matter for 99.9% of users, as you can usually get by with the 3 programs without any problems.

With the 3 programs, each with one zone that can be watered per program, it is fundamentally not possible to use them in combination with an automatic water distributor, because this would require the ability to define 6 independent irrigation runs one after the other. With restrictions, you can still use such a water distributor by programming the missing irrigation runs with additional start times, for example:

• Program 1, 1st start time 2 p.m., running time 50 minutes
• Program 1, 2nd start time 2:55 p.m., running time 50 minutes
• Program 1, 3rd start time 3:50 p.m., running time 50 minutes
• Program 2, 1st start time 4:45 p.m., running time 20 minutes
• Program 2, 2nd start time, 5:10 p.m., running time 20 minutes
• Program 3, 1st start time, 5:35 p.m., running time 10 minutes

In this case there would always be a 5 minute break after the end of one irrigation run until the start of the next one. Restriction: Only one watering duration can be set within a program, so a maximum of 3 different durations are possible. A different duration for each of the six irrigation runs cannot be defined.

Local access to irrigation computers

Direct access to the irrigation computer is also possible via Bluetooth without an existing WiFi connection. To do this you have to be in close proximity to the computer.

Granting access to other users

By generating a code in the program, you can give other users access to the irrigation computer. Be it family members or people who should have temporary access to the computer because of vacation, for example.

Alert notifications

Four different alert notifications can be set up:

• Rain delay
• Completed irrigation
• Device error
• Device switched off

Flow meter

No alert notification can be set up for the flow meter. You cannot therefore use this to secure irrigation in order to be aware if a valve does not open or close properly.

Use of weather data

The system automatically selects a weather station near the entered address. This can be replaced with another weather station. By default, public weather stations are available to choose from; optionally, you can also display or select private weather stations from the website PSWWeather.com. In this way it is also possible to use your own weather station in B-hyve by creating the weather station on PWSWeather.com and then selecting it in B-hyve. There are no additional costs for this.

Define seasonal adjustment (per month)

In Smart Watering mode, the system decides independently whether to increase or reduce the irrigation runtime depending on the season. If you use a manual program, there is no way to specify in advance that it should run shorter in April than in July, for example; you can only specify a percentage adjustment that takes effect immediately. So, for example, from now on only allow 80% of the defined running time to be watered.

Suspend watering x days

Skipping watering can be delayed for a period of 12 hours to 32 days.

Cycle and soak phases

If you choose the intelligent Smart Watering mode, the system automatically divides the irrigation runs into irrigation and soak phases if it makes sense. This is usually the case if the soil is clay soil that is impermeable to water, or if you have a steep slope in the garden. The system gives the soil time to absorb the water properly. If you set programs yourself, no cycle and soak phase function is offered.

Conclusion and recommendation

The Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer makes a decent impression in terms of manufacturing quality and ran almost problem-free in my test: During the test period it happened twice that it did not respond to the command I sent via Wi-Fi, but it worked when I switched to Bluetooth then and a short time later it worked again via WiFi. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to do with the device, but could also have been due to temporary problems with my WiFi connection.

The big opponents are the Gardena Smart Water Control and the LinkTap G2. The Eve Aqua is also in principle an opponent, but in a very limited form, as it has significantly less functionality and no intelligent control options and only works with Apple devices. The big international players Hunter and Rain Bird do not offer smart tap irrigation computers, but only irrigation computers for external solenoid valve switching.

The whole big plus point of the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer is the price! The computer and hub cost around 85 USD and even has an integrated water flow meter for this price. The LinkTap G2 costs around 160 USD, also including a water flow meter, and the Gardena Smart Water Control costs an impressive 220 to 230 USD, each including the necessary hub/gateway. The B-hyve price is currently unbeatable on the market and offers consumers the opportunity to purchase a smart irrigation computer for reasonable money.

Do you pay for that with worse software? No! Especially compared to the Gardena Smart System, the B-hyve software is the much more ambitious software and it feels like a lot more developer hours have gone into it. Gardena has recently done its homework here and finally integrated the use of weather data into the software. But this was done in a very tentative way, which works but still leaves a lot of room for improvement.

The B-hyve software is a big step further: On the one hand, you can simply use it to remote control your computer from anywhere in the world and store traditional programs via a mobile phone app or in the browser or, alternatively, have the irrigation controlled fully automatically by artificial intelligence (Smart Watering Mode).

The way B-hyve works is that you first describe the garden and the conditions prevailing there as precisely as possible using predefined questions. And then use the system in combination with the weather data obtained from a local weather station, such as rainfall that has already occurred and is still forecast, temperature, humidity and wind speed to determine the irrigation days, times and duration. This doesn’t work optimally in my test at the beginning, but B-hyve allows you to make numerous adjustments to the automatic system so that you can get closer and closer to the desired result.

What you cannot do, or only to a very limited extent, is to use the weather data to adapt manually set programs. So you can’t, for example, schedule a watering run every day and then skip it if it has previously rained a certain amount or if there is a certain probability of a certain amount of rain being forecast for the irrigation day.

If you prefer this approach of specifying the programs yourself and then defining additional weather rules for them, rather than describing the conditions on site and having an autopilot derive the correct program from it using weather data, then the LinkTap G2 may be the better alternative. This offers very useful options in this direction and, in my opinion, is on par with the B-hyve system in terms of software. The LinkTap G2 does even better when it comes to the ability to use automatic notifications: more notification types are offered and you can use the integrated water flow meter in combination with an automatic notification to be notified immediately when water consumption shouldn’t fit. For example, because the irrigation is not running or the valve has not closed properly after the irrigation has ended.