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

$59.99

$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

$59.99

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.