Orbit Archive - Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer

Zones

1 to 4 outputs depending on the model

Indoor/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

Computer

Zones

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Computer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Der Beitrag Cheapest WiFi irrigation computer on the market in the test: Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor irrigation controller in the test

Johann Kodnar — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:52:50 +0000

The web-enabled Orbit irrigation computers are a comparatively inexpensive alternative to the irrigation computers from established providers such as Hunter, Rain Bird or Racchio. In this article I put the Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor to a practical test and took a closer look at its performance data and the Orbit B-hyve software. I also compare the Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor with the two previously tested competitors Hunter Pro HC and Rain Bird ESP-TM2.

Orbit is a US provider of irrigation products that is particularly popular with its irrigation computers. Orbit has a number of computers in its range of both web-enabled and classic irrigation computers without a web connection. The web-enabled computers all use the same B-hyve software.

As with all other alternatives, you need a WiFi connection to use the computer. With the Orbit smart hose timers, an additional WiFi hub is required to connect the devices to the WiFi. It is possible to connect several computers to one hub. The other smart Orbit computers, including the one described here, have WiFi functionality integrated as standard.

In addition to access via WiFi, the computer can also be accessed via Bluetooth. It is controlled via the B-hyve app, which can be downloaded free of charge for Android and Apple iOS devices via Google Play or the Apple App Store. Alternatively, access from the desktop computer via the web browser at my.orbitbhyve.com is also possible.

Orbit smart irrigation computers – Range of products offered

Below is a brief overview of the web-enabled Orbit irrigation computers currently available on the market:

Computer

Zones

1 to 4 outputs depending on the model

4 or 8

6 or 12

8 or 16

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Indoor

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

Computer

Zones

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Computer

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

Computer

Zones

4 or 8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Price not available

Computer

Zones

6 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Computer

Zones

8 or 16

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$127.56

The first two models are irrigation computers that can be connected directly to the tap and through which the water runs. The last three, including the B-hyve Smart Outdoor presented here, are irrigation computers for switching external solenoid valves. In contrast to the cheaper B-hyve Smart Indoor, the outdoor version is weatherproof, so it can also be installed outdoors. The more expensive XR model also supports the modern Dual WiFi radio standard.

For the two hose timer computers you need an additional WiFi hub in order to be able to connect them to the WiFi; this is not necessary for the three other models.

Package contents

In addition to the computer, the box contains a thin operating manual, an information sheet and a small bag with a screwdriver, two keys with which the computer can be locked if necessary, as well as screws and dowels for assembly.

Unlike the Rain Bird and Hunter computers tested, the power cable is included with the Orbit and is already permanently connected.

Package contents B-hyve Smart Outdoor

Back of computer with mounting holes

Side view with outlets for cable entries

With the lid open

After opening the inner lid you gain access to the connection options

The connections in detail (this model has 6 zone connections)

Open battery compartment with 3V battery included

Hardware

Following is an analysis of the structural features of the Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor:

Computer

Zones

6 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Sensor connection

1 (for normally closed sensor)

Connection for master valve/pump start circuit?

Can it be controlled directly via the computer?

Yes (program creation and basic functions, but no Smart Watering settings)

Lockable?

Additional WiFi module required?

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

Computer

Zones

6 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Sensor connection

1 (for normally closed sensor)

Connection for master valve/pump start circuit?

Can it be controlled directly via the computer?

Yes (program creation and basic functions, but no Smart Watering settings)

Lockable?

Additional WiFi module required?

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

Housing

The B-hyve Smart Outdoor has relatively compact dimensions at 8.7 inches wide, 6.3 inches high and 3.3 inches deep; the housing of the competitor product Hunter Pro-HC, for example, is significantly larger. As with the competition, the case makes a high-quality and stable impression. Nothing wobbles, the door doesn’t hang crooked and opens cleanly. The lock is rather simple and will certainly not withstand professional break-in attempts. However, that is not the usual purpose of such a lock, where the main aim is to prevent children from playing around on the computer or an unfavorable neighbor from disturbing something in passing.

The B-hyve Smart Outdoor is, as the name suggests, suitable for outdoor use. If an indoor model is enough for you, Orbit offers a slightly cheaper alternative with the B-hyve Smart Indoor (Amazon Link) (available for 4 or 8 zones).

Number of zones

A 6 and a 12 zone model is offered. The price difference is not too big. Therefore, if it could be tight with 6 zones or if future expansions are planned, it is better to go for the larger model straight away. The 12 zones should be sufficient for 99% of private users. If not: Of the smart competitors, the Hunter Pro-HC models offer up to 24 zones and the OpenSprinkler even offers up to 72 zones.

Connection option for sensors

There is a sensor connection for a normally closed sensor. Not only sensors offered by Orbit, but also all competitor products that work according to the normally closed principle can be used on the connection. The type of sensor is not restricted, so not only a rain sensor can be used, but also a soil moisture sensor, for example.

The two poles to which the sensor is to be connected are bridged by default with a jumper. If you do not use the sensor connection, it must remain in place, otherwise the computer will assume that the sensor has interrupted the irrigation!

The rain sensor can be activated by pressing the rain delay button for five seconds. It can also be deactivated again in the same way, for example to bypass the sensor if it is not yet dry again but water is still needed again.

Battery

The purpose of the button cell contained in the computer is to ensure that the computer does not lose the time and date when it is unplugged. The programmed settings are saved in non-volatile memory regardless of the battery.

Manual watering

Manual watering can be started with just a few clicks: use the selection wheel to switch to “Manual”, select the zone, set the time and start watering. Alternatively, you can also manually select a specific program.

Rain delay function

The computer has a practical rain suspend function with which you can suspend irrigation for 1 to 32 days at the push of the “Rain Delay” button. This can be an advantage, for example, if you are renovating the garden and therefore do not want to water it for a while. Or if you exceptionally hold a children’s birthday party in the garden this week at the time when the watering is normally running. Irrigation then stops for the defined number of days and then continues again in the rhythm of the programmed irrigation program.

Master valve/pump start circuit connection

A master valve or a pump start circuit can be connected to the connection marked “Pump”. This connection is switched when each zone is activated and deactivated. This gives you the opportunity to install additional protection if the solenoid valves do not close properly.

Monitoring proper valve wiring

Orbit does not specify such a function in its product description, such as the milliampere sensor on Hunter or the automatic short-circuit detection on Rain Bird, which warn you of improper valve wiring. However, one of the automatic notifications states that it warns you if there are problems with the cabling. So there seems to be some monitoring.

Control/programming directly via the computer

The Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor can also be easily operated and programmed directly via the computer. This is done with the help of a selection wheel in the middle of which there is a confirmation button and the 4 other buttons “Back”, “Clear” “Prog A, B, C, D” and “Rain Delay”. You can store programs, carry out manual irrigation runs, activate irrigation delays and make seasonal adjustments. What cannot be set directly via the computer, however, are the extensive Smart Watering options; these can only be changed via the app or a web browser.

Display on the watering computer

Additional accessories required to make the computer WiFi ready

Nothing else is required to connect the computer to the in-house WiFi. So no additional WiFi module and no additional gateway. The computer also has a Bluetooth interface, which is particularly practical when setting up the device for the first time and allows you to access the computer via an app even without a WiFi connection.

Installation

The best way to start the installation is to download the app, which will then guide you through all the further steps. The B-hyve app is available for Android and Apple iOS devices and can be downloaded free of charge from the Google Play and Apple App Store. After starting the app, you need to create an account (“Create account” menu item). If you already have a B-hyve account, you can skip this step by logging in with an existing account,

The next step is to enter the name and email address information necessary to create the account and define a password.

Next, you can define whether you want to be informed about events such as irrigation that has taken place or irrigation that has been canceled due to rain delays. What is stored here is not set in stone and can easily be changed later in the program.

If you have purchased the device new, continue with “This is a new device”. Alternatively, there would be the option to continue by entering a code if you want to add a device that is already installed.

Now you have to select the device type that corresponds to your own product.

The computer must then be switched on by plugging in the power cable before continuing to the next point.

The app now finds the irrigation computer and displays it. If it is the correct one, i.e. the MAC address displayed matches the one specified on the inside of the computer, then you can confirm the displayed computer and the connection to the device will be established.

At this point I encountered a small technical problem during the test: the system indicated that the device was already being used in another account, even though I was installing it for the first time. Even after several attempts I couldn’t get to the next point. The only way to fix the problem was to exit the app and go through the installation process again. Then it worked without any problems and the message no longer appeared. This is just a tip if you have a similar problem!

The next step is to select your own Wi-Fi connection from the ones found and enter the Wi-Fi password required for access. This completes the installation. Finally, if necessary, the software contained in the computer is updated with a firmware update.

You now specify the address to be used for weather data use.

All you have to do now is wire the zone outputs with the solenoid valves as stated in the operating instructions to get the irrigation system ready to start (one pole of the solenoid valve to the zone output and a common pole to the com output).

The irrigation computer can now be programmed according to your own requirements. More on this in the next point.

Software

Below you will find an analysis of the B-hyve software used to control the computer. I will present the various functions and setting options of the Orbit B-hyve software in even more detail in a separate article:

Blog post: This is how the Orbit B-hyve software works

Orbit follows a computer-independent approach with its software, as does Hunter with the Hydrawise system: This means that all the possibilities offered by the B-hyve software can be used to their full extent on all B-hyve computers, regardless of the computer model used . In contrast to the Rain Bird software, which when operated via the app only allows what would also be possible when entered directly via the computer interface. You are only logically limited when things are not possible due to a lack of hardware requirements. For example, if the irrigation computer only has one zone output, then logically only one can be used in the program.

Key data on the B-hyve software:

Computer

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

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

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

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

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?

Master valve useable?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None

Computer

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?

Master valve useable?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None

Below are further details on some of the points mentioned:

Access options

Access is possible via the app on Google and Apple devices. You can also log into your account using the web browser on your desktop PC at my.orbitbhyve.com and access the irrigation computer.

Different watering modes

If you create programs on your own, programming is done in the classic way on a program basis. If you activate “Smart Watering” instead and let the system water on autopilot, then the zone is defined in detail and there is no need to create a program. The system then decides independently on which day, at what time and for how long it will carry out irrigation runs. However, this freedom can be restricted with additional smart settings (exclude certain days or times from watering). You can also intervene in the logic of when irrigation runs are skipped by adjusting the underlying percentages and limit values. One drawback is that you cannot use smart watering logic with self-created programs, which is certainly possible in the Hunter Hydrawise system.

Programs/start times/watering duration

With 4 programs, 4 start times and a maximum watering time per run of 240 minutes, 99% of users will probably be satisfied. These things rarely represent a bottleneck in practice.

Use of irrigation templates

All created programs are also saved as templates and you can save additional ones. For example, it is possible to save your own program for newly sown lawns that you can then use as needed.

Local access to irrigation computers

The computer can be accessed via Bluetooth even without an existing WiFi connection. To do this you have to be in close proximity to the computer. However, this access requires a connection to the Internet, otherwise the app cannot be started. So you don’t need WiFi, but you do need web access on your cell phone to access the irrigation computer via Bluetooth!

Granting access to other users

In the program you can create a code that allows other users to access the irrigation computer. A distinction can be made between two authorization levels. The “Guest” access code allows the user to use the essential functions of the device; with the “Manager” access code the user has all rights. Unlike the Rain Bird system, a time limit on access is not possible.

Alert notifications

There are 4 different alert notifications available: Rain Delay, Watering Complete, Timer Error and Device Power Off. You can activate or deactivate these individually in the software. Compared to Hydrawise and the Rain Bird system, which allow 9 and 8 different notifications respectively, this functionality is currently rather modest.

Flow meter

A flow meter can only be integrated into the system by integrating a Flume Account; this is not possible directly via the irrigation computer and there are no warning notifications in the event of a leak or if irrigation cannot be carried out as planned due to a lack of water. This is better solved in the Hydrawise software, where practically every flow meter available on the market can be connected.

Use of weather data

Based on the location stored in the system, local weather data is used for Smart Watering mode. Unlike Hunter Hydrawise, it is not possible to trace which weather service is used and exactly which data is obtained. The local weather station used, however, is transparent and the user has the opportunity to select the desired station from the available stations. Weather stations from PWSWeather.com are available here. A very positive thing is the possibility of integrating your own weather station for free via PSWWeather.com, which costs extra with Hydrawise.

Define seasonal adjustment (per month)

The system does this automatically in Smart Watering mode. If you create a program yourself, then you have no option in B-hyve to store a seasonal adjustment for the different months. You can only increase or reduce the program runtime by a certain factor at the current time, so that the change takes effect immediately.

Suspend watering x days

You have the option at any time to suspend irrigation for 12 hours to 32 days.

Cycle and soak phases

In the Smart Watering Autopilot, the system independently divides the irrigation into irrigation and soak phases, so, for example, only irrigates for 20 minutes and then takes a 10-minute break to allow the water to completely seep in. If you define programs yourself, you have no option to use a cycle and soak phase function.

Conclusion and recommendation

At around 80 USD, the Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor is significantly cheaper than the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with an additional WiFi module and the Hunter Pro-HC that I previously tested. With the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 + module you have to expect around 220 USD, with the Hunter Pro-HC it is in the 300 USD range.

You don’t notice this in the computer’s hardware: the case, like the competitors, makes a high-quality impression and is even lockable like the Hunter Pro-HC. It is also slightly smaller and more compact than its competitors. Compared to the high-end Hunter Pro-HC irrigation computer, the only thing missing is the second sensor output. The control and operation directly via the irrigation computer is, in my opinion, a little more user-friendly than with Rain Bird and Hunter, thanks to the comparatively large display screen and the selection wheel.

There’s also not much to complain about when it comes to software: In my opinion, the B-hyve system clearly outshines the Rain Bird Smart Watering System and offers far more options. Also, unlike the Rain Bird system, it can also be accessed via the normal web browser and there are no restrictions in the software depending on the computer model used, all B-hyve computers have all software options.

In comparison to the Hydrawise system from Hunter, B-hyve remains second in my opinion: Hydrawise offers much more precise and extensive options for using intelligent irrigation options tailored to your own ideas for irrigation. B-hyve’s Smart Watering mode carries out its automatic watering based on the irrigation and garden characteristics defined by the user for each zone. The whole thing happens in a black box that is incomprehensible to the user and the result in my test was not such that I was satisfied with it. Irrigation runs have been skipped far too carelessly and the system rains whenever it suits the system. But you can get these things under control with other smart settings that are a little more hidden in the system. Take a look at my extensive article on the B-hyve system! This ultimately results in a very useful autopilot. I still prefer the transparent and 1:1 comprehensible rules of Hydrawise, which, unlike B-hyve, can also be applied in manual mode. Hydrawise remains my favorite when it comes to intelligent weather control.

In comparison to Hydrawise, there is also no option to define sensors yourself. This is an important issue for those who plan to use sensors for irrigation control and for those who plan to use a flow meter.

Conclusion: Whether you like the B-hyve system more or prefer the one from Hydrawise is certainly partly a matter of taste. In any case, B-hyve has a clear advantage over the Rain Bird Smart Watering System and also over the Gardena Smart System. Especially when you put the performance in relation to the price, which is significantly lower than its competitors, the Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor really offers a lot for its money. A very good alternative if you want a good computer with smart watering functionality without having to dig too deep into your wallet.

Der Beitrag Orbit B-hyve Smart Outdoor irrigation controller in the test erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

This is how the Orbit B-hyve system works

Johann Kodnar — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:11:30 +0000

In this article I describe how the Orbit B-hyve system works, which is used in all web-enabled Orbit irrigation computers. This allows the irrigation computer to be programmed and operated from anywhere in the world via app or web browser and includes additional functionalities for intelligently controlling irrigation depending on weather and other events.

The article has become a little longer because the software contains very extensive options and I tried to describe them in as much detail as possible in order to provide a deep insight into the system. If you are only interested in individual details, then I have provided a table of contents in which you can jump directly to the points that are of interest to you. You can find my conclusion and a comparison with the previously tested systems from competitors Hunter, Rain Bird, Gardena and LinkTap at the very end of the article.

Orbit B-hyve product overview

The B-hyve software is currently used in the following five Orbit smart irrigation computers:

Computer

Zones

1 to 4 outputs depending on the model

4 or 8

6 or 12

8 or 16

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Indoor

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

Computer

Zones

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Computer

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

Computer

Zones

4 or 8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Price not available

Computer

Zones

6 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Computer

Zones

8 or 16

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Additional gateway necessary?

Integrated water flow meter?

Programs and start times

4 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$127.56

The B-hyve Smart Hose Timer and B-hyve XD Smart Hose Timer are water-flowing irrigation computers that are suitable for attaching to a faucet. The other three models are irrigation computers for solenoid valve control. These do not come into contact with water, but open and close connected solenoid valves through which the water flows.

Depending on which type of Orbit B-hyve irrigation computer is used, operating and programming the computer is also possible in a limited form directly on the device, or only via the app or web browser.

Main menu/navigation of the software

Navigation through the program is done using the following menu bar with 5 program items:

Help Symbol

Calendar: Provides a calendar overview of the planned and already carried out irrigation runs.
Program: Up to 4 irrigation runs (A, B, C, D) can be set up here.
Home: Home page when opening the app. Here you can see the next planned irrigation runs and can start manual irrigation or set a rain delay.
Zones: Here you can set up the irrigation zones and optionally make Smart Watering settings for the zone.
My B-hyve: There are a variety of settings hidden here, e.g. for the B-hyve account, the device used, Smart Watering, automatic notifications and much more.

In the program you will encounter the following question mark symbol in numerous places. If you click on it, you will see further information on a topic.

Help Symbol

Set up zones

When you select the “Zones” menu item, a certain number of possible zones are displayed, depending on the computer model used. A zone corresponds to a sector output on the irrigation computer, whereby zone 1 also corresponds to output 1, zone 2 to output 2, etc. etc. So, for example, if you have planned 5 irrigation sectors in your garden, then zones 1 to 5 would have to be created. With the watering computer B-hyve Smart Hose Timer, which only has one output, there is only one zone to define.

The zone can be activated by clicking on the plus symbol. If you then click on it again, the zone settings can be made:

Name of the zone (ideally as descriptive as possible so that you can tell from the name which sector it is (e.g. “lawn in front of the house” or “vegetable patch” or “strip of grass behind the house”)
optional: A picture of the zone (not really necessary, but nice to see in everyday use)
Activation/deactivation of Smart Watering for the zone (more on this in the chapter “Smart Watering Zone Settings”)
Smart Zone details (only required when using Smart Watering, see chapter “Smart Watering Zone Settings”)
Watering events (nothing can be actively entered here. As soon as the zone has been assigned to a watering program or Smart Watering has been activated, it will be listed here when the next watering is planned or the last one took place)
Specify soil moisture (also only required when using Smart Watering, see chapter “Smart Watering zone settings”
Test (by clicking on the test link at the top right, irrigation for the zone can be activated for a few minutes as a test)

To create a simple zone without a Smart Watering function, you basically only need to assign the name of the zone:

When using an Orbit B-hyve smart hose timer that has an integrated water flow meter, the zone menu also displays information about the zone’s water consumption (in gallons or liters per minute) and you also have the option of resetting the water flow calibrate. This calibrated value is used to extrapolate the water flow for manually executed irrigation runs, but has no effect on the actual measured water flow.

If you want to control the irrigation computer in the classic way with a program you specify yourself, then you should now continue with the point “Setting up programs”. If you would like to have the zone watered independently using artificial intelligence instead, then the necessary Smart Watering settings must be made in the zone as described in the next point. There is no need to create a program for such zones, as they would otherwise be watered twice (once with the manually created program and once due to the Smart Watering automatic).

Make Smart Watering settings for the zone

Orbit B-hyve offers the option of having irrigation carried out fully automatically by the artificial intelligence included in the program. The system then autonomously decides on which days and times to irrigate or when irrigation is to be omitted, as well as the length of the irrigation runs. It does this with an algorithm that uses the following three types of data:

Weather data and irrigation data

Using its WeatherSense™ technology, B-hyve obtains local weather data. If there is a 30% chance of rain forecast for today, the system will skip the irrigation run (this percentage can be adjusted). Based on the irrigation runs that have taken place in the past, the system also knows how much water the lawn has already received and when it was last watered and takes these parameters into account in the planning.

Type and slope of the soil

Different types of soil absorb water at different rates. The B-hyve automatic takes this into account when planning the irrigation duration and frequency and, for example, waters sandy soils at a denser rhythm than clay soils because they cannot hold water for as long. In addition, the water can be better absorbed into the soil in flat gardens than on slopes, where some of it drains away before penetrating the earth. In order for these factors to be taken into account correctly, the B-hyve system must be fed with some information about the garden.

Type of plants and evaporation

From the information about what type of plant is being watered in the sector, the system determines what water requirement this type of plant has. Based on temperature, humidity and wind speed, it calculates how quickly the water will evaporate. The higher the evaporation, the greater the water requirement of the plant.

Saving the Smart Watering settings works as follows.
Calling up the “Zone Detail” menu item:

As detailed as possible information about the garden and the irrigation system must now be stored here in order to give the system the best possible working basis.

Define soil type

Here you have to choose the one that comes closest to your own from 6 types of soil:

By default, “Unknown” is selected, with a intake rate of 0.35 inches/hour, which corresponds to a clay soil. If your own soil is sandier or more clayey, then it needs to be changed accordingly.
If you know more about the soil and can quantify the infiltration rate exactly, you can enter this yourself in the advanced settings:

Impact: A higher infiltration rate increases the maximum possible running time as it reduces the risk that the soil will not be able to fully absorb the water.
Define plant species

There are 6 different plant types to choose from:

If you want to add a lawn, you should define “warm turf” in areas where it doesn’t freeze in winter, otherwise “cool turf”! Each type of plant is assigned a specific root zone depth, for warm climate lawns this is 6 inches. Here too, you can precisely determine the root zone depth in the advanced settings.

Effect: A greater root zone depth leads to longer watering intervals and longer running times. In this way, the soil can be supplied with enough water so that it is moistened right down to the root zone. The type of plant selected has an impact on the estimated water requirement; for a lawn this is higher than for desert plants, for example.
Determine type of irrigation

This point is about determining the precipitation rate, i.e. how much water the sprinklers or micro-irrigation system used release per hour. This rate is expressed in inches per hour. The system offers 3 different irrigation types to choose from:

The first group includes spray sprinklers, which release a very large amount of water in a short time, the second includes gear sprinklers, which have a significantly lower precipitation rate, and the third includes irrigation with a drip hose. Here it is definitely advisable to use the advanced settings to determine the precipitation rate in detail, because the rates stored for the three groups are very imprecise and can vary greatly depending on the system actually used and amount to several times or even just a fraction!

For example, with the sprinkler I recommend in the blog, the Hunter MP Rotator, the precipitation rate is only about 0.4 inches per hour, i.e. about half of the value assumed here. You can find an overview of the precipitation rate for common sprinklers in the sprinkler performance data overview offered here on the website.

Impact: A higher precipitation rate leads to a shorter runtime because the soil must be able to absorb the water.
Define number of hours of sunshine

This point is about how sunny or shady the zone is. You can choose between a more shady and a more sunny garden, with anything under 6 hours of direct sunlight per day being considered a shady garden and anything above that being considered a sunny garden:

In the advanced settings you can define the hours of sunshine even more precisely.

Impact: This point has an impact on the calculation of evaporation and consequently on the calculated water requirement. The more sun, the higher the water requirement. In addition, more sun means longer running times.
Determining how much of the natural rain arrives in the zone

For most zones this will be complete rain, i.e. 100%. However, it could also be that the zone is in a covered area or that only part of the rainfall reaches the zone due to certain structural conditions. Normally you leave the setting here at “Most of the rain”, otherwise you switch to “Some of the rain” (corresponds to 40%) or, if there is no rain at all, to “None of the rain”:

In the advanced settings you can again specify this in detail (0 to 100%).

Impact: Has an impact on the calculated water requirement. The more natural rainfall there is, the less additional water is required.
Determination of the slope of the terrain

At this point you determine whether the zone is flat or sloped:

In the advanced settings you can define the inclination in detail

Effect: The flatter the terrain, the longer the maximum possible running time, as there is then less risk of the water running off unused.
Determination of the drought factor

The Drought Index is used in the United States to predict the likelihood of wildfires. You can look up which factor applies to you in the B-hyve software using a US map; there is no information for areas outside the USA. The correct setting should then usually be “None”, i.e. no drought.

An exact setting would also be possible here in the advanced settings.

Impact: The impact of the drought factor is not clearly stated, but it probably affects the spacing between irrigations and water requirements.

In addition to these 7 points in which the Smart Watering settings can be made, there are three further points in the Smart Zone Details:

Advanced Details
Schedule adjustments
Catch cup test

Below is a description:

Advanced Smart Zone Details

Here you can see a compilation of a total of 13 parameters, which on the one hand reflect the seven previously made settings and on the other hand additional ones that are based on these. By changing these parameters, you can influence the calculated water requirements, the intervals at which watering occurs and how long the irrigation times are. The first four parameters that influence the amount of water are application rate, efficiency, plant factor and microclimate factor.

If you change parameters already known from the 7 points mentioned above, such as the root zone depth, then this change is directly reflected in the correspondending menu item. So it makes no difference whether you change the setting here or there.

However, two of the parameters can only be changed in the Advanced Details: Efficiency and Management Allowed Depletion (reflects the desired soil-water deficit at the time of irrigation).

Image excerpt from the extended details:

Extended Smart Watering Details

Watering schedule adjustments

Based on the values entered, the B-hyve system uses an algorithm to estimate the frequency with which irrigation will take place and the running time that the irrigation runs will have. Both values are not constant, but change depending on the weather conditions during a season. You can see this estimate in the watering schedule adjustment menu:

Irrigation schedule estimates of the system

The system would therefore not water at all from January to April and from September to December and would water every 3 days in the warm months. A watering run would last approximately 25 minutes and would be carried out in one cycle, i.e. not divided into multiple cycles.

If you now observe that the system leaves a too small or too large gap between the individual irrigation runs, i.e. waters again when it is not yet necessary or desired, or waits too long to water, so that the lawn or plants suffers, then you can shorten or increase the interval so that watering occurs at smaller or larger intervals. This setting has no influence on the months in which watering takes place.

Set watering more or less frequently than estimated by the system:

If you move the slider to the left, watering will occur more frequently in a month, for example 4 times instead of 3 times. If you move it to the right, you will water less frequently. To the same extent, the running time of irrigation is reduced or increased, so that this change has no effect on the total amount of water used, the water is just used differently.

If instead you observe that the intervals would be ok in principle, but the running time is too short to supply the zone with sufficient water, or, conversely, unnecessarily long so that water is wasted, then you can adjust the running time of the irrigation. This change does not affect the intervals and therefore increases or decreases water consumption 1 to 1.

This is how you can set a longer or shorter running time:

In the example, the system estimates a running time of 25 minutes. With this the efficiency would be 75%. 100% would be the theoretically possible optimal efficiency, in which as much as is necessary is poured precisely. However, exhausting this is associated with a very high risk that the plants will temporarily receive too little water and suffer as a result, so it makes more sense to take a certain reserve into account. The B-hyve system automatically sets to 75% efficiency. If you extend or shorten the running time using the slider, this reduces or increases the efficiency of the irrigation and at the same time the water consumption for the zone.

Catch cup test

This menu item has no direct influence on the B-hyve system. It contains a test that can be used to determine the precipitation rate and the uniformity of irrigation and, as a result, reveal potential for improvement in terms of uniform irrigation. Suitable collecting containers are required to carry out the test. How the test works is explained in detail in the app.

In order for the Smart Watering to work, it now only needs to be activated:

In order to have the most correct starting point possible for planning the irrigation runs, the current soil moisture level in the zone must finally be estimated. In my experience, you would have around 80 to 90% if the soil was completely moistened up to the root zone after an extensive irrigation run or rain shower, and only 20 or 30% if the soil had not received any water for a few days. If you are unsure, 50% is probably a good compromise.

Set restrictions for smart watering

If you activate Smart Watering for a zone, the system basically decides independently on which day and at what time watering runs are carried out. That can work for you. Or not, if, for example, you are subject to certain restrictions in the garden on which days you can water or you consciously want to have the watering carried out at certain times or days. Or you might want to exclude certain days or times because you want to use the garden on those days.

B-hyve gives you the opportunity to restrict the automatic system according to your wishes. These options are hidden in the program menu under the “Smart” menu item:

Clicking on it takes you to a page that shows you which zones are currently being watered with Smart Watering and where you can set a preferred start time for the automatic system:

The system will – as far as the automatic system allows – orientate itself to this preferred start time, but is not guaranteed to adhere to it. If you want to be absolutely sure that irrigation runs are not carried out on certain days or at certain times of the day, then these values must be stored as restrictions. This is done by clicking on the “Smart Watering restrictions” link:

In the following mask, a certain from/to period can be excluded from irrigation and it can be precisely defined on which days irrigation can take place and on which not. In my example, I have excluded watering for the period from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and specified that watering is not allowed on Sundays:

Fine tuning of the Smart Watering events that suspend watering

This important setting can be found quite hidden in the My B-hyve menu under Devices and Weather Adjustmens. In Smart Watering mode, the B-hyve system monitors rainfall, wind and temperature and decides based on this whether a planned irrigation run takes place or is cancelled. This works with the limit values and probabilities listed here in the settings. Irrigation is suspended if the following applies:

If there is a 30% chance that it will rain and at least 0.16 inches of precipitation is expected.
If the forecast wind speed exceeds 20 mph
If the forecast temperature is below 37 degrees Fahrenheit

If one of these events occurs, the suspension of the run is stored and announced in the home menu. If you want, the suspension can also be canceled so that the irrigation run takes place as planned.

If these standard probabilities and limit values turn out to be unsuitable for your own practice, you can adapt them here according to your own ideas. They influence the Smart Watering mode and do not interfere with manually created programs. Even with manually created programs, however, if one of the events occurs, you will be shown on your cell phone an option to suspend the planned watering run at the push of a button.

Choosing a weather station

The B-hyve system automatically selects a weather station near the user’s address from which the current weather data is obtained for smart irrigation control. In order for the station selection to work, the address where the irrigation computer is used must be entered in advance in the My B-hyve menu under the device details and a name for the irrigation computer must be specified. The program doesn’t indicate this anywhere, so you may only come across it if the smart irrigation doesn’t work.

To set the address, simply click in the address field and the system can then determine the current position using the GPS function of the cell phone.

The weather station selected by the system can be changed to another station by the user in the device details in the Weather Adjustments sub-item.

Click on “Select Weather Station”:

A Google map section around the specified address is displayed. The station marked with the B-hyve logo is the weather station closest to the address automatically selected by the system. Alternatively, another public weather station can be selected. If you activate the slider under “Personal Weather Stations”, private weather stations registered with PWSWeather.com will also be available for selection.

In this way it would also be possible to use your own personal weather station in B-hyve. To do this, it must be created in advance on the PWSWeather.com website in order to be available for selection here. Unlike the Hydrawise software, there are no additional costs for using your personal weather station.

Set up programs

The prerequisite for setting up a program is the prior creation of at least one zone. If the zone is already watered automatically with Smart Watering, then no additional program needs to be created. But you can of course have some of the zones watered automatically with Smart Watering and store a manually created program for the other part. If Smart Watering is in use for at least one of the zones, then this will be displayed at the top of the program menu:

A program can be imagined as similar to a washing program in a washing machine. In this, different phases are run through one after the other (washing, rinsing, spinning); instead in the irrigation program, selected zones are processed from the specified start time. All zones directly one after the other and for the time period specified for this zone. A program could, for example, consist of:

50 minutes Zone 1 (lawn part 1)
50 minutes Zone 2 (lawn part 2)
35 minutes Zone 3 (shady lawn)
120 minutes Zone 4 (hedge)

The program requires one or more start times and one or more days of the week on which it should run. For example, if you set Monday as the day of the week for the above program and 6:00 a.m. as the start time, then the watering of zone 1 would begin on Monday at 6:00 a.m. and the program would end up 4 hours and 15 minutes later at 10:15 a.m.

B-hyve offers 4 programs A, B, C and D. Only when using the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Timer only 3 programs are possible for reasons I cannot understand. However, I saw in older videos on the web that other B-hyve models, for which 4 programs are now possible, were previously limited to 3 programs too. The B-hyve hose timer so may also be increased to 4 programs in the future.

Up to 4 start times can be defined for each of the programs. An additional start time means that the same program is carried out a second time on the same day. This is usually not an issue when watering the lawn. On the contrary, the principle applies: water less frequently but water properly! But when reseeding a lawn it is usually necessary. Since the lawn seeds can dry out very quickly, it is recommended to water up to 4 times a day for a few minutes in the first few weeks so that the seeds always remain slightly moist. Even sensitive potted plants in exposed locations may need to be watered several times a day.

A program is activated by tapping on the program slot. You then get to the program settings menu.

The following settings must be made:

1. Program name:
  A name that is as descriptive as possible helps you to distinguish between the programs when you create several programs. In this case, I create the “Lawn” program, which should contain the zones defined as lawns:
2. Start time:
  A program requires a mandatory start time at which it begins to run. At the start of the start time, the program begins with the first zone assigned to the program and then all other assigned zones are processed in the defined order without interruption. A maximum of 4 start times can be defined. In my example of watering normal lawns, one start time is enough for me. Click on Add start time:
  
  Select start time:
  
  By clicking OK the start time is added:
3. Zones:
  Here you define which zones in the program should be irrigated. At least one zone must be selected, the maximum possible is the number of zones present in the irrigation system, whereby each zone can only be selected once within a program. It is therefore not possible for example to water zone 1 at the very beginning and then again at the end of the program. In my case, I select the lawn zones for my lawn program. I water the two sunny areas for 50 and 55 minutes, and 30 minutes is enough for the shadier zone. The maximum possible runtime of the system is 4 hours, the shortest possible 1 minute.
  Click on Change/Add Zone:
  
  Select the desired zone:
  
  Set the zone’s run time:
  
  After repeating this process for the two additional lawn zones, a total of 3 zones are added to my irrigation program:
4. Watering days
  Here you can either select one or more days of the week or set it to rain every other day on odd or even days. The third alternative is to freely specify the watering interval. Here you can choose between every 1 day (= daily) to every 32 days. In my case, watering once a week on Monday is enough for me. Select the desired day(s):
5. Program schedule
  Normally you will not need this and you can leave the setting unchanged (= without a time limit). In special cases, e.g. a growth program for a freshly sown lawn, it can be helpful to limit the program to a specific date. Both the day on which it should start and the day on which it should end can be freely selected. In my case, I leave the setting unlimited:
6. Seasonal adjustment
  This point is called “Watering Budget” in the B-hyve system. Without prior knowledge, you won’t be able to figure out what you can set here. It is used to be able to adjust the irrigation duration very quickly without having to change the program.
  By default, the budget is set to 100%, which means that the water will be irrigated for exactly as long as defined in point 3. Normally you set this running time for the hottest time of the year, so my set 55 minute running time would be for mid-summer. However, not all months are as hot as in midsummer and in March or April, for example, it is enough to water the lawn for less time.
  In my example, if you only want to water zone C for 15 minutes instead of 30 minutes, then you can change the irrigation budget from 100% to 50%. If you want to water twice as long, change from 100% to 200%. Settings between 10% and 200% are possible. In my case, I leave the budget at 100% at the moment.

The lawn program is now created. Up to 3 additional programs can be defined. In my case, I let the fourth zone, the vegetable patch, run in its own separate program because it has to be watered at a different rhythm than the lawn zones. After creating this additional program, two finished programs will finally be displayed in the program menu:

Save program templates

B-hyve offers the ability to save templates for programs for later use.

To do this, select the menu item “Saved Programs” in the program menu. All previously created templates will now be displayed. These also include the two previously created programs, which were automatically saved as a template, and an additional program template that I defined for newly created lawns. By clicking on the plus symbol you can create another template. The system works in the same way as described previously when creating a program.

Irrigation calendar

The Calendar menu shows a monthly overview of when the next irrigation programs will take place and on which days in the past they took place. The programs are displayed with the colors known from the program menu, so that you can easily see at a glance which program is running when. By clicking on a day, detailed information about the program such as start time, running time and zones included are displayed.

Irrigation history

This menu item can be found under My B-hyve. Here you can track the number of minutes that were watered on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. This makes it easy to compare whether you have saved water or not compared to the previous year or month and see which programs or zones use the most water.

If the Orbit irrigation computer you are using has an integrated water flow meter, as is the case with the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Timer (Amazon Link), then the actual water consumption in gallons is also displayed. For the other B-Hyve models that do not have an integrated flow meter, Orbit offers an option to integrate a flow meter by coupling it to a Flume account. Flume is a provider of a smart flow sensor.

Home page

When you open the app, the home menu is automatically started. The next planned program run is displayed here.
In addition, the home menu contains the menu items “Rain Delay” and “Water Manually”. I will describe their functionality below.
There are two options hidden behind the WiFi symbol at the top left:

Control the irrigation computer via Bluetooth
Adjust the Wi-Fi settings

The first might be necessary if you don’t have Wi-Fi reception. Then you can operate the B-hyve Computer via Bluetooth instead. For this to work, you have to be in close proximity to the computer. Adjusting the Wi-Fi settings becomes necessary, for example, if you change your Wi-Fi provider or change your Wi-Fi password.

At the top right there is also a symbol for the current weather as well as the daily high and low temperature.

Start manual watering run

By clicking on the “Water Manually” menu item in the home menu, a spontaneous watering run can be started regardless of the programming. There are 3 options to choose from:

Water one or more zones
Water all zones
Run a program

To water a single zone, simply click on the zone name and then set the watering duration. If you then click on the play icon, the irrigation will be carried out. If you click on the tick icon instead, the zone with the specified time period will only be selected in the first step and you can add further zones. By clicking on the play icon at the bottom, watering will be carried out for all selected zones for the specified period of time. When using a B-hyve Smart Hose Timer with an integrated water flow meter, the system will show you how many gallons of water it will use before the irrigation run starts.

To run a program, click on the “Programs” link at the top right and select the desired program. The program is played in the length specified in the program and with the assigned zones.

Once a manual irrigation has been started, it can be stopped at any time by clicking on the stop button. When watering manually, you can also set a watering suspension for a desired number of days for the irrigated zone by clicking on the rain delay button, so that it is not watered a second time by a scheduled program.

Suspend the irrigation run manually (rain delay)

This option is practical if you do not want to carry out a scheduled watering run for certain reasons, for example because you did it manually as an exception. Or if, for some other reason, you absolutely want to prevent watering from being carried out in the next x hours or x days and you don’t want to change the programming specifically for this. To suspend irrigation, click on the Rain Delay menu item in the home menu and select the desired duration between 12 hours and 32 days.

Enable/disable automatic notifications

The system offers the option of activating automatic notification for 4 events:

There is a rain delay (watering run is skipped)
An irrigation run has been completed
The irrigation computer cannot run a program due to an error (e.g. communication problems or damaged wires)
The irrigation computer has been turned off

The notifications are sent to the cell phone as push notifications. For this to work, the “Activate notifications” option must be activated in the Notifications menu item in the My B-hyve menu and the events you want to be notified about must also be activated:

Change B-hyve account settings

The name and password stored in the system can be changed under My B-hyve/B-hyve account. It is also possible to change the units from the imperial to the metric system and vice versa. So if centimeters and liters are incorrectly displayed instead of inches and gallons, this can be changed here.

B-hyve can also be integrated into Google Home, Alexa and Flume here.

Change B-hyve device settings

I have already described the most important setting options hidden here under My B-hyve/Devices with the “Smart Watering Restrictions”, “Fine-tuning of Smart Watering Events” and “Selecting the Weather Station” earlier in the article. Apart from that, there are also the Wi-Fi settings and the ability to control via Bluetooth, both of which can also be carried out via the home menu and you can switch off the computer from here, initiate an update of the software on the device or remove the device from the app.

A function that makes sense in practice is to automatically switch the system on and off on a specific date. In this way you can ensure that the irrigation computer is switched off before winter and then automatically wakes up again in time for the start of the new season. You only need to define the switch-on and switch-off date once and you can then have it repeated every year on the same date.

The device sharing function is also important here, as it allows you to give other people access to the irrigation computer. For this purpose, an access code can be generated for managers (have extensive rights) or guests (can only carry out operating functions) and passed on to the desired person. By entering this code into the app, the person then gains access to the irrigation computer.

When using a B-hyve smart hose timer with an integrated water flow meter, the menu item “Preset running time” is additionally displayed. This can be used to determine how long the irrigation will run if it is not started via the software but directly on the irrigation computer by pressing the on/off button. By default, 10 minutes are stored here.

Conclusion and comparison

At first glance, the B-hyve software seems quite unspectacular with its five menu items and seems limited to the essential functions. However, this first impression is deceptive, as the submenu items contain a lot of functionality that gives you numerous customization options.

You don’t have to use these options: If you want, you can easily save a classic irrigation program. And limit the smart functionality to the fact that you can start or cancel your irrigation from anywhere in the world and are always and everywhere informed about the current status of the irrigation. This means you can keep watering at home under control even when you’re on vacation.

If you want to exploit the possibilities of smart control, you can alternatively use the Smart Watering mode. In this case, you define the conditions at the location as precisely as possible and leave it to the artificial B-hyve intelligence to create the most effective program possible. The software then decides on which days and at what time the irrigation takes place, as well as how long the runs last and whether everything is done in one run or the run is divided into several shorter runs for better infiltration. This is referred to as cycle and soak phases. How the whole thing happens is basically a black box and can only be understood to a very limited extent.

Since this auto-logic will not produce perfectly usable results in all cases or because you would like to decide or at least limit certain things yourself, such as the time at which watering takes place, B-hyve offers a few options for intervening in the automatic system. So if the automatic processes do not work as expected, you can change the stored limit values that influence the auto-logic. So if the lawn turns brown because B-hyve skips too many irrigation runs, you can, for example, specify that irrigation runs will only be skipped when there is a higher probability of rain or when more rain is expected.

B-hyve’s Smart Watering mode is roughly equivalent to Hydrawise’s Smart (ET) schedule mode, although B-hyve even has a small advantage here, as you can enter more parameters for irrigation and the plants, giving the system a finer basis for decision-making. If you don’t want to worry too much about your watering and want to let the system do it yourself, then this is the ideal mode.

The B-hyve software itself generally makes a good impression, the interface is designed to be quite user-friendly and you can tell from the range of functions that many thousands of developer hours have gone into it. However, some things still seem a bit half-baked and in some places the functionalities are very poorly explained, so that even with extensive prior knowledge of the subject you can only guess what exactly they are supposed to do. You also sometimes get the impression that the programmers have already built in things that people in marketing and product design haven’t even noticed about, and some functionality can be found in places where you wouldn’t have expected it. This is better in the Hydrawise system, which has been established on the market for a long time, where everything is described in great detail and appears comparatively structured.

In my opinion, a significant shortcoming compared to Hunter Hydrawise is that you cannot use the smart functionality for independently created programs. With Hydrawise you can create your program and define a series of rules that either suspend irrigation completely or adjust its length or run it more often or less often. With a little observation of your own watering and tinkering, you can find the perfect setting for you over time. In the B-hyve system you have to decide between storing the program yourself or Smart Watering mode. A solution that includes both like Hydrawise is not offered. At least when using your own programs, you will be given recommendations for suspending irrigation runs if the weather forecast turns out accordingly. In my opinion, Hydrawise is ahead here and offers more options for those who want to go into detail when setting up the irrigation solution.

Orbit also lacks the very useful options for integrating sensors like Hydrawise. Hydrawise makes it possible to define sensors yourself and, if necessary, to connect a flow meter to the sensor input.

I see B-hyve as having a clear advantage compared to the Rain Bird Smart Watering System, which primarily includes the ability to control irrigation remotely, but only offers very limited smart functionality. Here the B-hyve system is much more ambitious in comparison and contains much more functionality. And all at a comparatively lower price.

B-hyve also has a clear advantage over the Gardena Smart System, which currently only allows control depending on weather events to a very limited extent.

The LinkTap system used in the LinkTap G2 irrigation computer is functionally completely different, but not bad in comparison. It is less detailed, but its functionality allows for sensible weather control and, compared to B-hyve, it has advantages in terms of automatic notifications, of which LinkTap offers significantly more types. For example, the very useful point of water flow monitoring, which warns you if water is escaping uncontrollably or if no water is available.

Ultimately, Hunter Hydrawise remains my personal favorite because it allows even more detailed control of irrigation based on weather data and, in my opinion, this control is more transparent than with B-hyve. In Hydrawise you can react directly to the weather data with certain rules, in B-hyve you first define the situation at the irrigation site and B-hyve derives the appropriate program from the system perspective in its black box and runs on autopilot. Whether you like it that way is a matter of taste, I prefer to be able to tell the system clearly what it has to do in which situation. If you want to be less involved, you might like the other approach more. That’s why Hydrawise offers both options in the system. Hydrawise also seems more mature and stable; you can tell that most of the teething problems have already been eliminated. B-hyve started the software later and has not yet completed this stage.

However, there are also important arguments in favor of the B-hyve solution. First of all, there is the price: The B-hyve computers cost a lot less than the competitor products! Rain Bird and LinkTap are easily 50% more expensive, Gardena costs more than twice as much since you have to buy an expensive gateway, and the premium solution Hydrawise has an even higher price for its quality. With Hydrawise you can argue that with the performance it offers, I think LinkTap is equivalent, but in my opinion the smart software from Gardena and Rain Bird is currently inferior to the Orbit software. So if you’re looking for a decent smart computer at a very fair price, then you can’t go wrong with a B-hyve computer! And if the B-hyve development team maintains its current pace, then you can expect further improvements and the elimination of the remaining weak points soon.

Der Beitrag This is how the Orbit B-hyve system works erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Introducing Orbit Online Irrigation Planner

Johann Kodnar — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:42:25 +0000

In this blog I have already presented two free online tools for planning garden irrigation: the DVS irrigation planner and the myGarden planner from Gardena. Unfortunately, the former is currently only offered in German language and the latter in English but only in the metric system of measurement. The online irrigation planner from the US irrigation manufacturer Orbit, the Orbit Sprinkler System Designer, is currently the only free online planner in English and in imperial measurement that I know of. I tested this one. You will find out below whether it is a serious alternative to the two previously mentioned and what it can do better or worse.

The Gardena myGarden planner has been around for many years, the German-language planner from the online irrigation web shop DVS Beregnung went live in 2020 and, in my opinion, is currently a step ahead in terms of quality. Both are web-based and can be easily run in the web browser without downloading any software. This also applies to the planner from Orbit. Orbit is a manufacturer of irrigation products with a sales focus on the USA, but is also known outside the USA primarily for its irrigation computers. In 2021 Orbit was taken over by the Gardena parent company Husqvarna and integrated into the German garden and irrigation company Gardena.

The Orbit Online Planner only caught my eye a few months ago, but from my research it seems it has been around for a few years. On the web you can find the first descriptions and videos of the orbit planner dating back to 2011. However, the online planner shown in the videos does not correspond to the one that is currently available on the web. That in itself wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary. Then they would have developed the planner further, was my first thought.

Strangely enough, however, it is exactly the opposite: what is currently available on the web seems like an incomplete and less user-friendly preview of what can be seen in the videos. I can’t explain it logically and I haven’t found any information as to why this is the case. The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that for some legal reason the original version was no longer allowed to be used and that it was then programmed again in a significantly simplified way, optically slimmed down and provided with fewer details. What is offered looks like a rather listlessly created quick copy of the previous version.

And that brings me to the big point of criticism of the Orbit Designer: The tool is extremely user-unfriendly! I haven’t seen anything like this on the web for a long time, something like this was more normal in the early days of the World Wide Web. Basically, everything works, but the software is not intuitive to use at all, things don’t work the way you’re used to and in some places you have no idea how to proceed and can only figure it out by trying it out for a long time.

So why am I introducing the Orbit Irrigation Planner at all? Because the basic functionality is basically quite good and also surprisingly extensive. Those who designed it originally went to work very ambitiously and also built in options that are currently not available with the other two designers, e.g. that you can, if you want, specify exactly how a certain micro-irrigation area should be watered , e.g. with drip irrigation, spray irrigation or together with normal lawn irrigation. So once you find your way around, the planner can definitely be of good service to you and may offer you functionalities that you miss elsewhere.

In the following I describe the essential steps in the use of the planner. This is also a good opportunity to look it up if you get stuck somewhere.

The planner can be found at https://design.orbitonline.com/designer. In order to use it, a free online registration is required in advance.

Start with a blank sheet of paper or with an existing property plan

The beginning works in a similar way to what is already known from the competitors: You can either start from scratch or you can load in a sketch you have made yourself or a property plan and use this as the basis for further planning. If you have already created a plan in the software, you can continue with this as a third option.

Orbit Designer home screen

The first and the second point, i.e. starting with an image of a property plan or starting with a blank sheet of paper, basically do not differ from what follows. In both cases, you load the same planner, except that a different submenu is opened at the start.

menu and navigation

A four-level menu tree is displayed on the right-hand side with the following main items:

Property
Watered Areas
System
Report

Step 1: Draw the plot to be irrigated

Below is a description of the steps in which you can create a plan of the property to be irrigated.

Load property plan and define scale

If you want to import an image of the property, select the “Import Image” sub-item under Property and select the desired image file. Right after that, you have to tell the system the scale of the uploaded image. You do this by defining a straight line on the uploaded image with two mouse clicks and then telling the system what distance this straight line corresponds to.

For example, you could draw a straight line across the width of the garden and then enter that value. Attention: This didn’t always work for me right away in the test, especially when the property plan was quite large, it happened that I couldn’t draw the straight line over an entire width, but a shorter distance worked.

Look closely: The straight line is shown in a very light yellow that is not easily visible!

Enter the distance in feet. Note for readers from countries with the metric measurement system: 1 foot equals 30.48 centimeters. For example, a distance of 10 meters would be 32.8 feet.

Here the floor plates in the lower area were used to define the scale (the yellow scale line is only faintly visible). Each plate is 1.64 feet wide, so the ten plates marked with the straight line are 16.4 feet wide. Since only whole numbers can be entered and because there is a small distance between each plate, I round up to 17 feet (see entry in the box at right).

After loading the image, you can rotate it under “Orient Image” if necessary.

All other points work the same, regardless of whether you have loaded an image of a property plan or draw the plan from scratch.

Define the outline of the property

This point gave me some headaches at first, because it is handled differently in the other tools I know and is not explained anywhere in Orbit. You cannot draw the areas to be irrigated piece by piece here, because otherwise the further planning will not work. Instead, the maximum outline of the property must first be defined in a contiguous area. And then you subsequently exclude those areas that should not be irrigated or define areas that should be irrigated in a different way.

The outline is defined in the “Lot Outline” menu item. There you first click on the displayed lawn icon and can then decide in the tool menu whether you want to place the outline with the freehand tool or in a square shape.

If you select the square shape, you then have to click on the plan and a lawn square will be placed there. This can then be brought to the desired size by dragging the corner points.

If you are working from an image template, then the next step would be to place the outline over that template

The padlock icon at the bottom left of the square locks the selected object against movement. So if you want to place it somewhere else, you first have to click on this symbol to open the lock. If you want to delete an object, this does not work with the Del or backspace key on the keyboard, but you have to click the cross-delete symbol at the top right of the object. Executed steps can be undone by clicking on “Redo” in the toolbar.

In my example with an existing image of the site plan, I defined the outline with the freehand symbol. To do this, simply start at a corner of the image template and click on it, then move the mouse pointer to the next point and click on it again. This is repeated until you have defined all corner points. You don’t have to single-click the last corner, but double-click to complete the outline creation! This is also not described anywhere and is not evident from anything, so that it is difficult to come up with it yourself.

My example plan after drawing the property line with the freehand tool

Draw in the house and other non-irrigated areas

This is done in the two menu items “House Outline” and “Non-Watered Features”. The way it works is the same as described above, so you can take out the areas that are not to be irrigated either as rectangles or in free form. In my case, I draw these with the freehand tool as well. I simply draw over the existing lawn outline.

The house, terrace and path to the house have been added

Step 2: Define additional areas to be irrigated

Namely, areas that are not lawns, because this one has already been drawn in. But those areas that should usually be watered more gently and slowly with drip irrigation, such as beds, flower pots, bushes, hedges or trees. Or even those that are to be watered with nozzle spray sprinklers with a very large water flow. In my example case, I draw in a vegetable patch.

The vegetable patch was added in dark brown at the top right

After drawing in the desired type of irrigation for the area is to be determined. The system also makes a suggestion here. In my example, this is drip irrigation for the vegetable patch.

Determination of the desired irrigation type for the marked area

Special areas to be irrigated

In the sub-menu item “Special Watered Areas” you can now take the planning to the top and specify to the planner whether you would rather irrigate an area with ordinary geared sprinklers or nozzle sprinklers or rotating nozzle sprinklers. Depending on the choice, the planning is then carried out with the selected sprinkler type. On the one hand, this is a great feature that no other online planner I know of has, on the other hand, it could be a little overwhelming for one or the other user. In this case, you can safely leave it out and try the standard planning first!

3. Placement of system components and entry of system performance data

In this step, the missing information that the system needs for planning must be added.

Placement of system components

Here you have to define where on the plan the connection to the water supply is located and where the irrigation computer is to be installed. Optionally, you can also plan a rain sensor and empty piping for later additions to the pipeline. Placement is the same as in the previous steps: click on the icon and then click again on the spot on the plan where you want to place the component.

In the example, the water supply and the irrigation computer are planned behind the house

Input of key data for performance determination

The following key points must be entered so that the system knows what water pressure and available water volume it can plan with:

Diameter and material of the water supply line
Static pressure at the water connection used
Maximum amount of water available according to the bucket test

How to determine the available amount of water according to the bucket test, I describe here in the blog in a separate blog post. This is always the maximum range in which you move, since the water flows out without resistance in this test. In an irrigation system, however, considerable resistance has to be overcome and pressure applied to rise the sprinklers, and the actually usable amount of water is therefore significantly lower in the end. The orbit planner calculates this automatically.

The same applies to the static water pressure at the water connection. This forms the maximum frame, but cannot be completely exhausted in practice. But you don’t have to worry about that either, because the system automatically takes this into account. In the following article I explain how to measure this static water pressure.

The diameter of the water supply line means the diameter of the pipe through which the water is led from the water supplier to the house, i.e. the pipe that leads to the house on the street side. If you are not sure about the diameter of the pipe, you can measure the circumference by stretching a thread around the pipe and then determine the pipe size based on the measured circumference. Since the pipes have different wall thicknesses depending on the pipe material used, the determination depends on the material:

Copper tube:

2 inches (50 mm) circumference = 1/2 inch (15 mm) diameter
2 3/4 inches (70 mm) circumference = 3/4 inch (20 mm) diameter
3 1/2 inches (90 mm) circumference = 1 inch (25 mm) diameter

Galvanized pipe:

2 3/4 inches (70 mm) circumference = 1/2 inch (15 mm) diameter
3 1/4 inches (82.5mm) circumference = 3/4 inch (20mm) diameter
4 inches (105 mm) circumference = 1 inch (25 mm) diameter

PVC pipe:

2 3/4 inches (70 mm) circumference = 1/2 inch (15 mm) diameter
3 1/4 inches (82.5mm) circumference = 3/4 inch (20mm) diameter
4 inches (105 mm) circumference = 1 inch (25 mm) diameter

Enter the pipe size in inches determined in this way and the material from which the pipe is made into the mask. From these values as well as the static water pressure and the available amount of water according to the bucket test, the system calculates the capacity available for irrigation, on which the subsequent irrigation plan is then based.

Key performance data input for my planning example

Placement of solenoid valves

After clicking on “Place Manifolds” the system automatically calculates the number of necessary solenoid valves. You can then also place them on the plan.

Step 4: Generation of the irrigation plan

To do this, simply click on the “Generate Design” button and the Orbit Sprinkler Designer will create a complete irrigation plan based on the drawn property plan, the defined irrigation areas, the placed components and the system information. In my example it looks like this:

Created irrigation plan with irrigation arcs

At the top left there is a control bar with which you can limit the display to specific zones. In my case, the automatic system planned 4 zones to be watered. By default, the irrigated areas are displayed with arcs. Based on the intensity of the color you can see which areas are poured more and which less overlapping. Alternatively, you can switch to a sprinkler view and a pipeline view.

Pipeline view

In contrast to the online planners of the competition, you cannot manually intervene in the automatically created watering suggestion of the system. From my point of view, the auto-plan created in my example is qualitatively okay, correctly created according to the principles of the square formation. Presumably due to the limited range of sprinklers from Orbit, it is partly a bit coarser, with fewer sprinklers, than the planner from competitor DVS Beregnung.

List of required components and installation plan

After clicking on “Parts List” you get a list of all the parts required to put the watering plan into practice. Only products from the Orbit Universe are suggested here in the Orbit Planner, but of course you are free to replace the suggested products with other brands. This is comparatively easy with some components such as pipelines, solenoid valves and connectors, but you have to be careful with the sprinklers, as there are greater dependencies here and the suggestion made will most likely no longer fit if you choose a different sprinkler model.

The extensive installation instructions, which you can download as a PDF file after clicking on “Download Installation Guide” again, are very practical. This contains step-by-step instructions for the practical implementation of the irrigation plan.

Excerpt from the installaton instructions

Link to the irrigation planner: Orbit Sprinkler System Designer

Der Beitrag Introducing Orbit Online Irrigation Planner erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Who needs a smart irrigation controller?

Johann Kodnar — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 19:47:40 +0000

If you can believe the advertising, then everyone, without exception. But is that really the case? What does smart irrigation actually do and who can safely do without it? Below is an overview of what is available on the market, what it costs and what it can do better than a conventional irrigation computer.

What is a smart irrigation controller anyway?

A smart device is a networked device, i.e. usually a device that is connected to the web or at least to a local network. The original meaning also implied that it was an “intelligent” product that made one’s daily life easier. The extent to which this still applies to the large number of smart products on offer can be questioned, the term “smart” is nowadays used more simply as a synonym for “web-enabled”.

Which products are offered on the market?

Even with the smart watering computers, a distinction must be made between water tap controllers with integrated valve and irrigation computers for external valve control that do not come into contact with water. Depending on the type of control you want to implement, you need one type or the other. Irrigation producers active in the professional sector such as Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro only offer computers for external valve control, while water tap controllers are offered by a large number of producers.

Some smart watering computers, such as those from Gardena or the LinkTap computer, require an additional gateway to function. This additional device is connected to the web and in turn communicates with the irrigation computer. This interposition of a gateway has the advantage that a wireless system that is more powerful than W-LAN, such as Zigbee, can be used from the gateway to the irrigation computer, so that longer ranges and an even more reliable connection are possible. Such a gateway must be purchased in addition to the irrigation computer, at Gardena about 100 USD are due for it. Other irrigation systems such as Hunter Hydrawise, the web system from Rain Bird or Eve-Aqua connect directly to the W-LAN without an intermediate gateway. Orbit has both irrigation controllers with and without a gateway in its range, the Orbit gateway is relatively inexpensive at around USD 40. Hunter specifies the typical range of a WiFi network as approx. 150 to 200 feet and recommends staying within this range with the Hunter Hydrawise controller in any case.

Below is an overview of the most popular smart irrigation controllers available on the market.

Smart irrigation controller type “water tap controller”:

	Orbit B-Hyve Hose Tap	LinkTap G2S	Eve Aqua
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Additional gateway necessary?	Yes	Yes	No

Smart irrigation controller type “external valve control”:

	Hunter PRO-HC Hydrawise	Orbit B-hyve XR	Rain Bird ST8I-2.0
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Additional gateway necessary?	No	No	No

Advantages of web-enabled irrigation computers

Below is an overview of the potential benefits of smart irrigation computers.

Remote control of the computer

With the associated app, irrigation computers connected with the web can be controlled and programmed with a mobil phone. Programming is usually easier this way, since it is easier and quicker to carry out via the app than if you have to navigate through the submenus of the irrigation computer using a button navigation. Even a repeated adjustment and refinement of the irrigation programming after the initial setup, which is usually necessary, is more fun and less effort.

The use of the mobile phone as a remote control allows you to start watering from the living room, which saves you having to go to the computer. Programmed watering cycles can be paused, postponed, lengthened or shortened at any time with just one click on the mobile phone.

Operation on the go/during vacation

The computer can be operated from anywhere in the world, regardless of location. It is therefore also possible to start a necessary watering from your workplace or holiday location or to skip it if it has rained enough. You can also allow other people to access the computer via app or web browser.

Water saving by including online weather data

From my point of view, this is the most important reason to buy a smart irrigation controller: Almost all smart irrigation computers now offer the option of obtaining weather data such as rainfall, temperature, wind speed and humidity online and using it to control your own watering. In the good systems, this can be done both on the basis of the weather data of the past few days and based on the weather to be expected in the next few days. Local weather data is used, which reflects the situation at the site of irrigation as accurately as possible.

The overriding goal is always to irrigate sufficiently using as little water as possible, i.e. to only give the plants water when they need it and then only in the amount that they need or can absorb. This saves water and protects both the environment and your wallet.

Some suppliers like Hunter (Hydrawise software), Orbit B-hyve, Rachio, OpenSprinkler and also LinkTap are already very far and offer systems that work well in practice and with which considerable water savings are possible. Rain Bird and Gardena are not quite there yet, but have taken the first successful steps in this direction. Retrieving the online weather data is basically free in all systems, there are no running costs for it, but sometimes optional paid updates are offered, with which you can have even more precise data or retrieve the data even more up-to-date or even use your own weather station.

Saves the purchase of sensors

This argument is the logical consequence of the argument before: If you get the weather data online, then you don’t need any additional sensors to measure these values yourself. The extent to which a complete replacement is possible depends primarily on how good the software of the smart irrigation controller is. The best systems such as Hydrawise not only call up the weather values, but also calculate further information from them. For example, the soil moisture value prevailing in the soil is extrapolated from rainfall, temperature, wind speed and humidity, thus replacing the measurements of a soil moisture sensor. What is currently not (yet) possible is reacting immediately to the onset of rainfall, since the weather data is not called up non-stop, but only from time to time. This is currently only possible with an additional rain sensor, which stops irrigation that is already running as soon as it registers rain.

Warns of malfunctions/technical defects

This advantage is often overlooked, but from my point of view it is one of the most important arguments for a smart water computer: The smart system warns you if a planned watering cannot take place for any technical reasons, if the voltage at the outputs to the solenoid valves is not suitable or if the water consumption is unusually high or low or if water consumption occurs even though no watering is taking place (leak). This is done via e-mails, SMS or push messages in the app. This active notification is a great advantage compared to a conventional irrigation computer, where in the worst case you only notice such problems after weeks and months and after major damage has already occurred. These warnings are either activated by default or can be specifically created and modified by the user. The computer must be equipped with a flow sensor to warn of a leak.

Operation/maintenance by professionals possible

Some of the smart systems allow setting up and maintenance to be delegated to professionals. They then access the system as admins, the homeowner himself only has limited, read-only access in which settings cannot be changed. Similar to some alarm systems, where the homeowner only takes care of the daily operation, but the programming is done by a professional. The professionals can also access the watering schedules they have worked out and use them for all their clients at the touch of a button.

Enthusiasm for technology/status symbol

Some people just enjoy being on the cutting edge and dabbling in the latest technology.
And not rational, but probably a not-so-rare reason to buy it: For some, owning a smart-looking, expensive gadget is simply a status symbol, and the word “smart” sounds modern and good. Just like the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy mobil phone, which hardly anyone needs due to its range of functions, but which people like to own for reasons of prestige.

Integration in smart home environment

The last point is the possibility of integrating a smart irrigation system into an existing smart home environment. I rate this potential advantage as very low, firstly because the options for integration are currently very limited and secondly because they hardly make any sense. An irrigation system is basically a self-contained system in which there are hardly any meaningful combinations with other systems. The only application scenario that is sometimes mentioned and that makes at least some sense is the combination with an alarm system in order to get intruders properly wet when a motion sensor mounted in the garden is struck. In some cases, the combination with a smart lawn mower is also mentioned so that the devices can coordinate, i.e. it does not mow when the lawn is being irrigated. However, this smart interaction makes little sense, since it can be done much more easily by creating a coordinated program.

A possible voice control via Alexa or Google Home does not have too much additional value, since once an irrigation system has been set up, hardly any action is required, so there is hardly any need to control it by voice command.

Conversely, with OpenSprinkler there is an irrigation computer that includes additional smart home functionalities by not only enabling the control of irrigation, but also of various sensors.

Conclusion and recommendation

The use of a smart irrigation controller has understandable advantages: you can use weather data available online for watering and thus save unnecessary watering, and automatically sent warning messages are an additional safety net if something does not work correctly with the watering. In this way, the problem is discovered quickly, even before major damage can occur. The fact that you can start the irrigation from the comfort of your couch without going to the computer and that you can control it with your mobil phone even on vacation are real advantages that make it more convenient to use. Access to the online weather data fulfills the tasks of an additional sensor and thus saves you having to purchase it separately. The price surcharge compared to a conventional irrigation computer is put into perspective a little with this argument.

Nevertheless, the costs for a smart watering computer are still a bit higher in the end. For a conventional irrigation computer that can be used to irrigate several sectors, you can calculate around 80 to 120 USD, an additional soil moisture sensor costs around 60 to 70 USD. Smart irrigation controllers cost around 180 to 300 USD. So you should think carefully about whether the advantages mentioned are worth the extra charge. Much of this can also be achieved in other ways: The weather-dependent irrigation can be carried out via soil moisture or evapotranspiration sensors, instead of remotely controlling the irrigation from vacation, it can also be programmed in advance and the risk of defects can be reduced with regular on-site checks. It’s all a little less comfortable and little high-end, but it works the same way in the end.

If you opt for a smart watering controller, then you should compare exactly which of the systems on offer can actually be used to achieve the desired goals. Some of the systems are now very mature and tried and tested in practice, while others still have a lot of room for improvement in terms of software and still have a lot of development work to do in order to catch up with the best. I have tested some of the systems available here on the website.

Der Beitrag Who needs a smart irrigation controller? erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Rain, soil moisture and other sensors

Johann Kodnar — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 19:09:44 +0000

Sensors give you the ability to dynamically adjust irrigation to local conditions. On the one hand, this allows irrigation to be perfectly tailored to the requirements of the lawn and plants, and on the other hand, it helps to save water and you don’t have to worry about manually adjusting the irrigation to the seasons and weather conditions. This blog post gives you an overview of the different types of sensors, how they work and which products are available on the market.

Rain sensors

Models with and without Quick Stop

Soil moisture sensors

Wireless or wired

Water flow sensors

Stand-alone devices or together with an irrigation computer

Multiple sensors

Multiple sensors in one device

Various other sensors

Wind and frost sensors and weather stations

Rain Sensors

There are two types of rain sensors:

Rain sensors that use a lens to optically register when it rains and as a result prevent the planned irrigation from starting or stop an irrigation run that has already started
Rain sensors that measure the amount of rain that has fallen and, if this exceeds a certain value, ensure that the irrigation is suspended. This is done by the sensor sending an off pulse to the irrigation computer as soon as the limit value is exceeded. With most sensors, the limit value can be set individually, with the Rain Bird RSD, for example, between 0.12 and 0.75 inches of rain. The setting you make depends on the planned frequency of watering and the water requirements of the area to be watered. With modern sensors, the amount of rain is no longer measured directly by measuring the amount of rain collected, but with the help of a cork-like material built into the sensor, which collects the liquid and expands the wetter it gets. When the rain stops, it dries up again and gradually shrinks back to its original size. Only when it falls below a specified value is the suspension of the irrigation ended again by the sensor no longer sending the off impulse to the irrigation computer. The programmed irrigation program is then continued. It is important to mount the sensor on an open, unprotected area so that the rainfall is the same as the rainfall that arrives on the area to be irrigated. The solar radiation should also correspond to that of the irrigated area: If the irrigated area is in the sun most of the time, for example, then the sensor should also be installed in a similar place so that the evaporation also corresponds as closely as possible to the actual conditions.

The first type described, which works with optical means, is now outdated and is hardly offered anymore. In this category I would only know the electronic rain sensor from Gardena. The second type includes the Rain Bird RSD, the Hunter Mini-Clik and the Hunter Rain-Clik. The Rain-Clik differs from the other two rain sensors in the built-in “Quick Response” function. This causes the sensor to stop irrigation almost immediately in the event of rain. Depending on the weather, irrigation is interrupted in such a case for 3 minutes to 4 hours. The Rain Bird Sensor and the Hunter Mini-Clik, on the other hand, only do this at the moment when the set limit has been exceeded. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether this is an advantage or not. The main argument for the Hunter Rain-Clik’s Quick Response function is that the neighbors don’t look funny when you water when it’s raining. On the other hand, even a short drizzle causes irrigation to stop. In the case of weekly watering, this can mean that the lawn remains practically without water for a week. The lawn may then not receive the necessary minimum amount of water and be damaged. The Rain Bird RSD and Hunter Mini-Clik, on the other hand, only stop when the limit value is reached, so it can also happen that there is parallel irrigation during a heavy downpour. The sensors only interrupt when the limit value is reached.

Can the rain sensors be used across manufacturers?

Most rain sensors work on the same “normally closed” principle. As long as the sensor is dry and the threshold value has not been reached, the sensor circuit is closed. Only when the threshold value is exceeded, i.e. the rain sensor is triggered, is the circuit opened and the connection to the solenoid valves interrupted -> the signal for sprinkling is not received. Only when the wetness in the sensor is so low that the circuit is closed again is the connection to the solenoid valves restored and irrigation can be carried out again. The three previously presented Rain Bird RSD, Hunter Mini-Clik and Hunter Rain-Clik, for example, work according to this principle and can therefore also be used with irrigation computers from the other brand. Hunter also states that its Rain-Clik sensor can be used with most irrigation computers.

Of course, this compatibility does not apply to manufacturers whose rain sensors work according to a completely different principle, such as Gardena.

Wireless rain sensors

The sensors listed above are sensors that are connected to the water computer via a cable connection. Alternatively, models that work wirelessly are also available. The impulse from the rain sensor is sent wirelessly to an additional wireless receiving station that is installed near the water computer and then forwards the signal to the computer via a cable connection.

Rain sensors at Amazon

Following are Amazon links to some of the wired and wireless rain sensors presented.

Wired rain sensors

	Hunter Mini-Clik	Hunter Rain-Clik	Rain Bird RSD
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor
Setting option	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1 inch of precipitation.	If it rains up to 1/8 inch, the quick response blocking is automatically triggered, and from 1 inch the long-term blocking (until the cork dries). The drying time can be influenced by adjusting ventilation slots.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 3/4 inches of precipitation. The drying time can be influenced by adjusting a ventilation ring.
Working principle of the sensor	Available in a normally closed or normally opened version	Available in a normally closed or normally opened version	Normally closed and normally opened

	Toro 53769 Wired Rain Sensor	Orbit 57069 Hard Wired Rain and Freeze Sensor	Irritrol RS500 Wired Rain Sensor
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor
Setting option	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1 inch of precipitation.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1 inch of precipitation.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 3/4 inch of precipitation.
Working principle of the sensor	Normally closed and normally opened	Normally closed and normally opened	Normally closed and normally opened

Wireless rain sensors

	Hunter Wireless Rain Clik	Rain Bird WR2	Irritrol RS1000 Wireless Rain Sensor
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain Sensor (Wireless)	Rain Sensor (Wireless)	Rain Sensor (Wireless)
Setting option	If it rains up to 1/8 inch, the quick response blocking is automatically triggered, and from 1 inch the long-term blocking (until the cork dries). The drying time can be influenced by adjusting ventilation slots.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1/2 inch of precipitation. Quick Shutdown suspends the active watering cycle within two minutes. There are three working modes to choose from.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 3/4 inch of precipitation.
Working principle of the sensor	Available in a normally closed or normally opened version	Normally closed	Normally closed and normally opened

Soil Moisture Sensors

Soil moisture sensors go one step further than rain sensors. While rain sensors only measure how much moisture comes into the soil through rain, soil sensors work directly with the plants and measure how much moisture is actually available to them at the current time. For this purpose, the amount of moisture in the soil is usually measured every 10 minutes in the root area of the plants. For lawns, the area of concern is approximately 6 inches below the surface of the ground.

The basic functionality of the soil moisture sensor is very similar to that of the rain sensor: As soon as a specific event occurs, a signal is sent to the irrigation computer and irrigation is suspended. In the case of the soil moisture sensor, the event is exceeding a certain minimum moisture level specified by the user.

How do you find the right humidity level?

Exact instructions can be found in the product descriptions of the individual manufacturers. In principle, it works like this: you water the lawn or other plantings with the ideal amount of water and then – after a few hours – measure the moisture level in the root area. So, for example, in the evening you water your lawn with the required amount of water, 0.6 gallons per square foot, and then measure the moisture level in the root zone at a depth of 6 inches the next day in the morning. This measurement can be performed with the corresponding function of the soil moisture sensor.

You now know the moisture level with which the lawn is ideally supplied with water. If this level prevails, there would be no point in irrigating. Starting from this level, you now determine at which value irrigation should be carried out again, e.g. if the humidity is only 80% of this level.

Tight watering rhythm

Accordingly, the sensor would stop watering at any value above that. In order for this to work sensibly, the watering rhythm should be defined as closely as possible, i.e. so that watering is programmed in at daily intervals or even several times a day. Of course, this does not take place every day because the high humidity level prevents it. But this guarantees that if the moisture level falls below the required level, the waiting time until the next watering is as short as possible.

Correct positioning

The sensor shall be placed in a location of an irrigation sector that is typical of the sectors to be irrigated. In this way, the humidity level prevailing there is correctly reflected. If control via the soil moisture sensor does not make sense for all sectors, sectors can be explicitly excluded from control via the sensor. When positioning the sensor, care should also be taken not to place it in an area where water collects, e.g. next to sidewalks. And also not in places that are more shady than is the case on average.

Manufacturer-dependent differences

There are important differences in how the sensors work, depending on the manufacturer:

Rainbird

The Rain Bird Sensor SMRT-Y reports at the beginning of a watering program whether the moisture level requires watering. If this is the case, then the watering program will be completed in any case, even if the moisture level during watering exceeds the threshold. It is therefore irrelevant in which of the sectors the soil moisture sensor is placed, since an increase in the moisture level due to the watering that has just been carried out does not lead to a premature stop of the watering. In any case, all sectors are always watered.

According to Rain Bird, it can also be used together with the Rain Bird RSD rain sensor. The two sensors would then have an additional effect, i.e. only if both the rain sensor does not report that the rain limit value has been exceeded and the soil moisture sensor does not report that the minimum moisture level has been exceeded, watering takes place.

Hunter

The Hunter Soil-Clik works differently. Here, an increase in the moisture level during the already started irrigation is taken into account. If, for example, it starts to pour during irrigation and the soil is soaked much earlier, then the irrigation will be stopped early if the minimum moisture level is exceeded. The disadvantage of this variant is that you are limited in the placement of the sensor. This must be installed in the sector that is the last to be run through by the watering program. Otherwise, the watering of one sector would stop the watering of the following sectors due to the resulting increase in moisture. A special feature of the Hunter Soil-Clik is that the measuring probe is separated from the display. With the other manufacturers, this is always a unit. This has the advantage that the probe can be positioned more flexibly, as it is completely hidden underground and there is no display on the surface. The display can be installed in a completely different place and is connected to the measuring probe with a cable. It is therefore not in the way when mowing.

Hunter also recommends the Hunter Soil-Clik in combination with the Hunter Solar Sync (see description below). The Solar Sync would then ensure that watering does not take place when it is raining or freezing and that the irrigation runtimes are adapted to the current weather situation. In addition to the Solar Sync, the Soil Click prevents watering when the soil moisture is still sufficient.

Gardena

With the Gardena smart sensor, exceeding the minimum moisture level leads to a stop, as with the Hunter model, even if watering has already started.

In addition to soil moisture, the smart sensor also measures the temperature and works without a cable connection. In order to be able to use it, the purchase of two further Gardena smart products is necessary: A Gardena gateway, which is connected to the W-LAN or LAN and communicates with all Gardena Smart products. And a Gardena smart Irrigation Control or Gardena smart Water Control sprinkler computer, which receives the impulses from the smart sensor and incorporates them into the sprinkling. Exceeding the set minimum moisture level stops watering, as with the sensors described above. The measured temperature has no influence on the irrigation and is only displayed to the user in the app for information purposes.

Toro

Toro also offers a wireless soil moisture sensor with the Toro Precision Soil Sensor. Practical: the compact sensor probe is pressed flat into the ground so that it can simply be driven over when mowing the lawn. Toro enables the secure irrigation of all sectors by the sensor observing a 4-hour waiting period after the start of irrigation, during which – even if the limit value should be exceeded – a stop is not reported under any circumstances.

Soil Moisture Sensors on Amazon

Following are Amazon links to the presented soil moisture sensors.

	Hunter Soil-Clik	Rain Bird SMRT-Y	Toro Precision Soil Sensor
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Soil Moisture Sensor	Soil Moisture Sensor	Soil Moisture Sensor (Wireless)
Working principle of the sensor	Normally closed	Normally closed	Normally closed and normally opened

Water Flow Sensors

These are also called water flow meters and are used to measure how much water is going through the irrigation pipeline. On the one hand, this serves to make irrigation more economical and environmentally friendly by analyzing the consumption of a single irrigation run or, for example, an entire irrigation season and consequently optimizing water consumption. On the other hand, water flow sensors are used for safety reasons to monitor the correct functioning of the irrigation system and to rule out possible damage caused by valves that do not close or open.

In conjunction with an irrigation computer, the sensor detects when a noticeably large amount or noticeably little amount of water is being used during an irrigation cycle, or when water is being used even though no irrigation is running at all, and the operator of the irrigation system is then automatically notified or an additional master valve is closed .

There are three different types of water flow sensors on the market:

Stand-alone devices

These are sensors to be used independently of an irrigation computer, which show the water consumption directly on the sensor with a display or a built-in meter. Such a sensor is simply installed at the point in the pipeline where measurements are to be taken. Depending on the product, the functionality is limited to measuring only, or additional functions such as determining seasonal consumption, daily consumption or consumption per irrigation run are also included. This group of devices includes, for example, the Gardena AquaCount, the Rainpoint water meter or the Orbit 56854 water flow meter.

Fixed devices installed in an irrigation computer or devices that only fit a specific computer

The Orbit B-hyve smart hose faucet timer, for example, is sold with an already integrated water flow sensor. For a surcharge of approx. 50 USD, the LinkTap G2 can be expanded with the appropriate water flow sensor. Both computers have the appropriate software with which the measurement results of the sensor can be processed or functions can be made dependent on them.

Both computers are watering computers with a magnetic valve through which the water flows built into the computer. The range of water flow meters for this type of irrigation computer is very small, and I am not aware of any sensors that can be used across manufacturers in this area.

Manufacturer-independent usable water flow sensors

Such sensors are currently only offered for irrigation computers for external solenoid valve control. In order to use them, the computer must either have a dedicated water flow sensor input or the ability to configure the sensor input as a water flow meter input, such as is the case with the Hunter Hydrawise system.

Similar to a rain sensor or soil moisture sensor, the water flow meter does not send any specific values, but only electrical impulses. Each of these impulses stands for a certain number of gallons of water that has flowed through, and based on the number of reported impulses, the irrigation computer extrapolates the amount of water that has flowed through. For example, if an impulse means 1 gallon and the sensor reported 10 impulses, then the water computer calculates a consumption of 10 gallons.

This type of sensor is also used in the professional sector and starts at around 150 USD. This type includes the Hunter HC flow sensor and the Rain Bird MJ flow sensor.

Multiple Sensors

This means sensors that cover not just one, but several areas. These include the Rain Bird WR2, previously presented under the rain sensors, and the Hunter WRF-Clik. In addition to the rain sensor, both also contain a frost sensor. They not only suspend irrigation when a certain amount of rain is exceeded, but also when the ground freezes. The same applies to the Toro Precision Soil, which combines a soil moisture sensor with a frost sensor.

The Hunter Solar Sync goes even further: It includes a rain sensor and a frost sensor, so the irrigation is suspended in frost and when a certain threshold of rain is reached. In addition, it measures the temperature and the intensity of the solar radiation and uses this to calculate the water evaporation (evapotranspiration). Based on this, the sensor reports an adjustment value to the irrigation computer once a day, based on which the irrigation computer dynamically adjusts the irrigation runs by changing the seasonal adjustment value. This means that the watering runs are shorter when it is less warm than at the hottest time of the year (= reference value). If, for example, 3 watering runs of 30 minutes each are stored, they may only be run for 25 minutes each. The sprinkling computer thus reacts automatically to the climatic conditions prevailing at different times of the year.

As an ideal scenario, Hunter recommends using the sensor together with its Hunter Soil-Clik soil moisture sensor, which, in addition to the above, would also mean that watering would be omitted completely if the soil moisture was sufficiently high.

	Hunter Solar Sync
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain, Freeze and Evapotranspiration Sensor
Working principle of the sensor	Sensor sends adjustment factor to the watering computer

Various other sensors

A few other types of sensors are available on the market, which are usually not that interesting for private users in most cases:

Wind sensors
Frost sensors
Small weather stations

Wind sensors measure the wind speed and stop sprinkling if the wind speed is too high. This avoids watering areas that should not be watered due to the throwing distances, which are greatly changed by the wind.

Frost sensors have already been presented above in combination sensors. They are also sold individually and prevent watering when there is a risk of frost.

In agriculture and other professional areas, small weather stations are sometimes used in order to be able to precisely adjust the irrigation. The costs here start at a few thousand USD.

Cover image: Hunter

Der Beitrag Rain, soil moisture and other sensors erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Irrigation computer for valve control

Johann Kodnar — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 19:16:31 +0000

This article is about irrigation computers for controlling solenoid valves. The most important models available on the market are presented and explained what distinguishes them from one another and what criteria to look out for when buying such a computer.

Only those computers that are required to control solenoid valves are dealt with here. In principle, these can be imagined as electrical junction boxes, except that the cables are not connected here for a circuit, but for the switching of solenoid valves. Although two cables lead from each solenoid valve to connect to the irrigation computer, each additional valve only requires one additional connection option in the irrigation computer. Because the black phase cables are bundled in a community cable and therefore they always need exactly one connection option, regardless of the number. In the professional sector, this type of irrigation computer is used almost exclusively. Another type of irrigation computer, in which the valve is permanently integrated in the irrigation computer and the water flows through, is dealt with in a second blog post of sprinkler timers.

The number of valves that can be connected and thus the number of irrigation sectors that are possible with the computer is the basic key figure when selecting the computer. In addition, there are a handful of other fundamental differences that also explain the large number of different irrigation computer models and types from the major suppliers like Hunter, Rain Bird, Orbit or Racchio.

Indoors or outdoors

Irrigation computers are offered that are only suitable for indoor use and those that can be used outdoors. The former are a cheaper alternative if you can mount the computer in the basement or technical room, for example, otherwise you need the wind and weather-protected outdoor model in any case. In outdoor models, the transformer is housed in the irrigation computer, in indoor models it hangs outside. With Hunter and Rain Bird, the indoor models can be recognized by an “i” in the type designation.

Electricity or battery operated

Irrigation computers for valve control are usually powered by electricity, which means you need a connection to the power grid to be able to operate the computer. Hunter, Rain Bird and Orbit also offer battery-operated models in their range, Hunter also has a hybrid model that can be operated with both batteries and electricity. The battery-operated watering computers do not work with the normal 24 volt solenoid valves, but with 9 volt solenoid valves.

See blog post: Solenoid valves – which ones are there and how do they differ?

Fixed or flexibly expandable number of valve connections

Most of the models have a certain, specified number of connections, which means you can connect a maximum of this number of valves. Other models can be expanded in the modular system, e.g. you start with 12 connections and can then expand as required, e.g. in blocks of 6 up to a certain specified maximum number.

Web enabled or not

In addition to the usual, autonomously operating computers, WiFi-enabled computers are also available, which can be connected to the web via WiFi. On the one hand, this enables programming and operation via app and, on the other hand, it is also the basis for integrating irrigation into home automation. Additional services such as controlling the irrigation via local weather data received via the web are also offered, so that the web connection can also be used as a substitute for the use of sensors.

Hunter took a big step in this area in 2016 with the acquisition of the Australian company Hydrawise and bought a lot of expertise. Hydrawise was only founded in 2011 and specialized exclusively in the production of WiFi-enabled irrigation controllers and irrigation software. The result of this acquisition is the WiFi enabled Hunter HC Hydrawise range.

Rain Bird initially went a different route and did not offer its own WiFi-enabled models, but instead offered the option of making some of its models WiFi-enabled using an additional expansion module. The module is simply plugged into a pre-reserved slot. This option is still available and Rain Bird now also has models with a fixed WiFi connection in its range.

Orbit offers quite powerful web-enabled computers at a very attractive price and Racchio is the first choice for many users when it comes to web-enabled computers.

Extra models for self-sufficient installation in the valve box

Rain Bird, Hunter and Orbit also have a battery-operated, very space-saving, compact model on offer that is intended for direct attachment to the valves or in the valve box: The computer is housed in the valve box and controls from there – depending on the model or multiple valves. This is primarily a variant for more remote locations that are difficult to reach with electricity.

Below is an overview of the most important watering computers on the market from the point of view of a private user:

Good value irrigation computers

This computer are limited to the essential functions, i.e. they largely do without what is not absolutely necessary in favor of a lower price and also have a manageable number of outputs and no web access. This does not mean, however, that these would perform worse than the more expensive models for the requirements of normal operation. The models listed here are very solid irrigation computers.

The following sprinkler computer are offered in different variants, for example for 4, 6 or 8 valves. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, however, these model variants are not considered individually here and in the following, but are listed in the table under “Model variants”.

Tip: Always calculate a certain reserve with regard to the number of solenoid valves, so it is always better to buy one size larger. If you need 4 sectors according to your calculation, then it is better to buy the model to which you can connect 6 solenoid valves. This way you stay relaxed if you made a mistake in planning and still need one more sector, or if you want to expand the irrigation later.

	Hunter X-Core (Hunter XC)	Rain Bird ESP-TM2	Orbit Easy-Set Swingdoor Timer
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Model variants	7 variants: XC-4 (4 outlets, outdoor model), XC-6 (6 outlets, outdoor model), XC-8 (8 outlets, outdoor model), XC-2i (2 outlets, indoor model), XC-4i (4 outlets, indoor model), XC-6i (6 outlets, indoor model), XC-8i (8 outlets, indoor model)	4 variants: ESP-TM2-4 (4 outlets), ESP-TM2-6 (6 outlets), ESP-TM2-8 (8 outlets), ESP-TM2-12 (12 outlets)	4 variants: 57894 (4 outlets), 57896 (6 outlets), 57899 (9 outlets), 57900 (12 outlets)
Number of connectable solenoid valves	2, 4, 6 or 8	4, 6, 8 or 12	4, 6, 9 or 12
Can be used with 24 volt or 9 volt solenoid valves	24 Volt	24 Volt	24 Volt
Programming option	3 programs with up to 4 start times can be defined	3 programs with up to 4 start times can be defined	3 programs with up to 4 start times can be defined
Watering duration	1 to 240 minutes	1 to 360 minutes	1 to 240 minutes
Global increase/decrease of duration	10 to 150%	5 to 200%	No
WiFi?	No	No (but can be added optionally with LNK-WiFi Modul)	No
Connectable sensors	1	1	1
Electricity/battery	Electricity	Electricity	Electricity
Indoor/Outdoor	Both	Outdoor	Outdoor
Special feature	Can be used with Hunter Solar Sync Sensor

Web-connected irrigation computers

The following irrigation computers have a built-in WiFi connection and can therefore be controlled via mobile phone or desktop computer. They also offer additional web-based functions such as weather-dependent irrigation control.

	Orbit B-hyve Smart Irrigation Controller	Hunter HC Hydrawise	Rain Bird ST8
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Model variants	2 variants: 57946 (6 outlets), 57950 (12 outlets)	2 variants: HC-600i (6 outlets), HC-1200i (12 outlets)	2 variants: ST8I (8 outlets, indoor), ST8O (8 outlets, outdoor)
Number of connectable solenoid valves	6 or 12	6 or 12	8
Can be used with 24 volt or 9 volt solenoid valves	24 Volt	24 Volt	24 Volt
Programming option	4 programs can be set, with up to 4 start times	6 programs with up to 6 start times	6 start times for every zone
Watering duration	1 to 240 minutes	1 to 1,440 minutes	0 to 199 minutes
Global increase/decrease of duration	No	0 to 200%	-90% to +100%
WiFi?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connectable sensors	1	1	1
Electricity/battery	Electricity	Electricity	Electricity
Indoor/Outdoor	Outdoor	Indoor	Indoor/Outdoor
Special feature

	Hunter Pro-HC	Racchio 3	Orbit 57995 B-hyve XR Smart
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Model variants	6 variants: PHC-6i (6 outlets, indoor), PHC-12i (12 outlets, indoor), PHC-24i (24 outlets, indoor), PHC-6 (6 outlets, outdoor), PHC-12 (12 outlets, outdoor), PHC-24 (24 outlets, outdoor)	3 variants: 4-zone (4 outlets), 8-zone (8 outlets), 16-zone (16 outlets),	2 variants: 57985 (8 outlets, outdoor), 57995 (16 outlets, outdoor)
Number of connectable solenoid valves	6, 12 or 24	4, 8 or 16	8 or 16
Can be used with 24 volt or 9 volt solenoid valves	24 Volt	24 Volt	24 Volt
Programming option	6 programs can be set, with up to 6 start times	Up to 16 programs (“schedules”)	4 programs can be set, with up to 4 start times
Watering duration	1 to 1,440 minutes	1 to 600 minutes	1 to 240 minutes
Global increase/decrease of duration	0 to 200%	0 to 200%	No
WiFi?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connectable sensors	2	1	1
Electricity/battery	Electricity	Electricity	Electricity

Finally, a tip for all those who are interested in an open source irrigation computer with extensive customization options for both hardware and software.

	OpenSprinkler 3.2

Model variants	3 variants: 24V AC (for 24V AC valves), 7.5 V DC (for 24V AC valves and 7.5V to 12V DC valves), 7.5 V DC latch (for 7.5V to 12V DC latch valves)
Number of connectable solenoid valves	8 (can be expanded by 16 additional zones with an additional module, a maximum of 4 additional modules can be connected, the maximum number of zones is therefore 72)
Can be used with 24 volt or 9 volt solenoid valves	24 Volt/9 Volt (depending on the model)
Programming option	Up to 40 programs can be set, with which the defined zones can be controlled, up to 4 start times can be defined for each program on one day. A special feature of OpenSprinkler is that several zones can be started at the same time.
Watering duration	1 second to 1,080 minutes
Global increase/decrease of duration	1 to 250%
WiFi?	Yes
Connectable sensors	2
Electricity/battery	Electricity
Indoor/Outdoor	Indoor
Special feature	An IP 65 housing can be purchased separately for weather-protected outdoor use
Price	From 150 to 200 USD
Buy at	Opensprinkler.com

Rain Bird and Hunter WiFi module

Below is a brief presentation of the expansion modules that can be used to make some of the Rain Bird irrigation computers or the Hunter X2 web-enabled.

	Rain Bird LNK WiFi Modul	Hunter Wand Modul
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Thats how it works	The module is simply plugged into the designated slot on the irrigation computer and set up using an app (Android, iOS)	The module is simply plugged into the designated slot on the irrigation computer and set up using an app (Android, iOS)
Usable with the following models	Rain Bird ESP-EZX, Rain Bird ESP-TM2, Rain Bird ESP-ME, Rain Bird ESP-ME3	Hunter X2

Battery operated irrigation computers

Hunter offers the XC hybrid here, which is almost identical in construction to the X-Core, but also only works with a battery. The performance data is also the same as that of the X-Core. From Rain Bird there is the battery-controlled WP series. All of these models will only work with 9 volt DC solenoid valves.

	Hunter XC Hybrid
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Model variants	6 variants: XCH-600 (6 outlets, outdoor), XCH-1200 (12 outlets, outdoor), XCH-600-SS (6 outlets, outdoor, stainless steel model), XCH-1200-SS (12 outlets, outdoor, stainless steel model)
Number of connectable solenoid valves	6 or 12
Can be used with 24 volt or 9 volt solenoid valves	9 Volt
Programming option	3 programs with up to 4 start times can be defined
Watering duration	1 to 240 minutes
Global increase/decrease of duration	10 to 150%
WiFi?	No
Connectable sensors	1
Electricity/battery	Both
Indoor/Outdoor	Outdoor
Special feature	Hybrid model, which can alternatively also be operated with electricity. Instead of batteries, an optionally available solar panel can also be used for the energy supply: Hunter Sprinkler SPXCH Solar Panel

Compact battery models for use in the valve box

Rain Bird, Orbit, Hunter and others also offer very small, handy, battery-operated computers with which the solenoid valves are controlled directly from the valve box. The Hunter Node and the Orbit battery operated controller are programmed directly on the device. The Rain Bird TBOS-BT cannot be programmed directly via the device. Instead, they can be programmed via a Bluetooth connection via a mobile phone app. A programming part is also available for the Rain Bird TBOS-BT if you prefer to use it for programming. Programming via Bluetooth connection also has the advantage that you do not have to open the valve box to make program changes and that you can start irrigation from your cell phone (if it is within Bluetooth range of the water computer). The Galcon 6100 series can be programmed directly on the device or via a mobile app with Bluetooth.

The Rain Bird TBOS-BT is placed in the valve box and can control 1 to 6 valves depending on the model. The Hunter Node and the Galcon 6100 can also control 1 to 6 valves and can be mounted directly onto a solenoid valve, as well as The Orbit battery operated controller which can control 4 valves.

	Hunter Node	Orbit Battery-Operated Controller	Galcon 6100 series
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Model variants	4 variants: BT-01 (1 outlet), BT-02 (2 outlets), BT-04 (4 outlets), BT-06 (6 outlets)	1	4 variants: 6101 (1 outlet), 6102 (2 outlets), 6104 (4 outlets), 6106 (6 outlets)
Number of connectable solenoid valves	1, 2, 4 or 6	4	1, 2, 4 or 6
Can be used with 24 volt or 9 volt solenoid valves	9 Volt	9 Volt	9 Volt
Programming option	3 programs with up to 8 start times can be defined	Up to 8 start times can be defined	Up to 4 start times can be defined
Watering duration	1 to 720 minutes	1 to 240 minutes	1 to 720 minutes
Global increase/decrease of duration	0 to 300%	10 to 200%	10 to 190%
WiFi?	No	No	No
Connectable sensors	1	1	1
Electricity/Battery	Battery	Battery	Battery
Indoor/Outdoor	Outdoor	Outdoor	Outdoor
Special feature	Programming not directly on the computer, but via mobile phone app via Bluetooth or with a separately available programming tool		Programming directly on the computer or via mobile phone app via Bluetooth
Price	From 100 to 250 USD	About 80 USD	From 100 to 250 USD

Der Beitrag Irrigation computer for valve control erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Solenoid valves for garden irrigation – which ones are there and how do they differ?

Johann Kodnar — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 19:26:42 +0000

In this blog post you will find an overview of the solenoid valves available on the irrigation market and their performance data. You will also find out which functionalities are important for you as a private user and which advantages they bring.
Further background information on control with solenoid valves can be found in the “Control” section.

The first very important point that distinguishes the solenoid valves available on the market is the energy supply:

Electric or battery operated

A very important point when buying the solenoid valves is whether or not there is a power connection available to control the valves. In the first case, the irrigation computer is connected to the power supply and from there 24 volt AC lines are routed to the valves. In the second case, a battery-powered watering computer is used. The valves are connected to this via 9 volt DC lines.

This requires different solenoid valves! The solenoid valves offered on the market are usually 24 volt AC valves. If you want to use this in combination with a battery-powered irrigation computer, you have to replace the 24 volt AC solenoid attached to the valve with a suitable 9 volt DC latching solenoid. Such replacement solenoids are offered by all major solenoid valve manufacturers, I present them at the end of the article. The use of 9 volt DC latching solenoid valves is therefore somewhat more expensive, since you have to buy the appropriate 9 volt replacement solenoid in addition to the actual solenoid valve.

The valves usually work in the same way across brands, so there shouldn’t usually be a problem mixing valves from different brands or swapping one brand valve for another brand valve, as long as you stay in the 9V DC or 24V AC range. Only the 9 volt replacement solenoids do not always fit across providers!

With flow regulation or not

By default, the flow on the valve cannot be adjusted. But almost all brands also offer models where this is possible. This can be useful to adjust the amount of water flowing through specifically for this one sector, e.g. to reduce the range of the sprinkler for the entire sector.

Tip: Even if you can’t think of a necessary application at the moment, it’s best to buy the valves with flow control anyway! They hardly cost more and just in case it doesn’t hurt to have this additional option.

Below is a selection of Flow Control Solenoid Valves with performance data:

24 volt solenoid valves with flow control

	Hunter PGV-101	Hunter PGV-101-JT (Jar Top)	Rain Bird 100-DVF
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Voltage	24 Volt	24 Volt	24 Volt
Flow control?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Minimum flow	13 gallons/hour	13 gallons/hour	60 gallons/hour
Maximum flow	2.400 gallons/hour	2.400 gallons/hour	2.400 gallons/hour
Pressure range	22 to 145 psi	22 to 145 psi	15 to 150 psi
Connection	1 inch	1 inch	1 inch
Costs	Approx. 20 USD	Approx. 27 USD	Approx. 23 USD

Jar Top – One touch maintenance or not?

You may have noticed that some of the solenoid valves listed above have the suffix “Jar Top” added to them. This describes the property of the valve being able to be opened for maintenance with a turn of the hand. Like opening a pickle jar a quarter turn.

Tip: This is particularly important in the professional field, where every second of delay causes personnel costs and thus costs money. In the private sector, where you rarely deal with the valves, this is not really necessary. The Jar Top valves cost about the same, so whether you want to use this version is a matter of taste.

Low flow capable or not?

To function correctly, the valves require a certain minimum amount of water to flow through them. This quantity is included in the table as the minimum flow rate. Valves that require a very small amount of water, such as only 13 gallons per hour, are referred to as “low flow capable”. These can then also be used without any problems for small micro-irrigation sectors with very little water consumption. The valves listed here all have very low minimum flow rates.

Pressure range and maximum flow?

In any case, the use of the solenoid valves must remain within the maximum water pressure and water flow limits specified by the manufacturer. Although that will not be an issue with a normal private system. Even the smallest of the valves featured here have a rating of 1,800 gallons/hour and 145 psi of water pressure. These are far higher values than occur with conventional irrigation.

In-line valve, angle valve, in-line and angle valve?

This is about the design of the valves. With the in-line valve, the inlet is on the right and the outlet is on the left. With the angle valve, the inlet is at the bottom and the outlet is on the right. This has advantages in terms of pressure loss, which is why this type of valve is often used in the professional sector. If you work with not so high pressure, the difference is rather small and therefore usually negligible for private users. The argument that counts here is that the valves can be easily installed in the valve box. The third type is the in-line and angle valve. This offers both options, it can be used as an in-line valve or as an angle valve. It has an inlet on the left and below and an outlet on the right. If you connect something to the inlet at the bottom, the inlet on the left closes and vice versa.

Different threads

The last point to watch out for is the different threads: Firstly, the valves are offered with different connection thread sizes and secondly as either male or female threads. The same solenoid valve model is often available with a wide variety of thread designs.

Tip: It is best to think about how you want to mount the valve before you buy it. In most cases the standard version will fit. If not, then you can make your life easier and grab the right thread design right away to save yourself the use of unnecessary spacers during assembly.

Below is an overview of solenoid valve models without flow regulation:

24 volt solenoid valves without flow control

	Hunter PGV-100	Rain Bird 100-HV	Rain Bird 100-DV
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Voltage	24 Volt	24 Volt	24 Volt
Flow control?	No	No	No
Minimum flow	13 gallons/hour	13 gallons/hour	60 gallons/hour
Maximum flow	2.400 gallons/hour	1.800 gallons/hour	2.400 gallons/hour
Pressure range	22 to 145 psi	22 to 145 psi	15 to 150 psi
Connection	1 inch	1 inch	1 inch
Costs	Approx. 25 USD	Approx. 20 USD	Approx. 25 USD

Convert 24 volt solenoid valve to 9 volt solenoid valve

To convert a 24 volt solenoid valve into a 9 volt solenoid valve that can be used with a battery powered water timer, there are offered 9 volt replacement solenoids on the market that can be used to replace the 24 volt solenoids attached to the solenoid valve. The sales offers show which solenoid valves the replacement solenoid is compatible with.

9 volt replacement solenoids

	Rain Bird Replacement solenoid	Orbit Replacement solenoid	Rain Bird Replacement solenoid
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Voltage	9 Volt	9 Volt	9 Volt
Costs	Approx. 24 USD	Approx. 11 USD	Approx. 11 USD

Der Beitrag Solenoid valves for garden irrigation – which ones are there and how do they differ? erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Overview of the most important sprinklers including performance data

Johann Kodnar — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 20:26:28 +0000

In order to choose the right sprinkler, knowledge of the properties and performance data of the sprinklers available on the market is necessary. This can be found mostly on the manufacturer’s websites or sometimes hidden in operating instructions or planning documents produced by manufacturers. I have compiled this information and put together an overview of the most important key data such as throw distance, flow rate and precipitation rate of the sprinklers commonly used in private use on this page. Important attributes such as MPR capability, the option of pressure regulation, the number of model versions, available nozzle sets and much more are also listed for each sprinkler.

Basic information on the four most important manufacturers Gardena/Orbit, Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro can be found in a separate article:

Blog post comparison of the 4 manufacturers Gardena, Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro

If you would like to know which sprinkler model from which manufacturer I personally recommend buying, visit the buying section of this website! There you will also find purchase recommendations for pipeline, connectors, control units, solenoid valves, etc.

A brief explanation of the technical terms listed here, such as flow rate, precipitation, MPR capability, pressure regulation, etc. can be found at the very end of this page following the performance data listed.

The geared sprinklers available on the market, also known as rotary sprinklers, are presented on this page. The smaller spray sprinklers (or just sprayers), which have a completely different functionality and other areas of application, are covered in the separate blog post “Overview of the spray sprinklers available on the market” . The Hunter MP rotators and Rain Bird R-VAN, which as rotating nozzle sprinklers actually form their own category and which can be used both in place of a geared sprinkler and in place of a sprayer, are included in both places for the sake of clarity.
The comparison is broken down by manufacturer. It starts with the Hunter products, followed by Rain Bird, Toro and Orbit. Each manufacturer is preceded by a short introductory text in which the manufacturer’s product range is summarized. This is followed by the essential performance data and a tabular overview of throw, flow rate, etc. at specific pressures or for specific models. I have also added my personal rating and a comment to each sprinkler and at the very end there are web links to purchase options for the corresponding sprinkler.

Hunter Rotors

Rain Bird Rotors

Toro Rotors

Orbit Rotors

Hunter basically has 6 different geared sprinklers that are suitable for private users:

Hunter PGJ

Hunter beginner model at a very reasonable price

Hunter PGP

Solid, but somewhat outdated classic

Hunter PGP Ultra

The improved and modernized version of Hunter PGP

Hunter I-20

Equivalent alternative to Hunter PGP Ultra

Hunter MP-Rotator

My top recommendation with built-in MPR and pressure regulation

Hunter MP-Rotator MP Strips

Special solution for irrigating narrow lawn strips

About the Hunter product range

There are also larger Hunter I-sprinklers, but these are aimed at commercial users with large areas to be irrigated and are not dealt with here. The Hunter SRM is also left out, which can’t do anything that the other products presented couldn’t do either.

The sprinkler models presented still have subgroups. These are distinguished by an additional number after the sprinkler designation (e.g. PGP Ultra-04) and represent different heights of riser, with the number indicating the height of the riser in inches. Thus, the PGP Ultra-04 designates a sprinkler with a 4-inch riser, the PGP Ultra-12 the variant with a 12-inch riser and if there is a -00 after the sprinkler name, it means that the sprinkler has no riser at all, i.e. it is a non-retractable standpipe sprinkler.

The Hunter MP Rotator is actually a completely separate category – located between a geared sprinkler and a spray sprinkler. This came into the Hunter range as part of the takeover of the Walla Walla Sprinkler Company in 2007 and has a completely different technology than the other Hunter sprinklers. The Walla Walla engineers were way ahead of their time and have already taken many things into account whose importance and usefulness are widely accepted today. They also differ from geared sprinklers in that the body and the actual sprinkler, including the nozzle, are separate. Sprinklers and nozzles can be combined with a suitable body according to the user’s choice. Since there is nothing else like it in this category and since they can be used like a rotor, the MP rotators are included in the rotors.

Now a brief definition of what fundamentally distinguishes the sprinkler types presented:

Classification of Hunter sprinklers

The Hunter PGJ is the entry-level model. A stripped down sprinkler, reduced to the basic functions, at a very reasonable price
The Hunter PGP is the battleship Hunter introduced to revolutionize the sprinkler market in 1981 and is still the world’s most sold sprinkler. A solid, well-functioning sprinkler, which is now getting a bit old and does not contain things that are state of the art today.
The Hunter PGP Ultra is the successor to the Hunter PGP, which incorporates the findings of almost 30 years of market observation. It’s a bit more robust than the PGP, and Hunter offers a five-year warranty instead of the two-year warranty. In addition, more nozzle sets can be used and, above all, MPR nozzles can be used in this sprinkler, which makes it possible to adjust the precipitation rate. It also has (in the “PRB” version) a pressure regulating body that ensures that the pressure in the sprinkler is regulated down to a maximum of 45 psi. There are also practical things such as remembering and returning to the set sprinkler circle if the sprinkler is rotated manually.
The Hunter I-20 was introduced a few years before the PGP Ultra and does essentially the same thing as the PGP Ultra. The only difference that I can see is that it is a little more robust (according to Hunter sports field suitability) and that the I-20 is also available in a stainless steel version.
As previously written, the Hunter MP Rotator is a model with a completely different technical philosophy. Like a spray sprinkler, it releases the water in all directions at the same time, but not in one gush of water, but divided into many fine water jets by rotating the sprinkler head. This happens at a low flow rate, so the sprinkler releases water relatively slowly. This has the advantage that a relatively low water pressure is required and that more sprinklers can be operated in one sector. The MP-Rotator has an integrated MPR principle. This automatically ensures an even precipitation rate for all nozzles and models. In conjunction with a pressure-regulating body, the pressure is automatically reduced to 40 psi or 30 psi. You could describe the MP-Rotator as something like the carefree package among sprinklers that automatically prevents many possible sources of error that lurk in the implementation of irrigation. It is very suitable for small and medium-sized gardens and is also my top purchase tip for them.

Hunter PGJ

Minimum possible radius: 11.3 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 37 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 4 (PGJ-00 = shrub modell, PGJ-04 = with 4 inch riser, PGJ-06 = with 6 inch riser, PGJ-12 = with 12 inch riser)
Available nozzle sets: 1 (only standard set “red” with 8 different nozzles)
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: From 11 USD

Rating

3 out of 5 points

Comment: The Hunter PGJ is Hunter’s entry-level model, but it’s already a solid sprinkler. The precipitation rates can be adjusted manually (MPR) using the 8 nozzles that are included as standard. There is no option to regulate the pressure, and no other nozzles can be used apart from the nozzle set that is included. I rate the PGJ 3 out of 5. There are better sprinklers out there from Hunter, but the Hunter PGJ offers pretty decent performance for the price.

Performance Data Hunter PGJ

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
0,75 red	30	15	0.64	0.55	0.63
	40	16	0.75	0.56	0.65
	50	17	0.85	0.57	0.65
1,0 red	30	18	0.85	0.51	0.58
	40	19	1	0.53	0.62
	50	19	1.1	0.59	0.68
1,5 red	30	21	1.3	0.57	0.66
	40	22	1.5	0.6	0.69
	50	22	1.7	0.68	0.78
2,0 red	30	24	1.7	0.57	0.66
	40	25	2	0.62	0.71
	50	25	2.3	0.71	0.82
2,5 red	30	27	2.2	0.58	0.67
	40	28	2.5	0.61	0.71
	50	28	2.8	0.69	0.79
3,0 red	30	30	2.5	0.53	0.62
	40	31	3	0.6	0.69
	50	31	3.4	0.68	0.79
4,0 red	30	33	3.7	0.65	0.76
	40	34	4	0.67	0.77
	50	34	4.3	0.72	0.83
5,0 red	30	36	4.7	0.7	0.81
	40	37	5	0.7	0.81
	50	37	5.3	0.75	0.86

Hunter PGJ on Amazon:

Auto Amazon Links: No products found.

Hunter PGP

Minimum possible radius: 16.5 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 52 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 1 (also offered as PGP-Adj-B with blue instead of red standard nozzle set)
Available nozzle sets: 3 (standard set “red” (12 different nozzles), “blue” (8 nozzles, significantly higher flow rate), “grey” (low angle nozzle set, 7 nozzles, nozzle angle 13 instead of 25 degrees, shorter throw and, like blue, higher flow rate))
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 3/4 inch
Price: From 11 USD
Note: Also known as a PGP-Adj! The same sprinkler is also sold by the manufacturer Orbit under the name Orbit Voyager II.

Rating

3.5 out of 5 points

Comment: The Hunter PGP is a very solid sprinkler, it was the best selling sprinkler in the world for many years with good reason. Compared to the Hunter PGJ, it also has the advantage of a larger throw distance and that you can choose from a total of 3 nozzle sets. In principle, you can’t go wrong with the purchase of this sprinkler even today. Except that there are now even better ones that also handle MPR, pressure regulation and a few other small things. Rating of 3.5 out of 5 points. A bargain for this price! If you want it very cheap but still good, an alternative worth considering.

Performance Data Hunter PGP

Below you will find tables with radius, flow and precipitation rate for all available nozzle sets. For better clarity, this data is only displayed after clicking on the corresponding nozzle set variant:

Performance data Hunter PGP with standard nozzle set red

Hunter PGP with standard nozzle set red

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1 red	30	28	0.5	0.12	0.14
	40	29	0.6	0.14	0.16
	50	29	0.7	0.16	0.19
	60	30	0.8	0.17	0.2
2 red	30	29	0.7	0.16	0.19
	40	30	0.8	0.17	0.2
	50	30	0.9	0.19	0.22
	60	31	1	0.2	0.23
3 red	30	30	0.9	0.19	0.22
	40	31	1	0.2	0.23
	50	31	1.2	0.24	0.28
	60	32	1.3	0.24	0.28
4 red	30	32	1.2	0.23	0.26
	40	33	1.4	0.25	0.29
	50	34	1.6	0.27	0.31
	60	34	1.8	0.30	0.35
5 red	30	32	1.6	0.3	0.35
	40	36	1.8	0.27	0.31
	50	38	2	0.27	0.31
	60	38	2.2	0.29	0.34
6 red	30	34	2	0.33	0.38
	40	36	2.4	0.36	0.41
	50	38	2.7	0.36	0.42
	60	38	2.9	0.39	0.45
7 red	30	34	2.6	0.43	0.50
	40	38	3	0.40	0.46
	50	40	3.4	0.41	0.47
	60	40	3.7	0.45	0.51
8 red	30	37	3.2	0.45	0.52
	40	39	3.7	0.47	0.54
	50	41	3.9	0.45	0.52
	60	42	4.6	0.50	0.58
9 red	30	38	3.6	0.48	0.55
	40	41	4.3	0.49	0.57
	50	44	5.2	0.52	0.60
	60	45	5.5	0.52	0.60
10 red	40	44	6	0.6	0.69
	40	46	6.8	0.62	0.71
	50	47	7.6	0.66	0.76
	60	49	8.2	0.66	0.76
11 red	40	46	8	0.73	0.84
	50	48	8.9	0.74	0.86
	60	50	9.8	0.75	0.87
	70	51	10.5	0.78	0.90
12 red	40	46	10.5	0.96	1.10
	50	48	11.9	0.99	1.15
	60	50	12.7	0.98	1.13
	70	52	14.1	1.00	1.16

Performance data Hunter PGP with nozzle set blue (more flow)

Hunter PGP with nozzle set blue (more flow)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1,5 blue	25	29	1.2	0.27	0.32
	35	31	1.4	0.28	0.32
	45	31	1.5	0.30	0.35
	55	32	1.8	0.34	0.39
	65	32	1.9	0.36	0.41
2,0 blue	25	33	1.4	0.25	0.29
	35	33	1.7	0.30	0.35
	45	34	2	0.33	0.38
	55	34	2.1	0.35	0.40
	65	34	2.3	0.38	0.44
2,5 blue	25	33	1.7	0.30	0.35
	35	35	2.1	0.33	0.38
	45	35	2.5	0.39	0.45
	55	35	2.6	0.41	0.47
	65	35	2.9	0.46	0.53
3,0 blue	25	35	2.2	0.35	0.40
	35	36	2.7	0.40	0.46
	45	38	3	0.40	0.46
	55	39	3.4	0.43	0.50
	65	39	3.7	0.47	0.54
4,0 blue	25	37	3	0.42	0.49
	35	39	3.5	0.44	0.51
	45	40	4	0.48	0.56
	55	41	4.5	0.52	0.60
	65	41	4.8	0.55	0.63
5,0 blue	25	37	3.7	0.52	0.60
	35	39	4.5	0.57	0.66
	45	42	5	0.55	0.63
	55	42	5.7	0.62	0.72
	65	42	6.2	0.68	0.78
6,0 blue	25	38	4.3	0.57	0.66
	35	40	5.6	0.67	0.78
	45	43	6	0.62	0.72
	55	44	6.7	0.67	0.77
	65	44	7.3	0.73	0.84
8,0 blue	25	37	6	0.84	0.97
	35	41	7	0.80	0.93
	45	44	8	0.80	0.92
	55	46	9	0.82	0.95
	65	46	9.8	0.89	1.03

Performance data Hunter PGP with nozzle set gray (lower nozzle angle)

Hunter PGP with nozzle set gray (lower nozzle angle)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
4 gray	30	22	1.4	0.56	0.64
	40	24	1.7	0.57	0.66
	50	26	1.8	0.51	0.59
	60	28	2.0	0.49	0.57
5 gray	30	25	1.6	0.49	0.57
	40	27	1.9	0.50	0.58
	50	28	2.1	0.52	0.60
	60	30	2.3	0.49	0.57
6 gray	30	27	2.1	0.55	0.64
	40	30	2.5	0.53	0.62
	50	33	2.8	0.49	0.57
	60	35	3.0	0.47	0.54
7 gray	30	29	2.8	0.64	0.74
	40	32	3.1	0.58	0.67
	50	35	3.5	0.55	0.64
	60	37	3.8	0.53	0.62
8 gray	30	31	3.4	0.68	0.79
	40	34	3.9	0.65	0.75
	50	37	4.4	0.62	0.71
	60	38	4.7	0.63	0.72
9 gray	30	33	4.3	0.76	0.88
	40	37	5.0	0.70	0.81
	50	40	5.6	0.67	0.78
	60	42	6.1	0.67	0.77
10 gray	30	38	6.5	0.87	1.00
	40	40	7.3	0.88	1.01
	50	42	8.0	0.87	1.01
	60	44	8.6	0.86	0.99

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Hunter PGP Ultra

Minimum possible radius: 12.8 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 46 ft.
MPR capability: Yes (by inserting MPR nozzles)
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes (No by default, the “PRB” version (Pressure Regulation Body) contains a pressure regulation to 45 psi)
Versions available: 4 (PGP-00 Ultra = shrub modell, PGP-04 Ultra = with 4 inch riser, PGP-12 Ultra = with 12 inch riser, PGP-04 Ultra PRB = with 4 inch riser and pressure regulation to 45 psi)
Available nozzle sets: 7 (standard set “blue” (8 nozzles), “grey” (low angle nozzle set, 4 nozzles, nozzle angle 13 instead of 25 degrees), “black” (short radius nozzle set, 6 nozzles, significantly lower throw distance), “dark green” (set with high flow rate, 4 nozzles), “MPR 25” (matched precipitation rate, red, throw up to 25 feet, 4 nozzles), “MPR 30” (matched precipitation rate, light green, throw up to 30 feet, 4 nozzles), “MPR 35” (matched precipitation rate, beige, range up to 35 feet, 4 nozzles))
Adjustable arc: 50° to 360°
Inlet size: 3/4 inch
Price: From 15 USD (in the pressure-regulated PRB version from 34 USD)

Rating

4 to 4.5 out of 5 points (see comment)

Comment: The Hunter PGP Ultra is the further development of the PGP, in which the knowledge from several decades has flowed. The most important advantage is the possibility to use MPR nozzles, i.e. to coordinate the precipitation rate. The automatic arc return feature, which ensures that the sprinkler waters the correct sector if someone accidentally turns it, is also very pleasant in practice. I rate it 4 out of 5. Since it costs little more than the Hunter PGP Adj, you don’t need to think twice and can immediately go for the better model. A very good sprinkler at a top price!

The PGP Ultra is now also available as “Ultra PRB” in a version with a pressure-regulated body. The water pressure at the sprinkler is automatically reduced to 45 psi. Since the lack of pressure regulation was the last remaining shortcoming, I am increasing the rating for the PRB version to 4.5 out of 5 points. At the current time, a small negative aftertaste is the very strong price difference between the normal and the PRB version. Hopefully the price will fall as well.

Performance Data Hunter PGP Ultra

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with standard nozzle set blue

Hunter PGP Ultra with standard nozzle set blue

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1.5 blue	25	29	1.2	0.27	0.32
	35	31	1.4	0.28	0.32
	45	31	1.5	0.30	0.35
	55	32	1.8	0.34	0.39
	65	32	1.9	0.36	0.41
2.0 blue	25	33	1.4	0.25	0.29
	35	33	1.7	0.30	0.35
	45	34	2	0.33	0.38
	55	34	2.1	0.35	0.40
	65	34	2.3	0.38	0.44
2.5 blue	25	33	1.7	0.30	0.35
	35	35	2.1	0.33	0.38
	45	35	2.5	0.39	0.45
	55	35	2.6	0.41	0.47
	65	35	2.9	0.46	0.53
3.0 blue	25	35	2.2	0.35	0.40
	35	36	2.7	0.40	0.46
	45	38	3	0.40	0.46
	55	39	3.4	0.43	0.50
	65	39	3.7	0.47	0.54
4.0 blue	25	37	3	0.42	0.49
	35	39	3.5	0.44	0.51
	45	40	4	0.48	0.56
	55	41	4.5	0.52	0.60
	65	41	4.8	0.55	0.63
5.0 blue	25	37	3.7	0.52	0.60
	35	39	4.5	0.57	0.66
	45	42	5	0.55	0.63
	55	42	5.7	0.62	0.72
	65	42	6.2	0.68	0.78
6.0 blue	25	38	4.3	0.57	0.66
	35	40	5.6	0.67	0.78
	45	43	6	0.62	0.72
	55	44	6.7	0.67	0.77
	65	44	7.3	0.73	0.84
8.0 blue	25	37	6	0.84	0.97
	35	41	7	0.80	0.93
	45	44	8	0.80	0.92
	55	46	9	0.82	0.95
	65	46	9.8	0.89	1.03

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with standard nozzle set gray (lower nozzle angle)

Hunter PGP with nozzle set gray (lower nozzle angle)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
2 LA gray	30	25	1.6	0.49	0.57
	40	27	1.9	0.50	0.58
	50	28	2.1	0.52	0.60
	60	30	2.3	0.49	0.57
2.5 LA gray	30	27	2.1	0.55	0.64
	40	30	2.5	0.53	0.62
	50	33	2.8	0.49	0.57
	60	35	3	0.47	0.54
3.5 LA gray	30	29	2.8	0.64	0.74
	40	32	3.1	0.58	0.67
	50	35	3.5	0.55	0.64
	60	37	3.8	0.53	0.62
4.5 LA gray	30	29	3.4	0.78	0.90
	40	32	3.9	0.73	0.85
	50	35	4.4	0.69	0.80
	60	37	4.7	0.66	0.76

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set dark green (high flow)

Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set dark green (set with high flow)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
10 dark green	40	42	8.4	0.92	1.06
	50	43	9.5	0.99	1.14
	60	45	10.5	1.00	1.15
	70	47	11.4	0.99	1.15
13 dark green	40	43	10.9	1.13	1.31
	50	44	12.3	1.22	1.41
	60	45	13.6	1.29	1.49
	70	47	14.8	1.29	1.49
6.0 LA dark green	30	31	4.2	0.84	0.97
	40	35	5	0.79	0.91
	50	37	5.8	0.82	0.94
	60	39	6.3	0.8	0.92
8.0 LA dark green	40	37	6.7	0.94	1.09
	50	39	7.7	0.97	1.13
	60	41	8.5	0.97	1.12
	70	41	9.2	1.05	1.22

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set black (short radius)

Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set black (short radius nozzles)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
0.5 SR black	30	17	0.36	0.24	0.28
	40	17	0.43	0.29	0.33
	50	18	0.5	0.30	0.34
	60	19	0.57	0.30	0.35
1.0 SR black	30	17	0.78	0.52	0.60
	40	17	0.9	0.60	0.69
	50	18	1	0.59	0.69
	60	19	1.1	0.59	0.68
2.0 SR black	30	17	1.4	0.93	1.08
	40	17	1.7	1.13	1.31
	50	18	2	1.19	1.37
	60	19	2.2	1.17	1.35
0.75 SR black	30	23	0.58	0.21	0.24
	40	24	0.68	0.23	0.26
	50	25	0.75	0.23	0.27
	60	26	0.83	0.24	0.27
1.5 SR black	30	23	1.1	0.40	0.46
	40	24	1.3	0.43	0.50
	50	25	1.5	0.46	0.53
	60	26	1.6	0.46	0.53
3.0 SR black	30	23	2.5	0.91	1.05
	40	24	2.7	0.90	1.04
	50	25	3	0.92	1.07
	60	26	3.1	0.88	1.02

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree red	25	23	0.74	0.54	0.62
	35	24	0.88	0.59	0.68
	45	25	1.00	0.62	0.71
	55	25	1.11	0.68	0.79
	65	25	1.21	0.75	0.86
120 degree red	25	23	1.00	0.55	0.63
	35	24	1.21	0.61	0.70
	45	25	1.38	0.64	0.74
	55	25	1.53	0.71	0.82
	65	25	1.67	0.77	0.89
180 degree red	25	23	1.44	0.52	0.61
	35	24	1.73	0.58	0.67
	45	25	1.98	0.61	0.70
	55	25	2.21	0.68	0.79
	65	25	2.41	0.74	0.86
360 degree red	25	23	2.78	0.51	0.58
	35	24	3.34	0.56	0.64
	45	25	3.82	0.59	0.68
	55	25	4.25	0.65	0.76
	65	25	4.63	0.71	0.82

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set MPR-30 light green (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree light green	25	29	1.03	0.47	0.54
	35	30	1.23	0.53	0.61
	45	30	1.4	0.60	0.69
	55	30	1.56	0.67	0.77
	65	30	1.69	0.72	0.83
120 degree light green	25	29	1.34	0.46	0.53
	35	30	1.62	0.52	0.60
	45	30	1.85	0.59	0.69
	55	30	2.06	0.66	0.76
	65	30	2.24	0.72	0.83
180 degree light green	25	29	2.15	0.49	0.57
	35	30	2.59	0.55	0.64
	45	30	2.96	0.63	0.73
	55	30	3.3	0.71	0.82
	65	30	3.6	0.77	0.89
360 degree light green	25	29	4.24	0.49	0.56
	35	30	5.08	0.54	0.63
	45	30	5.78	0.62	0.71
	55	30	6.39	0.68	0.79
	65	30	6.92	0.74	0.85

Performance data Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set MPR-35 beige (matched precipitation rate)

Hunter PGP Ultra with nozzle set MPR-35 beige (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree beige	25	32	1.4	0.53	0.61
	35	34	1.67	0.56	0.64
	45	35	1.92	0.60	0.70
	55	35	2.13	0.67	0.77
	65	35	2.31	0.73	0.84
120 degree beige	25	32	1.77	0.50	0.58
	35	34	2.15	0.54	0.62
	45	35	2.46	0.58	0.67
	55	35	2.74	0.65	0.75
	65	35	2.99	0.70	0.81
180 degree beige	25	32	2.75	0.52	0.60
	35	34	3.33	0.55	0.64
	45	35	3.81	0.60	0.69
	55	35	4.23	0.66	0.77
	65	35	4.62	0.73	0.84
360 degree beige	25	32	5.36	0.50	0.58
	35	34	6.62	0.55	0.64
	45	35	7.58	0.60	0.69
	55	35	8.43	0.66	0.76
	65	35	9.18	0.72	0.83

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Hunter I-20

Minimum possible radius: 12.8 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 46 ft.
MPR capability: Yes (by inserting MPR nozzles)
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes (No by default, the “PRB” version (Pressure Regulation Body) contains a pressure regulation to 45 psi)
Versions available: 8 (I-20 -00 = shrub modell, I-20-04 = with 4 inch riser, I-20-06 = with 6 inch riser, I-20-12 = with 12 inch riser, I-20-04-SS = with 4 inch stainless steel riser, I-20-06-SS = with 6 inch stainless steel riser, I-20-04-PRB = with 4 inch riser and pressure regulation to 45 psi, I-20-06-PRB = with 6 inch riser and pressure regulation to 45 psi)
Available nozzle sets: 7 (standard set “blue” (8 nozzles), “grey” (low angle nozzle set, 4 nozzles, nozzle angle 13 instead of 25 degrees), “black” (short radius nozzle set, 6 nozzles, significantly lower throw distance), “dark green” (set with high flow rate, 4 nozzles), “MPR 25” (matched precipitation rate, red, throw up to 25 feet, 4 nozzles), “MPR 30” (matched precipitation rate, light green, throw up to 30 feet, 4 nozzles), “MPR 35” (matched precipitation rate, beige, range up to 35 feet, 4 nozzles))
Adjustable arc: 50° to 360°
Inlet size: 3/4 inch
Price: From 21 USD (in the stainless steel version from 25 USD, in the pressure-regulated PRB version from 34 USD)
Note: Optionally available in stainless steel version

Rating

4 to 4.5 out of 5 points (see comment)

Comment: The Hunter I-20 is practically identical to the PGP Ultra in terms of performance data, it also uses the same nozzle sets. It is made a little more robust (according to Hunter sports field suitability) and is offered in a stylish stainless steel version. Like the PGP Ultra, I rate it 4 out of 5. Here, too, a “PRB” version with pressure regulation is now available. For this I increase the rating to 4.5 out of 5 points.

From my point of view, the additional robustness is not necessary for normal private use, the PGP Ultra is also very robust. Therefore I would – because the I-20 is a bit more expensive – resort to the PGP Ultra, which can do exactly the same thing. Unless you absolutely want a chic stainless steel version, which is only available on the I-20.

Performance Data Hunter I-20

Below you will find tables with radius, flow and precipitation rate for all available nozzle sets. The nozzle sets of the I-20 are identical to those of the PGP Ultra. For the sake of clarity, the data is only displayed after clicking on the corresponding nozzle set variant:

Performance data Hunter I-20 with standard nozzle set blue

Hunter I-20 with standard nozzle set blue

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1.5 blue	25	29	1.2	0.27	0.32
	35	31	1.4	0.28	0.32
	45	31	1.5	0.30	0.35
	55	32	1.8	0.34	0.39
	65	32	1.9	0.36	0.41
2.0 blue	25	33	1.4	0.25	0.29
	35	33	1.7	0.30	0.35
	45	34	2	0.33	0.38
	55	34	2.1	0.35	0.40
	65	34	2.3	0.38	0.44
2.5 blue	25	33	1.7	0.30	0.35
	35	35	2.1	0.33	0.38
	45	35	2.5	0.39	0.45
	55	35	2.6	0.41	0.47
	65	35	2.9	0.46	0.53
3.0 blue	25	35	2.2	0.35	0.40
	35	36	2.7	0.40	0.46
	45	38	3	0.40	0.46
	55	39	3.4	0.43	0.50
	65	39	3.7	0.47	0.54
4.0 blue	25	37	3	0.42	0.49
	35	39	3.5	0.44	0.51
	45	40	4	0.48	0.56
	55	41	4.5	0.52	0.60
	65	41	4.8	0.55	0.63
5.0 blue	25	37	3.7	0.52	0.60
	35	39	4.5	0.57	0.66
	45	42	5	0.55	0.63
	55	42	5.7	0.62	0.72
	65	42	6.2	0.68	0.78
6.0 blue	25	38	4.3	0.57	0.66
	35	40	5.6	0.67	0.78
	45	43	6	0.62	0.72
	55	44	6.7	0.67	0.77
	65	44	7.3	0.73	0.84
8.0 blue	25	37	6	0.84	0.97
	35	41	7	0.80	0.93
	45	44	8	0.80	0.92
	55	46	9	0.82	0.95
	65	46	9.8	0.89	1.03

Performance data Hunter I-20 with standard nozzle set gray (lower nozzle angle)

Hunter I-20 with nozzle set gray (lower nozzle angle)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
2 LA gray	30	25	1.6	0.49	0.57
	40	27	1.9	0.50	0.58
	50	28	2.1	0.52	0.60
	60	30	2.3	0.49	0.57
2.5 LA gray	30	27	2.1	0.55	0.64
	40	30	2.5	0.53	0.62
	50	33	2.8	0.49	0.57
	60	35	3	0.47	0.54
3.5 LA gray	30	29	2.8	0.64	0.74
	40	32	3.1	0.58	0.67
	50	35	3.5	0.55	0.64
	60	37	3.8	0.53	0.62
4.5 LA gray	30	29	3.4	0.78	0.90
	40	32	3.9	0.73	0.85
	50	35	4.4	0.69	0.80
	60	37	4.7	0.66	0.76

Performance data Hunter I-20 with nozzle set dark green (high flow)

Hunter I-20 with nozzle set dark green (set with high flow)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
10 dark green	40	42	8.4	0.92	1.06
	50	43	9.5	0.99	1.14
	60	45	10.5	1.00	1.15
	70	47	11.4	0.99	1.15
13 dark green	40	43	10.9	1.13	1.31
	50	44	12.3	1.22	1.41
	60	45	13.6	1.29	1.49
	70	47	14.8	1.29	1.49
6.0 LA dark green	30	31	4.2	0.84	0.97
	40	35	5	0.79	0.91
	50	37	5.8	0.82	0.94
	60	39	6.3	0.8	0.92
8.0 LA dark green	40	37	6.7	0.94	1.09
	50	39	7.7	0.97	1.13
	60	41	8.5	0.97	1.12
	70	41	9.2	1.05	1.22

Performance data Hunter I-20 with nozzle set black (short radius)

Hunter I-20 with nozzle set black (short radius nozzles)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
0.5 SR black	30	17	0.36	0.24	0.28
	40	17	0.43	0.29	0.33
	50	18	0.5	0.30	0.34
	60	19	0.57	0.30	0.35
1.0 SR black	30	17	0.78	0.52	0.60
	40	17	0.9	0.60	0.69
	50	18	1	0.59	0.69
	60	19	1.1	0.59	0.68
2.0 SR black	30	17	1.4	0.93	1.08
	40	17	1.7	1.13	1.31
	50	18	2	1.19	1.37
	60	19	2.2	1.17	1.35
0.75 SR black	30	23	0.58	0.21	0.24
	40	24	0.68	0.23	0.26
	50	25	0.75	0.23	0.27
	60	26	0.83	0.24	0.27
1.5 SR black	30	23	1.1	0.40	0.46
	40	24	1.3	0.43	0.50
	50	25	1.5	0.46	0.53
	60	26	1.6	0.46	0.53
3.0 SR black	30	23	2.5	0.91	1.05
	40	24	2.7	0.90	1.04
	50	25	3	0.92	1.07
	60	26	3.1	0.88	1.02

Performance data Hunter I-20 with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Hunter I-20 with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree red	25	23	0.74	0.54	0.62
	35	24	0.88	0.59	0.68
	45	25	1.00	0.62	0.71
	55	25	1.11	0.68	0.79
	65	25	1.21	0.75	0.86
120 degree red	25	23	1.00	0.55	0.63
	35	24	1.21	0.61	0.70
	45	25	1.38	0.64	0.74
	55	25	1.53	0.71	0.82
	65	25	1.67	0.77	0.89
180 degree red	25	23	1.44	0.52	0.61
	35	24	1.73	0.58	0.67
	45	25	1.98	0.61	0.70
	55	25	2.21	0.68	0.79
	65	25	2.41	0.74	0.86
360 degree red	25	23	2.78	0.51	0.58
	35	24	3.34	0.56	0.64
	45	25	3.82	0.59	0.68
	55	25	4.25	0.65	0.76
	65	25	4.63	0.71	0.82

Performance data Hunter I-20 with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Hunter I-20 with nozzle set MPR-30 light green (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree light green	25	29	1.03	0.47	0.54
	35	30	1.23	0.53	0.61
	45	30	1.4	0.60	0.69
	55	30	1.56	0.67	0.77
	65	30	1.69	0.72	0.83
120 degree light green	25	29	1.34	0.46	0.53
	35	30	1.62	0.52	0.60
	45	30	1.85	0.59	0.69
	55	30	2.06	0.66	0.76
	65	30	2.24	0.72	0.83
180 degree light green	25	29	2.15	0.49	0.57
	35	30	2.59	0.55	0.64
	45	30	2.96	0.63	0.73
	55	30	3.3	0.71	0.82
	65	30	3.6	0.77	0.89
360 degree light green	25	29	4.24	0.49	0.56
	35	30	5.08	0.54	0.63
	45	30	5.78	0.62	0.71
	55	30	6.39	0.68	0.79
	65	30	6.92	0.74	0.85

Performance data Hunter I-20 with nozzle set MPR-35 beige (matched precipitation rate)

Hunter I-20 with nozzle set MPR-35 beige (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree beige	25	32	1.4	0.53	0.61
	35	34	1.67	0.56	0.64
	45	35	1.92	0.60	0.70
	55	35	2.13	0.67	0.77
	65	35	2.31	0.73	0.84
120 degree beige	25	32	1.77	0.50	0.58
	35	34	2.15	0.54	0.62
	45	35	2.46	0.58	0.67
	55	35	2.74	0.65	0.75
	65	35	2.99	0.70	0.81
180 degree beige	25	32	2.75	0.52	0.60
	35	34	3.33	0.55	0.64
	45	35	3.81	0.60	0.69
	55	35	4.23	0.66	0.77
	65	35	4.62	0.73	0.84
360 degree beige	25	32	5.36	0.50	0.58
	35	34	6.62	0.55	0.64
	45	35	7.58	0.60	0.69
	55	35	8.43	0.66	0.76
	65	35	9.18	0.72	0.83

Hunter I-20 on Amazon:

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Hunter MP-Rotator

MP1000, MP2000, MP3000, MP3500

Minimum possible radius: 8 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 35 ft.
Important note: With the MP-Rotator, unlike the other sprinklers, the actual sprinkler including the nozzle and the associated body are separate! All MP Rotator models can be screwed into the same body.
MPR capability: Yes (already integrated in the sprinkler!)
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes (pressure regulation when choosing the right body: Hunter Pro Spray PRS30 = regulated to 30 psi, Hunter Pro Spray PRS40 = regulated to 40 psi)
Selectable sprinkler versions: You can choose from 4 different models of the MP-Rotator, which have different throw distances and can be combined with each other:

MP1000 -> radius up to 15 feet
MP2000 -> radius up to 21 feet
MP3000 -> radius up to 30 feet
MP3500 -> radius up to 35 feet

There are 3 versions of each of these models depending on the circle sector to be irrigated:

-90 -> circle sector adjustable from 90 to 210 degrees
-210 -> circle sector adjustable from 210 to 270 degrees
-360 -> Can only be set to full circle
Selectable body versions: There are 4 different Hunter body series. All 4 can be used with the MP-Rotator sprinklers:

PS Ultra -> cheaper series
Pro-Spray -> More expensive series
Pro-Spray PRS-30 -> Pressure-regulated Pro-Spray version, regulated to 30 psi
Pro-Spray PRS-40 -> Pressure-regulated Pro-Spray version, regulated to 40 psi

Each of these series is available in different riser versions:

PS Ultra

PSU02 -> 2 inch riser
PSU04 -> 4 inch riser
PSU06 -> 6 inch riser

Pro Spray

PROS-00 -> shrub modell
PROS-02 -> 2 inch riser
PROS-03 -> 3 inch riser
PROS-04 -> 4 inch riser
PROS-06 -> 6 inch riser
PROS-12 -> 12 inch riser

Pro Spray PRS-30

PROS-00-PRS30 -> shrub modell
PROS-04-PRS30 -> 4 inch riser
PROS-06-PRS30 -> 6 inch riser
PROS-12-PRS30 -> 12 inch riser

Pro Spray PRS-40

PROS-00-PRS30 -> shrub modell
PROS-04-PRS30 -> 4 inch riser
PROS-06-PRS30 -> 6 inch riser
PROS-12-PRS30 -> 12 inch riser
Available nozzle sets: None (nozzle is permanently integrated in the sprinkler)
Possible sector setting: 90 to 360 degrees (depending on the selected model version)
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: Sprinkler from 12 USD, bodies from 3 USD (pressure-regulating bodies from 10 USD)

Rating

5 out of 5 points

Comment: The Hunter MP Rotator is my top pick! I give it a maximum of 5 points. It automatically provides an even precipitation rate (MPR) using built-in functionality, and when used with Pro-Spray-PRS bodies, it also has built-in pressure reduction to 40 or 30 psi. With its low water pressure and water volume requirements, it is also a good alternative when resources are scarce and it allows more sprinklers to be operated in one sector. The price is also good, even if you go for the more expensive pressure-reducing case, which I definitely recommend. The very easy exchangeability of sprinklers is also practical: If, for example, the range of the MP2000 turns out to be too short, an MP3000 is simply screwed into the housing and it fits again. You don’t have to pay attention to the precipitation rate, as this always remains the same across models in the MP1000, MP2000, MP3000 and MP3500 universe. Even if you change sector or throw distance! You could therefore describe this sprinkler as something like the carefree package among sprinklers, which ensures that the user automatically gets many things right.

Performance Data Hunter MP-Rotator

Below you will find tables with radius, flow and precipitation rate for all available models and model variants. For the sake of clarity, the data is only displayed after clicking on the corresponding variant:

Performance data Hunter MP-Rotator MP1000

Hunter MP-Rotator MP1000

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	30	12	0.17	0.45	0.52
	35	13	0.19	0.43	0.50
	40	14	0.21	0.41	0.48
	45	14	0.23	0.45	0.52
	50	15	0.25	0.43	0.49
	55	15	0.27	0.46	0.53
180 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	30	12	0.34	0.45	0.52
	35	13	0.38	0.43	0.50
	40	14	0.42	0.41	0.48
	45	14	0.44	0.43	0.50
	50	15	0.50	0.43	0.49
	55	15	0.51	0.44	0.5
210 degree (model 90 to 210 or model 210 to 270 degree)	30	12	0.40	0.46	0.53
	35	13	0.45	0.44	0.51
	40	14	0.49	0.41	0.48
	45	14	0.51	0.43	0.50
	50	15	0.57	0.42	0.48
	55	15	0.59	0.43	0.50
270 degree (model 210 to 270 degree)	30	12	0.48	0.43	0.49
	35	13	0.53	0.40	0.46
	40	14	0.63	0.41	0.48
	45	14	0.67	0.44	0.51
	50	15	0.72	0.41	0.47
	55	15	0.75	0.43	0.49
360 degree (model 360 degree)	30	12	0.69	0.46	0.53
	35	13	0.77	0.44	0.51
	40	14	0.84	0.41	0.48
	45	14	0.88	0.43	0.50
	50	15	0.98	0.42	0.48
	55	15	1.01	0.43	0.50

Performance data Hunter MP-Rotator MP2000

Hunter MP-Rotator MP2000

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	25	17	0.34	0.45	0.52
	30	18	0.38	0.45	0.52
	35	19	0.40	0.43	0.49
	40	20	0.43	0.41	0.48
	45	21	0.46	0.4	0.46
	50	21	0.47	0.41	0.47
	55	21	0.48	0.42	0.48
180 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	25	16	0.60	0.45	0.52
	30	17	0.64	0.43	0.49
	35	18	0.71	0.42	0.49
	40	19	0.77	0.41	0.47
	45	20	0.85	0.41	0.47
	50	21	0.91	0.4	0.46
	55	21	0.95	0.41	0.48
210 degree (model 90 to 210 or model 210 to 270 degree)	25	16	0.72	0.46	0.54
	30	17	0.75	0.43	0.49
	35	18	0.81	0.41	0.48
	40	19	0.86	0.39	0.45
	45	20	0.91	0.38	0.43
	50	21	0.98	0.37	0.42
	55	21	1.01	0.38	0.44
270 degree (model 210 to 270 degree)	25	16	0.87	0.44	0.50
	30	17	0.95	0.42	0.49
	35	18	1.03	0.41	0.47
	40	19	1.10	0.39	0.45
	45	20	1.17	0.38	0.43
	50	21	1.23	0.36	0.41
	55	21	1.30	0.38	0.44
360 degree (model 360 degree)	25	16	1.20	0.45	0.52
	30	17	1.28	0.43	0.49
	35	18	1.37	0.41	0.47
	40	19	1.48	0.39	0.46
	45	20	1.57	0.38	0.44
	50	21	1.68	0.37	0.42
	55	21	1.74	0.38	0.44

Performance data Hunter MP-Rotator MP3000

Hunter MP-Rotator MP3000

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	25	25	0.71	0.44	0.51
	30	27	0.76	0.40	0.46
	35	28	0.82	0.40	0.46
	40	30	0.86	0.37	0.42
	45	30	0.90	0.39	0.44
	50	30	0.95	0.41	0.47
	55	30	1.01	0.43	0.50
180 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	25	25	1.44	0.44	0.51
	30	27	1.58	0.42	0.48
	35	28	1.70	0.42	0.48
	40	30	1.82	0.39	0.45
	45	30	1.93	0.41	0.48
	50	30	2.04	0.44	0.50
	55	30	2.13	0.46	0.53
210 degree (model 90 to 210 or model 210 to 270 degree)	25	25	1.68	0.44	0.51
	30	27	1.84	0.42	0.48
	35	28	1.99	0.42	0.48
	40	30	2.12	0.39	0.45
	45	30	2.25	0.41	0.48
	50	30	2.37	0.43	0.5
	55	30	2.49	0.46	0.53
270 degree (model 210 to 270 degree)	25	25	2.19	0.45	0.52
	30	27	2.37	0.42	0.48
	35	28	2.55	0.42	0.48
	40	30	2.73	0.39	0.45
	45	30	2.89	0.41	0.48
	50	30	3.06	0.44	0.50
	55	30	3.22	0.46	0.53
360 degree (model 360 degree)	25	25	2.88	0.44	0.51
	30	27	3.15	0.42	0.48
	35	28	3.40	0.42	0.48
	40	30	3.64	0.39	0.45
	45	30	3.86	0.41	0.48
	50	30	4.07	0.44	0.50
	55	30	4.27	0.46	0.53

Performance data Hunter MP-Rotator MP3500

Hunter MP-Rotator MP3500

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	40	35	1.28	0.40	0.46
	45	35	1.38	0.43	0.50
	50	35	1.43	0.45	0.52
	55	35	1.50	0.47	0.54
	25	33	2.21	0.39	0.45
	30	34	2.24	0.37	0.43
180 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	35	34	2.65	0.44	0.51
	40	35	2.86	0.45	0.52
	45	35	3.10	0.49	0.56
	50	35	3.21	0.50	0.58
	55	35	3.28	0.52	0.60
	25	33	2.59	0.39	0.45
210 degree (model 90 to 210 degree)	30	34	2.84	0.41	0.47
	35	34	3.08	0.44	0.51
	40	35	3.29	0.44	0.51
	45	35	3.54	0.48	0.55
	50	35	3.76	0.51	0.59
	55	35	3.94	0.53	0.61

Hunter MP-Rotator on Amazon:

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Hunter MP-Rotator MP Strip

This is a so-called strip sprinkler, which was specially developed for sprinkling long, narrow areas. To irrigate a strip, 3 sprinklers “left corner”, “right corner” and “middle” must be installed.

MPLCS515 (Left Strip), MPRCS515 (Right Strip), MPSS530 (Side Strip)

Minimum possible radius: 4 x 14 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 6 x 32 ft.
Important note: With the MP-Rotator, unlike the other sprinklers, the actual sprinkler including the nozzle and the associated body are separate! All MP Rotator models can be screwed into the same body.
MPR capability: Yes (already integrated in the sprinkler!)
Selectable sprinkler designs: To irrigate a strip, the following 3 sprinklers must be combined with each other:

MPLCS515 -> Left Strip (Left Corner)
MPRCS515 -> Right Strip (Right Corner)
MPSS530-> Side Strip, to be placed in the center of the strip

This is how the 3 sprinklers are arranged
Selectable body versions: There are 4 different Hunter body series. All 4 can be used with the MP-Rotator sprinklers:

PS Ultra -> cheaper series
Pro-Spray -> More expensive series
Pro-Spray PRS-30 -> Pressure-regulated Pro-Spray version, regulated to 30 psi
Pro-Spray PRS-40 -> Pressure-regulated Pro-Spray version, regulated to 40 psi

Each of these series is available in different upgraded versions:

PS Ultra

PSU02 -> 2 inch riser
PSU04 -> 4 inch riser
PSU06 -> 6 inch riser

Pro Spray

PROS-00 -> shrub modell
PROS-02 -> 2 inch riser
PROS-03 -> 3 inch riser
PROS-04 -> 4 inch riser
PROS-06 -> 6 inch riser
PROS-12 -> 12 inch riser

Pro Spray PRS-30

PROS-00-PRS30 -> shrub modell
PROS-04-PRS30 -> 4 inch riser
PROS-06-PRS30 -> 6 inch riser
PROS-12-PRS30 -> 12 inch riser

Pro Spray PRS-40

PROS-00-PRS30 -> shrub modell
PROS-04-PRS30 -> 4 inch riser
PROS-06-PRS30 -> 6 inch riser
PROS-12-PRS30 -> 12 inch riser
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes (pressure regulation when choosing the right body: Hunter Pro Spray PRS30 = regulated to 30 psi, Hunter Pro Spray PRS40 = regulated to 40 psi)
Available nozzle sets: None (nozzle is permanently integrated in the sprinkler)
Possible sector setting: In principle, the sector is fixed. The throw distance according to the performance table can be reduced by a maximum of 25% both in length and in width.
Selectable sprinkler versions: You can choose from 4 different models of the MP-Rotator, which have different throw distances and can be combined with each other:

MP1000 -> radius up to 15 feet
MP2000 -> radius up to 21 feet
MP3000 -> radius up to 30 feet
MP3500 -> radius up to 35 feet

There are 3 versions of each of these models depending on the circle sector to be irrigated:

-90 -> circle sector adjustable from 90 to 210 degrees
-210 -> circle sector adjustable from 210 to 270 degrees
-360 -> Can only be set to full circle
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: Sprinkler from 12 USD, bodies from 3 USD (pressure-regulating bodies from 10 USD)

Rating

4.5 out of 5 points

Comment: Irrigating long, narrow strips is one of the most difficult tasks in irrigation technology. Sprinklers usually irrigate in a circle, but here a spray pattern that is as rectangular as possible is required. From my point of view, this is probably never possible in a 100% form. Even the MP-Rotator side stripe sprinkler does not succeed perfectly, but in an appealing way that you can work with. In view of the other advantages of the MP-Rotator model series also contained here (see evaluation of the MP-Rotator sprinkler above), I rate it with 4.5 out of 5 points.

Below is a tabular listing of radius, flow and precipitation rate for the three strip models:

Performance data Hunter MP-Rotator Side Strip

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)
Left Strip (MPLCS515)	30	4 x 14	0.19
	35	5 x 15	0.21
	40	5 x 15	0.22
	45	5 x 15	0.23
	50	6 x 16	0.25
	55	6 x 16	0.26
Right Strip (MPRCS515)	30	4 x 14	0.19
	35	5 x 15	0.21
	40	5 x 15	0.22
	45	5 x 15	0.23
	50	6 x 16	0.25
	55	6 x 16	0.26
Side Strip (MPSS530)	30	4 x 28	0.38
	35	5 x 30	0.41
	40	5 x 30	0.44
	45	5 x 30	0.47
	50	6 x 32	0.49
	55	6 x 32	0.51

Hunter MP-Rotator MP Strip on Amazon:

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Below is an overview of the Rain Bird sprinklers that are of interest to private users:

Rain Bird 3500

Rain Bird beginner model at a very reasonable price

Rain Bird 5000

Top sprinkler and opponent to the Hunter PGP Ultra

Rain Bird Maxi-Paw

The Rain Bird retractable Impulse Sprinkler (the only one listed in comparison)

Rain Bird Falcon 6504

Sprinklers for larger lawns/sports facilities

Rain Bird R-VAN

Direct counterpart to the Hunter MP Rotator

Rain Bird R-VAN Side Strip

Special solution for irrigating narrow lawn strips

About the Rain Bird product range

Like Hunter, Rain Bird has a wide range of rotors. Part of it is explicitly aimed at commercial users such as golf courses and large parks and not only makes no sense for private users, but would also not be usable at all due to the sometimes very high water pressure and water volume requirements. Therefore, the sprinklers of the Eagle series and the 500 and 700 series are not presented here. The Rain Bird 8005 is also left out, as its use makes no sense for 99% of readers.

It is obvious that almost every Hunter sprinkler has a counterpart at Rain Bird and vice versa. The Rain Bird 3500 is comparable to the Hunter PGJ, the Rain Bird 5000 is the counterpart to the Hunter PGP Ultra and the Rain Bird R-VAN is clearly modeled after the Hunter MP rotator. You can see that there is fierce competition between these companies and good ideas from one are immediately incorporated into the product range of the other.

The Rain Bird Maxi-Paw has a unique selling point in the Rain Bird range. It is not a geared but an impulse sprinkler. So the classic sprinkler that you know from fields or large meadows and which makes the noises typical of impulse sprinklers when sprinkling by breaking the jet. Impulse sprinklers are indeed also offered by other manufacturers, but not – as by Rain Bird – in a retractable version.

Rain Bird R-VAN is the counterpart to the Hunter MP-Rotator – i.e. a hybrid of sprinkler and sprayer – and (almost) equal to it.

Now a brief definition of what fundamentally distinguishes the Rain Bird sprinkler types:

Classification of Rain Bird sprinklers

The Rain Bird 3500 is Rain Bird’s entry-level model and a direct counterpart to the Hunter PGJ. A properly functioning sprinkler reduced to the basic functions at a very attractive price.
The Rain Bird 5000 is my favorite Rain Bird sprinkler. The counterpart to the Hunter PGP Ultra and absolutely on a par with this very good sprinkler. It can be used with MPR nozzles and is available with a pressure-regulating housing. Compared to the PGP Ultra, the pressure-regulated version has a clear price advantage at the time of my research.
The Rain Bird Maxi-Paw is the only retractable impulse sprinkler available on the market and an interesting alternative for fans of this sprinkler shape and if the slightly higher noise level is not a problem.
The Rain Bird Falcon 6504 is already very close to the limit of a sprinkler for the purely commercial sector. Very robust and the only sprinkler with a so-called “high-speed mode” (particularly fast rotation). However, important functions such as MPR and pressure regulation are missing.
Rain Bird R-VAN is the counterpart to the Hunter MP Rotator. So actually not a sprinkler, but a sprayer with a rotating head. The Rain Bird version of the multi-jet rotary sprinkler is also very successful.

Rain Bird 3500

Minimum possible radius: 11.3 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 35 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 3 (3504-PC = standard sprinkler with 4 inch riser, 3054-PC-SAM = 4 inch riser with additional Seal-a-Matic (SAM) check valve, which ensures that the lowest sprinkler does not form puddles in sprinkler areas with larger height differences, 3500-S-PC-SAM = shrub modell with SAM)
Available nozzle sets: 1 (only standard set with 6 different nozzles)
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: From 12 USD

Rating

3 out of 5 points

Comment: The Rain Bird 3500 is the Rain Bird entry-level sprinkler and direct opponent of the Hunter PGJ. Just like this one, it’s a very solid sprinkler. With the 6 nozzles included, only a very rough adjustment of precipitation rates is possible. There is no way to regulate the pressure and no other nozzle sets that can be used optionally. I rate the Rain Bird 3500 3 out of 5. If the demands are not too high, a good alternative, especially for the low price!

Performance Data Rain Bird 3500

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
0.75	25	15	0.54	0.46	0.53
	35	17	0.67	0.45	0.52
	45	17	0.77	0.51	0.59
	55	18	0.85	0.51	0.58
1.0	25	20	0.77	0.37	0.43
	35	21	0.92	0.40	0.46
	45	21	1.06	0.46	0.53
	55	22	1.18	0.47	0.54
1.5	25	23	1.06	0.39	0.45
	35	23	1.28	0.47	0.54
	45	24	1.48	0.49	0.57
	55	24	1.65	0.55	0.64
2.0	25	27	1.40	0.37	0.43
	35	27	1.69	0.45	0.52
	45	27	1.93	0.51	0.59
	55	28	2.15	0.53	0.61
3.0	25	29	2.17	0.50	0.57
	35	31	2.60	0.52	0.60
	45	31	3.00	0.60	0.69
	55	32	3.25	0.61	0.71
4.0	25	31	2.97	0.59	0.69
	35	33	3.58	0.63	0.73
	45	35	4.13	0.65	0.75
	55	35	4.60	0.72	0.83

Rain Bird 3500 on Amazon:

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Rain Bird 5000

Minimum possible radius: 18.8 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 50 ft.
MPR capability: Yes (by inserting MPR nozzles)
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes ( No by default, the “PRS” version (Pressure Regulated Stem) contains a pressure regulation to 3.1 bar)
Versions available: 8 (5004-PC = standard sprinkler with 4 inch riser, 5006-PC = sprinkler with 6 inch riser, 5004-PC-SAM = 4 inch riser with additional SAM check valve, that ensures that there are no puddles in irrigation areas with larger height differences formed at the lowest placed sprinkler, 5004-VC = sprinkler with 4 inch riser in full circle mode (runs through instead of turning at end of arc), 5004-PCR = sprinkler with 4 inch riser with built in pressure regulation to 45 psi, 5004 -PC-SAM-RSS = 4 inch riser sprinkler with built-in 45 psi pressure regulator and stainless steel SAM check valve, 5006-PC-SAM-RSS = 6 inch riser sprinkler with built-in 45 psi pressure regulator and SAM check valve in stainless steel construction, 5004-PCR = sprinkler with 4 inch riser and built-in pressure regulation to 45 psi)
Available nozzle sets: 5 (standard set (8 nozzles), low angle nozzle set (4 nozzles, nozzle angle 10 instead of 25 degrees), “MPR 25” (matched precipitation rate, red, throw up to 25 feet, 4 nozzles), “MPR 30” (matched precipitation rate, turquoise , throw up to 30 feet, 4 nozzles), “MPR 35” (matched precipitation rate, brown, throw up to 35 feet, 4 nozzles))
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 3/4 inch
Price: From 13 USD (in the pressure-regulated PRS version with stainless steel riser from 27 USD)

Rating

4 to 4.5 out of 5 points (see comment)

Comment: The Rain Bird 5000 is an excellent sprinkler, very reliable and has all the important features. He is the direct opponent of the Hunter PGP Ultra and on the same level. MPR nozzles can also be used with the Rain Bird 5000 and thus achieve a uniform precipitation rate. And it can also be purchased with a 45 psi case pressure-regulated body (Rain Bird calls this option “PRS”). So here too there are 4 points for the standard version and 4.5 points for the more expensive version with PRS.

It is worth mentioning that the price of the Rain Bird 5000 with PRS is significantly lower in my research compared to the Hunter PGP Ultra PRB counterpart. And with the PRS versions, Rain Bird gives you the stainless steel version for practically the same price. Not that you would necessarily need it, but it definitely looks chic.

Performance Data Rain Bird 5000

Performance data Rain Bird 5000 with standard nozzle set

Rain Bird 5000 with standard nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1.5	25	33	1.12	0.20	0.23
	35	34	1.35	0.22	0.26
	45	35	1.54	0.24	0.28
	55	35	1.71	0.27	0.31
	65	34	1.86	0.31	0.36
2	25	35	1.50	0.24	0.27
	35	36	1.81	0.27	0.31
	45	37	2.07	0.29	0.34
	55	37	2.3	0.32	0.37
	65	35	2.52	0.40	0.46
2.5	25	35	1.81	0.28	0.33
	35	37	2.17	0.31	0.35
	45	37	2.51	0.35	0.41
	55	37	2.76	0.39	0.45
	65	37	3.01	0.42	0.49
3	25	36	2.26	0.34	0.39
	35	38	2.71	0.36	0.42
	45	39	3.09	0.37	0.43
	55	40	3.47	0.42	0.48
	65	40	3.78	0.45	0.53
4	25	36	2.91	0.43	0.49
	35	40	3.50	0.42	0.49
	45	42	4.01	0.44	0.51
	55	42	4.44	0.48	0.56
	65	42	4.83	0.53	0.61
5	25	37	3.72	0.52	0.60
	35	41	4.47	0.51	0.59
	45	43	5.09	0.48	0.56
	55	45	5.66	0.54	0.62
	65	45	6.16	0.59	0.68
6	25	37	4.25	0.60	0.69
	35	43	5.23	0.54	0.63
	45	44	6.01	0.59	0.69
	55	50	6.63	0.51	0.59
	65	50	7.22	0.55	0.64
8	25	33	5.90	1.26	1.50
	35	41	7.06	0.94	1.10
	45	44	8.03	0.92	1.06
	55	47	8.86	0.80	0.93
	65	48	9.63	0.84	0.97

Performance data Rain Bird 5000 with low angle nozzle set

Rain Bird 5000 with low angle nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1.0 LA	25	25	0.76	0.23	0.27
	35	28	0.92	0.23	0.26
	45	29	1.05	0.24	0.28
	55	29	1.17	0.27	0.31
	65	29	1.27	0.29	0.34
1.5 LA	25	27	1.15	0.30	0.35
	35	30	1.38	0.30	0.34
	45	31	1.58	0.32	0.37
	55	31	1.76	0.35	0.41
	65	31	1.92	0.38	0.44
2.0 LA	25	29	1.47	0.34	0.39
	35	31	1.77	0.35	0.41
	45	32	2.02	0.38	0.44
	55	33	2.24	0.40	0.46
	65	33	2.45	0.43	0.50
3.0 LA	25	29	2.23	0.51	0.59
	35	33	2.68	0.47	0.55
	45	35	3.07	0.48	0.56
	55	36	3.41	0.51	0.58
	65	36	3.72	0.55	0.64

Performance data Rain Bird 5000 with nozzle set MPR-25 (matched precipitation rate)

Rain Bird 5000 with nozzle set MPR-25 red (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
Quarter	25	23	0.74	0.54	0.62
	35	24	0.88	0.59	0.68
	45	25	1.00	0.62	0.71
	55	25	1.11	0.68	0.79
	65	25	1.21	0.75	0.86
Third	25	23	1.00	0.55	0.63
	35	24	1.21	0.61	0.70
	45	25	1.38	0.64	0.74
	55	25	1.53	0.71	0.82
	65	25	1.67	0.77	0.89
Half	25	23	1.44	0.52	0.61
	35	24	1.73	0.58	0.67
	45	25	1.98	0.61	0.7
	55	25	2.21	0.68	0.79
	65	25	2.41	0.74	0.86
Full	25	23	2.78	0.51	0.58
	35	24	3.34	0.56	0.64
	45	25	3.82	0.59	0.68
	55	25	4.25	0.65	0.76
	65	25	4.63	0.71	0.82

Performance data Rain Bird 5000 with nozzle set MPR-30 (matched precipitation rate)

Rain Bird 5000 with nozzle set MPR-30 turquoise (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
Quarter	25	29	1.03	0.47	0.54
	35	30	1.23	0.53	0.61
	45	30	1.40	0.60	0.69
	55	30	1.56	0.67	0.77
	65	30	1.69	0.72	0.83
Third	25	29	1.34	0.46	0.53
	35	30	1.62	0.52	0.6
	45	30	1.85	0.59	0.69
	55	30	2.06	0.66	0.76
	65	30	2.24	0.72	0.83
Half	25	29	2.15	0.49	0.57
	35	30	2.59	0.55	0.64
	45	30	2.96	0.63	0.73
	55	30	3.30	0.71	0.82
	65	30	3.60	0.77	0.89
Full	25	29	4.24	0.49	0.56
	35	30	5.08	0.54	0.63
	45	30	5.78	0.62	0.71
	55	30	6.39	0.68	0.79
	65	30	6.92	0.74	0.85

Performance data Rain Bird 5000 with nozzle set MPR-35 (matched precipitation rate)

Rain Bird 5000 with nozzle set MPR-35 brown (matched precipitation rate)

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
Quarter	25	32	1.40	0.53	0.61
	35	34	1.67	0.56	0.64
	45	35	1.92	0.60	0.70
	55	35	2.13	0.67	0.77
	65	35	2.31	0.73	0.84
Third	25	32	1.77	0.50	0.58
	35	34	2.15	0.54	0.62
	45	35	2.46	0.58	0.67
	55	35	2.74	0.65	0.75
	65	35	2.99	0.70	0.81
Half	25	32	2.75	0.52	0.60
	35	34	3.33	0.55	0.64
	45	35	3.81	0.60	0.69
	55	35	4.23	0.66	0.77
	65	35	4.62	0.73	0.84
Full	25	32	5.36	0.50	0.58
	35	34	6.62	0.55	0.64
	45	35	7.58	0.60	0.69
	55	35	8.43	0.66	0.76
	65	35	9.18	0.72	0.83

Rain Bird 5000 on Amazon:

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Rain Bird Maxi-Paw

Minimum possible radius: 18.0 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 45 ft.
MPR capability: Yes (by inserting MPR nozzles)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 1
Available nozzle sets: 2 (MPR nozzle set (5 nozzles), low angle nozzle set (4 nozzles, nozzle angle 11 instead of 23 degrees))
Adjustable arc: 20° to 340°
Inlet size: 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch (sprinkler always has both connection options)
Price: From 27 USD
Note: The only retractable impulse sprinkler among the sprinklers presented!

Rating

4 to out of 5 points

Comment: The Rain Bird Maxi-Paw is the only impulse sprinkler in the ranking, only Rain Bird offers this as a pop-up sprinkler. Compared to geared sprinklers, impulse sprinklers have the disadvantage of louder operating noises. I also find the rather large head of the sprinkler and thus the large outlet that it occupies in the lawn a disadvantage of the Maxi-Paw. One advantage is better watering in the immediate vicinity of the sprinkler. This could play a role above all if you don’t want to implement the irrigation in the very clean way with double overlapping (square or triangle formation). In this case, it could be a good alternative to use an impulse sprinkler because of the better close-up irrigation, provided the neighborhood allows it due to the loud noise.

Like all other Rain Bird sprinklers, the Maxi-Paw is a mature product that works well and reliably in principle. A coordinated precipitation rate is possible using MPR nozzles, a pressure-regulating housing is not offered. I rate the Maxi-Paw 4 out of 5.

Performance Data Rain Bird Maxi-Paw

Performance data Rain Bird Maxi-Paw mit MPR nozzles

Rain Bird Maxi-Paw with MPR nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
06	35	37	2.0	0.28	0.32
	45	38	2.3	0.31	0.35
	55	38	2.5	0.33	0.39
	60	38	2.6	0.35	0.40
07	25	32	2.2	0.41	0.48
	35	37	2.7	0.38	0.44
	45	39	3.0	0.38	0.44
	55	41	3.3	0.38	0.44
	60	41	3.5	0.40	0.46
08	25	35	2.8	0.44	0.51
	35	38	3.3	0.44	0.51
	45	40	3.7	0.45	0.51
	55	41	4.1	0.47	0.54
	60	42	4.2	0.46	0.53
10	25	38	4.2	0.56	0.65
	35	41	4.8	0.55	0.64
	45	42	5.4	0.59	0.68
	55	43	6.0	0.62	0.72
	60	44	6.4	0.64	0.74
12	25	39	5.5	0.70	0.80
	35	42	6.3	0.69	0.79
	45	44	7.1	0.71	0.82
	55	45	7.9	0.75	0.87
	60	45	8.4	0.80	0.92

Performance data Rain Bird Maxi-Paw with low angle nozzles

Rain Bird Maxi-Paw with low angle nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
07-LA	25	22	1.5	0.60	0.69
	35	23	1.9	0.69	0.80
	45	25	2.1	0.65	0.75
	55	25	2.3	0.71	0.82
	60	25	2.4	0.74	0.85
10-LA	25	25	3.4	1.05	1.21
	35	29	4.0	0.92	1.06
	45	31	4.5	0.90	1.04
	55	32	5.0	0.94	1.09
	60	32	5.4	1.02	1.17

Rain Bird Maxi-Paw on Amazon:

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Rain Bird Falcon 6504

Minimum possible radius: 30.0 ft. (28.0 ft. in the high-speed version)
Maximum possible radius: 65 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 5 (F4-PC = standard sprinkler with 10 inch riser, F4-FC = sprinkler with 10 inch riser in full circle mode (runs through instead of turning at end of arc), F4-PC-SS = sprinkler with 10 inch riser in stainless steel design, F4-FC-SS = 10 inch stainless steel sprinkler in full circle mode, F4-PC-SS-HS = 10 inch stainless steel sprinkler in high speed variant (higher rotation speed))
Available nozzle sets: 2 (standard set (8 nozzles), high-speed set (8 nozzles)
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 1 inch
Price: From 65 USD
Note: Optionally available in a particularly fast rotating high-speed mode (approx. 1 minute for 360 degree rotation)

Rating

3.5 out of 5 points

Comment: The Rain Bird Falcon 6504 is without a doubt a very good sprinkler. Very robust design and with a long throw. For the private user, however, it is oversized with a 1 inch connection and large pressure and water hunger. In return, you miss important functions such as MPR and pressure regulation. Apart from that, the high price should also deter private individuals. A good choice for sports fields and large lawns, this sprinkler makes no sense for the usual private garden.

Performance Data Rain Bird Falcon 6504

Performance data Rain Bird Falcon 6504 with standard nozzle set

Rain Bird Falcon 6504 with standard nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
4	30	39	2.9	0.37	0.42
	40	41	3.3	0.38	0.44
	50	41	3.7	0.42	0.49
	60	41	4.0	0.46	0.53
	70	41	4.4	0.50	0.58
	80	43	4.6	0.48	0.55
6	30	43	4.2	0.44	0.50
	40	45	4.9	0.47	0.54
	50	47	5.5	0.44	0.51
	60	47	6.0	0.52	0.60
	70	49	6.3	0.51	0.58
	80	49	6.9	0.55	0.64
8	40	49	6.6	0.53	0.61
	50	51	7.4	0.55	0.63
	60	51	8.2	0.61	0.7
	70	51	8.9	0.66	0.76
	80	53	9.4	0.64	0.74
10	40	51	8.1	0.60	0.69
	50	53	9.1	0.62	0.72
	60	55	10.0	0.64	0.73
	70	57	10.8	0.64	0.74
	80	55	11.6	0.74	0.85
12	40	53	9.7	0.66	0.77
	50	55	11.0	0.70	0.81
	60	57	12.2	0.72	0.83
	70	59	13.2	0.73	0.84
	80	61	14.0	0.72	0.84
14	40	55	11.3	0.72	0.83
	50	59	12.7	0.70	0.81
	60	61	14	0.72	0.84
	70	61	15.2	0.79	0.91
	80	61	16.2	0.84	0.97
16	40	55	12.6	0.80	0.93
	50	61	14.3	0.74	0.85
	60	63	15.7	0.76	0.88
	70	63	16.9	0.82	0.95
	80	63	18.1	0.88	1.01
18	40	59	13.7	0.76	0.87
	50	59	15.4	0.85	0.98
	60	63	17.1	0.83	0.96
	70	65	18.3	0.83	0.96
	80	65	19.6	0.89	1.03
	90	65	21.7	0.99	1.14

Performance data Rain Bird Falcon 6504 with High-Speed nozzle set

Rain Bird Falcon 6504 with High-Speed nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
4	30	39	2.9	0.37	0.42
	40	41	3.3	0.38	0.44
	50	41	3.7	0.42	0.49
	60	41	4.0	0.46	0.53
	70	41	4.4	0.50	0.58
	80	43	4.6	0.48	0.55
6	30	43	4.2	0.44	0.50
	40	45	4.9	0.47	0.54
	50	47	5.5	0.44	0.51
	60	47	6.0	0.52	0.60
	70	49	6.3	0.51	0.58
	80	49	6.9	0.55	0.64
8	40	49	6.6	0.53	0.61
	50	51	7.4	0.55	0.63
	60	51	8.2	0.61	0.70
	70	51	8.9	0.66	0.76
	80	53	9.4	0.64	0.74
10	40	51	8.1	0.60	0.69
	50	53	9.1	0.62	0.72
	60	55	10.0	0.64	0.73
	70	57	10.8	0.64	0.74
	80	55	11.6	0.74	0.85
12	40	53	9.7	0.66	0.77
	50	55	11	0.70	0.81
	60	57	12.2	0.72	0.83
	70	59	13.2	0.73	0.84
	80	61	14	0.72	0.84
14	40	55	11.3	0.72	0.83
	50	59	12.7	0.70	0.81
	60	61	14.0	0.72	0.84
	70	61	15.2	0.79	0.91
	80	61	16.2	0.84	0.97
16	40	55	12.6	0.80	0.93
	50	61	14.3	0.74	0.85
	60	63	15.7	0.76	0.88
	70	63	16.9	0.82	0.95
	80	63	18.1	0.88	1.01
18	40	59	13.7	0.76	0.87
	50	59	15.4	0.85	0.98
	60	63	17.1	0.83	0.96
	70	65	18.3	0.83	0.96
	80	65	19.6	0.89	1.03
	90	65	21.7	0.99	1.14

Rain Bird Falcon 6504 on Amazon:

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Rain Bird R-VAN

R-VAN14, R-VAN18, R-VAN24

Minimum possible radius: 8 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 24 ft.
Important note: With the Rain Bird R-VAN, unlike the other sprinklers, the actual sprinkler including the nozzle and the associated body are separate! All R-VAN models can be screwed into the same body.
MPR capability: Yes (already integrated in the sprinkler!)
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes (pressure regulation when choosing the right body: Rain Bird RD 1800-P30 = regulated to 30 psi, Rain Bird RD 1800-P45 = regulated to 45 psi)
Selectable sprinkler versions: You can choose from 3 different models of the R-VAN models, which have different throw distances and can be combined with each other:

R-VAN14 -> radius up to 14 feet
R-VAN18 -> radius up to 18 feet
R-VAN24 -> radius up to 24 feet

There are 2 versions of each of these models depending on the circle sector to be irrigated:

-Without addition -> circle sector adjustable from 45 to 270 degrees
-360 -> Can only be set to full circle
Selectable body versions: There are 2 different Rain Bird body series in 4 different versions that can be used with the Rain Bird R-Van:

Rain Bird 1800 -> cheaper series
Rain Bird RD 1800 -> More expensive series
Rain Bird RD 1800-P30 -> Pressure-regulated RD 1800 version, regulated to 30 psi
Rain Bird RD 1800-P45 -> Pressure-regulated RD 1800 version, regulated to 45 psi

Each of these series is available in different riser versions:

Rain Bird 1800

1802 -> 2 inch riser
1804 -> 4 inch riser
1806 -> 6 inch riser
1812 -> 12 inch riser

Rain Bird RD1800

RD-04-S-NP -> 4 inch riser

Rain Bird RD 1800-P30

RD-04-S-P30-F -> 4 inch riser
RD-06-S-P30-F -> 6 inch riser
RD-12-S-P30-F -> 12 inch riser

Rain Bird RD 1800-P45

RD-04-S-P45-F -> 4 inch riser
Available nozzle sets: None (nozzle is permanently integrated in the sprinkler)
Possible sector setting: 45 to 360 degrees (depending on the selected model version)
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: Sprinkler from 12 USD, bodies from 3 USD (pressure-regulating bodies from 13 USD)

Rating

4.5 out of 5 points

Comment: Rain Bird R-VAN is the direct opponent of the Hunter MP Rotator and is also a very good sprinkler. Like the MP rotator, R-VAN automatically maintains an even precipitation rate (MPR). When using an RD-1800 P30 or P45 body, the pressure at the sprinkler is automatically reduced to 30 psi or 45 psi. R-VAN even has 2 small advantages over the MP rotator: You only need 2 models instead of 3 to cover all sector possibilities. And the adjustment of sector and radius can be done manually – without tools. From my point of view, a clear disadvantage is the higher precipitation rate: R-VAN has a precipitation rate of 0.70 inches/hour, the Hunter MP-Rotator manages with only 0.40 inches and thus has a clear advantage if you only have little water available or if you value slow irrigation. The Rain Bird R-VAN is also at a disadvantage in terms of range. With the Hunter MP rotator, up to 35 feet are possible, with the R-VAN only 24 feet. However, you can get by with this in combination with a Rain Bird 5000 with MPR nozzles, which has about the same precipitation rate and achieves a range of up to 35 feet with the MPR-35 nozzles. All in all, the Rain Bird R-VAN is almost an equal opponent to the top product Hunter MP-Rotator, the only thing that really bothers me is the higher precipitation rate, which means a higher water requirement in the same period. Rating with a very good 4.5 out of 5 points.

Performance Data Rain Bird R-VAN

Below you will find tables with radius, flow and precipitation rate for all available models and model variants. For better clarity, this data is only displayed after clicking on the corresponding nozzle set variant:

Performance data Rain Bird R-VAN14

Rain Bird R-VAN14

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree	30	13	0.28	0.64	0.76
	35	13	0.29	0.66	0.74
	40	14	0.31	0.62	0.71
	45	14	0.32	0.61	0.70
	50	15	0.37	0.63	0.73
	55	15	0.39	0.67	0.77
180 degree	30	13	0.56	0.64	0.76
	35	13	0.58	0.66	0.74
	40	14	0.61	0.60	0.71
	45	14	0.63	0.62	0.70
	50	15	0.74	0.63	0.73
	55	15	0.78	0.67	0.77
210 degree	30	13	0.65	0.64	0.76
	35	13	0.68	0.66	0.74
	40	14	0.72	0.60	0.71
	45	14	0.73	0.62	0.70
	50	15	0.86	0.63	0.73
	55	15	0.91	0.67	0.77
270 degree	30	13	0.84	0.64	0.76
	35	13	0.87	0.66	0.74
	40	14	0.92	0.60	0.71
	45	14	0.94	0.62	0.70
	50	15	1.11	0.63	0.73
	55	15	1.17	0.67	0.77
360 degree (full circle nozzle)	30	13	1.10	0.63	0.72
	35	13	1.12	0.64	0.74
	40	14	1.22	0.60	0.69
	45	14	1.27	0.62	0.72
	50	15	1.41	0.60	0.70
	55	15	1.45	0.62	0.72

Performance data Rain Bird R-VAN18

Rain Bird R-VAN18

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree	30	16	0.42	0.65	0.75
	35	16	0.47	0.64	0.74
	40	17	0.50	0.63	0.73
	45	17	0.50	0.64	0.73
	50	18	0.54	0.60	0.69
	55	18	0.58	0.60	0.69
180 degree	30	16	0.85	0.65	0.75
	35	16	0.91	0.64	0.74
	40	17	0.98	0.63	0.73
	45	17	1.01	0.64	0.73
	50	18	1.07	0.60	0.69
	55	18	1.09	0.60	0.69
210 degree	30	16	0.98	0.63	0.73
	35	16	1.05	0.68	0.78
	40	17	1.10	0.63	0.73
	45	17	1.17	0.64	0.77
	50	18	1.22	0.62	0.72
	55	18	1.26	0.64	0.74
270 degree	30	16	1.26	0.65	0.75
	35	16	1.35	0.64	0.74
	40	17	1.42	0.63	0.73
	45	17	1.51	0.64	0.73
	50	18	1.57	0.60	0.69
	55	18	1.62	0.60	0.69
360 degree (full circle nozzle)	30	16	1.65	0.62	0.72
	35	16	1.67	0.63	0.73
	40	17	1.80	0.60	0.69
	45	17	1.85	0.62	0.71
	50	18	2.05	0.61	0.70
	55	18	2.11	0.63	0.72

Performance data Rain Bird R-VAN24

Rain Bird R-VAN24

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
90 degree	30	19	0.60	0.64	0.74
	35	20	0.65	0.63	0.72
	40	22	0.77	0.61	0.71
	45	23	0.84	0.61	0.71
	50	24	0.94	0.63	0.73
	55	24	0.96	0.64	0.74
180 degree	30	19	1.20	0.64	0.74
	35	20	1.30	0.63	0.72
	40	22	1.54	0.61	0.71
	45	23	1.68	0.61	0.71
	50	24	1.88	0.63	0.73
	55	24	1.92	0.64	0.74
210 degree	30	19	1.40	0.64	0.74
	35	20	1.52	0.63	0.72
	40	22	1.80	0.61	0.71
	45	23	1.96	0.61	0.71
	50	24	2.19	0.63	0.73
	55	24	2.24	0.64	0.74
270 degree	30	19	1.80	0.64	0.74
	35	20	1.95	0.63	0.72
	40	22	2.31	0.61	0.71
	45	23	2.52	0.61	0.71
	50	24	2.82	0.63	0.73
	55	24	2.88	0.64	0.74
360 degree (full circle nozzle)	30	19	2.35	0.63	0.72
	35	20	2.52	0.61	0.70
	40	22	3.13	0.62	0.72
	45	23	3.48	0.63	0.73
	50	24	3.61	0.60	0.70
	55	24	3.74	0.62	0.72

Rain Bird R-VAN on Amazon:

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Rain Bird R-VAN Side Strip

This is a so-called strip sprinkler, which was specially developed for sprinkling long, narrow areas. To irrigate a strip, 3 sprinklers each “left corner”, “right corner” and “middle” must be installed.

R-VAN-LCS (Left Strip), R-VAN-RCS (Right Strip), R-VAN-SST (Side Strip)

Minimum possible radius: 3 x 10.5 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 6 x 32 ft.
Important note: With the Rain Bird R-VAN, unlike the other sprinklers, the actual sprinkler including the nozzle and the associated body are separate! All R-VAN models can be screwed into the same body.
MPR capability: Yes (already integrated in the sprinkler!)
Pressure regulating body: No/Yes (pressure regulation when choosing the right body: Rain Bird RD 1800-P30 = regulated to 30 psi, Rain Bird RD 1800-P45 = regulated to 45 psi)
Selectable sprinkler models: To irrigate a strip, the following 3 sprinklers must be combined with each other:

R-VAN-LCS -> Left Strip (Left Corner)
R-VAN-RCS -> Right Strip (Right Corner)
R-VAN-SST -> Side Strip, to be placed in the middle of the strip

This is how the 3 sprinklers are arranged
Selectable body versions: There are 2 different Rain Bird body series in 4 different versions that can be used with the Rain Bird R-Van:

Rain Bird 1800 -> cheaper series
Rain Bird RD 1800 -> More expensive series
Rain Bird RD 1800-P30 -> Pressure-regulated RD 1800 version, regulated to 30 psi
Rain Bird RD 1800-P45 -> Pressure-regulated RD 1800 version, regulated to 45 psi

Each of these series is available in different riser versions:

Rain Bird 1800

1802 -> 2 inch riser
1804 -> 4 inch riser
1806 -> 6 inch riser
1812 -> 12 inch riser

Rain Bird RD1800

RD-04-S-NP -> 4 inch riser

Rain Bird RD 1800-P30

RD-04-S-P30-F -> 4 inch riser
RD-06-S-P30-F -> 6 inch riser
RD-12-S-P30-F -> 12 inch riser

Rain Bird RD 1800-P45

RD-04-S-P45-F -> 4 inch riser
Available nozzle sets: None (nozzle is permanently integrated in the sprinkler)
Possible sector setting: In principle, the sector is fixed. The throw distance according to the performance table can be reduced by a maximum of 25% both in length and in width.
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: Sprinkler from 12 USD, bodies from 5 USD (pressure-regulating bodies from 13 USD)

Rating

4.5 out of 5 points

Comment: In principle, strip irrigation is one of the most difficult tasks. Rain Bird’s R-VAN Strip Nozzles are the counterpart to the Hunter MP-Rotator Side Strip Nozzles. And I think they serve their purpose just as well! It has to be said here again: A 100% rectangular spray pattern is not possible, but it works in an appealingly good way. Also included are the other advantages of the R-VAN model (see points above). I rate it with a high 4.5 out of 5 points, which is the same as the MP-Rotator counterpart.

Below is a tabular listing of radius, flow and precipitation rate for the three strip models:

Performance data Rain Bird R-VAN Side Strip

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
Left Strip (R-VAN-LCS)	30	4 x 14	0.18	0.62	0.62
	35	5 x 15	0.22	0.56	0.56
	40	5 x 15	0.23	0.59	0.59
	45	5 x 15	0.24	0.62	0.62
	50	5 x 15	0.25	0.64	0.64
	55	6 x 16	0.28	0.56	0.56
Right Strip (R-VAN-RCS)	30	4 x 14	0.18	0.62	0.62
	35	5 x 15	0.22	0.56	0.56
	40	5 x 15	0.23	0.59	0.59
	45	5 x 15	0.24	0.62	0.62
	50	6 x 16	0.25	0.64	0.64
	55	6 x 16	0.28	0.56	0.56
Side Strip (R-VAN-SST)	30	4 x 28	0.36	0.62	0.62
	35	5 x 30	0.44	0.56	0.56
	40	5 x 30	0.46	0.59	0.59
	45	5 x 30	0.48	0.62	0.62
	50	6 x 32	0.50	0.64	0.64
	55	6 x 32	0.56	0.56	0.56

Rain Bird R-VAN Side Strip on Amazon:

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Below is an overview of the Toro sprinklers that are of interest to private users:

Toro Mini 8

Toro beginner model

Toro T5

Sprinkler with larger radius

Toro T7

Sprinkler with very large radius

About the Toro product range

Toro also has a larger range of sprinklers.

The Toro Mini 8 is Toro’s entry-level sprinkler, making it a direct competitor to the Hunter PGJ and Rain Bird 3500.
The Toro T5 is a larger radius sprinkler and a competitor to the Rain Bird 5000 and Hunter PGP and PGP Ultra
The Toro T7 is a sprinkler with a very large radius up to 83 feet

Toro Mini 8

Minimum possible radius: 15 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 35 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 3 (Mini 8-4= standard modell with 4 inch riser, Mini 8-6 = with 6 inch riser, Mini 8-12 = with 12 inch riser)
Available nozzle sets: 1 (only standard set with 5 different nozzles)
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 1/2 inch
Price: From 15 USD

Rating

2.5 out of 5 points

Comment: The Toro Mini 8 is the antagonist to the Hunter PGJ and Rain Bird 3500. As with these sprinklers, there is only one nozzle set and no other option to swap. The opponents are rated 3 out of 5 points. I rate the Toro Mini 8 a little lower because the throw range is significantly smaller and the documentation for the sprinkler is comparatively sparse. For example, the performance of throw and flow is only given for 3 pressure values, no information is given about the precipitation rate. That deducts half a point and is then enough for 2.5 out of 5 points.

Performance Data Toro Mini 8

Nozzle	Water pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)
0.75	30	19	0.66
	40	20	0.75
	50	21	1.00
1.0	30	22	0.91
	40	23	1.08
	50	24	1.25
1.5	30	26	1.00
	40	28	1.16
	50	30	1.33
2.0	30	30	1.16
	40	31	1.41
	50	32	1.66
3.0	30	33	1.91
	40	34	2.16
	50	35	2.50

Toro Mini 8 on Amazon:

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Toro T5

Minimum possible radius: 18.8 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 50 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 6 (T5P-RS = standard modell with 5 inch riser, T5PCK-RS = with 5 inch riser and check valve, T5PSS-RS = with 5 inch stainless steel riser, T5PCKS-RS = with 5 inch stainless steel riser and check valve, T5S-RS= shrub modell, T5HP-RS = with 12 inch riser)
Available nozzle sets: 2 (standard set with 8 different nozzles, low angle nozzle set, 4 nozzles, nozzle angle 10 instead of 25 degrees)
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 3/4 inch
Price: From 14 USD

Rating

3.5 out of 5 points

Comment: The Toro T5 – if you look at the throwing range – is positioned as an opponent of the Rainbird 5000 and Hunter PGP Ultra or Hunter PGP. In my opinion, it cannot keep up with the first two because it lacks essential functions such as MPR capability and pressure regulation. I see it on par with the Hunter PGP, a solid sprinkler but showing its age and lacking improvements that have been made in recent years. In comparison to the Toro Mini, the documentation for the Toro T5 is also available in sufficient form. Therefore, I rate it the same as the Hunter PGP with 3.5 out of 5 points.

Performance Data Toro T5

Below you will find tables with radius, flow and precipitation rate for all available models and model variants.. For better clarity, this data is only displayed after clicking on the corresponding nozzle set variant:

Performance data Toro T5 with standard nozzle set

Toro T5 with standard nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1 red	30	28	0.5	0.12	0.14
	40	29	0.6	0.14	0.16
	50	29	0.7	0.16	0.19
	60	30	0.8	0.17	0.2
2 red	30	29	0.7	0.16	0.19
	40	30	0.8	0.17	0.2
	50	30	0.9	0.19	0.22
	60	31	1	0.2	0.23
3 red	30	30	0.9	0.19	0.22
	40	31	1	0.2	0.23
	50	31	1.2	0.24	0.28
	60	32	1.3	0.24	0.28
4 red	30	32	1.2	0.23	0.26
	40	33	1.4	0.25	0.29
	50	34	1.6	0.27	0.31
	60	34	1.8	0.30	0.35
5 red	30	32	1.6	0.3	0.35
	40	36	1.8	0.27	0.31
	50	38	2	0.27	0.31
	60	38	2.2	0.29	0.34
6 red	30	34	2	0.33	0.38
	40	36	2.4	0.36	0.41
	50	38	2.7	0.36	0.42
	60	38	2.9	0.39	0.45
7 red	30	34	2.6	0.43	0.50
	40	38	3	0.40	0.46
	50	40	3.4	0.41	0.47
	60	40	3.7	0.45	0.51
8 red	30	37	3.2	0.45	0.52
	40	39	3.7	0.47	0.54
	50	41	3.9	0.45	0.52
	60	42	4.6	0.50	0.58
9 red	30	38	3.6	0.48	0.55
	40	41	4.3	0.49	0.57
	50	44	5.2	0.52	0.60
	60	45	5.5	0.52	0.60
10 red	40	44	6	0.6	0.69
	40	46	6.8	0.62	0.71
	50	47	7.6	0.66	0.76
	60	49	8.2	0.66	0.76
11 red	40	46	8	0.73	0.84
	50	48	8.9	0.74	0.86
	60	50	9.8	0.75	0.87
	70	51	10.5	0.78	0.90
12 red	40	46	10.5	0.96	1.10
	50	48	11.9	0.99	1.15
	60	50	12.7	0.98	1.13
	70	52	14.1	1.00	1.16

Performance data Toro 5 with low angle nozzle set

Toro T5 with low angle nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
1.0LA	25	25	0.74	0.26	0.23
	35	28	0.94	0.27	0.23
	45	28	1.02	0.29	0.25
	55	29	1.14	0.30	0.26
	65	29	1.25	0.33	0.29
1.5LA	25	27	1.10	0.34	0.29
	35	30	1.35	0.33	0.29
	45	31	1.52	0.35	0.30
	55	31	1.75	0.40	0.35
	65	31	1.90	0.44	0.38
2.0LA	25	29	1.40	0.37	0.32
	35	31	1.72	0.40	0.34
	45	32	2.05	0.45	0.39
	55	33	2.25	0.46	0.40
	65	33	2.45	0.50	0.43
3.0LA	25	29	2.20	0.58	0.50
	35	33	2.60	0.53	0.46
	45	34	3.05	0.59	0.51
	55	36	3.40	0.58	0.51
	65	36	3.70	0.63	0.55

Toro T5 on Amazon:

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Toro T7

Minimum possible radius: 28.5 ft.
Maximum possible radius: 83 ft.
MPR capability: No (possible to some extent by using different nozzle sizes)
Pressure regulating body: No
Versions available: 8 (T7P-02 = standard modell with 5 inch riser, T7P-02E = with 5 inch riser and effluent rubber cover, T7P-02L = low flow modell with 5 inch riser, T7P-02LE = low flow modell with 5 inch riser and effluent rubber cover, T7PSS-02 = with 5 inch stainless steel riser, T7PSS-02E = with 5 inch stainless steel riser and effluent rubber cover, T7PSS-02L = low flow modell with 5 inch stainless steel riser, T7PSS-02LE = low flow modell with 5 inch stainless steel riser and effluent rubber cover)
Available nozzle sets: 2 (standard set with 8 different nozzles, low angle nozzle set, 4 nozzles, nozzle angle 10 instead of 25 degrees)
Adjustable arc: 40° to 360°
Inlet size: 1 inch
Price: From 60 USD

Rating

3.5 out of 5 points

Comment: With 83 feet, the Toro T7 has a very long throw, making it one of the geared sprinklers with the longest throws. As with the Toro T5, essential functionalities such as Matched Precipitation (MPR) and pressure regulation are missing. So I rate it like the T5 with 3.5 out of 5 points.

Performance Data Toro T7

Performance data Toro T7 with standard nozzle set

Toro T7 with standard nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
7.0	40	46	6.6	0.62	0.72
	50	47	7.4	0.65	0.75
	60	48	8.1	0.68	0.78
	70	49	8.8	0.71	0.82
	80	51	9.4	0.72	0.83
	90	52	10.3	0.73	0.85
	100	54	10.7	0.72	0.83
9.0	40	47	7.4	0.66	0.76
	50	50	8.3	0.64	0.73
	60	51	8.7	0.66	0.76
	70	52	9.4	0.70	0.81
	80	54	9.9	0.69	0.80
	90	55	10.9	0.71	0.82
	100	56	11.5	0.73	0.84
12.0	40	50	9.5	0.77	0.89
	50	51	11.6	0.78	0.90
	60	53	12.7	0.79	0.91
	70	54	13.8	0.83	0.96
	80	55	14.7	0.86	0.99
	90	56	15.6	0.88	1.02
	100	57	16.5	0.90	1.04
16.0	40	53	13.0	0.92	1.06
	50	56	15.1	0.92	1.06
	60	58	16.2	0.90	1.04
	70	59	17.5	0.95	1.09
	80	61	18.8	0.95	1.10
	90	62	20.0	0.98	1.14
	100	63	21.1	1.01	1.17
20.0	40	53	16.0	1.10	1.28
	50	58	17.5	1.05	1.22
	60	60	19.5	1.05	1.21
	70	61	20.6	1.09	1.26
	80	65	22.2	1.03	1.19
	90	66	23.6	1.06	1.23
	100	67	24.8	1.09	1.25
24.0	40	52	15.8	1.10	1.27
	50	60	17.5	0.95	1.09
	60	63	19.3	0.96	1.11
	70	65	20.7	0.99	1.14
	80	67	22.3	1.00	1.15
	90	68	23.8	1.04	1.20
	100	71	25.3	1.01	1.16
27.0	40	55	18.7	1.23	1.42
	50	65	23.4	1.00	1.16
	60	71	23.6	0.91	1.05
	70	72	25.8	0.95	1.10
	80	73	27.4	0.99	1.14
	90	74	29.1	1.02	1.18
	100	75	30.6	1.05	1.21

Performance data Toro T7 with low flow nozzle set

Toro T7 with low flow nozzle set

Nozzle	Water Pressure in psi	Radius in feet	Flow in gal./min. (GPM)	Precip. in in./hr. ∎	Precip. in in./hr. ▲
2.0	40	39	1.7	0.22	0.25
	50	39	2.0	0.25	0.29
	60	40	2.2	0.26	0.30
	70	40	2.4	0.28	0.33
	80	40	2.6	0.31	0.35
	90	41	2.7	0.31	0.36
	100	41	2.9	0.33	0.38
3.0	40	39	2.4	0.30	0.36
	50	40	2.8	0.33	0.39
	60	41	3.1	0.36	0.41
	70	41	3.4	0.39	0.45
	80	42	3.6	0.40	0.46
	90	42	3.9	0.41	0.47
	100	43	4.1	0.42	0.49
4.5	40	38	4.1	0.54	0.63
	50	41	4.7	0.53	0.62
	60	41	5.2	0.59	0.68
	70	42	5.7	0.62	0.71
	80	42	6.1	0.66	0.77
	90	43	6.5	0.68	0.78
	100	43	6.9	0.72	0.83
6.0	40	43	5.0	0.51	0.59
	50	46	5.7	0.51	0.59
	60	48	6.3	0.52	0.63
	70	49	7.0	0.57	0.65
	80	49	7.4	0.59	0.68
	90	50	7.9	0.61	0.70
	100	50	8.4	0.64	0.74
7.5	40	44	5.8	0.58	0.66
	50	46	6.7	0.60	0.70
	60	48	7.4	0.62	0.71
	70	49	8.0	0.65	0.75
	80	50	8.8	0.67	0.78
	90	50	9.5	0.73	0.84
	100	52	10.0	0.70	0.81
9.0	40	45	7.4	0.70	0.81
	50	49	8.5	0.68	0.78
	60	51	9.4	0.70	0.80
	70	53	10.4	0.72	0.83
	80	55	11.3	0.72	0.83
	90	55	12.0	0.77	0.89
	100	56	12.8	0.78	0.90

Below is an overview of the Orbit sprinklers:

Orbit Voyager II

Solid sprinkler, technically identical to the Hunter PGP

Orbit Saturn III

Smaller alternative to the Voyager II, technically identical to the Hunter PGM

Orbit Saturn IV

As before, but with a different nozzle set