Firmware Update Process warning
This is a note I added to my amazon review yesterday...FW 4.0.900
June 6, 2017 Update and warning
I want to preface my update by saying I still think the RainMachine is one of the best products I've ever purchased. It has a very good user interface and cell phone app. But I'm filing this update to warn people of a problem I ran into. A problem that has been resolved.
We have rather new, thick, green lawns front and back of our house. We also have so many trees and bushes I can't count them, all fed by a drip system. Until about a month ago everything was being properly watered, either by actual rain, or by the RainMachine. Then things started drying up. I checked the RainMachine but everything seemed to be set up properly. As the weather warmed and the sun began to replace the winter clouds dry spots began to form on the lawns, and the bushes failed to flower. I began hand watering the dry spots. I even purchased one of those hose-end sprinklers so I could soak the dry spots on the lawn. Finally I figured out that the RainMachine, while properly programmed, was not watering anything.
I did a lot of reprogramming of the RainMachine, switched things on or off, changed weather stations, etc. Nothing worked. If I turned off the weather switch the RainMachine would then implement my programmed watering scheme, which would be way too much water usage. Turning the weather switch back on the RainMachine would turn off all watering. So what had happened and how did I fix it?
I determined the problem occurred when the RainMachine wanted to do a firmware update and I enabled it. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the new firmware, just the update process. I believe the firmware update somehow upset the programming which caused watering to cease when weather was turned on. After many attempts to fix it I finally did a full Reset of the RainMachine.
I had to do a complete setup as if I had just purchased the RainMachine; naming things and setting up zones and programs. That worked.
So my warning is this. If you do a firmware update at least do a through check of the programming. Check out the charts to see if there is any watering planned for the next several no rain days. If not you too may need to do a Reset and reprogram everything.
I'm not changing from 5 stars. I still really like the RainMachine.
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Official comment
The 4.0.900 update made some changes to the way "Suggested Daily Valves" work with watering less then 7 days a week.
I have not seen any problems related to the update that has stopped sprinklers from running properly.
If after the update you can check the Water History from the Web interface and it will give you a reason any time it does not run.
Most often this is due to "Water Surplus". If you feel your controller is getting a "water surplus" and your lawn is not getting enough water, you can open a ticket with support and we can find out what is causing this, and help you find tune your controller.
More info and diagrams:False "Water Surplus" can be caused if the Forecasting services were wrong, and "forecast correction" can some times help fix this, but another option would be to add WUnderground as another data source to pull from.
Instructions:
https://support.rainmachine.com/hc/en-us/articles/228018848-Using-Wunderground
I hope this clears things up.
If your still having trouble open a ticket with support and we would be glad to help.
Brandon M
RainMachineComment actions -
What device you have?
It is not difficult to answer upgrade questions, using RM with web browser.
In 2Gen user can login to device, open Settings, About, View Log and look at it.
There are lines like "Upgrading package: rainmachine-app from 4.0.851 to 4.0.900", info about device restarts, day by day activities, etc.
Long term Watering history is available in device log too, using apps.
Something is wrong, when device stops watering at all. Support can help check reasons if you would, using device remote access, etc. -
Gary Johnson: In my case I could use the Android app or front panel to execute manual operations. It was only when it was running the programmed operation, with weather enabled, that it didn't do any watering. When I turned the weather switch off it would run my program.
A full reset fixed everything.
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Reset to defaults is awful, cause long term history in device is lost.
There is no import of long term watering data after reset, basic info about zones/programs can be restored from backup, in apps.
What about ability to reset current weather/water balance without full device reset, assuming that real balance is good?
I don't see basic info about change described, means what was upgraded (device/firmware before, state, etc.).
In Mini-8 2Gen, after upgrade from 4.0.851 to 4.0.900 6 Jun, watering times seems shorter.
New watering program was created instead and works, but more time is needed to be sure. -
I had a different problem with the 4.0.900 upgrade: my Rainmachine HD12 went offline. I do not know the prior firmware version; whatever was last released I would assume. I tried to check my Rainmachine from my internal network this morning at 9am. It was offline. I tried again at 10am, as I've seen this happen in the past and it usually self-resolved. Still offline.
I went to the storage room where the RM is located. The display showed a strong Wi-Fi signal, but still offline. I rebooted from the RM LCD panel and now all is well. But if I'd been on the road, I suspect it would have stayed offline until the reboot.
Has anyone else seen a problem like this?
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@Dennis A.
No. Network connection problems can be caused by different changes. Sometimes can be caused by new routers working on the same or near WiFi channel, etc.
So to check what's going on, the best way is to see at router log (RM lease used, if etc.) and use wifi networks scanner app in phone (networks visible, channels used, signal levels).
In FW 4.900 Apple Bonjour protocol was added, but if it is not used, can just be turned off.
Hard to say more without detailed info about devices used, network configuration , etc.
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