Create the ability to attach a 3rd party rain sensor
I realize that local weather is available by Zipcode. Some Zipcodes are large in geographic size. It would be great if a module could be added that would monitor a rain sensor as well.
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Official comment
[EDIT JUN 19, 2017]
Hi, all
For anyone that will need the Rain Sensor cable adapter ONLY for the RainMachine Touch HD-12 and RainMachine Touch HD-16 (2nd generation), it is AVAILABLE NOW on our official web store for $3.99 + $3 US shipping ($17 International shipping).
Thank you.
RainMachine SupportComment actions -
I agree with you. Right now only RainMachine Mini-8 has the support of 3rd party rain sensors.
Because of that I have to rely on my neighbor personal weather station that I found it using the WUnderground weather service, but a more precise data would be great.
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I think that the point of the rainmachine HD is to adjust for the amount of rain rather than just a binary on/off for whether or not you have rain. If you do use a static program and you don't want it to water on the days it rains, you could use a normally closed rain sensor and wire it to the common and run all the zones' commons to the other end.
I totally agree with you on the zip code thing as mine happens to be long and skinny so I had to hand select stations using WeatherUnderground. If you have a weather station with a rain sensor that measures the amount of rain, it is possible to set it up on WeatherUnderground. It should then be pretty straightforward to connect only to that station and disable all other weather services.
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I agree that a third party rain sensor would be helpful. You can connect one with the common, and that stops the valves from opening, but the RainMachine dashboard still reports that the system rain as scheduled. As a result, you don't really know if the sensor did it's job unless you are home to observe.
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This comment was posted in September 2016. The new year is upon us. Can we expect an add on module to monitor a 3rd party rain sensor or a new version of the 12 or 16 to make it similar to this function with the Mini-8? I realize I can wire into the common, but there is no support for this. It would be a much better product if a local sensor could be connected in some supported way.
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I installed a regular rain sensor according to these instructions and it works well: https://support.rainmachine.com/hc/en-us/articles/227832747-Rain-Sensor . I wired it in series with the common wire, like described in the article.
Mark.
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Two questions:
1. I've HD-12 but it does not have connection panel on right at shown in the "Rain Sensor" article. Which version does have this right side panel, or is it an add-on?
2. If I connect rain sensor in line with common wire: What happens if rain starts after the watering schedule have started? How will it close the valve if the common is been cut off by the rain sensor?
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I have not. I am patiently waiting for hopeful updates. I hate driving down the street in a rain storm and watching sprinklers running. It is not unusual at the time of the year for it to rain here and then a couple of blocks away, nothing. I am hopeful that someday, there will be a setup like the mini-8 where a sensor can be attached.
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Hi, all
Attached is the picture of the RainMachine Touch HD 2nd gen hidden pins where you can attach the hardware rain sensor as described in the Rain Sensor support article.
Thank you.
RainMachine Team -
These are standard PC pins: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8614 .
I think we'll have an optional connector for these pins once the beta version goes live.
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> Will connecting to those pins allow software control of the sensor in it's present configuration? So I could defeat the sensor depending on the outcome I desired? Are you also > working towards IF THEN control for the sensor?
Yes it will allow software control (enable/disable) and also next version will allow scheduling of a snooze for a certain duration after the rain event has passed.
As for the IF THEN control it's not yet ready for public usage.
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I appreciate the thread and information. You said in your reply, next version, is this Gen 3 of the RainMacine HD-12 or the next software version?
BTW, I live in St Louis MO...if you watch the news, there is no way I want to see sprinklers running. More rain than we know what to do with.
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In the next software update, the hardware supports it. I can understand why you don't want to irrigate now in St. Louis :) NOAA predictions should be good to prevent RainMachine on doing stupid things since they also issued a hazard for St Louis :
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You will be happy to know, I have ordered the HD-12 based on the information you have supplied. I do want to see the delay or snooze based on rainfall. My plan is to run it in conjunction with the current system until I understand it's nuances. If you want to include me in the Beta testing I would appreciate it. I have an acre of land most in the sun (when we see sun), so I really what to water appropriately.
Thanks again.
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> You will be happy to know, I have ordered the HD-12 based on the information you have supplied.
That's great, you won't be disappointed, and we can help with precise tuning here on forums.
> I do want to see the delay or snooze based on rainfall.
Right now you have the options to skip a program depending on a settable predicted rain. But this usually is not needed as the algorithm takes care of this skip (using evapo-transpiration, soil available water, crop coefficient etc).
> If you want to include me in the Beta testing I would appreciate it. I have an acre of land most in the sun (when we see sun), so I really what to water appropriately.
Getting into beta is open to the public by just checking Beta Releases from Settings > System Settings.
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