# Time to Upgrade?



## Jersey Devil (Apr 5, 2017)

This is the controller that came with my house, which we bought last summer. It's been good to me so far, but I really have very little idea how to use it and can't find a correct manual for this particular type. The cover is long gone, as is the original box and paperwork, but a quick Google search shows that it also goes by the name of "Lawn Geenie." Is that correct?

I'd sure like to upgrade to something from this century.....any ideas?


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

BMS said:


> ...I'd sure like to upgrade to something from this century.....any ideas?


Several here use the Rachio, which is what I'm putting on my new system... if for no other reason than there is a good support group here for them.


----------



## Jersey Devil (Apr 5, 2017)

Ware said:


> BMS said:
> 
> 
> > ...I'd sure like to upgrade to something from this century.....any ideas?
> ...


Thanks, Ware. That one sure looks pretty hi-tec.

I was looking at this one: RZX8I-120V - ESP-RZX Series 8-Station Indoor Controller
http://store.rainbird.com/timers/st...p-rzx-series-8-station-indoor-controller.html

Any thoughts on these units?


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

That Rainbird controller looks nice but you can't beat the convenience and features of the Rachio. Either one would be an upgrade from what you have though


----------



## atc4usmc (Apr 1, 2017)

+1 for Rachio!


----------



## southernguy311 (Mar 17, 2017)

Get the Rachio.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

The Rachio is high tech, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. From what I have seen it is very intuitive to set up and use, but like MQ said, either would be an upgrade from what you have.


----------



## atc4usmc (Apr 1, 2017)

Ware is spot on here....Rachio is high tech and offers ability to grow if needed. What it also offers is a VERY easy to understand user interface. Take a look at a couple of videos of it and I think you will see. Also the ability to control it from your phone or a tablet is great! While some people like my dad would say "I dont need that...I can easily walk to the controller outside etc...", he has commented how nice it is for me to sit on the porch, beer in hand and turn on the sprinklers!

Additionally, this comes in handy when people are in your yard and you want them to get off the grass.....dont ask me how I know!


----------



## Topcat (Mar 21, 2017)

Yet another vote for the Rachio. I installed one last weekend, and so far really love it. A few things to be aware of. You need wifi access to control the Rachio and take advantage of the features the Rachio offers. You need a weather station, or personal weather station relatively close to your location. The Rachio uses info from the nearest weather station to adjust water schedules based on the weather. If you live too far away from a station, then the Rachio will not work as well as it could otherwise. Anything more than about four miles from me would not give accurate data because it is common to have rain in one location, and a few miles away, nothing... so the distance from a weather station really depends on the climate in your area. I had three personal weather stations within 3 miles of my location and one NOAA station four miles away.

I am still adjusting to the convience of using my iPhone to control the system. I was working in a flower bed last week, then wanted to water that zone, walked to the garage where the controller is located, then remembered that the controls were in my pocket all along. Do'h!

And the comments about the ease of set up are spot on. It walks thru setup and makes it very simple.


----------



## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Topcat said:


> You need a weather station, or personal weather station relatively close to your location.


I think this is the key. My mom's house is 10,700 feet away (2 miles) and rain at her place will often differ by a wide margin from my house. Without good input, the Rachio will have to be controlled like a more conventional unit. Check the PWSweather site to find a weather station near you. That said, it's still a great controller, and people are adding new PWS's all the time.


----------



## Jersey_James (Jun 4, 2017)

Just to throw a divergent voice, I recently installed a Hunter Pro-HC (Hydrawise) https://www.hydrawise.com/meet-new-pro-hc-controller-hydrawise-web-based-software. It's pretty darn similar to the Rachio in terms of function and user experience. Some cool options include having the ability to tap into weather stations in your neighborhood via Weather Underground.

If you're interested in Hunter's Hydrawise, you can catch them at https://www.hydrawise.com/. I think there are some cool features for the more casual lawn owner such as allowing enrolled contractors / irrigation companies to manage the systems of others. This also works for the next level lawn dominator that wants to help manage family members' lawns or build a side business managing your neighbors' lawns.


----------

