Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
April 19, 2012 | #61 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Timers and contraptions
...........................
Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:11 PM. |
April 19, 2012 | #62 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Worth,
If your plan depends on synchronization of different timers preset for exact times, you will have a problem. I've never seen one of these timers than can maintain an accurate time within one minute per month. For some reason, they all seem to lose time rather than gain time. I can understand that happening with a mechanical timer, but not with an electronic timer. If the primary valve stays open and zones or processes (insecticide or fertilizer application) operate without synchronization, it shouldn't be a problem. Ted |
April 19, 2012 | #63 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
.................................
Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:12 PM. |
April 19, 2012 | #64 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,255
|
Worth,
For output my cheapo timers only have a common and one hot for each zone. Don't they make 24v timer relays (1 to 60 sec) I could just place (in series?) between the timer and the valve solenoid? Then set the timer to 1 min. for each zone and connect each zone (hot wire) to the relay. Obviously, I'm no electrician. I like the idea of a build your own - the misting timers for cuttings (10 sec on, 6 times a day) are expensive. Steve |
April 19, 2012 | #65 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
.............................
Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 09:12 PM. |
April 19, 2012 | #66 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
|
For fertilizer and bug spray, could you not use it with a lower volume
or adjustable volume emitter for 1 minute? (Instead of a fixed flow emitter for 15 seconds?)
__________________
-- alias |
April 19, 2012 | #67 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,255
|
|
April 19, 2012 | #68 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
|
April 19, 2012 | #69 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,255
|
|
April 19, 2012 | #70 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Quote:
I'm a creative dreamer that has millions of ideas stored away and I figured maybe someone could put them to use. Worth |
|
April 20, 2012 | #71 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Medford,MA
Posts: 6
|
I use soaker hoses and they have been enough to water my whole 8'X18' garden. I feed by hand with liquid fertilizer.
Lou |
April 20, 2012 | #72 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Medford,MA
Posts: 6
|
I find that soaker hoses are the best system for watering my 8'X18' vegetable garden.
Lou |
April 23, 2012 | #73 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Yesterday I purchased some brown drip line and a battery operated 2 station timer.
One station on my ferns I just put in and the other station for my tomatoes and peppers etc. Seems to be working just fine. This will get me by till I get the fancy PC based controller. I was going to change my mind and get the RainBird http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Ra.../esp12lxme.htm But finally decided to get the Irritrol. http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Ir...p/pc12-int.htm The reason is my wife would play the devil working with a dial and push buttons where she can easily work with it on a computer with a windows based system. The other reasons are programming for me, and the options I have. I called Irritrol today and told them about a misprint out on the timing. One brochure said 1 minute to 4 hours the spec sheet said 1 minute to 24 hours. It is 1 minute to 24 hours. They were shocked to learn of the mistake. Needless to say the programing is very flexible. Worth |
April 24, 2012 | #74 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
|
Are you not a little worried about it running on Windows (system hangs
on a screensaver bug while you are away in Alaska for two weeks, or something comparably inane)? (I avoid screensavers for just that reason. My linux screensavers are "blank the screen", which uses no system resources and has never hung a linux system for me. I am not sure if Windows versions have that option. Nothing against graphics programmers creating fun animations, it is simply that my computers have other things to do that matter more to me than running screensaver graphics code when no one is around to watch it.)
__________________
-- alias |
April 24, 2012 | #75 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
Quote:
The program is stored in the controller for this reason. You can have many programs in the computer or on a disk and just download it into the controller anytime you want from anywhere you want. You can have the software on more than one computer. Basically the PC is an interface with the controllers. Worth |
|
Tags |
irrigation , watering |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|