Help for an irrigation system with a few inconveniences
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@zboblamont There are so many different types of battery with different chemical components that it is harder now to generalise, but I believe that the physics of it still hold true.
It is the reason that your smoke alarm battery nearly always sounds the warning beeps at night. That's due to nighttime temperatures being lower and as the cell reaches it's last dribble of energy the temperature variation is enough to lower the voltage when the cell cools.
@skywatch I'm no chemistry engineer, but this generalisation I've heard said previously as an undisputed fact, hence my posting last year's voltage record for one of the most exposed nodes...
The decay is no greater than with any of the internal nodes, and with last winter down to -20 you might expect evidence of it, yet the cheap standard alkalines sailed through it unperturbed..
The voltage drop for a month in summer failing to connect to the Gateway was colossal by comparison, hence the UPS went up my priority list...
;) -
@skywatch I'm no chemistry engineer, but this generalisation I've heard said previously as an undisputed fact, hence my posting last year's voltage record for one of the most exposed nodes...
The decay is no greater than with any of the internal nodes, and with last winter down to -20 you might expect evidence of it, yet the cheap standard alkalines sailed through it unperturbed..
The voltage drop for a month in summer failing to connect to the Gateway was colossal by comparison, hence the UPS went up my priority list...
;)@zboblamont said in Help for an irrigation system with a few inconveniences:
I can't really add more to this other than to say that if the batteries in the remote won't work, warm them under your armpits for a few minutes and try again - I bet they work! ;)
The voltage drop for a month in summer failing to connect to the Gateway was colossal by comparison, hence the UPS went up my priority list...
;)Won't a UPS have a battery in it too? :)
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@zboblamont said in Help for an irrigation system with a few inconveniences:
I can't really add more to this other than to say that if the batteries in the remote won't work, warm them under your armpits for a few minutes and try again - I bet they work! ;)
The voltage drop for a month in summer failing to connect to the Gateway was colossal by comparison, hence the UPS went up my priority list...
;)Won't a UPS have a battery in it too? :)
@skywatch "I can't really add more to this other than to say that if the batteries in the remote won't work, warm them under your armpits for a few minutes and try again - I bet they work!" - For the cost of a few cells? I'm Scottish, but presume you know it was the Scots who invented copper wire by fighting over a penny....
Yep Lead/Acid gel on the UPS for the Gateway/Controller, but that's indoors where it is generously warm even when it's Siberian outside...
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I have nothing more to post but thank you all for the answers. I will have a look at how to get power from the house to the garden as @skywatch suggested. Also, I will see how to place a pole in the garden, similar to the beautiful node of @zboblamont. By the way, it looks very nice!
Finally, I have seen the GPRS and I also have one at home so, I definitely will give it a chance in this Ethan Hunt's project haha
Thank you all again!
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I have nothing more to post but thank you all for the answers. I will have a look at how to get power from the house to the garden as @skywatch suggested. Also, I will see how to place a pole in the garden, similar to the beautiful node of @zboblamont. By the way, it looks very nice!
Finally, I have seen the GPRS and I also have one at home so, I definitely will give it a chance in this Ethan Hunt's project haha
Thank you all again!
@ancalotoru Please do let us know how you get on - and some pictures of the project would be nice too! :)
Good Luck!
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I have nothing more to post but thank you all for the answers. I will have a look at how to get power from the house to the garden as @skywatch suggested. Also, I will see how to place a pole in the garden, similar to the beautiful node of @zboblamont. By the way, it looks very nice!
Finally, I have seen the GPRS and I also have one at home so, I definitely will give it a chance in this Ethan Hunt's project haha
Thank you all again!
@ancalotoru The power demand will probably be dictated by the valve box operating at a different voltage, but since it was designed for battery power it should not be huge.
Agree with @skywatch recommendation of a PSU if it is viable but perhaps look at battery backup also if you get power cuts as were the bain of my life here...
Looking forward to your finalised pictures, good luck... -
@ancalotoru The power demand will probably be dictated by the valve box operating at a different voltage, but since it was designed for battery power it should not be huge.
Agree with @skywatch recommendation of a PSU if it is viable but perhaps look at battery backup also if you get power cuts as were the bain of my life here...
Looking forward to your finalised pictures, good luck...@zboblamont @skywatch I am looking forward to post tons of pictures and a full tutorial with code and electronics. I will get all the pieces in September so I will have to wait for a month....
Besides I have a question. Is better to have a 9v batteries to run the valves and then regulate its voltage to 3.3v in order to run all the sensors and the arduino, or is better to have two separated batteries? One for the arduino node and another exclusive one to drive the valves
Thank you!
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Hello,
I have worked with a lot of home irrigation equipment including both AC line-powered relays and a little with battery-powered 9vDC latching relays. I understand you are interested in learning MySensors, Arduino, etc. It appears that you could easily get a reliable wired commercial irrigation controller and valves working quickly and at low cost. The main reason to use this approach in my opinion is your major requirement - reliability. But also, speed and cost.
I have worked with hobby electronics for many years, and many hundreds of hours with MySensors and related electronics, and thousands of hours of software development. I use commercial irrigation controllers because I would never be able to build one as reliable even if I had unlimited time to do it. Even if building, writing code, and testing was done, something designed and built wll not have controls, display, and functions anything like a commercial unit.
I suggest you make your first MySensors/etc. project only for the sensors you want. This is challenging enough for your first project since you mention you are not experienced with electronics. It is better to learn to walk before you learn to run!
One example of this difficulty: have you bench-tested using an Arduino to activate/deactivate a latching 9vDC irrigation valve? They are not at all like an ordinary relay. If you can do this, I am impressed at what you have learned.
In your situation suggest you put a commercial AC mains to 24vAC powered irrigation controller (USA $50-$100) at your house with a cable to your valve box, and use non-latching 24vAC valves. If you must use 9vDC battery-powered valves, or must locate the controller underground (no way to use buried cable) you can buy commercial battery powered valves with built-in control for each valve (USA $25-$50 each), or a commercial battery powered controller for multiple valves. (brands: DIG, Orbit, Rain Bird, Hunter).
I apologize if it sounds like I am trying to discourage you. I am not! But I encourage you to start with a simpler project as it is hard enough to get your first working project even if you are only building one sensor or relay!
Good luck!
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@zboblamont @skywatch I am looking forward to post tons of pictures and a full tutorial with code and electronics. I will get all the pieces in September so I will have to wait for a month....
Besides I have a question. Is better to have a 9v batteries to run the valves and then regulate its voltage to 3.3v in order to run all the sensors and the arduino, or is better to have two separated batteries? One for the arduino node and another exclusive one to drive the valves
Thank you!
@ancalotoru said in Help for an irrigation system with a few inconveniences:
@zboblamont @skywatch I am looking forward to post tons of pictures and a full tutorial with code and electronics. I will get all the pieces in September so I will have to wait for a month....
Besides I have a question. Is better to have a 9v batteries to run the valves and then regulate its voltage to 3.3v in order to run all the sensors and the arduino, or is better to have two separated batteries? One for the arduino node and another exclusive one to drive the valves
Thank you!ed
I would suggest no. It may seem initially energy economito consolidate supplies, but a separate supply for the Node ensures it tells you when the 9v valve supply is getting close to failure to enable change-out before failure. If you are irrigating twice a day, that gives you a 12 hour minimum to change the valve actuator battery.
If you look at the mAh capacity of a PP3 v AA the lfespans are starkly different ;).
Your original control was built as a 9v remote head (?), it stands to reason that a quick low voltage burst to relay/fet the 9v battery at the "Node" should be sufficient to drive the latching valves, secure yet energy separated.
Hope that makes sense... -
@ancalotoru said in Help for an irrigation system with a few inconveniences:
@zboblamont @skywatch I am looking forward to post tons of pictures and a full tutorial with code and electronics. I will get all the pieces in September so I will have to wait for a month....
Besides I have a question. Is better to have a 9v batteries to run the valves and then regulate its voltage to 3.3v in order to run all the sensors and the arduino, or is better to have two separated batteries? One for the arduino node and another exclusive one to drive the valves
Thank you!ed
I would suggest no. It may seem initially energy economito consolidate supplies, but a separate supply for the Node ensures it tells you when the 9v valve supply is getting close to failure to enable change-out before failure. If you are irrigating twice a day, that gives you a 12 hour minimum to change the valve actuator battery.
If you look at the mAh capacity of a PP3 v AA the lfespans are starkly different ;).
Your original control was built as a 9v remote head (?), it stands to reason that a quick low voltage burst to relay/fet the 9v battery at the "Node" should be sufficient to drive the latching valves, secure yet energy separated.
Hope that makes sense...@zboblamont Ok thank you! I will keep it with two batteries then.
The original controller was running on one single 9V battery so maybe Rain Bird should revise that security possible issue :smile:
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Hello,
I have worked with a lot of home irrigation equipment including both AC line-powered relays and a little with battery-powered 9vDC latching relays. I understand you are interested in learning MySensors, Arduino, etc. It appears that you could easily get a reliable wired commercial irrigation controller and valves working quickly and at low cost. The main reason to use this approach in my opinion is your major requirement - reliability. But also, speed and cost.
I have worked with hobby electronics for many years, and many hundreds of hours with MySensors and related electronics, and thousands of hours of software development. I use commercial irrigation controllers because I would never be able to build one as reliable even if I had unlimited time to do it. Even if building, writing code, and testing was done, something designed and built wll not have controls, display, and functions anything like a commercial unit.
I suggest you make your first MySensors/etc. project only for the sensors you want. This is challenging enough for your first project since you mention you are not experienced with electronics. It is better to learn to walk before you learn to run!
One example of this difficulty: have you bench-tested using an Arduino to activate/deactivate a latching 9vDC irrigation valve? They are not at all like an ordinary relay. If you can do this, I am impressed at what you have learned.
In your situation suggest you put a commercial AC mains to 24vAC powered irrigation controller (USA $50-$100) at your house with a cable to your valve box, and use non-latching 24vAC valves. If you must use 9vDC battery-powered valves, or must locate the controller underground (no way to use buried cable) you can buy commercial battery powered valves with built-in control for each valve (USA $25-$50 each), or a commercial battery powered controller for multiple valves. (brands: DIG, Orbit, Rain Bird, Hunter).
I apologize if it sounds like I am trying to discourage you. I am not! But I encourage you to start with a simpler project as it is hard enough to get your first working project even if you are only building one sensor or relay!
Good luck!
@grubstake Thank you for your comments! You are totally right, I will probably never get the same quality as a aftermarket unit. I will just give it a try, see if works and if not, buy a new one.
I have been working with arduino for years but I am a newbe with electronics. I do not know how electronics work in the sense of physical phenomenas and so on. However, I know how to switch a valve with an arduino (that was the very first test) and many other operations like, read an analog sensor etc.
Regarding the coding, I hope that my degree in computer science helps haha
Furthermore, I have to say that I am really interested in mysensors because I would like to store as much data about my garden as I can. Why? Because I am currently doing a PhD in Artificial intelligence and going through all the steps of data science is kind a useful stuff
Hope I can post more advances soon! Thank you all
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Hi there!
I have been doing some electronics and here is my thoughts about how to connect things. Any help will be very welcomed. My idea is to create a PCB after testing everything on a breadboard.
!
