So for the moment I've decided to develop my irrigation based on hubduino (esp8266 based) and hubitat integration. I looked at Rachio but v3 isn't legal here in Australia.. Considered a few others but got cold feet each time with the odd bad review of water not turning off or schedules paying up. Then decided why not have a crack myself for fun.. That may change in a month's time but hey.
After ideas? I know there is a simple watering app but looking at creating one myself.
Thinking that I record rainfall for past 4 days and future 2 (a moving week).
Recording temperature for the same period.
Have my target watering (irrigation and rainfall measured in mm) based on a base value, and then have a multiplier to that value based on the average forecast temperature for the week. So in summer the watering level will automatically adjust to say 3x the water than winter (rain and irrigation). Likely something like this (in degrees c). Watering multiplier = (Average High temp for week - 15)/8, so a temp of 30 will be about 2x higher than a cooler week. A stinking hot week (in Sydney) of 40 will have 3x. The irrigation will water less if it rains or is forecast to rain for that week.
My grass will be watered 2x a week. My flowers every day. Grass will have its own target, flowers another. Both sharing the multiplier and the rainfall sum.
Its a shame that variable maths can only have two variables as it makes for sum of the week or average temp for week to be many, lines of code.. Not difficult, just not so elegant.
Thoughts? I recognise that perhaps I may end up with a commercial system that I set and forget.. But for now I'll try this path to start seeing I have all the hardware, and the interest for the moment.
