Just a note, most irrigation solenoid valves are 24v AC and controllers alike. Even in oz unless something has changed in the last few years. This looks like quite a good project given that controllers (used to atleast) cost over a hundred dollars. Nice one.

Holy Deja vu. I’m building a device almost identical. Except my board has 8 loads and rs232 instead of ethernet.

@tantris

your dd-wrt suggestion with serial port sounds great to me for other applications. Any router in particular you suggest? where can i find more info about serial ports on routers? Thx

I wonder how the city enforces the by law. Is the average old geezer inspector going to believe that box-o-wires works as stated?

Hi people, Doug here – I am the author.

In defense of the Instructables site, I post my projects there as an enabler for people who want to learn to make projects. In my experience, the site is free, you do not have to be a ‘Pro’ member to use it. I am a pro member, because I am happy to pay money for a facility that acts as an enabler to boost peoples confidence so that they feel they can make things themselves.

for those who have a problem with Instructables.com – the project files are on my web site http://www.vk1zdj.net/?p=25 – I am not a WordPress expert but I have it basically working.

Some people have been speaking about solenoids being 24V AC – Yep – I agree completely, even mine are officially 24V – but I found that they were able to be driven just fine at 12V DC, and that simplified the design. I am considering extending it to be 24V compliant. I just need to locate suitable (cheap as chips and trivially available) thyristors.

ignore the instrucables haters, they are too dumb to make a free login and sign in

therefore would never attempt a project that did not come as a kit with extra large instructions written in crayon

It’s actually cheaper to by a new sprinkler controller. The duino and ethernet parts together cost 2X that of a sprinkler controller.

That said… this one IS useful. I want a “off my damn lawn” function from the phone when I see kids cutting across the yard, I can activate the zone.

I recently almost designed a sprinkler controller for my home. As I walked back and forth from the back yard to the garage (where the sprinkler controller is located) many, many times to turn on/off valves as I adjusted and replaced sprinklers felt like such a waste of time.

What I want to build is a sprinkler controller that can be controlled wirelessly from a special remote control. Then I can click a valve on and off quickly as I am doing maintenance.

On another note, I am frustrated by the lack of flexibility that comes by fixed zones defined when irrigation systems are installed. This sprinkler system was installed by the previous owner of the home, and it has some design problems such as rotor and spray-type sprinklers on the same zone, and a zone spread across shaded and sunny areas.

If I ever install a new sprinkler system, I am definitely going to put an individually-controllable valve on each sprinkler and design a custom controller so I can optimize each sprinkler. Then I am not locked into the initial system design and it’s also easier to expand the system because all water lines can be connected, and control data to all sprinklers can come over a shared data line (RS-485, etc.).

What the water police gunna get you? Sorry had to troll this one.

Water conservation is your city officials not spending your tax dollars wisely, I would surly attend the next election.