The B-Hyve isn't perfect and the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller is the better option if price isn't an issue. Orbit deserves credit for successfully ushering its classic controller to the modern age while keeping the basics like manual controls intact. The price is right, as the B-Hyve's only $100 for six zones or $120 for twelve - that's as budget-friendly as it gets for a controller with comparable smarts. Verdictīetween the accurate and easy-to-use smart scheduling and the helpful Alexa skill, the Orbit B-Hyve will add a lot of convenience to your life if you're used to controlling your sprinklers with an old-fashioned timer. So at least the B-Hyve has a bit of quality to combat Rachio's quantity. Surprisingly, given all of Rachio's other smart home credentials, the B-Hyve's integration with Alexa works more reliably and intuitively than Rachio's. If you don't offer specifics right away, Alexa can get caught in a loop. I was also initially confused because Alexa only responds to the word "station" and not "zone," but both of these issues were minor.Ĭontrolling Rachio's sprinkler with Alexa is more tedious. Apparently, the system doesn't know what to do if you don't offer specifics and don't have any programs set. Once I set a few manual programs, Alexa then properly turned on the sprinklers after my first command and ran one of my established programs. The B-hyve specifically waters your lawn for short 10- to 15-minute bursts for each zone to prevent runoff. Once you get your zones set, you can turn on smart watering for each and the B-Hyve will track your soil moisture, watch the weather and water when necessary. Like Rachio, Orbit does a good job of combining easy-to-use options for beginners with hidden depth for experts. If you're an expert, the B-Hyve has an advanced details section that lets you fine-tune stats such as "Reference Evapotranspiration" and "Landscape Coefficient." If you don't know what those terms mean, don't worry, the B-Hyve makes an educated guess and fills in values based on the basic details you provide. You can also set up catch cups to determine exactly how much water hits your yard between rain and the sprinklers for a more exact estimate of soil moisture. Under the zones page, you can give the B-Hyve the details it needs to set your schedule for you under "smart details." For each zone, you can set the soil type, plant type, sprinkler type, amount of sunlight, slope and how many sprinklers are in the zone.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |