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  • Author Author: ntewinkel
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Retiring my Sprinkler Pi

ntewinkel

End of an Era! Cry 

I’ve decided to retire my good ole Sprinkler Pi - an original Pi 1 B+ running OpenSprinkler, connected to my own home brew circuit board.

It has been running successfully for 6 full seasons, only needing an occasional reset.

And it is still as reliable as it ever was. I used it for a few weeks into this season.

However, the local government has a rebate program going on that pays for a whole new controller, in an effort to save water, and I couldn’t pass that up. The new controller makes it easier for non-techies, like my artist wife, to use the system. Also important if we ever decide to downsize. The software is also very nicely done, and as much as I like OpenSprinkler, it does have a few minor irritating details that this new system also clears up. I haven’t updated the server software for the entire 7 years, so that may very well have all been cleared up by now.

So… I guess I have a spare sprinkler controller, or a Pi 1, that needs a new project Laughing 

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  • It was a good build, but as you said, when the government is willing to replace it with a "better" system, you get your toys back to do something else.

  • in reply to ntewinkel

    I think I'd be happy just getting it into the ground with an even distribution.

    Once in the ground it should be less of a target from the birds, get a bit of shade to stop it drying out so quick and help keep it in place when sprinkling with water.

    Seeking out bare spots would be one of the easier tasks I think. The injecting into the ground might be the tricky bit - do you spike it, hollow punch it, drill it, slice it ? given the limited weight of the bot and the limited power from a battery. Or do you go for compressed air to give you lots of stored power in a compact cylinder ?

    Yup, I get that here as well - loads of seed on the lawn doing absolutely nothing yet the spilt seed on the driveway is throwing up green shoots within a couple of days. I'm guessing it is something to do with how fine the tilth is that it lands on. When originally sowing into a finely tilled dusty soil, then I noticed it germinated really quickly. Trying to over-seed the bare spots a few weeks later and it was a totally different story.

    'Plan B' was carpet tiles. Grow 1'x1' tiles indoors on the window ledge and then transfer them to the lawn once they have germinated and reached a few inches in height. Slight smile

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    >It would make for an interesting project but...

    It would be very tricky I think. It would have to seek out bare spots, then plant it and hang around to shade it from heat, warm it up at night, keep it moist but not flooded. Then after germination it would turn on the grow lights. 5 weeks later it moves to the next bare spot Laughing

    I hear you about the birds!
    And what's up with grass growing in places like the driveway or walkways!? Right on harsh concrete or in gravel, but not in the soft nutritious soil we set up perfectly for it!

  • in reply to ntewinkel

    It would make for an interesting project but it could take a while to perfect I think. Could also be adapted for artistic seed planting designs perhaps. A lawn levelling bot would also be useful to have around.

     I think that the 80-20 rule over here is that the birds will eat 80% and the remaining 20% will grow where you don't want it to grow... 

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    Oh I see what you’re saying… spare Raspberry Pi… a need for a robot solution…. Thinking Laughing 

    I know what you mean about the grass seed moving. I raked it into the dirt as best as I could, but then a heavy rain moved it around. It’s not too bad though, it’s mostly the drought that’s worrisome. I find when starting a lawn from seed I aim for the 80-20 rule… hoping most of the area will grow, but expecting I’ll have to touch up bare spots later.