HydroPoint WeatherTRAK ET Plus User manual

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
I
Introduction ..................................................................1
Welcome to the World of WeatherTRAK®! ..................................1
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Your
WeatherTRAK ET Plus ................................................5
Overview of the Controller ............................................................6
Selecting and Adjusting the Settings ............................................9
Chapter 2: Setting Up Your
WeatherTRAK ET Plus ..............................................13
Setting the Irrigation Start Time..................................................14
Setting the Water Window............................................................14
Setting the High ET Start..............................................................15
Setting the Clock ............................................................................16
Setting the Time Zone ..................................................................16
Setting Auto Daylight Savings ....................................................17
Setting the Maximum Active Stations ........................................17
Viewing the Serial Number..........................................................18
Viewing the Phase Integrity ........................................................18
Setting the Lock Phase ..................................................................18
Displaying the Microzone ............................................................19
Displaying the WT Version ..........................................................20
Setting the Water District Number..............................................21
Setting the Radio Antenna............................................................22
Chapter 3: Programming Your
WeatherTRAK ET Plus ..............................................25
Setting Schedules ........................................................................26
Introduction to Programming ....................................................30
Programming Fully Automated ................................................31
User Program With ET ................................................................42
User Program No ET ....................................................................49
Copying ..........................................................................................49
Reviewing ......................................................................................55
Adjusting ........................................................................................57

Table of Contents III
Chapter 4: Using Special Features ..........................63
Running ..........................................................................................64
Using Rain Pause ..........................................................................65
Operating Manually ......................................................................67
Understanding Alerts....................................................................71
Using ET..........................................................................................73
Using Display Adjust ....................................................................74
Using Help......................................................................................75
Setting to Off ..................................................................................77
Activating the Rain Service..........................................................78
Setting the Zip Code......................................................................78
Setting the ET Zone ......................................................................79
Displaying the Group Number....................................................79
Setting the Maximum Backup ET ..............................................80
Appendix A: Quick Reference Guide....................83
Getting Started ..............................................................................83
Schedules ........................................................................................83
Programs ........................................................................................84
Copy ................................................................................................85
Review ............................................................................................85
Adjust (Auto Mode Only) ............................................................86
Manual ............................................................................................86
Rain Pause ......................................................................................87
Appendix B: Troubleshooting Guide ....................89
Alert Troubleshooting ..................................................................89
The Controller Programs Correctly But There is No
Station Output From the Controller ..........................................90
My Landscape is Too Wet ............................................................90
My Landscape is Too Dry ............................................................90
Adjust is Not Working ..................................................................90
Controller Just Installed, Activated and Still Beeping ............91
What Do the Beeps Mean ............................................................91
The Display is Blank......................................................................91
The Display is Frozen....................................................................92
ET Display Has a “P” After It......................................................92
Week 1 in the Review Screen is Much Different Than
Weeks 2 Through 8 ........................................................................92
The Display in REVIEW Shows “99+” Minutes of
Runtime ..........................................................................................93
Table of ContentsII
Appendix C: Site Gathering Data ..........................95
Introduction....................................................................................95
The Processes..................................................................................96
Appendix D: FCC Information..............................103
Index ..........................................................................105

Introduction
Introduction
I
1
Introduction
Welcome to the World of WeatherTRAK®!
What is WeatherTRAK?
The WeatherTRAK ET plus Controller is smart irrigation made simple.
For years, a multitude of independent field studies by water districts
and other municipal groups has proven that the WeatherTRAK ET plus
saves time, money, and water.
Why Should I Care About Accurate Irrigation?
Research has proven that over-watering is not only costly, but also
threatens the life of your landscape.
Over-watering leads to poor plant health and disease. It also
dramatically increases water bills, depletes precious water supplies
and creates runoff pollution, endangering local watershed areas and
beaches.
In many cases, landscapes become conditioned to inaccurate
irrigation. Often times the plants have adjusted to inconsistent
watering and have developed survival mechanisms such as shallow
rooting.
Over time, the WeatherTRAK ET plus system reconditions your
landscape to a natural balance, leading to healthier plants and a
greater efficiency in the way they use and absorb water.
Shallow roots
from frequent
overwatering
Deeper roots
from correct
watering
IV

The ET Everywhere Service provides accurate ET down to one
square kilometer, automatically adjusting the water flow with
changes in your local weather conditions. The ET Everywhere
Service is centrally managed at a HydroPoint Data Center.
3. Customer Service. HydroPoint offers the irrigation industry’s
most professional and personalized customer support. We’re
here to answer any questions you have: from understanding
how to install the WeatherTRAK ET plus to questions about
horticulture, water conservation, and proper plant maintenance.
* ET is a scientific formula that determines the amount of water
lost from a plant and its soil due to transpiration and
evaporation caused by weather conditions.
If you need help, just call us at: [phone] or look us up on the
web at: www.hydropoint.com.
How Do I Maintain My Landscape?
Although the WeatherTRAK ET plus eliminates most adjustments, it’s
only as good as your overall irrigation system.
You or your contractor still need to inspect your system at least once
a month to ensure its operating at its peak efficiency.
Remember that your landscape will likely need to be tuned and
reconditioned. It will take time and a phased-in approach to develop
an optimal water schedule. But with the WeatherTRAK ET plus, you
will begin to see dramatic results in water savings and plant health
within a few short weeks or months.
Introduction 3
How Does it Work?
First, the WeatherTRAK ET plus controller automatically calculates a
program that matches your landscape’s specific needs. Next, the ET
Everywhere Service analyzes the weather conditions in your area,
and automatically broadcasts customized irrigation adjustments
directly to your controller, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week. This revolutionary technology ensures the most accurate,
cost-effective irrigation ever devised.
The WeatherTRAK ET Plus System
What is the WeatherTRAK ET Solution?
The WeatherTRAK ET plus offers three key solutions to your irrigation
needs:
1. The WeatherTRAK ET Plus Scheduling Engine. You simply enter
basic information about your landscape into the WeatherTRAK ET
plus and the controller automatically sets a scientifically based,
customized schedule for you.
2. The ET Everywhere Service. HydroPoint obtains weather station
data from a host of public and private partners including NOAA,
cities, states, universities, water districts and other organizations
that own and manage weather station networks or individual
weather stations.
HydroPoint collects, analyzes and validates weather data
gathered from thousands of weather stations. We utilize these
weather stations to provide input parameters for our local
evapotranspiration (ET)* calculations.
Across the U.S.each
day, a vast network
of weather stations
transmit weather
data to the NOAA
satellite.
HydroPoint dowloads
weather data from the
NOAA satellite and from
other weather data sources.
HydroPoint
transmits ET
data to its
wireless
network.
HydroPoint's data analysis
process uses this weather
data to calculate
location-specific ET down
to a square kilometer.
HydroPoint's wireless
network broadcasts
location-specific ET data
to WeatherTrak ET Controllers.
WeatherTrak ET Controllers
automatically adjust irrigation
output as weather changes,
ensuring maximum water
conservation, run off reduction
and landscape health.
13
2
4
5
6
Introduction2

Getting to Know Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus
Chapter 1: Getting to Know Your
WeatherTRAK ET Plus
In this chapter you will learn about:
•Overview of the Controller, and
•Selecting and Adjusting the Settings.
Important:
Before using your controller
1. Make sure to inspect your existing irrigation system for any leaks
or broken pipes. The efficiency of your new controller depends
on the condition of your system. By having an efficient system,
you will gain the most from using the WeatherTRAK ET plus.
2. Install your new controller. HydroPoint recommends that you
have the controller installed and programmed by an irrigation
professional.
HydroPoint has provided a separate poster to show you step-by-step
how to install the WeatherTRAK ET plus.
!
Chapter 1
1
5

Getting to Know Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus6Getting to Know Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 7
2. Upper Line Dial
Turn this dial left or right to select items on a list that appear on
the upper line of the display.
3. Lower Line Dial
Turn this dial left or right to change the items on the list that you
have selected. These will appear in the second line of the display.
4. Copy
Use this button to copy information that has been set for one
station to another station.
5. Function Selector Positions
Run
Set the controller to this position for day-to-day operation. You
will see a display that shows:
•the time and date,
•which valves are on (manually or automatic),
•whether the controller is in Rain Pause or if the rain sensor
is active and,
•how many days until watering resumes.
Setup
This position lets you adjust the time, date and time zone.
Schedule
Use this position to set the days your irrigation system can
operate.
Program
This position lets you customize your landscape specific
parameters by setting various “user modes.” These user modes
include items such as:
•Auto,
•User Program with ET,
•User Program No ET, and
•Off.
Copy
This feature allows you to:
•copy one station’s settings to another station,
•copy one station’s settings to all other stations, or
•restore default values.
Overview of the Controller
The main controls on the WeatherTRAK ET plus are:
•a Function Selector (1),
•an Upper Line Dial (2), and
•a Lower Line Dial (3).
You will also see a Copy button and an information display.
1. Function Selector
Turn this dial left or right to select items to view. (For example,
“Run,” “Setup,” “Program,” etc.)
2
3
4
1
5
6

Getting to Know Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 9
Review
This setting displays each station’s:
•irrigation run time,
•number of cycles,
•soak times,
•adjustment factor expressed as a percentage, and
•operating days.
Adjust
When you set a station to Auto, this feature adjusts:
•the percentage (ET).
When in auto mode, you can adjust the station ET. They are
adjustable in increments of 5% (in a range of -50% to +25%).
Rain Pause
This feature lets you shut down the controller for a specific
number of days.
Off
This setting stops all irrigation. The controller will still receive
daily (ET) updates and the schedule will be recalculated.
Display Adjust
This feature lets you adjust the contrast of the display for better
viewing.
Help
Select “Help” to see the toll free phone number to call for
information about your WeatherTRAK ET plus controller. The
“Help” feature also displays important activation and
troubleshooting information about your controller.
Alerts
This setting provides a list of alerts that you will receive about
your controller. You will be alerted if you attempt to make a
setting that could harm your plants, as well as alerts for electrical
and communication malfunctions.
Getting to Know Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus8
ET
This setting displays:
•the last ET value received (daily value) with the time and
date it was received,
•the weekly ET value, which is an accumulation of the ET
values sent over the last seven days, and
•an optional feature where you can set custom plant and turf
types and associated water requirements.
Manual
This feature lets you manually operate one, multiple or all
stations for a specific period of time, in increments of 1 minute,
from 1 to 99 minutes.
6. Information Display
This three-line display shows the status of your controller and
the adjustments that you make to it.
Selecting and Adjusting the Settings
You can select and adjust the controller’s settings in three simple
steps.
1. Turn the Function Selector dial to one of the following settings.
Going clockwise they are:
•Run
•Setup
•Schedule
•Program
•Copy
•Review
•Adjust
•Rain Pause
•Off
•Display Adjust
•Help
•Alerts
•ET
•Manual
You will see the display change as you turn the dial.

2. Turn the Upper Line dial to the left or right to scroll through
items on the list.
For example, if you choose “Setup” with the Function Selector,
you can turn the Upper Line dial left or right to scroll through
the entire list of setup features.
Important: As you scroll through a list, many lists will
“loop” through the last item to the first item. This allows
you to not have to retrace your previous steps to go to items
in the current list.
3. Turn the Lower Line dial to the left or right to change the items
on the list that you have selected. For example, if you select “Set
Clock” on the upper line with the Upper Line dial, you actually
change the clock settings on the lower line with the Lower Line
dial.
These changes appear in the second (lower) line of the display.
4. The latest setting is automatically saved.
!
Getting to Know Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus10

Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus
Chapter 2: Setting Up Your
WeatherTRAK ET Plus
Now that you have installed your WeatherTRAK ET plus controller
and you are familiar with the way to make changes to the settings,
it’s time to set up the controller.
This chapter explains:
•Setting the Irrigation Start Time,
•Setting the Water Window,
•Setting the High ET Start,
•Setting the Clock,
•Setting the Time Zone,
•Setting Auto Daylight Savings,
•Setting the Maximum Active Stations,
•Viewing the Serial Number,
•Viewing the Phase Integrity,
•Setting the Lock Phase,
•Displaying the Microzone,
•Displaying the WT Version,
•Setting the Stacking Option,
•Setting the Water District Number, and
•Setting the Radio Antenna.
After you are finished with the basic set-up, we will ask you to call
HydroPoint to activate your WeatherTRAK ET plus.
To start, turn the Function Selector dial to “Setup.”
Chapter 2
2
13

The lower line of the display shows the default setting of 23:00
hours.
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to set the number of hours.
3. Turn the Upper Line dial to the right once more to select the
number of minutes.
4. Turn the Lower Line dial to set the water window minutes
(00 to :59).
Note: The minimum window you can set is 6 hours.
Setting the High ET Start
With the WeatherTRAK ET plus, you set a High ET Start Time for
when you need to water more than once per day to adjust for
extreme weather conditions.
During periods of high ET, the WeatherTRAK ET plus may water
every day of the week using a single start time. If you need more
water within a given day, (typically for turf), the WeatherTRAK ET
plus will irrigate a second cycle long enough to replenish the
required ET.
To do this:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to set the High ET start hour (1 to 9).
The lower line of the display shows the default setting of 1 PM.
3. Turn the Upper Line dial to the right once more to select the
High ET start minutes.
4. Use the Lower Line dial to change the High ET start minutes (00
to :59).
SET HIGH ET START (HOUR)
01:00pm
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 15
Setting the Irrigation Start Time
With the WeatherTRAK ET plus, once you set a start time, the rest of
the irrigation calculations are done automatically.
To set the irrigation start time:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to set the hour (AM or PM) you would
like irrigation to begin.
3. Turn the Upper Line dial to the right once more to select the start
time minutes.
4. Use the Lower Line dial to change the start time minutes.
Note: The default start time is 12:01am. You cannot set the time
to 12:00.
Setting the Water Window
The “water window” allows you to create a "window" of time that
irrigation is allowed to operate. The calculated program may be
shorter or longer than the window. If it is longer than the window, it
will not complete. Any incomplete run times will be carried over to
the next irrigation day. You will get an alert on the third line of the
display indicating the water window alert.
To create a water window, the end time must be at least six hours
from the start time to allow for effective watering.
To set the water window:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
SET WATER WINDOW (HOUR)
23:00 hrs (End 11:01pm)
SET IRRIG START (HOUR)
12:01am
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus14

Setting Auto Daylight Savings
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select “Yes” or “No.”
When your controller receives the daily ET broadcast, it will
automatically adjust the controller to your local time, with or without
daylight savings.
Setting the Maximum Active Stations
You should always set the maximum active stations to correspond to
the actual number of valves that are wired to the controller.
•If you set this higher than the actual number of valves that you
are using, you may add unnecessary time to the irrigation
window. This may cause unnecessary water window alerts.
•If you set this lower than the actual number of valves that you
are using, you will prevent some of the valves from operating at
all.
•There is separate master valve terminal on the output board of
the controller. You do not need to count the master valve as an
active station.
To set the maximum active stations:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select the number of valves
connected to the controller. (The default number is 12.)
SET MAX A TIVE STATIONS
12
AUTO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS?
Yes
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 17
Setting the Clock
To set the clock:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to set the year.
3. Turn the Upper Line dial to the right once more to select the
month.
4. Turn the Lower Line dial to change the month.
Continue using the Upper and Lower Line dials to set the day, hour,
and minutes.
Setting the Time Zone
The WeatherTRAK ET plus receives a regular time broadcast, which is
based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The controller then automatically adjusts this time based on the local
time zone and Daylight Savings Time (if used).
To set the time zone:
Turn the Lower Line dial to select your time zone. The choices are:
•Atlantic,
•Eastern,
•Central,
•Mountain,
•Pacific (Default Setting),
•Alaska, and
•Hawaii.
SET TIME ZONE
Pacific
SET LO K (YEAR)
Jun 03 2004
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus16

2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select a lock phase. Your choices are:
•A,
•B,
•C, or
•None (Default Setting).
When you lock onto a phase other than “None,” the controller will
beep when receiving your activation message.
* Note: This feature is used only at ET Everywhere Service
activation. After activation all phases are ‘live’ and will be used to
receive daily ET updates. Locking on a phase at activation allows
for faster activation process. At midnight of the day of activation,
the controller will “unlock.”
Displaying the Microzone
The microzone provides the specific location of the controller and
enables the WeatherTRAK ET plus to receive its daily local ET updates.
To view the microzone, turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
This displays the current microzone. The value shown is the default
value.
Note: This value is transmitted to each controller during ET
Everywhere Service activation. You do not set this value.
MI ROZONE
12345678
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 19
Viewing the Serial Number
Under “Setup,” to view the serial number of your controller, turn the
Upper Line dial until you see:
Please write down your serial number for future reference.
SN #::___________________________
Viewing the Phase Integrity
To view the phase integrity, which indicates wireless reception
strength, turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
You should leave the phase integrity screen on for several minutes to
acquire all of the data that HydroPoint is transmitting.
Setting the Lock Phase
To activate your controller, you will be asked to lock to a phase. Do
not perform this setting until the HydroPoint Customer Service
Representative asks you to do it.
To do this:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
LO K PHASE
None
PHASE INTEGRITY
A=68 B=81 =73 D=74
SERIAL NUMBER
00649127
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus18

Setting the Water District Number
HydroPoint provides a water district number if, and only if, you are a
registered and willing participant in a water agency program. This
may be set manually. This identification will allow your WeatherTRAK
ET plus to be notified of specific water agency requirements.
To set the water district number:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select a number from “0” to “9.”
3. Continue to turn the Upper Line and Lower Line dials until you
have selected the correct five-digit number.
* Note: There are some menu displays that you will set later. The
following settings are not mandatory and will be covered in
Chapter 4.
SET WATER DIST.# Digit 1
12345
–
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 21
Displaying the WT Version
This information will be used for ET Everywhere Service activation only.
To view this, turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
The number you see is the current WeatherTRAK ET plus version.
Setting the Stacking Option
Stacking is an irrigation term for sequential versus simultaneous
operation of two or more schedules.
Your controller has two schedules: A and B.
Stacking (Stacking = yes, the default setting) means that all
stations on both schedule A and schedule B will run sequentially (one
at a time) until all programmed stations have completed their cycle
run time. Non-stacking (Stacking = no) means that the stations in
program A can operate at the same time as the stations in program B
(simultaneous operation). The hydraulics of your irrigation system
determine whether or not non-stacking can be set.
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select:
•Yes (default), or
•No.
STA KING
Yes
WT VERSION
ver 00300a29
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus20

Setting the Radio Antenna
There are two options for setting the radio antenna:
• Internal, (which is the default), and
• External.
Usually, you will use the internal antenna.
In some areas, the internal antenna may not function due to local
topography or interference from metal items, such as mounting the
controller inside a steel cabinet. You can install an external antenna to
allow the controller to receive a better signal.
To set the antenna:
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select “Internal” or “External.”
3. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
You can purchase a kit that has the connection cable and antenna.
Please call your local distributor or HydroPoint Sales for more
information.
You are ready to activate your WeatherTRAK ET plus Controller!
Please call us now at: [phone].
* Note: Activation should take 5 minutes to complete. Be sure to
have your program settings worksheet and the serial number when
you call.
SETUP OMPLETE
RADIO ANTENNA
Internal
Setting Up Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus22

Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus
Chapter 3: Programming Your
WeatherTRAK ET Plus
This chapter explains how to set schedules and program your
WeatherTRAK ET plus.
You will learn about:
•Setting Schedules,
•Introduction to Programming,
•Programming Fully Automated,
•User Program With ET,
•User Program No ET,
•Copying,
•Reviewing, and
•Adjusting.
Chapter 3
3
25

After you select a schedule, please see the following procedures for
the schedule that applies to you.
If you selected “Automated by WeatherTRAK,” you will see the
following display:
This is the default setting. You can set a non-watering day if you
wish. The controller will never allow any watering on the day you
select. If you wish to allow the controller water on any day, select
“NONE.”
To select a non-watering day, turn the Lower Line dial to choose one
of the following:
•Sun through Sat, or
•None (Default).
Note: This is a “hard” non-water day and the WeatherTRAK ET plus
will never water on the day you selected. WeatherTRAK ET plus may
also skip days if it determines that irrigation can wait until the next
water day.
If you selected “Odd/Even,” you will see the following display:
Turn the Lower Line dial to choose one of the following:
•Odd (default), or
•Even.
The WeatherTRAK ET plus will NOT water on the current day if it
does not meet the schedule.
Note: If you select “Odd” watering day, the controller will allow
watering on both day 31 of the current month and day 1 of the
following month.
WATER DAY ODD/EVEN S H A
Odd
BEST NON-WATER DAY S H A
None
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 27
Setting Schedules
Schedules are water days that you can assign on a station-by-station
basis. You must set a schedule before you begin any programming.
There can be up to two different schedules:
•A, or
•B.
Once you create a schedule, you then apply it to a given station
during programming. You can assign only one schedule for each
station.
Note: Schedules do not determine or affect run times. Run times are
determined when you program each station. These schedules are
used for auto mode stations only. You will create schedules for the
user modes in the program sections for those stations.
To set up a schedule:
1. Turn the Function Selector dial to “Schedule.”
You will see the following display:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select one of the following:
•A (default), or
•B.
3. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
4. Turn the Lower Line dial to choose one of the following:
•Automated by WeatherTRAK (Default Setting),
•Odd/Even,
•Interval, or
•Days of Week.
SET WATER DAYS S H A
Automated by WeatherTRAK
SET S HEDULE
S H A
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus26

The WeatherTRAK ET plus will water on “Y” days as needed in
response to the changing weather. During winter months, some of
these days may be skipped, while in the summer, every “Y” day may
be required to irrigate. If you do not set enough days to allow
watering during times of high ET, the system will alert you of the
problem. (Please see “Understanding Alerts” on page 71 for more
information.)
2. Turn the Upper Line dial to the next position.
The cursor will move to the “Y” under the “M” for Monday.
For example:
Continue to turn the Upper Line dial until the cursor appears
under the “T” for Thursday.
3. Turn the Lower Line dial to the desired setting.
4. Turn the Upper Line dial past the “S” for Saturday. The upper
line changes to these headings:
• Feb S M T W T F S SCH B,
• Mar S M T W T F S SCH B,
• Apr S M T W T F S SCH B,” etc. through December.
Set the irrigation days of the week for each month of the
entire year.
Jan S M T W T F S S H B
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
–
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 29
If you selected “Interval,” you will see the following display:
Turn the Lower Line dial to choose one of the following:
•01 Day-31 Day.
Note: The WeatherTRAK ET plus treats the current day as Day “0” and
will water on that Day. Day “01” will start at 12:01 AM on the day
following the current day.
A “01” Day Interval will water every day, a “02” Day Interval will
water every second day, and a “03” Day Interval will water every 3
days.
If you selected “Days of Week,” you will see the following display:
1. Turn the Lower Line dial to choose one of the following:
•Y for Yes-OK to water on this Day (Default Setting)
•- for Non-Water Day - Never water on this day.
Note: The lower line of the display shows the default settings for
January. For each month of the year, the user selects which days
of the week to water. Note that there is a cursor beneath the “Y,”
(Yes) that is under the “S,” for Sunday to indicate it can be
changed.
Some watering may occur on non-water days if watering cycles
that start during “Y” days extend into “—” days AND there is no
water window to stop this.
Jan S M T W T F S S H B
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
–
WATER DAY INTERVAL S H A
01 Day (water every day)
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus28

The “User Program No ET” mode does not use the ET Everywhere
Service and the program remains unchanged unless you change it.
This mode always applies the same amount of water regardless of
changing weather and changing landscape requirements.
Programming Fully Automated
With this method, the design of the irrigation program is completely
automated based on parameters that you select. (The irrigation
program is automatically adjusted by the ET Everywhere Service
Broadcast.) Once you have set the parameters, the WeatherTRAK ET
plus will adjust the watering programs in response to changing
weather conditions throughout the year.
The WeatherTRAK ET plus uses a 50% soil moisture depletion model
to determine when and how much to water each plant type.
There are 14 steps to program each station on your controller using
the fully automated feature.
They are:
1. Set Station to Program
You program one station at a time.
2. Set Program Mode
Fully Automated.
3. Set Schedule
You assign a schedule, (A or B), from one that you have already
created.
4. Use Water Window
You tell the controller whether or not you want to use the water
window defined during setup.
5. Set Sprinkler Type
You select the kind of sprinkler equipment you will be using.
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 31
Introduction to Programming
You need to program the WeatherTRAK ET plus in order to create an
irrigation routine for each station at your site.
There are four Program Modes you can select. They are:
•Fully Automated,
•User Program With ET,
•User Program No ET, and
•Off.
All programs are based on their assigned schedule watering days you
created in the A and B schedules. (Please see “Setting Schedules” on
page 26 for more information.)
The “Fully Automated” Mode is the first (and recommended)
method of programming.
To ensure that water is applied in the proper amounts at the proper
time, the WeatherTRAK ET plus asks you to enter information about
the specific conditions for each irrigation zone at your site.
Based on your input the controller will automatically calculate the
correct irrigation program. Once activated, the controller will start
receiving the daily ET Everywhere Service Broadcast and
automatically adjust the program every day in response to current
local weather conditions.
The controller will then water on the best days according to the
schedule that you selected.
The other two methods of programming are “User Program With
ET” and “User Program No ET.” These require you to determine
your own irrigation program of run times, the number of cycles,
minimum soak times, and what days of the week to water, hence the
name “User Programmed.”
The “User Program With ET” mode will still receive the daily ET
Everywhere Service updates and will adjust the program accordingly.
You will initially set the controller’s base schedule for the best
program for that day’s current ET and then the daily ETs will adjust
run times accordingly.
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus30

The crop coefficient adjusts the gathered ET to the ET amount
required by the specific plant material.
Some plants may need much less water than the relative daily ET
to thrive, i.e., native plants, while other plants may require more.
The crop coefficient allows the WeatherTRAK ET plus to
customize each station to a particular type or group of plants to
give you efficient water usage.
The root depth is necessary for proper irrigation because
different watering patterns can affect how deep the applied
water infiltrates the soil. Deep-rooted plants require a different
irrigation pattern than shallow-rooted plants to supply water
deeper into the soil.
The WeatherTRAK ET plus adjusts the watering pattern to account
for the plant type selected.
10. Set Root Depth
This is the depth of your plant’s roots. The default values are
based on standard values for selected plant and soil types which
you can adjust as required.
•Larger root depths allow for longer intervals (days) between
watering.
•Smaller root depths create shorter intervals between
watering.
11. Set Microclimate
This is the amount of direct sunlight your plants receive each
day.
If the area is:
•Sunny all day, this will increase watering 10% of the ET.
•Sunny most of day, this will water exactly to ET.
•Shady most of the day, this will decrease watering by -15%
of ET.
•Shady all of the day, this will decrease watering by -30% of
ET.
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 33
6. Set Precipitation Rate
This is the amount of water applied in inches per hour. After you
select a sprinkler type, you set the precipitation rate.
Note: The precipitation rate is vital to determine the proper run
times for each station and to allow the system to operate
properly and efficiently.
•The default precipitation rate is matched to the chosen
sprinkler type. The greater the precipitation rate, the shorter
the run times and/or fewer cycles needed to apply the
needed water.
•The lower the precipitation rate, the longer the run times
and/or more cycles required to apply the needed water.
•Please see “Appendix C: Site Data Gathering” on page 95.
7. Set Efficiency
This is where you set the overall efficiency of the sprinklers.
•The default values are based on industry published values.
•The default efficiency rate is matched to the chosen sprinkler
type.
•Higher efficiencies mean shorter run times and/or fewer
cycles required to apply the needed water.
•Lower efficiencies mean longer run times and/or more
cycles required to apply the water needed.
•Please see “Appendix C: Site Data Gathering” on page 95.
8. Set Soil Type
You enter the kind of soil that you have in that station/zone.
9. Set Plant Type
This is the type of plant material you are irrigating.
There are two types of parameters for each plant type:
•crop coefficient, and
•root depth.
By selecting a plant type, you select values for both.
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus32

Set Program Mode
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select “Fully Automated” from the
following choices:
•Fully Automated (Default Setting)
•User Programmed-With ET
•User Programmed-NO ET
•OFF
Note: Each of the program modes is shown sequentially.
Set Schedule
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to select one of the following choices:
•A, or
•B.
Use Water Window
1. Turn the Upper Line dial until you see:
This tells the controller whether this station should use the water
window you entered in “Setup”. The controller calculates the
end time.
USE WATER WINDOW STA 01
Yes (end time 11:01pm)
SET S HEDULE STA 01
A
–
SET PROGRAM MODE STA 01
Fully Automated
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus 35
12. Set Slope Factor
This refers to the relative flatness of your landscape.
•Slope factors are aimed at reducing runoff and maximizing
water intake by the plants roots.
•Slope factors will impact the duration of each water cycle
and the number of cycles required to apply water.
•The steeper the slope the greater the number of cycles and
the lower the run time per cycle.
13. Set Sprinkler Location
This is when the sprinklers are on a slope.
•If the slope is “0”, you will not be allowed to select a
location because it’s not applicable.
14. Set Usable Rainfall
This feature only works with the Rainfall Service.
All of these values are entered for each station. To speed up the
entry process, you can copy information from one station to
another and then edit as required.
To Begin Fully Automated Programming:
Set Station to Program
1. Turn the Function Selector dial to “Program.”
You will see the following display:
2. Turn the Lower Line dial to the desired station. You have the
following choices:
•STA 1, 2, 3, etc. up to the Maximum Active Station number
that you entered during “Setup.”
SET STA TO PROGRAM
Program STA 01
Programming Your WeatherTRAK ET Plus34