Community Home › Community › B-hyve Smart Hose Faucet Timer › Linking multiple B-hyve sprinklers together.
Tagged: Multiple hose timers
- This topic has 14 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 months, 3 weeks ago by
MikeAnthony.
-
AuthorPosts
-
October 19, 2018 at 5:38 pm #72148
Carnet
ParticipantI am currently using a single b-hyve timer on a single faucet on the side of my house and I have a 4 valve splitter attached to the b-hyve so that I can water 4 different areas of my yard. I don’t have enough water pressure to run all 4 sprinkers at the same time, so I have to manually open and close each valve of the splitter at the end of each watering cycle…it’s not a big deal, but it’s tedious because I have to baby sit the system until it’s done, which kind of defeats the purpose of having an auto watering system in the first place.
Question:
Is it possible to have a separate b-hyve timer set up on each of the four lines so that I can create a program that will automatically start and stop each of the 4 lines.Logic tells me that I just need to buy 3 more B-hyve timers, and attach the timers to the four sections of the splitter, but can the app set up a program that will start/stop each of the 4 different b-hyve timers at the appropriate time?
Spread the love!October 19, 2018 at 7:45 pm #72149Dryheat115
ParticipantYes you can. Each timer has its own MAC address so the app will see them as separate timers. I use the app to control 2 hose timers and one 6 station timer.
Spread the love!October 20, 2018 at 1:01 am #72169Carnet
ParticipantThat’s great, however I have just hooked up 4 hose timers and it isn’t seeing them individually. I have to manually connect and disconnect to each separate hose timer in the app…even though I have paired each timer, given it a unique name, and unique zone number (1,2,3,4)
When I try to create a program it only sees “zone 1”
Any ideas what I am doing wrong?
Spread the love!October 31, 2018 at 4:43 pm #76513Stephen
Keymaster@Carnet Currently the app does not run them together, the timers don’t recognize each other. We are working on an update so that these timers will recognize each other and you can program all of the timers to run in sequence.
Spread the love!April 23, 2019 at 4:43 pm #77209Dr Reveg
ParticipantI have to say that the Orbit team seems to be missing a couple of very important issues and I’m sure that it is costing customers. (If I had known how difficult and non-intuitive setting up 2 hose timers was, I would not have purchased them and am unlikely to purchase any further Orbit products.) First, the simple use of words to describe things: “A hub is not a hub.” What?!! Are you kidding? Then the use of zones, programs, events, slots, and even ‘smart watering’ are beyond confusing. I’m sure it all makes sense to the engineers but it would be useful to use terms and contexts that make sense to the normal user. (I consider myself a normal user, though I have been using timers at home and professionally for over 30 years.)
The second thing is the one that this and other forums mention: programming multiple timers is nearly impossible without spending an hour or two on a forum, looking at a couple of YouTube videos or calling the help line. That is unacceptable and even though it’s well known, it hasn’t been resolved as of this date (4/23/2019). And yet the marketing people have no problem claiming how simple it all is. Even one timer isn’t that simple and two is…frustrating at best. I’m not sure what else to say except that creating a better product is just not that difficult and I’m sure someone is working on it now and will move Orbit to the side of the road soon.Spread the love!April 24, 2019 at 12:45 pm #77238Stephen
Keymaster@DrReveg Thank you for the feedback, we are working on improving the programming of these timers, specifically programming multiple units. I don’t have a release date for these updates, but just know they are being worked on.
The hub is used to connect your timers to the internet. The timer has no sort of Wi-Fi chip internally, so it relies on an external source to get the device connected to the internet. In comes the hub.
Zones – This should not be used when describing a Hose Faucet Timer because a Hose Faucet timer is only a single outlet, thus only having one “Zone”. This fix will be in place with the app update described earlier.
Programs – These are used to describe different watering occurrences programmed into the timer. Each program consists of at least one start time, a run time, and watering days. For example, if you want a timer to run twice a day, but for a shorter duration at night, you would have to use two programs (A and B). However, if you want it to water twice a day, same duration each time, you can use a single program and input multiple start times.
Event – This is an occurrence of a watering cycle.
Slots – I’m not sure where you’re seeing this
Smart Watering – This would take place of a program. You can watch this video to get a little more information on Smart Watering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDs2UJuROKQ&t=
Spread the love!April 26, 2019 at 10:24 am #77309Quintus
ParticipantI just bought 4 B-Hyve faucet timers to connect to one outlet with an Orbit 4-Port faucet splitter. I need to know whether the timers will communicate with each other to ensure they don’t water simultaneously. Reading this thread, I get the sense that I am going to find myself in a situation where all four timers open at the same time. It is my intention to use the “smart watering option” as I do not want to set manual timers for each timer.
I am expecting the timers to be delivered next week and am now concerned that they will not communicate with each other and I am going to have water pressure problems.
Can I use the smart watering option with four timers connected to one outlet? Are they going to sequence or are they all going to run at the same time resulting in water pressure issues?
Spread the love!April 26, 2019 at 10:43 am #77312Stephen
Keymaster@Quintus I cannot say for sure how they will run, but if you do not program restriction times in the timers, it is likely that the timers will overlap. We are working on an update for the app that will resolve this, but we are still a ways away on this. I currently have no ETA for this feature.
Spread the love!April 26, 2019 at 12:08 pm #77320Quintus
ParticipantWow…Stephen…this is very disappointing. I just spent over $200 on four timers only to find out that they will not sequence with each other. What is the workaround? If I am using the smart watering feature, how do I build restriction times that will allow the smart watering feature to function while at the same time ensuring that timers don’t all turn on simultaneously?
I am in total disbelief as I figured this would have been a basic function.
Spread the love!April 26, 2019 at 7:44 pm #77321Quintus
ParticipantThis is a direct quote from the Orbit advertisement from the manufacturer on Amazon (with a pic of a 4 way splitter equipped with 4 timers):
“Expandable System
Control one or multiple timers with the B-hyve app. Combined with the network meshing enabled connections (only available with B-hyve Hub – sold separately), the timers will communicate with each other to ensure they don’t water simultaneously.”
Is this a totally false statement?
Spread the love!April 26, 2019 at 7:49 pm #77322Quintus
ParticipantAnd here’s the link:
I need an explanation here!
Spread the love!May 2, 2019 at 5:14 am #77385Quintus
Participant@Stephen Can you help us out here? Your own company’s advertisement seems to contradict what you’re saying.
Spread the love!May 2, 2019 at 7:03 am #77387Stephen
Keymaster@Quintus I am working on getting the amazon page changed. While the page is incorrect now, this feature is coming in the future. You can work around it by inputting restrictions on each of your timers so that each timer has a window that it is allowed to water in.
Spread the love!May 5, 2019 at 7:23 pm #77404Quintus
Participant@Stephen Thanks for the workaround! So by inputting tight windows for each sprinkler, I can still use the “smart watering” option? I’m thinking of giving each sprinkler two 30 minute windows per day. Will this interfere with the smart watering algorithm or will it work in conjunction with these restrictions?
Good news that the advertised option is being worked on. Hope to see it soon!
Spread the love!May 26, 2020 at 7:30 am #78568MikeAnthony
ParticipantA year Later? any Update? this has been promised for a while now.
Spread the love! -
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.