Baseline Systems BaseStation 1000 - Manual (Page 19)

BaseStation 1000 Irrigation Controller Manual
• Valid water day
• If a moisture biSensor is used, then the moisture level at the program start time is less than
the limit
• There isn’t a pause condition
• There isn’t a stop condition
The program will run to completion, spanning days if needed. The running program may be paused
for some period of time by one of the following conditions, after which it will resume until it has
completed:
• A water window that is turned off (indicated by  on the Water Windows screen)
• An activated event switch or event biCoder
• Putting the controller in a programming menu or the Test menu rather than in the Run menu
If there are specific days that cannot be used for watering, use one of the following methods to
meet those requirements:
• Start programs after midnight and provide enough time for them to complete during a single
day so they do not span into the next day.
• Use water windows to block out specific days.
How the BaseStation 1000 Handles ET Watering
ET (evapotranspiration) refers to the loss of moisture from the soil by evaporation and by the
transpiration of water from plants. Factors such as air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and
wind speed affect the rate at which ET occurs. Many companies claim that their irrigation
controllers water better because they are based on ET data gathered from local weather stations.
While this approach may be better than strict time-based watering, it bases plant water needs on
ET estimates rather than on the actual effects of ET in the plants’ root zone.
The BaseStation 1000 and Baseline’s soil moisture sensors actually measure the effects of
evapotranspiration (ET) in the root zone of the plant and use those readings to water more
efficiently than weather-based ET systems, and potentially reduce water use by up to 62 percent or
more.
However, if you prefer to set up a watering schedule for the entire year that compensates for
seasonal changes without having to adjust times and frequency multiple times throughout the
year, you can use the Smart Interval option within the Day & Time start conditions for a program.
Bear in mind that a smart interval based watering schedule works best in regions where landscapes
are irrigated all year. Refer to the topic about setting a Day and Time start condition on page 40.
The best way to set up smart intervals is to refer to the historical ET deficit data for your region that
are generated for each month of the year. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) continuously monitor climate data in all regions of the United States. They
average this data over a 30 year period to come up with the historical ET deficit data for your
region.
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