Baseline Systems BaseStation 3200 - Manual (Page 18)

BaseStation 3200 Advanced Irrigation Controller Manual
Note: One easy way to determine good cycle times is to turn a zone on and watch for first signs of standing water
or runoff. Set the cycle time to be no more than this amount of time.
Properly setting soak and cycle times will dramatically improve water penetration and watering efficiency.
Distribution Uniformity
Distribution uniformity (DU) refers to how evenly water is applied over the area in a particular zone or landscape.
This is generally driven by the choice of heads (spray, rotor, multi-stream, etc.) and by the irrigation design.
In reality, it is very common that distribution uniformity is fairly low in irrigated landscapes. Poor distribution
uniformity is based on many factors beyond the scope of this manual, but it is important to note that system
problems such as uneven coverage will limit the effectiveness of smart watering strategies.
Baseline’s experience is that high-uniformity systems can be built from nearly any head type, as long as it is
properly designed, installed and maintained.
IMPORTANT NOTE! The BaseStation 3200 controller can compensate for, but cannot solve, distribution uniformity
problems.
As you intelligently reduce water applied to any zone, you may notice stressed areas or brown spots in your
landscape. When this happens, you should first adjust your heads to make coverage as even as possible. In
extreme cases, you may find it advantageous to retrofit older heads with new types of heads such as multi-stream
rotors that apply water more evenly.
Note: Fixing distribution uniformity issues has better long term results than increasing run times or moisture
settings.
Every irrigation controller must be programmed to water to the “driest spot” in each zone. If the difference
between water applied at the driest spot is too great (especially if the wettest spot has more than 3 times the
water applied in the same period as to the dries spot) then you should take steps to adjust your heads, their
spacing, and their coverage to gain better uniformity.
You can quickly and easily measure the distribution uniformity of your landscape by placing catch cups in any
particular zone and then running that zone for a specific period of time. Auditing zones in this manner will also give
you precise information about how much water is applied per hour in that zone, which makes it easy to set default
run times. Baseline highly recommends that you audit zones in order to determine uniformity and actual
application rates.
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