Baseline Systems BaseStation 3200 - Manual (Page 57)

BaseStation 3200 Advanced Irrigation Controller Manual
To set up the day intervals for a program
1. Turn the dial to the Day Intervals position.
2. Press the + or – button to select the program that you want to set up
day intervals for.
3. Press the NEXT button to move to the field where you select the
interval that you want.
4. Press the + button to move through the options, and then stop when
the option that you want to use is displayed in the field.
Note: Refer to the topic for setting up the Historical ET Calendar mode
on page 49.
5. For some options, you need to set up the schedule. Press the NEXT button to move to the schedule. The
selected day is highlighted blue.
6. Press the + or – button to change that day from a watering day (indicated by Y for “yes”) to a non-watering
day (indicated by – for “no”).
7. When you have finished making changes, turn the dial to the Auto Run position.
Note: A program that is started on one day will continue to run until it completes, even if it needs to continue
to the next day, which may or may not be a watering day. For example, if a six-hour program starts at 10 PM
on Monday, it will finish at 4 AM on Tuesday, even if Tuesday is not a watering day.
To set up historical ET-based watering for a program
In the BaseStation 3200, one of the Day Interval modes for a program is Historical ET Calendar. Evapotranspiration
(ET) refers to the loss of moisture from the soil by evaporation and by the transpiration of plants. Factors such as
air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed affect the rate at which ET occurs. Scientists with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) continuously monitor climate data in all regions of the
United States. When this data is averaged over a 30 year period, historical ET values are generated for each month
of the year.
The Historical ET Calendar mode enables you to set up a watering schedule for the entire year that compensates
for seasonal changes without your having to adjust times and frequency multiple times throughout the year. Bear
in mind that a historical ET-based watering schedule works best in regions where landscapes are irrigated all year.
If you set up a run time that applies ½ inch of water and then you change the frequency of watering based on the
historical ET needs for your area, the controller will water deeply and less frequently and encourage the roots of
your plants to grow deep.
Prerequisites
• Set zone water times that will apply ½ inch of water during each watering cycle.
• Get the historical ET deficit data for your region. Consult with your local Agricultural Cooperative Extension
office – you can find a national register of the extension offices at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/
• Split each month of the year in half and determine how frequently you will need to water in order to replace,
but not exceed, the amount of moisture used by your plant material since the last irrigation event. Use the ET
deficit data to determine the watering frequency.
Note: If you combine the Historical ET Calendar mode with the upper limit watering strategy using biSensors,
you will have a very effective watering schedule. The biSensor will monitor the soil moisture in real-time and
compensate for non-historical weather behavior by making fine adjustments to the run time.
Page 49