All WeatherTRAK controllers use a simple system for navigation. The arrows move you across different sub-functions within a menu, and the +/- buttons allow you to select choices for each function.

Pressing and holding the * button in some limited sub-menus within the SETUP, STATIONS, FLOW and MANUAL menus will display additional information.

In the COPY menu the * button executes the “copy” function.

The following SETUP functions must be performed for the controller to operate properly.

Press the SETUP Menu button. Press the left or right arrow buttons to move to each function. Press the plus or minus buttons to change the underlined value. The setup values screen numbers range from 2 to 15

Required Setup Values

Date: Year, Month, Day

Time: Hour (confirm AM or PM), minutes

Time Zone: Select your local time zone

Auto Daylight Savings: Automatically updates controller twice a year, unless you press the button to “No.”

Maximum Active Stations: Number of stations physically wired into the controller. \

Stack or Overlap: When Stack is selected, all programs operate one after another. The start time and water window for all programs is assigned to Program A. When Overlap is selected, each program can have its own start time and water window. See the Owners Manual for more detail.

Optional Setup Values

Master Valve: Select the type of Master Valve if used. 
Assign Pump Start Output: Any station output may be selected. If a pump start is not required, leave this setting as Not Assigned. 
Runtime Valve Test: Default setting is “Yes”. See the Owner’s Manual for more details.
Max Backup ET: Represents the worst-case weekly ET for your area for the month of July. If you are not sure what this number should be, call our Customer Service 800 number for help.

Press the DAYS/TIMES Menu button.

Press the plus or minus button to select the desired program. 

Press the right or left arrow button to SET STARTS/WINDOWS. 

Press the SELECT button to edit 1st START/WINDOW. 

Press the arrow and plus or minus button in sequence to set the start time and the water window. If a 2nd start time is needed press the right or left arrow button to 2nd START TYPE. 

Press the plus or minus button to set either High ET or Off. Repeat this procedure for each program used. 1st and 2nd start times cannot overlap and the maximum water window is 24 hrs

Press the DAYS/TIMES Menu button. Press the right or left arrow button to WATER DAY MODE (for Program A-H). Press the plus or minus button to select one of the following seven water day modes:

Optimized by WeatherTRAK: ET and individual station settings determine watering days automatically. Press the plus or minus button to exclude a day if needed.

Odd/Even: Waters based on Odd or Even calendar days. Press the plus or minus button to select Odd or Even days.

Interval: When Interval is selected, press the right or left arrow to WATER DAY INTERVAL. Press the plus or minus button to set the day interval. Day intervals can be set from 1 to 30 days.

Days of Week: Uses a 7-day calendar Sunday through Saturday. Press the right arrow to move through each day of the week. Press the plus or minus button to turn days off or on. (Off days shown as a dash “—“).

Days of Week by Month: Uses a 7-day calendar Sunday through Saturday for each month of the year. Press the right arrow button to Jan OK TO WATER ON. Press the right arrow button to move through each day of the week. Press the plus or minus button to turn days off or on. Press the right arrow button to move to the next month. Follow the above procedure for each month of the year.

Off: When Off is selected, the controller will ignore programmed starts for the selected program until a different water-day mode is selected.

This setting automatically calculates run times, cycle and soaks for each zone based on zone-specific attributes. Daily ET updates then adjust the calculated run times to reflect current weather conditions. Run times will vary as weather changes.

Note: To navigate through the next several screens, press the right arrow button to move to each underlined heading and press the plus or minus button to select a choice within each function. To preview abbreviate Auto mode station settings for this specific station, press and hold the button. To begin, press the “Station" button.

Below is a list of options this feature has and what they mean

Select Station: Locate the station to be programmed.

Select Station Mode: Select Automated by WeatherTRAK

Select a Program: Assign the station to a program that has a start time and water day mode.

Use Water Window: If this station can irrigate outside of the water window, select “No”.

Usable Rainfall: If a station is under a roof, heavy tree canopy or semi-porous roof, select either “None” or a percent of rainfall that is actually used. When “None” is selected, the specific station will water during Rain Pause.

Sprinkler Type: Select 1 of 13 industry-recognized sprinkler types. When a sprinkler type is selected, a default precipitation rate and sprinkler efficiency value is automatically assigned. Both values can be changed in the next two screens if different than the displayed default rates.

Precipitation Rate: Is how much water is applied in Inches per Hour. Changing the precip rate will change run times. Lower Precip rates = higher run times, Higher Precip rates = lower run times.

Sprinkler Efficiency: Every sprinkler applies water with a specific efficiency based on its design and performance and spacing. If head or row spacing is stretched, efficiency is less. (Higher = less water; Lower = more water).

Soil Type: Select 1 of 5 soil types determined by the USDA.

Plant Type: Select 1 of 17 plant types that best represents the valve zone being irrigated.

Root Depth: Press the plus or minus button to select root depth. (Shallow roots = more frequent watering; deep roots = less frequent watering.)

Microclimate: Select 1 of 4 levels of sun exposure of the valve zone being irrigated.

Slope: Select 1 of 5 slope gradients. The steeper the slope the higher number of cycles will be applied.

Sprinkler Location on Slope: Select 1 of 5 choices identifying sprinkler locations on a slope.

Next Station: Press the right arrow button to go to the next station or use COPY to duplicate settings to like stations.

For this setting, set run times, number of cycles and the soaks between cycles. It then automatically increases or decreases runtime based on the daily weather information defined as ET. 

Note: To navigate through the next several screens, press the right arrow button to move to each underlined heading and press the plus or minus button to select a choice within each function. To preview abbreviate Auto mode station settings for this specific station, press and hold the button. To begin, press the “Station" button.

Select Station: Locate the station to be programmed.

Select Station Mode: Select User w/ ET

Select a Program: Assign station to a program (with a start time, water window and water day mode).

Use Water Window: If this station can irrigate outside of the water window, select “No”.

Usable Rainfall: If a station is under a roof, heavy tree canopy or semi-porous roof, select either “None” or a percent of rainfall that is actually used. When “None” is selected, the specific station will water during Rain Pause.

Set Runtime: Set a desired cycle run time. The setting for Runtime part 1 is measured in minutes, and Runtime part two is 10ths of minutes. So a combined setting of 5.5 would be 5 minutes and 30 seconds, whereas a setting of 5.56 would be 5 minutes and 36 seconds.

Set Number of Cycles:  Select from 1-20 cycles. Note that increasing the number of cycles will multiply the chosen value with the run time. So a station with 3 cycles of a 5 minute runtime would irrigate for a total of 15 minutes.

Soak Time: Select the number of Soak times from 0 to 480 minutes in 10 minute increments.

Reference ET: Set a reference ET that is appropriate for the schedule just set. The number you see in parenthesis is ET for the past week and is the value to enter as Part 1 and 2. Alternately, you can set the program you would run in July and use a weekly reference ET that is normal for your area in July.

Other Stations: Repeat these steps for other stations assigned to this station mode.

Commonly used for plant establishment periods when overwatering is required to establish new roots. Run times, cycle and soak periods are all user defined in this station mode. User No ET sets up the same as User With ET except there is no reference ET. Activation is not required for User No ET.

Stations can be operated individually with specific run times or all stations with one run time. Press the MANUAL Menu button. Select “Specific Stations” or “All Stations” by pressing the plus or minus button.

Manual Water Specific Stations: Press the right or left arrow button to the first station you want to water. Press the plus or minus button to the minutes desired. The selected station will start immediately. To add more stations, press the right or left arrow button to the next station desired.

Manual Water All Stations: Press the plus or minus button to the desired run time. Station 1 will start immediately, and all other active stations will follow sequentially for the same run time.

This feature adjusts individual stations for more or less water. A 0% setting means there is no adjustment for that particular station. 
 

Adjust Water Amount: Press the % ADJUST Menu button if a station is too wet or too dry. Press the plus or minus button to select the station to adjust in 5% increments from -50% to+25%.

Adjust Day Frequency: Increases or decreases the number of days of the week per station when water is applied and does not increase the amount being applied unless ET increases. A 0% setting means there is no adjustment for that particular station.

Press the plus or minus button to Day Frequency/Depletion. 
Press the right or left arrow button to ADJ DAYS (MAD). Press the right or left button to select the station to adjust

If the controller is not connected to a rain switch, the rain pause feature can be used to stop irrigation in the event of rain. Irrigation stops immediately, and resumes or counts down a day at the Program A start time. For longer pauses select more days.

During a rain pause, all irrigation start times will be suspended unless the Usable Rainfall station setting is set to None. While paused, station depletions are held constant.

To pause irrigation for rain: 
Step 1. Press the RAIN PAUSE button. 
Step 2. Press the + or – button to set the number of days you would like to pause irrigation for.
Step 3. Press the RUN button to finish.

This menu previews programming changes of individual station data or flow parameters (if a flow sensor is used and setup).

Station Data: Press the right or left arrow button to view station data. Press the right or left arrow button to change the station number and the plus or minus button to view projected water days (based on current ET) in one week increments from 1-8 weeks. Displayed station data includes run time, cycle and soak periods, station mode, % adjustments, projected water days on a weekly basis.

Flow Data: Press the plus or minus button to view flow data. Press the right or left arrow button to view previously setup flow parameters. (If a flow sensor is set-up and used).

Manual Valve Test Function: This feature confirms wire integrity between the controller and valves in the field. This test can quickly identify, on a station basis, where an electrical fault exists.

Run Manual Valve Test: 

Press the MANUAL Menu button.

Press the minus button until the screen displays “valve test” (Screen 5)

Press the right arrow to navigate to the testing screen. 

Press the * button to run the Manual Valve Test. You will hear the controller briefly send a signal to every station including the master valve. 

Press the right or left arrow button to view the first eight valves.

 Press the right or left arrow button to view additional stations in groups of eight. “?” means the test has not been operated and “- -“means the station does not have an electrical fault. This test cannot be run if any valve is operating. The controller will identify a (SH) “Short” (current draw exceeding 1000 mA) or (NC) “No Connect” reflecting a broken wire.

Viewing Solenoid Current Draw
The controller will display the milliamp draw of any station solenoid in this test.

Step 1. Press the main menu button to SETUP.

Step 2. Press the right arrow button until the “Runtime Valve Test” screen appears.

Step 3. Press the minus button to start the test. It will take about 15 seconds to verify continuity to all stations and the master valve.

Step 4. If any field wiring issues exist, they will be identified as a “Fault”. A valve fault could be “SH” (Valve Short) from a failing solenoid or an “NC” (Valve No-Connect or open) reflecting a broken wire or wire that is not making good contact in the corresponding station terminal.

This feature can be found in the OFF menu when a catastrophic event occurs. This feature is not intended for winterization but will stop scheduled irrigation until emergency repairs can be made. Press the OFF Menu button. Press the plus or minus button to locate “System Shutdown”. The controller will immediately stop all scheduled irrigation and close a normally open master valve until reset by pressing the button in this submenu.