BL_BaseStation 6000 Site Controller_Manual.pdf
BaseStation 6000 Site Controller |
User Manual |
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January 16, 2012 |
Contents at a Glance
Section 1 Pre-Installation
Section 2 Hardware Installation & ConfigurationSection 3 InitialProgramming
Section 4 Programming AdjustmentsSection 5 ET-based Watering Section 6 Flow
Section 7 Manual Operations Section8 System Management
Section 9 Logs, Reports, Alerts, and GraphsSection 10 System Diagnostics
Section 11 Troubleshooting
Section 12 Reference
Customer Service 1-866-294-5847
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Table of Contents
2 – HARDWARE INSTALLATION & CONFIGURATION........................................................... 8
1 
– PRE-INSTALLATION
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Congratulations on purchasing the most capable centrally-controlledirrigation system in the industry. The BaseStation 6000 accommodates up to 4,000 zones with 500 soil moisture sensors and manages flow on up to 800 separate flow zones across 24flow devices. You can create as many as 100 programsto water even the most complicated site.
In the BaseStation 6000 system, you can connect up to 20 Remote Base Units that take the place of individual controllers. A variety ofconnection options gives youultimate flexibility for any project. You can connect the Remote Base Units to the centralcontrol computer with a serial connection, a two-wire connection (through a Bridge Unit), Ethernet, or Wi-Fi connection, or a mesh radio connection.
Every BaseStation 6000 comes standard with Baseline’s powerful wateringengine. The BaseStation 6000 can turn your systemon or off and adjust the run time based on readingsfrom Baseline’s patented soilmoisture sensors. You can easilysee the effects that each cyclehas on soil moisture content. You can set up ET-based watering zones. TheBaseStation 6000 also makes all the system data available in log and report files thatcan be emailed to you each day. System alerts andwarnings can be sent viatext message or email and are easily accessible in thesoftware.
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System Components
Because Baseline provides a variety ofconfiguration options for the BaseStation 6000™, the components that make upyour system are specific to yourrequirements. The standard and optional components are described below. Due tothe wide variety of connection options and wiring layouts, we have not attempted to document every variation in this user manual. Forhelp understanding the various componentsthat you have received,call Baseline TechnicalSupport (866.294.5847).
BaseStation 6000™ Site Controller Standard Components
• Computer with BaseStation 6000 and BaseStation 6000 Report & Alert Mailer software pre-installed
Recommended ComputerRequirements
▪ 500 GB hard drive
▪ 3 GB RAM
▪ Microsoft Windows 7 operating system
▪ Dual core processor
▪ Available serial port
Minimum Computer Requirements
Note: It is recommended that the PC be dedicated to BaseStation 6000 software. Do not run other programs on this machine.Refer to the Warranty Information on page 123 for more details.
▪ 200 GB hard drive
▪ 2 GB RAM
▪ Microsoft Windows XP operating system – Service Pack 2
▪ Dual core processor
▪ Available serial port
• 20-inch monitor capable of 1600x1280 resolution
• Surge protector
• Serial cable
• Internet connectivity required for technical support and remote access
• Remote Base Unit™– Each Remote Base Unit manages an electrically isolated irrigation sub-systemand is able to support 200 valves
Optional Components
• Bridge Unit –When your system includes more than one Remote Base Unit, the Bridge Unit islocated between the BaseStation 6000 computer and the Remote Base Units.
• biSensor™ SoilMoisture Sensor – A biSensor provides soil moisture and temperature data to theBaseline BaseStation Controller.
• Air temperaturesensor – The Air Temperature Sensor for the BaseStation 6000 system providestwo separate functions: It offers a convenient way to halt watering whentheoutside temperature drops below 38oF.It also enables ET- (evapotranspiration) based watering.
• Weather station– An on-site weather stationcollects data on temperature, humidity,solar radiation, and wind speed.The controller uses this data to adjust watering times. Contact Baseline for supported weather stations.
• Rain sensor or rain gauge – You can connect one of these devices so the systemwill shut down in the event of rain.
• Flow devices– Flow meters and sensorssupport flow management, flow learning, high-flow, low-flow, and no-flow alerts and shutdowns.
• Flow biCoder– The Flow biCoder is used to connect a flow sensorto the BaseStation 6000 system.
• Pause devices– These devices can be used toturn the system off or on when an event occurs. These events can bea user pushing a pause button to halt watering on a baseball field or a rainstorm activating a rain sensor.
• 1, 2, and 4 valve biCoders™– The Baseline biCoder connected to the two-wire network activates valves by decoding signals sent from the Remote Base Unit.
• 12 and 24 valve powered biCoders™ are designed to retrofit into existing systems. ThesebiCoders connect to the two-wirenetwork and activatevalves by decoding the signalssent from the Remote BaseUnit. They are designed todrive traditional wiring where there is one wire per valve. Powered biCoders require 110v in order to run.
Upgrades
• Baseline MobileAccess™ – Upgradethe BaseStation 6000 system to support MobileAccess or MobileAccess Advanced. Baseline Mobile Access turns any web-enabled cell phone or other mobile device into a remote control and gives you full access to your BaseStation 6000 system.
Communication Options
You will use one of the followingoptions to establish communication between the BaseStation 6000 computer and the rest of your system:
• RS232 serial cable – Direct connection between two deviceswith a maximum distance of 50 feet.
• RS485 dualconductor serial connector – Connectmultiple devices on one “daisy chain” with a maximum distanceof 2000 feet. Must have an RS485 adapter for each device at both ends.
• Wired backbone –Connect the computer to the Bridge Unit, and then connect the Bridge Unit toone or more Remote Base Units.
• Mesh radio – Onetransmitter is connected to the computer. The Bridge Unit or Remote Base Unitrequires an antenna and receiver.
• Ethernet – Uses RJ45 Ethernet cable to connectto the local network or to the Internet.The BaseStation 6000 computerand the Remote Base Units must have wired access to the Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN).
• Wi-Fi – Providesa short-range wireless solution. The BaseStation 6000 computer and the RemoteBase Units must be able to connect to the Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN).
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Planning Your System Configuration
Perform the following tasks to help simplify the installation andconfiguration process:
• Use an existing site map or an as-built drawing that shows the location of each zone. If a site map is not available,draw something to the best of your ability. This map is one of the most valuable tools you can have.
• For existing systems, record the number of minutes each zone waters and how many days there are between watering cycles. Skip this step when you are configuring a new system.
• Walk around the site with the map and select locations for soil moisture biSensors in each hydrozone. Place the biSensor in an area that is an average representationofthe rest of the hydrozone. Refer to Sensor Placement on page 22 for more information on biSensor placement and burial.
• Complete the Zone Group Organizer Worksheet found in the Reference section on page 116. Group the valves by hydrozones,plant type, head type, and micro-climates.
Retrofitting Existing Systems
You can retrofit existingsystems by using the 12 or 24 valve poweredbiCoder to replace the differentcontrollers.
Locating theBridge Unit™
The following guidelines are recommended for Bridge Unitlocations:
• The Bridge Unit connects to the computer with a serial RS232, RS485, or mesh radio.
• The Bridge Unit is in a supplied enclosure. You should install it in a secure location.
• The Bridge Unit enclosure does not have switches or other controls; however, there are several diagnostic LEDs. We recommend that you place the unit in a convenient location for troubleshooting purposes.
Locating theRemote Base Units™
Where you locateyour Remote Base Units depends onyour system configuration. For example, if youhave just one Remote BaseUnit that will be connected to the BaseStation 6000 computer with a serialcable, the RBU must be no further than 50 feet away from the computer.On the other hand, if you are setting up a wired backbone, your RBUs can be further away from thecomputer. The minimum requirements for the RBU locations are access to power and a place to mount the enclosure.
Planning theBackbone Layout and Wiring Details
The backbonerefers to the two-wire system that connects the Bridge Unit to the Remote Base Units located throughout thesite. The backboneis a unique wiring system, independent of any other wiring configurations. Backbone refers to the wiringtopology and not to a specifictype of wire. Refer to the Two-Wire Tech Spec on Baseline’s web site (www.baselinesystems.com).
Use Polyethylene double-jacketed or UF-B UL PVC double-jacketed two-conductor solid core wire that is designed for directburial systems between Remote BaseUnits and then to the Baseline Bridge Unit. Refer to the detailedspecifications available on Baseline’s web site (www.baselinesystems.com).
The Bridge Unit broadcasts a command to all RemoteBase Units on the system. All the Remote Base Units “decode” the message but only theappropriate Remote Base Unit responds andactivates its local two-wireactivity.
You can set up the backbone with straight-line,star, combination, and looped configurations (similar to the Sample WiringTopologies that are illustratedon page 6).
Planning theTwo-Wire Layout for theRemote Base Unit
Baseline’s two-wire communication protocol iscalled biLine™. The biLine protocol runs over the two-wire and provides a clearpath for power andcommunication to travel throughoutthe site. The configurationand length of the wire runs determines what size of wire needs to be used. Please refer to the tables and other detailed information in the Two-Wire Tech Spec on Baseline’sweb site (www.baselinesystems.com).
The system supports straight-line, star, looped,and combination configuration. For examples of these wiring configurations, seeFigure 1 - Straight Run, Figure 2 - Star, Figure 3 - Combination, and Figure 4 - Complete Loop topology.
For the purpose of this manual, all possibleconfigurations are depicted. However, the Straight Run and the Star topology arethe recommended layouts.To simplify the illustrations, only the last device is shown for most configurations. You can assumethat other devices, both sensors andbiCoders, are connected along the length of the two-wire path. On a starconfiguration, the topology has multiple last devices. Each device must separately meet the distance requirement.
While the CompleteLoop topology might provide a more robust configuration, it is harder to trace the wiring errors that mightoccur. For this reason, Baseline recommends the other topologies over theComplete Loop.
If you decideto use Complete Looptopology, calculate your wire length using the followingformula:
The distanceto the last device is the totallength of the loop divided by two plus the lengthof the spur. Length = (Loop Length /2) + Longest Spur Length
After you select the topology,calculate the wire run lengths in feet or meters. Then use this information to select the appropriate wire size per wire length based on theTwo-Wire Tech Spec on Baseline’s web site (www.baselinesystems.com). In addition,calculate all runs of wires in order to determine the amount of wire that you need to purchase.
WARNING! The distanceto the last device must meet the wire length specifications. Refer to the Warranty Information on page 123 for more information.
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Sample Wiring Topologies
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Wiring HintsFor wiring specifications, refer to the Two-Wire Tech Spec on Baseline’s web site (www.baselinesystems.com). Use the appropriate wire type foryour project. Typical PVC irrigation wire, without a second layer of insulationis not suitable. If you use an unspecifiedwire type, it will void your warranty.Make sure your backbone wire and field wires are two different colors.
Wiring Connections
Use wire connections that are DBR/Y-6 orequivalent on the two-wire side and on the valve side. Install all connections accordingto their manufacturer’s instructions.
Note:Two-wire systems have constant power running through them. If a connection isnot waterproof or has any contact with earth,the connections will quickly corrode.Your warranty will be voidedif you fail to use the wire connections as described in thespecification.
2 – HARDWARE INSTALLATION & CONFIGURATION
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Installation Hints
To quicklyconfigure the BaseStation 6000 SiteController softwareand start watering, refer to the QuickStart Guide. This manual gives more detail for configuring the system and fine tuning the programming.
Initial Setup
This initial setup configures the devices within the system for use. After you have properly configured all the devices, you needto set up the wateringstrategies in the BaseStation 6000 software. Refer to Setting Up Programs (Establishing Water Windows) on page 30.
The BaseStation 6000 Site Controllerworks differently than traditional irrigation control systems. In traditionalirrigation control systems, you specify exactly when and for how long you want the system to water. The BaseStation 6000 Site Controller can be used in this manner; however,you can also configure it to do much more.
Instead of telling the system when and how long to water for every situation, you specify when you donotwant the system towater. BaseStation 6000 then intelligently chooses watering cycles that take these constraints into account. Because of these intelligent watering cycles, the site is wateredonly when needed (and allowed), and it does not require constantmaintenance.
Existing Systems
Considerthe following hints when you areconfiguring a conventionally wired system to work with the BaseStation 6000:
• Manually run all valves to verifythat they are operating properlybefore you start the installation.
• Make any necessary repairs to the existing wiring, as needed.
• When you upgrade an existing system to a two-wire system using Powered biCoders, make sure you locate power and ground wires in order to correctly hook up the system. If you mix up the power and ground wires, you will create problems that can be difficult to diagnose. To simplify this process, make one or two connections, and then test. Using this method, you can easily find and repair any problems before they become hard to find.
• Run two-wire from the Remote Base Unit to the closest controller andreplace the controller with a Baseline 12/24 Valve biCoder.
Note: Before removing the wires from an existing controller, write down which zones they control and mark the wires. Thisinformation will help you determine which Baseline biCoderaddress is associated with the zone whenyou reconnect.
• If you have more than one controller, convert a single controller andall of its associated valves before moving to another controller. To connect an additional controller, you can run two-wire between the controller locations or between two valve boxes on the two systems.
All Systems
Considerthe following installation hints when you are configuring any BaseStation 6000 system:
• Start by setting up the computer that will be running the BaseStation6000 Controller software. Refer to Installing and Setting Up the Computer on page 9.
• Always add a few two-wire components at a time, and then test. This method makes it easier to find and correct any problems.
• Test components with the BaseStation 6000 Controller software before youbury anything. To find any failing zones, run the Quick Test All Zones option. Refer to Performing a Quick Test on All Zones on page 101.
• Provide enough extra wirelength (24 - 36 inches)at valveboxes and any buried locationsso thatyou caneasily work with the wire, biCoders,and/or sensors. Keep in mindthat seasonal conditions can havean effecton yourwiring. Freezing and thawing can shift wiring, and if the extra wire length is not available,connections can be pulled apart.
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Installing and Setting Upthe Computer
As you unpack your system,you should have many of the following parts, depending on the particular options that you ordered.
Because Baseline provides a variety ofconfiguration options for the BaseStation 6000™, the components that make upyour system are specificto your requirements. Due to the wide variety of connection options, we have not attempted to documentevery variation in this user manual.For help connecting the various components that you havereceived, call Baseline Technical Support (866.294.5847).
Setting Upthe Computer
• Connect the computer components (such as the keyboard, mouse, monitor,Ethernet cable, and surge protector) as defined in the quick setup guide found in the computer box.
• Determine your connection method, and then use one of the following options to connect the computer to the rest of the system:
▪ Serial cable: Using the provided serial cable, connect the computer to the Remote Base Unit.
▪ RS485: Using the provided RS485 serial cable, connect the computer to the Bridge Unit.
▪ Mesh radio: Connect the radio transmitter to the computer.
▪ Ethernet:Connect the RJ45 Ethernet cable to the computer and then to the local network or to the Internet. This connectionoption requires some IT and network setup.
▪ Wi-Fi: This connection option requires some IT and network setup.
• Turn on the monitor, and then turn on the computer. The BaseStation 6000 Site Controller software and the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software start automatically.
Note: If the softwaredoes not start automatically or if you accidentally close it, refer to Manually Starting the BaseStation 6000 Software on page 10.
• After the BaseStation 6000 software is running, we recommend that youset up the email notification system (refer to System Notification on page 82), and give the site a name (refer to Identifying Your Site on page 11).
• Ensure that the date and time (and your time zone) are set correctly on the computer because the BaseStation 6000 software synchronizes with the Microsoft Windows settings. To change the Microsoft Windows settings, click the time in the Notificationarea of the Windows Taskbar. The date and time information opens in its ownwindow. Click the option to change the date and time settings. The Date and Time dialog boxopens. Follow the steps to change the date and time and to change the time zone as needed.
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Manually Starting the BaseStation 6000 Software
If the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller software does not start automatically when you turn on the computer or if you accidentally close the software, double-click theBaseline Irrigation Control Software icon on the computer’s desktop.
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Note: If you think that the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller software is running, but you do not see the main program window,it might be minimized and not visible on the desktop. If the software is running, you will see a small icon in the Windows taskbarat the bottom of the computerdesktop. Clickthe icon to display the main program window.
If the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software does not start automatically when you turn on the computer or if youaccidentally close the software,double-click the BaseVisionNotify icon on the computer’sdesktop.
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Note: When the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software is running, the mainprogram window is typicallyminimized and not visible on the desktop. If the software is running, you will see a small icon in the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the computerdesktop. Click the icon to display the main program window.
Important: After you have the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller software configured for watering and the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software configured fornotifications, leave the software and the computer running at all times. If youshut down the software and/or the computer, your irrigation system will stop watering and notifications will not be sent.
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Understanding the System Refresh
The BaseStation 6000 software is configured toautomatically refresh (which means to update the program fields with new data) at the “top of the minute”according to the system’s internal clock. If you type information in a field or make other changes to the configuration, you might need to wait several seconds before those changes take effect in the system.
Due to the automaticrefresh, if you are typing anentry in a field when the system reaches the top of the minute,the field will revert to the former entry, and you will lose what you typed.If this happens while you are typing an entry, retype the entryas quickly as possible, and then press Enter on your keyboard to indicate that you have finished typing. At the next top-of-the-minute refresh, your entry will display as you intended.
The system time displaysin hours, minutes, and seconds (1) in the System Status Messages group box at the bottom of the MainPage.
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Important! Keep the system refresh schedule in mind wheneveryou are making changes to the BaseStation 6000 configuration.
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Identifying Your Site
Before you start configuring various hardware components in the BaseStation 6000 software, we recommend that you type the name of your site in the Local Site Name(1) field at the bottom of the Main Page.
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Configuring aRemote Base Unit
This section describeshow to add a Remote Base Unit (RBU) to the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller. Each RBU manages anelectrically isolated irrigation sub-system and is able to support 200 valves.
Note: If your configuration includes a Bridge Unit and backbone wiring, you need to set up your computer and have the BridgeUnit connected. Refer to Planning the Backbone Layout and Wiring Details on page 3 before adding a Remote BaseUnit.
Toconfigure an RBU
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the BaseUnit (1) tab.
2. If the BaseStation 6000 site controller connects to the RBU through a network, skip to Step 4. If the computer is connected with a cable, continue with Step 3.
3. Click the Initialize Serial Ports (2) button. The Serial Port Locator message box displays all available serial ports.
• If the list of serial ports and the default displayed in the message box is correct, click Yes.
• If the serial port is not correct, click No. The Select Alternate Port dialog box opens. Type the serial port number in the field, and then click OK. If you need help, consult with your IT department or call BaselineTechnical Support (866.294.5847).
4. On the Base Unit tab, click the Comm (3) button located at the right end of the row for the first RBU.
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In the Communication Setup dialog box, select the CommunicationType for the RBU.
If Serial Port is the Communication Type for the selected Remote Base Unit, select that option. |
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f a Mesh Radio is the Communication Type for the selected Remote Base Unit, select that option, and then type he MAC address that is listed on the Mesh Radio Module of the Remote Base Unit. |
If Network is the Communication Type for the selected Remote Base Unit, select that option, and then type the serial port number and the IP address for your network. |
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Note: If your Communication Type is Radio to Radio to Bridge Unit, select he Mesh Radio option, and then select he Bridge Unit check box. |
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6. 
Click Return to save your changes and go back to the Base Unit tab.
7. Find the serial number of each RBU. The number is printed on a stickerthat is located on the inside door panel of the RBU. The serial number format is RBXXXXXXX (where the Xs represent a series of seven numbers).
8. In the Serial Number (4) field, type the serial number for the first RBU, and then press Enter on the keyboard. The RBU information displays in the fields.
9. We recommend that you type a description in the Description (5) field so you can easily identify the RBU.
10. Repeat these steps for each RBU as needed.
Settings that Apply toIndividual RBUs
• Disable anRBU – By default, the Device State option is set to Enabled. If you want to turn off all devices that are attached to a Remote Base Unit, set the Device State (1) forthat RBU to Disabled.
• Configurethe number of zones that can be running at onetime –Under Active Zones (2), type a number in theBase field to represent the total number of zones that can be running at one time for this Remote Base Unit. Type a number in the Device field to represent the total number of zones that can be running at one time for each biCoder that is connected to this Remote Base Unit.
• Select a different biLine protocol – TheBiLine II (3) check box is selectedby default, and it means that the Remote Base Unit will use the biLine II protocol.If you want tochange the protocolto biLine I, click the box to removethe check mark.
• Set an RBU to always apply power –If you have a sensor or other device that requires continuous monitoring attached to this RBU, select the Always On (4) check box to set the Remote Base Unit so it is always applying power to the two-wire system.
Settings that Apply toAll ofYour RBUs
• Set the total number of zones that can run onthe entire system at one time– Type a number in the Total Active Zones (5) field to represent the number of zones that can be running on the entire BaseStation 6000system at one time.
During the initialconfiguration of your BaseStation 6000, we recommend that you set the Total Active Zones to 1, which limits the number of zones that can run at one time to only one.
• Set the number of zones that can turn onat one time (concurrent zones) – Usethe Flow Ramp Up Control(6) option to preventpump overload by setting the number of zones that will turn on each minute asan watering cycle starts. By default Flow Ramp Up Control is not enabled. To enable this option, select the check box, and then, in the next field, type the number of zones that can turn on.
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Configuring aBridge Unit
If your configuration includes a Bridge Unit and backbone wiring, you need to connect your BaseStation 6000 computer to theBridge Unit. For the physicalinstallation of the BridgeUnit, please refer to the
“Installation Guide” that was included in the package.
The Communication Setup dialog box opens when you are installing and configuringthe RBUs. When a Bridge Unit is part of your system configuration, select the checkbox on the Communication Setup dialog box for each RBU that is connected to that Bridge Unit.
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Adding Valve biCoders and Other Two-Wire Devices
This section describes how to complete thesoftware configuration for the various two-wire devices that are available forthe BaseStation 6000 Site Controller such as biCoders, biSensors, and water flowrate sensors. For the physical installation of thedevice in the field, please refer to the “Installation Guide” that was packaged with the device.
Note: We suggestthat you attach and configure only a few devices at a time. The system checks your devices. If it detects a problem, do not add more devices untilyou correct that problem. Proceed with connecting, configuring, and checkinguntil all devices are working properly.
Listing Attached Devices
After you have some devices physically connectedin the field, you can use the List Devices option in the software todisplay the serial numbers of those devices.
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that you want to list devices for.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Click the Diagnostics menu, and then click System Diagnostics (1). The System Diagnostics window opens.
4. Click the Config Support (2) tab.
5. 
Click the List Devices(3) button. The attached devices display in the pane on the right. If one or more devices are not listed, troubleshoot the connections per the Troubleshooting section until the problem is found and corrected.
Note: If you want to save the list of attacheddevices to a file, follow the steps in the next sectionbefore you close the list.
6. When you have finished reviewing the list of attached devices, click Return to close the System Diagnostics window and return to the Main Page.
Saving the List of Attached Devices
You can save the list of attacheddevices to a file. Then you can print that file and use the list to help configure the devices in the software.
1. Follow the steps above to display the list of attached devices.
2. Position the cursor anywhere inside the list of devices, and then click the right mouse button.
3. On the menu, click Select All.
4. While the list is highlighted, position the cursor anywhere inside thelist of devices, and then click the right mouse button again.
5. On the menu, click Copy.
6. Position the cursor anywhere on the computer desktop, and then click the right mouse button.
7. On the menu, click New.
8. On the menu, click Text Document. A new text document icon displays on the desktop.
9. Double-click the text document icon. The Notepad window opens.
10. Position the cursor anywhere in the blank space within the Notepad window, and then click the right mouse button.
11. On the menu, click Paste. The list of devices displays in the text document.
12. From the menu at the top of the Notepad window, click File.
13. On the menu, click Save. The file is saved to your computer desktop withthe New Text Document.txt filename.
Searching fora Configured Device
If you know the serial number of a device, but youare not sure whether you have configured that device, you can search for the device in the software.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to search for devices.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Click the Utilities menu, and then click Find Decoder using Serial Number. The Find Device dialog box opens.
4. 
Type the serial number of the device in the field, and then click OK. If the system finds the device, the Find Serial Number message box opens. If the system does not find the device, the message box displays “No match found.”
A valve biCoderis a decoder used to activate valves in the field. Each biCoder has a unique serial number and address that identifiesit to the Remote Base Unit.The Remote Base Unit broadcastsa command that activates a biCoder,which, in turn, activates a valve.
Tip: If you have groups of biCoders, leave a couple of blank fields between each group. While not necessary, it simplifies addingzones in the future,makes re-ordering zones in the scheduling group easier, and it is easier to visualize your groups when there is space between them.
Valve biCodersfall into two categories:
• Valve biCoders connected with two-wire – Allthe biCoders on the two-wire“decode” the messagebut only the appropriatebiCoder responds and turns the attached valve on or off. The biCoder returns astatus message to indicate whether the activation was successful.
• PoweredValve biCoders connectedwith conventional wire –You can use a powered biCoderto retrofit a conventionalwire system with Baseline biCodertechnology.
To adda valve biCoder
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software,click the Remote Base Unit (1) thatthe valve biCoder is connected to.
2. 
Click the Config Zone (2) tab.
3. In the SerialNumber column, type the serial number for the biCoder in an unused address line (3).
Note: The serial number of the two-wirebiCoder is locatedon the side of the unit. The serial number for thepowered biCoderis located on the inside of the enclosuredoor.
4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The system searches for the device, tests the solenoid and the communication, and then displays the Configuration Status message box.
5. Click OK.
Note: When you add a valve biCoder,the background color of the Zone Description field changes to red becausethe program associated with those zones is disabled by default. For information about enabling programs,refer to Setting Up Programs (Establishing Water Windows) on page 30.
6. Type a description of the biCoder in the Zone Description (4) field. Use the description to define the location or area that this valve is controlling. Now that the valve biCoder is configured in the BaseStation 6000 software, it is referred to as a zone.
Note: The addressnumbers for biCoders rangefrom 1 to 200.
Settings forValve biCoders
After a valve biCoder is configured in the BaseStation 6000software, it is referredto as a zone.
• Define the mode of each zone – Click the arrow in the Device Mode (1) field (see the illustration on the followingpage), and then click one of the following options to define the mode of each zone:
▪ Auto – In order to use this mode, you must have a sensor (such as a soilmoisture sensor) installed and configured. This mode associates the sensor with this zone.
▪ Timed – Enables you to set a zone to run basedon its programmed timesonly.
▪ Linked – Sets a zone to use the same watering setting as a previously configured zone.
Note: You are only able to link to a zone with a lower number.
▪ Mirror – Sets a zoneto mimic the actions of another zone.
Caution: This mode has a specialized function and is not recommended for general use.
▪ Disabled – Use this mode to disablethe zone.
Note: If other zones are mirrored or linked to this zone they will also be disabled.
▪ M-Valve – Use this mode to designate this zone as the master valve. It functionsas a normally closed valve that turns on when the flow zone is activated.
▪ M-Val NO – Use this mode to designate this zone as a normally open master valve.
▪ SprTime– Use this mode to set this zone for “sprinkle time,” which is a specialized, clock-based turn on/offmode. This mode is not recommended for general use.
ET-Time – Use thismode to configure the zone to water based on Evapotranspiration settings. Inorder to use this device mode, you must havea temperaturesensor attached to the RemoteBase Unit. Refer to Configuring an ET Primary Zoneon page55 for more information.
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Assign the zoneto a program – Type a number in the
Prog# (2) field to associate this zone with a program.
• Connect the zone to a flow zone – The fields under FlowZone (3) are set to default values, but you can change them. Refer to Setting Up Flow Monitoring for Flow Zones onpage 61.
• Define the order for a “walk around” test – Type a number in the Walk Around Order (4) field to define the order the zone will run in during a “walk around” test. Click the Check Walk Around (5) button to find zones with the same walk around number.
• Reorder the list of zones – Select the Advanced (6) option, and then type a new value in the Zone Reorder
(7) field to change the order of the zones. If you add a new zone that you want to use as a Linked or Mirroredzone, you will need to place the new zone above the
others in the list. Use a decimal to move a zone betweentwoothers on the list. For example,type 3.5 in the Zone Reorderfield to insert a zone between the number 3 and 4 zones. To apply and save your changes, click the Reorder button at the bottom of the column.To cancel any unapplied changes, click the Cancel button.
Any single valve biCoder can be used to operate a master valve. A master valve biCoder can be used to actuate a master valve.
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that the master valve biCoder is connected to.
2. Click the Config Zone (1) tab.
3. In the SerialNumber column, type the serial number for the master valve biCoder in an unused address line (2).
Note: The serial number of the two-wirebiCoder is locatedon the side of the unit. The serial number for the powered biCoderis located on the inside of the enclosure door.
4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The system searches for the device, tests the master valve and thecommunication, and then displays the Configuration Status message box.
5. Click OK.
6. Type a description of the master valve biCoder in the Description (3) field. Use the description to define the location or area that this master valve is controlling.
7. Click the arrow in the Device Mode (4) field, and then click one of the following options to define the mode of the master valve:
• M-Valve – Used for a normally closed master valve that turns on when the flow zone is activated
• M-Val NO – Used for a normallyopen master valve
8. In the FlowZone Number (5) field, type the number of the flow zone that this master valve controls. Refer to Setting Up Flow Monitoring for Flow Zones on page 61.
Adding an Air Temperature Sensor
The air temperature sensor for the BaseStation 6000 system provides two separate functions. It offers a convenient way to haltwatering (for all programs)when the outside temperature drops below 38 degrees F. It also enables ET-based watering. The air temperature sensor is read every 10 minutes.
For the physicalinstallation of the device, please refer to the “Installation Guide” that was included in thepackage with the device.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Air temperature sensors can only be assigned to Remote Base Unit #1.
To configure an air temperature sensor
1. 
Click Remote Base Unit #1 (1).
2. Click the Config Sensor (2) tab.
3. Within the All Programs Temp Stop Watering group box, type the serial number of the Air Temperature Sensor in the SerialNumber (3)field.
4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The system searches for the device, and then displays the Configuration Status message box.
5. Click OK.
6. The Air Temperature Sensor is enabled by default. If you want to disable the sensor, click the Enable (4) check box to remove the check mark.
7. To test the air temperature sensor, click the Test (5) button. The test verifies that the sensor is working and gives you the currenttemperature reading. You can use this to verify that the sensor is placed correctly.
Note: The Air Temperature Sensor does not give a reading if the temperature is below freezing.
Adding a Pause Device
A pause device providesa way to halt wateringwhen an attached “switch” is activated.You can install these devices in any location where you have easyaccess to connect the device to the two-wire path.
Pause devices fall into two categories:
• Pause biCoder – These devices include, but are not limited to, wind, flow, rain, andpressure sensors. A single Pause biCoder per BaseStation 6000 system is all that is needed; however, you can connect up to five pause devices on each RBU.
• Outside OperationButton – Providesa convenient way to pause the irrigation system from multiplelocations around large sites. You can install up to five outside operation buttons on each RBU.
To configure a pause device
1. 
Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. Click the Rain/Pause menu, and then click Configure(1).The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration dialog boxopens.
3. Click the Pause/Rain - This Base tab.
4. 
Type the serial number of the pause device in an unused Serial Number (2) line. Notice that the top part of the list is forgeneral pause devices. You configurethe rainpause device in the fields under the Rain Pause Device heading.
5. Press Enter on the keyboard.
6. In the Description (3) field, type a description that defines the location of the pause device. You will find that defining the locations of your pause devices will be very useful in the ongoing management of your BaseStation 6000 system.
Settings forpause devices
• 
When you add a pause device, it is enabled by default. To disable the device, remove the check mark by clicking in the Enable (4) check box next to the pause device’s serial number.
• To definethe amount of time the system will pause the programs when the pause device is activated, change the value under Hours (5). By default, this field is set to 4 hours,but you can enter any value between1 and 24 hours.
• To define what program this pause device will affect, type the program number in the Programs(6) field, and then press Enter to record that program number. If you want this pause device to affect multiple programs, type each program number followed by a comma. (For example, type 1,3,4,42) After you type the last program number, press Enter. You can also type the word “All” and then press Enter to have the pause device affect all programs.
Note: Bydefault, the rain pause device affectsall programs, so the Programs fieldis not availablein this section.
• If you want to manually activate a pause device from the software, clickthePause (7) button to the left of the Serial Number field.
Note: To undo an activated pause, click the Reset (8) button,but be aware that clicking Reset will clear all pause events.
• After you configure a pause device, test the device by clicking the Test (9) button for the device. The test checks connectivity and also tells you the state of the device and what programs it affects.
• To clear all pause events, click the Reset (8) button.
Adding Devices to ManageStart/Stop Conditions
You can add devices to your irrigation system and then configure them within the BaseStation 6000 to start or stop wateringbased on specific conditions.
Consider the followingexamples:
• You might install several moisture sensors at increasingly deeper positions in the soil and then use these moisture sensors to stop watering when the moisture penetrates to certain level.
• You can use an air temperature sensor to start the irrigation systemwhen the temperature of an artificial playing surface rises to a specified level and then shut off the system when the temperature decreases to a specified level.
• You can install a switch and then configure it to start, stop, or pausewatering based on whether the switch is open or closed.
Note: You cannot use a pause button as a start/stopdevice.
When you want to use devicesfor these purposes, you need to add them to a specific range of addresses in the BaseStation6000.
To add astart/stop device
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are using soil moisture sensors asstart/stop devices, follow the stepsin the topic on configuring a biSensoron page 23 to add the sensors to the BaseStation 6000. For more information on this use of biSensors, refer to Starting/Stopping Irrigation Based on Tiered Soil Moisture Readings on page 49.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote BaseUnit (1) that the start/stop device is connectedto.
2. Click the Config Zone (2) tab.
3. 
Use the scroll box (3) on the left to move to the range of addresses between 180 and 199.
4. In the Serial Number (4) column, type the serial number for the device in an unused address line between zones 180 and 199.
Note: The serial number of the two-wirebiCoder is located on the side of the unit.
5. Press Enteron your keyboard. The system searches for the device, teststhesolenoidand the communication, and then displays theConfiguration Status message box.
6. Click OK.
7. Type a description of the start/stop device in the
Description (5) field.
For instructions on setting up the start/stopconditions for your devices, refer to Starting/Stopping/PausingIrrigation Based on Temperature Sensor Readings on page50and Starting/Stopping/Pausing Irrigation Based onSwitch State on page 52.
Adding aFlow biCoder
Use a Flow biCoderto connect a Flow Sensor to a BaseStation 6000 system. A water flow measurement device helps youmonitor actual water usage, and it protectsyour water delivery system by diagnosing failures in zones and heads.
To add aFlow biCoder
1. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. 
Click the Flow menu, and then click Configure FlowSensors(1).
3. Click the Flow BiCoder – All Bases tab.
4. 
In the Base Unit (2) field, type the number of the Remote Base Unit that the Flow biCoder will be assigned to.
5. In the Serial Number(3) field, type the serial number of the Flow biCoder.
6. Press Enter on your keyboard.
Note: After you add the Flow biCoder,the Flow and Usage fields are highlighted yellow. This highlighting is normal and does not indicatean error condition.
7. By default when you add a Flow biCoder it is enabled. If you want to disable the Flow biCoder, click in the Enable Sensor field to remove the check mark.
Note: When you are adding a Baseline FlowSensor (BL-
PFS100 – 400), Baseline Flow Meter (BL-BFM075 – BL-BFM150), or BaselineHydrometer (BL-BHM150 – 400 inc. NO option), the K Value,and Offset will be automatically configured for you.
8. In the KValue field, type the K value for the flow device that is connected to the Flow biCoder. This value is available in theflow device specifications.
9. In the OffSet field, type the offsetvalue for the flow devicethat is connected to the Flow biCoder.This value is available in the flow devicespecifications.
10. After you have added the Flow biCoder to the BaseStation 6000 system, you need to configure the associated flow device to monitor the flow. Refer to the following topics:
Viewing and Understanding Flow Device Readings on page 59 Setting Up Flow Monitoring for the Entire System on page 60 Setting Up Flow Monitoring for Flow Zones on page 61
Adding abiSensor
Baseline’s unique andpatented soil moisture sensors providecontinuous soil moisture measurements to the controller over conventional valve wires or two-wire.Using Baseline’s patentedTime Domain Transmission (TDT) technology, biSensors are highly accurate,durable, and self-calibrating for all soil types and conditions.
In additionto monitoring soil moisture content in your irrigation zones, you can also use biSensors to monitor water penetrationat various soil depths and adjust your watering to avoidleaching. If you plan to use biSensors for this purpose,follow the instructions below to configurethem in the system, and then refer to Starting/Stopping Irrigation Based on Tiered Soil Moisture Readings on page 49.
For the physicalinstallation of the device in the field, please refer to the “Installation Guide” that was packaged with the device.
Sensor Placement
As you plan where to place the biSensors,make sure that you have considered the hydrozones that exist in your landscaping. Ahydrozone is a groupingof plants that have similar water usage and delivery characteristics and can be watered the same. Forexample, each of the following landscaping areas would be a separate hydrozone:
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• Grass in full sun with rotors • Grass in full sun with sprays • Drip zones in full sun |
• Grass in shade with rotors • Grass in shade with sprays • Drip zones in shade |
You can group the zones inyour irrigation system into scheduling groups basedon their common characteristics. Within the scheduling group, designate one zone to be the “primary” zone (configuredwithin the BaseStation software as either Auto or Timed) and set up the watering days and times. Youcan link the other zones in the scheduling group to the primary zone so they will be watered more or less relativeto it. These zones are called “linked” zones. For more information, refer to Setting up Scheduling Groups on page 29.
Sensor Installation and Configuration Tips
• When choosing the sensor location, take into account variables such as distribution rate, sun exposure or soil type, and other characteristics that may affect water holding capacity, or the rate at which plants use water.
• The sensor needs to be located in a place that gets average to below-average coverage. One thing to watch for is head placement. Sprinkler systems are designed for head-to-head coverage which means each sprinkler head sprays water far enough to hit the adjacent sprinkler head (this does not apply to drip zones). Be careful that you do not bury the sensor in an area that gets more water in comparison to the rest of the zone.
Note: Make any adjustments or repairs to ensure the proper application of water to the sensor location.
• Bury the sensor mid-way between two sprinkler heads that are watering the location, butplaceitoffof the centerline that the sprinklers create.
• Install the soil moisture sensor 2 - 3 inches below the plant or in the top third of the plants’ root zone.
• Bury the soil moisture sensor so there areno air pockets or rocks in contact with the sensor.
• Mark the location of the soil moisture sensor so you can find it in the future and avoid damaging it when aerating.
• 
In the BaseStation 6000 software, you associate a sensor with a zone by setting the mode of the zone to Auto and thenselecting the sensor from a list. This zone can then function as a primary zone and have other zones linked zones to it. You can deal with minor differences between the primary and linked zones by adjusting thepercentage that the linked zone operates in relation to the primary zone.
• When you associate a sensor with a zone, make sure that the sensor is in a location that is watered by that zone.
To configure a biSensor
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit (1) that the sensor is connected to.
2. Click the Config Sensor (2) tab.
3. In the SerialNumber column, type the serial number for the sensor in an unused address line (3).
Note: If you are setting up a series of stackedsensors, we advise that you enter them into the softwarein order from top to bottom to simplifythe management of the system.
4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The system searches for the sensor, and then displays the Configuration Status message box.
5. Click OK.
6. Type a description of the sensor in the Description (4) field. Use the description to define the location or area that this sensor is monitoring.
Note: The addressnumbers for biSensors range from201 to 225.
7. All biSensors are enabled by default. If you want to disable the sensor that you just added, click the arrow in the Device State field, and then click Disabled.
To view abiSensor Graph
The BaseStation 6000 generates beneficial graphsfrom the biSensor data. When you are using biSensors to manageand control watering,you refer to the graphs whencalibrating the sensors and settingup your wateringstrategies as describedbelow. When your sensor is associatedwith a zone, you access the graph for the sensor by clicking the Graph button on the Adjust Zone tab.
In some cases, you might configurea sensor in the
BaseStation 6000 that will be used for aspecialized purpose and is not connected to a zone. The system generates graphsfor all sensors, but when the sensor is not connected with a zone, you access the graph for the sensor by clicking the graph button on theConfig Sensor tab.
When the graph displays,you have many different tools for changing how the graph looks. Refer to Adjusting the Data View on a Graph on page 93 for details.
To calibrate abiSensor
When you are using biSensorsto manage and control watering for auto and linked zones, the sensors need to be calibrated sothat the system will water correctlybased on thresholds that accurately represent the zone’s needs. The calibration providesthe settings for theupper and/or lower moisture levels (theupper threshold and lower threshold).
IMPORTANT NOTE! After you calibrateyour sensors and get the settings for the upper and/or lower moisture levels, you need to program the run times for the zones so that the systemwill put down enough water to reachthe upper moisturelevel and then allow enough time between watering cycles forthe soil to dry out to the lower moisture level. Refer to Adjusting Individual Zoneson page 39. The biSensors monitor soilmoisture levels, but this data does not cause runtimes to be automatically adjusted in the system.
To perform the manual calibration, saturate the soil around the sensor bypouring approximately two gallons of water directlyover the spot where the sensor isburied. Over the next several hours, the water will spread out throughcapillary movement. As a rule, it is best to wait 24 hours to get an accurate field capacity reading. Test the biSensor to get the moisture percentagereading, and then set the upper moisturelevel (upper threshold) at or slightly below this moisture reading. Refer to Testing Sensors on page100.
The most common method for manually calibrating a sensor for the lowermoisture level (lower threshold) is to let thelandscape dry out to the point where wateringis desired and then test the biSensor again to get the moisture percentagereading and use that reading as the lower moisture level (lower threshold).
For more information, refer to Adjusting Programming with biSensors on page 41, and refer to the Graphs section on page 92 for information about reading and interpretingthe soil moisture graphs. When the graph displays, you have manydifferent tools for changinghow the graphlooks. Refer to Adjusting the Data View on a Graph on page93 for details.
To set theupper andlower moisture levels for a biSensor that is associated withanauto zone
1. 
Click the Adjust Zone (1) tab on the Main Page.
2. Click the Graph (2) button for the auto zone that you want to set the moisture levels for. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: When you adjust the auto zone, the new settings will be applied to all zones that are linked to it.
3. 
If you are using Water Strategy 1 or 2, use the slider (3) on the right side of the graph to set the Upper Moisture Level represented by the green line. The Upper Moisture Level refers to the field capacity of the soil. Set the Upper Moisture Level at or slightly below the biSensor reading that you took after allowing the water to soak in around thesensor for 24 hours.
4. If you are using Water Strategy 2 or 3, you can adjust the Lower Moisture Level with the slider (4) on the left of the graph. The Lower Moisture Level is represented by the red line. This setting represents how dry you will let the soil become before watering again.
5. Click Return (5) to close the window.
Continuous Calibration – The AutoCalibration option on the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window enables the controllerto continuously measure the field capacity of the soil. When you enable autocalibration, the controller applies water to the auto zone (the zone where the sensor is buried)during every run cycleuntil the responsecurve slows. After thecontroller has measuredfield capacity, it is able to use this data to set an upper or lower threshold based on this reading. You can then choose to use this thresholdor reset it as needed.
If you have your thresholdsprecisely set, you can use continuous calibration to make minor adjustments that will improve plant health.Keep the following points in mind:
WARNING!Continuous calibration uses a lot of water while attempting to determine field capacity especially if the sensor is placed in a very dry area.
• If you enable continuous calibration when the soil moisture content isalready high, the calibration will fail because the system must be able to detect a change in soil moisture content.
• If your run time is too short, not enough water is applied to the location and the sensor cannot detect a slowdown in the response curve. If the run time is not long enough to fill the soil to field capacity, the calibration will fail.
• If you are using Water Strategy 3 or 4, the Auto Calibration option is not available on the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
For more information, refer to Adjusting Programming with biSensors on page 41, and refer to the Graphs section on page 92 for information about reading and interpretingthe soil moisture graphs. When the graph displays, you have manydifferent tools for changinghow the graphlooks. Refer to Adjusting the Data View on a Graph on page93 for details.
1. 
Click the Adjust Zone (1) tab on the Main Page.
2. Click the Graph (2) button for the auto zone that you want to calibrate. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: When you adjust the auto zone, the new settingswill be applied to all zones that are linked to it.
3. Select the AutoCalibration (3) check box. If you are using Water Strategy 3 or 4, this check box is unavailable.
4. Click Return (4) to close the window.
Quick Adjustments
After the system has been running, it is possibleto make quick adjustments without having to manually adjust the moisture levels.You can use preconfigured settings to have the system react to a “Too Wet”, “OK”, or “Too Dry” situation.
1. 
Click the Adjust Zone (1) tab on the Main Page.
2. Click the Graph (2) button for the auto zone that you want to adjust. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: When you adjust the auto zone, the new settingswill be applied to all zones that are linked to it.
3. 
In the Adjustments and Centering group box, click the button that matches the situation:
• If the system is over watering or the ground is too wet, click the Too Wet (3) button. The system lowers the turn-on and turn-off thresholds, which effectively dries out the zone.
• If the system is running correctly, click the OK(4) button. The system sets the limits to maintain the current moisture profile as shown in the moisture graphs.
• If the system is not watering enough and the ground is drying out to quickly, click the Too Dry(5) button. The system starts a run cycle to increase the moisture.
Note: When you click the Too Dry button, the Zone Description field for an auto zone displays a magenta background.This status color indicatesthat the system is watering the zone. To stop watering and clear the magenta background,go to the Adjust Zone tab and click Force Zone to Done on the Actions menu.
Adding a Tipping Bucket Style Rain Gauge
A tipping bucket style rain gauge is an open-topreceptacle that collects and measures precipitation. When rain falls into the receptacle, it is funneled to a device that measures the quantity and generates a pulse that can be counted.
If you want to use a tippingbucket rain gauge as a precision rain shutdown device, you need to perform the steps below to add the rain gauge to the BaseStation 6000 using the Config Zone tab, and then configure the rain gauge in the ET Parameter Input window.
1. Ensure that the rain gauge is physically installed and connectedto the two-wire.
2. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that the rain gauge is connected to.
3. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
4. On the Main Menu, click Diagnostics and then click System Diagnostics. The System Diagnostics window displays.
5. Click the Config Support tab.
6. Click List Devices. The connected devices display in the pane on the right.
7. Write down the serial number of the biCoder that is connected to the rain gauge.
8. Click Return to close the System Diagnostics window.
9. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Config Zone tab.
10. Use the scroll box onthe left to move to the bottom of the Address list.
11. In the Serial Number column for address line 200, type the serial number of the decoder that is connected to the rain gauge.
12. Press Enter on your keyboard. The system searches for the rain gauge, and then displays the Configuration Status message box.
13. Click OK.
14. Configure the rain gauge on the ET Parameter Input window. Refer to Configuring a Precision Rain Shutdown on page 56.
3 –INITIAL PROGRAMMING
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Quick Start /First Watering
To quicklyconfigure the BaseStation 6000 SiteController softwareand start watering, refer to the QuickStart Guide. This manual gives more detail for configuring the system and fine tuning the programming.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After you have the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller software configured for watering, leave both the softwareand the computer running at all times. If you shut down the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller software and/or the computer,your irrigation system will stop watering.
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Planning Your Programming
Before you start programming your system, you need to have the following components installed:
• Your BaseStation 6000 Site Controller computer
• At least one Remote Base Unit
• One biCoder (Baseline’s smart, two-wire decoder)
You need to know the serial numbersof your Remote Base Units and valve biCoders. It is also helpful to have a map or drawingof your irrigation system so you know where your zones are located.
Take Advantage ofthe Powerful Features inthe BaseStation 6000
When you are considering how to program your BaseStation 6000, make sure that you plan to use these powerful features that will help you get the most out of your system:
• Smart Watering
In the industry,“smart watering” usually refers to irrigation controllers that automatically adjust the irrigation schedulebased on local weatherand/or site conditions. While the BaseStation 6000 supports those smart watering features, it canalso make other “smart watering”decisions. For example, if a program start time is reached while another program isactive, the controllerwill reset the run times for all unfinished zones run those zones before any other zones.
• Hydrozones, PrimaryZones, and Scheduling Groups
A hydrozoneis a grouping of plants that have similar water requirements and can be watered the same. Areas that requiredissimilar water or scheduling requirements would be placed in separatehydrozones.
Before you configure your Baseline system,identify the varioushydrozones inyour landscaping, and then identify the irrigation zones that are associated with those hydrozones. For the zones associated with a specific hydrozone, designateone zone as the primary zone, and then link the other zonesto that primary zone – creating what is known asa scheduling group.
The primaryzone must have the following characteristics:
▪ It is configured in the BaseStation 6000 system at an address with a lowernumber than the other zones within the samescheduling group. For example,if zones 1 – 50 are in onescheduling group, zone 1 wouldbe the primary zone.
▪ It isconfigured as either Auto or Timed.
◦ Auto – Requiresthat a sensor be connected
◦ Timed – Sets the zone to run based on itstimed scheduling only
After you have established the relationship between the primary and linked zones, you can specify what program thescheduling group will use for wateringby simply assigning the program to the primary zone. You can also adjust how thegroup will run by adjustingthe settings for the primary zone. If you notice that a zone within a scheduling group is beingover or under watered,you can adjust how that zone runs based on a percentage of the settings for the primary zone.
You can establishup to 500 separatescheduling groups
• Intelligent Soak Cycles™
Make sure you understandhow the BaseStation 6000 system uses Intelligent Soak Cycles. Soak cycling breaks the total run time into shorter water “cycles” (timed waterapplications) with “soak” periods in between to allow time forwater to soak into the soil before applyingmore water. Soak cycles save waterand avoid surface soil saturation and runoff by breakingthe total run time for any zone into multiplecycles and soaks. One easy way to determine a good cycle time is to turn a zone on andwatch for first signs of standingwater or runoff. Set the “Minutes On”time of the soak cycleto be no more than this amount of time.
The BaseStation 6000 has built-in support for soakcycling and uses intelligent watering algorithms that apply cycles in the optimal order to maximize water penetration andminimize evaporation loss.
• Concurrent Zones (Total ActiveZones)
The Total Active Zones settingon the controller allows more than one zone to water at once. The BaseStation 6000 uses a sophisticated watering engine that can useconcurrent zone settings on multiple levels including the device level, programlevel, Remote Base Unit level, and system wide level. These settings require detailed information about the electric and hydrauliclimits of the system.
Note: When the system runs the concurrentzones, it ignores any master valves, which could result in an overcurrent alert.
• Watering with Sensors
The BaseStation 6000 system accommodates many kinds of sensors that can be configured to monitor and controlwatering. First, you install the sensors and connect them to your irrigation system. Then you configure the wateringprograms in the BaseStation 6000 software, and finally you configure the system to control how those programs will water based on readingsfrom the sensor.
For example,if you have a soil moisture sensor associated with a primary zone, you can configure that zone and all linkedzones to turn on based on the low moisturereading (lower threshold) from the sensor and then turn off based on the upper moisturereading (upper threshold) from the sensor.
• ET-Based Watering
The BaseStation 6000 system includes advancedET-based watering technology, which enables ET-based zones to be wateredwhen needed rather than on a pre-set schedule.
• Flow Management
The BaseStation 6000 Site Controller gives youvery precise control over flow zones and flow management, which enables you to carefullymonitor and use your available water.
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Setting upScheduling Groups
Schedulinggroups are made up of a primary zone and multiple linked zones within one hydrozone. After you have schedulinggroups configured, you can easily make changes to large groups of zones.
Creating Scheduling Groups
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to create the scheduling groups.
2. Click the Config Zone (1) tab.
3. 
Find the line that corresponds to the zone that you want to establish as a primary zone.
4. Click the arrow in the field (2) under the Device Mode column, and then click either Auto or Timed. Remember that Auto requires that a biSensor be connected while Timed enables the zone to run based on its timed scheduling only.
5. Find the lines for the zones that you want to link to the primary zone. On each line, click the arrow in the field (3) under the Device Mode column, and then click Linked. The Select Primary Zone – Auto or Timed dialog box opens.
6. Click the arrow in the SelectZone (4) field, and then click theprimary zone.
Note: The primary zone must be at an address with a lower number than the linked zones.
7. 
Click the arrow in the Tracking Ratio (5) field, and then click the option that will enable the linked zone to watercorrectly. You can choose an option that is more or less than the primary zone.
8. Click OK (6).
Programming aScheduling Group
• After you create a scheduling group, notice that the Prog# field on the Config Zone tab is no longer active for the linked zones. If you want to change the program that the group is using for watering, change the number in the Prog# field for the primary zone.
• You can also adjust how a scheduling group runs by changing the Sprinkler Settings and Soak Cycle Adjust fields for the primary zone on the Adjust Zone tab. For more information on setting up your needed scheduling and watering patterns, refer to Grouping and Reordering Zones on page 30.
• If you notice that a zone within a scheduling group is being over or under watered, you can adjust how that zone runs based on a percentage of its primary zone. Refer to Adjusting the Tracking Ratio of Linked Zones on page 41.
Grouping andReordering Zones
After you have set up your schedulinggroups, it is helpful to order them so they are grouped visually. This grouping will simplifythe management and troubleshooting of your system.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to group or reorder zones.
2. 
Click the Config Zone (1) tab.
3. Choose one of the following methods to reorder the zones:
Change the order of existing zones
a. Click the Basic (2) button.
b. Type a new number in the Zone Reorder (3) field for a zone that you want to change. Repeat this step until you have updated all the numbers for the zones that you want to change. Keep in mindthatyour new sequence must include all the numbers that were in youroriginal sequence.
c. Click the Reorder (4) button.
Insert a zone betweentwo existing zones
a. Click the Advanced (2) button.
b. In the Zone Reorder (3) field for the zone that you want to move, change the number to a decimal to indicate where youwant zone to be moved.
Example: If you add a new device in addressline 9 that you want to move to a new position between zones 3 and 4,click in the Zone Reorder field for zone 9, and then type 3.5 in place of the 9. If you want to move multiplezones between two addresses, you can use a series of decimals such as 3.4 and 3.6. You can use up to two decimal placeswhen reordering zones.
c. Click the Reorder (4) button.
4. A message warns you that permanent changes will be made to the system configuration. Click OK to continue.
Setting UpPrograms (Establishing Water Windows)
The first step in settingup programs on the BaseStation 6000 system is to establish your water windows. Water windowsdesignate when the systemcan water each day and over the course of a week. Typically,all days and timeswould be availablefor watering unless there arewatering restrictions or you need to set aside a time formowing.
After you establish the water windows,you can configure the system to start watering at specific times or you can usedefined day intervals to sethow many days the system will wait between watering cycles.
To establish water windows
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to set up programs and establish water windows.
2. Click the Programs button on the Main Page. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
3. 
Click the arrow at the end of the Program (1) field, and then click the program that you want to set the water windows for.
4. Click the Click to Edit Program Name (2) button. The program Name dialog box opens.
5. In the field, type a descriptive name for the program that you are setting up.
6. Click OK.
7. On the Set Watering Program Schedule window, make surethat the Water Window (3) tab is visible.
8. Select the Enable Program (4) check box.
A default water window scenario is displayed inthe Watering Time grid (5).
• Blue allows watering during that hour.
• White does not allow watering.
Note: Typically, all cells would be blue unless there are watering restrictions or youneed to set asidea time for mowing.
9. Perform any of the following actions:
• Click a white cell to turn it blue.
• Click a blue cell to turn it white.
• 
Click one side of the blue and white icon [ ] at the top of each column to set the entire column blue or white.
10. Determine how you want the program to start:
• To have the program start at a specific time, follow the instructions under “Using Timed Watering Starts.”
• To have the program use defined day intervals, follow the instructionsunder “Using Day Intervals.”
IMPORTANT NOTE: The programis not active until you configure the start option and select the Enable Program check box.
Using Timed Watering Starts
1. After you have established the water windows for your program, click the Programs button on the Main Page. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
2. 
Click the arrow at the end of the Program (1) field, and then click the program that you want to set the start times for.
3. Make sure that the Water Windowtab is visible.
4. Make sure that your water windows are set up accurately.
5. In the Watering Time grid, choose the watering start time for eachday byclicking the appropriate box for each day and time until that box shows green.
Tip: When an entire column is blue, you can click the green icon at the bottom of each column to set the entirecolumn green.
6. Select the Enable Clock Mode with Timed WateringStarts (2) check box.
7. If the Enable Program (3) check box is not selected, click it to select it.
8. Click Return/Save (4).
Using Day Intervals
1. 
After you have established the water windows for your program, click the Programs button on the Main Page. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
2. Click the arrow at the end of the Program (1) field, and then click the program that you want to set the day intervals for.
3. Make sure that the Water Windowtab is visible.
4. Make sure that your water windows are set up accurately.
5. Make sure that the EnableClock Mode with Timed Watering Starts (2) check box is NOT checked.
6. If the Watering Time grid shows green boxes that indicate start times, a message warns you that these boxes will be changed to blue. Click OK to continue.
7. If the Enable Program (3) check box is not selected, click itto select it.
8. 
Click Return/Save (4), and then configurethe day intervals.
9. Click the Adjust Zone (5) tab on the Main Page.
10. In the Day Interval (6) field, type a number to indicate how many days the system will wait between watering cycles.
Verifying Your Water Window Configuration
Verify that your water windowallows enough time for the assignedzones to run.
Note: If the Device Status field on the Adjust Zone tab or the Information tab has a Graybackground, it means that the system cannot water because the water window is closed.
1. Click the Programs button on the Main Page. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
2. Click the arrow at the end of the Program (1) field, and then click the program that you want to verify.
3. Make sure that the Water Windowtab is visible.
4. From the Base Unit (3) drop-down list, click the Remote Base Unit that the program is used by.
5. Compare the information in the Time Available field to the information in the Projected Run Time for that Remote Base Unit.
6. If there is a discrepancy:
• Adjust the watering time on the Water Window tab.
• Change the Total Minutes On for the zones in the program on the Adjust Zone tab.
Tip: You can make changesto all zones for a program with the Program/Value Editor. To open the editor, click theInformation tab on the Main Page to activatethe Main Menu. Click the Seasonal Adjustmenu, and then click Adjust. The SetSystem Parameterswindow opens. Click the Program/Value Editor tab. In the Program Selector field, click the
arrow to choose the program that controls the zones that you want to change. Make changes in the remaining fieldsand then click Apply. When finished,click Return to close the Set System Parameters window.
• Review the settings for Concurrent Zones in the pane on the right side of the Water Window tab. Change the Concurrent Zone settings for the RBU that this program is running on and for the entire system. Refer to Controlling Total Active Zones (Concurrent Zones) on page 34.
Enabling Watering Days
The Watering Days feature is recommended only for those customers who have strict municipal requirements that force specificscheduled watering.
Normally, you would use the blue and white squares on the Water Window tab to configure watering restrictions by days of the week. If afixed schedule of wateringisrequired (such as onlyon odd days),the individualzones should be set upto watermore frequently to assure that they water each availableday.
WARNING! The wateringdays feature should be only used when absolutely necessary. If not used properly, this feature can limit wateringdays and cause many conflicts in the schedule.
To enable watering days
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Programs button. The Set WateringProgram Schedule window opens.
2. Click the arrow at the end of the Program (1) field, and then click the program that you want to enable watering daysfor.
3. Click the Watering Days (2) tab.
4. Click the arrow in the Select DesiredIrrigation Cycle (3) field, and then click the option for the days when you are allowed to water.
Note: When you choose the options to water every 2nd, 3rd,or 4th day, additionalinformation displays on the tab. Youneed to indicatewhether you want the watering cycle to restart at the beginningof each month or to continue with the day intervalsregardless of the month.
5. Click Return/Save (4).
Viewing Multiple Programs
Displaying Multi Program View
1. Click the Programs button on the Main Page. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
2. Click the Enable MultiProgram View button. The Program View window opens.
3. By default, the system displays programs 1 - 6 in the window. The top pane displays the program values in a running grid by day and hour. The lower part of the window displays individual panes for up to 6 programs.
Using Multi Program View
• To change the programs that are displayed in the individual panes, clickthe arrow in the program number field above the pane, and then click a different program number from the list.
• To create a group of six programs, make sure that the programs that you want to group are displayed in the individual panes in the lower part of the window. In the program group field at the bottom of the window, click the number of the program group that you want to use, and then click Save Group. To create another group, change the individual panes to display the programs that you want in a separate group. In the Program Group field, click an unused group number, and then click SaveGroup.
Note: Groups are only used for viewing.They do not affect the system in any way.
• To change watering times in the individual pane for a program:
▪ Increase watering time by clicking in a blank space to add a blue dot.
▪ Decrease watering time by clicking on a blue dot to remove it.
▪ If timed watering starts are enabled for your program, you can add a start time by clicking in a blank space to add a blue dot.Then click the dot again to change it to green, which represents start time.
• To save your changes and close the Program View window, click Return at the bottom of the window.
Controlling Total Active Zones (Concurrent Zones)
The BaseStation 6000 system is capable ofactivating multiple zones at one time. The number of concurrently operatingzones depends on the available electricity to operate valves as well as theavailable water supply and the flow rate. A flow device is required for this setup.
If your site requiresthat more than one zone waters at once,and you know the gallons per minute available from your source and the gallons per minute output of each zone, you can set each of those limits appropriately. For example, if you know thatyour water source provides100 gallons per minute, and each zone waters at a maximum of 25 gallons per minute, then you canoperate 4 zones concurrently. When the system runs the concurrent zones, it ignores any master valves, which could result in an overcurrent alert.
Note: To understand how the settings for total active zones correspond with the flow management features of the BaseStation6000, refer to the Managing and Optimizing Flow section beginning on page 68.
You can configurethe following methods forcontrolling how many zonescan be activated at any time:
• By the total zones the entire system can have activated
• By the number of zones each Remote Base Unit can have activated
• By the total zones each programcan have activated
Example: You can run one zone at a time on the programthat operates the football field, and four zones on the drip program.
To configure the total active zones for theentire system
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Base Unit (1) tab.
2. In the Total ActiveZones (2) field at the bottom of the Base Unit tab, type a number to represent the maximum number of zones that the entire system can run at any one time.
Note: During the initialconfiguration of your BaseStation 6000, we recommendthat you set the Total Active Zones to 1, which limits the number of zones that can run at one time to only one.
To configure theactive zones for aRemote Base Unit
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the
Base Unit (1) tab.
2. Click the Remote Base Unit (2) that you want to configure active zones for.
3. Find the line that corresponds to the Remote Base Unit that you want to configure active zones for.
4. In the Base (3) field under the Active Zones column, type a number between 1 and 20 to represent the number of zones that can be running concurrently on this Remote Base Unit.
Note: During the initial configuration of your BaseStation 6000, we recommend that you setthe Active Zones to 1, which limits the number of zones that can run at one time to only one.
5. In the Device (4) field under the Active Zones column, type a number between 1 and 4 to represent the maximum number of active zones per biCoder on this RBU.
6. Repeat these steps to configure the active zones for each RBU on your system.
To configure thetotal active zones perprogram
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Programs
button. The Set WateringProgram Schedule window opens.
2. Click the arrow at the end of the Program (1) field, and then click the program that you want to set the total active zones for.
3. In the Total ActiveZones (2) field type a number between 1 and 20 to represent the number of zones that can be running concurrently for this program.
Note: During the initialconfiguration of your BaseStation 6000, we recommendthat you set the Total Active Zones to 1, which limits the number of zones that can run at one time to only one.
4. Click Return/Save.
After You Finish Initial Programming
After you complete the initial programming tasks in the BaseStation 6000 system, you should run the system to ensure that it is operatingas expected.
If you want to manuallyoperate individual zones, refer to Manually Running Zones on page 72.
If you need to make adjustments to your system, refer to the topics in the ProgrammingAdjustments sectionof this document.
When your configuration is acceptable, and you want to leave the system in the Active status, click the Information tab on the Main Page.Verify that the System Activitystatus says “System Active” andthat the Run button ishighlighted in green. Refer toUnderstanding System Status and Color Coding on page 37.
IMPORTANT REMINDER! Leave both the software and the computer running at all times. If you shut down the BaseStation 6000Site Controller softwareand/or the computer,your irrigation system will stop watering.
4- PROGRAMMING ADJUSTMENTS
Understanding System Status and Color Coding
While you are configuring the BaseStation 6000 software and adjusting your programs, you will notice that the system displaysvarious status messages and color coding that also indicates status.
The exampleon the right illustrates some of the statusmessages and color coding.
(1) |
System activity status – This flashing status tells what the system is doing. In this example, the system is Active, which means that watering is occurring. If you click the Config Zone or Config Sensor tab, notice that this status changes to BaseUnit Paused Configuration Active. The Pause (6) button is also highlighted with a yellow border. The system will return to Active status when you click on a tab, such as the Information tab or when you click the Run button. |
(2) |
Red background – In the Device Status field, red indicates that a zone will not water. In this example, there is a flow fault on Zone 1, which means that the zone will not water until the fault is cleared. In the Zone Description field, red indicates that the program associated with the zone is disabled. The red highlighting is removed when you enable the program. |
(3) |
Light blue (cyan) background – Indicates that zone is soaking. In this example, zones 2 and 3 are soaking. Pale yellow background (not illustrated) – Indicates that the zone is waiting to water. Bright yellow background (not illustrated) – Indicates that too many errors are occurring. Click on the Zone Description to find out what the errors are. |
(4) |
Dark blue background – Indicates that the zone is watering. |
(5) |
Green background – Indicates that the programmed activity is done. |
|
Gray background (not illustrated) – Indicates that the system cannot water because the water window is closed. |
|
Magenta background (not illustrated) – When the Zone Description field for an auto zone displays a magenta background, it indicates that someone clicked the Too Dry button on the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window, and the system is watering the zone. To stop watering and clear the magenta background, go to the Adjust Zone tab and click Force Zone to Done on the Actions menu. |
(6) |
System activity buttons – When the Run button is highlighted in green as shown in this example, it means that the system is currently running. You can click Pause to temporarily halt watering, but if you leave the system paused with this button, it will restart at midnight. Click the Run button to turn off the temporary pause. |
(7) |
Remote Base Unit buttons – Each of the Remote Base Units that you have configured on your BaseStation 6000 system are represented by buttons in this grid. The background of these buttons displays the same color coding as described above. In this example, the background color is dark blue, which indicates that one or more zones associated with this RBU are currently watering. When all zones are done, the background color of the RBU button changes to green. |
(8) |
System Status Messages – The status of the BaseStation 6000 software displays in this field. |
Viewing System Information
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to view system information.
2. 
Click the Information (1) tab. The system shows the Days Since Last Watering information in the pane.
3. To display other system information, click the arrow (2) at the end of the field at the top of the tab.
4. Click one of the following options in the list (3) that displays:
• Time Watered this Watering Cycle –Shows the Current On Time in minutes and the On Time Limit in minutes.
• Soil Temperature– If you have a soil moisture sensorinstalled, the current soil temperature displays.
• Total Minutes On – Thetotal minutes that each zone haswatered since the installeddate displays in a histogram-type chart.
• Error Count – If errors occurred on the various valves or sensors, you can view the total number on this report.
• Soak Cycle Timers – You can review the Water Time and Wait Time foryour zones.
• Zone Map – If you have loaded pictures or drawings of your zones intothe BaseStation 6000, the system will display the image of each zone in sequence. Refer to Adding a Picture of a Zone on page 76.
Checking the Status of Individual Zones
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to check the status of a zone.
2. Click the Adjust Zone tab.
3. Use the scroll box on the left side of the tab to find the zone that you want to check.
4. Click the button in the Zone Actions column. A menu displays.
5. Click Quick Zone Status. The message box displays the status of the zone.
6. Click OK.
The BaseStation 6000 provides a variety of methodsfor adjusting watering time, but the most direct way to adjust individual zones is to make changes on the Adjust Zone tab.
To adjust sprinklersettings and soak cycle settings for an individual zone
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to adjust a zone.
2. 
Click the Adjust Zone (1) tab.
3. Use the scroll boxes (2) on the right or left side of the tab to find the zone that you want to adjust.
Note: If your configuration includes linked zones, you can adjust the trackingratio of those zones. Refer to Adjusting the TrackingRatio of Linked Zones on page 41.Otherwise, you adjust the individual settings for linked zones by adjustingthe primary zone.
4. Under the Sprinkler Settings column, change the number in the Total MinOn (3) field to increase or decrease the total number of minutes that this zone will run.
Note: You can temporarily adjust the run time for a zone that is configured for ET, but the programwill restore the ET settings.
5. Under the Sprinkler Settings column, change the number in the Day Interval (4) field to increase or decrease the number of days between waterings.
Note: If you selectedEnable Clock Mode with Timed Watering Starts on the Set watering Program Schedule window, the Day Intervalfield does not display on the Adjust Zone tab.
Note: The interfaceindicates that you can double-click in the Total Min On and/or Day Interval field to enable changes;however, you must first enable this functionality on the Seasonal Adjustments tab. Refer to Making Seasonal Adjustments on page 47.
Regardless of whether you have a seasonaladjustment currently enabled, information about any previous seasonaladjustment displaysin the field (5) at the bottom of the SprinklerSettings column. The field might display something likeSys = 3 D or 77%, which means that the wateringdays for this time period are set to 3, and the adjustment percentage for this time period isset to 77 percent of normal.If you have enabled a seasonal adjustment, the displayedsettings will affect your run times. The settings display even if seasonaladjustment is disabled, but they do not affect your run times. Refer to Making Seasonal Adjustments on page 47.
6. Under the Soak Cycle Adjust column, change the number in the Minutes On and Minutes Soak (6) fields to increase or decrease the run time or soak time of the soak cycle.
7. Select the Enable (7) check box to enable the soak cycle settings for the zone.
|
Disabling Zones
Imagine that you are changingthe landscaping in an area of your site and you do not want the zones in that area to water until the work is complete. Rather than removing thosezones from the system and losing all the configuration data, you can disable them for as long as necessary.When you want the zones to water again, you can turn them back on and their settings will still be available.
To disable azone
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to disable individual zones.
2. 
Click the Adjust Zone (1) tab.
3. Use the scroll boxes (2) on the right or left side of the tab to find the zone that you want to disable.
4. Click the check box in the Allow Sprinkling (3) column to remove the check mark. The background color in the Zone Description (4) field changes to red.
Note: If you disable a primary zone, all the zonesthat are linked to it will also be disabled. If you disable a linked zone, onlythat zone will be disabled.
To enable azone after it wasdisabled
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to enable a disabled zone.
2. Click the Adjust Zone tab.
3. Use the scroll box on the left side to find the zone that you want to enable.
4. Click the check box in the AllowSprinkling column to replace the check mark. The red background color in the Zone Description field disappears.
Note: If youdisable and then re-enablea zone, the zone status will be set to done.
By adjusting the tracking ratio, you canaccount for different head types orvariations in microclimate or soil type. A linked zone will “track” the run time of the primary zone that it is linked to. If you want a linked zone to run less than the primary zone, adjust the tracking ratio percentage down. If you want it to run longer than the primary zone, adjust the percentage up. The BaseStation 6000 tracking ratios range from 33 percent to 400 percent.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to adjust linked zones.
2. Click the Adjust Zone tab.
3. Find the line forthe linked zone that you want to adjust, and then double-click in the field under the TotalMin On column. TheSelect Primary Zone – Auto or Timed dialog box opens.
4. Click the arrow in the Tracking Ratio field, and then choose an option that will water more or less than the primary zone.
5. Click OK.
Compensating for Unusually Wet or Dry Weather
If your area is experiencing unusual weather and you want to adjust your entire system either up or down, you can adjust the wateringby a percentage of normal.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to adjust the zones to compensate for unusually wet or dry weather.
2. 
Click the Adjust Zone tab.
3. In the WeatherAdjust Factor (1) field, type a numberthat represents your adjustment percentage. Keep in mind that 100 % causes the system to water as scheduled.If you enter 50 %, the system decreaseswatering by half. If you enter 200 %, the system doubles watering.If you enter 0 %, the system does not water at all.
Note: When you set a Weather Adjust Factor,it remains active until you change the number in this field to 100 to indicatethat the system should water as scheduled. If youexperience an unexpected wateringschedule, check this field to determine whether you still have a weatheradjustment factor set.
Adjusting Programming with biSensors
A biSensor soil moisture sensor measures the loss of water from the root zone and enables you to adjust the watering scheduleaccordingly. Depending on your conditions, you can use one of severalwater strategies with the sensor to control how a zonewill run. The waterstrategies use the following moisture limits that are monitored by the soilmoisture sensor:
Upper Moisture Level (Upper Threshold): This settingrepresents the upper moisture limit (wettest) that soil is allowed to reach. This setting typicallyequals the field capacity level of soil moisture.
Lower Moisture Level(Lower Threshold): This setting represents the lower moisture limit (driest) the soil is allowed to reach and can beused to control when a zone’s watering cycle will start. This setting typicallyequals the maximum allowed depletion (MAD) level of soil moisture.
In order to use soil moisture sensors to monitor your watering, you must have at least one auto zone configured. Refer to Creating Scheduling Groups on page 29 for more information.
The following sections explain how eachstrategy affects the “Start Time” and “Day Interval” programs andalso explains how to set up your system to use the strategies.
Turn OnBased onDay Interval and Turn Off Based on Upper Moisture Level (Water Strategy 1)
When you enableWater Strategy 1, the system will start based on the way you have the programfor the zone configured – either in clock mode with timed watering starts, or on day intervals (as configured on the Adjust Zone tab).
Regardless of which start method is used, thesystem will turn off based on the run time configured on the Adjust Zone tab.If the run time for the zone is sufficient to reach the upper moisture level(upper threshold) as read by the biSensor, the system will apply additionalwater to compensate for the sensor depth. You can adjust the compensation amount by changing the number in the Sensor Depth Compensation field in the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
If the run time for the zone is not sufficient toreach the upper moisture level, the system will stop watering based on the run time setting.The system does not adjust the zone’s defined run time based on the upper moisture level that is set for the biSensor.
If the soil moisture is over the upper moisturelevel when a start time or day interval occurs, the system will water for one minute and then shut off and wait for the next start time or day interval.
Review the graph for the auto zone to ensure that your run time settingsallow the system to water to the upper moisture level.Refer to the Graphs section on page 92 for information aboutreading and interpreting the soil moisture graphs.
To configure the system to turn off based on upper moisture level
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Adjust Zone
tab.
2. Find the line for the auto zone that you want to configure.
3. Click the Graph (1) button at the end of the line. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: If you have schedulinggroups set up, adjusting the primary zone will affect all zones that are linked to it.
4. In the Water Strategy group box, select Water Strategy 1 (2).
5. Use the slider on the right of the graph to adjust the Upper Moisture Limit (3) represented by the green line. For help setting this line correctly, refer to the topic To calibrate a biSensor on page 23.
6. Click the Return button to close the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
Note: Refer to the Graphs sectionon page 92 for information about readingand interpreting the soil moisture graphs.
Turn On Based on Lower Moisture Levels and Turn Off Based on Upper Moisture Levels (Water Strategy 2)
When you enableWater Strategy 2, the system will start based on the way you have the programfor the zone configured – either in clock mode with timed watering starts, or on day intervals (as configured on the Adjust Zone tab).
• Clockmode with timed wateringstarts: The system will only start when a start time is reached and the moisture level is below the lower moisture level (lower threshold).
• Dayintervals: The biSensor will monitor the soil moisture content and start the zone’s watering cycle when the lower moisture levelis reached and watering is allowed as set by its water window. In order forWater Strategy 2 to be effective with the day interval setting, make sure that all days and times are set up to allow watering (unless there are watering restrictions).
Regardless of which start method is used, thesystem will turn off based on the run time configured on the Adjust Zone tab.If the run time for the zone is sufficient to reach the upper moisture level(upper threshold) as read by the biSensor, the system will apply additionalwater to compensate for the sensor depth. You can adjust the compensation amount by changing the number in the Sensor Depth Compensation field in the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
If the run time for the zone is not sufficient toreach the upper moisture level, the system will stop watering based on the run time setting.The system does not adjust the zone’s defined run time based on the upper moisture level that is set for the biSensor.
If the soil moisture is over the upper moisturelevel when a start time or day interval occurs, the system will water for one minute and then shut off and wait for the next start time or day interval.
Review the graph for the auto zone to ensure that your run time settingsallow the system to water to the upper moisture level.Refer to the Graphs section on page 92 for information about reading and interpreting the soilmoisture graphs.
To configure the system for upper and lower moisture levels
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Adjust Zone
tab.
2. Find the line for the auto zone that you want to configure.
3. Click the Graph (1) button at the end of the line. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: If you have schedulinggroups set up, adjusting the primary zone will affect all zones that are linked to it.
4. In the Water Strategy group box, select Water Strategy 2 (2).
5. Use the slider on the right of the graph to adjust the Upper Moisture Level (3) represented bythegreenline.For help setting this linecorrectly, refer to the topic To calibrate a biSensor on page 23.
6. Use the slider on the left of the graph to set the Lower Moisture Level (4) represented by the red line. For help setting this line correctly, refer to the topic To calibrate a biSensor on page 23.
7. Click the Return button to close the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
Note: Refer to the Graphs sectionon page 92 for information about readingand interpreting the soil moisture graphs.
Turn OnBased onLower Moisture Levels (Water Strategy 3)
When you enableWater Strategy 3, the system will start based on the way you have the programfor the zone configured – either in clock mode with timed watering starts, or on day intervals (as configured on the Adjust Zone tab).
• Clockmode with timed wateringstarts: The system will only start when a start time is reached and the moisture level is below the lower moisture level (lower threshold). The zone will then run for its total defined run time.
• Dayintervals: The biSensor will monitor the soil moisture content and start the zone’s watering cycle when the lower moisture levelis reached and watering is allowed as set by its water window. The zone willthen run for its total defined run time. If a zone reaches its day interval and has not reached the lower moisture level, it will then run for its defined run time.
To configure the system forlower moisture levels only
1. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Adjust Zone
tab.
2. Find the line for the auto zone that you want to configure.
3. Click the Graph (1) button at the end of the line. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: If you have schedulinggroups set up, adjusting the primary zone will affect all zones that are linked to it.
4. In the Water Strategy group box, select Water Strategy 3 (2).
5. Use the slider on the left of the graph to set the Lower Moisture Level
(3) represented by the red line. For help setting this line correctly, refer to the topic To calibrate a biSensor on page 23.
6. Click the Return button to close the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
Note: Refer to the Graphs sectionon page 92 for information about readingand interpreting the soil moisture graphs.
Turn OnBased onDay Interval and Turn Off Based on Time (Water Strategy 4)
Effects onStart Time Programming and on Day Interval Programming
When you use Water Strategy 4, the sensor will notaffect the programming of the zone, but it will monitor the moisture levels for that zone. This option can be useful when you are configuring the system.
To configure the system to turn on based on dayinterval andturn offbased ontime
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Adjust Zone
tab.
2. Find the line for the auto zone that you want to configure.
3. 
Click the Graph (1) button at the end of the line. The Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window opens.
Note: If you have scheduling groups set up, adjusting the primary zone will affect all zones that are linked to it.
4. In the Water Strategy group box, select Water Strategy 4 (2).
5. Click the Return button to close the Automatic Zone and Sensor Management window.
Note: Refer to the Graphs sectionon page 92 for information about readingand interpreting the soil moisture graphs.
Adding and Managing Events
During the course of a wateringseason there will be times when you need to prevent watering on all or part of your system. Youcan add scheduledevents in order to prevent watering for adesignated period of time. When the event date and time have passed, the system will resume watering as scheduled.
To add anevent
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the zones affected by the event.
2. 
Click the Programs button. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
3. Click the Schedule Events tab.
4. Click the arrow in the field at the top of the page, and then click the program (1) that you want to add the event to.
Note: If you want to add an event to all programs,select the Check to Apply to All Programs(2) check box under thecalendar.
5. Click the Add Event (3) button.
6. Type a descriptive name for the event in the Type Event Description Here (4) field.
7. In the SelectOffHours (5) group box, find the hours when you want the system to be turned off, and then click any blue boxes to make them white. The white boxes indicate that watering is not allowed.
8. On the calendar (6), click the date when you want the event to occur.
Note: If you have addedevent details that you do notwant to save, click Cancel Event Edits to undo those changes.
9. Click Save Event (7).
10. Click Return/Save (8).
To edit anevent
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the zones affected by the event.
2. Click the Programs button. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
3. Click the Schedule Events tab.
4. Click the arrow in the field at the top of the page, and then click the program that the event is associated with.
5. Click the Edit Event button.
6. In the List of Special Events, click on the event that you want to edit.
7. Make any necessary changes to the description, off hours, or date.
Note: If you have changed any event details that you do not wantto save, click Cancel Event Edits to undo those changes.
8. Click Save Event.
9. Click Return/Save.
To permanently delete an event
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the zones affected by the event.
2. Click the Programs button. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
3. Click the Schedule Events tab.
4. Click the arrow in the field at the top of the page, and then click the program that the event is associated with.
5. Click the Edit Event button.
6. In the List of Special Events, click on the event that you want to permanently delete.
7. Click Delete Event.
8. Click Yes in the Event Manager confirmation message.
9. Click Return/Save.
The BaseStation 6000 has tools for making adjustments to your programs to match seasonal watering needs. You can adjust both the wateringfrequency and watering amounts without making permanent changes to your programs.
Note: We recommendthat you do not use this tab to make adjustments for new landscapes, such as new sod or seed.
If your area is experiencing a period of unusual weather, and you want to temporarily adjust your entire system eitherup or down, consider using theWeather Adjust Factor field on the Adjust Zone tab, rather than configuring theseasonal adjustments described in this topic. Refer to Compensating for Unusually Wet or Dry Weather on page 41.
The system providesthe following strategies for making seasonal adjustments:
Straight Time Only – This strategy removesany seasonal adjustments and returns the system to the normal wateringschedule.
Monthly Adjust-Days – This strategyenables the user tospecify the maximum number of days the system can go before it waters again. For example,during the first twoweeks of April the system will go a maximum of four days before it waters again. These values can be adjusted for seasonalwatering differences.
Monthly Adjust-Time –This strategy enables you to adjust the wateringtime in each two-week period based on a percentageof the maximum watering time. Typically, this strategyis not used, but it is available if percentages are easier to manage.
Monthly Adjust-Time and Days – This strategy combinesthe
previouslydiscussed strategies and enables some zones to be adjusted based on days and other zones adjusted based upon times.
Note: We recommendthat you set the values for all monthly strategies to represent historic water usage in the given area.
Setting UpSeasonal Adjustments
1. On the Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. Click the Seasonal Adjust menu, and then click Adjust. The Set System Parameters window opens.
3. Make sure the Seasonal Adjustments tab is visible.
4. In the Seasonal Adjustment Method group box, select the option for handling the adjustments:
• If you want your programs to water on a consistent cycle throughout the year (or whenever your system is turned on), select Straight Time Only, and then click the Return button at the bottom of the window.
• If you want to specify the maximum number of days the system can go before it waters again, select Monthly Adjust-Days. In the SeasonalAdjustment Factors for Watering Timeand Watering Days group box, select Edit WateringDays, and then in the fields for the days of the month, type the number of days that you want the system to wait before it waters again.
• If you want to adjust the watering time in each two-week period based on a percentage of the maximum watering time, select MonthlyAdjust-Time. In the SeasonalAdjustment Factors for Watering Time and Watering Days group box, select Edit Watering TimeAdjustment Percent, and then in the fields for the days of the month, type a number that represents the percentage of the maximum wateringtimethatyou want to be used during those days.
• If you want to set up your seasonal adjustments based on a combination of days and percentages, select Monthly Adjust-Time and Days. In the Seasonal Adjustment Factors for WateringTime and WateringDays group box, first select Edit WateringDays, and then in the fields for the months when you want to adjust by days, type the number of days that you want the system to wait before it waters again. Then select Edit Watering TimeAdjustment Percent, and in the fields for the months when you want to adjust by percentages, type a number that represents the percentage of the maximum watering time that you want to be used.
Note: If you want to restore these fields to the defaultvalues provided by the system, click the Load Default Valuesbutton.
5. Click the Return button to save your changes and close the Set System Parameters window.
6. If you selected an option other than Straight Time Only, go to the Adjust Zone tab and enable the automatic seasonal adjustment in the Total Min On and the Day Interval fields as needed.
a. Depending on the seasonal adjustment option that you selected, double-click in the Total Min On and/or the Day Interval fields to enable the automatic adjustment.
b. Click Yes in the confirmation message box.
7. To view the seasonal adjustment that is currently being applied, go to the Adjust Zone tab and review the field at the bottom of the Sprinkler Settingscolumn. The field might display something like Sys = 3 D or 77%, which means that the watering days for this time period are set to 3, andtheadjustmentpercentage for this time period is set to 77 percent of normal.
Note: Regardless of whether you have a seasonaladjustment currently enabled, information about any previous seasonal adjustment displays in the field at the bottom ofthe Sprinkler Settings column. If you have enabled a seasonal adjustment, the backgroundcolor in the TotalMin Onand/or the DayInterval fields changes to light blue (cyan) to match the background color of the field at the bottom of the Sprinkler Settings column.
Shutting Down the System at the End ofthe Watering Season
Dependingon your location and watering needs, sometimes you will need to shut off watering for a period of time. Instead ofmaking adjustments to many differentzones and programs,you can simply halt the system indefinitely until you decide to restartoperation. This option is called Seasonal Shutdown.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Utilities, and then click Seasonal Shutdown. A confirmation message displays.
3. Click Yes to stop all watering. Another confirmation message displays.
4. Click Yesagain.A check mark displays next to the Seasonal Shutdown option on the Utilitiesmenu. “Seasonal Shutdown” displays in the upper-left corner of the main page, and the Pause button is highlighted in yellow.
To resume watering after a seasonal shutdown
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Utilities, and then click Seasonal Shutdown. A confirmation message displays.
3. Click Yestoresume all watering. The check mark next to the Seasonal Shutdown option on the Utilitiesmenu is removed. “System Active” displays in the upper-left corner of the main page, and the Run button is highlighted in green.
The BaseStation6000software provides sensor-basedoptions for controlling your irrigationsystem when it rains. However,if rain is forecast and you do not have sensor devices installed or configured, you can use the Rain Shutdown option to pause all wateringfor a specified number of days.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Utilities, and then click Rain Shutdown. The Rain Shutdown dialog box opens.
3. In the field, type a number between 1 and 7 to indicate the number of days that you want watering to be paused.
4. Click OK. A check markdisplays next to the Rain Shutdown option on the Utilities menu. “Rain Pause”displays in the upper- left corner of the main page, and the Pause button is highlighted inyellow.
To resume watering after a rain shutdown
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Utilities, and then click Rain Shutdown. A confirmation message displays.
3. Click OKtoresume all watering. The check mark next to the Rain Shutdown option on the Utilities menu is removed. “System Active” displays in the upper-left corner of the main page, and the Run button is highlighted in green.
Starting/Stopping Irrigation BasedonTiered Soil MoistureReadings
The BaseStation 6000 system can be configured to start or stop irrigation based on readings from soil moisture sensors.
You might have a situationwhere you are watering a landscape installed over contaminated land, and there is potential forcontaminates to leach into groundwater if the irrigation water applied at the surface penetrates the soil too deeply. In a brownfield situation like this, you can identifyup to three tiers of water penetration and then install a soil moisture sensorin each of these tiers. Using the advanced functionality of the BaseStation 6000 system, you can automatically control the irrigationbased on the readings from each soil moisture sensor.
Requirements
• Soil moisture sensors installed in the locations that you need to monitor
• Soil moisture sensors configured in the BaseStation 6000 system
• System notification configured in BaseStation 6000 Report & Alert Mailer
To configure the settings for tiered soil moisturereadings
1. Before you go to the Start/Stop Conditions tab to begin the configuration, find the serial numbers of the soil moisture sensors that you added to the system for this purpose. (If you have not added the sensors yet, refer to the topic about configuring a biSensor on page 23.)
a. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that the sensors are connected to.
b. Click the Config Sensor tab.
c. Use the scroll box on the left to findthe sensors that you configured for the tiered moisture readings.
d. Write down the Remote Base Unit number and the serial numbers of the sensors. Be careful to maintain the order of the sensors from top to bottom.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. On the Main Menu,click Programs,and then clickStart/StopConditions. The Set WateringProgram Schedule window opens.
4. Make sure that the Start/Stop Conditions tab is visible.
5. Click the arrow in the Program field and click the program that you want to configure moisture sensors for.
6. 
Inthe Moisture Sensorgroup box, refer to the list ofsensors that you recorded in Step 1 above, and then typethe information in the Base and Address fields. After the system reads the sensor, the current datawill display in the Description field and in the Curr=C (Current) field under the Moisture column.
Note: If you are setting up a series of stackedsensors, we advise that you enter them into the softwarein order fromtop to bottom to simplify the management of the system.
7. In the Limit=L field under the Moisture column, type the limit for the soil moisture on this sensor. The limit is a percentage basedon the graph of the soil moisture sensor readings. To view the graph, close the Set Watering Program Schedule window. On the Main Page, click the Config Sensor tab. Find the line for sensor that you are using for these readings, and then click the Graph button on the right end of the line. After viewing the graph, return to the Set Watering Program Schedule window to continue this procedure.
Note: If you want to set the limit to 25%, type 25 in the field. Do not use a decimalpoint to designate a percentage.
8. Under the High Moisture column, select one of the check boxes:
• Warn: The system sends a warning when this limit is reached.
• Fault:Thesystem creates a fault condition when this limit is reached. The faultcondition will persist until you clear it by clicking the Clear Fault button at the far right of the line for the sensor.
9. If you want irrigation to stop when…
• The current moisture is greater than the limit, select the C > L check box under Stop.
• The current moisture is less than the limit, select the C < L check box under Stop.
10. If you want irrigation to start when…
• The current moisture is greater than the limit, select the C > L check box under Start.
• The current moisture is less than the limit, select the C < L check box under Start.
11. If you selected the Warn check box,click the ConfigureAlerts to indicate how and when you want the warning messages to be sent. If you need to configure the message recipients, refer to System Notification on page 82.
12. Click Return/Save.
Starting/Stopping/Pausing Irrigation Based onTemperature Sensor Readings
The BaseStation 6000 system can be configured to start, stop, or pause irrigation based on readings from temperature sensors.This option would be useful in the following example:
While it might seem unusual to water anartificial turf playing field, water is frequentlyused to reduce the temperature of the playing surface.Applying water will rapidly cool the surface, but the cooling effect does not last very long.
If you were in charge of managing a situation likethis, you could install a temperature sensor near the playing surface. Then in the BaseStation 6000 software, you would configure the sensors to start, stop, or pause irrigation based on the readings fromthe sensor. The system will keep the playing surfaceat a constant temperature by applying water when needed.
Requirements
• Airtemperature sensors are installed in the locations that you need to monitor.
• Air temperature sensors are configured in the BaseStation 6000 system. (Refer to Adding Devices to Manage Start/Stop Conditions on page 20.)
To configure the settings for temperature sensor readings
1. Before you go to the Start/Stop Conditions tab to begin the configuration,find the serial number of the air temperature sensor that you added to the system for this purpose. (If you have not added the sensor yet, refer to Adding Devices to Manage Start/Stop Conditions on page 20.)
a. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that the sensor is connected to.
b. Click the Config Zone tab.
c. Use the scroll box on the left to move to the Address range between 180 and 199, and then find the sensor that you configured to manage the start/stop conditions.
d. Write down the Remote Base Unit number and the serial number of the sensor.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Onthe Main Menu,click Programs,and then clickStart/StopConditions. The Set WateringProgram Schedule window opens.
4. Make sure that the Start/Stop Conditions tab is visible.
5. Click the arrow in the Program field, and then click the program that you want to configure air temperature sensors for.
6. 
In Temperature Sensor group box, refer to the information that you recorded in Step 1 above, and then type that information in the Base and Address fields for the air temperature sensors that you are using the monitor this location. After the system reads the sensor, the current data will display in the Description field and in the Curr=C (Current) field under the Temperature column.
7. In the Limit=L field under the Temperature column, type the limit for the air temperature on thissensor.
8. If you want irrigation to start when…
• The current temperature is less than the limit, select the C < L check box under Start.
• The current temperature is greater than the limit, select the C > L check box under Start.
9. If you want irrigation to stop when…
• The current temperature is less than the limit, select the C < L check box under Stop.
• The current temperature is greater than the limit, select the C > L check box under Stop.
10. If you want irrigation to pause when…
• The current temperature is less than the limit, select the C < L check box under Pause.
• The current temperature is greater than the limit, select the C > L check box under Pause.
11. Click Return/Save.
Starting/Stopping/Pausing Irrigation Based onSwitch State
The BaseStation 6000 system can be configured tostart, stop, or pause irrigation based on the state of a switch. This option would be useful in the followingexample:
Suppose that your irrigationwater comes from a cistern. When the water level in the cistern drops below a certain depth, youwant your irrigationsystem to shut off or pause so you do not pump the cistern dry. In a situation like this, you would install a float switch in the cistern to detect the lowlevel, and then configure the BaseStation 6000 system to operate based on thestate of that switch.
Requirements
• Switch devices are installed in the field.
Note: You cannot use a pause button as a start/stopdevice.
• Switch devices are configured in the BaseStation 6000 system (Refer to Adding Devices to Manage Start/Stop Conditions on page20.)
To configure the settings for switch states
1. Before you go to the Start/Stop Conditions tab to begin the configuration, find the serial number of the switch device that you added to the system for this purpose. (If you have not added the switch device yet, refer to Adding Devices to Manage Start/Stop Conditions on page 20.)
a. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that the switch deviceis connected to.
b. Click the Config Zone tab.
c. Use the scroll box on the left to move to the Address range between 180 and 199, and then find the switch device that you configured to manage the start/stop conditions.
d. Write down the Remote Base Unit number and the serial number of the switch device.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Onthe Main Menu,click Programs,and then clickStart/StopConditions. The Set WateringProgram Schedule window opens.
4. Make sure that the Start/Stop Conditions tab is visible.
5. Click the arrow in the Program field, and then click the program that you want to configure a switch device for.
6. 
In the Switch Device group box, refer to the information that you recorded in Step 1 above, and then type that information in the Base and Addressfields for the switch device that you are using. After the system reads the device, the updates the Description field and the Switch State field.
7. If you want irrigation to start when…
• The switch is open, select the Open check box under Start.
• The switch is closed, select the Closed check box under Start.
8. If you want irrigation to stop when…
• The switch is open, select the Open check box under Start.
• The switch is closed, select the Closed check box under Start.
9. If you want irrigation to pause when…
• The switch is open, select the Open check box under Start.
• The switch is closed, select the Closed check box under Start.
10. Click Return/Save.
Changing all Zones ina Program
The Program/Value Editor enables you to change all zones within a program to have the same the watering and soak cycle values. If you aremanaging a large site where the zones have similar watering requirements, this option will come in handy.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the zones that you want to change.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. 
On the Main Menu, click Window, and then click System Parameters. The Set System Parameters window opens.
4. Click the Program/Value Editor (1) tab.
5. Click the arrow in the ProgramSelector (2) field, and then click the program that controls the zones that you want to change.
6. In the Watering (3) column, change the settings for all zones in the selected program:
• On Time – Type the maximum on time in minutes.Water will stop when this time is up in both timed and sensor modes.
• Days Between– Type the maximumdays between watering for both timed and auto zones.
• Flow Rate GPM – Type the predicted flow rate for the zones in gallons per minute. This parameter is optional.
7. In the Soak Cycle (4) column, change the settings for all zones in the selected program:
• On Time – Type the water on time in minutes for each cycle of the soak cycle.
• Wait Time – Type the minimum amount of time inminutes that the system will wait between each cycle of the soak cycle.
• Soak Cycle Enable – Select the check box to enable soak cycles for these zones.
8. Click Apply Setting to ALL Zones in the Program on Selected Base (5). A confirmation message warns you that this option will overwrite all existing configuration information.
9. Click OK.
10. Click Return (6).
5 – ET-BASED WATERING
Evapotranspiration (ET) refers to the loss ofmoisture 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. The BaseStation 6000system includes advancedET-based watering technology, which enables ET-based zones to be watered when needed rather than on a pre-set schedule.
ET-basedirrigation systems attempt to calculate the loss of water from the root zone and adjust the watering scheduleaccordingly. The first step in this process is to obtain an accurateestimate of reference ET (ETo). Data for the standardized reference ET equation is gathered from air temperature sensors, weatherstations, or rain gauges. Then the BaseStation 6000 software estimates ETo by plugging the on-site data into mathematical equations (Hargreaves orPenman Monteith).
In addition,the system usesdata that you supply about thezone:
• A specific plant type's water needs
• The plant’s microclimate(ranging from full sun to total shade)
• Irrigation method used (spray,rotor, drip, or bubbler)
• Type of soil at the site (clay, sand, or loam)
• Slope of landscape (ranging from slight to extreme)
• The latitude of the site
The BaseStation 6000 system provides several methods for implementing ET-based watering:
• Based on readings from an air temperature sensor
• Based on readings from a weather station such as the Campbell Scientific Evapotranspiration Monitoring Station
• Based on readings from a rain gauge such as a tipping rain bucket
IMPORTANT NOTE: ET-based watering does not take the place of programs on yourBaseStation 6000 controller. You still need to follow the instructions in theInitial Programming and Programming Adjustments sections of this manual to setup your programs, and then apply the ET settings to the specific zones.
Configuring anET Primary Zone
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the zone that you want to configure as an ET zone.
2. Click the Config Zone (1) tab.
3. 
On the line for the zone that you want to configure, click the arrow in the field under Device Mode, and then click ET-Time (2). The ET Parameter Input window opens.
4. Click the Primary Zone Management (3) tab.
5. Verify that the correct zone is displayed in the
Select Zone (4) field.
6. Click the arrow in the PlantType (5) field, and then click the option that represents the type of vegetation that will be watered by this zone. The number in the field to the right of Plant Type is the percentage of ETo that will be used for the plant type.
Note: If none of the plant types in the list match the vegetation in the zone that you are
configuring, click Other, and then type a number in the field on the right to represent the percentage of ETo that is required for watering the plant type.
7. Click the arrow in the Shade Index (6) field, and then click the option that represents the zone’s microclimate.
8. Click the arrow in the SprinklerType and Application Rate (7) field, and then click the type of output device. In the field on the right, type the application rate for that device in inches per hour.
Note: Mostspray heads and rotorsare labeled with theirapplication rate in inchesper hour. If you are configuringET for a dripper or bubbler zone,you will have to convert the stated application rate from gallons per hourto inches per hour. Refer to Calculating the ApplicationRate for Dripper or Bubbler Zones onpage 118 in the Resourcessection of this manual.
9. Click the arrow in the Soil Type (8) field, and then click the type of soil found in this zone.
10. Click the arrowin the Slope(9) field, and then click the degree of slope in this zone. Based on yourentries in these fields, the system recommends settings for the zone.
11. To enter the recommended settings for your ET-based zone, click Apply Settings(10) in the Water Application Parameters group box.
Note: If you want to verify that the settingswere applied, go to the Adjust Zone tab and review the fields for your ET-basedzone.
12. In the Latitude (11) field, type a number that represents the degrees of latitude for the location of your site. You can find the latitude on a detailed map or on various web sites (for example, www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com).
Note: The fields under PrimaryZone Adjustments and Overrides are not used during the initial configuration of the ETprimary zone. Refer to the instructions below for adjustingan ET-based zone.
13. Click Record (12).
14. Click Return (13) to close the ET Parameter Input window and return to the Config Zone tab.
15. Click the Information tab to exit the configurationmode.
Adjusting anET-Based Zone
On the Adjust Zone tab, you can temporarily adjust the run time for a zone that is configuredfor ET, but the program will restore the ET settings. Follow the steps below to permanently adjust the settings for an ET-based zone.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the ET-based zone that you wantto adjust.
2. Click the Config Zone tab.
3. On the line for the ET-based zone that you want to adjust, click the arrow in the field under Device Mode, and then click ET- Time. The ET Parameter Input window opens.
4. Click the Primary Zone Management tab.
5. Verify that the correct zone is displayed in the Select Zone field.
6. Change the Setup fields as needed. If the recommended settings change as a result, be sure to click Apply Settings to have those changes applied to the zone.
7. In the fields under Primary Zone Adjustments and Overrides, enter any adjustments that are necessary for the zone.
• The CurrentDeficit field in the Zone Moisture Deficit group box shows the accumulated deficit since the last watering cycle. If the watering cycle is not long enough to reduce the deficit to 0, the deficit will increase over time. If you see an increasing deficit, it could mean that the ET parameters are not adjusted correctly, the temperature sensor is not in a representative place, or there is an irrigation equipment or deliver problem. These issues should be investigated.
• If a significant amount of rain falls on your site, you can use the Rain Amount field in the Rain Adjustment group box to record the amount in inches. The amount will be figured into the ET deficit calculations.
• If you need to increase or decrease watering time based on watering performance, click Dryer or Wetter within the Adjust Watering Time Percent group box. You can also type a number in the field toincrease or decrease the run time by a percentage.
8. Click Record.
16. Click Return to close the ET Parameter Input window and return to the Config Zone tab.
17. Click the Information tab to exit the configurationmode.
Configuring aPrecision Rain Shutdown
You can installa tipping rain bucket rain gauge and then configure that gauge to shut down irrigation precisely based on the configuration. The rain gauge is readevery 10 minutes. When the total amount of rain reaches the specifiedlimit for that day, the system shuts down irrigation for the specified amount of time.
For the physicalinstallation of the rain gauge, please refer to the “Installation Guide” that was included in the package.
1. If you have not added the rain gauge to the BaseStation 6000 system, do that first by following the instructions in Adding a Tipping Bucket Style Rain Gauge on page 26.
2. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where the rain gauge is installed.
3. Click the Config Zone tab and note the zone number of the rain gauge.
4. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
5. On the Main Menu,click Rain/Pause, and then click ET Rain Gauge Mgr. The ET Parameter Input window opens.
6. 
Ensure that the Weather Stationand Sensor Setup tabis visible.
7. In the RainShutdown group box, ensure that the correct Remote Base Unit is displayed in the Select Base Unit to BeControlled field.
Note: If you have multipleRBUs connected to your BaseStation 6000 system, you can configure the rain gauge to controlany or all of those RBUs. Perform the following steps for the RBU displayed in theSelect Base Unit to Be Controlled field, and then choose a differentRBU in that field and repeat the steps.
8. In the Rain Gauge Base Unit field, type the number of the Remote Base Unit that the rain gauge is connected to.
9. In the RainGauge Address field, type the zone number of the rain gauge.
10. If you want the system to shut down irrigation based on the rain gauge data, select the Enable Rain Shutdown check box.
Note: When you select the Enable Rain Shutdowncheck box, the system will read the status of the rain gauge and displaythe information in the Current Status field.
11. If there are any programs on the associated RBU that you do not want to be shut down, type those program numbers in the
Excluded Programs field. Type a comma between each number. Example: 1,2,13
12. In the Rain Gauge Parameters group box, configure the settings for the rain gauge:
• Inches Per Pulse – Type the increment at which the rain gauge tips (found in the specifications for the rain gauge).
• Minimum Inches – Type the minimum amount of rain (in inches) that will cause the systemto shut down.
• Hours Off Per Inch – Type the number of hours that youwant the system to stay off per inch of rain received. If the value in the Minimum Inches field is less than an inch, the actual hours off will be a percentage (equal to the percentage of an inch in the previous field) of the number in this field.
Example: If you enter 0.25 inches in the Minimum Inchesfield, and then enter 24 hours in the Hours Off Per Inch field, the system will shut down for 6 hours when the rain gauge measures 0.25 inches of rain. If the rain gauge measures 0.5inches of rain, the system will shut down for 12 hours. When a full inch of rain is received, the system willshut down for 24 hours.
• Maximum Absorption Rate in Inches/Hour– Type a numberthat represents the rate at whichthe soil in the affected zones will accept water.
• Test – Click to test the system’scommunication with the rain gauge.
• Set Fault – Click to set an artificial rain event. The settings for the rain shutdown displayin the Current Status field.
• Clear Fault – After an actual or artificial rain event, click Clear Fault to remove the pause condition.
13. Click Return.
Configuring anET Weather Station
A typical weatherstation includes the following meteorological sensors:
• Solar Radiation Sensor (pyranometer)
• Air Temperature Sensor
• Relative Humidity Probe
• Tipping Bucket Rain Gage
• Wind Sensor (anemometer)
The BaseStation 6000 software can read and display the data from the weather station and then use the data from that stationto obtain an accurate estimate of reference ET (ETo).
This functionality is coming soon…
Configuring Hargreaves Equation and a Rain Gauge for Weather Station Data
The Hargreavesequation typically requires only measured temperature data to calculate reference ETo. However, the BaseStation 6000 enables you to combine rainfalldata with the Hargreaves equation to factor a rain adjustment into the system’sET parameters.
This functionality is coming soon…
ETReporting
This functionality is coming soon…
6 –FLOW
The BaseStation 6000 Site Controller has powerfulflow features, which enable youto:
• Detect andmanage flow faults – With a flow device, the system can monitor the readings to protect your irrigation system from excessiveflow. In an “overflow event”the controllercloses all master valves associatedwith the flow meter andhalts all irrigationto protect the landscape from flooding, within five minutes of overflow detection.
• Control waterusage – The BaseStation 6000 Site Controller gives you very precise controlover the flow in your system,whichenables you to carefully monitor and use water while staying within allowedlimits. The controller will monitor the system flows in order to shorten water windows and maximize the number of valves running without exceeding system flowcapacity.
• Manage andoptimize flow – You can configure a model of your irrigation system in the BaseStation 6000 software. The system will use that information todistribute and control watering based on flow settings.
Before you attemptto use the flow features in the BaseStation 6000 software, make sure you understand the following terms and concepts:
• Flow – The amount of water that moves through your irrigation system at any given time.
• Flow zone – The group of zones in yourirrigation system that is monitored by a flow device. If you install multipleflow devices on your system, you will have multiple corresponding flow zones.
• Flownode – A section of your irrigation system that is differentiated from other sections by its piping structure. An irrigation system for a residential property might have only one flow node, but a system for a sports complex or a business park might have multiple nested flow nodes based on how the pipe sizes in the water delivery system change as the system branches out to the various irrigation sites. In the BaseStation 6000 software, you can configure flow nodes in parent-child relationships to match complex integrated piping structures.
Detecting and Managing Flow Faults
When you set up your system to monitor for flow-basedfaults, you can prevent water lossdue to a broken pipe.
You can configurethe BaseStation 6000 system to detect and manage flow faults across your entire irrigation system (you musthave a flow device on the point of connectionfor the site) or on individual flow zones. For either option, you must have a Flow biCoder configuredin the system.
If you knowthe flow for all the zones in your irrigationsystem, you can configure the base flows manually (refer to Manually Entering the Flow on page 62). You can also use the Learn Flow option to have the system operate all the valves and automatically update the base flow fields (referto Enabling the BaseStation 6000 to Learn the Flow forEach Valve on page 62).
Viewing andUnderstanding Flow Device Readings
1. Make sure that you have already added a Flow biCoder to the BaseStation 6000 system. Refer to Adding a Flow biCoder on page 21.
2. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Click the Flow menu, and then click the Configure Flow Sensors option. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens.
4. Click the Flow Bicoder – All Bases tab.
5. In the Current Combined Flow and Usage group box, review the data in the following fields:
• Combined Flow – This field shows the current sum of all the flow through all the flowdevices on the system in gallons per minute.
• Combined Usage– This field showsthe total water usage by the irrigation system in gallons per minute since the system was installed or since the Flow biCoders were reset.
• Flow Limit – This field shows the gallons per minute limit entered by the user.When this limit is enabled, the entire system will shut down if the flow exceeds this limit. Refer to Setting Up Flow Monitoring for the Entire System on page60.
6. In the Flow Zones – Address Flow Decoders and Set Limits group box, review the data in the following fields:
• Flow – This field shows the current flow reading of the Flow biCoder.
• Usage – This field shows the total water usage that has been readby this Flow biCoder since the system was installed or since the Flow biCoder was reset.
7. When you finish viewing the flow device readings, click Returnto close the Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window.
Setting UpFlow Monitoring for theEntire System
1. Make sure that you have a master valve and a flow device installed at the point where the irrigation system connects to the watersupply. Determine whether the master valve is normally open or normally closed.
2. Make sure that you have already added the Flow biCoder associated with the master valve to the BaseStation 6000 system. Refer to Adding a Flow biCoder on page 21.
3. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
4. Click the Flow menu, and then click the Configure Flow Sensors option. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens.
5. Click the Flow Bicoder – All Bases tab.
6. In the FlowLimit field within the Current Combined Flowand Usagegroup box, type the maximum flow allowed on the entire system.
7. Select the Enable Limit check box.
8. Click Return.
If the total flow of the system exceeds the amount listed inthe Flow Limit field for more than 5 minutes, wateringwill be shut down for the entire system. The errors displayin the Alarms and Alerts pane and the backgroundcolor of the Device Status field on the Information tab changes to red.
Setting Up Flow Monitoring for Flow Zones
Use this procedureto set up individual components of your system to be monitored and handled separately. If there is a problem,only that component is shut down and the rest of the system continues to water as needed.
1. Make sure that you have already added all of the Flow biCoders that are associated with the flow devices to the BaseStation 6000 system. Refer to Adding a Flow biCoder on page 21.
2. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Click the Flow menu, and then click the Configure Flow Sensors option. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens.
4. 
Click the Flow Bicoder – All Bases (1) tab.
Note: The behavior of the fieldson the Flow Bicoder – AllBases tab changes depending on what type of master valve is configuredin the system and associated with a certainflow device.
5. Verify that the Enable Sensor (2) check box is marked for each Flow biCoder. In some cases, the check mark in this check box is automatically removed while values are being updated in the system. Be sure to verify that the check boxes are marked after you finish updating the fields on thistab.
6. In the Flow Zone (3) column, type the number of the flow zone that each Flow biCoder is associated with.
Important! Number your flow zones from 1 through 24 to correspondwith the Flow biCoder numbers.
7. Use the fields in the Upper Limit(4) column to set a high flow limit that will shut off the valves associated with this flow zone.
• The OFFvalue represents theupper flow limit in gallons when the system is not watering. If, for example,there is a hose bib on this zone that would allow water to flow whenthe zone is not watering,you can set this valueto allow a certain level of flow. If this value is set incorrectly, a flow fault will occuron this zone when the hose bib is turned on.
• The ON value represents the upper flow limit in gallons when the system is watering.
Note: If you have a normallyopen Flow biCoder configured without an upper limit set, an error will warn you that it is not set up properly.
8. Click the Enable (5) check box to indicatethat these limitsare activated.
Note: Type the limits in the fields and then quicklyselect the associated Enable check box. An error will display if the system tries to write the values to the Flow biCoderbefore the Enable check box is selected.
9. Use the fields in the FlowVariance Limits (6) column to set limits on the amount of variance as a percentage over or under the expected flow. If flow variance is triggered, it will shut off the valves associated with this flow zone.
• The High value represents the percentage over the expected flow at which you want the system to shut off the valves associated with this flow zone.
• The Low value represents the percentage under the expected flow at which you want the system to shut off the valves associated with this flow zone.
10. Select the Enable(7) check boxes to the right of the High or Low value fields to indicate whichFlow Variance Limitsare activated.
11. Click the Test (8) button to findout whether the Flow biCoder is working correctly and to get a reading of thecurrent flow. The test results display in the pane below the table.
12. Under the Set/Reset (9) column,click the S button to simulate a high flow eventand find out whether the Flow biCoder is set up correctly. Click the R button to reset a high flow fault.
13. Click Return (10). The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configurationwindow closes.
14. 
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Config Zone
tab.
15. In the Number field under the Flow Zone column, assign each zone to the flow zone that it will be monitored by.
Note: You also need to assign your master valves to the flow zones that they will control.After you configure these settings,the system can shut down the water for a flow zone when a fault occurs.
If a flow fault istriggered, watering will only stopfor the flow zone where the fault wasdetected. An error message also displays on the Main Page.
16. Click the Information tab to exit the configurationmode.
Manually Entering the Flow
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that you want to enter base flows for.
2. 
Click the Config Zone tab.
3. In the GPMfield under the Flow Zone column, type the gallons per minute (GPM) flow for each valve.
4. Click the Information tab to exit the configurationmode.
Enabling theBaseStation 6000 to Learn the Flow for Each Valve
The BaseStation 6000 learns flow by program. Itactivates each valve individually and measures the flow while the valve is activated.The Pipe Fill Time and Turn Off Time values are used to calibrate the test.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that you want to learn flows for.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. Click the Flow menu, and then click the Learn Flow option. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens.
4. Click the Learn Flow tab.
5. 
Click the arrow in the field under Learn Flow By Program, and then click the program that you want to use to learn flow(1).
6. Select either Learn Flow Now or Learn Flow at Time (2). Ifyouwant to use Learn Flow at Time, set the time when you want the system to start learningthe flow.
Note: Dependingon the number of valves that are associatedwith the program that you are performing the Learn Flow processon, it might take an hour or more to complete.Also, keep in mind that during this process, thesystem turns on the zone, fills the pipe, runs the sprinkler or emitterfor one minute, takes the reading, and then shuts down that zone and moves to the next one. You shouldonly perform the Learn Flow process when it is acceptableto water.
7. In the Pipe Fill Time (3) field, type the number of seconds that it takes to fill the empty line, activate the valve, and reach a steady state operating pressure.
Note: The easiestway to determine the pipe fill time is to turn on the zone, and then time how long it takes for you to see water flowing at a steady pressure.
8. In the TurnOff Time field, type the number of seconds required for the longest valve on the program to completely closeafter power is no longer applied to the solenoid.
Note: The Turn Off time allows your system to turn off the previouszone and stabilize after the last zone so that the flowfrom the previouszone is not includedin the current zone’s learn-flowcycle.
9. To start the Learn Flow process, click Test (4). If you selected the Learn Flow Now option, the test starts immediately. Ifyou selected Learn Flow at Time, the process will begin at the specified time. The status of the Learn Flow process displays in the field (5) at the bottom of the Learn Flow By Program group box and a colored rectangle shows the actual stage of the process. A cyan colored rectangle means that the process is starting or transitioning to a different zone. A dark-blue rectangle means that flow learning is occurring.
10. You can also learn flow for one zone by using the fields in the Learn One Zonegroup box (6). Type the Remote Base Unit and the Zone Address Number that you want to learn, and then press Test (7). The system uses the program number, pipe fill time, and turn off time, that you entered in the Learn Flow By Program group box.
Note: The resultsof the Learn Flow process are displayed in the pane (8) on the right of the Learn Flow tab. The resultsalso display in the Report Viewer. The report is saved in a file in the LearnFlow folder under the folder structure for the BaseStation6000 software on your computer’s harddrive. When theLearn Flow process has completed,the results are automatically recorded in the appropriate fields on the Config Zone tab on the Main Page.
Clearing aFlow-Based Fault
When you notice a flow faulton your system, watering will not start again until you fixwhat is causing the fault, and then clear the fault.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to view the flow faults as illustrated below.
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2. Click Clear Alarms andAlerts (1).
3. Click one of the buttons in the Clear Error Warnings box.
• Yes clears all errors on all Remote Base Units.
• No clears the errors on the currently displayed Remote Base Unit.
• Cancel ignores the errors and returns to the Main Page.
4. Click the Diagnostics menu, and then click Flow Diagnostics. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens and displays the Flow Bicoder– All Bases tab.
5. Review the settings on the tab.
6. If any flow faults display in the pane at the bottom, click Reset to clear those faults. Watering will resume.
7. Click Return to close the Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window.
Controlling Water Usage
The usage controlfeatures in the BaseStation 6000 enable you to proactively monitor usage and adjust watering to stay withincertain allowed limits. When you configure the software tomonitor usage, you can prevent costlyoverages from your water supplier.
Setting Upa Water Budget ByMonth
Settingup a Water Budget By Month enables you to define and track the total flow for each flow biCoder per month. You enter a target usage amount for a given month, and then define how the systemwill react when this amount is reached.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Flow, and then click Monthly Usage Control. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens.
3. 
Click the Water Budget By Month tab.
4. Click the arrow in the field under Monthly Usage Manager, and then clicktheFlow biCoder that you want to use to monitor your water budget (1).
5. In the Usage table, type a number in the Target (2) field for each month to represent the maximum amount of water (in GPM) that you expect to use during that month.
Note: You will notice that either NA or a percentage displays to the right of the Actual fields.NA means thatthe system cannot calculatea percentage based on the relationship between the target andthe actual because the flow meter has not yet read the actual flow for the month.
6. Define how you want the system to respond to the flow targets (3):
• Warn if monthly usage to date meets orexceeds planned usage to date – Allows the system to exceed the targetnumber but presents a warning so that you can see what is taking too much water.
• Warn if monthlyusage total has been reachedor exceeded – Warns you if your irrigation systemreaches the overall total target flow for the month.
• Constrain watering by program to meetwater usage target – Keeps you from going over your usage targets and canbehandled in the following ways:
▪ Stop whentarget usage is reached – Waters the system as it is set up. When the target is reached for that month, they system stops watering and does not resume until the next month.
▪ Adjustcontinuously – Uses the system’s setup to determine the total monthly water that will be used and adjusts your programming as needed.
7. Select one of the options in the Control Method (4) group box:
• Predicted – The system calculates the flow based on each zone’s GPM and how it willwater and then compares that against your monthly target.
• Flow Meter – The system compares the actual flow of the system to the monthly target for each flow meter.
8. In the fields under Programs NOT Controlled (5), type the numbers of any programs that you do not want the system to control with theflow usage settings. The system will water these programs as scheduled andadjust all other programs in order to meet the usage goals.
Note: If you have programsthat are not controlled, it is possible that all other programs will stop watering completelyduring a month in order to meet the water budget while continuing to waterthe exempt programs.
9. Click Return.
Flow Usage – Graphs
When you have Flow biCodersconnected to your irrigation system and configured in your BaseStation 6000 system, you can create Water Usage graphs. These graphs enable youto monitor for faults and control water distribution, and they also enable you to verify that your system is wateringcorrectly.
Generating aFlow Usage Graph
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Flow, and then click Usage Graphs. The Flow BiCoder and Pause Device Management and Configuration window opens.
3. Click the Water Usage tab.
4. 
Click the arrow at the end of the field (1) to the right of the key, and then click the type of graph that you want to generate.
Note: The graphs are describedand illustrated below.
5. By default, the graph displays the Total Usage of all flow zones, but you can choose a different flow zone. Click the up arrow or down arrow (2) so that the flow zone that you want graph is visible in the field.
6. By default, the graph shows the current month, but you can scroll to a previous or future month by dragging the scroll box at the bottom of the window.
Understanding theFlow Usage Graphs
Actual vs. Planned –This graph shows the actual usage recorded by theflow meter compared to theplanned usage.
• 
Actual usage is represented on the graph by the red line.
• Planned usage is the sum of the GPM flows for the zones found on the Config Zone tab multipliedby the amount of time the zones are scheduledto run on a specificday. Planned usage is represented on the graph by the green line.
• Manual usage captures any flow that results from using the manual run features in the BaseStation 6000 software. Manual usage is represented on the graph by the dark blue line.
• Unplanned usage captures any flow that comes from a hose bib or from a leak or broken pipe. Unplanned usage is represented on the graph by the yellow line.
If the actual usage is greater than the plannedusage on a specific day, the difference should be represented by any manual and/or unplannedusage.
On the Actual vs. Planned graph, you can drill into more detail for a particularday by clicking one of the graphed bars for that day. Thegraph expands toshow the data on an hourly scale. Click one of the bars againto see the data for that hour. To return to the previousview of the data, click Back to Previous Screen.
Actualvs. Planned – Cumulative – This graph shows the sum total of water usage perday.
On the Actual vs. Planned – Cumulativegraph, you can drill into more detail for aparticular day by clickingone of thegraphed bars for that day. The graph expands to show the data on an hourly scale. Click one of the bars again to see the data for that hour. To returnto the previous view of the data, click Back to PreviousScreen.
Projected Usage AgainstLimit – This graph shows the planned usage represented by the green bars compared with the actual usage recordedby the flow meterrepresented by the red bars.
Projected UsageAgainst Limit – Cumulative– This graph showsthe target usage from the Water Budget By Month tab represented by the green line comparedwith the totalplanned usage represented by the red line.
Managing and Optimizing Flow
The BaseStation 6000 software has powerful features that enable you to control how much water flows through the pipingstructure of your irrigation system.
There are three levels of flow management, each providing a higher level of control than the previous:
• Flow management by Remote Base Unit zones
• Flow management by program zones
• Flow management by flow nodes
Note: Other system parameterscontrolling zone activation such as total number of active zones for the system, the RemoteBase Unit, or the programmight limit the flow before the total target flow for a zone is achieved.
Enabling Flow Management
In order to take advantage of flow management, you mustenable it in the BaseStation 6000 software.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Flow, and then click Config Flow Control. The Set System Parameters window opens.
3. Click the Flow Node Management tab.
4. Select the Enable System Flow Management check box at the top of the window.
Setting UpFlow Management by Remote Base Unit Zones
When you set up flow managementby Remote Base Unit zones, you define how many zones can be run on the overall systemand then by eachRemote Base Unit. Using this flow managementoption, you cancontrol how much flow will be drawnfrom each portion of your system. While this option does not require you to have a flow device installedin your system, you still needto know the capacityof your irrigation system in order to accurately configure the number of zones that can be active at the same time.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Base Unit tab.
2. 
In the Total ActiveZones (1) field, type the total number of zones that can run on the entire system at one time.
3. In the Base (2) field under the Active Zones column, type the total number of zones that can run on each RBU.
4. In the Device(2) field under the Active Zones column, type the total number of zones that can run oneach device that is connected to this RBU.
5. Select the check box next to FlowRamp Up Control (3), and in the next field, type a number to indicate how many zones can be turned on per minute. These settings minimize impact on available flow when new zones start on the system.
Setting Up Flow Management by Program Zones
When you set up flow managementby program zones, you define how many zones can be run during each program, which, inturn, controls how much flow will be drawn from each programon your system. While this option does not require you to have a flow device installed in your system, you still need to know the capacity of your irrigation system in order to accuratelyconfigure the number of zones that can be active at the same time.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit where you want to set up flow management by program zones.
2. Click the Programs button. The Set Watering Program Schedule window opens.
3. Click the arrow in the Program field, and then click the program that you want to configure flowmanagement for.
4. In the Total Active Zones field, type the total number of zones that can be active for the selected program.
5. Click Return/Save.
Setting UpFlow Management by Flow Nodes
To have very fine control of how water is managed on your system, you can set up flow management by flow nodes. In order to use this feature,you must configureyour irrigation system’s flow structure in the BaseStation6000 software. You use the softwareto build a model that represents your piping structure with the associated flows. Before you begin these configurationtasks, we recommend that you create adetailed schematic of your system that shows:
• The total source GPM
• The layout of the piping structure
• The flow meters that you have installed
• The flow nodes and flow zones that you have identified
• The pipe size and feet/sec for each of the flow nodes
Configuring the SourceFlowNode
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Flow, and then click Config Flow Control. The Set System Parameters window opens.
3. Click the Flow Node Management tab. The source flow node is listed in the left pane.
4. Click on the source flow node to highlight it.
5. Click the EditNode button on the right side of the window. The fields in the Flow NodeControl group box at the bottom of the window become available for updating.
6. In the Pipe Size field, type the diameter of the main supply pipe in inches.
7. In the Feet/Secfield, type the maximumvelocity of the flow inthe pipe in feet. The program calculates the gallons per minute and updates the GPM field automatically.
8. Select the Loop check box if the pipe is looped or has two inputs.
9. Click Save.
Creating Additional Flow Nodes
While you can configure a total of 800 flow nodes in your model, we recommend that you reserve 24 nodes at the first level to represent upto 24flow meters that you caninstall on your system.These first-level nodes are thoughtof asthe “parents,”and the nodes that branch off from them are thought of as the “children.”
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Flow, and then click Config Flow Control. The Set System Parameters window opens.
3. Click the Flow Node Management tab. The source flow node is listed in the left pane.
4. Click on the source flow node to highlight it.
5. Click the Add Nodebutton on the right side of the window. A new node displays in the list in the left pane and the fields in the Flow Node Controlgroup box at the bottom of the window become available for editing.
6. In the Parent field, type the number of an existing flow node if the new flow node is a child of the existing flow node (in other words, the new flow node branches off the existing flow node).
7. In the Pipe Size field, type the diameter of this flow node pipe in inches.
8. In the Feet/Secfield, type the maximumvelocity of the flow inthe pipe in feet. The program calculates the gallons per minute and updates the GPM field automatically.
9. Select the Loop check box if the pipe is looped or has two inputs.
10. Click Save.
Associating Valves with the Flow Nodes
When you create your flow nodestructure, all the valves are associated with Flow Node 1 by default. Followthe steps in this procedure to change how thevalves are associated.
1. Create and configure all of your flow nodes.
2. On the Flow Node Management tab, click Flow Node 1 in the left pane. All of the valves display in the pane on the right.
3. Click the valve that you want to move to a different flow node.
4. Click Edit Node. The fields in the Flow Node Control group box at the bottom of the window become available for editing.
5. Change the number in the Flow Node field to the new flow node that you want this valve to be associated with.
Note: You can also change the gallons per minute for the valve on the Flow Node Managementtab by typing a number in theGPM field.
6. Click Save.
7. Continue until you have associated all valves with their appropriate flow nodes.
Note: After making changes, you can click RefreshValves to display the current valve list in the rightpane.
7 –MANUAL OPERATIONS
Manually Running Zones
The BaseStation 6000 provides the following options for manually running zones.
To water allzones again
This option waters all zones on the selectedRemote Base Unit according to the active program.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Manual, and then click Water All Zones Again. The Adjust Zone tab shows the watering progress.
To water a single zone again
This option waters a selectedzone according to the time specified in its active program.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software,click the Adjust Zone tab.
2. Find the zone that you want to water again, and then click the Actions button on the line for that zone.
3. Click WaterZoneAgain on the Actions menu.
To manually test one zone
This option enables you to test a zonefor the number of minutes that you specify.
Note: Only use this option to test a zone for one or two minutes.If you want to manually run a zone for a longer time, use the Manual Run Zones option (To manuallyrun a list of zones).
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. 
On the Main Menu, click Manual, and then click Test One Zone. The Manually Operate ONE Zone dialog box opens.
3. In the Starting Zone (1) field, click the up arrow or down arrow so that the zone that you want to run is visible in the field.
Note: If Zone 1 is displayedin the Starting Zone field, click the up arrow🟂at the end of the field to scroll through the list of zones.
4. In the On Time In Minutes (2) field, type the number of minutes that you want thezone to run.
5. When you are ready to begin the manual run, click Start (6). If necessary, you can click Pause or Cancel to stop the manual run. The Manually Operate ONE Zone dialog box stays open and shows the time for the zone test counting down. When the test is done, the Manually Operate ONE Zone dialog box closes.
To manually run alist ofzones
The BaseStation 6000 provides flexible control ofnon-scheduled irrigation cycles. One methodis to define a list ofzones and run them for adefined amount of time. You can initiate manual runs on as many as four Remote Base Units at any one time.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Manual, and then click Manual Run Zones. The Activate Run List dialog box opens.
3. In the Base Unit Numberfield, type the number of the Remote Base Unit that controls the zones that you want to run manually.
Note: If you want to initiatemanual runs on zones associated with other RBUs, completethis procedure for one RBU and its associated zones, and then return to Step 2 and completethe procedure for the next RBU.
4. Click OK. The Water Zone list opens.
5. In the Zone column, click the arrow (1) at the end of the fields to choose the zone addresses that you want to run.
6. In the On Time(2) column, type the number of minutes that you want each zone to run. You can add up to 15 zones to the manual run list.
7. In the # of Active Valves (3) field, type a number to indicate how many zones can run at one time.
Note: You must not exceed the number of concurrentzones that you have set elsewhere in the system.
8. Click Activate Watering to start watering (4).
9. If you want to stop the manual watering process before all zones have run, click Return to close the Water Zone list. A message asks if you want to cancel this watering operation. Click Yes.
Setting Zones to Done
Use one of the following options if you want to setall zones (or a singlezone) to done, when the irrigation system is watering.
To setall zones to done
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Manual, and then click Set All Zonesto Done. A message displays to warn that this action will cancel or reset all watering cycles and set the Days Since Last Watering to 0. Click OK. On the Adjust Zone tab, all zones will show as Done.
To set asingle zone to done
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software,click the Adjust Zone tab.
2. Find the zone that you want to water again, and then click the Actions button on the line for that zone.
3. Click Force Zone to Done on the Actions menu.
Pausing the System Temporarily
On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Pause button. The System Activity status changes to BaseUnitPaused Configuration Active.The Pause button is highlighted with a yellow border. If you leave the system paused with this button, it will restartat midnight. Click the Run button to return the system to Active status.
Other pauses and shutdownsare available in the system:
• You can add events that will cause the system to stop running during designated time periods, and then restart when the time for the event has passed. Refer to Adding and Managing Events on page 45.
• You can shut the system down for an indefinite period of time when the watering season is over. Refer to Shutting Down the System at the End of the Watering Season on page 48.
• You can shut the system down for a designated period of time when rain is forecast. Refer to Shutting Down the System when Rain is Forecast on page 49.
• You can control the system based on soil moisture readings. Refer to Starting/Stopping Irrigation Basedon Tiered Soil Moisture Readings on page 49.
• You can control the system based on temperature. Refer to Starting/Stopping/Pausing IrrigationBased on Temperature Sensor Readings on page 50.
• You can control the system based on the state of a switch. Refer to Starting/Stopping/Pausing IrrigationBased on Switch State onpage 52.
Configuring the Walk Around Order and Starting aWalk Around Test
When you add zones (valves) to your BaseStation6000 system, those zones are listed sequentially in the WalkAround Order column on the Config Zone tab. It is likely that the order in the softwaredoes not match the order in which you would visitthose zones while doing a walk around audit of your irrigationsystem. To enable effective system auditing and to get betterinformation about how your system is watering,you can change the numbers in the Walk Around Order column to match the actual layout of your system.
Configuring the Walk Around Order
1. 
Click the Config Zone tab on the Main Page. The Walk Around Order column displays the default order that was configured when youadded your zones.
2. Type a new numberin the Walk Around Order (1) field for the zones that you wantto change. Keep inmind that each zonemust have its own number.
3. Click Check Walk Around (2) to verify that you do not have any duplicates. If you find any duplicates, you must fix them before you start the walk around test.
Starting aWalk Around Test
1. Click the Information tab on the Main Page.
2. From the list at the bottom of the page, click the Remote Base Unit that controls the zones that you want to test.
3. 
Click the Walk Around (3) button. The Walk Around Test window for the selected RBU opens.
4. In the EndingZone field, click the up arrow or down arrow (4) so that the zone where you want the test to end is visible in the field.
5. 
In the Starting Zone field, click the up arrow or down arrow (4) so that the zone where you want the test to start is visible in the field.
6. Type a number in the On Time InSeconds (5) field to indicate how long each zone will run during the walk around test.
7. Type a number in the Seconds before Starting field to indicate how long the system will wait before starting the first zone. This delay gives you time to goto the zone location so you can observe the test.
8. When you are ready to begin the walk around test, click Start (6). If necessary, you can click Pause or Cancel to stop the walk around test.
8– SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
Adding aPicture ofa Zone
You can associatephotographs or drawings with your zones to help visualize the zone location.
Note: The image must be in the JPG format.For example, the image file must have the .jpg file extension.
The ideal photograph or drawing is a rectangularshape in the “landscape” orientation, which means that the width is greater than the height.You can also use a photograph or drawing that is in the “portrait” orientation (the height is greater than thewidth); however,in this case, the software will compress and/or stretch the image to fit the predefined size.
To add apicture ofa zone
1. Load the image into the proper directory:
a. On the BaseStation 6000 computer, start Windows Explorer:
• Click the Start button on the Microsoft Windows taskbar.
• Point to All Programs, and then point to Accessories.
• Click Windows Explorer.
b. Copy the image file into the following directory: C:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\SiteMap
2. In the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Adjust Zone tab.
3. On the line for the zone that you want to add a picture to, click the Actions button.
4. Click Picture. The No Picture Found dialog box opens.
5. Click Yes. The Zone Map dialog box opens.
6. Click the Browse for Picture button.
7. Use the Open dialog box to find the image that you want to associate with the zone.
8. Click once on the image to select it, and then click Open. The Zone Map dialog box opens again.
9. Verify that the Base Unit number and Zone number are for the zone in the selected image.
10. Click Return. The Zone Map dialog box closes.
To view thepicture ofthe zone
1. Click the Adjust Zone tab.
2. On the line for thezone image that you want to view, click the Actions button.
3. Click Picture. The Zone Map dialog box opens and displays the image.
To change the zone picture
1. Click the Adjust Zone tab.
2. On the line for the zone image that you want to change, click the Actions button.
3. Click Picture. The Zone Map dialog box opens and displays the image.
4. Click the Browse for Picture button.
5. Use the Open dialog box to find the new image that you want to associate with the zone.
6. Click once on the image to select it, and then click Open. The Zone Map dialog box opens again.
7. Verify that the Base Unit number and Zone number are for the zone in the selected image.
8. Click Return. The Zone Map dialog box closes.
Adding Zone Notes
If you have information that you want to associate with a zone, you canadd it to the Zone Notes.
1. Click the Adjust Zone tab.
2. On the line for the zone that you want to add notes to, click the Actions button.
3. Click Notes. The Notepad window opens and displays the date and time for the note.
4. Type the note under the date and time.
5. Click the File menu, and then click Exit. A Notepad message prompts you to save the changes to the note.
6. Click Save.
Note: The BaseStation 6000 system automatically assigns a filename to the Notepad file.
Adding Base Notes
If you have information that you want to associate with a Remote Base Unit, you can add it to the Base Notes. Base Notes canserve as remindersbecause you can configure them to automaticallydisplay a number of days in the future.
To add a base note
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that you want to add notes to.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. On the Main Menu, click Window.
4. Click Notes and Pictures, and then click Base Notes.
5. On the Base Notes menu, click Add Base Note. The Activate Reminder dialog box displays.
6. In the Setup Reminder field, type the number of days until the reminder displays, and then click OK. The Notepad window opens.
7. In the Notepad window, under the current date and time heading, type your note.
8. When you finish adding your note, click the X in the upper-right corner of the Notepad window.
9. When you are prompted to save your changes, click Save. Notice that the filename matches the Remote Base Unit serial number and the file will be saved in the correct directory on your computer’s hard drive.
Viewing Base Notes
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit that you want to view notes for.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. On the Main Menu, click Window.
4. Click Notes and Pictures, and then click Base Notes.
5. On the Base Notes menu, click View Base Note. The Notepad window opens.
6. When you finish viewing the notes, click the X in the upper-right corner of the Notepad window.
Deleting the Base Notes File
If you want todelete your BaseNotes file so you can start fresh with new Basenotes, use the Clear Notes option.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software,click the Remote Base Unit that you want to deletethe notes file for.
2. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
3. On the Main Menu, click Window.
4. Click Notes and Pictures, and then click Base Notes.
5. On the Base Notes menu, click Clear Base Note. A warning message displays.
6. Click Yes to delete the Base Notes file.
Loading and Configuring aSite Map
The Site Map option in the BaseStation 6000 software provides a graphical interface for managing your irrigation system. You can create JPEG images that represent the sites controlled by your Remote Base Units. After you load those images into the BaseStation 6000 software, you can position markers that represent your zones on the map image. When your map is configured, you can use many of the BaseStation 6000 software features to control your irrigation system from the map view.
You can create site mapimages by exporting a JPEG file from your landscapedesign software. You can also capture animage of your site by displaying an online satellite image (for example, from Google Maps or Google Earth) on your computer. When theimage is availableand scaled properly, simultaneously press the Alt and the Print Screenbuttons on your keyboard.Open the Microsoft Paint program, and then paste the image into Paint. You can use the tools in Paint to crop the image and then save it as a JPEG file.
Note: The image must be in the JPG format.For example, the image file must have the .jpg file extension.
The ideal image is a rectangular shape in the“landscape” orientation, which means that the width is greater than the height.You can also use an imagethat is in the “portrait”orientation (the height is greaterthan the width); however,in this case, the software will compress and/or stretchthe image to fit the predefined size.
Loading theImage into the Proper Directory
Note: Perform this task at a time when it is acceptableto close the BaseStation 6000 software for several minutes. Rememberthat watering will be stopped when the software is closed.
1. In the BaseStation 6000 software, click the x in the upper-right cornerof the window to exit the program. When the confirmation message displays, click OK.The BaseStation 6000 software closes.
2. On the BaseStation 6000 computer, start Windows Explorer:
a. Click the Start button on the Microsoft Windows taskbar.
b. Point to All Programs, and then point to Accessories.
c. Click Windows Explorer.
3. Copy the image file into the following directory: C:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\SiteMap
4. If the default SiteMap1.jpg file is in the directory, you can either delete that file or give it a different file name.
5. Rename the your map file to SiteMap#.jpg where the # is a number between 1 and 20 that indicates which Remote Base Unitthe map is for.
Example: The map file for Remote Base Unit 1 would be SiteMap1.jpg and the map file for Remote Base Unit 2 would be
SiteMap2.jpg
Note: The file must be namedexactly as specified including capitalization. To rename a file, right-click on the name of the file, and then click Rename from theavailable options.
Loading theSite Mapinto theBaseStation 6000 Software
1. After you have loaded the map image into the proper directory on your computer, and you have named the image file appropriately, close the BaseStation 6000 software.
2. Restart the BaseStation 6000 software (refer to Manually Starting the BaseStation 6000 Software on page 10). Your new map file is automatically loaded into the software.
3. To verify that your map file is available, click the Information tab on the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software to activate the Main Menu.
4. On the Main Menu, click Maps, and then click Site Map. The Site Map window opens.
Configuring theSite Map
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Maps, and then click Site Map. The Site Map window opens. Small colored squares that represent your zones are arranged in a grid at the top of the map.
3. 
At the bottom of the pane on the right side of the map, click the Uncheck to move zones (1) check box to remove the check mark. Now, you can move the zone markers (small colored squares) around on the map.
4. Position the mouse pointer on the zone marker that you want to move. The zone description displays in the pane on the right sideof the map.
5. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the zone marker to where that zone is located on the map.
6. When you have placed all your zone markers on the site map, click Uncheck toMove Zones to lock markers in place and to prevent the markers from being accidentally moved.
7. Click Main View.
Managing theSystem from the Site Map
After you have configuredthe site map, you can manage the system directlyfrom the mapview. The featuresavailable from the site map are the same asthose in the rest of the software, but the map enables you to visualize where your zones are located.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Maps, and then click Site Map. The Site Map window opens.
3. 
Click the Base Units tab in the pane on the right side of the map.
4. Click the Remote Base Unit (1) that you want to work with.
Note: If you do not see a map on the screen or you have not configuredyour Site Map, refer to the instructions for Loading the Site Map into the BaseStation 6000 Software on page 79 and the instructions for Configuring the Site Map on page 79.
5. Click the Zone tab in the pane on the right side of the map.
6. On the site map, click the box (2) that represents the zone that you want to work with. The information for that zone displays in the pane on the right side of the map. Other zones that are in the same scheduling group are highlighted on the site map. The primary zone is highlighted in red.
• Use any of the following features:
▪ Allow Sprinkling(3) – Selecting this box allows theselected zone to water, removing the check mark prevents the zone from watering until you select the box again. If you have the primary zone selected and there are zones linked to it, they will also be affected.
▪ Zone Actions (4) – Displays a list of actions that you can perform on the zone.
▪ Right-click a zone marker on the map – Displays the same list of actionsas the Zone Actions button.
▪ Walk Around – Displays the Walk Around Test window, so you can start thisfeature. Refer to Starting a Walk Around Test on page 74.
▪ Diagnostics – Displays the System Diagnostics window that enables you to troubleshoot and maintain your system.
▪ Programs (5) –Displays the Set Watering Program Schedule window and loads the program thatthe zone you have selected is assigned to.
▪ Find Zone– Brings up thesearch function of the system and enables you to search for zones and devicesbased on serial number or zone number.
▪ ShowColorKey (6) – Displays the color key in the pane on the right.To return to the tab view, click HideColorKey.
▪ Print – This option prints the site map to the printerthat is attachedto the BaseStation 6000 computer.
Note: This print option does not allow you to choose a specificprinter and does not notify you when the documentfinishes printing.
▪ Run and Pause– These buttonsenable you to run and pause your system. If you click the Pause button here,the system will restart at midnight.
System Notification
The BaseStation 6000 Site controller has advancedmonitoring features.You can set up the system to automatically notify a person or group of people with a variety of siteinformation. You can send general system information through email. You can set up system alerts to be sent over email or text message. Setting up System Notifications can greatly improve a user’sawareness to how the system is running.
Adding Contacts
Before you can start to use the Alerts andNotifications portionsof the BaseStation6000, you need to set the contactsfor the system to communicate to. You configure these settings in the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer program. You will find an icon for this program in the Windows taskbaron your BaseStation 6000 computer.
1. In the Windows Taskbar, click the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer icon 
to open the software.
2. 
Verify that the Status Notification in the top left corner is Enabled (1). If it is not enabled, click the Click to Enable button.
3. Click Manage Contacts (2). The Manage Contact List window opens.
4. Click AddNew Contact(3). The Add New Contact window opens.
5. For all contacts you need to provide at least a first name (4).
6. If you want this contact to receive email notifications, type his or her emailaddress in the E-mail (5) field.
7. If you want this contact to receive text messages, type his or her cell phone number in the Cell Phone (6) field.
a. From the list in the Cell Provider (7) field, click the contact’s cell phone provider.
b. In the Text Address (8) field, type
the address that is used tosend text messages to the contact’s phone. For example,if a contact’sVerizon cell phone number is (123) 456-7890, the text address wouldbe 1234567890@vtext.com
8. Click OK (9) to save the contact information. The Manage Contact List window opens again and shows the new contact in the top pane.
9. Repeat steps 4 through 8 for each additional contact.
10. Click Close on the Manage Contact List window.
11. Minimize the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software window, but do not close it.
WARNING!Closing the BaseStation 6000Report and Alert Mailer software prevents all messages from being sent. If youaccidently close the software,restart it by double-clicking its icon on the desktop.
Editing Contact Information
1. In the Windows Taskbar, click the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer icon to open the software.
2. Verify that the Status Notification in the top left corner is Enabled. If it is not enabled, click the Click to Enable button.
3. Click Manage Contacts. The Manage Contact List window opens.
4. Click the contact in the top pane, and then click Edit Selected Contact. The Edit Contact window opens.
5. Make any necessary changes in the fields, and then click OK.
6. Click Close on the Manage Contact List window.
7. Minimize the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software window, but do not close it.
WARNING!Closing the BaseStation 6000Report and Alert Mailer software prevents all messages from being sent. If youaccidently close the software,restart it by double-clicking its icon on the desktop.
Deleting aContact
1. In the Windows Taskbar, click the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer icon to open the software.
2. Verify that the Status Notification in the top left corner is Enabled. If it is not enabled, click the Click to Enable button.
3. Click Manage Contacts. The Manage Contact List window opens.
4. Click the contact in the top pane, and then click Delete Selected Contact.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Close on the Manage Contact List window.
7. Minimize the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software window, but do not close it.
WARNING!Closing the BaseStation 6000Report and Alert Mailer software prevents all messages from being sent. If youaccidently close the software,restart it by double-clicking its icon on the desktop.
Testing theNotifications
After you have set up your contacts it is usefulto test them to verify that everything is working correctly. Perform thesesteps in the Change E-mail Settings window of the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software.
1. In the Windows Taskbar, click the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer icon to open the software.
2. 
Verify that the Status Notification inthetopleft corner is Enabled (1). If it is not enabled, click the Clickto Enable button.
3. Click Change E-mail Settings (2). The E-mail Settings window opens.
4. Click TestSettings (3). The E-mail Settings window expands to show the test fields.
5. In the Contacts (4) list, click the contact who you want to send a test message to.
6. Click the Test Message Type (5) that you want to send.
7. Click Send TestMessage (6). The results of the test display in the pane in the lower right corner of the E-mail Settings window.
8. Verify with the contact that he or she received the test message. If the contact reports that the message did not come through, ask the person to check the Junk Mail folder. If the test message was routed to Junk Mail, ask the contact to change his or her email settings, so the notificationemails show up in the email inbox.
9. Click OK (7) to close the E-mail Settings window.
10. Minimize the BaseStation 6000 Report and Alert Mailer software window, but do not close it.
WARNING!Closing the BaseStation 6000Report and Alert Mailer software prevents all messages from being sent. If youaccidently close the software,restart it by double-clicking its icon on the desktop.
Turning Onthe Notifications
Now that you have your contacts set up, you can turn on thenotifications that you want to send out and when.
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Window, and then click Alerts – Configure. The Select E-Mail and Text Messages window opens.
3. 
Inthe Mail Daily Reports group box, clickin the check boxes toselect the daily reports that you want the systemto send out. The selected reports will be sent to all email address contactsat approximately 8:30 am daily.
Note: Dependingon your watering schedule, the systemmight not send every selected report every day. Some of the reportsare not generateduntil specific system activity occurs.
4. In the EnableNotification Alerts group box, click in thecheck boxes to select the alerts thatyou want the system to send out and whether you want those alerts to be sent by Text Message,E-mail, or both.
5. In the Alert Delivery Times group box, click in the check boxes to indicate when you want the alerts to be sent. By default these check boxes are blank. Unless you place a check mark in a box, no alerts will be sent.
6. Click Return.
Turning Offthe Notifications
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Window, and then click Alerts – Configure. The Select E-Mail and Text Messages window opens.
3. In the MailDaily Reports group box, click the selected check boxes for the daily reports that you do not want the system to send out. The checkmarks are removed from the check boxes.
4. In the EnableNotification Alerts group box, click the selected check boxes for the alerts that you do not want the system to send out. Remove the check marks in the Text Message and E-mail check boxes for the alerts that you do not want to send.
5. In the Alert Delivery Timesgroup box, click in the boxes to indicate when you want the alerts to be sent. By default these check boxes are blank. Unless you place a check mark in a box, no alerts will be sent.
6. Click Return.
Receiving Reports and Alerts by Email
When you set up the BaseStation6000 software to send reports and alerts byemail, the selected reports will be sent at approximately 8:30 am daily. If you do not receive anexpected email, make sure that it was not automatically routed to your“Junk” email folder.If you find the reports email in your “Junk” email folder, use the tools in your email software to mark the messageas “not junk.” You can also add basevisionnotify@gmail.com to your Safe Senders list in your emailsoftware.
The email that you receivewill be similar to the illustration below:
 |
The reports are linked to the email as attachments. To open a report attachment, double-click on the attachment. The report displaysin a Notepad window.
If you find that the columns in the report are not aligned properly,which makes the data hard to read, click the Maximize (□) button on the top window border. If the data is still not aligned properly, click the Format menu, and then click Word Wrap.
To close a log or report file, click the Close (X) buttonon the top windowborder.
To print a log or report file, if your computer is connectedto a printer, open the file that youwant to print. Click theFilemenu, and then click Print. Configure your print options in the Printerdialog box, and then click Print. The file is printed on your selected printer.
User Management
You can set up accountsfor the users of your BaseStation 6000 system. After you set up the user’s account and password, you can grant access or restrict access to various functions in the BaseStation 6000 software. In addition to giving different peopledifferent levels of access to the system, you can also track what each user is doing and what changes he or she made in the system. Refer to the Configuration Logdescribed in Available Logs and Reports onpage 90.
Typically one user assumes the role of administratorand has access to all program functions includingadding new users and assigning/maintaining passwords. The administrator might want to grant full access to another user so that person can serve as a backup administrator, but most other users will be haverestricted access to the programfunctions.
After you set up user accountsand enable the passwords, you will be prompted to type your password when you try to navigateto various program functions.If you have access, you will be allowed to proceed, but if not, a message warns that you do not have permissionto enter the area (software function).
Assigning anAdministrator Password
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Manage Passwords. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Press Enter on the keyboard to bypass the Input Password dialog box. The Password Security and Logging window opens.
4. 
Click in the blank Password (1) field of the Administrator
line. The Enter Passworddialog box opens.
5. Type a password of at least 5 characters in the Password
(2) field.
6. Retype the password in the Re-enter Password (3) field.
7. Click Record (4). The Enter Password dialog box closes.
IMPORTANT NOTE: By default, the administrator has access to all system functions indicatedby blue shadingin the table cells. Do not change the administrator’s access level.
8. In the Password Security and Logging window, select the Enable Passwords (5) check box.
9. If you want the system to keep a log of the changes made in this window, select the Enable Change Logs (6) check box.
10. In the Set Password ActiveTime (7), type a number between 1 and 360 to indicate how many minutes of inactivity are allowed before the system automatically logs the user off.
11. Click Return (8) to close the Password Security and Logging window.
Adding Users and Passwords
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Manage Passwords. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Type the administrator password in the field, and then click Enter. The Password Security and Logging window opens.
Note: If you have not set up an administrator password, do that before you add users. Refer to the procedure above.
4. Click in a blank line in the Name column. The Enter Password dialog box opens.
5. In the Name field, type the user’s name.
Note: The system allows you to add more than one user with the same name. For ease of maintenance, we recommendthat you add an initial or other characterto distinguish multiple users withthe same name.
6. Type a password of at least 5 characters in the Password field.
7. Retype the password in the Re-enter Password field.
8. Click Record. The Enter Password dialog box closes.
9. Perform the steps to grant access to system functions.
Changing aUser’s Name or Password
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Manage Passwords. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Type the administrator password in the field, and then click Enter. The Password Security and Logging window opens.
4. In the table, find the user whose name and/or password need to be changed.
5. Click in either the Name or the Password column on the line for that user. The Enter Password dialog box opens.
6. Make the necessary changes. If you change the password in the first field, ensure that you also change it in the Re-enter Password field.
7. Click Record.
Removing aUser
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Manage Passwords. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Type the administrator password in the field, and then click Enter. The Password Security and Logging window opens.
4. In the table, find the user who you want to remove.
5. Click in either the Name or the Password column on the line for that user. The Enter Password dialog box opens.
6. Click in the Name field, and then press Delete on the keyboard to remove the name from the field.
7. Click Record.
8. Click Cancel to close the Enter Password dialog box. The line for the user is removed from the table on Password Security andLogging window.
Granting orChange Access to System Functions
This procedureassumes that you have already set up an administrator password and you have already added users and theirassociated passwords.If you have not done so, follow the steps in Assigning an Administrator Password and Adding Users and Passwordsbefore you perform the steps in this procedure.
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Manage Passwords. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Type the administrator password in the field, and then click Enter. The Password Security and Logging window opens.
4. In the table, find theuser whose access needs to be changed.
5. Click the cells to indicate the functions that the user has access to. When the cell is white, the user has no access to that system function. When the cell is blue, the user has access.
You can grant access to the following system functions:
• View Only –Gives the user the ability to look at the basics of the system, but not make any changes
• Set Events – Allows the user to add Scheduled Events tothe system
• View Reports – Allows the user to view thedifferent reports generated by theBaseStation 6000 system
• Manual Run – Gives the user the ability to manually operate the system
• Diagnostics –Allows the user to access the diagnostic features for troubleshooting and monitoring
• Adjust Run Times – Allows the user to adjust run times for zones
• Adjust Sensors – Allows the user to adjust properties for biSensors
• Adjust Flow and Pause – Gives the user the ability to adjust and control Flow and Pause in the system
• Configure Devices – Allows the user to add, remove, and configuredifferent devices in the system
• Password Management – Allows the user to manage users and user rights
6. Click Return.
Logging Off
When a user with limited access has logged onto the BaseStation 6000 system, other users with greater access will not be able to use their allowed functions without logging on repeatedly. In this situation, it is best to have the first user log off and allow the second user to log on.
The reversesituation might also be an issue in a multi-user environment. A user with full access has logged onto the system and is then called away. If a different user with restricted access uses the system while the first user is logged on, the second user will have full access to the system.
For these reasons,when operating the BaseStation 6000 system in a multi-user environment, it is best to get into the habit of loggingoff when you need to step away for any length of time.
Note: Dependingon the length of time in the Set Password Active Time field, the system might automatically log users off promptly.However, it is still a good idea to log off.
To log off
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Log Off. A message informs you that logging off was successful.
3. Click OK to close the message box.
Logging Onas aDifferent User
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Log On as different user. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Type the appropriate password for the user, and then click Enter.
Removing Password Protection from the BaseStation 6000 System
If you set up user accountsand passwords for your BaseStation 6000 system, and then you find that you no longer need tocontrol user access, the administrator can remove the password protection fromthe system.
To remove password protection
1. On the BaseStation 6000 Main Page, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Login, and then click Manage Passwords. The Input Password dialog box opens.
3. Type the administrator password in the field, and then click Enter. The Password Security and Logging window opens.
4. Click the Enable Passwords check box to remove the check mark.
5. Click Return.
Using Time Valve Activation
Time Valve Activation is an advanced feature thatenables you to run specific zones at exact times using a configuration that youwrite into a Microsoft Excelspreadsheet. This configuration overrides the normalwatering schedule.
This feature is availableas a tab on the Set System Parameters window. You can access it using either of the following methods:
• Click Seasonal Adjust, click Adjust, and then click the Time Valve Activation tab.
• Click Window, click System Parameters, and then click the Time Valve Activation tab. If you want toimplement this feature, contact Baseline Support for instructions.
9 –LOGS, REPORTS, ALERTS, and GRAPHS
The BaseStation 6000 has a wealth oflogs, reports, alerts, and graphs to help supportyour irrigation efforts.
Logs and Reports
The logs and reports capture the BaseStation 6000 software configuration, the changes made by users, and the daily activity of the system.The logs and reports are stored on the hard drive of the BaseStation 6000 computer in the path C:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\. You can access some of the logs and reports from the BaseStation 6000 software, but for others,you must navigateto the folder where the logs are stored and open the file directly. You can review and print the logs and reports as needed and even send them as email attachments to your colleagues.
Note: If you want to set up the system to automatically send logs and alerts to users, refer to System Notification on page 82.
• To accesslogs and reports from the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu. Click the Logs and Reports menu,and thenclick the file thatyouwant to view (referto the descriptions below).TheOpen dialog box shows the availablefiles for the specific log or report. Click the filename, and then click Open. Depending on the size of the file, itdisplays ineither the Report Viewer window or the Notepad application.
• Tonavigate to the folders where the logs and reports are stored, right click on the Windows Start button, and then click Open Windows Explorer. In the list of drives, click on the C: drive (typically labeled as “Local Disk”). The folders on that drive are listed in a separate pane within Windows Explorer. Scroll to the bottom of the folder list. Double-click on the folder named xTrol. When the files and subfolders display,double-click on the folder named Irrigation. In the next list,double-click on the folder named Programs. Within this folder, you will see the folders that contain the logs and reports (see below for descriptions).
• To open a logor report file from a folder, navigate to the folder where the file is stored, and then double-click on the filename. The file opens in the Notepad application. If you find that the columns in the report are not aligned properly, which makes thedata hard to read, click the Maximize (□) button on the top window border. If thedata is still not aligned properly, click the Format menu, and then click Word Wrap.
• Working with logs and reports in Report Viewer
▪ To print a log or report file, if your computer is connected to a printer, click the Print button at the bottom of the window.
▪ To display the most current data for a log or report that is updatedfrequently, click the Refresh button at the bottom of the window.
▪ To open another log or report in Report Viewer, click View Logs and Reports at the top of the window. Clickthelogor report that you want to view. The Open dialog box shows the available files for the specific log or report. Click the filename, and then click Open.
▪ To close the Report Viewer window, click Return at the bottom of the window.
• Workingwith logs and reports in Notepad
▪ To close a log or report file, click the Close (X) button on the top window border.
▪ To print a log or report file, if your computer is connected to a printer, open the file that you want to print. Click the File menu, and then click Print. Configure your print options in the Printer dialog box, and then click Print. The file is printedon your selected printer.
▪ To save a log or report file to a flash drive (also called a USB drive or a thumb drive), plug the flash drive device into a USB port on the computer. Windows will detect the drive. Open a folder to view files on the drive. Windows Explorer opens and shows the contents of the flash drive. Open another Windows Explorer window by clicking on the Windows Startbutton, and then clicking Open Windows Explorer. Navigate to the pathC:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\ and then open the folder where the file that you want to save to the flash drive is located. Find the file in the list, position the cursor on it, and then click the right mouse button. In the list of options, click Copy. Go to the Windows Explorer window for your flash drive. Position the cursor in the right pane, and then click the right mouse button. In the list of options, click Paste. The file is copied to your flash drive. You can now remove the flash drive from the BaseStation 6000 computer and transport the file to another computer in order to share it, print it, or email it.
▪ To email a log or report file, if you have access to email on the BaseStation 6000computer, go to your email and start a new email message. Click the option within the message to attach a file. In the file dialog box, navigate to the folder where the file is stored, click on the filename, and then click Open. The log or report file is attached to the email and will be sent to the email recipient. If you do not have email on the BaseStation 6000 computer, follow the instructionsaboveto save a log or report file to a flash drive, and then take the flash drive to a computer where email is available.
Note: The BaseStation 6000 system can be configured to email some logs and reports tospecific users on a daily basis. Refer to System Notification on page 82 for information about setting up this feature.
Available Logs and Reports
The logs are describedbased on the folderwhere they are stored on the computer’shard drive.
Note: Whenyou look at the list on the hard driveof the BaseStation6000 computer in the path C:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\ you will notice folders and files that are not described in the table below. The folders and files that are not documented areused by BaselineSupport or are machine readable only. Baseline recommends that you open only the files that are describedbelow and avoid touching those that are not described.
Folder Name |
Logs and Reports Menu |
Description |
ConfigSheet |
Configuration Sheet |
Once per day, your system configuration is written to file that is saved in this folder. The file shows your zones, their modes, the decoder serial numbers and a summary of the program settings. If you change your settings and find that your system is no longer working properly, you can compare the Configuration file from the last day when the system worked properly with the current Configuration file to find out what changes might have caused problems. |
ErrorLog |
Error Logs |
Periodically throughout the month, the system writes an error log file to this folder. At the end of the month, the final log showing all errors that occurred during the month is saved. Review this log file to see all errors that occurred in your system during a month. Primarily used by Baseline Support. |
FlowData |
Daily Flow Log |
Whenever there is flow in the irrigation system, a Flow Data log is saved in this folder. Whenever a flow fault occurs, a Flow Fault log is saved in this folder. These reports are typically used by Baseline Support to help troubleshoot your system – the data is not easily interpreted by end users. |
FlowData Gallons |
NA |
This file records the flow usage for each flow meter at the end of each day. The system creates a new file at the beginning of each year. |
GeneralLog |
Daily Activity Log |
Updated continuously throughout the day, the commands that you issued (including pause events) in the BaseStation 6000 software are saved to a file. |
Folder Name |
Logs and Reports Menu |
Description |
IOLog |
NA |
If you set up IO logs to be mailed to Baseline Support, the system sends the reports from this folder. These reports are used by Baseline Support to help troubleshoot your system – the data is not easily interpreted by end users. For instructions on mailing reports, refer to System Notification on page 82. |
IrrigationLog |
Station Run Time Log |
Reports the zone run times for each zone for each day of the month. |
Learn Flow |
NA |
If you run the Learn Flow process on your system, the results are written to a file that is saved in this folder. |
MoistureData |
NA |
Once per day, the readings from your soil moisture sensors are captured in a file in this folder. These reports are typically used by Baseline Support to help troubleshoot your system – the data is not easily interpreted by end users. |
Self Test |
NA |
When you run the Detailed Test on All Zones from the System Self Test tab in the System Diagnostics window, the results are written to a file in this folder. |
Status Report |
NA |
Shows a current summary of all operations performed by your irrigation system. Shows any current warnings, sensor readings, and the status of each zone. |
SysMgrLog |
Configuration Log |
Shows the user actions that were performed (including pause events) and what time they were performed on the BaseStation 6000 system during the course of a day. Shows every change made to the current configuration. |
ValveTime |
Active Valve IO Log |
This data in this file shows the valves that are on and whether they are being communicated with on a minute-by-minute basis. This report is typically used by Baseline Support to help troubleshoot your system – the data is not easily interpreted by end users. |
WaterUsage |
NA |
The files in this folder show number of gallons used and minutes watered broken out by various time frames and devices. |
Yearly Usage Report |
NA |
This file records the system usage by flow meter on a daily basis. When the file opens in the Notepad application, align the report columns by clicking the Maximize (□) button on the top window border, click the Format menu, and then click Word Wrap. You can import this report into Microsoft Excel for further analysis of the usage data. |
Alarms, Alerts, and Warnings
The BaseStation 6000 constantly monitors the irrigation system to detect conditions thatwill affect the performance of yoursystem. These alerts will help you stay on top of issues.As a matter of fact, one BaseStation 6000 userfound and repaired10 failed solenoids with thehelp of these alerts. He estimatedthat the time from alert to repair was 15 minutes, which prevented damage to the landscaping.
The alarms, alerts, and warnings are displayedin a pane on the right side of the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software.If you do not see the Alarms and Alerts pane, youneed to enable it. Click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu. Click the Window menu, and then click View AlarmAlerts.
When an alarm is displayedin the Alarms and Alerts pane, you can click the Zone Description to open the Error Displaywindow. Additionaldetails about the error are shown in that window.
You can configurethe BaseStation 6000 system to send the following alerts to specific users by text messageand/or email on a regular schedule. Refer to SystemNotification on page 82 for information about settingup this feature.
• High flow shutdown
• Excessive current (such as a two-wire short or too many valves operating concurrently)
• High moisture warnings
• High moisture fault (where watering has been stopped on a specifiedprogram) Refer to the Troubleshooting section to diagnose the messages.
Graphs
The BaseStation 6000 system providessoil moisture graphs and flow graphs. The soil moisture graphs are describedbelow. Refer to Adjusting Programming with biSensors on page 41 for information about the adjustment features associated with the soilmoisture graphs. The flow graphs are explained within the FlowUsage – Graphs section on page 66 of this manual.
Reading aSoil Moisture Graph
The basic featuresof a soil moisture graph are shown in the illustration below. The vertical gray lines represent time. In this example, each gray line represents one day. Thesystem is wateringabout every 2½ days. This interval varies basedon weather or plant use.
Moisture levels drop more sharplyduring day time than during night time due to higher temperatures.
When a soil moisturesensor detects asteady increasein moisture levels during an irrigation event, the leading edge of thegraph is sharp and clean. If the leadingedge is jagged, it means that moisture levels increased erratically during (or after) the irrigation event. This situation might occur ifthe sensor is buried too deeply or if the irrigation event applies water tooquickly.
A sharp peak on graph means that the moisturelevel rose to a certain level and then the soil started to dry out normally. A roundedpeak means that moisture is being held in the soilafter the cycle is completeand some time passes before the moisturestarts to decrease.
The trough represents the initial drying out. Ifyou have a lower threshold set, the trough represents the maximum allowed depletion of moisture in the soiland the point where another irrigation event is initiated.
Adjusting theData View on aGraph
When you displaya soil moisture graph, you can adjust the view of the data on the graph.
 |
|||
 |
|||
(4) |
Data range – Click these buttons to change the range of data. You can also toggle between the data ranges by clicking in the graph. Notice that the actual dates for the date range are displayed at the lower-left and lower-right corners of the graph. |
(5) |
Home – Click the Home button to display the data for a month where today’s date is centered. The default view shows a month where today’s date is on the right edge of the graph. |
(6) |
Scroll to different date – Click and drag the scroll box at the bottom of the graph display a different date range on the graph. |
(7) |
Scale – Click the Scale button to control the level of detail by zooming in or out. |
(8) |
Center – Click the Center button to center the graph lines horizontally. |
(9) |
Test – Click Test to display a current reading from the sensor. |
(10) |
Moisture percentage – When the graph is in Scale 1 or 2, this reading displays for the location of your cursor. In the illustration, notice that the cursor is positioned near the top of the graph and the moisture percentage reading corresponds to that location. |
Possible Graphs
If you have a biSensor soil moisture sensorinstalled and you are using one of the watering strategies based on moisturesensor readings, your soil moisturegraphs might look like one of those illustrated below. Use the following information to interpret the graph and to determinewhether you need to make changes to your settings.
Good Graph
This example of a good graph shows the followingdesirable characteristics:
• The leading edges for the moisture graph are sharp and clean indicating that the moisture is reaching the sensor while the zone is being watered.
• The upper and lower thresholds are separated sufficiently to allow multiple days between watering.
• The watering days are spread out allowing the surface of lawn to dry somewhat thereby helping to prevent disease.
• The days between watering vary somewhat to account for changes in the moisture requirements of the grass.
• The curves have good vertical movement indicating that ground is notsaturated.
Good Graph with Initial Peaking (High Peaks after Watering)
This example of a good graph shows the following characteristics:
• 
An initial high peak that falls off rapidly and then decreases normally.
• The moisture content is greater than the field capacity of the soil. The moisture is moving below the sensor and wetting the lower portions of the root zone.
Recommendations
• This graph represents a normal occurrence caused by water traveling through the soil to the sensor more slowly than it is applied. If the peaking is not excessive, no changes are required.
• If the peaking is excessive, the soak time should be increased so that water is applied more slowly.
Moisture Continues to Rise after Cycle Is Complete
Characteristics
• The moisture continues to rise well after the cycle is complete,indicating that there was not enough time for the water to percolate through the soil to the location where the sensor is buried during the programmed cycle time.
▪ 
The leading edgesare not sharp and clean
▪ The tops are rounded
• The watering cycle stops because it reaches the maximum allowed time, not because the desired moisture level is reached.
• It might also mean that water is being applied too fast and the soil cannot absorb the moisture quickly enough to allow the sensor to read themoisture.
Recommendations
• If the water is being applied too fast, increase the soak time to allow the moisture to reach the sensor.
• If the sensor is buried deeper than 4 inches, we recommend thatit be relocated.Typically, 2 – 3 inches is an adequate depth for most sensors.
▪ Mark or record the location of the sensor so it does not get damaged during aeration.
▪ Locate the sensor in a dryer portion of the zone.
▪ Do not locate sensors in shady areas unless the whole zone is shady.
Erratic Graph
The movementon this graph is not distinctlytied to wateringcycles.
Causes and Recommendations
• The watering cycle may not be long enough for the moisture to reach the sensor - increase the watering time.
• The sensor may be too deep and moisture is not reaching the sensor - CAREFULLY move the sensor.
• The sensor is not inthezone being watered. Locate the sensorand testthe zone coverage.Find the sensor and confirm thatthecorrect zone is watering it.
• The sensor is too wet and is hyper saturated. Locate the sensor and probe the ground to test for water content.
• Check for broken/leaking pipes and valves, marshy areas, or extreme overwatering.
Saturated – Not Drying Out (WateringToo Often)
Characteristics
• 
The lower threshold (the moisture level where the water turns on) is set just above the field capacity of thesoil.
• The soil does not have time to dry between watering cycles.
• The excess moisture applied during each watering cycle percolates through the soil and is lost to the plant.
Recommendations
• Move the upper threshold down to the level of the trough that represents the initial drying out. For
example, set the upper thresholdat the point where the lower threshold is currently.
• Move the lower threshold down to enable the zone to dry before watering. For most lawns, we recommend a level that allows at least three days between watering for most lawns in hot weather. Water less often when it is cooler.
• Never set a zone to water every day (Max Days = 1) or have the upper threshold and the lower threshold so close that the system waters every day.
Two Watering Peaks (Overlapped Zones)
Characteristics
• The graph shows two watering peaks. Typically one peak represents one zonewatering, and the other represents another zone watering.
• This situation may also happen if a substantial watering interruption occurred;however, this event is less likely and typically would not happen with the regularity shown on the graph.
Recommendations
• Find the zone that overlaps the sensor and configure it to water immediately after the zone with the sensor. The two zones must be inthe same hydrozone.
• Set the soak cycle so that the watering of the two zones overlap. The
sensor will be watered proportionately by each zoneand produce reasonable results.
Note: If you cannot make either of these recommended changes, the zone may not be a candidate for automatic wateringand will not be a candidate for automatic sensor threshold adjustment.
Graph Not Moving
Characteristics
• 
The graph shows only a little movement and the ground where the sensor is located is saturated.
• The overall trend of the graph may be flat but there are sharp peaks that correspond tothewateringcycles. The peaks fall off rapidly.
Recommendation
• The ground is near, at, or above field capacity and does not dry out between watering days.
• Check the watering frequency. If the system is watering daily or every two days, increase the days between watering.
• Click the TooWet button in the Set Sensor section of the Adjustment and Centering group box below the graph.
• If the problem persists,the sensor may be too deep. It should not be buriedany deeper than 4 inches and typically, 2 – 3 inches is an adequate depth for most sensors.
10 –SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS
The BaseStation 6000 provides robust tools for analyzing the system and diagnosing issues. Refer to the Troubleshooting sectionon page 104 for information about using System Diagnostics to find issues.
Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. On the Main Menu, click Diagnostics, and then click System Diagnostics. The System Diagnostics interface opens.
3. 
On the left side of the interface, use the tabs to access the various types of diagnostic tests.
4. View the test results in the pane on the right side of the interface.
5. If you want to see additional test data, select the Enable MoreDetailed Data OutPut checkbox.
Note: If a test is taking too long to complete,start Task Manager on your computer. In the Applicationslist, click System Diagnostics, and then click End Task.
6. When you are finished using the System Diagnostics, click
Return to go back to the Main Page.
Note: Refer to the followingsections for information about the various types of diagnostic tests. Refer to the Troubleshooting section on page 104 for information based on the error messages that might display when you are runningthe various diagnostic tests.
Testing theBasic Functions of theRemote Base Unit
Use the Base Unit test to determine:
• Whether the Remote Base Unit and the computer arecommunicating with each other
• What current and voltage the two-wire is drawing
• The recommended biLine protocol for your system
• What hardware revision you have
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Base/TwoWire tab.
3. Click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test).
Testing Electrical Connections with Devices
Use the Blink Device LEDs testto find bad electrical connections or broken wires. Clicking this testbutton activates the two-wire path and should cause the communication LED on each device to blink. If an LED is not blinking, check the electricalconnections.
Note: Performthis test when one person is working at the computer and another person is verifying the blinking LEDs in the field.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Base/TwoWire tab.
3. Click the BlinkDevice LEDs button. Depending on the complexity of your system, this test might take several minutes to complete.
Testing forExcess Current
Use this test to find and troubleshoot excess current (also known as over current) in your system. Youmust attach a current limitingtest device and a current probe on the path that you want to test. Refer to theRemote Base Unit Troubleshooting on page 104 for more details about excess current.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Base/TwoWire tab.
3. Click the Trouble Shoot Over Current button.
Listing Devices
Use this option to list all devices that are attached to the system and indicate how many of the available ports are used.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Config Support tab.
3. Click the List Devices button.
Verifying Configuration
Use this option after installingany new biCoders or adding any new hardware. The test removes any address conflicts and ensures that the hardwareconfiguration matches the program configuration.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Config Support tab.
3. Click the Verify and Repair Configuration button.
Testing Communication with Devices
Use these tests to determine whether a specificdevice is communicating with the RBU. You can test either by Serial Number or by Zone ID. Note that multivalvedecoders may only return the serial number of the first zone on a multiple zone device.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Config Support tab.
3. In the Device Communication Test group box, perform one of the following:
• Type the serial number of the device that you want to test in the Serial Number field, and then click Ping Serial Number.
• Type the zone number of the device that you want to test in the Zone ID field, and then click Ping Zone Number. The test results display in the lower pane on the right side of the System Diagnostics interface.
Testing Valves
This test activatesa valve continuously to verify its operation. At the biCoder, the valve LED should be on.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Valve Test tab.
3. Click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field located in the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface.
4. Click the zone that you want to test. The system updates the IO Event Display pane with data about the zone.
5. Click the Turn On Valve button. The voltage and current readings for the zone display in the IO Event Display pane.
6. Perform oneof the following:
• If you want to turn on the next valve, click Next.
• If you want to turn off the valve and stop the test, click Turn Off Valve.
• If you want to see and hear the valve actuate, click Toggle Valve.
Testing theCurrent Supplied to aValve
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Valve Test tab.
3. Click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field located in the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface.
4. Click the zone that you want to test. The system updates the IO Event Display pane with data about the zone.
5. Click the TestValve Current tab in the lower left of the System Diagnostics interface. The valve and system current display in the fields on the Test Valve Current tab in the lower left of the System Diagnostics interface.
6. If you want the system to read the current again, click Read Valve.
7. If you want to record the readings in order to determine whether the device degrades in the future, select the Record Reference Valuescheckbox, and then click Record. The values display in the reference fields and will remain for future comparison.
Testing theCurrent Power Setting ofthe Decoder
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Valve Test tab.
3. Click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field located in the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface.
4. Click the zone that you want to test. The system updates the IO Event Display pane with data about the zone.
5. Click the Program Valve Drive Power tab in the lower left of the System Diagnostics interface.
6. Click Read Valve Power. The results display in the pane on the right side of the System Diagnostics interface.
Note: The other optionson the Program Valve Drive Power tab are reserved for use with guidance from Baseline TechnicalSupport.
Testing Sensors
Use this option to test all sensor functions.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Sensor Test tab.
3. Click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field located in the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface.
4. Click the sensor that you want to test. The system updates the IO Event Display pane with data about the sensor. The sensor readings display in the Test Configured Sensor Parameters and Operation group box on the left side of the System Diagnostics interface.
5. Click Read Sensor to have the system refresh the fields with the most current readings.
Performing aQuick Test on All Zones
This test operates all biCoders for a half asecond to verify that the solenoid is neither open nor shorted. The test alsoverifies communication with all sensors in the system.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the System Self Test tab.
3. Click the QuickTest All Zones button. A progress bar displays above the button. Whenfinished, the test results display in the pane on the right of the System Diagnostics interface.
Performing aDetailed Test on AllZones
For both biCodersand sensors, this test verifies:
• Moisture and temperature reading for each moisture sensor
• Current and voltage delivered to each valve
• Quality of thecommunication signal both sending and receiving
• Device type and revision number
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the System Self Test tab.
3. Click the DetailedTest All Zones button. The test results display by device in the pane on the right of the System Diagnostics interface. The test results are written to a logfilethatissavedon your computer in the following path:
C:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\Self Test\
4. If you want to stop the test, click Stop After Test. The detailed test will stop after the test finishes on the current device.
Note: Use the Enable IO Logs check box only as directedby Baseline Technical Support.
Clearing theCurrent Configuration
This option removesall currently configured biCoders and sensors from the system. Use this option only when you are sure that you want to delete your configuration.
WARNING! You cannot undo this operation.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Auto Configure tab.
3. Click the Clear CurrentConfigure button.
Using the Auto Configuration Option
You can use the Auto Configuration option toaccelerate initial configuration of the system by having the programautomatically detect all biCoders that are attached to the selected Remote Base Unit. Then Auto Configuration assigns zone numbers to the biCodersthat the system detected.
WARNING! If not used properly,Auto Configuration may have unintended consequences on existing systems.
Auto Configuration does not configure devices that already have a zone number assigned. Additionally, you specify the number(or address) for the firstautomatically configured zone. After Auto Configuration is complete, you canreassign zone numbers as desired and group them any way you want.
Auto Configuration only detects biCoders; youstill need to manually configure other devices such as sensors andoptional hardware. Auto Configurationonly detects biCoders that have valves attached. If you run the AutoConfiguration option and find that some biCoders are missing, check their connections.
Note: This featurecan make the configurationprocess confusing if too many devices areauto configured at once. Baseline suggestsattaching a few devices at a time and auto configuring these small sets, ratherthan auto configuring the entire system at once.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Auto Configure tab.
3. Click the AutoConfigure button. A message warns that “the current configuration will be permanently modified.” Only proceed if you want to set up a new configuration. The Report Viewer window displays the configurationprogress.
Note: Any device that has been previouslyconfigured will be unaffected by the Auto Configuration option.
4. After the system detects all the connecteddevices, the Input First Zone dialog box opens. Type the zone number that you want the Auto Configuration option to begin with.
Note: All numberslower than the entered number will be unaffected by the Auto Configuration option.
5. After the Auto Configuration process is complete, click Return to close the Report Viewer.
Note: Because Auto Configuration sets zone numbers automatically, you may wish to reorder the zones at this point. Refer to Grouping and Reordering Zones on page 30 formore information.
Learning theZone Addresses of biCoders
Use this optiontolearn the zone addressesof all biCoders betweenzoneaddress 1 andzoneaddress 200. Other biCoders andsensors must be configuredmanually. When you perform this operation, the Baseline system will be configured to operate the learned hardware.
WARNING! If you already have devicesconfigured in the system, they will be removed by this operation.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Auto Configure tab.
3. Click the Learn Physical Configuration button. A warning message displays.
4. Click OK to proceed.
Testing a Bridge Unit
If you have a bridge unit configured on your system,you can test it to ensure that it is connected and communicating properly.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Bridge Test tab.
3. Perform one of the following:
• Test the Bridge Unit only – select the appropriate biLineprotocol, and then click Test Bridge Only.
• Test the configuration of the BridgeUnit and RemoteBase Units – click Test Bridge, Base, and Remote Units.
• Read data for one RBU – click ReadBase/Remote Base Serial Number. Type the number of the RBU that you want to read, and then click OK. The test results display in the pane on the right side of the System Diagnostics interface.
Testing Radio or Backbone Communication between Computer andRBUs
Use this option to test the input/output error rate between the computerand the Remote Base Units.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Comm Test tab.
3. Click the Test Base Communication button.
4. If you want the test to run continuously, select the EnableLooping check box. Do not, however, select the Enable Logs check box unless you are instructed to do so by Baseline support. When you enable the logs, the system generates large files that are meaningful only to Baseline support technicians.
Note: If you want to stop the testbefore it is complete,click the Stop Test button.
The test results display in the pane on the right side of the System Diagnostics interface and in the bars on the Comm Test tab:
• Errors/Total – total number of commands attempted
• Success – total numberof commands completed successfully
• Errors – total number of commands not completed successfully
• Success % – percent of commandscompleted successfully
Testing Communication between Computer and thebiCoders
You can verify the Local AreaNetwork connection between yourcomputer and the Remote Base Unit or Bridge Unit.
1. Go to the System Diagnostics interface. Follow the steps in the Accessing the System Diagnostics Interface section.
2. Click the Comm Test tab.
3. In the Address field, type the address of the biCoder that you want to test.
4. Click the Test BicoderCommunication button.
5. If you want the test to run continuously, select the EnableLooping check box. Do not, however, select the Enable Logs check box unless you are instructed to do so by Baseline support. When you enable the logs, the system generates large files that are meaningful only to Baseline support technicians.
Note: If you want to stop the testbefore it is complete,click the Stop Test button.
The test results display in the pane on the right side of the System Diagnostics interface and in the bars on the Comm Test tab:
• Errors/Total – total number of commands attempted
• Success – total numberof commands completed successfully
• Errors – total number of commands not completed successfully
• Success % – percent of commandscompleted successfully
11 – TROUBLESHOOTING
Access the System Diagnostics window by clicking the Diagnostics menu and then clicking System Diagnostics.
Remote Base Unit Troubleshooting
General | |
Test Process |
In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Base/TwoWire tab, and then click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test). |
Message |
No Valid Base Unit No Response from Base Unit |
Possible Causes |
The Remote Base Unit is not properly configured. Check the connections between the Remote Base Unit and the computer. Power supply or power supply connection failure. Failure on the two-wire. Remote Base Unit fails to initialize due to faulty hardware. |
Troubleshooting |
Verify success at each step before proceeding. Verify all Remote Base Unit connections, and then run the Base # Test again. If the “No Valid Base Unit” message displays, the Remote Base Unit may not be properly configured. Navigate to the Base Unit tab on the Main Page and click the Comm button. Verify that the communication setup options are correct. Return to the System Diagnostics window and run the Base # Test again. Disconnect the two-wire system from the Remote Base Unit, and then run the Base # Test again. Unplug and reconnect the Remote Base Unit power supply. Does it pass the self- test where the communication LED briefly blinks and then stops? If the LED continues to blink, or blink with an unusual pattern, the test has failed. The Remote Base Unit needs to be repaired. After the repair is complete, repeat the Base # Test. Visually verify the computer to Remote Base Unit connection. Repair and run the run the Base # Test again. Shut down and restart the computer. Run the Base # Test again. Exchange components in order to isolate the failing part. Test the computer cable, power supplies, Remote Base Unit, and finally the computer. Run the Base # Test after each change. Note: Navigate to the Remote Base Unit tab of the Main Page and click the |
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Initialize Serial Ports button to configure a new Remote Base Unit. Reconnect the two-wire system. Run the Base # Test again. |
Advanced Two-Wire is Not Operational | |
Test Process |
In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Base/TwoWire tab, and then click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test). |
Message |
The system is capable of operating in Advanced Two-Wire Mode but is currently operating in standard two-wire mode. |
Possible Causes |
A newer Remote Base Unit has been added to an older system. This is not an operational error and the system will continue to operate normally. No action is necessary. There are older components configured into the system. In some cases, an adapter can be added to make these older units compliant with the Advanced Two-Wire Standard. A defective device is causing excess current in one power phase. The device is also likely to fail with over current errors. Troubleshoot this situation using the techniques specified in the Over Current section below. |
Troubleshooting |
Disconnect each device one at a time and run the Base # Test until the system operates in advanced two-wire mode. Correct the device, connect it to the two-wire system and run the Base # Test again. Continue to add devices one device at a time, running the Base # Test after each device, until the entire system is connected and operating in advanced two-wire mode. |
Over Current | |
Test Process |
In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Base/TwoWire tab, and then click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test). |
Message |
Over Current on the Two-Wire Over Current on Base Unit |
Possible Causes |
A remote device is connected improperly with reversed wires. The two-wire red and white are shorted together. Remote Base Unit failure. |
Troubleshooting |
Visually verify all Remote Base Unit connections. Run the Base # Test again. Verify the Remote Base Unit by disconnecting the two-wire system from the Remote Base Unit. Run the Base # Test again. Reconnect the two-wire system to the Remote Base Unit. |
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Run the Base # Test again.
Break the two-wire communication and isolate parts of the system. Run the Base #Test again. Keep isolating and testing smaller and smaller sections of the system until the physical location of the fault is found. Isolate the problem to a wiring problem or a device failure and correct the failure. |
Note: The Base Unit Test can be used to detect over current conditions by simply plugging in the 30 volt power supply and noting the LED blinking status. However, running this test more than ONE TIME during a 60-second interval may cause the Remote Base Unit to OVERHEAT and FAIL. | |
Two-Wire Troubleshooting – No Response | |
Initial Test Preparation |
Use these test steps to determine the location of failing devices: 1. In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Base/TwoWire tab, and then click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test). This test must pass before proceeding. 2. In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Config Support tab, and then click the List Devices button. Note which devices are present and which are not. 3. If devices are currently configured into the system, click the System Self Test tab and then click the Quick Test All Zones button. Note which devices fail the message “No response from Remote Unit.” |
Use the tests below to isolate and localize the broken or shorted wire or device. | |
Test Method 1 – Measure the electrical continuity of the wire with a voltmeter |
1. Remove the two-wire from the Remote Base Unit. 2. Remove a biCoder or biSensor from the two-wire. 3. Connect the red and white wires together at the location of the removed device. 4. At the Remote Base Unit, measure the resistance of the wire loop with a digital voltmeter (DVM). It should be less than 13 ohms. |
Test Method 2 – Add a load to the wire to test current carrying capability |
1. Remove the biCoder from the questionable location. 2. In the upper-right of the System Diagnostics interface, click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field, and then click the device that you want to test. The results display in the IO Event Display pane. The message will say “No response from remote unit.” 3. Click the Valve Test tab, and then click the Toggle Valve button to power up the two-wire system. 4. Briefly connect a valve across the two-wire circuit. If the wires are good, the valve will actuate. If the valve does not actuate, one of the wires has failed. |
Test Method 3 – Substitute known good parts |
1. Remove the biCoder from the questionable location. 2. Find a device that you know is good and write down the device’s serial number. 3. Wire that substitute device into your system. 4. In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Config Support tab. 5. In the Device Communication Test group box, type the serial number of the substitute device in the Serial Number field and then click Ping Serial Number. If the device fails to respond, the wires are bad. |
Test Method 4 – Use a substitute two-wire path |
1. Remove the biCoder from the questionable location. 2. Run another wire or set of wires across the top of the ground to the questionable device and reconnect it. 3. In the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface, click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field, and then click the device that you want to test. The results display in the IO Event Display pane. If the results are successful, it indicates that the original wire was faulty. If the “No response from remote unit” message displays, it may indicate that the substitute wire is faulty, or the device has failed. 4. If you suspect that the device has failed, follow the instructions in Test Method 3 to substitute and test a known good device. |
Repair |
If possible locate a spare wire and verify that the replacement wire has adequate insulation to properly function as a two-wire conductor using the Baseline Wire Insulation Tester. If new wire is added, use double-jacketed wire as recommended by Baseline. If necessary use a wire tracer or a fault finder to locate the break in the wire. Replace the wire and verify that the replacement wire has adequate insulation to properly function as a two-wire conductor using the Baseline Wire Insulation Tester. Use the following tests in the System Diagnostics interface to verify functionality: • Base # Test on the Base/TwoWire tab • Quick Test All Zones on the System Self Test tab • Detailed Test All Zones on the System Self Test tab |
biCoder™ Troubleshooting | |
Test Steps |
In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Base/TwoWire tab, and then click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test). If test fails, refer to Remote Base Unit Troubleshooting. Run the Quick Test All Zones from the System Self Test tab of the System Diagnostics interface. Note any failing zones. In the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface, click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field, and then click the biCoder that you want to test. The results display in the IO Event Display pane. The following messages are possible: • No response from remote unit - failure may indicate that a wire has failed. Refer to Wire Troubleshooting. • Open Circuit Valve – Indicates a bad solenoid or bad wire to the valve (the wire that connects the biCoder to the valve). • Short Circuit Valve – Indicates a failed solenoid or valve wires. • Over Current Valve – Indicates a failing solenoid or multiple valves connected to a device that exceed the maximum current draw. • Check Sum Error – Remote – Indicates an address conflict. Grounded wires caused by failing insulation or nicks or cuts in the insulation may also cause |
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this fault. Run the Detailed Test All Zones from the System Self Test tab of the System Diagnostics interface. • High Communication Voltage failure – A poor quality or high resistance two-wire system caused by poor connections or excessively long wiring runs between the Remote Base Unit and the biCoder. • No 24 Volt AC on a 12- or 24-valve biCoder – Indicates that the power plug is not connected or the inline fuse (on the circuit board) is blown. |
biSensor™ Troubleshooting | |
Test Steps |
In the System Diagnostics interface, click the Base/TwoWire tab, and then click the Base # Test button (where the # represents the number of the Remote Base Unit that you want to test). If test fails, refer to Remote Base Unit Troubleshooting. Run the Quick Test All Zones from the System Self Test tab of the System Diagnostics interface. Note any failing zones. In the upper right of the System Diagnostics interface, click the arrow in the Select Zone to Start Test field, and then click the biSensor that you want to test. The results display in the IO Event Display pane. The following messages are possible: • No Response from Remote Unit - failure may indicate that a wire may have failed. Refer to Wire Troubleshooting. • Zero Moisture Reading – Indicates a cut or damaged sensing unit requiring replacement. • Check Sum Error – Remote – Indicates an address conflict. Grounded wires caused by failing insulation or nicks or cuts in the insulation may also cause this fault. Run the Detailed Test All Zones from the System Self Test tab of the System Diagnostics interface. • High Communication Voltage failure – A poor quality or high resistance two-wire system caused by poor connections or long wiring runs between the Remote Base Unit and biCoder. |
General Troubleshooting
Problem |
Symptoms /Cause |
Possible Fixes |
System activates valve and shows that it is watering but no water comes on. |
Water may be turned off or the valve is faulty or clogged. |
• Make sure water is turned on to Master valve. • If the solenoid for the problem zone is buzzing or clicking, check valve diaphragm and solenoid. |
Errors are reported on zones and watering is intermittent. |
Bad or marginal wiring or connections is usually the cause of this problem. |
• Check wiring using the Baseline Wire Tester (Model #BI-WIT). • Check connections. If in doubt, cut out the connection and reconnect. • Test the common ground wire to the earth ground. Resistance should be greater than 1M ohms. • Check the common wire. Apply voltage to a valve (turn on valve). Attach a voltmeter negative (-) lead to the common and the positive (+) lead to the power or hot wire. If there is no voltage, take the voltmeter negative (-) lead and put in ground. If there is voltage, then the common is bad. |
Valve is turned on when it should not be. |
Valve has been turned manually in the field. Valve is accidentally wired to the two-wire path. |
• Check valve and wiring in the field. |
Wire Troubleshooting –The Ultimate Frustration
Wiring problems can be very frustrating. A good process is critical in making continual progress and in isolating the problem. Theroot of many problems onexisting installations is poor wiring,including broken insulation, inadequate connections,and patcheson top of patches.
WARNING! Corrosion is caused by electricity leaking fromthe wire into the earth. Broken insulation, nicked insulation, non- waterproof connections contributes to thisleakage, which will corrode wires and inevitably cause a wire failure. Somefailures will occur sooner than later. The two-wire is on all of the time and therefore has electricity constantly running through the entire wire length. In the state, it is criticalto prevent leakage becausecorrosion happens quickly.When wire is grounded, the system will lose voltage and the signal quality will degrade.
Testing Wire with Baseline’s Wire Integrity Tester
Using Baseline’s wire integritytester, you cantest the integrity of existingwire that is being consideredfor usein aBaseline system. Wires thatare partof thebiLine communications system must havelow resistanceand mustnot haveany electricalleakage to earth ground. Wires that do not have an electrical path to earth ground will not corrode.
1. Disconnect the wire to be tested from all other connections at both endsof the wire; otherwise, you will be testing both the wire and other connected devices.
2. Connect the black wire from the tester to the wire to be tested.
3. Connect the green wire to earth ground.
Note: A twelve-inch screwdriver stuck into moist ground works well.
4. Press TEST and observe the results:
• LED ON = good wire that is suitable for use in biLine communications.
• LED OFF = wire has excessive leakage to earthground and cannot be used in biLine communications.
Note: You can test thebatteries in the wire integrity tester by pressingthe TEST with the test leads open orunconnected.
12 – REFERENCE
Backing UpYour Data
The BaseStation 6000 system gives you anamazing amount of controlover your wateringsystem. If you havea large system,you will spend many hours of valuable time setting up the BaseStation6000 system and finetuning it to preciselymeet your watering needs. Even though we do not anticipatesoftware or hardware failure, and we do all that is possible to minimize thepotential, failuresdo sometimes happen. Replacing the computer or a part of the computer is a very simple task. If you have made a habit of backing up your system, thenrecreating your programming, watering history, and other system configurations can also be a very simple process.On the other hand, if you have not backed up your system on an external device, you will experiencesignificant downtime.
***PLEASE BACK UP YOUR SYSTEM REGULARLY***
To back upyour system
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
2. Click the File menu.
3. Choose one of the following options from the File menu:
• System Backup – This option makes a backup copy of your configuration and stores thefiles on the computer that is running the BaseStation 6000 software.
Note: While the System Backup option is useful, these backup files might not be available if the computer’s hard drive were tofail. For that reason, itis recommendedthat you periodically back upyourconfiguration using theRemovable System Backup option.
• RemovableSystem Backup – This optiondisplays a dialog box that enables you to designatea location for your backup. If you insert a flash drive (also called a USB drive or a thumb drive) into one of the USB ports on the computer, you can back up directly to it. This option enables you to keep your backup in a secure location.
To restore thesystem from a backup
1. When the computer is connected and the BaseStation 6000 software is running, verify that the backup files are in the following directory:
C:\xTrol\Irrigation\Programs\SystemBackups
2. If the files are not there, copy and paste them from the removable system backup.
3. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000, click the Information tab to activate the Main Menu.
4. Click the File menu, and then click System Restore. The Open dialog box displays the list of files in the SystemBackups folder.
5. Use the scroll box on the right side of the window to move through the list of files until you find the file named System Backup.Cfg
6. Click that file once to select it, and then click the Open button. Your configuration is restored from the backup file and the system is ready to use again.
System Adjustments – Reference Guide
The Baseline 6000 system is capable of manydifferent watering strategies. This section describes in detail the differentoptions available. It is highly recommended that operators read through this section before setting up any watering strategies.An understanding of the differentways the system can be set up will be beneficial when deciding on setting site parameters.
There are many features built in to aid inmanagement of the system, from automatic to user definedadjustments. The following list can be used as a quick reference to determine the best method to accomplish different tasks.
Tip: “Utilities,” “Manual,” “File,” “Maps” and “Window” refer to the options on the Main Menu on the Main Page. “Programs”button is located in the lower left corner of the Main Page.
Adjustments that Affect the Entire System
Adjustment |
How to Access in the Software |
More Information |
Set the number of valves the system can activate |
Base Unit tab > Total Active Zones check box |
page 11 |
Enable system adjustment of watering based upon day intervals or percentages |
Seasonal Adjust menu > Adjust |
page 47 |
Set flow limits that will shut down system if exceeded |
Flow menu > Configure Flow Sensors |
page 20 |
Shut down the system for a set amount of time if the rain switch is activated |
Rain/Pause menu > Configure > Pause/Rain – This Base tab |
page 18 |
Shut the system down for a set amount of time |
Utilities menu > Rain shutdown |
page 49 |
Shut the system down for an indefinite amount of time |
Utilities menu > Seasonal Shutdown |
page 48 |
Enter a weather adjustment factor |
Adjust Zone tab > Weather Adjust Factor field |
page 41 |
Add a Remote Base Unit |
Base Unit tab |
page 11 |
Backup and System Restore |
File menu > System Backup / System Restore |
Page 111 |
Adjustments Made Per Remote Base Unit
Adjustment |
How to Access in the Software |
More Information |
Configuring biCoders |
Config Zone tab |
page 15 |
Configuring biSensors |
Config Sensor tab |
page 21 |
Number of Active Zones |
Base Unit tab > Base & Device fields |
page 11 |
Site Map |
Maps menu > Site Map |
page 78 |
Adjustments Made Per Program
Adjustment |
How to Access in the Software |
More Information |
Set a day when program will not water |
Programs menu > Schedule Events > Schedule Events tab |
page 45 |
Set restricted watering day cycles |
Programs menu > Water Window > Watering Days tab |
page 33 |
Set how many zones can be active per program |
Programs menu > Water Window > Water Window tab |
page 30 |
Create start/stop conditions |
Programs menu > Start/Stop Conditions > Start/Stop Conditions tab |
page 49 |
Change all zones in a program |
Window menu > System Parameters > Program/Valve Editor tab |
page 53 |
Adjustments Made Per Zone
Adjustment |
How to Access in the Software |
More Information |
Set the ratio the linked zones will water. The ratio is based upon the primary zone it is linked to. |
Config Zone tab > Device Mode > Linked option Adjust Zone tab > Total Min On field |
page 29 |
Reorder zones |
Config Zone tab > Zone Reorder |
page 30 |
Assign zones numbers to create an order to which the zones will be tested |
Config Zone tab > Walk Around Order |
page 74 |
Set projected GPM per zone |
Config Zone tab > FlowZone column > GPM field |
page 62 |
Configure new devices and assign descriptions |
Config Zone tab Config Sensor tab |
page 15 page 21 |
Manual zone watering |
Manual > Manual Run Zones |
page 73 |
Adjustments Made Per Hydrozone (Adjustments Made to Sensors and Auto Zones)
Adjustment |
How to Access in the Software |
More Information |
Assign maximum number of days between watering |
Adjust Zone tab > Day Interval field |
page 32 |
Set soak cycle for Hydrozone |
Adjust Zone tab > Soak Cycle Adjust fields |
page 39 |
Set watering strategies |
Adjust Zone tab > Zone Graph buttons |
page 41 |
Assign zones to programs |
Config Zone tab > Prog# field |
page 15 |
Set the mode of the zone |
Config Zone tab > Device Mode drop-down list |
page 15 |
ET Parameters |
Adjust Zone tab > Adjust button View ET Parameters |
page 55 |
Address Usage in the BaseStation 6000
In the BaseStation 6000 SiteController there are differentaddress blocks associated with the different types of two-wiredevices (biCoders) that can beconnected to the system. Below is a basic list of the different address blocksand what can be assigned in each.Each individual Remote Base Unit will have its ownlist.
Address Range |
Two-wire devices that can be assigned |
1 – 199 |
Valve activating, two-wire devices (biCoders). This address range includes any device that is assigned on the Config Zone tab. |
180 – 199 |
Start/Stop devices that are assigned on the Config Zone tab |
200 |
Tipping Rain Bucket |
201 – 225 |
biSensors |
230 – 237 |
Pause and Rain sensors |
238 – 250 |
Flow devices |
254 |
Air Temperature Sensor. This sensor can only be configured on Remote Base Unit 1. |
Water Auditing
The purposeof a water audit is to determine how much water is being applied to a zone in a certain amount of time. This information is useful for setting the wateringtimes (duration) and days between watering cycles (interval) while thebiSensors are being “watered” in. Below is an explanation of how to perform an audit and how to set the initial times.
A water audit, to be very accurate,should include all zones. However, for this application, an audit of just a few zones with different heads (spray and rotor) can give you ageneral idea of how much water is being put down by the different sprinkler head types.
To audit a zone and setinitial watering times
1. Set 3 or more flat bottom cans or mugs at various places in the zone. Place them at least 4 feet from the sprinkler heads.
2. Turn on the sprinklers for 15 minutes.
3. Measure the depth of water in each can and find the average depth in all cans.
4. Using the table below, first look up the water depth in the top row. Select the present season and find the number of minutes suggested to water. This value (along with the suggested dayinterval) will be used to set initial watering times for eachAutomatic zone.
Note: The time for rotor zones will be very differentthan popup zones.
Water Depth in cans (inches) |
1/8 |
3/16 |
1/4 |
5/16 |
3/8 |
1/2 |
5/8 |
3/4 |
1 |
Spring (water every 4 days) |
52 |
34 |
26 |
20 |
17 |
13 |
10 |
9 |
6 |
Summer (water every 3 days) |
104 |
69 |
52 |
41 |
35 |
26 |
21 |
17 |
13 |
Fall (water every 3 days) |
69 |
51 |
39 |
31 |
26 |
19 |
15 |
13 |
10 |
Source: State of Utah Division of Natural Resources.
Note: These values are guidelinesonly. They are representative ofKentucky Blue type grassesin moderate climates.Southern climates with Bermuda type grasses may not fall into these wateringcategories and may require different times. During the “wateringin” time for the biSensors,it is best to err on the wetside. After the biSensors take over,it is much easier to maintain a desired moisturelevel.
Zone Group Organizer Worksheet
Example
Project Name | |||||
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Zone |
Sprinkler Type |
Zone Type |
Zone Description |
Serial # |
Notes |
1 |
na |
Sensor |
North Lawn Middle |
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2 |
P |
Automatic |
Same |
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Old zone #4 |
3 |
P |
Slave |
NE Lawn Popups |
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Old zone #12 |
4 |
P |
Slave 2 |
N Lawn Perimeter Popups |
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Old zone #7 |
5 |
P |
Slave 2 |
NE Lawn middle popups |
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Old zone #5 |
6 |
P |
Slave 2 |
NE Lawn perimeter popups |
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Old zone #3 |
7 |
P |
Slave 2 |
Front entrance popups |
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Old zone #8 |
8 |
P |
Etc. |
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9 |
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Blank zone |
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10 |
na |
Sensor |
South lawn |
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11 |
R |
Automatic |
Same as sensor above |
|
Old zone #6 |
12 |
R |
Slave |
South lawn middle |
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Old zone #13 |
13 |
R |
Slave |
SE lawn |
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Old zone #9 |
14 |
R |
Etc. |
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15 |
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16 |
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17 |
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18 |
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19 |
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20 |
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21 |
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22 |
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23 |
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24 |
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25 |
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Sprinkler Type Key: P = popup, R = rotor, B = bubbler
Project Name | |||||
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Zone |
Sprinkler Type |
Zone Type |
Zone Description |
Serial # |
Notes |
1 |
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Sensor |
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2 |
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Master |
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3 |
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Slave |
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4 |
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5 |
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6 |
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7 |
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8 |
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9 |
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10 |
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11 |
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12 |
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13 |
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14 |
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15 |
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16 |
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17 |
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18 |
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19 |
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20 |
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21 |
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22 |
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23 |
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24 |
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25 |
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26 |
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27 |
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28 |
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29 |
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30 |
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Sprinkler Type Key: P = popup, R = rotor, B = bubbler
Calculating the Application Rate for Dripper or Bubbler Zones
In zones watered by spray heads or rotors, theapplication rate is typically given in inches of water applied per hour.However, in drip systems, applicationamounts are given in gallons per hour (GPH) orgallons per minute(GPM) rather than inches.
In order to configurea dripper or bubbler zone for ET in the BaseStation 6000 system, you need to convert the application rate inthat zone from GPH into inches per hour. Follow thesteps below to complete the conversion.
1. Measure the area that the dripper zone covers, and then convert thatmeasurement to square feet. In the example below the zone measures 5 ft by 10 ft.
Use the following formula to calculate square feet:
5 ft ×10 ft = 50 ft 2
 |
8. Count the number of emitters within that area, and then calculate the number of emitters per square feet. In the example there are 12 emitters.
Use the following formula to calculate the number of emitters per square feet in the zone (in other words, one emitter covers this much area within the zone):
12emitters =0.24 emitters
50 ft 2 ft 2
9. Find the application rate of the emitters. In this example, it is 0.9 GPH.
10. Convert the application rate to cubic feet per hour using the following formula:
0.9GPH×
1 ft3
7.48gal
= 0.12
ft 3
hr
11. Take the cubic feet per hour (0.12) and divide by the emitters per square foot (0.24) to get feet per hour applied.
0.12 =0.5 ft
0.24 hr
12. Convert the feet to inches.
0.5
ft ×12inches =6 inches
hr ft hr
In this example,the system delivers 6 inches of water per hour.
Glossary ofTerms
address: When a device is attached to a Remote Base Unit and added to the BaseStation6000software, the device is given anaddress. In the BaseStation 6000 Site Controller, there are different address blocks associated with the different types of two- wire devices(biCoders) that can be connectedto the system. Refer to Address Usage in the BaseStation6000 on page 114.
air temperature sensor: A sensor that functionslike thermometer to measure the temperature of the air and report this measurement to the controller by way of a decoder
application rate: The rate at which water is applied to an area withinthe landscape by an irrigation system. In order to determine proper duration of watering, it is essential that you know the application rate for each watering zone.
auto-calibration: The controller is able to determine the water holding capacity (fieldcapacity) of soil when using biSensor based watering strategies.
auto zone: A zone in your irrigationsystem that is connected to a sensor and uses the sensor readings to control how itwaters. The auto zone is configured in the BaseStation 6000 software.
backbone: The backboneis a unique wiring system, independent of any other wiring configurations. Backbone refers to the wiring topologyand not to a specific type of wire.
BaselineMobile Access™: An upgrade the BaseStation 6000 system that turns any web-enabled cell phone or other mobiledevice into a remote controland gives you full access to your BaseStation 6000 system
biCoder™: A Baselinetwo-wire decoder connected to the two-wire path activates valves by decoding signals sent from the Remote Base Unit.
bi-directional communication: See two-waycommunication
biLine™ protocol: Baseline’sproprietary two-way communication standard that operates over two-wire irrigation wiring
biSensor™ Soil MoistureSensor: A sensor that is buried in the soil. It providessoil moisture and temperature data to the BaselineBaseStation Controller.
Bridge Unit: When yoursystem includes more thanone Remote Base Unit, theBridge Unit is locatedbetween the BaseStation 6000 computerand the Remote Base Units.
centralcontrol system: An irrigation system that has a master controller (often a running on a computer) that tells the valves at remote locationsto open and close. The BaseStation6000 is a master controllerthat relays commands to the Remote Base Units, which, in turn, relay commandsto the valves.
conventional irrigationwiring: A wiring system that requires each individual valve to be wired to the controller and requiresone “common” or “ground” wire from the controller to each group of valves. Conventional wiring transmits only power.
cycle time: The amount of time needed for the system to completea watering cycle and a soaking cycle.
decoder: A device that interpretsthe signals that it receives from the controller and tells the valve to turn on or off.
distribution uniformity: A measure of how uniformly water is being applied by an irrigation system
effective root depth: The length of the section of dense plant roots below which there is limited root activity.The plant draws most ofits water and nutrients from theeffective root zone. Different plants have differenteffective root depths, and their root structuresvary from time to time during their growth.
ET-basedwatering: A watering methodology that uses the principles of evapotranspiration to water when needed rather than on an established schedule.
Ethernet: A computernetworking technologythat connects devices with a cable andthen allows those devicesto send information to and receive information from each other.
ETo: See reference ET
evaporation: Loss of water as vaporfrom the soil surface or from moisture on the surfaceof a leaf. Differs from transpiration in that the water does not pass through the plant parts.
evapotranspiration (ET): The processof transferring moisture from the earth to the atmosphere by evaporation of water and transpiration from plants.
field capacity: When soil moisturecontent is at this level, it means that all excess moisture has drained freely from that soil. The amount of remainingmoisture is the field capacity.
field controller: An irrigation controller that is locatedin the field close to the valvesas opposed to a master controllerthat is located away from the valves.
firmware: Computerprogramming code that is permanentlystored in the read-onlymemory of a device
Flow biCoder: A specialized decoder that is built into Baseline’s flow devices such as flow meters or flow sensors
flow device: A device such as a flow meter or flow sensor that is used to monitor the flow of water in an irrigationsystem
flow node: Part of your irrigationsystem that is differentiated from other parts by its piping structure.
flow zone: The group of zones in your irrigationsystem that is monitored by a flow meter. If you install multiple flow meters on your system, you will have multiplecorresponding flow zones.
GPH: The abbreviation for gallonsper hour
GPM: The abbreviation for gallons per minute
Hargreaves Evapotranspiration Equation: A mathematical formula that requires only measured temperature data to predict net evapotranspiration. This equationwas developed by George H. Hargreaves (Research ProfessorEmeritus, International Irrigation Center,Dept. of Biological and Irrigation Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah).
hydrozone: A groupingof plants that have similar water requirements and can be watered the same.
IP address (Internet Protocol address): A number assigned to each device that is participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
inches per hour: The application rate for zones that are watered by spray heads or rotors
infiltration:The process by which water passes through soil – the liquid permeates the soilby passing through the pores in the soil
Intelligent Soak Cycle™: When a zone waters using an Intelligent Soak Cycle, the total watering run time includes periods of watering interspersed with periods of soak times,or non-watering times. Baseline’s Intelligent Soak Cycles™ prioritize cyclesfor zones that have already started to water over zones that have not started in order to maximize watering efficiency and minimizetotal irrigation time.
K value (also known as K-Factor): A calibration factor for a flow device expressed in pulses per unit volume. The Kvalue is used to calibratethe volumetricthroughput of a flow device.Manufacturers give the K value (orK-Factor) of their flow devicein thedevice specification.
linked zone: A zone that runs at the same intervalas a primaryzone
lowerthreshold: If you are using soil moisture sensors to control watering, the lower threshold is the point at which the soil water contentis low enough to start watering.
master valve: An automaticor manual valve installed at the supply point which controls the water flow into the system’smainline piping
maximum allowed depletion(MAD): When the soil moisturecontent reaches this level, irrigation needs to start. In most cases,the maximum alloweddepletion level is just before the plants begin toshow visible signsof stress.
mesh radio: A wirelesscommunication network made up of radio nodes inwhich there are at least two pathways of communication to each node.
microclimate: The climate of a specific location within a landscape. Variations in climate are influenced by subtle differences intemperature, humidity,and wind exposure. Microclimates can have a significant impact on plant water needs.
offset value: A calibration factor for a flow device that compensates for limitations in the device’s ability to measure smallsignals adequately. Manufacturers give themaximum amount of offset associated with their flow device in the devicespecification.
over current (also known as excess current): A situation where a greater-than-intended electric current is supplied due to short circuits,excessive load, and/or incorrect design.
pausedevice: An electronic device that can be configured to suspend watering based on specific conditions. The BaseStation6000 accommodates a variety of pausedevices including those that monitor wind, rain, air temperature, flow, orpressure. You can also configure anoutside operation button that will pause the system from aremote location.
Penman-Monteith Evapotranspiration Equation: A mathematical formula that requires daily mean temperature, wind speed,relative humidity, and solar radiation to predict net evapotranspiration. This equation was developed by Howard Penman and John Monteith.
permanent wilting point: When soil moisturecontent reaches this level, plants can no longer get water from the soil, and they will wilt and die.
pore: In soil, a space betweenmineral particles that allows waterto infiltrate into thesoil.
powered decoder: A decoder device that interprets the signals that itreceives from the controllerand tells the valve to turn on or off. A powered decoder is designed to retrofit into existing systems and requires 120 VAC service at installation location.
precipitation rate: See application rate
primary zone: a zone in your BaseStation 6000 system configuration that is at an address with a lower number than the other linked zoneswithin the same hydrozone. For example, if zones 1 – 50 are in one hydrozone, zone 1 would be the primary zone. The zone is configured as either Auto or Timed.
rain gauge: A type of rain sensor that collects and measures rain water.Thissensor can be configured to halt wateringbased on a specificamount of rain received.
rain sensor: A device that detectsrain and can be configured to halt watering. A rain gauge and a rain switch are two types of rain sensorsthat can be configured in the BaseStation 6000 system.
rain switch: A type of rain sensor that uses hydroscopic discs to detect rain and halt watering. When the discs dry out, the irrigationsystem is ready to water again.
reference ET (ETo): A factor used to adjust ET-basedwatering for a specific site. Reference ET is typically calculated based on inputs from weathersensors and data for a reference crop such as Kentucky bluegrass.
Remote Base Unit™: A component of the BaseStation 6000 system thatmanages an electrically isolated irrigation sub-system and is able to support 200 valves
run time: The total time that a zone is watering. In anIntelligent Soak Cycle, the total watering run time is calculated by multiplying the minutesfor each watering cycle by the number of cycles.
runoff: When the soil moisture content is at the saturation level, any excess water from rain, snow melt, or irrigation drains to a low point in the landscape.
saturation: When thesoil moisture content is at this level,nearly all of the spaces between soil particles are filledwith water. After a soil has reachedsaturation, it does not become more saturated; although, in some situationswhere water is trapped, it can become flooded.
schedulinggroup: The primaryzone and the other linked zones within a hydrozone. This group of zones can be wateredon the same interval.
serial port: A type of externalconnection on a computer. The external connector for a serial port can be either 9 pins or 25 pins. Devicesare connected with a serial cable.
soak time: In an Intelligent Soak Cycle, soak time is interspersed with watering time in order to prevent runoff.
software: Computerprograms and related data that instruct a computer what to do and how to do it.
soil-moisture content: The ratio of the volume of contained water in a soil compared with the entire soil volume.
soil-moisture deficit: When soil dries (for example,by evaporation), the measurable shortage of water in the soil is known as the soil-moisture deficit. It also refers to the amount of water needed to return to field-capacity moisture content.
soil moisture sensor: See biSensor™ Soil Moisture Sensor
smartcontroller: Irrigation controller that uses ET information to water when needed and to make seasonal adjustments of run times
time domain transmission (TDT): A measurement of how much the electrical signals in the soil are slowed down by the presence of water
timed zone: A mode in the controllersoftware that configures a zone to be watered on a timed schedule rather than on a smart irrigation schedule
transpiration: The loss of water vapor from parts of plants.Water is lost primarily from the pores on the leaves butalso from stems, flowers, and roots.
two-way communication: In a Baselineirrigation system, the controller sends a command over the two-wire to a biCoder. The biCoderthen lets the controller know that the commandwas received and understood. If the biCoderdoes not respond, thecontroller knows that there is a problem, and it will alert you. Most competing two-wiresystems do not implementtwo-way communication.
two-wire irrigationwiring: Wiring that replacesthe typical bundle of conventional irrigation wires with just two wires. In a two- wire irrigationsystem, only one valve needs to be connected directly to the controller, as opposed to every valve in aconventional system. In addition to transmitting power,a two-wire system can alsotransmit data.
upperthreshold: If you are using soil moisture sensors to control watering, the upper threshold is the point at which the soil water contentis high enough to halt watering.
valve: A device that opens to allow water to flow to the sprinklerheads or emitters in a zone. It closes to halt watering for that zone.
water budget: In the BaseStation 6000 system, the water budget functionalityenables you to define and track the total flow foreach Flow biCoder per month. You can configurethe target flow value in GPMfor the Flow biCoder and how the system will react when this number is reached.
water window: The time availablefor watering through an irrigation system. Typically, all days and times would be available for wateringunless there are watering restrictions or you need to set aside a time for mowing.
weather station: Meteorological sensors that monitor weather conditions and send data to a computer.
Wi-Fi: A method for wirelesslyconnecting electronic devices
zone: A designated area of landscapingthat is watered by a specificvalve
Warranty Information
Baseline’s warranty obligations are limitedto the terms set forth below:
Baselinewarrants to the original consumer purchaser that new BaselineSystem and components will be free fromdefects in material andworkmanship for the Standard One Year WarrantyPeriod. The BaselinebiSensor™ as well as 1, 2 and 4 valve biCoders will be free of defects inmaterial and workmanship for a Five Year Warranty Period. The startof the warranty period is the date of installation of the system or component. For replacement irrigation components, the warranty on the replacementcomponent is the remainder of the warrantyon the original component, or 90 days, whichever is longer.
If the customerdiscovers a defect, contact your Baseline product installer, or Baseline Inc.
Baselinewill, at its option, repair or replace the component at no charge to the customer, provided it is returned during thewarranty period, with transportation charges prepaid, to Baseline Inc. in Boise, Idaho. Baseline will pay return shipping of its choice. Base Stations and displays must beproperly packaged in the original packaging or Baseline approved packaging toobtain warranty service.
For warrantyservice, contact Baseline at 1-866-294-5847 to obtain a "Return Merchandise Authorization” (RMA) number. A copy of the receipt or a bill of sale bearing the appropriate Baseline serial number and model number may be requiredfor warranty service.
Warranty Exclusions: normal wear and tear, abuse, unreasonable use, mistreatment, or neglect. Damage caused duringinstallation or incorrectinstallation, damage caused by modification or repair not made or authorized by Baseline whoseManufacturer’s Serial Number and/or MaterialNumber label have been removed, torn or defaced, damage caused by use ofnon-Baseline packaging, damage caused by improper or improperly used packaging.
THIS WARRANTYAND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN,EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BASELINESPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL IMPLIEDWARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUTLIMITATION, WARRANTIESOF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND AGAINST INFRINGEMENT. No
Baseline dealer,agent or employee is authorized to make anymodification, extensionor addition to this warranty.
BASELINE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL,INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY,OR UNDER ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OFDATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE OR REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY.
Some states do not allow the exclusion orlimitation of incidental or consequential damages or exclusions of impliedwarranties, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights that vary from state to state.