Re: Automatic watering

["Rob Lamb" <rjl@xxxxxxx>]

I guess I'll have to dismantle the valve again to take a deeper
look. I must admit when I did this first of all, I simply couldn't
understand how it all seemed to work! I have a much older mechanical
Hozelock one which I might try to use first. Motors and gears are
far easier to understand!

Thanks for the pointers.

Rob

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, ian.bird@c... wrote:
> Must be something simple like this otherwise it would not be
possible to
> run it off a battery. The valves I use consume about 230ma each to
stay
> open but close when the power is removed. I would guess the
original water
> computer only pulsed the magnet for a second or so in either
direction for
> open and close. Stating the obvious really but it was fun.
>
> This type of behaviour will make tracking the valves state a tad
harder
> than with the auto close variety. You might like to consider a
flow sensor
> as I installed which I use to check if after closing the valve the
water
> really has stopped flowing. It was from Farnell and not too
expensive. Ask
> away if you want more details as I have not added this to my site
yet.
>
> Ian
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Tim Fletcher" <timfletcher@b...>
> 03/12/2003 11:54
> Please respond to ukha_d
>
>
>         To:     <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
>         cc:
>         Subject:        Re: [ukha_d] Automatic watering
>
>
> reverse the polarity to close the valve?
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Rob Lamb
>   To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>   Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 11:48 AM
>   Subject: [ukha_d] Automatic watering
>
>
>   I need a little help with a new project. Up until now I've used
a
>   standalone Gardena water computer to control my irrigation
system
>   but as this now seems to have failed and I now also have
Homevision
>   I thought I try to control the valve part of the water computer.
>   Taking the water computer apart there are just a pair of wires
that
>   lead to what looks like an electromagnet on the valve. Connect
9V DC
>   to these leads (that's the same as the battery the computer
used)
>   and hey presto water flows through the valve. But here's the
>   problem. Disconnect the power and - the water still flows! Any
ideas
>   on what I'm doing wrong or what to do next?
>
>   Regards,
>
>   Rob
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]