Cyber-Rain is a smart sprinkler control system that gives homeowners an easy way to save 30-70 percent on their landscape watering bills by using their personal computer and automatic weather updates from the Internet. Most sprinkler control systems rely on manually adjusted timers to regulate watering schedules. Cyber-Rain works through your PC to adjust the amount of watering automatically based on weather and seasonal conditions, saving you time, water and plant replacement costs by stopping the sprinkler system on rainy days, automatically decreasing the watering schedule on cold or humid days, and increasing it on hot and dry days. 2009 Product Updates: # The new Cyber-Rain XCI 3.00 software is driverless and transfers more information per packet between the access point and the controller. This means easier installation and faster operation. # The drivers for communication between the PC and the access point are embedded in the new access point. Driver software does not need to be installed on the PC in order to talk to the access point. # The new access point also has LED indicators: the 4 blue LEDs indicate the strength of the signal between the access point and the controller, the green LED indicates that the PC is sending data to the controller, the red LED indicates that the PC is receiving data from the controller. # The new access point has a wired antenna for greater range between the access point and the controller. # The new LCD screen on the controller has a blue background and white letters and is easier to read in a variety of lighting conditions. Required Hardware and Software # Pentium PC running Windows Vista or Windows XP (with Service Pack 2 or later) # A free (open) USB port # 100MB free disk space on your PC # Broadband Internet access (DSL, cable modem, etc.) Customizable ScheduleDuring installation, you will be asked to enter your zip code. The Cyber-Rain system will then follow the online weather reports for that location. You can manually override this default at any time. Your Cyber-Rain system will run even when the application window is not open on your screen. Please note: If you exit the application completely, the Cyber-Rain controller will not receive regular adjustments based on weather conditions to give you optimal water savings. Schedule TabEach Cyber-Rain system controller handles up to eight zones, and multiple controllers may be run from the same software. Each zone can be set to different levels of required moisture (i.e.: your rose bushes may need more water than your grass). Each zone is programmed with its own unique schedule with up to four user-specified watering times per day. You will also select how many minutes each zone will get at those times. Calendar Tab This is a calendar view of your schedule. This calendar is for informational purposes only; you cannot change your schedule from this screen. Details Screen Features Tab # Controller/Zone: This feature allows you to rename your controller and/or zones. # Zone Hold: This feature allows you to put designated zones on hold. This means that for a designated time period, the sprinklers will not come on. # Plant Facts: Enter details about the plants, soil types, and sun exposure for each zone. # Cycle and Soak: This feature divides the watering sessions on your schedule into alternating "On" (Cycle) and "Off" (Soak) periods, so that the soil has time to absorb the water, thus preventing water run-off, the wasted water that flows from your saturated yard to the gutters and streets. You can increase the soak time for clay soil (less absorbent) and for sloped terrain (slower absorption). # Fertilizer Watering: This feature allows you to increase the watering time temporarily for a designated zone. This is useful following fertilization, planting new sod, and other times requiring extra water. # Details Screen Photos: You can upload your own photos of each of your zones to replace the stock photos provided. Watering Index TabThe Watering Index displays the watering setback based on the historic seasonal watering pattern for your area. (The watering setback is the percentage of reduced watering time for each month.) When your PC is offline or Cyber-Rain is not running, your sprinklers will operate on a default schedule setback according to the Watering Index. In this default schedule, the setback for January is 30%. This means that if you have set your schedule to water a zone for 10 minutes, and if your PC is offline in January, your controller will only water that zone for 3 minutes. If the Cyber-Rain controller does not receive a daily adjustment from your PC, it reduces the schedule based on the settings for the current month entered in the Watering Index. Please note that for optimal water savings and healthier plants, your PC must be online at least once a day. You can modify the Watering Index for your area. To do so, select the month first, then use the slider on the right to set the default setback for that month.