Hydro-Rain HRC 400 Indoor/Outdoor 16-Station Wi-Fi Smart Irrigation Controller

I highly recommend this unit.Have been using the Orbit "slide" timers for over 20 years, and hated to think of loosing the "at a glance" advantage. This unit with the app, gives me pretty much everything I need to know about my schedule at a glance. Configuring your schedule at the timer is pretty much the same as with any other time, but the app makes it much easier, and I can do it anywhere that I have an internet connection.Being able to work on a sprinkle head and NOT have to go to the timer, turn it off, back to the head, adjust it, back to the timer, turn it on.. etc etc is just plain terrific. Should have done this in the spring.Careful about looking at some of the videos on the web about setting this up with the app. Some are outdated, and quite frankly wrong. I won't say pairing is the easiest thing in the world for me to do, but got it done.Have the app set up on my wife's phone, my Kindle fire (yes, you can get the app on an amazon device, just google it), and have it set up on my computer at home (needed a blue tooth dongle, and a bluetooth emulator), and my computer at work. It just started pouring here at work, so i got on the app, and started a rain delay....pretty cool I think.Both the timer and app have 3 run programs, pretty much like all timers, but you can have unlimited saved programs on the app. So when the weather starts to cool down, I don't have to go to the timer and reset all my zones, loosing my previous settings, All i do is tell the app to replace my A Program (which would be set to Summer Schedule) with my Fall Schedule. Next year, I just set Program A to run Spring Schedule. Same goes with Program B and Program C.If your in the market for a new timer, highly suggest you consider the Hydro Rain devices.

10

I love this product!! It is very user friendly. Easy to set up. The app is pretty amazing. Very easy to do yourself.

Easy setup. Easy connectivity. Instant responses when testing. A WiFi clock does a pretty simple job. Doesn’t need to be expensive. App is intuitive simple and easy to program. Replaced my overpriced rainbird esp for which I had to buy a separate ‘WiFi dongle’. Rainbird WiFi clock also wouldn’t perform. After 3 months of zero connectivity w the app. I had to replace it

Bought from a local store and been using it. It's been frustrating to setup and operate though. Connecting to WiFi requires a smartphone with Bluetooth, GPS, and wifi turned on to initially setup, and you can't just connect from the controller. The controller also loses WiFi constantly and it's not reliable. It does run manual stations quite well, but the programs are also not reliable. I have the smart watering and rain delay features turned off, and no rain sensor installed, so I just want it to water at the set time, but it always comes on like an hour or two late for some reason. Checked and none of that is turned on, but it delays anyway. Running manually from the app is hit or miss. At least I don't have to keep Bluetooth and GPS turned on all the time to run it remotely. There is no documentation either. I can't find a true users manual online, and the one that's offered is overly simplistic with no advanced instructions or troubleshooting, so don't expect to find much help that way to figure things out. And there's no advanced settings on the controller, or in the app to help either. I mean great for simplicity, but you gotta give me more to work with if you aren't going to provide a detailed user's manual. There are 4 downloadable PDFs for my model and all are just talking points to sell it, with 1 manual having very very basic setup instructions with 2 pages that are mostly blank only showing the physical installation, and the technical side saying "install the app" as if that explains everything you need to know. And it's not like I'm a technological slouch either, I work in IT so should be easy for a guy like me to setup. Though if anything my background just makes me more critical for some poor execution on the manufacturer's part, and for the poor support post purchase. I'm rating 2 stars because it's not totally useless, and it does water my lawn, but man does this have a ways to go to be user friendly, and the support side is abysmal.

I bought this to replace a rainmachine hd16 that got wet after I left the box open and it was rained on. Same as the Orbit Bhyve. The normal bhyve app wont work unless you turn on your cell phone location. Why does it need to know your cell phone location? The interface is pathetic without the app. The HRC 400 says to install the bhyve pro app which costs $9.99. Thanks for attempting to charge extra for your app. This overall product is pathetic. Too bad rainmachine doesn't make a 16 zone model anymore. Rainmachine is well worth the extra 100$.

I own one (bought from a local store). What a piece of fermented garbage. Its WiFi connection protocol is hideously thought out, ultra-involved to set up (a textbook UX fail), and very unreliable. The company’s 800 number is PERMANENTLY engaged. And worst of all, here in toasty Las Vegas, it loses its mind on very hot days - its display is garbled and it stops working just when we need it most! What amateur designed this? DO NOT BUY.

For the second time in several months, the rain delay feature simply reset to 0 after a day or so. After setting a rain delay of 96 hours on Sunday, I saw my sprinklers running in the pouring rain on Tuesday morning. Ten dollars of water literally down the drain.

TOOK SOME TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT BUT IT WORKS FINE VERY PLEASED

I like this irrigation controller that connects to your smart phone, you can customize watering in all your zones. Purchased in Canada.However the tech support is in USA. They offer text message support. Beware that if you are in Canada, charges apply to text messages. It cost me $30 to communicate with them via text message on cell phone bill! Ask for a phone call instead.