Marcia, these ET controllers are great, IMO. This is how they work as I understand it: data about your specific landscape (actual types/quantities of plants & trees, turf areas, soil types, etc) is dialed in, then the constant data supplied from a local ET reporting station (temps, humidity, wind, et loss/gain) is then dialed up to a satellite that then beams down to yours & other ET controllers that are linked. The clock is activated only to replace what water that is actaully lost through evapotranspiration (et) for a set period (hours?), and it does this not on a schedule, but only as directed by the et data, so your system could come on anytime, or not at all. I think many new municipalities are drafting regs that will require these systems for commercial installs, and they are offering rebates (like your city is doing) to induce residential users to switch over. I went to 2 different presentations in the last 6 months concerning these systems. Both were done by a consultant, Tim Ashe (?) of Hydropoint, in Petaluma, www.hydropoint.com The seminar I just attended last wed. at the Nevada Landscape Assoc. annual wing-ding adressed the benefit$ to landscapers in retrofitting systems with this controller, and all the positive gain$ as a result to owners and contractors alike). There was a detailed portion of his talk addressing a proper water audit and budget, and realised returns on investment for HOA's and individual's. While the initial install price IS a bit hefty, ($500-$700, sometimes w/ a subscription service tacked on) I think the return on investment such as lowered water bills,healthier, more aesthetic landscapes, reduced paving repairs due to H2O run-off damage,less misdirected fert apps, etc. is significant enough data indeed to convince one to switch over. (One documneted example given was property values of some "test houses" on one street in a retrofitted 80's style track development increased 8%-10% w/in 4 mos. over the same type properties on the next street over, after the retrofit). Once everything is "dialed in" the system works very well. But - you still need to be vigilant about the physical aspect of your system, making sure heads are aligned & functioning properly, valves all ok & drip is up to snuff, etc. I have no first hand residential experience, but the Commercial Maint. div. of our company has participated in a program sponsored by TMWA, the local H2O utility here in Reno. 9 commercial properties (shopping centers, industrial parks) were retrofitted, and the results have been really promising...but it is a bit wierd to see the irr coming on at 3pm on a hot July day...

I consider a "smart" controller a device that irrigates by zip codes, and allows remote control by smartphone and web browser. Other people might consider "smart" to be better measurement and use of rainfall and temp measured by the controller. I plan to buy OpenSprinkler, because of how it connects to my home automation system, and it's active user group (look at the forum). The variety of web based system under $300 is surprising. It's hard to keep track of all the players. Personally, I don't see the need for a complicated interface on the controller itself anymore. I want it on my phone and laptop. People with a large water bill would undoubtedly benefit from changing out their old controller to one of the new predictive units that use local meteorological info. The questions is "which one". All the companies have access to the same data, so who has built the best model to run your system? Anyone considering these system should look at how far the nearest Weather Underground station is from their house. Vendors trying to use the most local data possible is going to use this data. It's also possible to spend $600-700 on a Davis weather station and connect it to Weather Underground. If you then chose a controller vendor that uses WU, your own local data would be combined with forecast models to run your system. We live in interesting, and complicated times. As a gardener, I plan on continuing to make my own irrigation decisions. I just want a system that can do it easily from anywhere, and can do complicated programs on hot days.

That's what I do now, but it's a PITA. I'm forever adjusting the run times, turning it off, turning it on. My controller at the old house at least allowed me to specify a number of rain delay days and to make percentage seasonal adjustments. The current one requires a step ladder, a flashlight and a lot of button tapping for the same activity. By the time it rains again, the battery has died on the rain sensor. My real problem, though, is that when I travel in the spring and fall. rain and Santa Anas always seem to arrive while I'm gone!

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3811193/check-out-my-ks-campaign-smart-watering-without-a-sprinkler-system?n=2