Baseline Systems BaseStation 6000 - Manual (Page 30)

BaseStation 6000 Site Controller Manual
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Sensor Placement
As you plan where to place the biSensors, make sure that you have considered the hydrozones that exist in your landscaping. A
hydrozone is a grouping of plants that have similar water usage and delivery characteristics and can be watered the same. For
example, each of the following landscaping areas would be a separate hydrozone:
• 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 in your irrigation system into scheduling groups based on their common characteristics. Within the
scheduling group, designate one zone to be the “primary” zone (configured within the BaseStation software as either Auto or
Timed) and set up the watering days and times. You can link the other zones in the scheduling group to the primary zone so they
will be watered more or less relative to 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, but place it off of 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 are no 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 then selecting 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 the percentage 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.