Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does my PC have to be on all the time for Cyber-Rain to work?

A: No. After the initial setup, your schedule is downloaded wirelessly to the controller. The PC is not required for the operation of your sprinkler. However, whenever your PC is on, the Cyber-Rain control program checks the weather several times and sends schedule adjustments based on your local weather conditions wirelessly to your controller.

Q: Does this mean that I won't save any water if my PC is off?

A: When your PC is off, Cyber-Rain still saves you water based on the Watering Index. See the "Savings" tab. The watering index based on typical or historical monthly adjustments for your area. However, it is not as accurate as the daily adjustments based on weather forecast for your area. For an example, if you live in California, the typical watering index will set back your schedule between 20%-30%. However, you might get extra cold days or the Santa Ana winds in October. So the daily adjustment is more precise when you leave your PC on.

Q: Can I operate the controller locally on its panel?

A: Yes. You can turn on/off any of the zones locally. When you turn on a zone the name that you assigned on the PC for that zone is displayed on the controller along with the count-down of how long the zone will be on. This is useful if you are in the garage and would like to test the sprinklers.

Q: What if I have more than eight Zones?

A: The first system you purchase comes with a sprinkler controller and an Access Point that connects to your PC. You can purchase extra controllers to control more zones. Each extra controller can manage 8 more zones. However, your original Access point will work with all your controllers. We sell extra controllers without the access point for this purpose.

Q: How far can my PC be from the controller?

A: The wireless range is about 300 feet but this distance is reduced by extra walls or radio frequency noise. You should have no problems with leaving 100 feet between the PC and the controller.