This screen shot shows the new mobile app in map view.Photo: HydroPoint Data Systems
HydroPoint Data Systems, maker of WeatherTrak irrigation technology, this week released a new mobile application for Apple iOS and Android devices, WeatherTrak Mobile App 2. The free app is better than the original, the company says, providing additional features for remote control and central management of irrigation systems.
The WeatherTrak Mobile App 2 features Spanish language localization, Google Maps integration and manual irrigation settings allowing users to perform system wet checks. In addition, the app shows active station run status and watering countdown time. Users of the mobile app also can contact customer support with one click, HydroPoint says.
The app is available at the iTunes Store and Google Play Store.
HydroPoint’s WeatherTrak system combines irrigation controllers and other hardware with cloud-based applications and services – including real-time weather data – to automate irrigation schedules. The system allows for individual adjustments based on landscape-specific parameters such as plant, soil, slope and sprinkler type.
HydroPoint’s WeatherTrak smart irrigation controllers vary in price based on a site’s needs – whether that’s six stations or 96 – from $1,000 to as much as $10,000 for large, complex sites.
Specific controllers at various irrigation sites can be adjusted remotely with WeatherTrak Mobile App 2.Photo: HydroPoint Data Systems
Each controller purchased from HydroPoint comes with one year of WeatherTrak Central Internet Management Service included. After that, it’s about $250 per year for the service. The newly released mobile app is essentially an extension of the WeatherTrak Central Internet Management Service, enabling remote control of the irrigation systems with a mobile phone.
Among other features of the system, WeatherTrak irrigation controllers are sent site-specific weather data each day from the HydroPoint Climate Center and Scheduling Engine. Based on the local weather, controllers automatically adjust how much water will be used and when it will be applied.
In a single year, according to HydroPoint, its customers reduced water consumption by 15 billion gallons, cut $137 million in expenses and lowered energy use by 62 million kilowatt hours.
The company says its WeatherTrak products are compatible with 95 percent of the nation’s 45 million installed irrigation systems.
