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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 8th, 2023

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  • The devices that you describe are incompatible with a standard that has been mature for 50 years.

    The 3.5mm jack is everywhere, it is the standard. USB C is incredibly recent.

    Put it this way, if you were to walk into a store and pick up any given electronic product with audio output, would you expect it to have an audio jack, or a USB C connector?

    In your drawer full of random electric cables, how many have 3.5mm plugs in them vs usb a, micro, mini, or some propriety plug? And how many could you plug into a device and just…work?

    So why do you accept devices that don’t have this standard?? It is beyond me.



  • In australia there is a brand called Holman which does WiFi enabled smart valves. Starting at battery powered valves you attach to the tap all the way up to full solenoid valves which need a controller. There is then the Holman app which hooks into your home automation suite.

    Not sure if it’s available in the US, and any mains powered unit would be on a different voltage. But the battery powered ones seem OK. Just chews through a lot of batteries apparently.

    I have the Holman WX 8 controller paired with a bunch of online solenoid valves. It is a decent setup although quite expensive and took a long time and lot of effort to set up (running lines to solenoids, setting up water lines, dripper hoses etc) . It makes a huge difference in irrigation tho. Absolutely zero effort to get water exactly where the plants need it. Id say I broke even on effort the first summer. Cost wise longer term.