Orbit 6 Station B-Hyve Wifi Irrigation Controller Outdoor

Not happy with this purchase.. I bought this product, b-hyve xd bluetooth hose faucet timer sprinkler August 2021 and just I opened it to use. I didn't realize either that my wi-fi is lacking or this product. I neglected to buy the 'hub' to by-pass the Bluetooth. The range of this wi-fi only works if I am near it. I can just as easily turn on the hose and would have saved money NOT buying this product and I find it is not financially worth it for me to put more money into something so inferior. I would not recommend this product.

I have had this product for 2 years and have loved it!! The ladt couple months it works but will not communicate with my phone, no notifications, Watering history or how much battery is left!! It will put them on a 7 year rain delay!! I have talked to their techs, (who are very nice and helpful) but have been told their last update has created the problems. This needs to be fixed. I like product, but the app on their end is a problem. Have friends that are having the same issue.

A step up from the previous 'green' model.

After 2 previous 'green' versions of the orbit 6 station timer (the 1st unit lasting 20+years, the 2nd 5years) a quick look around the internet had me looking at the Orbit 6-station B-Hyve smart wifi timer.Reviews were mixed which was cause for concern, however it was in-stock and with the setup similar to that of the older version (thank you youtube), I made the plunge.Out of the box the unit connected to the home wireless, updated itself including the firmware and local time all without issue.Connecting the wires to the unit is easy and only takes a few minutes.The wireless capability is a big improvement, i can sit in my lounge and operate the unit via my a smart phone app as opposed to walking to the unit - lazy i know. I did consider disabling all of ... MoreAfter 2 previous 'green' versions of the orbit 6 station timer (the 1st unit lasting 20+years, the 2nd 5years) a quick look around the internet had me looking at the Orbit 6-station B-Hyve smart wifi timer.Reviews were mixed which was cause for concern, however it was in-stock and with the setup similar to that of the older version (thank you youtube), I made the plunge.Out of the box the unit connected to the home wireless, updated itself including the firmware and local time all without issue.Connecting the wires to the unit is easy and only takes a few minutes.The wireless capability is a big improvement, i can sit in my lounge and operate the unit via my a smart phone app as opposed to walking to the unit - lazy i know. I did consider disabling all of the wireless functionality as you dont really need however the remote management and monitoring is very cool.Since the app and the timer unit both talk to each other i found it much easier to program the unit itself with zones, times, programs etc then let the unit update the app; which it did perfectly.I agree with other comments that the app to me felt a little 'clunky', i did try to program the app first but gave it away, upon reflection this was more to do with me than the app but i found the config around the program slots frustrating.Otherwise the app is very comprehensive and can be setup for smart watering and will even download weather updates to adjust watering as required.I only use the basics of the timer, daily watering days/times, 6 zones, 5minutes each zone and some of the remote features such as skip a zone, or manual start/stop watering as required etc.When the program starts/finishes you can receive a notice on your phone and additionally during operating the app displays which zone is currently operating and runtime remaining - very nice.All in all, its only been a few days of operation so far, but am very happy with the unit.

Easy install. Easy Programming.

Very easy to replace my old system with this one. I simply moved the colored wires from the old Rainbird controller and put them on the same numbers terminals of the B-HYVE. Pretty easy to connect my iPhone and then program the system. It's actually way easier to program and monitor the status on a smart-phone than the panel. It was not comfortable at first using the auto water feature which uses turf, vegetation, soil and sprinkler head parameters along with the local weather to set the timing and duration. I took the time to gather and enter that data, but felt the system was applying way too much water. Eventually I came to trust it and my lawn looks much better. I do recommend taking the time to do the catch-cups to measure water flow rate and enter that along ... MoreVery easy to replace my old system with this one. I simply moved the colored wires from the old Rainbird controller and put them on the same numbers terminals of the B-HYVE. Pretty easy to connect my iPhone and then program the system. It's actually way easier to program and monitor the status on a smart-phone than the panel. It was not comfortable at first using the auto water feature which uses turf, vegetation, soil and sprinkler head parameters along with the local weather to set the timing and duration. I took the time to gather and enter that data, but felt the system was applying way too much water. Eventually I came to trust it and my lawn looks much better. I do recommend taking the time to do the catch-cups to measure water flow rate and enter that along with soil parameters into the app, then use the Smart Watering feature. That's what I'll be doing next season. I like the ability to check the soil moisture content via the app and have the ability to verify the SmartWater feature is skipping session when it rains (or rain is forecasted). I also find it useful that it reports watering history for past day, week, month, year. Prevents water bill surprises. Finally, the app sends notifications when watering is complete or if it plans to skip watering due to rain or freezing.

Fails in too many areas

Got this about a year ago and while it looks really nice, it would be perfect if it did what it was supposed to do reliably, but it doesn't. It's missed watering days, it constantly looses connection to the wifi access point that's only 4meters away.And try to change the program from your phone? Forget it. Fails to update on the device via wifi, then you Bluetooth and change the settings, confirm them on the device only to find they reverted back later and the retic didn't come on.Wouldn't buy again, too much trouble.

Good unit, good price, some quirks

Overall this was pretty simple to set up. The unit seems solid and well made. The wiring terminations seem secure. The smartphone app works well.The price is good for a 12 circuit system with all the features.Having this controlled by app is just wonderful.There are some small irritations. The label over the terminal lugs is not quite sized correctly so it’s hard o tell which circuit you are connecting. The app assumes you have a six circuit controller and you have to fiddle with the settings on to find where they hid the other six. The smart weather features are fussy.

What a brilliant system 👏

Bought to replace my old Rainmaster 3 zones system.Choose it because of smooth rubber controls buttons with a menu wheel.Connected myself, just google how to do, be aware that Pump wire on a new unit and "M" on a old one are the same. Don't need to connect 24v wires as the are already connected.Connecting WiFi was super easy. Now I can control each of my stations from my smart phone.Smart B-Hyve app watching weather online for me and it doesn't run my sprinklers in rainy days.Overall I'm absolutely happy with a purchase, hopefully it lasts at least 10 years.

Why I like this Controller so much

Comes in either a 6 or a 12 zone configuration [will handle all but the largest residential jobs]. Works indoor or out door. Works as either a standard clock timer or it shines as a wifi enabled smart controller. If you take the time to set up your zones with "smart watering details" and answer about 10 questions per zone [one time] you can turn it over to smart watering and let the app calculate when to water and for how long and it does a great job. Only one other brand [Rachio] I'm aware of has this feature and it is a game changer. Take the guess work out of irrigation settings. This controller worked great in our recent Texas drought and it also conserves water during wet season as well as any other smart controller I've used [Rainbird, Hunter, Toro etc]. The ... MoreComes in either a 6 or a 12 zone configuration [will handle all but the largest residential jobs]. Works indoor or out door. Works as either a standard clock timer or it shines as a wifi enabled smart controller. If you take the time to set up your zones with "smart watering details" and answer about 10 questions per zone [one time] you can turn it over to smart watering and let the app calculate when to water and for how long and it does a great job. Only one other brand [Rachio] I'm aware of has this feature and it is a game changer. Take the guess work out of irrigation settings. This controller worked great in our recent Texas drought and it also conserves water during wet season as well as any other smart controller I've used [Rainbird, Hunter, Toro etc]. The phone app is one of the most intuitive I've used in the industry. Only downside is that B-Hyve customer service has been more difficult to reach as they grow. Some thing I hope they address quickly because when you need help they are great, just very difficult to get ahold of at times.