Site Surveys Help Customers Choose the Right IQ4 Communication Options
Field Service Engineers and specially-trained Rain Bird staff provide tailored connectivity recommendations for worry-free connectivity
Performing (or) completing a Site Survey for your property offers several advantages, including:
- Determining the best location for each controller
- Identifying opportunities for radio and ethernet connectivity
- Antennae signal strength analysis
- Confidence in communication strategy before installation
- Access to expert insight on IQ4
- A detailed equipment list
Understanding your objectives
Before starting the survey, the Field Service Engineer will meet with you to understand your objectives and budget. Rain Bird offers three ways to connect controllers to IQ4 and to each other as server and client controllers: ethernet, radio and cellular. Which option or combination of options you choose will depend on site conditions and budget. The engineer will also need to know existing controller locations, or if it's a new system, the approximate areas where the controllers will be installed.
What the survey entails
The engineer will perform a topographic site survey, walk the property and test that the proposed new system will work. They will determine the best location for the server controller and main antenna (usually the highest elevation), which type of antenna will work best and explain how each piece of equipment works.
Recent Success Using Radio and Ethernet
Selecting a radio connection over cellular for your IQ4 system can be the ideal choice if you need a large number of controllers for your property or if the location has geographical challenges. For example, Rain Bird recently visited a site in Norco, California that has difficult terrain. After spending the day walking the property, the Field Service Engineer determined that one Ethernet drop and radio would be sufficient to connect the property’s 47 controllers. With no recurring costs associated with radio as opposed to cellular, it will pay for itself over its lifetime. Rain Bird is the only manufacturer that offers the reliability and cost effectiveness of radio connectivity.
Contact your local distributor or Rain Bird Representative today to learn if a site survey would be right for your property.
