LinkTap D1 Wireless Water Timer & Gateway - 2 Zone Smart Hose Tap Timer, Built-in Flow Meters, Real-Time Fault Detection & Notification, Weather Adaptive, Better Range Than WiFi, IP66, 2-Year Warranty

We have quite a large garden and while we have set up several manually controlled irrigation zones we want to automate watering since it has become quite a chore in dry periods.You can buy wi-fi valves and timers but walking around the garden with a phone it was clear that wi-fi was not going to give sufficient range without repeaters or boosters, so I started looking for a Zigbee alternative since that has longer range.This seemed to be the only credible product (unless you are brave enough to order direct from China, have good enough Chinglish skills to figure out instructions and enough Zigbee skill to solve problems for yourself) so I contacted Linktap customer support with a range of questions about range and performance. I got a prompt, full, honest and well thought out reply so I decided to buy a valve and give it a go.It comes as two items: a control unit which plugs into your ethernet router (note, it plugs in by cable, not wirelessly) and a valve which goes out into the garden. Build quality and design look good and the instructions are clear.Setting up the kit is straight-forward and comes in three stages:(1) Download their free app on your phone, create an account (1st time only) then log into it.(2) Connect power and ethernet cables to base unit. Scan QR code on it using phone to register it with your account, at which point it will connect automatically.(3) Add the valve by scanning its QR code, this will link it automatically with your base unit.Now you can control the valve remotely using the app on the phone.The ethernet cable they supply is quite short so I bought a longer one to allow me to put the base unit up in our roof in order to maximise its chances of reaching all parts of the garden. Then I went out with the valve and my phone to see if it would work at all wanted locations which - happily - it did. I'd estimate that the furthest was about 90 metres away, line-of-sight to the roof but some foliage in the way.We bought the G2S valve which includes a flow meter and initially I was dubious about whether the extra cost over the G1S (no meter) was worth it. However having now tested the system and observed both the real-time feedback of water flow rate and the various alarms you can set to detect problems with flow I'd say that the extra cost is worth it. Experience has taught me that irrigation systems block up, pipes fall off, dogs crash through flower beds pulling things apart, people leave hoses running, etc, etc so it is worth having something which will let you know promptly that you have a problem.I have two criticisms of the hardware, neither too serious:(1) The valve itself is a solenoid acting on a diaphragm. This is common for such valves but it does create quite a constriction on the flow so if you have low water pressure this may present problems. We achieved a measured flow rate of 10 litres per minute in the irrigation circuit I tested: enough for the micro irrigation we use but possibly not enough for sprinklers requiring high flow unless you also have a lot of pressure available. (The kit is designed to work at up to 8 bar, we use about 4 bar at the pump outlet.)(2) Our garden's water supply comes from both captured rainwater and a borehole, both requiring pumping. Linktap do not provide a "switch my pump on" module controlled by the base unit, assuming instead that you will be using the mains water supply.Linktap's suggestion for point #2 was to have the pump operated by a pressure switch but in fact I have managed to buy a 2nd hand valve on Ebay that I plan to cannibalise, using the circuit which normally opens the solenoid valve to power a relay instead. So hopefully problem solved but I do find it surprising that they don't provide this capability.I would also criticise the App itself. It has clearly been created by people who are better engineers than they are user-interface designers. All the information and capabilities are there but they are not that well laid out and it could be a lot more intuitive to use. Again not a massive problem, just annoying.Update 8th Oct 2023.After the initial trial with one valve we have bought several more double valves (D2S) to automate what were previously manually controlled irrigation zones. They are all working flawlessly and it is *so* nice to think "oh, I should water the garden" and do it, even in the dark, by tapping a button my phone.One thing I have learned though is that to get maximum range and reliability out of Zigbee devices you need to have a clear WiFi channel for them to work in, since Zigbee and 2.4GHz WiFi share the same frequency band. I got a WiFi analyser app for my phone (free) to see what was going on and then moved one of my routers from channel 1 to channel 9 to leave channel 1 clear. This improved the stability of the Linktap connection considerably.I also got my pump controller built from a cannibalised valve bought on Ebay. I have passed the circuit diagram to Linktap so hopefully they will make a unit commercially available.So yes, still "expensive, but worth it". We will be adding more zones next year and will be able to go away in hot weather without worrying about the plants.

The media could not be loaded. This product is epic. It works sooooo well that it's hard to believe!! You can have anything from the simplest to the most detailed watering schedules programmed in and it compares them to historical rainfall and/or local forecast rainfall, that can override the program. It measures exact water flow and tells you accurate costs depending on your specific water tariff. It detects water leaks or water blockages or if the item fell off the tap onto the floor (if someone/child tampered with it etc)The app is amazing: You can check and change everything from anywhere in the world, yet the user interface is so easy and simple.Best of all, and very unique in the world of customer service, is just how amazing the company is to deal with, in the unlikely and rare event that something is less than perfect with your product or experience. After 3(!) years of faultless operation in all weather's, my TapLinker stopped connecting to the wifi gateway unit, after a battery change. But, after a single short email to their customer support attaching a short video, they (Jack) instantly dispatched a brand new unit (<1 hour from email to resolution!) Free Of Charge to me, that was with me via Amazon next day Prime as always. Truly painless and epic from start to finish.VERY HIGHLY recommended 👌 👍 👏

Over the years I have purchased lots of things on Amazon that were designed and manufactured in China. They usually nearly work. While looking for an automated watering controller, I took a lot of care to make sure I did not purchase a wholly Chinese designed and manufactured product. I used to be in the electronics industry and worked with Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers. I know from experience that if they try to design and build something for the west, for example emulating other western products, the quality and attention to detail is often missing. This was the reason I wanted to avoid any surprises.I found the LinkTap G2S product and purchased it. It was cheaper than the branded watering systems we are all familiar with in the UK, substantially so. It was designed in Australia, and the reviews were positive. I was not disappointed. It was easy to install and configure. You can download an app for it. It comes with a special gateway which you need to connect to your network through a wired connection. The control connection between the gateway and the external tap adapter is wireless, but does not use WiFi. I assume it uses one of the new very low power connections such as Zigbee. Once configured you can turn the tap on remotely, or set it for a timed duration. You can also set it up to deliver xx litres of water if you have the flow control device attached. That for example was useful for topping up the pond, set a value like 100 litres and forget about it. (Mine came with the flow controller). In terms of the physical tap and hose connectors, it is compatible with Hozelock and Gardena systems. So very easy to install and use.It also is aware of your location, and while not relevant in my case because I am watering a greenhouse, if you are watering outside, it can adjust the schedule based on your local weather, either delivering less water, more water or not at all based on temperature and weather.I have been using this system for around 1 month now, no issues at all. If you are looking for an automated controller that you can set up to cover vacations, or for general daily use and have very accurate control over the device, and a record of how it is working you could not go far wrong purchasing one of these.On the other end of my system is a Gardena distribution network set up for my greenhouse.

I have three of these now (one gateway, three valves). They are exceptionally well made with very good software and support. They are fully supported in Home Assistant through MQTT. They are very kind to the batteries so far--all summer long and still reporting 90%. Also very feature rich with low/high flow alerts, fall detection, good range, easy to set up. About the only pain is that changing the batteries is six tiny screws but (a) that probably really helps keep moisture out of the battery compartment and (b) you don't have to change batteries very often.

Was pretty easy to set up in my backyard in about 20 mins. Combined it with a Lee Valley Tool drip irrigation set-up on the second zone (which of course took a while to plan and install - several hours). I set it up in time for my two week summer trip, and was very pleased that my grass (on first zone) and my garden/veggie patch/deck planters (on second zone) survived very well. Even better, this past summer I have only had to tend to occasional pruning and harvesting instead of constantly lugging around a watering can. Totally worth the price and set-up time. I am planning to add this to my front yard next.

Por ahora genial. Muchas posibilidades de riego.

Aparato estropeado en menos de un mes al explotar las baterías dentro del compartimento al estar a 35 grados al sol. Si no lo tienes cubierto a la sombra, busca mejor otra opción!

Hardware looks and feels very solid. Many very useful software settings and features. Friendly and helpful support.More expensive than most other offers, but well worth the money.