5/6/2016 1:05 PM
Just a heads up to all who may be looking at the WatchDog 2900ET as an affordable weather station to work with your Lynx Irrigation software. There are many dealers out there who retail Spectrum devices such as the TDR300 and weather stations. If you buy the 2900ET, buy it from a Toro Rep. Even though the Spectrum Website makes no mention of it, the 2900ET purchased from anyone other than Toro is not compatable with Lynx. Same name, same product but incompatable. I found this out the hard way. Even my Toro Distributor was unaware of this as was the Spectrum dealer I purchased the product from. I would think this would be a very easy fix but I have had no luck getting the situation rectified by Spectrum. The website still makes no mention of a difference. The following is the press release that got me interested and had me purchase the wrong unit. I was told by Spectrum that a press release is only to stimulate interest. While this is just a press release, there is absolutely nothing on the website saying there is a difference.
Be careful. It's an expensive and frustrating mistake
Press Releases | Integrates WatchDog Weather Station with Toro Lynx Central Control System
Toro_Weather_Station
Spectrum Technologies Integrates WatchDog® Weather Station with Toro® Lynx® Central Control System
February 2015 - PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release
Aurora, IL – Spectrum Technologies, Inc. announces the release of a new version of the popular WatchDog® 2900ET weather station that is compatible with the Toro® Lynx® Central Control for golf course irrigation systems. The package developed from Spectrum includes a 2900ET weather station, mid-range wireless radio communications to transmit data up to 2 miles, and a service application that allows the station data to be incorporated into Lynx. Connecting a WatchDog weather station to Lynx enables golf courses to control irrigation more efficiently by using real-time weather data to help manage irrigation scheduling.
The WatchDog 2900ET station has been proven in various industries including golf, research, and agriculture, providing reliable weather data, such as wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, dew point, rainfall, and solar radiation for better decision making. Alicia Gillman, Director of Marketing for Spectrum Technologies further explained "The main advantage of the 2900ET station model is the ability to calculate evapotranspiration (ET) values to support the superintendent's irrigation schedules. By basing irrigation decisions on real-time ET data, you are able to deliver water more efficiently with less waste."