B-hyve Smart Indoor/Outdoor Sprinkler Controller

I had the indoor B Hyve unit at my previous home and it worked really well, so when I moved I ordered this one to replace a Hunter controller that was on the exterior of the house. One thing to note that the instruction booklet does not cover (but I found videos for on YouTube) is that you can hardware this unit if you have a pump relay rather than an outlet. It involved opening the unit, undoing the wiring in the transformer to remove the power cord, and wiring the pump relay power to the units transformer. It’s simple enough to not need an electrician, labeling the wires helps. The B Hyve fired right up and setting up the zones and schedule took 5 minutes. I like how the app checks the weather and can set a delay automatically, versus the rain sensor on the old hunter unit that did not always trigger the rain delay. So far I am liking this model more than the indoor only model I had previously, as this one includes a screen and button controls. You can still control it via Bluetooth if the WiFi is out, but I am always in favor of having physical buttons as an option. Overall I am pleased with it.

I've been using Orbit B-hyve irrigation controllers for years, and they've never disappointed me. The hardware has proven to be reliable, and the B-hyve app is one of the easiest irrigation apps I've used. Setup is straightforward, and making changes to watering schedules is simple enough for even a novice. One of my favorite features is the ability to control the system from anywhere using my phone. Whether I need to adjust a schedule because of the weather or manually run a zone while I'm away from home, it's all just a few taps away. The weather-based scheduling also helps avoid unnecessary watering, which can save water and keep plants healthier. If you're looking for a dependable smart sprinkler controller that's easy to install, simple to program, and reliable for long-term use, the Orbit B-hyve 6-Zone controller is an excellent choice. It's a product I continue to trust and recommend.

The wife and I invested in our first home a year and a few months ago. I'd decided from the get go that I wanted a smart home. We got a mega deal because we bought what is essentially a "cookie-cutter" home, ie: the builders plans and we pick a model - we couldn't make any changes. This was fine for us because why spend thousands on "upgraded" appliances and features when you can't even pick the ones you want? Better to start off cheap and then pay for what we want. That's a lot of preface for a sprinkler, but I'm going somewhere with this. When you buy cheap and then pay for what you want, to me it ends up working out better. We made a big decision in buying our home and it's a place and home we plan to spend our lives in as long as no acts of God get in the way of that. So far I've been dutifully making my home smart. Starting with all light switches changed to occupancy/vacancy and or wifi/dimmer switches, all bulbs are now LED with some being Wifi/Dimmer capable, some smart cameras around the place, etc. When you're "smartifying" your home you can either do it all at once if you have that kind of money, do it cheapest to most expensive stuff or do it most expensive to cheapest. We're not rich, we're comfortable so I've taken the middle route, cheapest parts and ending with the more expensive stuff like appliances. Where we live, our city has pretty strict rules regarding sprinkler systems - 2 days weekly for/between 4 hrs. Personally I don't know why. It rains during most of the year and whenever there's a drought there's a huge river and canals always filled to the brim but hey, they've gotta know something I don't, I've only been here for 2+ years. That being said, we had a basic sprinkler system, of course because when you buy a "cookie-cutter" home, almost everything you get as a part of the home is basic. As I said, that was fine for us. I'd put the controller as one of the later things to upgrade for the main reason that sprinklers are generally a set it and forget it thing. However ours was being slightly problematic. While it has a battery backup to keep settings, for some reason the time would be "off" due to power outages and of course, I'd have to head to change them whenever DST switched. Recently, we got our 2nd warning that the sprinkler was on when it wasn't supposed to be. This was due to a power outage that put our times off by about 10m. So they literally caught our system within that 10m "offf" window. I started getting serious into looking for smart or at the very least wifi enabled sprinkler controllers. . Enter the Orbit. I'm so happy with the system that I'm here only a day later writing its praises. I took some time deciding on systems because initially they're pretty expensive when you look up "smart" controllers. Most of the devices I found were in the hundreds and just not worth it for me, many are 6 or 8 zone and I only needed 3. I was in shock when I was able to pick up the Orbit for what I got it for. Not only was it less than 1/2 the price of other smart controllers, it was also cheaper than the most basic smart controllers, so I was prepared to make some compromises as one should when devices are on the cheaper end of the spectrum vs. others in their category. I can gladly say, no concessions or compromises made. This thing does everything and more. For one, with this controller you get a dual system. Many smart sprinkler controllers if you notice, have no head/base where they can be programmed. It must be done over/using the smartphone or a website. Not so with this system - you get a head unit that looks and behaves the same as a non wifi system where you can do everything you need to in terms of programming the system. This was a big deal for me because going back to what I said earlier, I'm a fan of value and I tend to look at things long term. How many cloud based companies have we seen shut down or change hands? If a product with a headless unit (ie: can't program from the base) has a cloud unit that shuts down, your sprinkler system is essentially useless for the most part because you no longer have a place to log into, to be able to access your system. The same could happen if the tech is bought out. If another company buys Rachio, just as an example and this company isn't interested in sprinkler systems, eventually that unit can no longer function because said company would have no need to keep the cloud going. There are 2 big differences with Orbit for me. The first is that the brand has been around for some time. I don't know irrigation products and I know 2 brand names, Hunter and Orbit so this was a good thing. For me this meant that it was highly unlikely for any of the shut down or sell out scenarios. I figured the worse case would be they sold to another irrigation company anyway. Secondly, the device is controlled both ways and independently. You can use it from the head unit solely, you can use it from the app or you can use it both ways. Finally, just like the other cloud/wifi sprinkler systems, it has a "smart" system that watches the weather for when it rains etc. and can smartly utilize your irrigation system. My system only has 3 zones because again, the builder created it all in a cheaper way. The pressure is really great in my home and the garden is no less. The entirely front left and side of my home is a zone running about ~6 sprinklers, the same for the right and then the back yard is a zone. So I have lots of sprinklers but only 3 zones and they run really well. My unit is installed on the outside of my home and many wifi sprinkler systems have to be installed inside or put into a special weather box externally. This unit comes fit for external use, so that saved me spending extra for either hiring someone to put it inside my garage or buy a box to put it into outside. In the end, I have to say that I'm fairly happy. It took me about 30m to physically install the controller and another 10m to program it using the app. The 1st floor of my home is concrete so I was a bit worried about wifi strength through the wall but it gets 4 solid bars. Setup in the app is easy. You create an account and add the device - once it's powered on and detectable, the app will immediately tell you that the device has been located, where you can then connect to it. Once connected, that's it, you're good to go. I simply took a picture of where my cables were on my Hunter unit and moved them directly over. I did have to drill an extra hole because the same of the unit is different than the Hunter. Once I did what I had to, it just worked. I tested it by doing a 1m manual start of each zone to see exactly where and what my zones were and then I set my schedule so it will never water on non-water days for me but is completely free to water (or not) on my 2 set days with my 4 hour window. The app is super easy to use and easily understandable, really well made. As I mentioned, you can turn smart watering on, where it'll detect when it rains and can put off watering for a day or more. You can also program using restrictions like mine, only on certain days or odd/even days or have an interval. I won't go into details but I doubt anyone will find it lacking what they'd need. I really like it and am very happy with the system so far.

First off, I’m not a high rater. To get 5-stars, do something exceptionally better. 4-stars means GOOD. I’ll leave it as good, BUT, the smart watering feature is NOT good; almost worthless. I bought this to replace a more manual controller. I was looking for an internet enabled unit for better control. I have 5 zones. Installation was fairly straightforward and no problem. Wiring was easy, despite the small screws that the included screw driver really didn’t like. This unit does have a battery for backup. The old unit did not. I’m not sure how the old unit maintained without one, but it did. Now I have to keep an eye on a battery. Oh well. The unit was fairly easy to program with the app but boy, they want a lot of information for the smart watering. Soil type, slope, rain levels, number of heads and types, etc. We are in a drought right now but, you have to set drought for each zone; kind of a pain for that. I thought smart watering would be a nice feature. After installing, I was having issues with one zone. It shows ground moisture as 100% and wouldn’t irrigate that section. I tried several things but nothing would change that permanently; it would just go back to 100%. They have a ‘chat’ feature for support so I tried that. After a few ‘things’ the agent asked for my MAC address and took a look and did reset the moisture to 0% that held until the system did irrigate that section. Then it went back to 100% again. Tried chat again and this time the agent basically said ’smart watering’ isn’t working and do manual programming instead. Hence my comment. It you are getting it for the smart watering, DON’T!!! The rest of the unit does seem to work okay. I do like that you can control the system from both the app and the unit. It does have a good programming feature. I haven’t tried the rain override yet but that was one reason I wanted an internet unit; so I could interject on those rainy days. Bottom line so far, GOOD unit it you don’t need ‘smart watering’.

I had an Orbit sprinkler controller with a remote controller. It was helpful if you were in range of the stationary controller. Sometimes a pain. My antenna broke and no longer was useful. So, I bought the Orbit B-hive -6- zone app controlled Smart Controller. WoW! It connects to my wifi giving me control from anywhere with my phone, if I have cell service. Its easy to install and extremely easy to use. Not only do I have control from anywhere, my wife has control with her phone also. If you allow the B-hive to notify, it will notify its action for each zone. It also notifies if power is lost to the controller. There are many other options available like manual watering, manual rain delay, smart watering and modifications to the programs remotely. This product was well thought out. I highly recommend it.

I really can’t say enough good things about the Orbit 57946 6-Station WiFi Sprinkler System Controller. Several years ago, when I had an irrigation system installed in my backyard, it came with a digital (not WiFi) controller that you operated outside where it was mounted. The installer pre-set the system for me, but over time I needed to change some things like watering times, schedules, etc. I never was able to make it work like I wanted it to. No matter how often I read the manual I could never figure out all the little program quirks that were required to make it do what I wanted. I’d heard of WiFi connected controllers and since I was desperate to replace the old one, I ordered the Orbit from Amazon because of the great reviews it got. And having pretty much joined the Smart Home-connected world already, I thought I was up to the challenge of installing and programming this thing myself. And boy am I glad I did! Installation was very easy. I simply took pictures of the wiring in the old controller and labeled the wires accordingly before I did any disconnects. Removing the old controller was simple and mounting the new Orbit was super easy. In just a few minutes I had the Orbit mounted and the wiring connected. The only thing left to do was to connect it to my home WiFi and program it. This took a bit more time to do as I had some trouble connecting to my home WiFi, but I sorted this out by employing a WiFi extender on my deck which strengthened the signal enough to reach the Orbit. Problem solved and soon I was programming, through my phone, the four zones I have connected to the system. I tested each zone using the B-Hive app and it worked perfectly. As for continued use, things couldn’t be easier. I have two of the four available programs pre-set and I’m able to schedule either or both programs for whatever days they’re needed. Or, using the phone app, I can ask it to water any specific zone at any moment for any length of time from the comfort of my sofa - sweet! Even better, I have enabled B-Hive on Alexa and now, with just a voice command, I can do the same! This has even come in handy when working in the yard; I can send a voice command to Alexa from my phone and have the watering start or stop as needed while I work. One more really cool feature of the Orbit is its ability to know your local weather forecast and adjust your schedule as appropriate. For instance, if there’s a significant chance of rain in your area, B-Hive will implement a rain delay for a time in keeping with the forecast, up to several days. (You can also do this manually for whatever reason you like.) This prevents over watering and saves your water bill. Its calendar feature saves your watering history so that you always know what’s been done. In short, I love this thing and would highly recommend it for its ease of installation and use, as well as being a superb value for all the features you get. It simply works exactly the way you want it to, when you want it to. 5 STARS!

This B-hyve replaced a 20+ year old Orbit #57896. Mine is installed in the garage but the buttons eventually starting sticking so I could no longer use the manual mode. 20 years later and both units were about the same size and the mounting points were the same. The new unit is easier to program and with a lot more features including phone app. Super impressed; most manufacturers will want to change everything after 1 or 2 model years. Orbit found out that all you need is to tweak it a little bit every year. A 2-year old can program it. This thing will out live me....

Having an old Rain Bird Analog rotary controller, I was looking to upgrade to a modern WiFi Controller so I would no longer be running down the basement to turn on and off the Rain Delay. I was keeping an eye on a competing product to this, but wasn't crazy about the competitors' $200.00 price tag. So when this Orbit Controller came to market with the same features at half the price, it immediately had my attention. I waited a few months to let some reviews trickle in and once I felt comfortable, I went for it. It is a one piece assembly in a weatherproof box for indoor or outdoor mounting. I opted for the 6 zone controller as currently I only have 3 zones, with plans to add one more zone for a feature garden in front of my house. Ultimately, the decision was made to keep it inside where the old one was, since I had a power outlet right there. The power cord is about 6 feet long so if you need some length, no worries. Installation took all of 5 minutes. Take a photo of the old wires, which was a Green Common, and Red, White, and Blue wires for zones 1, 2, and 3, respectively. I removed the wires from the old controller with a small flathead screwdriver, unplugged the old controller, removed from the wall, and cleaned it up and put it away to keep as a "backup" since it still worked fine. I removed the old plastic anchors and screws from the wall, popped in the new ones and had the Orbit controller hung on the wall. Then I passed the wires through the grommet in the bottom of the case, and connected them to the Common, 1, 2, and 3 terminals. Couldn't have been any easier. I didn't bother to program anything at the controller because the app was so easy. I set up a log-in with my e-mail address, connected it to my WiFi, and then I programmed a manual schedule as I don't want to use the "Smart Watering" feature. I couldn't believe how easy and fast it was. Literally, the whole process took MINUTES. The Alexa compatibility is cool. Definitely a combination of "Wow Factor" and befuddlement from anyone around when I ask "Alexa, ask b-Hyve to water the lawn" and my sprinklers run. Nice touch, but the app control is easy as pie too. Works over a cellular connection too so if you're not home you can flip your sprinklers on anytime. The best feature of this controller, however, is its integration with the weather forecast. It automatically schedules rain delays with ZERO input from the user. Want to override the rain delay? Simple click of ONE button when you open the app. I have mine set to run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3AM (don't water in the evening, you don't want root rot, and don't water when the suns up or it will evaporate!). In the 3 weeks I have had this controller, my sprinklers have only run TWICE because of the weather integration. It looks at how much rain you've gotten and is forecast, and does its thing. At this rate, it will pay for itself in one spring/summer with water savings alone. I couldn't be happier. You can set Notifications in the app to tell you when a Rain Delay is automatically set, when a Watering program has run, and a few other things. Love it! The app has a calendar in it so you can look back and see what days have been watered. You can take a picture of each zone so if you have multiple zones, you wont forget what number is what. You can also go into the app and run any zone you want for any time, great for adjusting or repairing sprinkler heads or chasing birds off the lawn! Run zone 2 for one minute, no problem. Highly recommended.

The timer arrived totally destroyed (DOA). I contacted with Orbit support in Europe and I received the following answer: Dear Spiros, Unfortunately, this is a US-spec timer with the wrong voltage to use in Europe. Please contact Amamzon immediately for a full refund, as this timer should not have been shipped and sold in Europe. Further, North American products are not covered under international warranties. We are sorry about this, but again, the timer should not have been sold in Europe. We hope this matter is resolved satisfactorily. But let us know the outcome or if we can be of any further assistance. Kind regards, Customer Care Team ... just spending money and time

centralina perfetta, veramente on-line, eccezionale. l'app è pensata per gestire ogni aspetto dell'irrigazione. attenzione solo alla tensione di alimentazione, prendere la versione per l'europa altrimenti se si ordina la versione USA poi bisogna procurarsi un trasformatore da 24V alternata (tipo da campanelli, ma un po'grosso)

Trés bon appareil connecté, pratique d'utilisation à distance depuis mon lieu de vacance. Je devais le recevoir à partir du 6 Mai, je l'ai reçu dès le 28 Avril.

This sprinkler system is a dream. So easy to install yourself if replacing an existing unit. The app is amazing with many options available for programming. Now we don't have to go outside to change the program or turn it off for the season, and it retains your settings when you turn it back on. Highly recommended.

This dont work in EU! 110 volt! Dont buy!