Kviatec ~ Plant Soil Monitor

[Teken]

I thought this might be of interest to those who are green thumb members: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kviatec-plant-sensor-that-speeks-for-your-plants-wifi-home/x/14274621#/

 

I've been very interested in having the ability to track over a long period of time the temperature, humidity, moisture, and pressure. Finding a product that is low cost, reliable, and connects easily to a Home Automation Controller like the ISY Series Controller hasn't been easy. Finding all of the above at a reasonable (value) price that meets those goals has been pretty impossible for me thus far. 

 

I think this product is interesting but its very expansive in my mind . . .

 

If anyone has suggestions which meet the following basic criteria I would love to know about them:

 

- Low cost or offers so much value the initial sticker shock is compensated by the fact it does so much.

- Expandable (Scale-able) from one to many sensor arrays which won't break the virtual bank.

- Open local API that connects easily to the ISY Series Controller.

- Measures temperature, humidity, moisture

- Is indoor / outdoor rated and can measure from -30'C ~ +40'C

- Offers long RF range to its Hub controller

- Low energy and efficient for years of run time

- Local First vs Cloud First unless the API allows direct access  

[Bumbershoot]

I used five of these Wireless Water/Moisture Sensor Tags over the summer to tune my irrigation system for some new plantings.  Once they were calibrated correctly, they been reporting back to my ISY as variables, allowing me to turn on additional irrigation various zones as needed.  I have the older version of these devices, so I put a desiccant pack in a baggie and zip tied to the sensor to make certain they were waterproof.

 

Responses in red.

 

I thought this might be of interest to those who are green thumb members: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kviatec-plant-sensor-that-speeks-for-your-plants-wifi-home/x/14274621#/

 

I've been very interested in having the ability to track over a long period of time the temperature, humidity, moisture, and pressure. Finding a product that is low cost, reliable, and connects easily to a Home Automation Controller like the ISY Series Controller hasn't been easy. Finding all of the above at a reasonable (value) price that meets those goals has been pretty impossible for me thus far. 

 

I think this product is interesting but its very expansive in my mind . . .

 

If anyone has suggestions which meet the following basic criteria I would love to know about them:

 

- Low cost or offers so much value the initial sticker shock is compensated by the fact it does so much.  $24 USD each for these, once you have the Tag Manager

- Expandable (Scale-able) from one to many sensor arrays which won't break the virtual bank.  I used five of these over the summer, much less than the cost of the plantings they monitored.  I know of no limits to the number of tags supported.

- Open local API that connects easily to the ISY Series Controller.  Kumo Apps are cloud only.  The URL Calling method can connect directly to your local ISY on your local network.  

- Measures temperature, humidity, moisture   Certainly temperature and moisture levels.

- Is indoor / outdoor rated and can measure from -30'C ~ +40'C  I haven't found this data, but I haven't looked very hard.  Devices have survived a temperature range from 26°F to approx. 100°F so far.  I'll leave one in the ground over the winter as a test of the low temperature threshold.

- Offers long RF range to its Hub controller  I had one tag at approx. 150' from the tag manager that reported regularly.  The tag manager was inside a cupboard with a couple of interior walls between it and the tag.

- Low energy and efficient for years of run time  The battery isn't replaceable, but the advertised usable life can be up to three years.

- Local First vs Cloud First unless the API allows direct access  URL Calling would be your first method to use.  I haven't disconnected my router to determine if this method works completely isolated from the cloud, though I don't see any reason why it wouldn't.

 

I hope this helps.

 

[Teken]

I've been tracking the CAO effort for awhile in this forum. Does this device really have no ability to change the battery?!?

 

That would pretty much eliminate this solution for me at a high level. Also based on the CAO thread the system relies on a constant Internet connection to access the URL calling which others have proved out.

 

Please do follow up on how they do in the winter for temperature monitoring. Very interested in knowing how they perform where your are.

 

How cold does it get there where you live??

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bumbershoot]

I've been tracking the CAO effort for awhile in this forum. Does this device really have no ability to change the battery?!?

 

That would pretty much eliminate this solution for me at a high level. Also based on the CAO thread the system relies on a constant Internet connection to access the URL calling which others have proved out.

 

Please do follow up on how they do in the winter for temperature monitoring. Very interested in knowing how they perform where your are.

 

How cold does it get there where you live??

 

I live just below 4000' just east of the Cascade Range in central Oregon.  Last winter we had a cold snap for a week where the evening temps got to -8°F.  Generally the daytime temps can stay below freezing for weeks at a time.  Last winter we had a solid three months of snow on the ground (roughly five feet).  The tag will remain in throughly frozen soil all winter.

 

I'll test next week if the URL calling method really requires an internet connection.  I just don't see why there's any need for the Internet, as the tag manager and ISY are on my private, non-routable network. 

 

The batteries should last several seasons, but with these tags, CAO claims they are not replaceable.  Maybe I'll pry one apart...

[Bumbershoot]

Some more data in-line.

 

I've been tracking the CAO effort for awhile in this forum. Does this device really have no ability to change the battery?!?   I pulled one case apart and the contents are all coated in what appears to be resin, battery and all.  No reasonable chance of battery replacement with my skill set...   

That would pretty much eliminate this solution for me at a high level. Also based on the CAO thread the system relies on a constant Internet connection to access the URL calling which others have proved out.  I gave this a try myself, and it's true, even URL Calling is useless without the cloud.  The tag manager cached a change until the Internet came back, however.
 

 

[Teken]

Some more data in-line.

 

Much appreciate the follow up and confirmation. I'm sure this information will help someone else down the road when doing a search. I'm not too surprised at the coated resin on the battery and components given they probably wanted to ensure a high IP rating for weather proofing. But sadly, this makes it just another *Throw Away* item for me and at this point in my life I rather not be a contributor to adding more waste to the Earth.

 

I'm probably the least *Green* individual you will ever meet but still don't want to be throwing away something that could have been used for years if only the hardware allowed a battery replacement.

 

RE: Cloud Connection ~ Yeah, I wasn't too surprised to see your affirmation of that portion. Given what has happen in the last 18 months from small to large companies either abandoning or starting to charge for their so called *FREE* services to allow you the privileged using something you (OWN). At some point the storage costs will be an issue along with all the supporting infrastructure costs.

 

I'm going to keep on looking or use proven technology in the market place . . .

 

Thank You!  

[Bumbershoot]

Please do follow up on how they do in the winter for temperature monitoring. Very interested in knowing how they perform where your are.

 

 

 

The temps at ground level are well below freezing this morning, and the CAO tag is operating normally.  The ground that it's in is frozen solid, but there's no snow.  I'll keep checking this over the winter.  It can get considerably colder here.

 

EDIT: typo

[Teken]

Hello Bumbershoot,

 

Would you be able to provide the graph to see the trend since summer to winter? In another long term project I have underway I've deployed many 1 Wire sensors that measure specific depths in the soil. This was primary done to track and factually know when the frost line was breached. Generally speaking in most places in North America the frost line is 3~4 feet and in colder regions like mine it can actually break the 12 feet depth. 

 

Because of this I deployed 1 wire sensors in staged depths from 4,6, 8, 12 feet.

 

This would alert me of extreme conditions that reflect ground heave which can and has impacted my home. This is normally seen as doors sticking, counters lifting, to teleposts needing adjustment to reduce the stress on the building.

 

On June 27, 2017 another 1 wire array was deployed which integrates with my Brultech Dash Box (DB) & Green Eye Monitor (GEM). This specific sensor was installed at the 4 foot depth.

 

As of that day the ground soil temperature was 14.5'C / 58.1'F

 

 

As of this writing December 10,  2017 the ground soil is holding steady at 6.0'C / 42.8'F with an outside temperature of -11.2'C / 11.84'F with a windchill of -19.2'C / -2.56'F.

 

 

Based on historic data I don't expect to see the four foot frost line to be breached until mid January 2018 when the mercury drops to a steady -38'C / -36.4'F. At that point I expect to see that four foot mark hold a -5 ~ -8'C / 23 ~ 17.6'F.  

 

 

 

Since everyone and their dog indicates this will be one of the coldest winters in our region. I believe the 6 & 8 foot soil depth will break -1'C / 30.2'F by early February 2018.

 

 

Should the frost line reach the 12 foot soil depth and break 0'C / 32'F I guess the next seven months is going to be really busy making adjustments! 

[Bumbershoot]

Hello Bumbershoot,

 

Would you be able to provide the graph to see the trend since summer to winter? In another long term project I have underway I've deployed many 1 Wire sensors that measure specific depths in the soil. This was primary done to track and factually know when the frost line was breached. Generally speaking in most places in North America the frost line is 3~4 feet and in colder regions like mine it can actually break the 12 feet depth. 

 

Give this link a try.  I'm not sure if this is the granularity you're looking for, and the temps are in F.  I don't recall what I was doing in Sept. and Oct. that resulted in the strange temperature results.  I believe these are air temperature measurements as well, not soil temperatures.  The probe that's inserted into the ground on these units measures moisture content, not temperature.

[Teken]

Give this link a try.  I'm not sure if this is the granularity you're looking for, and the temps are in F.  I don't recall what I was doing in Sept. and Oct. that resulted in the strange temperature results.  I believe these are air temperature measurements as well, not soil temperatures.  The probe that's inserted into the ground on these units measures moisture content, not temperature.

 

Really? The previous post you offered shows 8'F and 5% humidity? That is what I thought the ground was at (8'F) with a 5% humidity, no??

[Bumbershoot]

Really? The previous post you offered shows 8'F and 5% humidity? That is what I thought the ground was at (8'F) with a 5% humidity, no??

Sorry about that, here's a link with the temps actually in F.

 

The tag portion of the sensor sits just on top of the ground, which I believe is were the temp sensor is, as it regularly mirrors outside air temperature.  The humidity probe is approx. 5 inches under the soil.

[Teken]

In Oregon does it get really dry out there during the spring, summer, fall, winter? As I noted the highest moisture for where ever that sensor was placed is 21% and as of this writing its 5%.

 

I was kind of expecting to see a few 100% days at least from rain during the spring / fall?!? What kind of soil is around there sand, clay, rock, other?

[Bumbershoot]

Oregon is dry in the high desert (east of the Cascade range), and we have only very occasional rain in the spring and fall.  Snow in the winter.  Cross the Cascades to the west and the picture changes entirely.  Rain in the fall, winter and spring, with little snow, and July, August and September are generally gorgeous.  From the lower Willamette Valley north, you get a much wetter climate than you do here, a two hour drive to the east.

 

The soil here is mostly rocky, with some sand and clay, and thin,  It's all volcanic here, with loads of pumice (there are actually three old pumice mines within a mile of where I live).  It's difficult to maintain water levels of any sort in this soil, as it drains like a sieve and the humidity is generally low.

 

I can't remember when I removed the calibration from this sensor (sometime in the summer, but I have no idea of the date).  In general use, it's probably a good idea to calibrate these sensors so the charts and reports show a much wider variation in moisture, meaning that properly saturated would register at 100%, and soil that was too dry would register closer to 0%.  I removed the calibration from this one so I could see some absolute numbers.  It takes quite a bit of water to get the percentages up, but the soil drains excess moisture quickly. 

 

Additionally, these reports only show data every four hours.  I irrigate every other day where this sensor was located, so it would be coincidental to get a reading of high moisture content, as in just after irrigation.  I never saturate the soil in my irrigation, however.  Water's a bit expensive here, and my objective is to keep the soil as dry as the plants will tolerate.

[Teken]

That's great insight can you offer a little more detail about the calibration being removed / disabled?!?

 

I guess what interests me is how this would look on a chart vs the impact it has on the values recorded. Also have you done any further research on similar soil moisture sensors? Before I started down this path I honestly didn't think it would be this hard to find hardware that measures both moisture & temperature of the soil!

[Bumbershoot]

That's great insight can you offer a little more detail about the calibration being removed / disabled?!?

 

I guess what interests me is how this would look on a chart vs the impact it has on the values recorded. Also have you done any further research on similar soil moisture sensors? Before I started down this path I honestly didn't think it would be this hard to find hardware that measures both moisture & temperature of the soil!