SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

OK, I need a controller which I can run my zones multiple times a day, BUT be able to run different durations for each run time. Meaning, I want zone 1 to start at 6AM and run for 30 minutes and then start again at 3PM and only run for 10 minutes. I don't mind the zones running consecutively for each run time (6AM and 3PM), but I do need them to run different durations for each.

I bought the Rain Bird SST-1200out. I can run multiple run times but it won't let me adjust the run duration for each run time. They have to be the same. I called their technical support and the guy told me the ESP-TM2 will allow for that as it has different programs. So, I bought that one.

Yes, it has multiple programs, and you can set different run durations for different run times but you can only run one program at a time. So, that does work either.

Is there a controller which allows me to do this:

Zone 1 Start 6AM/30min, Start 3PM/10min
Zone 2 Start 6AM/20min, Start 3PM/15min
And so on.....

I used the same start time on each zone cause I know the next zone will start after the prior one is finished.

I just don't understand why something as simple as being able to have different duration times for each run time of the day isn't incorporated into these controllers.

Is there one that does allow this?

Thanks in advance.

Quoted from "mrfixit"

That first controller you bought, I can't stand that thing. Specifically because of how I couldn't program it to do what I wanted it to do.
Seems like that second controller should run more than one program at once but I'm not familiar with it.
Maybe go with a Hunter product. I like the Hunter X-core outdoor. Just use program A for the morning watering then program B for the afternoon. It should work just fine. 90% of the controllers that I've installed over the past couple of decades were the Hunter brand.

Right. So, that Hunter X-core, I can set it to run multiple programs in the same day. Meaning automatically? So, Program A will water each zone for 30 minutes in the morning then it will automatically switch to program B and do each zone for 10 minutes in the afternoon?

Meaning both programs will be active at the same time.