the point is to RTFM and understand what the controller can and can't accomplish - it doesn't matter what you want, if what you want is outside of the controller's capabilities
and a word to the wise, and everyone else - programming a system so that it runs when you can observe it is not good policy - let it run in the wee hours of the morning, with the best supply pressure and the least wind - you can always check the zones now and again, without altering any programs
if you don't understand why your controller is doing what it's doing, erase all the programming and start over - the owners manual will tell you how that's accomplished
Okay, for the third time, I did RTFM. I didn't understand why it wasn't working, hence the post on a forum about the issue.
As far as the time goes, letting it run in the evening when I'm awake to monitor it instead of 7AM seems like a fantastic idea to me. That way, once a person understands how it works and that it is working correctly it can be set back to the early morning setting.
The controller was reset to default (as stated in the original post).
Good news- I called Irritrol this morning who was able to quickly resolve the issue by explaining to me that only one station will run at a time (I was under the impression both would run together). As of 15 minutes ago I've confirmed all is well with the system, station 1 now runs for 15 minutes in the front yard and station 2 in the back yard for 45 minutes. Hopefully this will help someone else in this situation that is not familiar with drip systems/has just purchased their first home with a system already installed.
On a side note, the initial response to my first post is a classic example of why some people are intimidated to post anything on forums like these. Somebody being new and trying to learn is treated like an idiot because they're not a sprinkler pro or car pro or kitchen pro, etc. it's kinda the same thing regardless of forum. Anyways, my problem's solved so I'm good, but maybe one day we'll be able to treat one another with dignity and respect. Judging from this; I highly doubt it. Thanks again, and have a nice life.