Hunter ACC-D

[BrandonV]

Hey guys, I impatiently waiting on a ACC decoder style hunter clock to get to me for a house I'm working on. Has anyone else been able to get their hands on these things? I've been waiting for like 2 weeks... just put the wire in today, and hunter next day air'd that because they made a mistake. I've never used one before but have read the manual through and am trying to plug alond w/o the actual clock. Makes me nervous, but I'll get buy. I so far love the wiring we pulled about 2000' of cable to 26 zones in 30mins, that would never happen w/ multistrand. And since this project in is phases I knew the decoder unit (from what I've read) was the way to go. I was just curious if there is anyone else who's installed them, and if so why the heck can't i get one in time?

[Mike Leary]

Hey guys, I impatiently waiting on a ACC decoder style hunter clock to get to me for a house I'm working on. Has anyone else been able to get their hands on these things? I've been waiting for like 2 weeks... just put the wire in today, and hunter next day air'd that because they made a mistake. I've never used one before but have read the manual through and am trying to plug alond w/o the actual clock. Makes me nervous, but I'll get buy. I so far love the wiring we pulled about 2000' of cable to 26 zones in 30mins, that would never happen w/ multistrand. And since this project in is phases I knew the decoder unit (from what I've read) was the way to go. I was just curious if there is anyone else who's installed them, and if so why the heck can't i get one in time?

Shudder...let us know how it works out..this is virgin territory for most of us.

[bdb]

Look on Hunters website. I would think they would have the instructions there. We have 5 wall mounts and 1 PP in stock....company wide 30+ of these things. But what I do know install everything and then last thing get a decoder of choice...program it to controler then install it. Oh no matter what use the correct DBY-6's for the connection. They are easier then you think. We also started selling the Underhill/Tonic stuff this year. Great stuff so far!

[Mike Leary]

We also started selling the Underhill/Tonic stuff this year. Great stuff so far!

Is that like a stronger "genie/buc"?

[PurpHaze]

Is that like a stronger "genie/buc"?

I think that's "UK Tony's" stuff. It would be ALE. :)

[The Irritator]

You are going to love the system. We just finished our 3rd one.

Make sure you ground according to Hunter's specs.

[BrandonV]

I love it just reading the manual... at least I can keep myself and the crew occupied glueing pipe and now setting heads. so far we've installed 65 hunter 12" fixed sprays, 60 12" high pop rotors and 50 6" rotors... fun fun fun and of course its 100? but I am at least getting to use my new trench backfiller (now favorite toy) and so far 5500' of sch 40 and no leaks !yeah! though the well pump we installed has been a bit of a problem in way of wiring, but everything is cool now.

[Rotor_Tool]

Hey guys, I impatiently waiting on a ACC decoder style hunter clock to get to me for a house I'm working on. Has anyone else been able to get their hands on these things? I've been waiting for like 2 weeks... just put the wire in today, and hunter next day air'd that because they made a mistake. I've never used one before but have read the manual through and am trying to plug alond w/o the actual clock. Makes me nervous, but I'll get buy. I so far love the wiring we pulled about 2000' of cable to 26 zones in 30mins, that would never happen w/ multistrand. And since this project in is phases I knew the decoder unit (from what I've read) was the way to go. I was just curious if there is anyone else who's installed them, and if so why the heck can't i get one in time?

When you say you pulled 2000' of wire in 30 mins, are you saying you pulled the wire in the ground with a plow? I learned that you should never pull two-wire due to the constant voltage on the two-wire path, one small knick in the insulation of the wire will cause a complete break in a very short period of time (the wire will burn itself in half).

Also, did you leave any provisions for trouble shooting? I have found it very useful to leave a coil of wire long enough to get at least 24" above the ground to aid in troubleshooting at each decoder and splice. Double-check all of your splices, this is where we have found the most issues on systems we have taken over maintenance on.

[The Irritator]

When you say you pulled 2000' of wire in 30 mins, are you saying you pulled the wire in the ground with a plow? I learned that you should never pull two-wire due to the constant voltage on the two-wire path, one small knick in the insulation of the wire will cause a complete break in a very short period of time (the wire will burn itself in half).

Also, did you leave any provisions for trouble shooting? I have found it very useful to leave a coil of wire long enough to get at least 24" above the ground to aid in troubleshooting at each decoder and splice. Double-check all of your splices, this is where we have found the most issues on systems we have taken over maintenance on.


Use a bigger bullet.

[Rotor_Tool]

Use a bigger bullet.

Said the guy in Florida where the soil is like sugar.

I always wondered why most of the irrigation is above ground even though the ground is so soft?

[BrandonV]

no we trench everything and use only sch40 pvc no pulling anything... just lots of going under this and going around that.

[Mike Leary]

Sch 40 works for me...we use it on mains & laterals. Have a Trenchmaster
8hp w/various bars..main goes 12" w/ wire..laterals come across @ 7".:)

[The Irritator]

Said the guy in Florida where the soil is like sugar.

I always wondered why most of the irrigation is above ground even though the ground is so soft?

Most of our soil is heavy red clay in North Florida.

[BrandonV]

thought I'd follow up with some completion (phase I) photos. The clock is the best thing since sliced bread. Easy to programs even has a copy/past figure so you don't have to + up all the times. The site so far has 26 zones, 5 of which are fixed sprays. Broken into 5 programs based on sun/shade and of course head type. All the heads are hunter as you can see I have a mix of 4" and 12" unfortunately we had to water some turf/beds together because of the size of the property and that's what the customer wanted. Put up a weather station. Used rain bird 1.5" scrubber valves and a looped 2" main line.

[BrandonV]

some more photos I really like the built in remote port and you'll never find a less cluttered set of wires

[BrandonV]

just a not we built the fountain last year and the mason came back and added the middle brick work he wasn't careful like he said he'd be and boogered up the floor so we're repainting it.. hence it ain't running.

[londonrain]

I am repairing a Hit 2 wire on 4 acres that has lightening damage once again. Another 5 receivers fried out of 21. I replace between 5-8 of the receivers every year. We also had a dead wire and this made trouble shooting the system
more difficult. I am not a big fan of 2 wire systems after maintaining one for the past 4 years.

[Mike Leary]

I am repairing a Hit 2 wire on 4 acres that has lightening damage once again. Another 5 receivers fried out of 21. I replace between 5-8 of the receivers every year. We also had a dead wire and this made trouble shooting the system
more difficult. I am not a big fan of 2 wire systems after maintaining one for the past 4 years.

Remember that thread we had months ago about two wire? It was grounding
grounding grounding! U.K. Tony was informative about that, hell, even at
Maxi-Com school, they drilled us to use"Megars" & adding special soils (clay-based & salt) into us. Each valve with decoder HAS to have ground & proved.
Why the encoder/decoder is so flighty to lightning? How about everyother
system that uses micro processors? Reason electro-mechanical clocks still
popular in your neck of the woods. Two wire is cool, but you gotta get your electrical chops together, this
is not your folks 24-volt system. :cry: :) It could be two wire don't work
in your site 'cause of the lightning.....(experts may post now).:dizzy:

[BrandonV]

i put a grounding rod at the clock, the well, the well relay, and at each valve box. per hunter's directions I need 1 for every 12 decoders or 1000' of line. I think I might have gone overkill, anyone had it work safely w/ less? heck, lighting screws up every system, I've had clocks fly off people's walls (not mine but repairs) and of course valves freid and even pipes blown out of the ground. at least w/ the two wire system when some fool digs up my stuff or in this case the homeowner wants to add on we'll be good to go. Rember this installation is phase 1 about 2.5 acres out of a possibly 6 + needing the expansion capability.

[Mike Leary]

i put a grounding rod at the clock, the well, the well relay, and at each valve box. per hunter's directions I need 1 for every 12 decoders or 1000' of line. I think I might have gone overkill, anyone had it work safely w/ less? heck, lighting screws up every system, I've had clocks fly off people's walls (not mine but repairs) and of course valves freid and even pipes blown out of the ground. at least w/ the two wire system when some fool digs up my stuff or in this case the homeowner wants to add on we'll be good to go. Rember this installation is phase 1 about 2.5 acres out of a possibly 6 + needing the expansion capability.

Check my above post, Tom....you've got to PROVE the ground!, soils are different, which is why Maxi-Com &
other highenders demand you use a Megar or some such. I recall a Maxi chart on "building" a ground if you
cannot get it thru the soil contact!

[BrandonV]

I'm not too worried about the soil contact issue since we have red clay soils, but I might borrow some of my father's equipement and check. (EE / ham radio operator.