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final springtime blast from the past

2K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Wet_Boots 
#1 ·
riffling through eBay auctions, I saw this one for a controller 'first' ~ that being the initial use of the printed circuit board as a switch component (behind the large wheel) ~ Not a bad concept for the times. Dual programming with individual switches for each zone.

 
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#5 ·
You can almost never get customers to part with a controller that has switches for each zone. One reason you won't see a lot of these controllers is that this first attempt at placing rotary switch contacts on a printed circuit board was a fail, and all the originals stopped working after a while. Richdel did do an exchange, and they even gave the controller a lifetime guarantee. The white panels are the newer ones. The green panels are originals.
 
#6 ·
That controller WAS ahead of it's time. This controller was one of the first to utilize the printed circuit board, as mentioned. it was a big step over the single-dial mechanical timers. This controller was probably invented by the Carson City, NV resident, Del Merriner. Back then Richdel dominated the residential portion of irrigation, while Griswold and Moody were the commercial controllers. HL Gee of Beverly Hills and Superior were the valve companies. Spray heads were Champions or Rain Jet. I still have a NIB Lawn Genie digital controller from the late 70's and a mechanical lawn genie hangs on my garage wall right next to a hunter pro-c. I like the wood grain Thumbs Up
 
#10 ·
Bah! - I could supply a museum piece or two, but I would not pretend I was offering anything worthwhile if I listed a green-faceplate R412. I think they did have at least a few of the "fixed" controllers with the green faceplates, but they changed that once they realized they had a public-relations problem with the thing. I think they were under Black and Decker ownership when the lifetime guarantee was announced. (you think Toro would honor it? :))
 
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