Reddit reviews XCSOURCE 5pcs Soil Moisture Sensor and Automatic Watering System for Arduino TE215
We found 4 Reddit comments about XCSOURCE 5pcs Soil Moisture Sensor and Automatic Watering System for Arduino TE215. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
This is a simple water sensor that can be used to detect soil moisture.Can be used in module plant waterer device, and the plants in your garden no need people to manage.This is a must have tool for a connected garden! It will be helpful to remind you to water your indoor plants or to monitor the soil moisture in your garden.Operating voltage: 3.3V-5VModule dual output mode, digital output, analog output more accurate.
You could put a cup of soil/dirt/sand outside and have a soil moisture sensor implanted inside it
Edit: Added a link to amazon for ease.
Of course. I went light on the original post as I wasn't sure where the interest level was.
I used a Pi Zero W, and coded it in python. I ordered the probes off of Amazon (these ones). I think this github link should do the trick for the code. I am NOT a professional coder by training or proffession, so I am under no illusions about the optimal nature of my code.
https://github.com/subneutrino/moisture-code
I am using VNC to be able to check the status of the script in the evenings and on the weekend, when access to my classroom is far less convenient.
I had a difficult time with the script locking up, but it turned out the problem was exception handling, particularly tweeting when my school crappy wifi was being stupid.
Let me know if I've left anything out.
My Github
I've modded my temp code and put that up there with the soil moisture, it needs some work, I think I can get the same output with much less code, will look into it another day :)
Sounds like were in a the same boat, fairly new myself, did some C+ at college, decided I wanted to teach myself a new language, python was the winner!
I tend to the use MCP3008 for AI, got some other chips but the MCP3008 is striaght forward to use and relatively cheap, breadboard friendly chips for <£.150 on RS.
I bought these moisture sensors, I'm using soil for some Autos at the minute and have two of these stacked in a 11l pot, they have a AO & DO, even an LED to indicate when the moisture has gone, this call also be adjusted to come on earlier or later, brilliant things for £1 each :).
I've not done much in terms of a web based front end, I imagine that's the best bit, an easy way to see all of your data in chart form!
Do you use PHP or HTML?
How did you build the moisture sensors, that sounds ace! Your setup sounds cool! It's nice to meet another 420pi-man.
I'm skeptical about any device that claims to tell you 'fertilizer level' of soil. Moisture level, sure, that's dynamic, something you can monitor, and actionable. Sunlight, ok, you can monitor it, it does change due to weather, not a whole lot you can do outside though. Fertilizer level? Not sure what that even means, sounds like bullshit(ha! I didn't even mean to do that) to me . Let me expand. There are 3 primary macro-nutrients that plants get from soil. Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus. As far as I am aware there are no sensors that passively monitor these levels, or at least inexpensive sensors. To check these levels, there are test kits, but these are active tests, not something a probe can tell you.
You can measure pH, but this isn't something that is a dynamic feature of your soil. You can adjust it, but its something you would do before planting not throughout the season. Don't discount pH, as the soil acidity does affect what plants grow well in your soil, but it's not a data point that you need to monitor on a daily basis.
I'm planning on installing a smart sprinkler controller this spring. I'm probably going to go with Rachio or Rain Machine but there are a couple others which caught my eye. One is Netro, the other is Spruce. Both work with remote soil monitors. They're interesting, but I haven't found any real good reviews of these that don't look like they're just trying to sell the product.
If you're looking to roll your own, you can start with an [inexpensive set of moisture sensors] (https://www.amazon.com/XCSOURCE-Moisture-Automatic-Watering-TE215/dp/B00ZR3B60I/ref=pd_sbs_107_8?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=B00ZR3B60I&amp;pd_rd_r=A3PXV4X97W1JT9AM8Y7J&amp;pd_rd_w=Tpf3Q&amp;pd_rd_wg=pHh9j&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=A3PXV4X97W1JT9AM8Y7J) and use a Arduino or pi to monitor them. I'd probably use some PVC parts to build enclosures & wiring channels. 1" PVC tube with endcaps & some hotglue seems like it could make a solid enclosure for those probes. You could then write something to report and alert on the data you gather, integrate with IFTTT or smartthings... however you want to go.