Automatic Show and Rain

[bob_moody]

I've searched the forum and found a couple of discussions regarding fully automatic shows and rain issues, but, I never saw a complete solution.

So here is the story. We havent had any real rain for almost a year. I put up the display and we have had more rain in the last week than we had all year. (sigh.. had I known that I would have put the display up in June... LOL)

Anyway, we added more LOR and X10. So now, no one has to be here to start or stop the display. The inflatables, the lights, the train, all are scheduled and working fine. So now the question is ... what if its raining and we are not home at 6:00 PM?

My first thought was a rain sensor from Rain Bird or Torro, but I hear they are not that reliable in this environment. I read about a weather station with some custom scripting that appears to work flawless, with the exception of the $200 price tag (although I REALLY do WANT a weather station).

So, question to the forum, is anyone else managing a fully automatic display and how do you adjust for rain? Snow and ice isnt a real big concern here in Hooterville (80 miles north of Houston)

Its disappointing to think of the time, effort and money spent to get this far and realize that a fully automatic show may not be such a great plan.

Thanks for reading and hoping to see some good ideas.

Bob and Sandra

[Guest guest]

My show runs whether it's raining or not. I use those plastic outlet covers on all my exposed/open female plugs at the end of the light strings, on the female pass through behind the male prongs. Been doing this for 2 years now and never had any issues with either rain or sprinkler systems.

Before I started using these protective caps when it rained or the sprinkler system came on, -CLICK- would go the GFCI outlet. Once I capped all my exposed female plugs, those trips all went away Unless a socket with a bulb somehow got in a puddle, then that would trip the GFCI, but now I try and keep all sockets and bulbs(LED's) at least a few inches above the ground using those green ground light stakes. I also use them to hold the outlet power connections above the ground as well in some areas that I know are more prone to flood up than others.

No problems at all.

Since I live in Sunny (albeit sometimes VERY WET and SOGGY) Florida, can't say how these would work under snow or icy conditions.