Irrigation
Frequently Asked Questions
Water Application
Overview
There are three types of Loncel irrigation control:
Time-controlled (K-line) systems: Irrigation can be set to start/stop at specific times.
Zone & Valve Controlled (Flexible) systems run zones in a single sequence, to a set depth of water applied in mm. The depth of each valve can also be modified.
Zone Controlled (Fixed) systems apply water in up to 4 concurrent sequences, to a set depth of water applied in mm. Valves can not be set individually.
Faults and Monitoring
Overview
Turn monitoring on/off for faults and irrigation events on the Alarms page.
Each alarm has independent notification settings, so you can prioritise alarms to be raised by email, SMS or by phone-call.
Answers
How do I log in?
Use your existing username and password to log in at cloud.loncel.com/login
If you want the username to automatically be pre-filled, select ‘Remember me’ in the login dialog. The next time you login, the username will be preset.
If the username is pre-filled, usually the browser does pre-fill the password as well. However, some browsers need to be configured, before they remember your password. For example on your iOS device, go to Settings and scroll down to Passwords & Accounts. Now tap on AutoFill Passwords, turn on the AutoFill toggle. The next time you enter the password, you will be ask if you want to store your password.
If you can’t remember your password, you can reset it by clicking on the ‘Forgot password’ link on the login page.
How do I contact Support?
Email us at support@loncel.com
Call our friendly support team during business hours:
NZ 0800 LONCEL (566 235)
AU 1800 LONCEL (566 235)
How do I control the amount of water applied?
Please note: All programs must be paused before modifying any settings.
Time Controlled irrigation systems (e.g. K-line):
Set the irrigation cycle to run at specific times, for a specific number of cycles.
Zone-controlled (Fixed) systems:
Specify the depth in mm to be applied per cycle. Set the sequence of zones, with up to 4 zones running in parallel
Zone & Valve-controlled (Flexible) systems:
Specify the depth in mm to be applied per cycle. Zones run in a single sequence, but the application depth of each valve can be also modified.
How does the Repeat setting work?
When Repeat is set, the program will continue returning to the start of the sequence until manually switched off or target soil moisture levels are reached.
How do pump sensors work?
Pump sensors and pump controllers report the status whether the pump is running or if it is stopped. If a pump sensor is attached to the irrigation program, the program will automatically be started. Similarly, if the pump stops a running program will be paused.
How do I assign a pump to an irrigation Program?
Open the zone settings menu to select a pump. If multiple pumps are in use they can be assigned to different use cases - typically effluent vs clear water supply.
How do I monitor the amount of water applied?
Program charts show the amount of water applied. For more detailed viewing, open charts using the full-screen button. There are two types of chart:
Irrigation
Displays the depth of water applied to an area at a point in time, in mm per zone/paddock
Water Usage
Displays the total volume of water applied per farm or paddock, expressed in cubic metres m3
What is an irrigation fault?
Irrigation faults occur each time a radio has not received an ‘open/close’ command for the valve. This is usually due to radio faults.
The number of failures will give an indication of the impact these faults have had on the amount of water applied.
How do I set alarms for irrigation faults?
On the Alarms page, notifications can be set by email, SMS or phone call each time a hardware/telemetry fault has been reported. Alarms can be specified for:
• Each radio
• Each repeater
• The monitoring unit.
It is recommended to add at least one alarm for the monitoring unit.
Alarm recipients don’t need to be users in the system – To add a recipient, create an alarm of the desired type, define if you wanted to be notified the first time an alarm happens or every time and define the contacts who should be informed.
How do I review irrigation faults?
Irrigation fault charts show when and where irrigation faults have occurred. A red badge will appear against the zone in the left menu. For closer monitoring, set an alarm to send notifications by text message, email and/or a phone call when faults occur.
What is a Radio Alert?
If a radio is not contactable over a period of time (1-3 days depending on network size) it enters overdue (fault) state and an alert is raised. The cause of a radio fault can be investigated using the Battery/Signal Chart.
The problem is likely to be caused by:
• Low battery. Voltages below 3.3 V are considered low
• Hardware damage caused by livestock
• Excessive foliage in line-of-sight
• Extreme weather events such as lightning-strike and intense rainfall
Once the radio is contacted successfully, the alert is cleared.
How do I resolve a Radio Fault?
Most radio faults will resolve by themselves when the next radio contact is received. If manual resolution is required (e.g. battery replacement) the unit can be tested by the Ping function. A successful ping test will clear the alert.
What are the impacts of Radio Faults?
Radio faults will result in valves remaining closed when they are intended to open. The amount of missed irrigation activity can be investigated using the Irrigation Fault Chart.
What does the Radio Fault chart show?
This chart displays how often a radio has missed a communication packet from the base station (for installer/advanced users).
What is Test Mode?
Test mode is designed to test the operation of the underlying valves. In this mode, individual valves can be opened and closed to verify a correct installation.
How do I move the map to my current location?
When monitoring the system on your mobile, tap the crosshair in the bottom-right corner of the map and the map will centre on your location. You may be prompted to allow this setting in your browser.
How do I remove a zone from the schedule?
Zone & Valve and Time-controlled systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Edit Sequence. Select the zones that should be part of the program.
Zone-controlled systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Sequence Settings. Drag a zone into the right-hand column to exclude it.
How can I define the sequence of zones?
Zone & Valve and Time-controlled systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Edit Sequence. Select the zones that should be part of the program.
Zone-controlled systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Edit Sequence. Drag-n-drop zones into the four columns to create up to four concurrent sequences.
Is it possible to run zones in parallel?
Zone & Valve and Time-controlled systems:
No.
Zone-controlled systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Sequence Settings. Drag-n-drop zones into the four columns to create up to four concurrent sequences. This is dependent on the available flow rates.
How can I apply less water to a specific zone?
Zone & Valve systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Edit Volume.
Time-controlled systems:
Click the Settings menu (cog icon) and select Edit Volume. The frequency length of each irrigation can be controlled by changing the number of cycles to be performed within the active time period.
Zone-controlled systems:
Select the zone - a popup will appear. Enter a percentage ( % ) of the mm setting of the zone. For example: to change a zone from 5mm to 4mm, define a variation of -20%.