FAQ

In order to ensure a trouble-free season, our primary objective is to maximize the battery lifespan to cover the entire season with some additional capacity. It is crucial to prevent any interruptions due to sudden sensor recharging requirements during field operations. The process of checking location and transmitting data consumes significant power compared to simply monitoring vibrations. To conserve power, all sensors therefore remains in a low-power resting state for the majority of the time. Periodically, they activate to verify GPS coordinates and relay this information to our server, while also checking for any commands from the server.

The sensor operates in three different intervals:

Idle: Does not detect vibrations or record any location. It connects to the server every hour and is displayed as a green Zzz on the portal.

Presetling: The device listens for vibrations every second and checks position 5 times in 5 minutes. It reports to the server as soon as stable values are detected.

Vanning: It's listening for vibrations every second and reporting immediately in case of failure. It also checks position every 10 minutes and reports to the server.

It may take up to 59 minutes for the sensor to be notified because it is currently in an idle state. If watering occurs, there may be a delay of up to 10 minutes before the stop command is received. The response time will be displayed in the portal after pushing the buttons. For an immediate response, we strongly advise using the button on the sensor.

Because the irrigation reel moves slowly, typically just 10–20 meters per hour, there’s only a 2–3 meter difference between GPS readings sent every 10 minutes. Since GPS accuracy has a margin of about 5 meters, we need several data points before we can confidently calculate speed or detect a stop.

While the sensor could technically use RTK (the same high-precision GPS used in tractors) for 3 cm accuracy, that would significantly increase the cost. We’ve chosen a practical and cost-effective solution: the system starts calculating speed after receiving four consistent GPS positions.

Every time the sensor sends a position update, the system checks if the irrigation reel has moved since the previous measurement. If it’s still within a 5-meter radius, an internal counter increases by one. If it’s moved beyond 5 meters, the counter resets to zero.

Depending on the speed you’ve set for your reel, the counter must reach between 4 and 8 stationary readings before the system registers a stop.

By default, the expected speed is set to 0–20 meters per hour, and a stop alert is triggered after 8 such readings. You can adjust the speed in the settings. A higher speed setting means fewer readings are needed to trigger a stop alert — so you’ll be notified sooner, but the risk of false alerts may increase.

The portal starts calculating speed and estimated time of arrival (ETA) after receiving at least three GPS points. Since GPS data has a natural margin of error, early speed estimates can fluctuate when based on just a few measurements. As more data points are collected, the calculations become increasingly accurate and stable.

The battery has a total capacity of 13,000mAh, which is designed to support up to 6,000 hours of irrigation. Under normal conditions, it should easily last at least two full seasons.

However, actual battery life depends on how frequently the sensor is in use and the quality of network coverage. Poor coverage increases power consumption, as both GPS and IoT communication require more energy to stay connected.

If you want to save battery outside the irrigation season, you can either put the sensor in winter mode or remove the battery. However, please note that it will not function as a storage sensor while in this state.

Our battery technology is designed for high capacity and long life, but it doesn’t allow for the same precise consumption tracking as you’re used to from devices like your phone.

If it’s been more than two seasons since you last replaced the battery — or if the sensor has been heavily used in a single season — we recommend reaching out to us for a new one.

Unusual behavior, such as the sensor restarting by itself or going to sleep during irrigation, are clear signs that it’s time to replace the battery.

We recommend using push notifications. They are the fastest and most convenient option.
We also offer alerts by email and SMS.
SMS alerts require a prepaid SMS balance to be activated.

How to activate push notifications:

1. Go to My Account (top right menu)

2. Scroll to the bottom

3. Click Register for push notifications

Watch video instructions

That’s it! You can now manage notifications for each sensor in your account.

The SAFT LSH20 is the only battery type officially tested and approved for use with our irrigation sensor. Using other battery types may lead to performance issues and is not recommended.

You can find SAFT’s official distributor list here:

👉 saft.com/en/distributor-contacts

We also recommend doing a quick Google search for “SAFT LSH20”, as many reputable online retailers carry this battery. However, for guaranteed authenticity and performance, we recommend purchasing from SAFT’s authorized distributors.