Pure Hydroponics supplies the well-known international brand of Hunter Irrigation Controllers.
These rugged USA made units are not dosing controllers but are designed to activate an irrigation pump and open and close any solenoid control valves which are wired into them.
For example a grower might have a greenhouse with 2,000 plants and their pump or tank may not be large enough to irrigate them all at once, or the grower may want to irrigate some parts of a crop more than others.
Simply divide the growing area into separate zones (e.g. 4 zones), with the pipework in each zone isolated by an electric solenoid valve.
Each solenoid valve is then wired into a Hunter 4 station controller.
The irrigation pump is connected to a pump start relay box which also wires into the Hunter controller.
The grower pre-programs the times they want each zone to be irrigated, and for how long each zone is to be irrigated.
E.g. Pump starts every hour from 8am – 5pm
Zones 1-2 irrigate for 3 minutes, Zone 3 – 4 irrigate for 5 minutes.
When the start time commences the pump is activated and the solenoid valve to Zone 1 is automatically opened allowing water or a nutrient solution to be pumped to that zone. After 3 minutes the valve closes and the valve to Zone 2 opens up for 3 minutes etc. etc. Once all zones are irrigated the pump stops and the controller goes on standby.
If the grower prefers to dose a hydroponic nutrient solution to the crop instead of fresh water, they simply install a Bluelab Pro Controller Wifi dosing controller and a ball cock float valve on their tank to ensure the correct Conductivity and pH levels are maintained at all times. As the pump empties the tank, the tank is automatically refilled with fresh water via the ball cock valve. The Bluelab Pro Controller Wifi detects the fresh incoming water and begins dosing until the pre-programmed Conductivity and pH setpoints are reached. The control system then goes on standby.
If the grower prefers to have the irrigation system solar activated, Pure Hydroponics can make a simple modification to the Hunter controller and supply a special Solar Integrator Controller to fit the modified Hunter controller. This means that the crop will be irrigated more frequently on clear, sunny days, and less frequently on overcast days. This saves valuable nutrients and prevents over watering or underwatering. (see separate page on Solar Integrator Controller)
An optional Soil-Clik rain sensor can also be added for outdoor crops to prevent irrigations occurring during periods of rainfall or when the soil moisture exceeds a certain level.
Pure Hydroponics prefers the simplicity of the Hunter X- Core or Hunter Pro-C controllers. These models have a simple dial and push button operating panel as well as a manual override feature. They aren’t reliant on an internet connection or a complex touch screen display to operate them. This makes them very easy for all staff at a hydroponic farm to become familiar with them and to step in and use them at a moment’s notice if required.
The Hunter Controllers are available in an indoor or outdoor casing in the following sizes:
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- 2 Zone (Hunter X-Core)
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- 4 Zone (Hunter X-Core)
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- 6 Zone (Hunter X-Core)
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- 4 Zone Base Unit (Hunter Pro C)
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- 4 – 16 Zones (Hunter Pro C using 3 station expansion modules)
The Hunter X- Core is purchased as a controller with built in 2 station, 4 station or 6 station capacity. If the grower wishes to expand beyond 2 – 6 stations they must buy a larger controller.
The Hunter Pro-C gives more flexibility as it can be purchased as a 4-station base unit and then the grower can add additional stations by slotting a 3-station expansion module inside the controller. They can continue adding more expansion modules until a maximum of 16 Stations.
The controller also has further capacity for up to 32 stations if required using a decoder module.
Modification of the Hunter controllers for the use of a solar integrator is an in-house service performed by a qualified electrical technician.
Growers are welcome to send us their existing Hunter control units for modification.
Please contact Pure Hydroponics to discuss your requirements further.
Hunter X-Core Instruction Manual
