How to Use a Solenoid Activator for Irrigation Sprinkler Repair or Maintenance and Chatter. Pro48

For more information, please go to www.armadatech.com or call 616-803-1080.
This video explains the operation of the Pro48 Solenoid Activator and the Pro210F Tone Probe to identify problems in an irrigation system including the clock or controller, wiring, and/or solenoid.

[@jimcarefoot9637]

The Pro48 and Pro50 testers can cause a valve solenoid to cycle which will help identify specific valves. A "chatter-box" is meant to generate a stronger audible noise for finding the valve by ear. It typically uses the AC voltage output from the controller and doesn't verify operation.

[@koaasst]

ive had a little chatterbox for a long time. its a passive thing, not powered, i guess just using a 555 timer chip, and it just clips inline with the station wire. little guy has found many a valve for me, and ill admit, ive had to crawl around with my ear on the ground for many a hour lol!

[@stephentrimble9616]

If you have a functional valve that you can't find with the tracker or the chatter function on the toner run the water on another zone and chatter the valve it will open and close and you can feel and hear the valve cycling and go right to it

[@jlcarefoot]

Interesting idea Stephen.

[@jlcarefoot]

We have advised people to shut off the water to make the chatter easier to hear. Do you think reducing the water pressure by opening another zone might increase the noise by adding some water flow?

[@jasons5842]

So what happens when I use both of my Pro 900 trackers to locate a valve in which I know the vicinity of but neither one of them will locate it on high frequency or low frequency. It is a dead solenoid so I am guessing this device you guys have will not locate a dead solenoid I presume? I'm just frustrated at spending over $2,000 for trackers that can't find a valve.

[@emmanuelsanchez-nu5ok]

I tested a solenoid while it still had the wires from the common attach to them and the device ( armada Pro48) and read "good" green light but the controller keeps giving me a message: " master valve/ pump wire short or high current" what could possible be ?

[@jlcarefoot]

If you got a Green light the solenoid you connected to should activate. Did it click or did water come out? If the controller still thinks the circuit is shorted it may be connected to a different wire than the one you tested. You can check the wiring for a short by placing an ohmmeter/multimeter across the common and control wire in question at the controller. It could be that the master valve is connected to a different Common and the short is not on the circuit you tested.

[@christfollower1768]

Hi Excellent explanatory video. Is the “clock” the actual timer/controller unit ? Thank you

[@jlcarefoot]

Hi CF: "Clock" is an old term that is widely used to refer to complete modern irrigation controllers.

[@christfollower1768]

@@jlcarefoot Thank you very much

[@diyhomeprojects7317]

Do you have to disconnect the station wire and ground wire from your controller when you send a tone at the controller? Also, coming the other way from the solenoid to the clock, will it damage the station circuitry?

[@ArmadaTech]

Hi Roy. It is not necessary to disconnect the wires at the controller when using our solenoid activators for testing or tone tracing. More care is required if you are using a wire and valve locator.

[@ArmadaTech]

For more information, please go to www.armadatech.com or call 616-803-1080.

[@mixingreen]

I have tried numerous times to identify a wire and its tricky. I seem to get a tone coming from all the wires. If I attach the pro 48 to to the sprinkler box common and hot wire and then use the toner probe at the valve.. Where should I touch the wires? Should I probe the wires at the solenoid?

[@jlcarefoot]

Hi Mixin': It is common to have "Bleed-over" tone among wires that are close together, but you can usually sort out the target wire with some care. Try backing the probe volume way down until the broad tones begin to fade and re-check, spread the wires apart as much as possible to make the target wire stand out better, touch the probe tip right to the insulation of the valve wires one by one. Experiment a little to see what works for you - the difference between the target wire and the group of wires may seem small.

[@mixingreen]

@@jlcarefoot Thank you for the tips. Im new to tracking wires and so far its been frustrating. I just got a huge job with a bunch of missing valves and I went ahead and tracked the common wire, I walked past 2 valves and the beeping began to fade as I got close to an oak tree. But, I walked around the tree and the beep came back but very faint. Do you think the oak roots split the wire? Unfortunately, after the tree there is a driveway that the wires go under to get to the next valve. I managed to find the valve but the wires going to it are gone. They have a node that operates that valve but both the valve and the node are broken. Im thinking about trenching the whole area by the Oak tree to see where it goes under the driveway. What do you think about that?

[@jlcarefoot]

@@mixingreen Trees can damage wiring, usually by twisting and stretching it over time. What are you using to track the wire? You should be able to do some mapping even if it is damaged. Check the depth of the wire to see if the wire dives deeper under the driveway. The faint signals may also be ghosts from other wires in the system.

[@marlongomez1805]

Why we has to turn off the water

[@justaquestion5080]

can you use it backwards to find valves and berried wires?

[@jlcarefoot]

Hi. There is a tone generator built in to the testers that will send a tone to the other end of the zone wire. This signal allows you to use a 'wire tracer' probe to identify wires. (example Armada Pro210) This won't work very well tracing the entire path of a buried wire, but it can help ID a wire among many.

[@johnkosheluk1041]

can you put the red and black wires to the comm and the zone wire and track a wire underground

[@ArmadaTech]

Not the path, that is a job for our line of locators. The Pro48 can chatter a valve to locate it, but the actual wire path needs a locator. Hope that helps.

[@chadpeak9146]

So if i dug up 8 wires in my lawn and i want to know which wire is coming from station #1 on the controller, i hook the red clip to the #1 at the controller and the black clip to an earth stake in the ground and just go put my probe to the 8 wires?

[@diyhomeprojects7317]

The controller has a COMM terminal which is ground; place red lead to the Station in the Controller and the black lead to the white wire connected to the Comm screw. This sends out a tone to the wire you want to identify. No need to use a stake probed to the ground.

[@WV591]

can the on/off solenoid activation destroy the solenoid?

[@jlcarefoot]

The solenoid won't be damaged by the activation signal. There will be an audible snap as the solenoid lifts the plunger. This is normal in testing and in regular operation with a controller. The solenoid will easily handle the repeated activations in 'Chatter' mode, too.

[@larrygwinn6649]

Do you sell the toner separate,

[@ArmadaTech]

Yes, the model Pro110 is a standard tone generator. There is also a Pro110A for cable TV applications. Thx for the question.

[@zooted_zack5538]

Well it didn’t chatter or when I tried to find the valve it doesn’t make a noise untile I’m underground with it

[@ArmadaTech]

The Pro48 usually makes a pretty good snap sound on a solenoid. It may be necessary to turn off the water - a pressurized valve can mute the sound.