San Marcos, Calif. – Hunter Industries is introducing a new central control software program for golf course irrigation at the 2005 Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla. Surveyor is a control system that will be the company’s first all-new software platform since the introduction of its Vista system in 2000.
Aimed at the mid- to high-end golf markets, Surveyor includes a variety of graphical options, flow optimization, automated ET adjustment with weather station input, and sophisticated scheduling options.
“Surveyor is a flexible new system that can grow in capability as a customer’s needs evolve,” says Dave Shoup, the company’s central control product manager,.
The control system includes graphical access to course irrigation areas and programming at various levels, including station-level programming and flow management.
“No elaborate preparation is required, and built-in wizards can guide new users through initial set up of their own system hardware and programming,” Shoup says. “The system can also import CAD record drawings, aerial photos, and graphical scans to serve as backgrounds for the hydraulic system. It even has proprietary built-in drawing tools of its own.”
The control system is designed to operate in Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP, and provides two-way control for the company’s VSX series of satellite controllers. Communications can be radio or hardwired, or both. The system will work with StraightTalk Maintenance Radio remote control for remote operation of satellites.
The software program includes detailed hydraulic modeling of pipes, and can include “layers” for other information, such as drainage or electrical data, that the course may wish to switch on and off as needed.
The system also includes a Task Scheduler, which is an interactive calendar that lets a superintendent enter application schedules, maintenance tasks and even appointments.
Surveyor will be available through certified Hunter distributors mid-spring 2005 and is currently operating in test environments.
