Chris Davis

“I learned the ropes in the field prior to Licensure; I started at an ornamental tree farm then became manager and head of landscapeoperations, then lead designer, then partner in a design build firm, all the while not fulfilled in my carrer thinking that I took the wrong path by not stepping straight into a design firm. It wasnt until I joined a…[Read more]

I also went to design Build after graduation. I feel that if you understand the installation from the hands on construction aspect, it will make you a better designer and allow you to push boundries because you really understand them.

Contractors can be allies or enemies and it will affect the project on some level. I have found that working in…[Read more]

that’s about ten times the amount of cycling space given to the whole city of phoenix, and one night’s worth of water used for a residential irrigation system!

very funny! tree power and cycle oaths! thank you!

hehe, nice looks like there are cycle lines with a high risk of getting wet 🙂

Hi All,
A little Bio. for your consumption. I started irrigation design in 2001 in Arizona. Worked with a L. A. in Arizona, who exclusively went after IRRIG. projects. He did very well, However I wanted to grow to other areas and moved on. Jump to the present, In the last office I worked in (March 2009), My billable hours for Irrigation Design was…[Read more]

Great conversation and thoughts everybody.

For me I went straight to a design/build after graduation but that is because I wanted to go that direction. I also spent 3 summers in the field doing the labor prior to graduation. No experience with a design only firm.

Correct me if I’m wrong but in most cases I design only firm doesn’t begin to deal…[Read more]

Tim, Jay, and others –

Just found this group, and am happy to see it exists. I am actually one of the Masters students you spoke about who is lacking direct landscape construction experience. I agree wholeheartedly with the comments, and see this as a huge problem. Do you have any suggestions on the best methods for acquiring this experience?…[Read more]

Cover letter help! Anyone have some good tips for writing great cover letters?

Hello fellow irrigation designers! I am taking the Certified Landscape irrigation Auditor Exam in the beginning of October and was wondering if anyone has the 2007 manual? Let me know if you would be willing to part with it! Thanks 🙂

Just got a new website up, thought I would share http://www.nickaceto.com

Hi all.. I just joined the group..I use eaglecad for irrigation projects for 7years. It also runs in Autocad. You may test yourself by freeware version if you want…
Greeting from İstanbul…

Rob-

We use Land FX; which it sounds like the same setup as Raincad. It is extremely simple to pick up on and their support is like no other. We have been using it for almost 5 years now without one complaint. I would give them a call and talk to their rep if you are interested.

Jay,
I have run into similar situations in my work experience, (I’ve worked at 4 firms and have ten years + of construction experience) where registered LA’s are “designing” things but have no practical knowledge of how the thing will actually stand up or be built and a very narrow knowledge of construction in general.It seems often-times the old…[Read more]

Hi Scott
I learned the ropes in the field prior to Licensure; I started at an ornamental tree farm then became manager and head of landscapeoperations, then lead designer, then partner in a design build firm, all the while not fulfilled in my carrer thinking that I took the wrong path by not stepping straight into a design firm. It wasnt until I…[Read more]

I would like to think that it is the LA who knows best, but sadly I feel that the contractor is the one who is going to be the key in creating the finished project. I would love to get to know my contractors well enough to find out there likes and dislikes but I never seem to be able to work with the same one over again, the market is so cutthroat…[Read more]

Does anyone here have experience with Leit solar controllers? Any issues with long wire runs, durability, etc?

Thanks in advance

Rob,

There are a lot of good softwares out there, selection really depends on your situation and needs. I would “demo’ as many softwares as possible to see which one fits your office best.

For Autocad, Raincad for Autocad works well. It runs in Autocad as a toolbar, similar to Express Tools. You still have the full function of autocad while…[Read more]

I was able to find some irrigation training and I am more confident now. However, I am looking to purchase irrigation design software. What are the best choices out there? Land F/X? IrriCalc? RainCAD? Others?