Rain Bird RSDBEX RSD-BEx Wired Rain Sensor with Latching Bracket

Rain Bird RSDBEX RSD-BEx Wired Rain Sensor with Latching Bracket

Brand: Rain Bird | SKU: RSDBEX

Product Overview

Pause scheduled irrigation after rainfall with the Rain Bird RSD-BEx wired rain sensor. Its moisture-sensing disks respond to collected rain, while the dial selects the rainfall threshold and the vent ring adjusts drying time. The RSDBEX model includes a latching aluminum bracket and 25 feet of two-conductor wire; check the controller’s sensor connection and mounting location before ordering.

Key Features

• Adjustable rainfall threshold from 1/8 to 3/4 inch.
• Vent ring helps adjust how long irrigation remains suspended after rain.
• Latching bracket hinge helps maintain alignment.
• UV-resistant polymer sensor body.
• Wired connection for compatible low-voltage irrigation control circuits.

Common Uses

• Adding rainfall-based watering interruption to a compatible residential or commercial controller.
• Replacing a matching bracket-mounted wired rain sensor.

Technical Specifications

• Merchant SKU: RSDBEX; manufacturer model: RSD-BEx.
• Application: compatible 24 VAC irrigation control circuits and 24 VAC pump-start relay control circuits.
• Do not connect to 110/250 VAC devices or direct high-voltage pump-start circuits.
• Wire: 25 feet of #20, two-conductor UV-resistant extension wire.
• Mount: 5-inch latching aluminum bracket; separate from the RSD-CEx conduit-mount version.
• Rainfall adjustment: 1/8–3/4 inch by dial cap.
• Drying-time adjustment: vent ring.
• Not compatible with Rain Bird ESP-SMT or ESP-SMTe controllers.

Dimensions

• Overall length: 6.5 inches.
• Overall height: 5.4 inches.
• Bracket hole pattern: 1.25 inches.

Compatibility & Installation Notes

Mount the sensor level where natural rain can reach it. Avoid roof runoff, sprinkler spray, overhanging trees and locations where debris can collect. Choose a location within the supplied 25-foot wiring reach; the manual does not recommend adding wire beyond that length.

Follow the controller’s rain-sensor wiring instructions. Where dedicated sensor terminals are provided, connect the red and black leads as directed and remove the jumper if the controller instructions require it. Use the manual’s common-wire method only for a compatible controller without sensor terminals.

After installation, run a zone and hold down the sensor plunger to verify that watering stops. Set rainfall and drying time for the soil and site, then recheck operation after adjustment.

This is a wired rain sensor, not a wireless receiver or soil-moisture probe. It interrupts irrigation according to collected rainfall and drying conditions; it does not replace programming the controller’s watering schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RSDBEX wireless?

No. It uses the included 25-foot, two-conductor wire to connect to a compatible irrigation control circuit.

What can I adjust?

The dial cap sets the rainfall threshold from 1/8 to 3/4 inch. The vent ring adjusts drying time and how long irrigation remains suspended after rain.

Will it work with ESP-SMT or ESP-SMTe?

No. Rain Bird specifically lists those controllers as incompatible with this sensor.

Can the sensor connect directly to a high-voltage pump circuit?

No. Use it only with the compatible low-voltage 24 VAC control circuits described in the manual, not 110/250 VAC devices or direct high-voltage pump-start circuits.

Why Buy from Big Frog Supply?

Choose RSDBEX when a compatible 24 VAC controller needs a wired rain shutoff and the bracket mount suits the site. The 25-foot lead length helps determine the mounting location before installation, while separate rainfall and vent adjustments let the response reflect both the amount of rain and how quickly the sensor dries.