Don't know what this is - I guess the Mist a Matic is the switch ? that will turn the solenoid on/off ?

If so you only need to have it on one side of your circuit.

So one way to connect is +power of transformer connected to one lead of mist a Matic and the other lead of the MaM goes to the solenoid. The -Power (or ground) would connect to the solenoid directly.

The only ? I would have is how much current the MaM can handle - it may not be designed to act as a 'relay'. Similar switches made for rainfall detection are used as an input for a Sprinkler Controller - but the controller has the relays which can actually switch the relatively high current used by the solenoid.

googled mist a matic - so it is a simple mercury switch which should be able to handle the current for the solenoid.

Thanks for responding and helping chad.Yes it is a mercury switch.
"The -Power (or ground) would connect to the solenoid directly."Does that mean it connects to one of the two wires at the solenoid and if so,can the green ground wire coming from the unit's housing be attached to the -Power of the transformer also? Thanks,Brady

i believe this post is a followup post to the one at the link .. perhaps chad didnt catch that

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I should draw something but I'm lazy :) I only see 2 wires coming from the MaM - one white and one green.

I'll try in ASCII...

transformer +)--------white---MaM---green------> Solenoid

transformer -)-------------------> Solenoid (other)

A mercury switch can be a glass bulb with mercury inside and 2 metal prongs inside the bulb, when it tilts the mercury contact the 2 prongs and completes the connection.

Okay thanks a lot Chad,I hooked it up from your previous info and it worked.I just came online now and saw your recent post.
I pushed the end of the ground(green),coming from the MaM,into the socket ground hole,where the transformer plugs in.
I was concerned about it not working,because the valve is a normally closed type,but when I talked to a guy at a place that sells them,he said to just flip the mercury switch around and it will work.It turns out that it wasn't needed,as probably the previous owner had already done that and it works perfectly.Again,thanks very much. Brady

Also,the picture doesn't show it,but there is a black wire also coming from the MaM.The green is a ground that is screwed to the MaM frame.The black is going to one side of the switch.
Here is a clearer picture.

Ken,
That post is my other system before the Mist-a-matic.That is still running but the Mist-a-matic is so much more precise.
Here is what the pond fogger setup looks like now.
I added another fogger because the cuttings were drying out a little too much when it is hot.Brady