Does anyone know if it is possible to downgrade a RainBird ESP-MES + LNK2 from the newer 2.0 cloud-based app/firmware to the older version? And if so, can you confirm that the integration still works on HA for version 1.0?
Hi, are you talking about the firmware (on the device itself) or the app on a mobile device?
If it’s the firmware I doubt that you can go back to an earlier version but I might be wrong.
Both. When you migrate to the 2.0 version of the App, it loads new firmware to the controller
Unless the wonderful developers figure something out, you just upgraded to a ‘dumb’ device.
That’s something to check every time you do any kind of upgrade and investigate what is changed to avoid a scenario like this.
Installing new versions is not always better - as you learned the hard way…
I am in this same position I think. I opened the rainbird app for the 1st time in months and it had obviously updated via google store automatically.
My ARC6 will no longer talk to my HA, previously it was working perfectly. Is this by design by rainbird? or is this a case of hoping someone is able to update the HA rainbird addon to work with the new firmware
Probably just the usual enshittification/crapification and errosion of ownership we need to get used to quickly. You migh have even bought a “local” hub yesterday with ZigBee/Z-Wave/Matter capabilities just to find out that they ship a firmware update tomorrow which takes “your” device hostage (essentially bricking it) and ask for subscription fees to get it working again 
If the “owners” of your device remove locally available functions/api (which seems to be trending) it does not seem they want you to have it 
Might just ask them about their future enshittification plans: [email protected] 
Known Limitations
The new Rain Bird 2.0 App and Firmware is not compatible with Home Assistant. The upgrade process will migrate devices to require use of the new Rain Bird IQ4 cloud, and Home Assistant will not be able to access the device.
Companies probably know what’s best for us 
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Thanks for the reply. I’m very much a novice with HA. It’s annoying that there seemed no notification or confirmation that it was going to update the firmware of the actual device when I opened the new android app. I only had this unit installed 9 months ago, seems such a waste to be replacing it, but the rainbird app is so crap in comparison to what I could have with HA integration.
For the future I suggest doing some basic research upfront if you can take full ownership over your potential investment. Recently even “local” hubs with supposedly local Z-Wave and Matter capabilities were crapified and ransom (subscription fees) requested by the company that formally sold the device for over $200 (as a lifetime one-time fee) so it works again locally… 
You might build your own(able), fully local and cheap 6 channel valve control with something like this $30 esp32 based waveshare controller and esphome 
If you go DIY you might even build your 4 channel controller for less than 10 bucks 
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Yeah, in hindsight … but when I was getting my retic fixed after moving house, it was not long after I had first added HA Green to some very basic google home lights, speaker etc, so I didn’t quite understand all these cloud based ransom/control issues.
I’m still very much a beginner with my HA, I’ll do some reading about what you have suggested.
Thanks
Thanks for your post orange-assistant. This should be a warning to all of us. I think they actually use an ESP for the Rainbird controller too since the MAC address range is owned by Espressif…the irony