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My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

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    #692
    Peppa Cig
    Registered Users Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    Cyrus wrote: »
    Water John wrote: »
    Parcel Motel give a NI address for parcels delivered to the UK only. Are you saying this wont work?
    http://www.parcelmotel.com/services/

    for the one listed up top i provided my parcel wizard address and no dice

    You can use An Post AddressPal (UK mainland address) for delivery €12.99.

    I purchased 3 of these units previously via AddressPal.


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    #693
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,220 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    The McCullough 1000 is also available here for about the same price, €699.

    https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/mcculloch-rob-r1000-2018-demo-model


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    #694
    bauney
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭bauney


    Hi all. I finally made the plunge for the husky 430x for my lawn. I ordered it from https://www.gplshop.se
    I intend to install myself. Lawn is straight forward enough.
    So when i got my mower today, I opened the box and I noticed the instructions were in Swedish. I thought there might be English included. Is it possible to get English instructions?

    I also see that the power lead is a 2 pin plug as supposed to the uk/Ireland 3 pin plug. I presume I can just use a standard adaptor for this. Is this the case?


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    #695
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,220 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    If you google Huskvarna 430x manual, it will come up as a download on the myrobotcenter.eu.


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    #696
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,823 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Water John wrote: »
    The McCullough 1000 is also available here for about the same price, €699.

    https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/mcculloch-rob-r1000-2018-demo-model

    They were going for far cheaper, price appears to have gone up again


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    #697
    Shaunoc
    Registered Users Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Shaunoc


    if purchasing from that site (robotcentre), specify doubly that you need a UK/Ireland power adapter. By default they sent me a european one and thought it ok to send a follow on cheapy addon adapter.
    it took alot of wrangling to get that sorted with them.
    anyway...the husky just nipped by the window there doing its thing beautifully


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    #698
    nconroy
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭nconroy


    Hi Folks
    I bought a Robomow RL2000 in 2012, worked great until 2016 and then developed a problem. Mower started up fine, ran around the garden fine, bounced off the perimeter wire fine, but was not doing any mowing. No movement from the blade motors.
    The advice I got from Mower-Magic was that the "Main Board" had a problem and needed to be replaced.

    I was comfortable replacing the Main Board, however I was then told it needed to configured and this required special tools and test equipment.
    All this was taking time and my grass did not stop growing while it waited for me to ship the mower to the UK workshop and back.
    So, I purchased a Husqvarna robotic lawnmower replacement and got on with my life.

    So, here I am, two years later, trying to clear out my garage and got to wondering what to do with the RL2000. I found a youtube clip showing a demo of main board replacement. Looked a lot simpler that what I was told two years ago.

    My question, has any one replaced the main board on the RL2000, how simple/complex was the operation. Seems a shame to scrap €2,500 piece of equipment for the sake of a €250 main board.

    Any help much appreciated


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    #699
    bauney
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭bauney


    Hi all. I installed my 430x over weekend. Very simple in fact. So far so good. Working away. Only positive things to say about it. I named it EMO (electric mower) for now due to how my 2 year old calls it.

    One question though, I have reseeded the front lawn (1000 sq metres) 2 weeks ago. This area is included in boundary wires but I have temporary timbers preventing mower getting there. The new grass is growing. Still very weak root system.Alot of brown soil but greening up every day.
    I have put temporary timbers down to stop mower cutting that part ( actually my mower did mange to mount the timbers twice on his escape to greener pastures )but how long would you recommend before letting it out. I was thinking that by week 3, the newly established grass should be ok.
    Any ideas of when I can let it cut the new grass before it gets too strong?


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    #700
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,220 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    I suspect the robot would be easier on it than a ride on. Patched a lawn last year and just did the other one a week a go. the one last year left go strong and then cut it really high with the ride twice before reverting to normal.
    I'd be inclined to leave it root well and grow. Then cut it high with your old mower and drop gradually. Then leave it to the robot.
    Maybe i'm too anxious but would like the roots to develop before cutting at all.
    Alt set the robot high for a while.


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    #701
    searay
    Registered Users Posts: 436 ✭✭searay


    Hi, Just back from holidays and I got a “no loop signal” message on my 450x. It appears the local rabbits have been partying on the lawn while the dog was on her holiday.

    I hope somebody can help me on how to find the break.

    I can’t find any obvious break in the wire where the ground was disturbed. I tried to find the break using an Am radio but not sure my technique is right.

    I disconnected the AL wire and tried to follow the cable around the boundary. In my view the interference on the radio was pretty constant.

    I then did some spot checks around the perimeter and there seems to be radio interference everywhere. Should the signal not disappear once I’m checking after the break?

    Any help appreciated.


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    #702
    SchrodingersCat
    Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭SchrodingersCat


    searay wrote: »
    Hi, Just back from holidays and I got a “no loop signal” message on my 450x. It appears the local rabbits have been partying on the lawn while the dog was on her holiday.

    I hope somebody can help me on how to find the break.

    I can’t find any obvious break in the wire where the ground was disturbed. I tried to find the break using an Am radio but not sure my technique is right.

    I disconnected the AL wire and tried to follow the cable around the boundary. In my view the interference on the radio was pretty constant.

    I then did some spot checks around the perimeter and there seems to be radio interference everywhere. Should the signal not disappear once I’m checking after the break?

    Any help appreciated.

    First of all, I havent used the AM Radio technique myself. However, I would think that if you are picking up the signal constantly, then the signal may be too strong to differentiate between areas where the wire is fine and areas where the wire is broken. If that is the case, hold the am radio close to the base station and tune it to the signal. Then de-tune the radio so that you can just about hear the signal. Walk slowly around the boundary until you loose the signal. The direction (left or right of the base station) will depend on where you can still pick up the signal. Keep walking until you loose the signal. The break should be where ever that happens.


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    #703
    bauney
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭bauney


    Advice please.

    I installed my 430x 10 days ago and so far so good on my existing lawn. No complaints with the mower yet.

    However on a large patch of lawn i reseeded 3 and half weeks ago, i let my mower out on it on couple days ago  to see how it would cope. however i realized that the reseeded grass was not as flush as i hoped  as it was very patchy and the soil underneath is still wet and sticky (we had extremely wet august so the soil got very wet). so the mud ended up get stuck to the wheels and left tracks and muddied up parts of the new seeded lawn. 

    So now i have blocked the mower from the new area, waiting for the grass to thicken up and hoping for the soil to dry out. 
    Any one else ever seen this and any advice on how to proceed with mowing the new seeded lawn?


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    #704
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,108 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    bauney wrote: »
    Advice please.

    I installed my 430x 10 days ago and so far so good on my existing lawn. No complaints with the mower yet.

    However on a large patch of lawn i reseeded 3 and half weeks ago, i let my mower out on it on couple days ago  to see how it would cope. however i realized that the reseeded grass was not as flush as i hoped  as it was very patchy and the soil underneath is still wet and sticky (we had extremely wet august so the soil got very wet). so the mud ended up get stuck to the wheels and left tracks and muddied up parts of the new seeded lawn. 

    So now i have blocked the mower from the new area, waiting for the grass to thicken up and hoping for the soil to dry out. 
    Any one else ever seen this and any advice on how to proceed with mowing the new seeded lawn?

    The robots are out on the lawn a lot more than a manual mower so would not be good for a new lawn for a few months.

    Do you really need to cut it? 3.5 weeks is way too quick to be cutting it imo. Hopefully someone with better gardening knowledge will come along to answer that point.

    A newly seeded lawn is likely to be very thin. Why not let it grow and thicken up and then cut it.


    Maybe even leave it for this year and then borrow a mower in the new year to give it its first cut and then let the robot loose on it?

    It depends really on how strong the grass is, how much more growing is left in the year and how wet the soil is. Only you will know the answer to those questions for your lawn.

    Ultimately, if its damaging the ground you need to take it off it until it thickens up and hardens up.


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    #705
    bauney
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭bauney


    Thanks for the reply.
    I was taking advice from the guys that seeded it. They said they seeded other lawns who let the robot mower out on it after 2 weeks of reseeding. So i heeded their advice. 
    Anyways, my common sense prevailed and i took it off quickly as it looked wrong and damaging.
    I will keep off for next few weeks at least until i see the grass full and strong. If its not ideal i will do as you said - leave until new year and cut with alternative mower before letting my automower on it. Thanks for swift response


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    #706
    Zzippy
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,166 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    I would leave it a while too - block the mower from that area. Maybe strim it when it gets high, just to keep upward growth in check and let it thicken up, but leave the mower off it until next season. If the mower has already done some damage, might be worth throwing a bit more seed on to help it fill out.


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    #707
    Shaunoc
    Registered Users Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Shaunoc


    bauney wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply.
    I was taking advice from the guys that seeded it. They said they seeded other lawns who let the robot mower out on it after 2 weeks of reseeding. So i heeded their advice. 
    Anyways, my common sense prevailed and i took it off quickly as it looked wrong and damaging.
    I will keep off for next few weeks at least until i see the grass full and strong. If its not ideal i will do as you said - leave until new year and cut with alternative mower before letting my automower on it. Thanks for swift response

    i let mowbot loose on newly seeded lawn after 6/8 weeks and all has gone ok. initial cut I used a pushmower.
    My lawn was though not as wet as your lawn sounds.
    August has been showery but I imagine the ground moisture deficit in most parts of the country is well short. Drainage ok..?


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    #708
    bauney
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭bauney


    Back again. I am getting a loop signal error with flashing blue light. Can a break in the guide wire cause this or just the boundary wire? I am at a loss at this now as there is no obvious spot I can see. I manage to step over the guide wire trying to find an break. This fixed the signal error but the mower worked for 5 mins before signal error again. Went straight back to area where I thought I had fixed it but no use this time, so.i yanked up the guide wire for 20 meters either side of this in hope to find something but nothing.
    I tried the am radio but I couldn't get a clear pulse signal for boundary wire.

    Any ideas?


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    #709
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,108 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    Could be sending you wrong direction but when I got no loop signal it was the connections to the docking station were the problem.

    I crimped them again and away it went. Worth checking that. Even wriggle those connections and see if you get a green light.


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    #710
    searay
    Registered Users Posts: 436 ✭✭searay


    bauney wrote: »
    Back again. I am getting a loop signal error with flashing blue light. Can a break in the guide wire cause this or just the boundary wire? I am at a loss at this now as there is no obvious spot I can see. I manage to step over the guide wire trying to find an break. This fixed the signal error but the mower worked for 5 mins before signal error again. Went straight back to area where I thought I had fixed it but no use this time, so.i yanked up the guide wire for 20 meters either side of this in hope to find something but nothing.
    I tried the am radio but I couldn't get a clear pulse signal for boundary wire.

    Any ideas?

    Trying to find a loop signal error myself and it’s not simple. I’m going to get my installer to find it.

    The manual refers to disconnecting sides to find breaks, have you tried that?

    I got the impression from that that the guide wire forms part of the loop which means a break would cause the loop signal problem.


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    #711
    Shaunoc
    Registered Users Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Shaunoc


    can you disconnect the guide wire temporarily to see if that is the root cause. if it is the guide at fault the loop signal should be back to normal. the check would only cost you a couple of connectors. may help rule it out/in


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    #712
    SchrodingersCat
    Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭SchrodingersCat


    bauney wrote: »
    Back again. I am getting a loop signal error with flashing blue light. Can a break in the guide wire cause this or just the boundary wire? I am at a loss at this now as there is no obvious spot I can see. I manage to step over the guide wire trying to find an break. This fixed the signal error but the mower worked for 5 mins before signal error again. Went straight back to area where I thought I had fixed it but no use this time, so.i yanked up the guide wire for 20 meters either side of this in hope to find something but nothing.
    I tried the am radio but I couldn't get a clear pulse signal for boundary wire.

    Any ideas?

    If the AM radio didnt work, another idea could be to use a cable finder such as the one here https://www.ebay.ie/itm/MS6812-Cable-Finder-Tone-Generator-Probe-Tracker-Wire-Network-Tester-Tracer-Kit/323365674691?hash=item4b4a189ec3:g:cOQAAOSwHZdbMKWT Connect one of the crocodile clips to one end of the boundary wire, and run the other crocodile clip to earth (use another piece of wire and a nail buried in the ground). You can walk around the boundary wire with the finder and look for when the tone dies off.

    A trickier solution is to use a multimeter, a long wire, and pin. Put the multimeter on Contuinity check. Connect one lead to one end of the boundary wire. Now, pierce the boundary wire at various points with the pin and with the long wire, connect the pin to the other lead of the multimeter. You should get a tone/contuinity when there isnt a break. Use this in a "divide and conquer" approach to narrow down the search area for the break.


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    #713
    SchrodingersCat
    Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭SchrodingersCat


    KCross wrote: »
    Could be sending you wrong direction but when I got no loop signal it was the connections to the docking station were the problem.

    I crimped them again and away it went. Worth checking that. Even wriggle those connections and see if you get a green light.


    Agreed, the connectors should be the first thing to look at.


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    #714
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,108 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    SchrodingersCat wrote:

    If the AM radio didnt work, another idea could be to use a cable finder such as the one here https://www.ebay.ie/itm/MS6812-Cable-Finder-Tone-Generator-Probe-Tracker-Wire-Network-Tester-Tracer-Kit/323365674691?hash=item4b4a189ec3:g:cOQAAOSwHZdbMKWT Connect one of the crocodile clips to one end of the boundary wire, and run the other crocodile clip to earth (use another piece of wire and a nail buried in the ground). You can walk around the boundary wire with the finder and look for when the tone dies off.

    A trickier solution is to use a multimeter, a long wire, and pin. Put the multimeter on Contuinity check. Connect one lead to one end of the boundary wire. Now, pierce the boundary wire at various points with the pin and with the long wire, connect the pin to the other lead of the multimeter. You should get a tone/contuinity when there isnt a break. Use this in a "divide and conquer" approach to narrow down the search area for the break.

    I wouldn’t like the idea of pin pricking the wire. It’s not your normal electrical wire. It has toughened outer insulation and pin pricking and putting it back in the ground is going to let moisture into it.

    I suspect that would cause its own problems.


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    #715
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,108 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    Shaunoc wrote: »
    can you disconnect the guide wire temporarily to see if that is the root cause. if it is the guide at fault the loop signal should be back to normal. the check would only cost you a couple of connectors. may help rule it out/in

    If you have guide wires you can connect the guide wire to the boundary connector on the docking station which will then bypass one portion of the boundary wire. If it solves it you know the break is between the disconnected boundary wire and where the guide and boundary are connected. Hope that makes sense.

    The process is detailed in the manual iirc.

    Start with checking the connectors at the docking station though as I think that’s more likely the issue as a buried wire is unlikely to just break.


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    #716
    bauney
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭bauney


    I figured it just now. It was the husqvsrna crimp connector I used to join the boundary wire. I had loosen. It look fine when I took up but slightest tug and it loosened.
    The only way I came to that point was via the use of a wireless radio headset. I popped them on and turn on AM and crawled around my garden at 10:30 pm with a torch. Neighbours must be thinking i have finally gone off my rocker.

    I put my ear onto the wire at the base and could hear a distinct signal which reduced when off it. And so I went on for 20 meteres and tried again until I got no signal. Then I had to narrow up which took bit of time. Remember to unplug the AL wire to detect the break.
    Anyone can pm me if any question on this as I was a doubting Thomas til I proved it.


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    #717
    SchrodingersCat
    Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭SchrodingersCat


    KCross wrote: »
    I wouldn’t like the idea of pin pricking the wire. It’s not your normal electrical wire. It has toughened outer insulation and pin pricking and putting it back in the ground is going to let moisture into it.

    I suspect that would cause its own problems.

    Assuming that the AM radio trick, cable finder, connector inspection and cable inspection didnt work, then granted, its a last option.

    The cable with a break is useless as it is anyway.

    However, if you use the divide and conquer trick, for a 100m cable you only need to prick the cable 5 times to narrow the break down to 3m. You could easily patch it up again (if needed) with denso tape or something waterproof.


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    #718
    SchrodingersCat
    Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭SchrodingersCat


    bauney wrote: »
    I figured it just now. It was the husqvsrna crimp connector I used to join the boundary wire. I had loosen. It look fine when I took up but slightest tug and it loosened.
    The only way I came to that point was via the use of a wireless radio headset. I popped them on and turn on AM and crawled around my garden at 10:30 pm with a torch. Neighbours must be thinking i have finally gone off my rocker.

    I put my ear onto the wire at the base and could hear a distinct signal which reduced when off it. And so I went on for 20 meteres and tried again until I got no signal. Then I had to narrow up which took bit of time. Remember to unplug the AL wire to detect the break.
    Anyone can pm me if any question on this as I was a doubting Thomas til I proved it.

    Great to hear it!


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    #719
    Ginger83
    Registered Users Posts: 3,481 ✭✭✭Ginger83


    I have 2 separate lawns approx 1200M sq each divided by a driveway thats due to be tarmaced soon.

    I hope use use a narrow passage at side of house to link lawns.

    Can I put a boundary wire around each lawn separately and link the two lawns through the narrow passage with one guide wire or would I need to bring the boundary wire through this passage also?


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    #720
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,108 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    Ginger83 wrote: »
    I have 2 separate lawns approx 1200M sq each divided by a driveway thats due to be tarmaced soon.

    I hope use use a narrow passage at side of house to link lawns.

    Can I put a boundary wire around each lawn separately and link the two lawns through the narrow passage with one guide wire or would I need to bring the boundary wire through this passage also?

    Assuming you want the mower to cut the two lawns without you having to lift and shift the mower you will need the boundary wire to go through the passage at each side of it AND the guide wire down the middle of it.


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    #721
    Ginger83
    Registered Users Posts: 3,481 ✭✭✭Ginger83


    KCross wrote: »
    Assuming you want the mower to cut the two lawns without you having to lift and shift the mower you will need the boundary wire to go through the passage at each side of it AND the guide wire down the middle of it.

    Thanks, whats the minimum width allowed?


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