Robot Mower Charging Station Placement
Introduction
Robotic Mowers use a lot of electronic sensors to help make them aware of their surroundings.
That’s why they’re classified as robotic. But going through all the sensors is another topic.
This topic is all about how the mower communicates with its base (charging) station.
robotzoo mowers, like a lot of others, use a low power radio signal between the mower and the charging station.
This can be compared to that of a cordless phone handset to its station, or how a home WiFi works, but maybe a little stronger.
Because it needs to travel a greater distance. But if there are solid objects, such as large trees or structures, in between the base station and the mower, then the signal may not get through, just like with WiFi.
This means that there is a limit as to how far away the mower can be from the base station to allow certain functions. There are some good reason for this:
- We don’t want the mower to go ‘rogue’;
- we don’t want someone to be able to simply take your mower away and use it, and;
- we don’t want to interfere with other nearby radio communications.
But it does mean that for the communications to work properly there should be a clear line of sight from whatever point in your yard that you may wish to start the mower off, and the charging station.And for best results, the small antenna wire inside the charging station should be straight and vertical.
Also, we have shown that it is possible to extend the range of the charging station signal.
Reading The Symbols
Look for the charging station symbol on the mower display panel.
The diagram at right illustrates the display panel on the mower, and the table below gives a guide to the meaning of each symbol.
The important indicators here are Charging Station and Line. For the mower to be able to be started in auto mode anywhere in the yard:
- The Charging Station symbol should be showing. If the charging Station indicator is not showing, check that there is a clear line of sight between the mower and the charging station (ie. nothing to block the signal)
- The Line symbol should be off. Otherwise, whenever the mower is started within the mowing boundary, it will seek to return home to the charging station before setting off again.
Where to Place the Charging Station for Optimal Connection.
According to the manual.
The manual shows the charging station placed in a corner.
The user manual suggests a configuration as shown in the diagram below, ie. With the charging station situated in one corner, and the boundary wire going around the perimeter of the property.
However, in this case, the signal from the charging station to the mower may not be strong enough to be picked up in Area 3, because there is a house in the way. It may not be possible to take the mower to Area 3 and enter it into Auto mode.
Our Recommendation.
The station should have line of sight to all areas of the yard.
An alternative configuration for this scenario is illustrated in the diagram below, ie. With the charging station situated in the passageway beside the house, and between the front and rear yards. In this configuration, there is a clear line of sight between the mower and the charging station, in each of the 3 designated Areas. This means that the mower could be taken into either of the 3 designated Areas and entered into Auto mode.
Conclusions
If you are having trouble in getting full coverage of your front and rear yards with your mower, then it may be necessary to look into the signal being received by the mower from its charging station, and consider the position of the charging station itself
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