This idea has been kicked around quite a bit on the 'other' forum so most of the old hands have seen it before. One of the guys came up with the 'boot' and it really works. I didn't get into the details of the boot for the above reason. However I'll point out the finer points here for everyone who doesn't know about it.
The wires going to the top of the boot can be touching each other (I show 1/4 inch gap between them).
They shouldn't be much more than 3 to 6 inches in length before turning to form the side of the boot. Remember, the bot does it drunken sailor walk varying from side to side of the perimeter wire by about 3 inches. The 6 inches is a safety factor… The boot is nothing more than a skinny flower bed that you have wired around. And, yes, the bot can get lined up so it goes right through that small area. However, it has to be a straight shot, soooo, if you were to lower the perimeter wire down about 3 inches about 3 feet before the boot it would hit the perimeter wire and not go through.
The sides should be between 10 and 12 inches apart. I found that 8 to10 inches fits the 3200 models. Robot Lady says the 12 inches is better for the 3500 models. When you first layout your yard test it by making the bot hit the sides. Vary the distance to fit your bot. It stands to reason that the closer the wires are the more grass that will be mowed. Too close and the bot escapes into the next area.
At the toe the gap between it and the outer perimeter wire should be between 3 and 6 inches. The top of the boot can be 4 inches in length. If the top and bottom are too close the signal will be cancelled, so keep the bottom parallel with the outer perimeter wire. I show it at an angle which is wrong. The bigger the gap the more chance the bot can escape to the next area.
How this thing works is really neat. When it's time for the bot to return and it hits the front side of the boot it turns towards the toe, tries to make the sharp turn back at the end of the toe, overshoots, and catches the bottom outer perimeter return wire. Just what you would like for it to do since it's returning, right. If it's in the center area and hits the back of the boot it either tries to follow the wire around the flower bed, there by ending up at the toe. Or it hits the upper outer perimeter wire, runs over to the next boot and ends up at it's toe.
The drawing is NOT to scale as we are talking about Roninwar having a 1 acre lawn. So, in his case each area is 1/6 of an acre. The boots will be quite a ways apart.
If I get a chance I'll redraw it and edit the posting with a new drawing.
Almost forgot:
In Area A 1 at start up the bot backs out, spins it's blade up to speed, and either start to mow or go around the charger to find the perimeter wire.
When the switch is set to mow in the Morning it follows that procedure.
When the switch is set to mow in the Afternoon it does the same except it runs into the B wire and is blocked from mowing in Area A 1. Or it hits the wire and follows it to the other two B areas.
The wire coming from the switch can be almost along side the charger house until it gets to the entrance then it should leave room for the bot to turn around should it come back into that area as it mows the B area 1.
I've never used this set up so you're on your own with building the switch and getting a good timer that will last the season. Maybe one of those xmas tree timers.
