Work Schedules - Why Only Two?

[moti]

Can anyone explain the Evolution's two work schedules? Not how to program them - rather, why are there only 2 - and in what instances one would want to use more than one? The manual suggests that if you have multiple zones, you might use these, but I can't seem to make sense of them.

The robot returns to its base when it needs to charge, and it wont go out again until it is fully charged, so I wouldn't think Work Schedules are influencing charging.

If there were lots of schedules (more than 2) - then I could understand using them to limit the time the robot stays in a zone. I could also understand if there were two settings- a "workday range" and a "maximum time" in a zone. Then, for example, you could set the robot's working hours from 8AM to 7PM, and indicate that it never spends more than 2 hours in a zone. After the maximum time, it would return and charge up even if it didn't need to - just so that it could then advance to the next zone.

Can anyone give an example of using 2 work schedules? I'm hoping it's not a simple as "The robot never works over lunchtime - that's siesta" 

[prb238]

One might be to force the robot to go back to the garage when a sprinkler system is active so it doesn't chop off the sprinkler heads!  The second work schedule would allow the robot to come back out after the sprinkler system is done.

That may not be the best example, cause you probably don't want the robot out on wet grass.

Another example might be to not allow the robot out after a certain time period at night because of the dew - my grass gets quite wet with dew at certain times of the year, so I used to force it back to the charging base at 8pm and then allow it to start working again in the morning after the dew has gone away.

[toolbelt]

The bot can mow on a percentage basis.  That is, it mows until it has determined that it's cut a certain percentage of the grass OR it can be told to mow for a given length of time.  If that mode is chosen then there are three work schedules.  The first being that it will come out of the charger, turn, start it's blade and begin to more for the amount of time that YOU have set.  Upon either reaching that time, low battery, or rain it will find the wire and return.  The next schedule is one you have some control over but not much.  You can tell how long to follow the wire before it does the above (mow until.....etc...).  You have to determine how long it takes to get to the area you want it to begin mowing.  One way is to point it at the wire next to the charger, press charge and time it as it moves along the wire.  Remember to record two times, one for the first area and another time for the second area.  You can NOT set the amount of time it mows in those areas.  It is the same for all three areas, Main area, 1 and 2nd area.  Main area is the lawn next to the charger unit, optional area 1 could be the lawn by the side of the house, and the 2nd area the front lawn area.  4 areas would have been better but remember these bots were not build in the US ..... nuff said.

So the routine is,
First DAY come out, and begin mowing the main area (area charger sits in) for X number of minutes, returning if battery low, time is up, or rain.  Then (optionally) come back out and do it again for the same amount of time.  (rain may require a reset)

Next DAY come out, turn and find the wire in front of the charger and follow it for Y amount of time (mm:ss), then begin mowing and mow for X amount of time,  returning if battery low, time is up, or rain.  Then (optionally) come back out and do it again for the same amount of time.  (rain may require a reset)

Next DAY come out, turn and find the wire in front of the charger and follow it for Z amount of time (mm:ss), then begin mowing and mow for X amount of time,  returning if battery low, time is up, or rain.  Then (optionally) come back out and do it again for the same amount of time.  (rain may require a reset)

Repeat above.

Hope you can understand all of that, if not I'll try to make it clearer...

There are ways to define an area that the bot has to stay in but that's another post.

toolbelt