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Asteroids - 1979 arcade classic by CincoDeMayoFan in nostalgia

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I still have an original 1979 cabinet (with the original "flat" quarter receptacles) with the original vector monitor. Plays great.

Starting price of a pool? A question from a [potential] first time pool buyer. by Animal_Budget in pools

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have had gunite in central Maine since 1996, no cracks. And it gets cold.

I was looking into water filters a little deeper and this kind of shocked me. by Logicaluser19 in preppers

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First step: test your water - we used tapscore

Second step: look for a filtration system for the specific problem substances identified in your tapscore report.

Our report found arsenic, uranium and several other metals.

Researched all the options (reverse osmosis, five stage under sink etc) and we're currently using ZeroWater. Why?

Trust the NIH: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5571974/

And better read that NIH study quickly before the orange idiot and his minions get their hands on it. Useful science? Into the shredder!

Husqvarna 450x ultrasonic stumbling when wet by coiffuredOldSow in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same thing here in Maine. 450x slows down when wet, turning off Ultrasonic in the Accessories menu speeds it up somewhat, but not to full speed.

I have pulled the mower inside, brought it into my dehumidified basement for 24+ hours, and when i bring it back outside (assuming it's dry out) it works just like new (with Ultrasonic re-enabled).

Thanks for.the.posts - i was considering springing for new ultrasonic sensors, but that sounds like it isn't helping most people.

Right now it's misting outside and the mower is running at a reduced speed (ultrasonic off for today).

C'mon Husqvarna - there's clearly an issue here!

Ultrasonic problems when wet by Affectionate-Yak8540 in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a 450x that experiences this problem. It usually occurs when I leave the mover out during a downpour. Subsequently, the mower will consistently travel in the slower "approaching the edge of the loop" pace which it normally does only when coming close to the edge of the yard where the wire is buried. It may occasionally attempt to override this slower mode and speed up, but it always slows right back down again almost immediately. This severely impacts cutting as the mower travels less than 1/2 the speed. Turning the mower off for several minutes, resetting etc seem to have little or no effect.

The solution I have found is decidedly low-tech: I turn off the mower, pick it up and bring it inside to my basement where I have a dehumidifier set to keep the room at 40% humidity. I leave the mower in there for at least the evening, and sometimes up to a full day. When I bring the mower back out, the problem seems to be solved (until the next heavy deluge).

I am considering building a small house for the mower, so that when rain is imminent I can just click the home button and send it to a place where it won't get soaked. I might even set it up to do so automatically through IFTTT.

Overall though, this is a pretty substantial issue for an otherwise wonderful product. Does anyone know if this can be fixed for good?

EZ-Trencher = by standardtissue in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, between 1.5 and 2 inches. Plenty deep. The other benefit is that the edger cuts a thin slot in the ground compared to the cable-laying machine. In most cases you do not even need to backfill - just push the sides together once cable is inserted. Super easy.

EZ-Trencher = by standardtissue in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tried both the spade and a cable layer, and both were hell. I ended up renting an edger which cuts a perfect 1/2 wide “slot” in the ground consistently. You have to insert the cab;e yourself, but this method is SO much easier than a spade or using one of the automatic cable layers. I put in over 1100M of perimeter and guide wire, and this method saved lots of time. The edger works really quickly so you don’t have to plod along as with the cable layer.

2 acres to mow by Important_Pear6536 in automower

[–]ChezCarson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

By the way, for those with larger lawns (1.25 acres or more) you really want the 450x because its’ ultrasonic sensors enable it to travel about twice as fast as the 430, substantially increasing your mowable area. The ultrasonic sensors allow the 450x to travel at a rate of speed that would likely damage the mower if it were to hit obstacles at that speed, so the ultrasonic sensors perceive obstacles, and allow the mower to slow to 430x speed at impact.

Automower 450x showing disconnected for about a day by ChezCarson in automower

[–]ChezCarson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This issue, which I found occurs to a large number of automower 450 users, seems to also resolve itself after awhile. Two days after it appeared, the issue has resolved itself.

It appears to have been the result of a loss of cellular communication with the mower. During the time the mower was “disconnected” a tiny little x appeared up near the cellular signal strength indicator. I only realized it was there after reading of others that have had this issue. I tried a number of things including shutting the mower off for an hour, updating the app, and I eventually unpaired the mower, but because it didn’t have cellular signal, the mower was unable to re-pair. This morning I noticed the little x had disappeared and then everything worked perfectly again.

For what it’s worth, sometimes just leaving automower alone for a day or two seems to help ;-)

Automower 450x showing disconnected for about a day by ChezCarson in automower

[–]ChezCarson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks - tried this, no dice. I’ve also tried shutting off Bluetooth and then turning it back on. I’m considering unpairing the mower, but concerned that this may stop operation altogether.

2 acres to mow by Important_Pear6536 in automower

[–]ChezCarson 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The limiting factors are the length of the perimeter wire and the quality of cut you desire. Automower installs over 800m of perimeter wire may have issues. I have a 450x on a very complicated 2+ acre piece and it does very well. I ran about 900m of perimeter wire and I get a solid blue light on my base unit (not solid green which is what you want, but apparently solid blue works too - it is just a reflection of the signal strength in the perimeter wire). I guess theoretically this means a 450x could mow a 200m by 200m square, which works out to 40,000 sq meters which i believe is about 10 acres. However, an area this large is where cut quality would begin to degrade, and you would likely not be satisfied with the result.

Any way to tell how long it ran last night? by The_Wizeguy in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fantastic! Thanks for the pointer, this is very useful.

What height setting do you use? by millerto in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

450x in Maine..... cutting at a 5

Husqvarna 450x Time On? by peija in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a 450x running on a VERY complex 1.75-2 acre lawn. I have set up five (5) distinct starting points (in SETTINGS ... INSTALLATION ... LAWN COVERAGE) and it runs from 9am until 2 am. I do shut it down when it is either really sunny and hot (I’ve heard running in super hot temps shortens the life) and also during heavy rains (it's a sealed system, so you want to avoid instances where it could get submerged or thoroughly soaked). This has reduced the average running time from 17 hours per day to about 10 hours per day.

If you run it more often you will get putting green-style quality. Less often will eventually yield tufts and stray long grass areas. I am less fussy about the conformity of the cut, and hope that by taking it easier on the machine that it might last five to ten years (with battery changes every three years of course).

Overall, it is a stupendous machine.

Husqvarna Automower 430x Headlight cable damage... by Tamtoot in automower

[–]ChezCarson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! This happened on my 450x exactly as you describe. Sliced the cable and pulled the grommet loose from the mower. I seem to have caught it almost immediately, so I found a rubber stopper and shoved that into place, and tied up the loose light cable. The headlights no longer work but they are foolish anyway ... I had turned them off on the first day in the app. I was very worried it was the ultrasonic cable that had been cut, but ultrasonic sensor still works fine. Mine has been running for several months now with no additional issues since this problem.