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Friendly Robotics RL550, Operating & Safety Manual

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Friendly Robotics RL550 Operating & Safety Manual Download Page 13

 

13 

Back Yard

Front Yard

Fence

Perimeter 

Switch

Perimeter 

Switch

Back Yard

Front Yard

Fence

Perimeter 

Switch

Perimeter 

Switch

Figure 1.1 

 

 Two separated zones

 

 Chapter 1 

Perimeter Wire Setup

  

 

 

1.0 Where To Start 

In order to determine the best location to begin the setup, it is best to first make some basic 
decisions based on your lawn. While many lawns can be effectively cut during the course of one 
single, most lawns and homes are not laid out in such fashion to efficiently allow the Robomow to 
operate freely all over the lawn. Because of this, the typical setup of the perimeter wire may actually 
be two separate areas or zones, as they are called. For each zone that is set up, allow for 
placement of one Perimeter Switch for that zone. Find a convenient spot 

outside the perimeter

 of 

each zone, but a location that is relatively easy for you to access. It is recommended to place the 
perimeter switch in a dry and sheltered location. Consider placing the perimeter switch near shrubs or 
bushes to hide them. Now, knowing the Perimeter Switch location, you can begin the setup by starting the 
wire at each of the Perimeter Switch locations. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In figure 1.1, the front yard and the back yard are physically separated by fence. The fence prevents the 
Robomow from moving freely between the front and the back. In this example, there are two zones, one for 
the front and one for the back. Knowing ahead of time that two zones will be needed will help the setup go 
smoothly. 
 

1.1 Using The RoboRuler 
 

The Robomow includes a ruler style measurement stick called a RoboRuler that is used to help position 
the perimeter wire along walls, fences, sidewalk, driveways, flower beds and other perimeter zones.  There 
are two basic measurements that are used on the RoboRuler.  The shorter distance is used along 
perimeter edges where the area outside the immediate perimeter (about 12 inches/30 cm) is free of 
obstacles and is the same relative height as the perimeter edge. The longer distance is used along 
perimeter edges where the area outside the immediate perimeter has obstacles or differences in the height 
along the perimeter edge.  See Figure 1.2.   

Summary of Contents for RL550

Page 1: ...Operating Safety Manual RL350 550 800 850 1000 www friendlyrobotics com DOC0015C ...

Page 2: ... Robomow without the Docking Station please refer to this Operating Safety Manual If you have also purchased a Docking Station please refer to the RL1000 Docking Station Operating Safety Manual supplied with the Docking Station We wish you years of satisfaction with the Friendly Robotics products ...

Page 3: ... appliances In addition the following National standard and draft were taken into consideration when testing the machine BS 3456 Part 2 Section 2 42 1997 Safety of household and similar electrical appliances Section 2 42 Battery operated lawnmowers PrEN 50338 1999 Safety of household and similar electrical appliances Particular requirements for pedestrian controlled battery powered electrical lawn...

Page 4: ... know that you will enjoy the extra free time you will have while using Robomow to mow your lawn When set up and used properly Robomow will operate safely on your lawn and provide you with a quality of cut matched by a few mowers of any kind You will be impressed with your lawn s appearance and best of all Robomow did it for you IMPORTANT The following pages contain important safety and operating ...

Page 5: ...Perimeter Wire Setup 13 Chapter 2 Preparing the Robomow 22 Chapter 3 Manual Automatic Operation 29 Chapter 4 Charging 34 Chapter 5 Settings and Advanced Features 37 Chapter 6 Text Messages and Troubleshooting 42 Chapter 7 Specifications 48 Chapter 8 Maintenance and Storage 49 Chapter 9 Accessories 52 ...

Page 6: ...nual Controller mow only in daylight or in a good artificial light 12 Do not operate Robomow using the manual controller when barefoot or wearing open sandals Always wear substantial footwear and long trousers 13 Avoid operating Robomow on wet grass Do not use it in rain 14 When using manual controller always be sure of your footing on slopes 15 Do not operate the mower on slopes greater than 15 d...

Page 7: ... tight to assure safe condition of this appliance 36 Replace worn or damaged parts for safety 37 Use heavy gloves when inspecting or servicing the blades 38 Use only the original equipment power pack and power supply charger with this mower Incorrect use may result in electric shock overheating or leakage of corrosive liquid from the battery 39 The charger power supply is for indoor use only Do no...

Page 8: ...ty instructions 3 Objects can be thrown from mower while operating take caution 4 Keep children pets and bystanders away from mower 5 Sharp rotating blades Keep hands away and do not attempt to lift mower from this area 6 Sharp rotating blades Keep feet away 1 2 3 4 5 6 DANGER Sharp rotating blades Keep hands and feet away Serious injury can occur CAUTION Remove battery power pack before attemptin...

Page 9: ...ndent finger actions in order to engage the mower blades Once engaged the mower blade button must remain depressed to continue blade operation Once released the two step engagement process must be repeated 7 Electronically Controlled Charging System The Robomow is equipped with an on board charge control system This allows you to keep the charger connected at all times even after the battery is fu...

Page 10: ...ed an obstacle that is unable to activate the bumper sensor preventing it from moving or a problem landscape area has caused the mower to get stuck and is preventing it from moving 12 Automatic departure warning alert When the mower is scheduled to depart the Docking Station automatically per a scheduled time a warning buzzer and the operating lamp will activate 5 minutes prior to departure This i...

Page 11: ...round around the lawn perimeter and around obstacles 7 Wire Used to create a virtual wall for your Robomow 8 Perimeter Switch C Cell Batteries Activates the perimeter wire which defines the area in which the Robomow will operate 9 Perimeter Switch Mounting Stake Used for supporting the perimeter switch in the lawn 10 Wire connectors Used for splicing wires as needed 11 Plot connector Used for conn...

Page 12: ...nt the mower to enter A small signal is generated from a device attached to the perimeter wire called the Perimeter Switch When turned on this signal is carried through the perimeter wire creating what we define as a virtual wall The virtual wall is visible only to the Robomower keeping the Robomower where you want it on your lawn The perimeter switch must be turned on to activate the perimeter wi...

Page 13: ...ter switch near shrubs or bushes to hide them Now knowing the Perimeter Switch location you can begin the setup by starting the wire at each of the Perimeter Switch locations In figure 1 1 the front yard and the back yard are physically separated by fence The fence prevents the Robomow from moving freely between the front and the back In this example there are two zones one for the front and one f...

Page 14: ...ction 2 8 for details on testing You can lightly insert pegs into the ground by hand to hold the wire temporarily in place before driving the pegs to the ground level with a hammer 1 3 Fastening The Wire To The Ground It is not necessary to bury the perimeter wire though you may do so if you wish up to 3 inches 7 5 cm Small pegs or stakes are supplied with the Robomow and they are used to fasten a...

Page 15: ...tial width and in which the Robomow must pass through in order to access and cut other zones an hourglass shape The minimum distance for an effective narrow pass is 5 5 feet 1 7 m between perimeter wires The larger a pass can be made the better access Robomow will have between the zones This will greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the mower See Figure 1 7 For an area that is narro...

Page 16: ... peg the wire around the obstacle returning back to the same spot of the perimeter There are two keys to setting up the perimeter wire to exclude an obstacle 1 place the wire going to the obstacle from the perimeter and the wire going from the obstacle to the perimeter adjacent to one another This area is between the obstacle and the normal lawn edge where the perimeter wire is set up and 2 follow...

Page 17: ...1 2 m to perimeter wire loop out Trees large enough to allow Robomow to bump into do not require a perimeter wire around it Small tree must exclude with perimeter wire Tree too close to perimeter less than 4 feet 1 2m loop out with perimeter wire Minimum distance between obstacle wire and perimeter wire 5 feet 1 5 m Greater than 3 feet 0 9 m The Robomow can freely move across this section but will...

Page 18: ... a separate zone A simple but effective and common way to set the Robomow up is to have one zone for the front yard and one for the back yard The side yards can be included with a front or back section or even set us a separate zone if desired The key is to set up the zones that will allow the Robomow to operate with the greatest efficiency even if it is more than one or two zones You will quickly...

Page 19: ...ing to cut a slope area in manual If you are unsure as to whether a slope is too steep or not attempt driving the Robomow manually up the slope If the front of the mower does not lift from the ground the slope is fine to include in the cutting area If however it does lift exclude this section from the cutting area 1 9 Completing The Setup Once the perimeter wire is completed and pegged to the grou...

Page 20: ...ht next to the ON button indicates the system is on and functioning correctly The Perimeter Switch also has an indicator for low batteries and for a disconnected broken perimeter wire Figure 1 14 Figure 1 10 Inserting and Fastening Perimeter Wire to Connector Figure 1 14 Perimeter Switch Operating Panel Strip back inch 6 mm of insulation from each wire end and insert each perimeter wire end into h...

Page 21: ...erimeter Switch also comes with a large stake that fastens to the back of the perimeter switch making movement from one plot to another easier by allowing you to disconnect the switch and move it with the stake still attached Simply stick it into the dirt and plug it into the perimeter wire for each plot See Figure 1 15 Another placement option is to mount the switch onto a vertical surface such a...

Page 22: ...Remove the Power Pack from the Robomow and insert the fuse The fuse can be inserted in either direction See Figure 2 2 Carefully lower the Power Pack into the Robomow The Robomow now will power up wake up The Power Pack is charged at the factory and has plenty of power to perform the initial setup and test run However after the initial set up process is completed the Power Pack needs to be charged...

Page 23: ...the LCD window when making user selections It is also used as a means to reverse back out of the menu options that can be accessed in user options returning you to the main screen 4 GO Start button the main operating button for automatic operation In addition it is used as a button for making or confirming selections made under user options in the LCD window 5 Stop button pressing this button will...

Page 24: ...ace your finger in the indention of the mower at the front left of the Manual Controller and pivot it upwards allowing you to grasp and remove the Manual Controller Figure 2 3 Driving is accomplished by lightly pressing the directional pad with your thumb or index finger in the direction you wish the Robomow to drive See Figure 2 6 Forward and reverse are marked on the housing directly above and b...

Page 25: ...wered See Figure 2 7 The ground height adjustment is located in the Power Pack compartment of the mower See Figure 2 8 It has two positions upper and lower RL550 Europe has three upper lower and middle The lower position closest to the bottom of the Power Pack compartment provides the highest level of ground clearance while the upper position farthest from the bottom of the Power Pack compartment ...

Page 26: ...he top Turn the Perimeter Switch on to activate the perimeter wire as it must be in operation to perform this process You will now be at the first display as seen in Figure 2 10 Follow the sequence pictured in Figure 2 10 to complete this process During the calibration process the Robomow will begin rotating slowly in a circle pausing from time to time The Robomow can make up to four complete circ...

Page 27: ...ess GO Dock Zone MAX Not Set Scroll Set Country Press GO Test Passed Press C Activate Motors Press GO Press GO Dock Zone MAX USA Confirm USA Confirm Press GO Dock Zone MAX Press GO Calibration Req Press GO Not Set Scroll Set Country Press GO Test Passed Press C Activate Motors Press GO Press GO Zone A MAX USA Confirm USA Confirm Press GO Zone A MAX Zone A MAX LCD Display Action Required Figure 2 1...

Page 28: ...wn flush with the top Insure the Perimeter Switch is turned on Press the down scroll arrow for the User Options and follow the instructions below Figure 2 12 Walk along the side of the Robomow while it is following the edge At any point where the mower position is too far to the outer edge of the lawn area note this area and slightly move the wire towards the interior For example if the bumper of ...

Page 29: ...u to turn the switch on If a cut wire indicator is flashing be sure you connected the Perimeter Switch to the perimeter wire using the small green connector If the low battery light is flashing insert fresh c cell alkaline batteries If this does not correct the problem refer to Chapter 6 Text Messages and Troubleshooting for further help 3 2 Positioning The Robomow On The Lawn Remove the Manual Co...

Page 30: ...ire at about the center of the mower It will now begin mowing the edge completing one to two complete passes around the perimeter At the point the Robomow is satisfied the perimeter has been cut it will stop and then rotate towards the inner area of the lawn It will then drive into the lawn and begin what is called the scanning process This is simply the methodical mowing of the lawn using the adv...

Page 31: ...sage as shown in Figure 3 8 if the mowing time has been selected to any time other than MAX If the Robomow has completed its mowing and it is more than 20 minutes before you arrive to move it the LCD screen will be blank The Robomow will shut itself down into a sleep mode after 20 minutes of inactivity at all times This is an energy saving feature Pressing the GO button or removing the Manual Cont...

Page 32: ...ate the drive motors using the navigator button and use is best obtained by lightly rolling your finger in the direction you wish to drive Continuous pressure is required to drive so once released the mower will cease movement Figure 3 10 Manual driving has a slow and fast speed You can change the speed to the other level at any time by pressing the speed button once while driving Another press an...

Page 33: ...33 ...

Page 34: ...imately 20 hours depending on conditions There is a fast charger available as an accessory See the accessories available for your Robomow in Chapter 10 4 2 Charging Using the Standard Charger Connected to the Charging Socket Connect the charger to a regular household receptacle 120 Volts AC models outside the US utilize 230 volts mains power and the output lead of the charger Figure 4 2 into the c...

Page 35: ... the charging system is not being used properly in order keep the Power Pack in top condition for peak performance and service Level one is a somewhat transparent level to the user but under certain conditions will communicate information to the level two system in order to alert you that something regarding the Power Pack and charging system needs your attention It is the level two system that co...

Page 36: ...ority in the power management system than Time Completed for the obvious reason that the Power Pack voltage is at a lower level For this reason immediately following a Recharge Battery message the Robomow will emit a buzzer sound every 30 seconds for the next 20 minutes in order to alert you that the mowing session is completed and it is now time to re connect the charger to the Robomow If the Rob...

Page 37: ...rough the menu items as shown in figure 5 2 The GO button is used as a means to select or confirm different menu options or settings By pressing the GO button it will generally select or confirm what is shown on the second line of the LCD text message There are several settings for which the operator can make changes to or features to enable disable Pressing the C button at any time during the men...

Page 38: ...llows user to shut off non safety related operating sounds 5 2 2 Wire position Allows user to test the wire position in Edge mode while the mowing motors are switched off to prevent any damage to the perimeter wire after the initial setup of the wire is completed 5 2 3 Language Allows the user the option of viewing the LCD text in several different language versions 5 2 4 Work Time Allows the user...

Page 39: ...distance such as one full round It will remain as a learned distance until the edge is re learned or the factory default edge is selected It should be done when the Manual Controller is in the holder and flush with the mower top Learn Edge gives you the ability to have the Robomow learn the distance around the edge Figure 5 5 Position the Robomow to start edge mowing and place the Manual Controlle...

Page 40: ...Figure 5 6 below Rain sensor on off allows turning the rain sensor feature off to enable operation in rain and wet grass conditions Reading Shows the actual reading of the rain sensor Set sensitivity Enables to set the sensitivity of the rain sensor in which the mower will detect rain below the threshold set The default sensitivity set in the factory is 4 it means that in any reading below 4 the m...

Page 41: ... Board Displays the software version operating in this mower Displays the charging voltage Displays the charging temperature measured on the Main Board Displays the last stop cause number 5 3 Information Pressing GO at the Information display will open the option to scroll between the following menus Figure 6 7 5 4 Child Guard Child guard is a feature that when activated will help deter use by you...

Page 42: ... calibrate mower Charging Failure The charging process is not active Contact service provider Check Mow Height Mowing motors have faced over current for too long or some obstacle is stuck or wrapped around the blades Something is preventing a blade from rotating freely Severe grass accumulation under the mowing deck rope or similar object wrapped around mowing blade Object jammed under mower preve...

Page 43: ...layed every time the charger plug is disconnected from the mower Displayed when the mower isn t in operation and not connected to the charger Docking Station for a long time Press any key to change the display back Send the mower back to the Docking Station for charging connect the charging plug or continue in operation Keys locked Child lock feature has been activated Press the Up arrow key and t...

Page 44: ... wheels to slip Enter Code The theft guard system is activated Enter the correct 4 digit code Theft Guard can be deactivated under User Preferences Contact your service provider for assistance in a lost code situation Thermistors fail Faulty disconnected thermistors overheat protection Contact service provider Time Completed The operating time set for that zone has been reached Connect to the char...

Page 45: ... LCD screen Power Pack has been discharged from lack of charge maintenance It is required for the charger to remain connected to the Robomow when not in use Failure to do so can cause permanent Power Pack damage Contact your service provider Robomow drives but blades will not mow Mowing has been turned to off Change back on under User Preferences Power Pack is not fully charged Connect the charger...

Page 46: ...AX Power Pack nearing natural end of life Replace Power Pack and follow maintenance instructions in manual Grass is extremely overgrown or very wet Raise cutting height Always mow the grass frequently enough to prevent over growth Refrain from cutting wet grass Large patches of uncut grass remain after Robomow has completed mowing Power Pack capacity is damaged from poor maintenance Replace Power ...

Page 47: ... the edge Peculiar geometry of perimeter On RL800 RL850 perform Learn Edge function Operating lamp not flashing when blades are in operation Faulty bulb Replace operating lamp bulb LCD display is in a foreign language The language setting was changed or not correctly set Remove the Manual Controller and follow the sequence listed 1 Press C button 2 Press GO button twice 3 Press Down arrow key twic...

Page 48: ...by side comparison Dimensions 89cm l x 66 5cm w x 31 5cm h 35 x 26 x 12 5 Weight 22 6kg 50lb Unit 12 6kg 28lb Power Pack Noise level 85 db A Mowing Width 3 Blades and a total cutting width of 56cm 21 Cuts 1 5cm outside the wheels Mowing Height 6 settings at the front and 2 at the rear High Cut Blade 44 81mm 1 75 3 25 Low Cut Blade 26 63mm 1 2 5 Blade Motor RPM 5800 RPM Equivalent Mowing Power 5 HP...

Page 49: ... inspected and cleaned if necessary between operations The Robomow is a dedicated mulching mower and may accumulate clippings under the mowing deck particularly when mowing wet and damp grass Figure 8 2 Most grass accumulation can be removed using a small wooden stick or similar object Carefully scrape the collected grass debris from under the mowing deck If necessary remove the blades to gain bet...

Page 50: ...e locking tabs on each side of blade retainer then pull blade assembly off away from mower When reinstalling the blade line up the mating splines and push until a firm click is heard indicating a proper seating of the blade onto the shaft Squeeze here Squeeze here Locking tabs Mating spline Figure 8 2 Using a wooden stick or similar object clean accumulated grass from these areas of the mowing dec...

Page 51: ...sulated with insulation tape is not a satisfactory splice Soil moisture will cause the conductors to oxidize and after a while result in broken circuit 8 7 Winter Storage Power Pack Fully charge the Power Pack till Ready keep charging is displayed and store it separately from the Robomow off the ground i e on a wooden shelf in a dry location and a cool place not colder than 4ºF 20 ºC A fully charg...

Page 52: ...zones and three silicon filled wire nuts for repairing or splicing the perimeter wire Fast Charger External Recharges the primary or additional Power Pack outside of the mower in approximately 4 hours for fast service and use Blade Set Keep a spare blade set on hand Sharp blades are important for safety and good cutting performance Enhanced Manual Controller Manual Controller with special features...

Page 53: ...Friendly Robotics authorized repair facility Repairs necessary due to improper battery care and or improper charging process such as charging in wet conditions electrical supply irregularities or failure to properly prepare the mower or battery prior to any period of non use Repairs necessary due to water damage other than incidental rain exposure repairs due to lighting or other acts of God Instr...

Page 54: ...54 www friendlyrobotics com ...

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