Comments on: iRobot Roomba Scheduler http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/01/29/irobot_roomba_scheduler/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:27:19 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: John Kes http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/01/29/irobot_roomba_scheduler/comment-page-1/#comment-24809 John Kes Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:19:26 +0000 #comment-24809 <p>The scheduling remote is lousy for manually driving the Roomba. Seems it can't handle going directly between straight to turn, or vice versa. You have to let go of the button for one direction before you can go to another direction. The old style black Roomba remote works much better. Also, the beacon on the docking base interferes with the Roomba receiver, so the Roomba can't receive commands from the remote if it is too close to the base.</p> <p>Great tip for the docking base from Baker. I will have to try that. </p> <p>I recently noticed that the battery did not last as long. I thought it was going bad. Turns out that dog hair in the brush bearings caused excess friction and power consumption. Battery life went back to normal after I took the brushes out for cleaning. There was a lot of stuff to clean out. I had to use alcohol to clean the dirt sensor.</p> <p>I run mine every other day on my hardwood floor.</p> <p><em>[Edited at January 30, 2008 12:22:55 PM.]</em></p> The scheduling remote is lousy for manually driving the Roomba. Seems it can’t handle going directly between straight to turn, or vice versa. You have to let go of the button for one direction before you can go to another direction. The old style black Roomba remote works much better. Also, the beacon on the docking base interferes with the Roomba receiver, so the Roomba can’t receive commands from the remote if it is too close to the base.

Great tip for the docking base from Baker. I will have to try that.

I recently noticed that the battery did not last as long. I thought it was going bad. Turns out that dog hair in the brush bearings caused excess friction and power consumption. Battery life went back to normal after I took the brushes out for cleaning. There was a lot of stuff to clean out. I had to use alcohol to clean the dirt sensor.

I run mine every other day on my hardwood floor.

[Edited at January 30, 2008 12:22:55 PM.]

]]> By: Andrew Baker http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/01/29/irobot_roomba_scheduler/comment-page-1/#comment-24808 Andrew Baker Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:37:51 +0000 #comment-24808 <p>Yes the roomba is a great vacuum. I have 3 pets that excel at dropping hair everywhere. Roomba once a day fixes that. </p> <p>As for the hardwood. Here is a solution that worked, without the need to go crazy. </p> <p>Get nice strong double stick foam tape. (not the super thick kind) and the rubber sticky matt stuff most people put in there cupboards to keep things from sliding around. Cut it out in shape of the base bottom. use tape to stick it. This material will not slide on a hardwood floor or lanolium, (not sure about tile) IT provides enough tracking to keep the base from moving. </p> <p>Also remember to program your walls, They do work. I use them to keep Roomba out of the bathroom, he hungers for frilly bathmats. He also has an attraction to my iPod cable. He has eaten it more then once. </p> <p>Although Roomba is a bit louder then I care for, I have him vacuuming while i am at work. Entertain the cats.</p> <p>Want to drive your cats nuts? I taped a laser pointer to the top of roomba, turning him into a cat torturing device. Quite fun.</p> Yes the roomba is a great vacuum. I have 3 pets that excel at dropping hair everywhere. Roomba once a day fixes that.

As for the hardwood. Here is a solution that worked, without the need to go crazy.

Get nice strong double stick foam tape. (not the super thick kind) and the rubber sticky matt stuff most people put in there cupboards to keep things from sliding around. Cut it out in shape of the base bottom. use tape to stick it. This material will not slide on a hardwood floor or lanolium, (not sure about tile) IT provides enough tracking to keep the base from moving.

Also remember to program your walls, They do work. I use them to keep Roomba out of the bathroom, he hungers for frilly bathmats. He also has an attraction to my iPod cable. He has eaten it more then once.

Although Roomba is a bit louder then I care for, I have him vacuuming while i am at work. Entertain the cats.

Want to drive your cats nuts? I taped a laser pointer to the top of roomba, turning him into a cat torturing device. Quite fun.

]]> By: David Wendland http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/01/29/irobot_roomba_scheduler/comment-page-1/#comment-24807 David Wendland Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:50:10 +0000 #comment-24807 <p>I'm not too clear on your some of your opinions of the roomba....</p> <p>First you mentioned how much dirt it picked up yet you didn't mention that maybe it is just a good vacuum, Instead you quivel about something must be wrong with the other vacuum. Plus You forgot to mention that this vacuum will get in and under things that a regular vacuum can't get to, thus it will find that hidden dirt.</p> <p>And regarding the docking station, its pretty obvious that the docking station should be against a wall. For one it you won't have cords out in the open and two, it can brace itself against the wall. The problems you experienced were at no fault to the device, just the user.</p> <p>But i have noticed the same flaky response to the remote that you mentioned. But then again why do you need to drive it anyways, we should just let it do its thing These vacuums are awesome in terms of cleaning ability, convenience, and a bit fun!</p> I’m not too clear on your some of your opinions of the roomba….

First you mentioned how much dirt it picked up yet you didn’t mention that maybe it is just a good vacuum, Instead you quivel about something must be wrong with the other vacuum. Plus You forgot to mention that this vacuum will get in and under things that a regular vacuum can’t get to, thus it will find that hidden dirt.

And regarding the docking station, its pretty obvious that the docking station should be against a wall. For one it you won’t have cords out in the open and two, it can brace itself against the wall. The problems you experienced were at no fault to the device, just the user.

But i have noticed the same flaky response to the remote that you mentioned. But then again why do you need to drive it anyways, we should just let it do its thing These vacuums are awesome in terms of cleaning ability, convenience, and a bit fun!

]]> By: Alan Hoyle http://the-gadgeteer.com/2008/01/29/irobot_roomba_scheduler/comment-page-1/#comment-24806 Alan Hoyle Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:35:10 +0000 #comment-24806 <p>The virtual walls can be scheduled too. </p> <p>See page 18 in the following manual: </p> <p>http://www.irobot.com/images/consumer/cs/097.06-Roomba-Gnrc-Manual.pdf</p> The virtual walls can be scheduled too.

See page 18 in the following manual:

http://www.irobot.com/images/consumer/cs/097.06-Roomba-Gnrc-Manual.pdf

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