Roomba 535's Maiden Voyage

[geekgranny]

Roomba 535 #1 on her maiden voyage at this very moment.

LightHouse VW takes two (2) C cells.

Running on smooth tile with two short pile rug runners.

She is a lot quieter than all the others and she's running on tile.

**She's pretty and doesn't seem any lighter in weight, maybe heavier. I'm going to have to give her a name.
**The cliff sensors are enclosed in clear plastic covers.
**She seems to have her innards much better sealed from dust.
**The main, big brush is a combination of bristles and rubber beater.
**The smaller rubber beater is similar to the old Roombas.
**She climbs up over a pedestal base, 3/4" X 8" X 14", with ease whereas the old Roombas had some problems and sometimes got stuck there.
**The side brush sure does spin fast.
**She does slow down at all obstacles and when approaching the home base.

I'll keep updating this post as time progresses.

gg=alice (gg and alice are no longer feuding)

UPDATE

Roomba 535 spent about 70 minutes in zone 1, my smallest zone. It is now in zone 2 which is at least twice as large as zone 1. The battery light was still green when it moved to zone 2.

LightHouse in LH mode near doorway leading from zone 1 to zone 2 on zone 2 side of door. 535 kept approaching the LH earlier in mission and at about 40 minutes from start of run I moved the LH further away from door. After about 15 more minutes I moved it even further away from door. A few minutes later it crossed into zone 2. I then moved it back to original position.

I don't know if 535 was supposed to stay in zone 1 that long or if maybe it and/or the LH got "confused". Not sure. It will take more missions to determine. Maybe iRobot's claim of 35 minutes in first zone is an estimate based on average room size. And just maybe 535 will adjust to room size and amount of cleaning needed. I hope this is the case.


Second UPDATE

535 went back to zone 1, guided by LH in LH mode, three minutes short of 120 minutes total time. Its been 10 minutes back in zone 1 with "dock" light blinking on 535. Battery indicator light on orange. She's taking her time finding the home base and has actually gone back into the bathroom cleaning.

Will report when she docks.

gg=alice

[Fraggboy]

Keep us updated GG(Or, Alice)..

[Southern Bell]

geekgranny I am jealous ... Mine wont be here until Friday

[geekgranny]

Keep us updated GG(Or, Alice)..

Don't forget to buy C cells for Lighthouse.

I have two UPDATES added to original post (first post in this thread)

I have only one Lighthouse, used in LH mode, between zones 1 and 2. Used old VW between zones 2 and 3. Second LH (that comes with 535 #2 should be here tomorrow afternoon.

**535 docked 130 minutes after her mission with light still on orange.
**She spent way too much time in zone 1, the smallest.
**She didn't complete zone 2 and never did make it all the way over to where I am sitting in zone 3. I do not have a second LH so she may make it further over to here if a LH is sitting between zones 2 and 3, in either mode. I had an old VW set into zone 3. I would say she made it up to about 10 ft in the vicinity of old VW before turning around and going back to cleaning the main part of zone 2.

I haven't emptied her bin yet to see what everything looks like. She came with a second filter.

I let her pick up a few chunks of large and small doggie kibble. They rattled around some, probably in the bin, after they were picked up.

The side brush seems to reach further out than the ones on old models.

More to come.

gg=alice

[kennjen]

geekgranny I am jealous ... Mine wont be here until Friday

I'm getting mine Friday too. from HSN.

new to forum new to roomba....very excited. But, I'm very pathemistic about the capabilities of the Light house.

I wonder if irobot will issue new OS updates for these. Do these accept any software updates via USB or some thing ? I don't think I recall seeing that on the spec or some one talking about it....

[Southern Bell]

I am a newbie here and with the irobot products as well

I'm getting mine Friday too. from HSN.

new to forum new to roomba....very excited. But, I'm very pathemistic about the capabilities of the Light house.

I wonder if irobot will issue new OS updates for these. Do these accept any software updates via USB or some thing ? I don't think I recall seeing that on the spec or some one talking about it....

[geekgranny]

geekgranny I am jealous ... Mine wont be here until Friday

I'm getting mine Friday too. from HSN.

new to forum new to roomba....very excited. But, I'm very pathemistic about the capabilities of the Light house.

I wonder if irobot will issue new OS updates for these. Do these accept any software updates via USB or some thing ? I don't think I recall seeing that on the spec or some one talking about it....

I know it's hard to wait. And on the positive side you'll probably benefit from more user experience.

Kenn, or is it Ken Njen?,

I think there has been a slight bit of discussion about programming. The ones who have better info on this will probably chime in.

I'm going to run her again this evening to see if staying in zone 1 so (too) long was a fluke. I'm, also, going to put a physical barrier between zones 2 and 3 to see if the old VW kept her from coming over all the way to "division" of zones 2 and 3.

After she recharges from second mission I'll move home base to zone 2 to start cleaning it first, with LH, LH mode, between zone 2 and 1, and physical barrier between zones 2 and 3 to see how that works.

I'll be playing with start locations over next few days and will use single 535 with 2 LHs at first before complicating everything by running 535 #2.

BTW.... Although the bumping is less forceful than the old ones some might want to put foam on bumper. On the white model there is a black strip running horizontally across the white bumper. That might be the best spot to put the foam, allowing small spaces for sensors, to better retain the original look.

So far I love her.

She and her sister will be given names.

gg=alice

[Sara]

Mine's due tomorrow!

Sara

[geekgranny]

Mine's due tomorrow!

Sara

[MTtummy385]

cherokeeloves wrote:
geekgranny I am jealous ... Mine wont be here until Friday


kennjen wrote:
I'm getting mine Friday too. from HSN.

Friday for me too!! HSN as well.

[RC Eden Carpet Cleaning]

You guys are all making me jealous!! Mine hasn't even shipped and I ordered it 2.5 days ago grrr!!

[robotreviews]

So far I love her.

I warned you!

I just received my Roomba 560 from iRobot today, and will be receiving my Roomba 2 535s from HSN on Friday. I'm curious to see if there is any difference at all except for the color. So far, my production 560 appears to be identical to the test model I received last week.

Regards,
Craig

[Southern Bell]

I live in Indiana and my Roomba is in HODGKINS,
IL GRRRR and there is no update on my Roomba.. I do hope I get it a day earlier

[bobnielson]

GG - how about naming your bots Twidle Dee and Twidle Dumb for Alice in Wonderland!

[THX-1138]

That is a great idea bob!

[timiny]

how does the height of the 535 compare to the discovery? My discovery is just a smidge to tall to make it under my sofa.

[geekgranny]

GG - how about naming your bots Twidle Dee and Twidle Dumb for Alice in Wonderland!

Don't forget to purchase size C cells.

Bob, PERFECT Thanks.

Okay guys/gals, I've got dibs on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

I think I'll call them Dee and Tweedle. Certainly don't want to give one a complex calling her "dumb". But I think it is actually "Tweedle Dee" and "Tweedle Dum" (I had to ask DH, the walking encyclopedia, if it is Tweedle or Twidle.)

Dee or Dum, 535 #1
Tweedle, 535 #2

Twidle would be a good name too.

"Dee" was charged up and ready to roll when I got home. As I was gone I don't know how long it took to recharge.

I, first cleaned her. The bin doesn't look to be any larger to me. The bottom of the bin is clear. The filter holder swings out and doesn't have to be detached for cleaning or changing filter. Filter is very different and smaller than old ones. I blew it out with air, less air needed than for old ones, and looks very clean. Brush had some hair wound on ends, easily removed without any tools. I removed what little hair was caught in brush with fingers; really fast. I did blow off bottom and a little air into wheel wells and some in front caster wheel, that is recessed much more than on old models.

Mission 2: She's running it now. After cleaning I put her into zone 1, where home base is but not on home base. She immediately went to and through door to zone 2. So I stopped her and placed her on home base to restart. When started from home base she cleaned zone 1 for 10 minutes. (She really, really, must want to finish zone 2.) She then insisted on going to zone 2. So I let her.

I physically blocked off zone 3 as opposed to using old VW like I did on maiden voyage. She, now has spent the last 30 minutes going to town on the end of zone 2, near where I am sitting in zone 3, where she wouldn't even go near on maiden voyage.

Did I say she is really, really, quite, compared to the others, even Scooba? The difference is probably more noticeable on hard surface.

She goes right up to and bumps all older Roombas and DirtDogs on home bases (eight scattered around house) cleaning very well around them.

She goes right up to and bumps and cleans around LH set on LH (guidance) mode.

Ned Mastiff and Hilda Rottie were on this side of physical barrier, near barrier, with me in zone 3. As Dee (Dum) approached barrier they both got up and moved away. Annie Mastiff is on a rug in zone 2 (beds up for covers to be washed). She hasn't moved yet. BTW... the Roombas and DirtDogs don't like the type of rug Annis is on, flipping them up and sometimes getting stuck and not able to get out of an area. We'll see how Dee does as part of the rug is not under Annie. OOPS. Annie moved to zone 1.

Well, roombareview, it certainly was a well founded warning.

I'll maybe get back wich ya'lls tonight unless DH makes me watch a movie.

gg=alice

[geekgranny]

how does the height of the 535 compare to the discovery? My discovery is just a smidge to tall to make it under my sofa.

I haven't measured but will do so tomorrow unless someone else does it first. Due to its design it looks shorter but may not be. When I started Dee for her second mission tonight I was wondering the same thing. For me the true test will be if they can fit under all places at toe-kick in kitchen without scratching the top of 'bot. The Roombas don't get stuck under them but get a small scratch on top surface every once in a while. There's one spot that the DirtDogs will somehow get their IR sensor hung. I think they do it when they buck to get out of tight spots.

I just realized that Dee hasn't yet gotten stuck under edge of sofas (can't go under because they have recliners built in). Time will tell or measuring.

gg=alice

[geekgranny]

Dee spent 10 minutes in zone 1 (home base location) and then insisted on going to zone 2 that she so sorely neglected today.

She spent 80 minutes cleaning zone 2 and then returned back to zone 1; battery indicator light still green.

She then spent 10 minutes in zone 1 and now has returned back to zone 2 and is cleaning. Battery light still green. BTW... they start blinking a light that says "dock" when they are ready to "rest" even if the battery still has pretty good charge.

Maybe she is smarter than we hoped for. Is she actually "learning"?

There really wasn't much more cleaning to be done in zone 1 after she spent so much time in there on her maiden run earlier.

Two things:

When she was going back to zone 1 from zone 2 she tried a few times to go through a furniture leg to get to the door but then finally "figured out" how to do it. The piece of furniture is a secretary on legs that she can get under easily. The LH is to the left of furniture between it and the door to zone 1.

She occasionally makes a kind of dragging sound. At first I thought it was the side brush hitting against edges but it isn't. I'm not sure what it is.

Gotta go watch a good movie; Joan of Arc.

gg=alice

[sys12345]

gg, let me see if i read u correctly... u have a LH placed between Zone 1 and Zone 2. Dee spent 10 mins in Zone 1 and proceed to Zone 2. Stayed in Zone 2 for 80 mins and came back to Zone 1. Spent another 10 mins in Zone 1 and proceed back to Zone 2 again. So, how does the LH actually works?? I thought the LH supposedly confines Roomba to a zone for approx 35 mins? Next, does LH not keep track of which zone has already been cleaned and it allows Roomba to venture into the same zone again??! Did Dee actually make it back to the home base at the end?