Husqvarna 265ACX (or 260ACX) Automower.

1 Lucky Texan

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So where it says . . .

. . . . you reckon that means the pack contains, rather than the pack size is 18650.

When fossicking around, looking for batteries, I got the idea that the 18650 was a size factors number. I.e. the battery was 18mm diameter by 65 mm long. (Don't recall what the zero stood for)

If there are indeed two individual cells in there, they sure have gone to a lot of trouble to contain them.

those cells are are VERY widely used in many configurations so, likely there are 2 inside there and that packaging just makes them a little easier to handle - who knows.

if you broke into 18V, 40 V, 80 V w'ever batteries for various kinds of tools/equipment, you'd find the same 2-3 or so types of cylindrical cells used in various number in series/parallel or mixed configurations. Each Tesla battery 'pack' has about 400 18650 cells. There are, of course, other sizes and rectangular shapes ('prismatic') shapes are becoming popular (Nissan Leaf)but, cylindrical cells work well partyly because of cooling/surface area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-_Q8urTqyo
 

Perry

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You have it nailed. Just why so many resources have gone into pairing them in those enclosed container packs is probably something we'll never know. Peering closely at the twin packs, I can see what looks like a cell anode under the spot-welded tab. Doesn't prove anything conclusively, but my bet is on your assessment.

battery_pack11s.jpg


battery_pack12s.jpg
 

Perry

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Observing Coxy's performance with the new battery packs installed has led to some speculation.

The battery maker/assembler/supplier (Boston) calls the old battery pack units (what we now are almost sure are cell pairs) SWING 4400. There's now SONATA 5300mAh. (Looks much the same but has a very small change in dimensions)
BOSTON POWER SONATA 5300
Re-battery: Li-Ion; 2xMR18650; 3.7V; 5300mAh; 37.3x64.8x19mm

BOSTON POWER SWING 4400
Re-battery: Li-Ion; 2xMR18650; 3.7V; 4400mAh; 37.1x64.8x18.5mm

I had the old battery packs to dissemble and assess. When balancing my curiosity and their cost, such a fate was not going to befall the new packs! At least, not until they have passed their use-by date. So I have no way of knowing what's inside the new packs.

Previously, Coxy used to mow for about 1 hour 40 mins and spend about 40 mins in the charging station, before re-starting mowing. About 2 hours and 10 mins per complete cycle.

Casual observations of Coxy, now, indicate a complete mowing-and-charging cycle of 2 hour and 30 mins: A few mins short of two hours mowing and around 30 mins re-charging.

The mAh rating of the SONATA 5300 is about 20% higher than the SWING 4400.

Using working time only, we had about 100 mins mowing from the 4400 battery packs and close to 120 mins mowing from the new battery packs. That's very close to a 20% increase. Soooooo, it just may be that the new packs have the SONATA 5300 in them.

The why and how of the charging time being shorter eludes me, though. Just improved technology, it seems.
Sonata 5300
Boston-Power’s Sonata 5300 is a high performance lithium-ion rechargeable cell. Its exceptional energy density, industry-leading cycle life, fast charge capability, and industry leading safety features make the Sonata 5300 an ideal solution for industrial, medical, military, notebook computer sensor, and other portable power applications.
 

Perry

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Here's my assessment of Coxy's costs. Running (operational), as well as running and capital costs.

The last two rows are projecting forwards, in which case the annual running costs are presumed to be the same, but the capital costs are spread over more years, thereby reducing the per-month cost.

COXY COSTINGS (NZ Dollars)
Purchase date14/08/2013
Purchase cost6,011.16
Number of months51
Costs calculated to 28 Nov 2016
Operational hours running time from mower clock8,239
Puchase of battery packs from Germany585.26
Outdoor Power
Replace battery packs, supply & fit new blade disc
bearing and housing - labour, etc.214.25
Front wheel tyres24.27
Blades & blade bolts (approx. 12 packs, 9 per pack)108
cost per blade and bolt set0.7075.60
Electricity per hour x hours run over 51 months0.03230.69
Running costs1,130.07
Running costs per month =22.16
Capital costs6,011.16
All costs7,141.23
Therefore all costs per month over 51 months=140.02
Per month costs projected over 8 and 12 years
Projecting all costs amortised over 102 months (8 years)70.01
Projecting all costs amortised over 153 months (12 years)46.67
 

Perry

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Why do the pix keep vanishing from my posts?!

Back in this post were some pix taken on a dewy morning. They illustrated coxy's mowing pattern.

I took some more this morning. They show that he sometimes mows in straight lines, sometimes in curves. Even reverse or S curves.

coxy_curved_mow_path1s.jpg
 

Perry

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First significant snag. Seems that perhaps the seal wasn't as good as it should have been after the battery replacement and that allowed some corrosion to set in. Coxy has been languishing at the mower shop for nearly a month now. And it's Spring - with the usual flush of grass growth.*

The delay is a lack of parts availability in NZ. I ordered some from Italy and Germany, but one lot seems to have become lost in transit. All three parts are needed to get the mower operational. I have also got some 100 gram packs of silica gel, so that one can be secured with a cable tie inside the chassis, when Coxy's two body parts are next rejoined.
* The moral of that story - if it could be called such - is, don't sell the old mower once the robot arrives. It may yet have another life! :giggle:
 

Perry

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I may've mentioned before that an ex-Husqvarna agent in NZ once told me that he viewed the NZ agents/importers as "certified openers of imported boxes, and not much more." Perhaps the lack of stock of spare parts bears that out?

Today, the parts ordered from Germany arrived. In stark contrast to the replacement battery packs purchase, DHL took 6 days under a month to get the parts to NZ, by airmail. (I wonder how many times the plane refuelled in mid-air?!) I dimly recall it was about a week for the battery packs to get here.

I ordered parts from Germany, Italy and Australia. The Italian package arrived first, but the seller charged me twice: two differing amounts on separate days. Still trying to get a refund from them. The part from Australia is still to come and it's no longer critical as the German consignment has arrived.

This morning, I took the parts into the local dealer who told me he was sorely pressed (it's Spring!) with mowers-for-repairs running out his ears. <sigh> So it's a continuing saga on the old Victa, push-behind rotary mower.

As I was pushing the Victa around today, another benefit of a robotic lawn mower became obvious. Since establishing the 'park,' the trees have grown a lot, so getting in and under and close to the trunks is less than straight forward. Of course, Coxy, being low profile, just scoots under the low-hanging branches and comes out the other side.

Also, while mowing this afternoon, in a momentary flight of fantasy, I wryly reflected that maybe I should buy Coxy a twin? That way, this sort of drama and delay with parts should be largely ameliorated.
Well, I do have a spare two-stroke mechanical mower.:confused3:

Now, where did I put those lottery tickets?
:giggle:
 

Perry

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Coxy was back on the job, around 2.00pm yesterday. I used the Victa rotacut mower with catcher, to remove some of the clippings from the lawn, before he started. After checking back in my diary, I see he's been "on the sick list" since 6 Sept. So that's seven weeks AWOL. New Zealand - being at the bottom of the world, so to speak - is obviously a low priority for parts and service for Husqvarna.

One oddity was that some of Coxy's parameter settings had been changed. No idea why (for now) but it goes to show how important it is to keep records. Search delay and corridor widths were the ones which I had to amend back to the previous settings. It was also necessary to check the operational times, so that Coxy wasn't trying to mow the lawns when the irrigation was running. Being summer, he's back to a 15.5 hours a day work roster.

I will end up with a couple of spare, spare parts, given the way things worked out. Who knows, I may be able to sell them to the dealer, once day?

In addition to replacing those parts, I provided the dealer with a 100 gram pack of silica gel, to be fixed inside the body, using a cable tie. Such packs do not absorb moisture for ever, so I have nine replacements as a 10-pack was the minimum purchase.

Once I get the costs of the local agent's time, I will need to revise the costs chart I provided, back in this post.

Anyways, all seems to be more or less OK.

For now, at least.
 

Perry

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Coxy has been operational on this site for nearly 5 years. He has two speeds. And, as above, Coxy recently had several object-detecting, ultra-sound-related parts replaced.

Among the settings I corrected (as per my last post) were the follow loop in and drive past wire parameters. But there's been a new development. Coxy changes speeds erratically in the early morning, when there is dew on the grass. That behaviour stops as the day warms up and the grass dries a little.

From past observations, I know that Coxy will drop from hi to lo speed, when he runs into a patch of long grass growth and the blade disc motor load increases. Once past the long patch, Coxy resumes hi speed.

I speculate that the blade disc load setting has perhaps changed, along with the other parameters I mentioned earlier. Changed such that a bit of wet grass and dew increases the blade disc motor load so that the [possibly] amended setting causes the mower to drop to lo speed.

The Tools Menu does not seem to have any way of checking the blade disc motor load setting value at which point Coxy's ground speed changes up or down.

Of course, it may be some other factor - I'm only guessing at the possible cause.

An Internet search has revealed no such similar problems.
 
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