iRobot Dirt Dog followup

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

Since I added 2 more DD bots to the stable, I decided I would get the
Self-Charging Home Base and the IR remote.  Naturally, since they all share
the same IR commands you have to be selective about the aiming to get the
right bot, but with a little practice you can do a straighten up run around
the house followed by the little critters and it's  a darn good looking
cleanup afterward.

I've already had a casualty, though.  One slid out of my hands while trying
to shake out the dust and Roomba *advance* replaced it *without* a credit
card and with *2 months* to return the old unit.  That's flippin' unheard
of, at least to me!  As Roomba fans know, they ship a brand new unit in
exchange.

I decided to get two more Dogs because the price for replacement consumables
was so high it paid to get another two at the sale price than lay in
replacement brushes and batteries.  At $9.99 for the tiny mini bristle brush
replacement and $39 for a complete brush kit I decided that for $90 I was
getting a new battery and charger with each new unit, too, so I might as
well buy new ones and follow the time-honored Air Force "hangar queen"
method of spares management.  This way, I'll eventually have enough parts
left over to build a beer-fetching bot. (-:

Setting all three loose on one floor of the house at one time is really the
way to clean up fast.  For $59.99 the remote base enables the iRobot Dirt
Dog to automatically dock and recharge itself after cleaning cycles and
comes with its own fast charger.  Now I have four. )-:  Got a wall mount for
$19.99 that holds the remote as well, and it's probably important to know
that you should mount these over a trash can.  When you flip them to 90
degrees, they poop out lots of dust that got blown into the innards and not
the dust tray.

Having 3 bots has one other tremendous advantage.  Bot emptying and cleaning
maintenance cycles can be much longer, and there are economies of scale in
setting up the newspaper and cleaning implements less frequently.

I've also discovered the best way to keep them from opening when you pick
them up is to tape the dirt tray to the body with black electrical tape.  I
previously recommended taping the top, but since you flip the unit to clean
it, I always ended up reflipping it because I forgot to remove the tape.
Around the outside edge, the tape is accessible from either orientation.
And it seems to attract less dust that way, so it can be re-used three or
four times.

Still a happy camper and best yet, with the remote, I can play all sorts of
games with the dog!  Also useful for getting it to do spot cleaning, move
where you want it to go and assist with the docking.  I'll probably get
remote base chargers for all three bots because they're easy to conceal
under furniture but more importantly, visitors think it's pretty cool that
the little yellow fellow can find its way home to the base, plug itself in
and play a little happy tune while its LED turns red and starts to pulsate.
We're getting closer and closer to the Jetsons each day, now.

--
Bobby G.