Instapark Betta review

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djpool21 said:
I've returned my second Betta SE. After 1 week the second SE again started having navigation issues. It would frequently run into a wall and just stay there for 5 minutes with the propellers running then eventually back out. My first SE also started having problems after about 1 week.
I think the Betta SE has potential and it did a great job of skimming when everything worked as it should. I hope Bettabot/Instapark continues to improve the Betta and I'll give it another try.
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DJPool,

I have discovered that the above action is related to the amount of water in my pool. After a strong rain, my pool may fill up to about 1 inch from the top of the coping. When this happens, the SE sensors do not see the edge of the pool and the SE will just sit at the edge of the pool until either a wind or it drifts enough to glide off the edge. After a couple of days when the pool has evaporated down enough so that the sensors see the edge of the pool, the SE returns to its normal routine of skimming happily around the pool.

The fact that this has happened twice to you suggests to me that the SE is having a hard time recognizing that it is approaching or at the edge of the pool. This could be caused by the same situation as mine above or may be related to the color/type of your coping that inhibits the SE from realizing it is at the edge.
 
Holydoc, great info, thanks. Our pool's water level is a little higher than I normally keep it due to rains so that could have been the cause. My first Betta SE did not have that behavior but I don't remember what the water level was at that time.
 
djpool21 said:
It would frequently run into a wall and just stay there for 5 minutes with the propellers running then eventually back out.
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Mine does this too. I haven't found a pattern to it yet, but it feels like it does it more when the water level is high.
 
Ugh, mine will now run for a couple hours, then just turn off. No LEDs, no propellers, nothing. Even in full sun. If I turn the switch off and on, it works just fine for another couple hours. There’s definitely moisture in the LED housing too.

I just got this back for like my third repair like 2 months ago or whatever lol.
 
grunky_peep said:
Just FYI, the unit absolutely charges when the switch is set to off. So if you take it out of the pool and turn it off, it will still charge. Having you take it out while it's still on is an odd suggestion, but maybe that's so you put it down in a single sunny spot instead of having it travel to a shaded portion of the pool.
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Hmm, then my unit must be on the way out. A day or so after I posted, it was again slightly overcast and the unit did not make it through the night and went into low power mode. After that I noticed no issues until a few days ago. There was full sun, but I removed the unit and left it off while my robo cleaner ran for a couple hours. It again went into low power mode in the middle of the night. Then yesterday I again ran my robo cleaner and had the Betta out and off and again it was in low power mode when I woke up this morning. I guess I'll just wait until it completely dies, then RMA it.

I don't know if I'm just more observant now, but since this issue began, I've noticed that the unit has a different 'pattern' than before. It use to primarily follow the edge of the pool and then cross over. Now it will follow the edge for a short distance and then cross over to the other side. Sometimes it will go to the middle of the pool, stop, reverse and turn around and go back in the direction it came from.
 
I thought I would give an update on my Betta 2. It had gone back for warranty repair in May for the third time. It has been running fine since then. It will be retired for the winter in a week; I am hopeful it starts back up without issue in the spring.
 
I just saw Bettas and such on steals yesterday in the high $300s on Amazon. Good luck everyone, both in getting a deal and lifespan. :)
 

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My original Betta is declining rapidly and I don't feel like having it serviced again. I just ended a chat with the company and they're offering a new SE for $280 if I trade my old unit in.

Anyone have experience with the SE? I would probably buy the 3 yr warranty, given my experience with the original. Any key differences between the SE and the original?

Thanks as always.
 
Sadly, my Betta SE has stopped running. I got a solid 9 months out of it before I noticed it not running yesterday, and the lights alternating red and green. I cleaned out the basket, toggled the on/off switch, and nothing. Filled out the warranty email this morning, and getting ready to look for my box. I am a little annoyed that it went out right as leaf season is starting. Hope the turnaround is quick.
 
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Sorry about your SE. I purchased one about 2 weeks ago and it's been going strong thus far. I was hoping the SE would be better than the earlier versions, but maybe not. At least I have the 3 year warranty.
 
DanF said:
Sorry about your SE. I purchased one about 2 weeks ago and it's been going strong thus far. I was hoping the SE would be better than the earlier versions, but maybe not. At least I have the 3 year warranty.
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Dan, I have the 3 year warranty as well. Aside from this mishap, I have nothing but good things to say about the Betta. That little beast ran nearly 24/7 through the worst Houston summer ever, including August, which hit 100+ nearly every single day. And then, customer service emailed me on Saturday within a few hours of my email to them. Monday morning, I had the return UPS sticker and off it went. I have faith that it will come back good as new.
 
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Slightly late update: After dropping the Betta off at the UPS store on a Monday, it arrived at its destination on Thursday. Betta techs looked at it, fixed it, and had it on its way back to me the same day. I got it back the next Tuesday, dropped it in the pool, and it hasn't skipped a beat.

Customer service was top notch. As for the Betta, they packed it with a sheet giving tips on keeping it charged during winter with shorter days and lower sun angle. This makes me wonder if the bot's problem was related to not getting enough charge. In the future, I will pull it out of the water and keep it in the sun to ensure a full charge before sending it back. And, on the last day of the year, my pool surface is completely clear of leaves!
 
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RedScare said:
Slightly late update: After dropping the Betta off at the UPS store on a Monday, it arrived at its destination on Thursday. Betta techs looked at it, fixed it, and had it on its way back to me the same day. I got it back the next Tuesday, dropped it in the pool, and it hasn't skipped a beat.

Customer service was top notch. As for the Betta, they packed it with a sheet giving tips on keeping it charged during winter with shorter days and lower sun angle. This makes me wonder if the bot's problem was related to not getting enough charge. In the future, I will pull it out of the water and keep it in the sun to ensure a full charge before sending it back. And, on the last day of the year, my pool surface is completely clear of leaves!
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what did the sheet say??? I let it run on the patio with direct sun for a couple of hours, then it lasts all night
 
without power switch on, in my experience, it only gets a residual charge and wont last very long when put back in pool. with the unit running (on patio standing up facing south sun) it will run much longer when put back in pool. doesnt seem to need more than a few hours in the patio sun to get good charge
 

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