Bob, Contact Generac and ask them about adding a second battery to the backup generator. Tell them that you're not home for three months and you worry that the backup generator may not start when you're not home.

Bob, Do you have a device that keeps the battery warm in the winter? Do you have a device that keeps the engine block warm in the winter?

Is it possible to connect another battery to the backup generator?

Bob, Is the generator exposed or inside a building or inside an enclosure? Try using a solar-powered battery charger.

I'm looking for gearbox kits for RS-5xx motors. I already bought RS-545 motors without gearboxes and I thought that I can use the gears from Vex Robotics building set but using two sets of 12-tooth and 84-tooth gears to create 49:1 gear ratio at four places take up too much space. The ones sold by BabeBots and AndyMark are too expensive.

What's the stall current of the motors? 

Use the Vex motor controllers as if they are servos. Use the Servo library. Use servo.writeMicroseconds(value) where value is between 1000 and 2000.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=xbee

Which book is good?

I think that kevindejongh wants a plugin that makes Arduino work with Mach3 CNC control software. I think that Mach3 software supports CNC controllers that plugs into parallel ports. kevindejongh, try asking at Mach3 forum.

Buttons with internals pullups only? Yes.

I got the circuit working on Arduino Mega 2560 R3 board with 10 push-button switches and five servos.

I changed the code from

pinMode(switch01,INPUT);

to

pinMode(switch01,INPUT_PULLUP);

I think that I may have made wiring errors. I tested the circuit with two buttons and a servo on Arduino Uno board and it worked.

Does Arduino Mega 2560 R3 board have pullup resistors on I/O pins? I made a test circuit on Arduino Uno R3 board and it worked. I think the circuit doesn't work on Arduino Mega 2560 R3 board. I connected the switch from GND to I/O pin 38 on Arduino Mega board and nothing happened after inserting serial.println lines.

I need I/O Pin Protection that the Ruggeduino board has. The regular Arduino boards don't have it.

I wish that there is Ruggeduino Mega. I have a project that requires an Arduino Mega.