1) Are start time options from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm, ie: 10:00 pm, 4:00 am, noon, etc.? 2) Does the battery back-up automatically kick in?

To schedule watering, you will turn the dial to select the desired ZONE (from 1 to 12), and then press the left UP/DOWN arrow keys to set the start time or the right UP/DOWN arrow keys to set the run time (duration). Start and run times can be assigned to any specific hour/minute between 12am and 12pm. To activate the internal battery, you will grasp the yellow pull-tab on the side of the timer and pull it out. This will engage the battery and keep the time for up to a week in the event of a power outage. Beyond a week, and if the timer AC power hasn't been restored, the time will need to be reset on the device interface. This conserves battery power for future outages. And program watering details are kept in long term nonvolatile memory, so they are not lost even after long power outages. If you would like additional help in setting up or operating the controller, please feel free to contact our technical support at 1-800-RAIN BIRD (800-724-6247) and we’d be more than happy to assist.