Power wheelchair stupidity! - Page 4

GlenBrittle · 11-17-2009, 05:14 PM

Ditto on the computers and the stress.

peter57 · 11-17-2009, 07:46 PM

Put me in the list as well,
35 years in the electrical, electronics area.
Working in heavy industry with high voltage, and , high frequency drives and controls etc.
(and some nasty solvents etc)

mmmmmmmmmmmmm i wonder

cheers
Peter

Anastasia · 11-17-2009, 08:34 PM

Get that chair back Joel, no ,matter what it takes!!!
We are all behind you.Cheers, Anastasia.

GlenBrittle · 11-17-2009, 09:41 PM

Joel , let us know when you get the "old faithful" chair back.

Ok , electrical geniuses , here is the task.

I too want lights on my chair. I was thinking a single LED on each side , like those trinket LED flashlights on the key chains.

Currently , when I drive my chair in the dark , the power meter and speed setting LED's glare out any chance of seeing in the dark.

Glen

joelc · 11-17-2009, 09:48 PM

One LED on each side would work great!
I need to resource 24 V LED's for that purpose.

They might be expensive so brace yourself. LOL.

Will let you know when I find some, or if anyone else finds them let us know.

joelc · 11-17-2009, 10:10 PM

superbrightleds

Quantity 2
Product 1156-W12-24V White LED bulb - 24 V Wide
Price $6.99

Subtotal: $ 13.98
Shipping: $ 5.00 (estimated)
Grand Total: $ 18.98

BarryG · 11-17-2009, 10:21 PM

This is what Glen should have! Especially the red ones!

WebForm1

LauraW · 11-18-2009, 10:16 AM

Joel,
So sorry you have had these issues with that stupid chair. I can soooo relate. Mom and I were shopping and all of a sudden her vent began beeping. Kept saying "no power" Everything was pluged in...long story short I had to run through the parking lot because there were no handicapped spots when we got there. It was raining buckets...Mom was in the lobby beeping...no one ofered to help us. I got her in the van and plugged in. Then we got home and she got stuck in the van trying to turn her chair so I used the assistant control and it broke right off in my hand. Luckily Dad was thinking and brought out her old transport chair and we got her inside in that. What a Day!! Then her chair would not charge and the copmpany tried to say it was our fault. Well...they came and fixed it...no charge. All the money that this chair cost....she has only had it for three months...it should not have broken like that. I am not that strong!

joelc · 11-18-2009, 11:03 AM

WOW, that is quite a story Laura!I am glad you made it home safe.

I am amazed that the chairs are so problematic since they cost more than a decent car. The companies should be ashamed of themselves.

I hope these problems don't happen again for either of us.

pvale · 11-18-2009, 12:36 PM

Yep, Joelc, I know about superbrightled. They are right down here in St. Louis, close to me. I used a couple of outside landscape lights, removed the MR-16 halogen bulbs and replaced them with LED replacements from them. Got LOTS of light. Nice thing about the landscape lights is, with the ground spike taken off, they bolt right to the seat rails on either side of the seat.

Lots of low level circuitry running around inside these controllers. Depending upon how much noise suppression the manufacturer put in and how well the board is shielded, they could be very susceptible to picking up stray RF. Haven't seen the board on my chair yet, but the cable system connecting the joystick to the controller is shielded. Blew my alleged mind when I found out that the motors are nothing more than good size stepper motors. I've been fooling with stepper motors for years in industrial equipment.

If my controller goes south, and is out of warranty, I could definitely fix it.

Perry

joelc · 12-11-2009, 04:58 PM

Well, we are finally getting the old chair back. Our son has gone to pick it up.

They were not able to fix it so I will be working with our son, talking him through how to fix it, but at least we have it back and none too soon as we had another incident with this other chair and I got hurt this time. Any thoughts of standing and helping bear my own weight are now past memories. A sling and lift are needed for everything now. I might as well cut my legs off as they only get in the way now - LOL

KeeKer · 12-11-2009, 05:04 PM

Glad to hear that you are getting your wheels back in time for Christmas! At least you can be comfy again. Does your son have some of the same knowledge that you do? Or will you be fixing it blind? Good luck and have patience with him.

joelc · 12-11-2009, 05:30 PM

Thanks, no he does not have my background so I will have to be patient with him - it is going to be a challenge. LOL.

tdamess · 12-11-2009, 10:23 PM

i am so happy for you

KeeKer · 12-12-2009, 12:28 AM

Just go verrrrrryyyyyy slowly. Us poor people who aren't as electronicly adept as you take a little? longer to understand things that seem simple to you. You just have to realize that some people aren't as brilliant as you! (can you tell I'm married to one of you?)