Finally Saturday was warm enough so I set out on a longer ride around the block. I don't think I saw a single soul. But I got half-way around the block and noticed that the charge on my wheelchair had plunged to near 10%!!!!!!!
For the first time I had to call Mrs. F.G. to come and rescue me, my ride aborted. I was worried that I would not even make it home again, let alone up our driveway and into the house. This chair weighs 300 lbs., so pushing it even on a flat floor is hard work!
This is a disaster! I may not be able to drive downtown for coffee as I did all last summer (if we ever do get allowed out in public again)! I had to sit for nearly 3 hours to wait for it to charge up again, and then it only got to 60%. Mrs. F.G. charged it up to 100% later in the evening.
So yesterday I set out to test this thing. This is the little control screen on the wheelchair, and you can see the battery symbol in the upper right, indicating 100% when I started. I planned to go back and forth on our own little street and keep careful track of the charge as it declined. Last year I could do 6 laps of the street and it would still be about 95%.
I did the first lap and stopped to check - it had dropped to 80% already!
One more lap and it had dropped to 72%. (Sorry about the picture; sun was glaring on the screen).
Lap 3 and it had dropped to 66%. This usually takes 4 or 5 days. It would be just enough to get me downtown but not home again. This is totally unacceptable! When you are paralyzed you are totally dependent on your wheelchair; it's like an extension of yourself.
I don't want to tell you what this chair cost, and I know it is heavily subsidized by the government. But that doesn't mean it's ok. The chair is less than one year old! I've already been on the phone today so I'm hoping they can send a technician soon. I will test it again today to make sure.
I'm certainly not planning to be stuck on the front sidewalk just as these beautiful warm days arrive!
No, it should last a lot longer than that on a single charge. Make sure you give it a good long charge before the engineer comes to look at it - if they're anything like the engineers I used to deal with they usually try to tell you that you haven't charged it properly. Hope you soon get it sorted out - I know very well how hard it is to push one of those things!
ReplyDeleteit is good you are keeping track and checking how long you have when you are away from home!! i hope you can get it checked out and find a solution to your problem. the battery should last longer than that!!!
ReplyDeleteWith all the battery advancements in recent years, this is a pretty sad performance
ReplyDeleteI expect your batteries are golf-cart type rather than modern lithium-based? It seems to me that modern batteries and circuitry could give way better performance, along with weight savings.
Gord.
That will be a bummer if they can't come up with a solution. Too bad you couldn't have a solar collector to attach while out on sunny days but I guess it would have to be quite large to have any effect.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, it sounds like there is problem with the battery holding a charge. I hope it can be replaced. Take care! Have a great day and happy new week!
ReplyDeleteI, or really Hugh knows that feeling. He was out in early March, And the mobility scooter just stopped. In the middle of a street he was crossing. There is a little lever he had to push and he managed to get it to the footpath. Then it happened again, and the owner of the mobility equipment store came out and after some testing said the batteries could. not hold their charge. TWO new ones, about $750m, fitted and tested, and no problems since. Could you get a towbar fitted to your chair? You would need someone with a quad bike or similar to tow you on the footpath? Your. chair will no doubt have much larger batteries and they will do a lot more than just propel you along the road. Great way to test it out, staying handy, and you have the clever way to make sure you stayed safe. Cold weather is not good for any battery, but this sounds more than that. Hope it is all done today, we all need a quick repair at times like this. Today we move to alert level 3, a little more freedom, we can drive locally to a park or beach, some garden centres will open, but order by phone or online and collect with no contact at a given time. Takeaways ,again contactless, and after 2 weeks will be assessed again. Hope you can get to your deck meantime for fresh air and sunshine.
ReplyDeleteI do hope it will be faulty batteries, because that is simply not acceptable. I look forward to hearing of a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteOh dear.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can get it checked out and find a solution to the problem, surely the the battery should last longer than it is at present.
All the best Jan
The battery issue is a big one for sure. Hope you get it sorted out soon, FG.
ReplyDeleteOh no that is not good at all. Sure hope you can figure out a solution.
ReplyDeleteThat's not good. Hopefully it's a quick fix. It could be a faulty Battery.
ReplyDeleteBe safe and Enjoy the warmer temperatures.
It's about time.
Rechargable batteries, not matter what type, will take only so many charges before they will no longer hold a charge for as long as they would when new. My lithium batteries will take about 500 charges before they begin to significantly degrade. But your chair batteries are a serious matter, you certainly don't want to be stuck somewhere with dead batteries; at best it would be a real pain in the ---, but it could be a really serious matter depending on where it happened and/or the weather.
ReplyDeleteI'm putting my money on a battery problem.
ReplyDeleteI so hope they can do something for you. I know those batteries are expensive. So I am hoping it is a simpler, easier fix or that the battery is under warranty.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! I hope it gets fixed promptly.
ReplyDeleteThat will not do. Best of wishes getting that repaired.
ReplyDeleteI hope this all has a good outcome. This is no joke when you are totally dependent on the chair.
ReplyDelete