Electric wheelchair - how far should it go on a charge?

Not just that, but there are differences in profiles (or something). I managed to fit some SLA UPS batteries to a scooter, which lasted 6 months. I was going to complain when I discovered I had ordered UPS batteries - which were cheaper than scooter (golf buggy) batteries. I think scooter/buggy batteries are designed to deep-cycle, whereas UPS batteries aren't.

Reply to
Jethro_uk
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Not sure this applies to gel types in quite the same way as it does to wet. What make were they?

Depending on where you are, a UPS could get quite a pounding. Do they say batteries for this use will only stand a few cycles?

I've not seen a good make SLA like Yuasa marked for actual usage.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

A common mistake. The other common mistake is buying cheap brands, you get less capacity and half the life. Yuasa are good - obviously you need the go lf buggy or disability scooter rated ones. If the machine is ever to go on an airplane they need to be disability scooter rated. IIRC the relevant Yua sa types are REC and YPC.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Yuasa REC are absorbed glass mat construction. YPC more a gel type.

They'd both be suitable for wheelchair use I'd guess, but the chargers could well be different.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

It's the charger supplied with the chair. I think the assumption is that the user will not use such a big chair all day long. With a range of 20 miles and a max speed of 8mph it isn't likely to be in use for more than three or four hours a day. I suppose if anyone had a problem they could simply use a 16A charger.

A small chair used indoors and out might get longer hours of use though.

No room. Weight is critical with small chairs. It isn't the last 1%, it's the last 20%.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

There's a good price differential between low & high current chargers, and competition is based on price to a significant extent. So not surprising the customer's assumptions aren't always met.

Indeed.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Just to update, I can report that the two batteries are 12 V 34Ah and the charger is 24V 4 Amps

Reply to
Murmansk

So charge time around 9 hrs or longer. Range 3 miles of hill, rather more on the flat.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Surely any charger which wouldn't re-charge wheelchair batteries when the user was sleeping (or whatever) overnight would be pretty useless? But if you wanted to fast charge such batteries you'd need to change to a different (and much more expensive) type?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Difficult one this, as the law that lead acid batteries follow seems often not to be what was expected. I had a battery lawnmower which said it was fully charged but only did half the lawn. However shove it on a bigger old fashioned charger and leave it overnight and it could do the whole lawn. I no longer have it, since I can no longer see where I'm mowing which is rather important. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

They are also designed more robustly to tolerate the vibration and shocks that come from being in a vehicle whereas the UPS ones are purely optimised for energy density and don't like hard knocks.

Reply to
Martin Brown

get a Polamatic!

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Campaign to bring back the Invacar! Brexit-friendly!

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Reply to
newshound

Please god no. Give them all to people in India.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Ah! The original SpasWagen!

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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