Controller/Electronics options

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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 05 Jun 2018, 19:39

Nova Scotia, Canada. We were doing good, same sunny blue skies and it was 29°C 2 days last week, followed by a bad frost on the weekend & single digit temperatures including a lousy 8° Today. Supposed to be better towards the end of this week, back up to 19. But it’s better than our neighbor provinces New Brunswick & Newfoundland, they both got snow! czy
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 16 Jun 2018, 22:26

Has anyone ordered from Hegar Wheels recently? The website isn’t working right for me. I can’t add anything to my cart, it just keeps telling me my shopping cart is empty. Their contact form isn’t functioning either. I did email the owner directly, but so far no response.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 19 Jun 2018, 21:40

How can I get ahold of an R-Net OEM Dongle?

I bought a 120A controller off eBay, now I need a joystick, the dongle and software.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 19 Jun 2018, 21:45

See pm.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 22 Jun 2018, 02:26

Ok most everything lined up but an R-net compatible joystick.
I’ve Been eyeing the fancy CJSM2 joysticks, has anyone bought one second hand? I tried contacting Curtiss-Wright directly, they wouldn’t sell to me directly and gave me a dealers info who never emailed me back. What are they worth new? And what are they worth second hand? I see a couple on eBay, but they’re rather expensive.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 22 Jun 2018, 06:57

150 on ebay, refurb or as new. Or new about 200. There was 2 for sale new on here for that amount recently.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 22 Jun 2018, 15:46

Sounds like a deal. The ones on eBay have been very expensive. $699 US

https://www.ebay.com/itm/QUICKIE-R-NET- ... SwmNxaYQNw
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 22 Jun 2018, 16:46

It has something to do with the overstated hugely inflated insurance prices in the US. All powerchairs have percieved rediculous values. In many cases way more than they cost direct from say PG Drives.

EG viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7856&start=20#p120000

2 sold here. Brand new.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 22 Jun 2018, 19:09

Wow. Should be criminal what they charge for this stuff. Guess I’ll keep watching for a reasonably priced unit. I rarely see prices like that. I just had to buy a new roho cushion @ $720 Canadian. Last one I bought was 7-8 years ago and was $550. Price gouging is increasing. :thumbdown: :(
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 22 Jun 2018, 19:18

Those prices are a result of the end user not being the buyer. Little competition. No proper free market. Capitalism in a true free market would see a bunch of manufacturers wide eyed at that price for a cushion. And a bunch of alternatives would apear. Then the jay price would need to be lowered to compete and stay in business. The lack of capitalism and free trade where the user gets to decide what to spend and on which cusHion, results in a distorted market price where they are free to pick any price they wish...

NHS example. The drug rep, a freind of mine, used to take out various doctors etc on evenings out all expenses paid in fancy resturants/hotels. And to new product releases etc in foreign countries, all tickets paid etc. So that they will choose HIS company to prescribe drugs etc from. The doctor doesent care if he prescribes an expensive solution, or a cheap generic drug. Its socialism at work, he is wasting other peoples cash to get nice trips out. If you were buying these yourself out of your own pocket, you would buy the generic option. Same thing happens with chairs, and cusions, supplied via various companies. Then the OTs get to decide, or the dealer, depending on which is best for HIM not you... Free market capitalism, where you are the buyer prevents all of this. And keeps prices and development keen!
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 22 Jun 2018, 21:42

I agree completely. It’s a fixed system, I’ve been saying that since my injury. Until you’re directly involved in it or affected by it you have no idea how corrupt it is. When I tell “outsiders “ what equipment costs or what my wheelchair cost they’re shocked and dumbfounded. Once something gets branded medical the price instantly skyrockets. On my first chair 25 years ago, a replacement front caster and bearings was $130. I found one that would fit at a hardware chain store here that was $12. Same with the useless flat treaded grey tires, $40 a piece from medical supply co. I realized bmx Tire’s were a perfect fit and 100 times better tread, not to mention a dozen different tread styles and selection. Best of all they were $9 each.

I’m not sure what it would take to drag the medical supply system into a true free market system. Especially with government regulations and time/cost getting new devices approved and when in most cases the equipment is being paid for by insurance or some kind of funding agency and the system works to protect itself.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 22 Jun 2018, 23:25

What it takes is to give choice, and buying power to the end user.

They are starting to do this in the UK today. It began country wide from january. I was on a pilot scheme of one (for 6 years), to build my own chairs after displaying discust of the system and its service, chairs, etc. Now its exapanded to all users in all wheelchair services by 2019.

The NHS which is super inefficient in ways you cant even believe, has now started giving the money directly to the user. EVERYONE is or soon will be offered the money instead of a chair, to allow them to decide what to buy, and where to buy it. Be it DIY as most of mine are, custom like my salsa, or ordered from china, or used, or brand new (like my super discounted Salsa or Xplore chairs). Or my home built ones. YOU get the choice.

The dealer, manufacturers, now has to deal with the user, to compete like other products and please the user/buyer to survive. Just like every other product/showroom. This will take a few years to sink in. But many thousands of users running about with bundles of cash will change things in time.

I decide when to replace, when to repair with used parts, or new, I decide!!! Once this has become the normal way of powerchair supply, the manufacturer and dealers had better get their act together on service, speed, product quility and price, and reputation. Because the public will walk, or buy what THEY want.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 24 Jun 2018, 18:21

Sounds like a great idea! Can’t imagine the government and agencies over here giving up that much control, but it would be fantastic if they did. Most everyone I know has had bad experiences with medical supply companies. they’re extremely slow and borderline incompetent in many cases and always overpriced.

Where did your super discounted chairs come from?

I’m keeping my eyes open for used chairs in our local used markets but rarely see anything great. I can’t imagine buying another brand new chair now that I can build and modify my own.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 24 Jun 2018, 18:32

The first one was 25% off price and less the 20% VAT we dont pay on personal equipment for disabled use. That was the Invacare storm 4 xplore. I just fired off a filled in prescription form to a few of the top online suppliers, for supply only, parts only warranty. And ordered from the one with best offer and reputation.

The Salsa was different. That was a trade purchase, so details are secret... But it was about the same price delivered. And I could have done a similar online deal.

In both cases considerably less than 7K and with every expensive box ticked. Ie biggest output controller, biggest battery, 4 pole, lift, recline, tilt, power centre footplate which isnt on the form so a custom build, advanced colour joystick, and a few other customizations such as fancy expensive wider P shaped arm tops, custom black colour, etc etc (theres a lot of otions!).. All which doubles the base price.

In both cases they were delivered in 4 weeks and 5 weeks respectively. The invacare chair, was returned as brushless does not work properly! Hence the custom Salsa.

These:
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 27 Jun 2018, 02:46

Nice looking chairs! Good tactic to get a much better deal too!

What programming options are available for newer pride controllers? Q-logic I think.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 27 Jun 2018, 03:55

None really.

You should be looking at PG drives, Dynamic. Prides stuff is all locked down unless older controllers. A reason to avoid.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 27 Jun 2018, 14:41

Crap. I kinda figured that, haven’t seen any posts about pride programmers and settings... other than to avoid pride chairs. I was looking at a basically brand new Pride Rival possibly for a really good price. But I guess no good if you can’t program them the way we want.

I was thinking of getting it as a daily chair then combing my project chair with my 8 year old Invacare Arrow to make a much better custom chair. Current custom build based off my old quantum Blast isn’t working out well. Goes into thermal rollback bad, regardless of programming. It’s also super heavy, inefficient and basically wore out. It uses the same 8.5mph motors as the quickie 646 I’m pretty sure. Not sure if they’re worth replacing or rebuilding.

When you say 7k for your chairs, is that British Pounds?
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 27 Jun 2018, 15:48

Yep.

Pride has in the past had various types of controllers from a few different manufacturers. They often have the renamed or rebranded as thier own. Eg they used pilot plus, for eg but called i something else with a new moulded joystick housing. Then theystarted calling the curtis instrements enable 50 system qlogic... But at that time the curtis rogrammer still worked fine. Dealer and OEM. Then they moved to qlogic2 and it was more difficult and they used modified firmware and some would connect but not all features were the same. Now they did it again with qlogic 3 made by curtis but nobody can program it except dealer at dealer level and the OEM level tools are aparently non existant. In fact they do exist but only pride have them under lock and key. So run away if anyone suggests a pride chair.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 12 Jul 2018, 19:01

Are R-Net Joysticks brand locked at all? I’m trying to get a local supplier to at least give me a price on one, but they come back with the “we need make, model and serial number of the chair to get the right joystick”. :roll:

I’m sure I read they’re not locked. I just want to make sure I’m informed as best I can, to argue with these ding dongs.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 12 Jul 2018, 19:52

Only in that theres a flash start up screen that says quickie or permobil or whatever. And power modules come pre programmed ready to fit a particular chair, but can be programmed of course to suit whatever.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 12 Jul 2018, 20:19

Exactly what I thought! Shouldn’t be this hard to give money away to get the parts we want! Should be just like the auto or bike market and after market. Tons of selection and options for anyone with the money to spend and a little bit of knowledge and research to make it work.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 13 Jul 2018, 00:10

The biggest problem with parts is parts men. They only understand part numbers, no clue whatfits what, how anything works.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 22 Jul 2018, 15:49

That’s true!

I finally got a quote on the new big screen R-net controller... $900 Canadian, USA dealer is $600USD :|


I just plugged my lithium pack into the PL8 and I’m getting Safety Code 20: Bad Cell Count. Does that mean I have a bad connection somewhere? It’s not seeing my full pack? I’ve charged a dozen times and this is first problem.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 22 Jul 2018, 17:45

It can be a setting, a bad connection, or forgot to plug in a balance or main cable, etc. It can be the wrong choice of profile, or any number of things.

I get it on hobby stuff all the time when I plug the wrong pack in, or use a 3s profile on a 5s pack or when swapping from the native EH/XH wiring on most of my battery connectors method to the older FMA one, its programmable, or if theres a bad connection, like I forgot a power lead... Or a balance lead. Spend 15 minutes recently trying to figure out why it was doing it. I had the mower 4mm main charge connectors, and the quadcopters balance connector plugged in... No surprise the charger was a bit confused really! Couldnt spot what I did for the life of me! Too much crap on my bench.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 22 Jul 2018, 17:47

I finally got a quote on the new big screen R-net controller... $900 Canadian, USA dealer is $600USD :|


They are 1/3rd that brand new from PG Drives here in the UK.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 23 Jul 2018, 00:58

i only charge my chair currently and only use the one profile. Luckily I rebooted the computer, blew out each connection and it’s working again! :dance

My space is also a bit cluttered. I keep putting off organizing for another day. Lol

Burgerman wrote:
I finally got a quote on the new big screen R-net controller... $900 Canadian, USA dealer is $600USD :|


They are 1/3rd that brand new from PG Drives here in the UK.


That’s crazy and frustrating. Is there any way to get one out of the UK?
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 23 Jul 2018, 10:25

PG will just refer you back to the land of rediculous over complex, regulated, non free market insurace based mobility...

E.G. I recently ordered an R-Net IO Module. They are about 120 delivered with a bus cable.
Or twice this online used without a cable or warranty in the US! :argument
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 24 Jul 2018, 02:20

So maddening! :cussing want to upgrade to r-net, but the joystick is holding me back so far. I’ve been watching for eBay deals, but so far absolutely ridiculous prices. $600 USD used :thumbdown: banghead


Burgerman wrote:Yep.

Pride has in the past had various types of controllers from a few different manufacturers. They often have the renamed or rebranded as thier own. Eg they used pilot plus, for eg but called i something else with a new moulded joystick housing. Then theystarted calling the curtis instrements enable 50 system qlogic... But at that time the curtis rogrammer still worked fine. Dealer and OEM. Then they moved to qlogic2 and it was more difficult and they used modified firmware and some would connect but not all features were the same. Now they did it again with qlogic 3 made by curtis but nobody can program it except dealer at dealer level and the OEM level tools are aparently non existant. In fact they do exist but only pride have them under lock and key. So run away if anyone suggests a pride chair.


Is there pc software available to try on a Q-logic 2 system? Has anyone engineered the cables for it? My project chair started out as a Pride Quantum Blast. Luckily it has the Pilot Plus system.

But, I recent acquired a Quantum Rival and it has the Q-logic 2 controller. I’m borrowing a cable and software from a friend that has access to it, but I’m sure it’ll be the basic dealer version. If it still sucks after programming I’ll sell or trade it off.
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby Burgerman » 24 Jul 2018, 03:55

Its really a Curtis instruments programmer and controller, rebranded for pride who dont make controllers but love us to think they do. The curtis software is available and it MAY connect. Some say it does. Others say no. Depends on versions I think. The cable you have to make.

https://www.curtisinst.co.uk/news/curti ... ol-system/

The PC programmer, the OEM one that mark at the junkie site swears doesent exist, we already have here in the wild and did while he was explaining that they hard coded this stuff in their headquarters and that no OEM version existed...
Oh the bullshit! :clap
https://curtisinstruments.com/products/programming/

Whether it still connects after a few firmware changes I dont know... Certainly does on qlogic1 (enable 50?), and qlogic 2 we dont know or some features not accessible, 3 not a chance they changed it so that not even their own dealers can access it. Which is why never buy pride!!! Scroll down, you may recognise the enable 40... https://curtisinstruments.com/products/ ... ntrollers/
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Re: Controller/Electronics options

Postby hotwheels_75 » 24 Jul 2018, 18:19

I got the software, it is the 1314 Dealer software. Funny they say OEM doesn’t exist... it’s listed right in the help menu under access levels. OEM, Dealer, Service, and User. It’s branded as Curtis of course with no mention of Pride/Quantum. :roll:

Definitely locked out of many settings, motor settings, current limits, no sign of thermal rollback settings. I haven’t thoroughly tested the chair at all yet to see how it all works.

Can I get the OEM version here and see if it connects?

Is it possible to make up the cables for this system? Are there instructions? This one has a CANBUS module inline on the cable.

I have seen the Enable 40 module before. I haven’t confirmed exactly what this Rival has for a module yet.
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