Hello from the swamp

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Hello from the swamp

Postby Broeux » 12 Jan 2018, 16:20

My bio in brief! I was born in southern Indiana where I contracted polio in 1946 with involvement in all four extremities, leaving me eventually with atrophy and weakness in the legs, especially the right. I have worn leg braces and walked with forearm crutches ever since. I grew up in Vicksburg, MS, graduated from college with degrees in psychology and marketing, worked briefly in vocational rehabilitation, then studied anatomy and disability evaluation and worked in Delaware, then Philadelphia where I married. I've earned a good living and been independent all my life, but the last 20 years I've gradually regressed a bit due to post-polio syndrome with increasing muscle and joint pain and weakness and fatigue, especially in the upper extremities, made worse by long-term crutch walking.

My wife and I retired to Louisiana and remained very active in our home and community until the last year when we "retired" again to a continuing care retirement community. Twelve years ago I acquired a mobility scooter, an Afikim Breeze, imported from Israel, which I've used only for weekly shopping trips and outings where much walking is required--to relieve stress on the limbs and reserve my energy. The scooter is equipped with two AGM 75aH batteries and was supplied with a 6 amp SLA charger. Typically, I run the batteries down no more than 20-30% and recharge fully (according to the charger and scooter's battery level LEDs) in about 6 hours.

About two months ago my 12 year old charger died, and I could not find a comparable charger of 6 amps and purchased a the current version of only 5 amps. The charger has power and charging LEDs, the charging LED is supposed to be red when the batteries are less than 100% and the fan runs. When charged, the LED should turn green and the charger switches to a trickle mode. The new charger's charging mode never kicked in, the LED remaining green at all times. Not being very savvy about electronics and battery/charging tech nor doing my due diligence, I failed to actually check the batteries myself, which are difficult for me to get to, requiring removal of the 38 pound seat. The batteries were getting some age on them, so when the charger seller told me the battery voltage must be too low for the charging to be activated (16 +/- .2 volts), I accepted it and bought new batteries. When the old ones were removed I checked the voltage and found they were >23 volts, and this after going, by that time, without being recharged for about 3 weeks. So, apparently, the batteries could have, should have been chargeable.

The bottom line, after dealing with Afikim long distance from Israel, replacing the xlr port, checking the wiring and fuses, trying a new 5 amp charger, testing the charger on a wheelchair and finding it works, and consulting with a scooter repairman who would not work on the scooter, it was decided that the fault is apparently in the scooter's circuit board(s), which is not giving the charger feedback needed to initiate charging. I've decided it would be more cost effective for me to simply charge the batteries directly, bypassing the scooter's electronics, and I now seek some advice on the best way to do that.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Broeux
 
Posts: 20
Joined: 11 Jan 2018, 17:01
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Re: Hello from the swamp

Postby Burgerman » 12 Jan 2018, 19:51

As mentioned in the other thread, reverse the connections.
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Burgerman
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Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom


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