Wheel-less wrote:I only have the very limited Sirocco. This is a size issue as I live in a basement flat, down 10 steps. The wheelchair lift that I have is the smallest and the platform comes down to the small area in front of my door so I can only have a wheelchair that is close to a manual wheelchair size. Anything much larger and I would not be able to open my door.
The range on the Sirocco is rubbish. I know the stated range on electric chairs is shockingly inaccurate. But some makes may be "less inaccurate" than others...In the case of my Sirocco, the range for new batteries tends to be around a FIFTH to a TENTH of the stated range of 25 miles; So the best range I've ever gotten was around 5 miles for NEW batteries, which decreases down to around a sixteenth of a mile (and losing one of my two green lights) when the batteries get old.
This is a problem because I live in London, and NOTHING is that close. Living in the King's Cross area, I can't even get to the West of London except by paying for a cab.
I'm wondering, therefore, if anyone can suggest a small chair with better (actual) range that might take, say, 75ah batteries? I will have to get one second hand as my pension would have to be saved until a few decades after my death in order to afford a new one! My old Sirocco is making noises that suggest it is not long for this world, and I haven't a clue about what sort might be more reliable and increase my range.
I am a luddite and technophobe, so do not waste your technical expertise on me. It truly would be like trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
Oh, and Burgerman, I love/hate looking at your chairs and reading about their range and speed! Oh, Jealousy! But thank you for this forum!!!!!
I looked at the Sirocco myself. https://www.betterlifehealthcare.com/el ... chair/1373
it would take their 55ah battery, but it adds a lot of weight. I have the Marbella P200 which is a little wide at the drive end, after warranty I can switch the 14 inch rear wheels (they're not actually 14 inch wheels, the diameter of the tyres is) to invacare wheels and hubs using the primo rubber (black) pneumatics as pneumatics aid suspension where there is none. The springs on the Marbella merely serve as a damper for the motors when the wheel hits a bump. I estimate the range on new batteries on the Sirocco with standard 35Ah batteries at about 7 miles about 10 miles with the 55Ah batteries. But you would have to make daily trips to discharge the batteries sufficiently to get them maintained properly. There are some 4wd wheelchairs with a relatively small footprint, that would fit on a small lift. I assume you mean stair lift. But these 4wd chairs are not as good as BMs powerchairs and will have limited range to, except they can climb stairs, and turn within their own space. But they can also cost south of £10,000
The Energi Enigma, has a larger footprint. It wont go through my bedroom door frame. The Energi Enigma Plus, has a smaller footprint and will get into my bedroom. I only really mention these two, as I noticed that with a little cutting of the motor support brackets, the motors could be mounted vertical on the frame and the wheels (very similar to the invacare) could have their built in hub shortened. There by making the chairs shorter and narrower. But making a chair too narrow, would not make it an ideal outdoor wheelchair.
Similar dimensions of the Sirocco https://www.betterlifehealthcare.com/el ... chair/9837 but that wont take the larger 55Ah battery unless you change the battery cases. Though shorter (specs) it is 4cm wider.
Unfortunately UK law doesn't allow towing of baskets and battery packs behind wheelchairs or scooters. So you are stuck with stock wheelchairs, unless you want to invalidate your wheelchairs' warranty. If you are not bothered by the warranty just switch to one of the approved Lithium batteries recommended on this site. Fit them in your battery boxes so only you are the wiser.