[misc.handicap] Looking for chair electrical usage figures

ems@Apple.COM (Mike Smith) (11/07/90)

Index Number: 11610

I'm looking for 'typical' wheel chair power usage figures.

Ballpark is OK ( I'm looking for pseudo average power
consumption, so if it's a bit off, it won't matter).

A friend is in a chair, and about once a year or so finds herself
sitting somewhere with a run down battery.  My thought is to find 
a way to put a small 'emergency power' pack together such that 
she could throw a switch and have a few more minutes of power ...

Enough to go 2 blocks and get in her van, then get out of the 
van and into the house, would be nice.  

What I'm looking for is some idea of what power factor is involved?
(I could make a totally custom solution, but I'd rather try to 
 make something a bit more general ...)

If you know what a 'typical' power consumption is, I would like
to know.  Generally, if folks could state something like:

12V or 24V
amps at full speed
amps at 1/2 speed
amp hours of batteries and normal range (in hours or miles)

That would be very helpful.

I don't normally read this new group, so if you could send email
to ems@apple.com that would be best.

Thanks.

-- 
E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM

We all agreed that reducing the deficit was important.  
Unfortunately the Republican congress critters thought this meant
'Soak the Middle Class' and the Democrats thought it meant to
'Soak the Rich' while what the people wanted was less spending ...

Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (11/16/90)

Index Number: 11747

 MS> From: ems@Apple.COM (Mike Smith)
 MS> Message-ID: <15515@bunker.UUCP>
 MS> Index Number: 11610
 MS> A friend is in a chair, and about once a year or so finds herself
 MS> sitting somewhere with a run down battery.  My thought is to find 
 MS> a way to put a small 'emergency power' pack together such that 
 MS> she could throw a switch and have a few more minutes of power ...
     
        The E&J power chair has a warning light when the power is 
getting low.  Maybe instead of a reserve she needs a similar warning 
system.  Sorta like a gas gauge on a car.

        My chair's batteries tend to wear out about every 18 
months and need replacing even though they are rechargerable.  
Except for that, a nightly recharge will sustain me through a 
normal work day and an evening of activity around home.

        Hope this helps.
                                -=joe=-

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