I have had periodic paralysis all my life. I lost my ability to walk in 2011 beginning with a spinal block, which was used for a hip fracture caused by periodic paralysis.
I took the ZX1 ensemble into the backyard after we had prolonged and very heavy rains yesterday.
I wanted to get to the generator now that there's plywood laid over the approach to it which is steep and muddy.
I couldn't get up the hill in the very wet grass that precedes the plywood! The tires spun and spun no matter how I tried to traverse the slope.
Then I had a good idea! Lower the chair until they are carrying a good deal of weight-enough that they are hard to spin.
My wife pushed the joystick with the lowest speed and I pushed. The combination was very good! The wheelchair tires kept the ZX from digging a deep furrow and the combined benefits of both made the passage easy. Unfortunately, don't have 3 hands but I do have one wife!
When I got back to the garage I found one front wheel totally full of mud. I've started to realize the technique needed in rough ground-how to maintain a balance that keeps the casters airborne while still getting the ZX to dig in without it's casters dragging.
69yo male T12 complete since 1995
NW NJ
Battery Life. I've got my new-to-me ZX-1 running now, with a replaced clamshell actuator purchased from Spinergy. I have a Key West trip coming up in a few weeks and wanted to learn about battery life. I had purchased new Vmax lead acid batteries a couple months back, conditioning them by running them down to half charge twice and had used the chair only lightly since. After two miles at max speed, 3.4mph, on mostly level ground, my battery charge indicators were down to one yellow light. I didn't want it to die out on the road, so I stopped there. While I don't know how much further I could have gone, that seemed to indicate pretty pitiful range. Is that all I should expect?
I have one of Pat's prototype ZX-1 with SLA Batteries. That was always my concern too. So much so, I rarely took it off my property. Since then, I received a new ZX-1 with Lithium batteries. So far it's made all the difference as to mileage. I use the new one wherever I go now. The old one is sittin' in my workshop until I decide what to do with it.
I have had periodic paralysis all my life. I lost my ability to walk in 2011 beginning with a spinal block, which was used for a hip fracture caused by periodic paralysis.
I could upgrade to Lithium, but I wanted get used to the ZX-1 and convince myself that it is something I'd use. My question is about range with lead acid batteries. I was expecting about 5 miles, and if I'm interpreting the battery charge LEDs correctly, I'm getting about half that with virtually new batteries.
You guys aren't sounding very optimistic about lead batteries!
If we get some warmer weather, I'll prick this boil and report. (how far I got on full charge)
69yo male T12 complete since 1995
NW NJ
Why do you suppose the lead acid batteries in the ZX-1 run down so quickly? Are the ZX-1 batteries much smaller than full power chair batteries? I don't know, I am asking. The drive motors are probably the same or similar between the two.
I do know brushed motors suck juice. My brushed motored I-glide running on the same lithium battery pack caves in long before it ever would when used on the brushless hub motors.
I have had periodic paralysis all my life. I lost my ability to walk in 2011 beginning with a spinal block, which was used for a hip fracture caused by periodic paralysis.