# Wheelchair Lighting (Self-Contained Power)



## Daniel_Martin_Cheuka (Nov 4, 2005)

Both my roommate and I are disabled and on a very fixed income (after housing and utilities, we usually do not have anything left over, thank God for food stamps).

I have spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, but I am ambulatory (I can walk), and I have moderate to severe hearing loss corrected with bilateral hearing aids.

My roommate, John, has multiple disabilities and is in a power wheelchair.

Now here is my quandry, and I hope that you can help. John goes outside when it is dark outside (early morning or in the evening). His wheelchair is red, but it is not that reflective. The upholstery and other parts of the chair are black. So going down the street his wheelchair is DARK. Along the streets, due to freezing and thawing, the sidewalks in some places are totally unusable. My fear is that he will 1) not see a bad part of the sidewalk or road, and 2) that he would get hit by a car at night that does not see him. There are no lights or reflectors of any type on his wheelchair.

What I am looking for is something that is very dependable, durable, and self-contained (NOT powered by the wheelchair). Something that will not have a problem with bulbs burning out, and something that is good on batteries (or has some sort of LiON or NiMh batteries, that can be recharged). Something that can be easily mounted with velcro or "zip strips" to his chair. Both from the rear of the chair so cars can see him, and the front of the chair so he can see where he is going (he does not need to be out for a few hours and have the batteries die on him unexpectedly). Something with my manual dexterity that I can mount to the wheelchair.

I do not have much in the way of money. So I am coming to you for help. I do not want anything for myself, but just something that is safe and visible that I can easily attach to his wheelchair. I am not technical, I do not even know what side of the soldering iron to use :huh2:. 

So if anyone can help, please let me know.

Take Care, God Bless, and God Keep,

Daniel


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## Beretta1526 (Nov 4, 2005)

I've posted a heads up in another section of the forum... we'll see what we come up with:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/97168


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## [email protected] (Nov 4, 2005)

Sorry Beretta, I had to close it. 
I made this one stickie however,  I'm sure there is a way we can come up with something here.


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## Drew (Nov 4, 2005)

Ok, maybe for the visibility part a red blinker LED Bike Tail Light? One or two of those on the back of the chair should get the attention of approaching traffic. I have seen some for around $10. I have never used any myself so maybe some other members can chime in on which makes/models are of good quality. most of the models I have seen use AA or AAA batteries and have a long run time with them. 

As for a headlight maybe a Streamlight 4AA or 3C luxeon with some type of mounting bracket? I have a 4aa myself and it is very bright, decent run time on 4AA batteries. The big plus is you could buy NIMH AA's and a charger and use the batteries over and over. I use the Energizer 2500mAh AA's with mine and I can't tell a difference in brightness. 

You may also want to consider adding some reflective tape to all sides of the chair. It will shine back very well with car lights and it doesn't depend on battery power and would make a nice back-up incase of battery failure.
Plus even with the lights front and rear something reflective on the sides would be good. Better safe than sorry.

I don't have alot of knowledge of how to attach a light to the wheelchair but I tell you what I am willing to do is put some money in to help you get some lights. 

Maybe some other members would pool in too? 

I am willing to put enough to buy a blinking LED bike tail light or two and some reflective tape. 

Sincerely,
Drew


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## Somy Nex (Nov 4, 2005)

Drew said:


> Ok, maybe for the visibility part a red blinker LED Bike Tail Light? One or two of those on the back of the chair should get the attention of approaching traffic. I have seen some for around $10. I have never used any myself so maybe some other members can chime in on which makes/models are of good quality. most of the models I have seen use AA or AAA batteries and have a long run time with them.
> 
> *...snip...*
> 
> ...



I agree, bike blinker lights would work great for rear visibility. I also am not sure of what would be the best option for the front, however I would also like to contribute some funds if someone would take care of the organization of the pool.

A few questions linger in my mind though... 
1) would it be easiest to buy something like a bike light that can (hopefully) clip on to the wheelchair? or
2) i've seen some sort of clip used by some here to attach surefires/etc to their bikes. would that be a better option?
3) and if #2 holds, then what would be the best light for that:
3a) how 'safe' is the neighborhood? is it better to invest in a spiffy light, or something more modest that won't attract as much attention of the wrong kind? 
3b) how bright does it have to be? flood for certain, but how much throw?

I was thinking the Lumaray FL-12 would be nice, with long runtime, flood & throw, but imho i can also see situations where it might attract way too much attention... It's also a bit pricy too, so maybe buying a couple streamlight PP Lux as suggested above, or twin tasks would be better... (floody beam, LEDs for low power, and cheaper - can buy a couple, and have one for backup)

I'll be happy to contribute another $15 or so to this. however, I am located in Malaysia, so obviously I will have to paypal cash to someone, who will then carry out the final transaction(s)--thus my suggestion for a coordinator for the pool above.


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## yellow (Nov 4, 2005)

hmm, ...
wouldnt it be a good idea to check the electronics (especially the power source) of Your chairs, if they offer the possibility to power the lights?

That way there would be no need for Batteries, other chargers than the ones present (for the chairs), ...

Sorry if this idea is silly.

PS: reflective tape is great for passive safety-


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## Drew (Nov 4, 2005)

Also I have access to some metal fab equipment. If you could give me some ideas on How the power chair is designed I could possibly make a quick release mount for a flashlight. If you have a picture of the chair or can link me to pictures of the same model somewhere it would be a great help in forming and idea.

Sincerely,
Drew


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## cratz2 (Nov 4, 2005)

Well, my very first thought is to get as much reflective tape and/or that diagonal orange/white striped stuff on all sides of his chair. That's an immediate requirement!

As for low priced lights, the Dorcy 3D Super 1W is available at Target, Walmart and Lowes for between $19 and $28. The $28 at Lowes is still a good price for what you're getting, but it's roughly $8 more than at Target or Walmart.

Runs on 3 D cell batteries and with continuous use, you'll get over 20 hours of very good brightness and with intermittant use, I'd suspect you will get close to 25 to 30 hours. It's shaped/sized basically like a 3D Maglite, but has a 1 watt Luxeon LED emitter which will likely never burn out, has a much better beam and is just a better choice overall. 

As for a mount, I'm not 100% sure it will work, but Mag makes an accessory kit for their D cell lights that comes with, among other things, two mounts to hold the flashlight. If there is a rigid side to the chair, the mounts could be attached in such a manner that the light would be horizontal, facing forward.

That would be my suggestion as a most cost effective light with considerable output.


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## The_LED_Museum (Nov 4, 2005)

The only real suggestions I have to offer are to visit my Hell On Wheels website at http://ledlights.home.att.net/how.htm (shows lighting I added to my own electric wheelchair), and installing flashing LED bicycle lights to the seatback so you can be seen by vehicles from behind.


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Nov 4, 2005)

If your friend is willing to wear fluorescent armbands or legbands, I recommend the Canadian brand I discuss here. The rest of this message will discuss reflective/fluorescent tape, an LED taillight, and the use of an orange or yellow flashlight wand (traffic cone).

At night, is the most easily seen color is fluorescent yellow (solar yellow). In the day, fluorescent orange. 

I recommend 3M Diamond Grade adhesive-backed reflective tape. Designed for road signs, Diamond-grade tape uses microprisms to reflect light back to the source even if the source is hitting the tape from 60 degrees off to the side. That's wide coverage.

The fluorescent orange will be effective day or night. For even better reflection at night, include some *white* Diamond-grade tape; its reflection is almost blinding.

The yellow Diamond-grade tape isn't fluoresecent; however, it works great at night.

I've applied all three colors (white, yellow, and fluorescent orange) to every face of my commuter bag. Looks tacky but helps protect me when I cross the street in busy Washington, DC. I don't jaywalk, but even so, it can be dangerous to cross on the Walk light when drivers turn the corner without regard to who might be crossing.

For active illumination, I recommend the Cateye LD1000, a 10-LED, 2AA red taillight that can be seen from three sides. I'm not sure how you'd mount it to a wheelchair. I've just ordered one for a homeless bicyclist.

When I cross the street, I use a powerful flashlight topped by an orange or yellow flashlight wand (traffic cone). The cone offers 360-degree visibility. Again, I'm not sure how this could be mounted on a wheelchair.


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## Phaserburn (Nov 4, 2005)

I second the idea of a traffic wand. A Streamlight Propoly Lux 4AA fits the bill to me. You can use alks or nimh cells for 4-6 hours runtime and is led based, so no bulbs to worry about. It's around $25 or so and is quite bright. For another $5 (estimating prices), you can get a yellow traffic cone that fits over the bezel of the flashlight.

The SL 4AA I'm talking about has relatively flat sides. Perhaps it can be velcroed to a vertical support on the chair, with the cone pointing up. The highter you get this the better. In fact, it might be possible to position it so that rear reflectors weren't necessary if the cone was visible from all directions. Perhaps a supporting stick a foot or two long or some such could be rigged to get the light over your friend's head level? I'm thinking of those orange flags you sometimes see on kid's bikes that are on very tall rods for visibility over hedges, etc.

Just a thought without seeing the setup. Best of luck to you and your friend.

:wave:


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## TorchMan (Nov 4, 2005)

Years ago, my friend who is an L1 SCI para used walk his dog on a street with no sidewalks, and much dark area due to shade trees blocking the streetlights. He wouldn't go for a headlamp, though we tried. Mounting anything on the chairs was difficult at best, and he did get the chair wet in the rain. So, the solution was two of those xenon strobes that run on C cells, from Radio Shack. They were about ten or fifteen bucks each, and with one on each arm, he was visible from most angles. 

I tried to get him to go for reflctors in the spokes of his Quickee II, but he never did. They make light for bicycle spokes that would work too. The strobes did work for him, cars began to give him a much wider berth. 

I still wanted him to have a headlamp, reflective tape (even though the chair was that high vis yellow-green like a tennis ball) and some spoke lights, even a red light on the back of the headlamp. Then again, I'm a flashaholic, and though I'm in full tilt mode now, it showed even then.

I did get the dog a flashing tag for his color too, as he was mostly black.


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## AndrewL (Nov 5, 2005)

My thought would be for a rear bike light on the back, reflective tape on the sides (and back for good measure) and a 10watt light on the front.
Maybe someone on here can make a mounting unit using a MR16 which could have velcro glued to on side of it. You could have the fury side of the velcro strapped to his chair at all times. You could mount that by having holes in the velcro which would allow cable ties to be threaded through. 
You could power that by a battery pack made up of AA Nimh cells or connect it to the chairs own power supply (though I know you don't really want to do this.


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## Daniel_Martin_Cheuka (Nov 5, 2005)

Here is John's wheelchair:

http://www.invacare.com/cgi-bin/imhqprd/inv_catalog/prod_cat_detail.jsp?s=0&prodOID=537031262&prodID=3GTQSP&catOID=null

I have also attached a picture of it, but there is also a picture at the link.

Thanks a lot.

Take Care, God Bless, and God Keep,

Daniel


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## Ken_McE (Nov 5, 2005)

May I ask why you do not want to tap into the chairs power supply? A few LEDs would hardly run him dry. If your lights have seperate power needs you now have to deal with more stuff, batteries, holders, chargers. With built in lighting all you'd have to deal with is a switch.


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## Daniel_Martin_Cheuka (Nov 5, 2005)

Somy Nex said:


> A few questions linger in my mind though...
> 1) would it be easiest to buy something like a bike light that can (hopefully) clip on to the wheelchair? or
> 2) i've seen some sort of clip used by some here to attach surefires/etc to their bikes. would that be a better option?
> 3) and if #2 holds, then what would be the best light for that:
> ...



I am no "techie" and no "expert", but I will do my best to try to answer questions. These I think I can answer.

To question #1 & 2, the seat material is a nylon, and I am not sure how much "grip" a clip would have to it. But he does have a large battery box in the back (Group 24 batteries, I remember because his died recently and he was not strong enough to lift them, so he walked me through it "step by step" to replace his batteries), so perhaps high strength velcro to the back of the battery box (one to the left side and one to the right side of the rear of the box, and with velcro it can be on there strong, but "ripped" off if batteries need to be replaced or charged).

For 3a, the neighborhood we are in is rather safe (we are about a mile from Downtown Mansfield, so close to the Police and Sheriff's station, it is the north side of town that is where most police calls go). My guess would be trying to look at a formula, the light source, light source life, power source, and brightest light given the first three items. The reason why I am looking for "self-contained power" is for two reasons, one I do not want to take any power away from the chair itself (would not like his chair to die from too much power consumption, given how many lights may be on the chair, the electronics package he has on the chair is the TruTrak system to offer better control on hills, and John weighs 285 pounds, so the batteries do not last long if he has it in "high gear"). The second reason is that John albeit a former factory trained wheelchair repair tech from the Everest & Jennings, Invacare, and Motion Designs/Quickie, he does not have the ability to do work on his chair anymore... so he can guide me in something that gross motor skills can do, such as changing 70 pound batteries and attaching battery cables, but that is about as "delicate" as I can work on the chair. So anything that needs to be "wired in" to the chair is beyond my knowledge, and I do not think that John could talk me through a wiring diagram. I am not dumb, but I know nothing about technical issues (more than the big red cable goes to the lead terminal marked "+" and the big black cable goes to the lead terminal marked "-" and how to plug in the XLR ("professional microphone type plug") charging cable into the side of the chair.

3b, as much light as is possible. For the "headlight" something that would allow him to see as far as possible in front of him (the more "warning" he has of obstructions in front of him the better). From the rear, as bright as possible so that a car that may be coming down the road at 45 mph will see him in time to avoid him (John's wheelchair's top speed is about 8 mph).

I did post a reply that has the info on the chair and what it looks like. So hopefully that will help as well.

The reason why I started looking at some sort of lighting for his chair is because a woman in a car, when John was in a crosswalk and had the "right of way" according to the light, the woman nearly hit him, and she ended up on the wrong side of the road. So anything that can make him as visible as possible the better. He was in "top gear" to cross the street quickly, so I was quite a bit behind him since I can not walk as fast as his chair goes, and that really scared me, that he was nearly hit by that woman.

Take Care, God Bless, and God Keep,

Daniel


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## Daniel_Martin_Cheuka (Nov 5, 2005)

yellow said:


> hmm, ...
> wouldnt it be a good idea to check the electronics (especially the power source) of Your chairs, if they offer the possibility to power the lights?
> 
> That way there would be no need for Batteries, other chargers than the ones present (for the chairs), ...
> ...



From my point of view, the idea is not silly. The chair uses two group 24 twelve volt batteries to provide the twenty-four volt power that the chair needs. My concern is with no technical experience, I would be afraid to try to "cut in" to the power system of the chair (with the microprocessor controled TruTrak system and wheelchair control box, that could end up frying everything), plus I would worry about the 24 volt charging system possibly "fritzing" a 12 volt or less light attached to the chair if it was not hooked in correctly. I do not know much, except what John has taught me about electronics (gel cell batteries, which are what are on John's chair, last less than lead acid liquid batteries, that NiCad's have a "memory" so if they are not "dead" when you charge them, they will never fully recharge, that NiMh are the "no memory" alternative to a NiCad when it comes to AAA, AA, B, C, D, and 9v batteries, that alkaline batteries have .1 volt more power than a rechargeable but there is the constant replacement cost, and the more amps put on the batteries, the faster they run down <the reason why his chair with new fully charged batteries do not last as long as Invacare says, is the "load" of his weight, the TruTrak system, and the regular parts of control box and motors, cause more amperage to be used from the batteries). Now that is my entire knowledge of batteries, wheelchairs, and lights. I have a problem with figuring out which way to put the batteries into my hearing aids or into a remote control (well, maybe not that bad). 

I am sure some electronics expert could figure out how to hook into the electronics safely, and pull the least amount of amperage with the greatest amount of light. But with my poor manual dexterity and my being a complete "bonehead" when it comes to electronics, I think I can operate a battery charger, apply "industrial strength" velcro, or use "zip strips" to attach something. But beyond that, I would not know where to begin.

If his chair glowed like "12 noon daylight", it would be nice. But even someone who is not a "techie" knows that more light equals more power, and more power used, the less operating time. Plus during the big power outages due to the power grid going down, or winter storms and cars hitting power poles, I have experienced having a flashlight die not because of the batteries, but because of the bulb burning out. So some light source that is as bright as a bulb (or near it), that would take a long time to burn out would be better (since I am sure nothing lasts forever).

Take Care, God Bless, and God Keep,

Daniel


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## Makarov (Nov 5, 2005)

Hmm, I'm thinking a couple of red LED bicycle lights mounted high on the back of the chair and 2 torches mounted under the armrests on each side. Add reflective tape on both sides of the chair.

How's your ability to change small batteries? Many of the lights uses small and sometimes hard to change batteries, changing batteries in my bikelights is a PITA. 

Maybe some local CPF could help you mod some lights into running from one easy accessible batterypack?


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## Ken_McE (Nov 5, 2005)

What you really need is for a couple of Ohio CPFers to descend ^H^H^H upon^H^H^H visit you and trick out your chair some weekend. Failing that perhaps you could work it in stages. First thing to do would be to go out and get three of those reflectorized orange triangles that mean slow moving vehicle. Put them on the back and sides. I almost killed a guy in a wheelchair one time because he was in the road at night with neither lights nor reflectors.

After that your needs break into two catagories. Little lights to let people know you are there and bigger ones to use for headlights. For the little lights we seem to have a clear concensus that LEDs would suit your needs. For the headlights perhaps LEDs, perhaps something else.

Neither size nor weight are important in your application so I would lean towards larger batteries, C's,D's, lantern batteries or rechargeables. With double or triple A's you would get a shorter run time, more battery changes, smaller parts to fiddle with.


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## Hookd_On_Photons (Nov 5, 2005)

What about a Glo-Toob or similar LED marker light clipped to the wheelchair?

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/glo-toob_fx.htm

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/insite-light.htm

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/niteize_markers.htm

The Nite Ize markers would probably be available at a local sporting goods store. They probably wouldn't be very bright (a single 5mm LED), but they are also passively reflective. They would be easy to attach to the wheelchair. Downside: they use a small coin cell, so battery changes might be difficult. I'm not sure how waterproof they are, either.

Have you considered bicycle lights? You could possibly mount them on the vertical bars that support the arm rests, on the front. Do you happen to know the diameter of the bars?

Here's a Luxeon 1-watt bike light review:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/bikelight_luxeon.htm

It's available at Amondotech:

http://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1014

There are bike mount kits for headlamps.

The Princeton Tec Yukon HL looks pretty good. It utilizes a Luxeon 1-watt for high output and 3 5mm LEDs for low output. Here's the review for the headlamp version:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/princetontec_yukonhl.htm

And here's the bikelight version at BrightGuy:

http://www.brightguy.com/detail_int.php?Sku=PRIYHLBKBK

The Princeton Tec EOS has gotten excellent reviews (headlamp version reviewed):

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/princetontec_eos.htm

http://www.brightguy.com/detail_int.php?Sku=PRIEBK

Princeton Tec Corona:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/princetontec_corona.htm

http://www.brightguy.com/detail_int.php?Sku=PRICBK

The Yukon HL and Corona appear to have battery boxes that use an easy-to-open flip clip, whereas the EOS battery compartment appears to use a thumb screw. Something to consider, if your manual dexterity is limited.

There are also a number of LED rear bike lights.

http://www.cateye.com/en/products/viewProductModels.php?modelId=&catId=7&subCatId=4

I'm sure the collective wisdom of CPF will come to a consensus regarding the best configuration.


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## Wyeast (Nov 5, 2005)

I don't envy your mission. It's a tall order for sure. My thoughts...

1) I totally agree with the self contained power. Last thing you need is to have some unforseen short blow out main power and stall out the chair. 

2) In terms of brightness, runtime, and limited funds, you're kinda in trouble here. High power bike headlamp systems can run into hundreds of dollars. Pricey. Most of them are halogens, so you still have to cope with bulbs.

3) As far as LEDs, they are an excellent choice for side/rear markers (blinking red) coupled with reflective tape. For the fronts you can have a flashing white LED that does a fairly decent job distinguishing you head-on. 

4) However, as far as ability to see ahead, especially under urban conditions (headlights, streetlamps, etc) you'd want at *least* a strong LuxI or LuxIII setup I would imagine. I have a MyoXP headlamp, and on high is about the minimum I would consider useful for a headlight configuration. A LuxI could do the job, but with a narrower spot. A good bet here, if your friend has sufficient motor control, would be a headlamp like an EOS where he can scan w/ his head to watch for obstacles ahead. 

5) I would avoid small batteries (AA, AAA) if possible. Unlike a bicycle or a pedestrian, weight is not a critical factor, so you're almost better with a Dorcy 3D or a modded Mag3d so you can exploit the longer runtime with D cells. Otherwise, you end up with lights that are really only useful for an hour or two under full power. A bike light system with a separate battery pack would do well here as well, but then you start running into price considerations again. That and a Mag3d could come in handy with the occasional uppity dog who thinks the chair makes a good chew toy.  With 3D cells you should be good to go for a good 8-10 hours before your light drops to 50%. It's a little more expensive, but I prefer the Mag3D/Everled combo over the Dorcy because it'll be regulated, meaning you get no significant drop in brightness over a crazy long time. 

So I guess my recommendation would be for the rear a nice bright LED array like a Cateye TL-LD600 or a Blackburn Mars 3.0. For the sides you probably want another flashing array, maybe something in the $10 range for each side like a classic "Box" LED flasher, either red or amber. These could be omitted if you're not encountering a lot of cross traffic (intersections, crosswalks, etc) and just go with reflectors.

For the front, another "Box" flasher in amber or a single (or tri) flashing white LED like a Cateye LD260 or NiteRider LD1. Combine this with a Mag3d w/ a drop-in LED bulb (like an Everled or even better a Lux3) held in place w/ Velcro wraps or a quick-release mount. Even better? Pair with a 2nd Mag3d or a good LED headlamp for redundancy and additional lighting. 

Or if you could splurge, a Mag6d with an Inretech Helios (3 - Lux5's!) would be about as close as you come to a "Drivin' at Noon" feeling to be had for under $250 without going with a Bike Halogen system. Be aware that this is *very* bright and a broad flood, so you might run into issues with dazzling (?!?!?) oncoming traffic a bit too much with this setup. 

And of course, reflective tape all around. 

All told (assuming you don't go with the Helios) it's under $200 worth of lighting assuming two Mag3ds w/ Everleds (or Dorcy 3ds) or a Mag3d with a MyoXP. 

Drop the side flashers, and go with one Mag3d/Everled in front, and you're probably under $100.

Just the humble opinion of a flashaholic who strapped a ridiculous number of lights onto his kids' stroller. 

Good luck!


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## Neg2LED (Nov 6, 2005)

time to throw in my 2.72790 aussie cents

I would go with a couple of dorcy 3D lux torches, one under each armrest, and a couple bike lites on the back.

don't forget the reflective tape running up the sides and back of the chair 

--neg


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Nov 6, 2005)

Hookd_On_Photons said:


> Here's a Luxeon 1-watt bike light review:
> 
> http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/bikelight_luxeon.htm
> 
> ...


According to the review, it uses 3 AA cells. According to Amondotech, it uses 3 AAA cells. Which is correct?


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## Hookd_On_Photons (Nov 6, 2005)

Several bike mounts for flashlights here:

http://nordicgroup.us/s78/flashlights.html

Daniel, could you do us a favor and measure the diameter of the posts supporting the armrest on the front and rear, and measure how much vertical "clear space" is available on the posts to mount a light or two?

The consensus seems to be that reflective tape would be an inexpensive and effective way to improve visibility under low-light conditions.

I'm thinking a Cateye TL-LD1000 or TL-LD600 would be good for a taillight. The LD-1000 is brighter and is visible from three sides, but it might be a bit too large to mount on a wheelchair.

http://www.cateye.com/en/products/viewProductModels.php?catId=7&subCatId=4

The main question seems to be what should be utilized for forward illumination. Could John use a hand-carried flashlight while using the other hand to control the wheelchair? If so, there are plenty of good options. I'd personally recommend the Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA Luxeon. It's not the brightest thing out there, but the reflector design gives it excellent throw. It's light, it's durable, and it uses inexpensive and readily available AA batteries. Another good choice would be the Dorcy Super 1-watt 3-D, or an EverLED stuck in a Mag 3-D.

If a handheld flashlight is impractical, would John use a headlamp? Does he have sufficient motor coordination to put it on himself, and adjust it if it became misaligned? Bear in mind that headlamps generally will not yield the same throw as a flashlight, because they have to sacrifice a deep and/or wide reflector for portability.

Otherwise, you'd have to consider a dedicated bike light, or a mounted flashlight.

I think a mounted flashlight would be a good compromise.


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## The_LED_Museum (Nov 6, 2005)

And whatever you choose, *DO NOT* under any circumstances attach any device to the wheelchair that contains a blue light that can be seen from the front.
I had a flasher that contained blue LEDs under the footrest of my electric wheelchair several years ago, and got busted by the fuzz for it. The magistrate soon dismissed the charges, but the whole thing was kind of a pain in the toliet muscle, so the lesson is, just don't do it.


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## gl22man (Nov 8, 2005)

Originally Posted by Hookd_On_Photons
Here's a Luxeon 1-watt bike light review:[/QUOTE said:


> http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/bikelight_luxeon.htm
> 
> It's available at Amondotech:
> 
> ...


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## Hookd_On_Photons (Nov 8, 2005)

Daniel: PM sent.

Please reply via PM (preferred), or post to this thread.


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## cobb (Nov 8, 2005)

Sorry, been away. I used a chair for 9 years, manual and powered and on the road as I can not drive. I use to drive the shoulder of i295 between the woodrow wilson rehab center and staunton mall/wallmart. EC and 711. 

Anyway, always had reflective tape on rear that was red and white on front. 5 bucks should get you a roll of each. Then those Bell blinking red bike lights. They use a few aa batteries and last forever. 

As for front lights, anything short of 2 55 watt lights wont insure you wont get hit. I used two Bell halogen lamps. Used 2 c batteries each. 

I later did what was mentioned and tapped the chairs power system. I used an xlr mic jack to plug into the charger port to power 2 12 volt side marker lights wired in series for 24v and 2 55 watt fog lights in the front in series for 24v. Later added a pvc roll bar with gun rack and 4 more 55 watt fog lights on top.


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## Makarov (Nov 9, 2005)

cobb said:


> Later added a pvc roll bar with gun rack


That's a serious equipped wheelchair Cobb, I've never seen that add-on before 

I work with handicapped children and is more than normal interested in wheelchairs, I read catalogs on chairs and other equipment like others read carmagazines  Guess that comes from being a gadgetgeek, and I'm sure there's a pattern in there somewere...


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## depusm12 (Nov 9, 2005)

Has anybody thought about the Lightman Strobe systems they are used by police department bicycle patrols. 2 Xenon/LED strobes wired to a single remote and run off 2 AA batteries per strobe. Civilians can get the lens covers in red, amber, green and clear. They can be attached with simple zip ties. Website is here http://www.lightmanstrobes.com/bike.htm. Price is aprroximately 25 to 30 for a single light, the set I bought was around 45 bucks you can order them wired togather or singlely. They specificly mention wheelchairs in the site.


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## cobb (Nov 9, 2005)

I had a rat shack c cell strobe for joggers on the back of my wheelchair. It blinked too slowly for folks to see where light was coming from. I left it on indoors one day and folks talked about a flashlight light like someone was taking pictures, it occured to me, that could be me blinking, reached around and turned it off. 

My grand idea was to use LED strobes, but never got around to it. I ended up mounting 2 amber in the front and 2 red rear led side marker lights on the chair at each corner, they were 12 volts, but hooked them in series/parallel for 24 volt operator and left them hardwired for constant on. They made quite a bit of light when the power failed. 

The gun rack was a fun thing. It never carried a gun, but was great for those plastic bags walmart and other stores use.


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## Wyeast (Nov 9, 2005)

I have/had a Strobeman ("had" because it's has since died after several years) and it was a nice strobe, but not great as your sole marker. Worse I think when they blink a bit slower like the Strobeman does (as compared to bike taillights) 

Blinking lights are actually kinda hard to judge distance to when you're approaching rapidly. The best setup is actually to have some fixed lights for reference with some blinking to grab attention.


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## greenLED (Nov 11, 2005)

Hooked' and Daniel, long PM sent your way.


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## Hookd_On_Photons (Nov 11, 2005)

PM received. Thanks.

Guys, what do you think of this setup?

Reflective tape applied to the rear and sides for passive visibility

Two bicycle tail lights mounted on the back. (Probably Cateye TL-LD600 or Planet Bike BRT-7). I specifically chose those models because they have good side visibility and are relatively compact. There doesn't appear to be a lot of room to mount the lights on the rear of the wheelchair, so something like the Trek Disco Inferno is probably impractical. I also considered the Cateye TL-LD1000, but the TL-LD600 model is probably sufficient, with less bulk.

A Princeton Tec Eos Bike Light or a Princeton Tec Yukon HL Bike Light for front illumination and active visibility. I figure the wheelchair doesn't move as fast as a bicycle, so a 1-watt Luxeon light will probably be sufficient.

I borrowed a Princeton Tec Eos headlight and went for a run last night. It illuminates dark sidewalks pretty well at a pace of 8-9 miles per hour (I figure the wheelchair won't be going faster than that, if it goes that fast at all). It throws a bit better than an Arc LSL, and not quite as far as the Fenix L1P. According to Flashlightreviews.com, the Yukon HL throws a bit farther, and yields slightly better total output. The size of the lamp/reflector assembly might make mounting on the front of the wheelchair difficult, though.

http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/princetontec_eos.htm

http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/princetontec_yukonhl.htm

It might be beneficial to make sure all of the lights use the same type of batteries, so the Eos (which takes AAAs, as do the tail lights I have in mind) has a bit of an edge over the Yukon (which takes AAs).

A mount for a handheld flashlight would also be a possibility. I don't think it would be practical for John to hold a flashlight with his left hand and control the wheelchair with his right. Bear in mind that space is limited, so 3-D sized lights are probably ruled out (a 2-C sized light is probably the upper limit). Bear also in mind that I'm a stingy SOB, so please don't suggest a Surefire U2, HDS Ultimate 85 GT XR OMGWTF or other lights that have a high total cost of ownership. Li-ion is out of the question because of the boom factor. Let's stick to easily available NiMH cells, please.

Comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

I'd rather not radically change the proposed setup, unless there are very substantial improvements. I think a halogen or HID bike light setup is ruled out, on the basis of maintenance. These guys are on a limited income, and have physical infirmities which make battery and bulb changes rather difficult. I've had to rule out several models of lights (like the Blackburn Mars 3.0) which are difficult to open for a battery change.


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## missionaryman (Nov 13, 2005)

Hi, I had a similar situation recently: my 1st baby a boy was born with a correctable disabillity and as a result we needed to invest money into the situation so I couldn't afford the petrol to drive to work & back so I had to ride my bike. I have to ride on Australia's busiest & dealiest motorway so I needed a bright light but have very little to spend on it.

My answer was a 32 LED torch from eBay with a bicycle swivel mount, you could use one of these on the rail under the armrest as it looks about the same size as a bike's. You should have one on each side - one pointed low for you to see and one a bit higher so people can see you and you can see a little further off in the distance (they only throw about 7m). The run on 3 AAA Alkaline batteries for ages and produce good light for the price. Right now if you follow this link there is one on eBay that is similar but it's $11.00AUD delivered worlwide so it's a bit of a bargain (about $7US), here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/19-LED-4-Mode-Bike-Bicycle-Torch-flashlight-head-light_W0QQitemZ8721219747QQcategoryZ83552QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

here's a link to the exact one I have with a swivel mount (more expensive but probably not as good):

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ti-28-LEDs-3AAA-Bicycle-Bike-Light-Flashlight-B28T_W0QQitemZ7196197204QQcategoryZ22689QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

- just one thing, these mounts would need to be either replced with proper ones or secure the torch in them with duct tape or something as their holding power is crap but their adjustability is awesome.

A cateye 10LED tail light for the rear will suffice and it too runs on AAA alkalines - if you buy a rezap charger you can recharge alkalines wich in AAA is more practical than NIMH because of capacity - they last longer (www.rezap.com) 

I like most people on this forum have lots of torches so I am happy to donate my 28LED bike light to you and pay for the shipping, it might however be better for you to avaoid Australia at the moment because we having trouble with our customs computer system and import/export is about 3 - 6 weeks in delay.

God Bless - LT


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Nov 16, 2005)

depusm12 said:


> Has anybody thought about the Lightman Strobe systems they are used by police department bicycle patrols.... They can be attached with simple zip ties. Website is here http://www.lightmanstrobes.com/bike.htm.


I forgot about these. I bought one a few years ago for my daughter's bicycle. It was extremely bright, though no match for the other daughter's Night-something 6V taillight with wired rechargeable battery. I can't recall whether the Lightman had a steady mode; my girls refused to use a blinker. Anyway, I was delighted by the brightness but the attachment was not sufficiciently secure for a fast-moving bicycle going over a bump; it would probably suffice for a wheelchair. The three-side visibility is a plus. I bought the $20 version; there's a $40 version that's brighter and uses a rechargeable battery.


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Nov 16, 2005)

Last week, while walking the 28 minutes from my work to the evening train in Washington, DC, I was approaching an intersection when I noticed a man in a wheelchair crossing the street with no lighting or reflection whatsoever. "He's a sitting duck!" I exclaimed to the pedestrian near me. Just then, the wheelchaired man made eye contact with me and asked me for a handout. "I'm not homeless," he said, "but I just got this chair and it left cost me everything I had. Can you help me buy some food?"

I gave him some food money, but I also gave him some 4x9-inch strips of orange, white, and yellow 3M Diamond-grade reflective tape and a CatEye LD1000 2AA taillight, all of which I had been intending to give to a homeless bicyclist. But I hadn't seen the cyclist in about three weeks, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to the wheelchair guy while these visilbility aids sat in my commuter bag day after day.

The man blessed me and my family and assured me that no harm would befall me. I guess I can jaywalk now...


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## Makarov (Nov 16, 2005)

I think it's kinda weird that they hand out/sell wheelchairs that doesn't have any type of light in the US. One of the kids at work just got this chair, a Permobil chairman, it got both lights both front and back as a standard feature.




Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


:goodjob: on the handing out the lights Paul, that's a heartwarming story.


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## cobb (Nov 18, 2005)

For some reason lighting is optional in America. In Europe its required to go over 4mph. Max speed is like 6mph in Europe. So such rules in America. 

Some scooters come with it just to make manufacturing easier for the world. I saw one the other day. The clearance lights were about the brightness of led indicators, except they were regular bulbs and the head lamp was as bright as a cheap plastic 2 c light. I think the requirement is that it can be seen 500 feet away. 

I wouldnt worry, hes going to get way better lighting than the lighting kits wheelchairs comes with, thanks to you guys helping him out. I sure loved my 6 55 watt night blasters and 8 red clearance lights on my wheelchair.


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## Pila_Power (Nov 24, 2005)

Only thing I have to add, try to get some of the exposed chair painted with glow in the dark paint.

This will be a good backup in any case.

I spend a lot of time playing wheelchair basketball with disabled people so the lighting issue isn't as prevalent in my experiences.

Good luck!! 

Tim.


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## SuperNinja (Dec 1, 2005)

Here are a few inexpensive bicycle safety lights:

LED Shoppe: http://www.ledshoppe.com/ledproductothers.htm

AXShop: http://www.axshop.com/products.aspx/category-102/


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## Avix (Dec 6, 2005)

I'm in very much the same situation, the reflective strips are damn good, you can get wide and narrow ones at almost any auto supply store. wrap around handles, on/around wheel spokes etc.

is your friend willing/able to handle a 3 piece "flag pole" make of segmented tent poles and "shock cord"?. it can be painted orange and wrapped with reflective tape, as well as a flag flown from it (movement catches the eye), I use a yellow "don't tread on me" flag. as well, a strobe/light can be mounted/hung from it.

as for lights on the back.

http://www.cmistrobes.com/catalogue/roadstrobe.jpg

is what I use, 2 of them, clips and magnets (althought I epoxyd 2 tiny "supper magnets" to the back for extra stick), waterproof, long lasting. down side of those is you have to watch the switch. it's on the back. I paid $6.00 for each. (my wife also uses them on her bike). 

you can also glue them to a section of plastic tubeing and slip them over the top of a "flag pole" for more hight, I glued to to the tube. good light coverage.

and for attaching, cable ties can be your friend. right up there with duct tape

(they also work pretty good with Canes, Walkers, and Crutches, best way to become invisible, drop your butt in a wheel chair, instant invisible)

as for forwarding looking, I have been threatening to hook my Thor X under the seat with a remote switch, but I seldom need a front faceing light. so not much help there, sorry.

good luck!


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## carrot (Dec 12, 2005)

I'm thinking if you want something that will catch someone's attention and make sure they see you, an Eternalight XRay Ergo or a similar model duct-taped to the back in "Dazzle" mode might do the trick.


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## Doug Owen (Jan 5, 2006)

Daniel_Martin_Cheuka said:


> So anything that needs to be "wired in" to the chair is beyond my knowledge, and I do not think that John could talk me through a wiring diagram. I am not dumb, but I know nothing about technical issues (more than the big red cable goes to the lead terminal marked "+" and the big black cable goes to the lead terminal marked "-" and how to plug in the XLR ("professional microphone type plug") charging cable into the side of the chair.


 
I think we can live within that. And I wouldn't worry too much about killing anything, we can control the power taken (and we'll need a very small fraction of what's needed to move) and fuses are both cheap and proved protection from 'accidents'.

So tell me something about this "XLR" jack. Does it lead to the batteries directly? That is is the charger offboard and connected this way as opposed to onboard and fed mains power. If so, I think it should be easy to make a wiring harness with headlight, taillight(s), switches to control them, a fuse, and a plug to match the jack you plug in when you want lights.....

Doug Owen


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## cobb (Jan 21, 2006)

Sorry to of left you hanging Doug. Ive been very busy with work, working out, my mother and her improving health. 

Most wheelchairs use a 3 pin circular xlr mic jack for the charging port. Two pins are one polarity, one the other. When you use a multimeter to test them, you should see a slightly lower or higher voltage than with the other two pins. The higher of the two readings is where you want to tap for power. The lower reading with the other pin is the drive inhibit loop so you dont drive off when the charger plugged in. You can buy the xlr jack at a local radio shack.

Now you have two pins for direct power from the series connected batteries in the chair, roughly 24-25 volts. This way you draw evenly from both batteries and do not need to hack the chairs stock wiring. The amperage limit is that of the charging fuse, 7-10 amps depending on chair or 168-240 watts, roughly. 

Now if you use auto parts style 12 volt lights, they need to be wired in series in sets of two so the two 12 volt items can share the 24 volts the chair is putting out. You can find 24 volt lights on the market, some are fairly cheap, some are rather expensive, others are hard to find bulbs for, some led lights are 24 or 12 volts. 

So, fuse the circuit, use 2 driving lights hook them back to back from the switch to ground. Then likewise two clearance marker lights back to back from the switch to ground. This way both are fed 24 volts, since theyare in series they take 12 each and both come on and off with the switch. 

IF that doesnt help, dont hesitate to email me [email protected] I have a months plus worth of material to read here and maybe busy all afternoon.


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## Nitroz (Jan 21, 2006)

I wonder if some green glow paint would also help his chair be seen. Since it does hold a charge for quite some time and has white appearance when applied to something and is not glowing.


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## Doug Owen (Jan 21, 2006)

cobb said:


> Most wheelchairs use a 3 pin circular xlr mic jack for the charging port. Two pins are one polarity, one the other. When you use a multimeter to test them, you should see a slightly lower or higher voltage than with the other two pins. The higher of the two readings is where you want to tap for power. The lower reading with the other pin is the drive inhibit loop so you dont drive off when the charger plugged in. You can buy the xlr jack at a local radio shack.
> 
> Now you have two pins for direct power from the series connected batteries in the chair, roughly 24-25 volts. This way you draw evenly from both batteries and do not need to hack the chairs stock wiring. The amperage limit is that of the charging fuse, 7-10 amps depending on chair or 168-240 watts, roughly.


 
Outstanding, now we're cookin' with gas! First rate, in fact. We should be able to build and test lights, driver and harness as a single assembly without needing to have the wheel chair. The end user can simply attach the lights, route the harness, add some tywraps or similar to hold them in place, and plug it into the charging jack.

Next we need to decide on how much power we're willing to 'steal' to run the lights and what the lights should be (head and tail lights I assume?).

Those of us good at figuring out the mounting a package details can do so, while others of us can sort out the electronics. We can ship everything to one guy to assemble and test, then to the end user to install and try out.

Anyway, I'm game for such a project, if someone who knows better can further define the goal?

Doug Owen


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## greenLED (Jan 21, 2006)

Nitroz, glow-stuff isn't strong enough for this application; reflective materials and active lighting are.


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## Ken_McE (Jan 21, 2006)

Doug Owen said:


> Outstanding, now we're cookin' with gas! First rate, in fact. We should be able to build and test lights, driver and harness as a single assembly without needing to have the wheel chair. The end user can simply attach the lights, route the harness, add some tywraps or similar to hold them in place, and plug it into the charging jack.



Doug, if you look at DMC's original post, he does not want the lights to tie into the chairs power system. We could add a second battery and plug into that.



> Next we need to decide on how much power we're willing to 'steal' to run the lights and what the lights should be (head and tail lights I assume?).



We can't steal, but we can add. The lights and reflectors should be all around, like a car.



> Those of us good at figuring out the mounting a package details can do so, while others of us can sort out the electronics. We can ship everything to one guy to assemble and test, then to the end user to install and try out.



We need to find someone with a similar chair to test it on. A dealer might let us try it on one. I have acess to a couple of wheelchairs, but not that exact model.



> Anyway, I'm game for such a project, if someone who knows better can further define the goal?



The project is interesting and simple. Question is, who's going to spring for a hundred dollars worth of spider LEDs, velcro, reflectors, and the battery?


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## cobb (Jan 22, 2006)

This is a difficult thing to answer. All wheelchairs are different shapes, sizes and made out of different materials. My latest wheelchair is made out of metal, with plastic shrouds on it. The older model is mainly powder coated metal, plenty of mounting room. One wheelchair has the charger port under the seat, the other, in the end of the joystick. 

Then you have power of the lights. In my experience and a few others, it takes 2 55 watt halogen lamps to get some "respect" on the highway. This is where cars swearve into another lane or around you long before they get to you. With lower wattage, they swerve right as they approach you. As for tails, led or regular would work, I do not see much of a difference either way. 55 watt also works wonder indoors. You can turn down a hall way and and befor eyou know it everyone clears the path of the beams as if they can feel it to give you a path. 

Anyway, thats all I had to add.


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## Nubo (Feb 27, 2006)

It's tempting to patch into the chair's motive batteries and their beefy amp-hours.
However while I'm sure a reasonable lighting system would only demand a small fraction of the batteries' power, this limits you to only having light when the batteries have power. What I mean is that while I wouldn't worry about the lights prematurely ending the drive power, I *would* worry about the drive motors running down the battery and prematurely ending the *lighting* power. Being stuck on a thoroughfare with an inoperative chair is exactly the time when you need all your lighting.

I would design the lighting system with a separate battery. As has been said, you're not overly limited by weight so you can have a good beefy battery pack. Since cost is a concern, I'd recommend a good-sized SLA battery. SLA batteries of 6 or 12 volts can be had cheaply in a good range of amp-hour capacities. They can also be charged by dead-simple "wall wart" chargers. This is very inexpensive and the lowest cost charger alternative. The absence of any kind of "smart charger" means you'd have to take some extra care to avoid overcharging (which ages batteries quickly) -- but that is eminently doable. I used an SLA system for my bike light for years before the fancier stuff became widely available. In terms of bulbs, incandescent will require the least up-front capital. Twin 10-watt headlamps and 5 watts total for rear would give more than adequate light, as well as a failsafe or you can use the headlights individually to save power. It also puts you at max 25 watts, which is a 2-amp draw which fits well with a 12-amp SLA battery. Something like 8 or 10 amp-hour 12V SLA battery would power the system for 4 hours or so.


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## cobb (Mar 4, 2006)

I have to call B......, on the lights going out when the chair dies. Most wheelchairs electronics warn and prevent use when the voltage drops down to 22-21.5 volts, lights will run for way longer til they are dim or completely out, possibility producing usable light for a few days while you sit on the overpass. The older dumber electric scooters will run to 16 volts or so before they quit moving or the electric static brake wont disengage. 

Ive only had a chair die suddenly on a hill with old batteries. THey have a habbit of dropping dead at the worse time when you have a dead cell developing. In that case I waited a few minutes for them to build back up and slowly went up the hill to level ground and rolled on to plug in for a few minutes to keep going til end of the day. 

One thing to be careful about using an extra battery is mounted it so it does not throw off the center of gravity making the chair handle funny and that its secure for the vibration of going over cracks in the sidewalks, curbs and the harsh ride and G forces of paratransit and buses. Also wheelchairs are pretty compact in design, so a place to fit it maybe difficult too unlss you use a strap to sling it over the arm rest or back. 

Good luck, thats a difficult challenging project either way. Not only powering the lights, but finding good visible protect places to mount them out of the way.


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## Nubo (Mar 8, 2006)

cobb said:


> I have to call B......, on the lights going out when the chair dies. Most wheelchairs electronics warn and prevent use when the voltage drops down to 22-21.5 volts, lights will run for way longer til they are dim or completely out, possibility producing usable light for a few days while you sit on the overpass.



Not so much Bull, as ignorance. Thanks for setting me straight.


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## photovoltaic (Mar 8, 2006)

I'm joining into the fray a bit late, it seems. I've only been a CPF member for about a week but I'd like to help if you already haven't built a system yet. Before I went to seminary and became a minister, I practiced as an occupational therapist for 9 years and worked at one of the nation's best rehab hospitals - Cardinal Hill in Lexington. I actually worked on the spinal cord unit and have a lot of experience with wheelchairs and modding them. I've seen a lot of different things! I really haven't read through all the replys but I've picked out a few things. I would caution about tying into the w/c batteries. They can actually catch fire if they are not used correctly. Second, I would'nt attach anything through the XLR charger plug. You will mess with the electronics of the chair. On many of those chairs - Invacare chairs included - you program the chair via the XLR port. 
You've actually gotten a lot of great ideas in this thread. It is great to see how this community has come together to help. 
How good is your fine motor coordination? The reason I ask is that a lot of those flashing red bicycle lights are really hard to get open. 
For the front, you could get a good flashlight with a wide beam you can afford to buy and put batteries in. Whatever everyone has suggested above - you decide. I could then help you by suggesting ways to attach it to the chair. Just let me know the peculiarities and I'd be glad to help.


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## Trader Jimm (Dec 21, 2006)

I'm very happy to find this discussion. My wife uses a manual wheelchair, and was recently nearly run over in the parking lot as she was leaving work. The parking lot is not well lit and some drivers are careless. I got her some spoke reflectors, side reflectors, and some bike lights to get her started, but I found that her wheelchair tubing uses smaller pipes, 7/8 inch I think, than bicycle pipes, and I'm improvising as I go. She has managed to lose some of the "clip on" lights already. I want to work up something a bit sturdier, and I'm looking at adding a rechargeable battery so we don't have to deal with a variety of button, AA, AAA, and C batteries. I'm leaning toward LED's for light weight and reliability. All or any advice is welcome.


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## Wyeast (Dec 21, 2006)

If you're at the bike shop, you can use handlebar tape to help bulk up undersized tubing to mount a lightweight bike light (I use this for my kids' stroller) - it really only works well for small lights - the heavier ones just pull themselves down by their weight.

It's also handy to pick up some conspicuity tape (I'd recommend the style used on semi-trailers - the sort with a square or a hex pattern on it vs the more usual speckled reflective tape) They reflect headlights very well, and can wrap around the tubing without having to fuss with reflector mounts. If you can't find conspicuity tape, the usual sort of reflector tape will work pretty well, as long as you have a decent length of it. Small sections (like under a few inches) tend not to have enough area to reflect brightly from a distance.

How much time does she spend out at night? If it's just for sort of parking lot duty to/from work and on errands, a relatively expensive rechargable setup might not be of much value, as you'll lose more in self-discharge than you'll save considering how much mileage you get out of most LED's anyway. An exception would be if she wants a relatively high-powered "headlight" to illuminate in front of her, which would be well served by some rechargable cells.

With just parking lot duty, I have very small lights that are plenty visible, but they use tiny N-cells which can be hard to find in a pinch. 

For the sides/rear, a couple of red LED's like a Blackburn Mars3.0 will get you pretty good mileage out of a set of AAA's, in the neighborhood of 50-150 hours, especially if they're blinking and not on steady. If you're handy with some wiring, you could try wiring several lights together to feed them all off a set of D's or something mounted on the frame. 

For the front, it'll depend if she wants to have something high powered to illuminate the road, or something just white and blinking so that she's not run over. We use a 5-LED model that does a decent job illuminating the sidewalk in the dark, but it's mostly used to be seen. If we really need to see where we're going, I augment with a MyoXP headlamp that I wear while I'm pushing. 

Hope that helps. Good luck!


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