Electrickery....................

[Gremlin]

Thanks this is re assuring as i had some concerns. All i need to do is see how to make it work as i am not using the original scooter controller.

Great toylander by the way.........

Patrick

[Gremlin]

Me again, trust my luck! went to buy the batteries today and the shop only had 1!!! grrrrrr..................

So i think i will be resorting to sealed car batteries! will they work just the same??

As i have been reading different opinions that these might not be ideal for this application! excuse my ignorance on this subject but i think they can work, or i am totally wrong

Patrick

[brian]

Hello Grem,

The standard car battery, sealed or otherwise would be a poor choice for the Toylander.

A car battery is designed specifically to deliver a very large current for a short time and be immediately recharged back to it's standing state.

What is required is a battery that is able to deliver a steady discharge for a long period and then be recharged back to it's steady state, many times during it's life.  Used in the leisure industry for caravans and campers in the wet battery type, these batteries are known as deep cycle batteries and are available as wet batteries [Large and heavy per ampere hour] and the more desirable Gel batteries, [Smaller and lighter per ampere hour] used by more knowledgeable caravaner's and the likes of golfers and disabled for the mobility scooters etc.

I got my gel battery off EBay, ?46 plus delivery for an 86 Ampere hour for a 20 hour rate, not used it yet as I am only just in the proces of wiring up the car, but it looks nice, although you will not see it were you to look under our bonnet as it is going to be disguised as an engine .

A car battery will have a shortened life using it in a deep discharge application, although in the short term, ampere hour per ampere, they are cheaper.

[Gremlin]

I live on a damn rock and finding certain things at the right price is a major feat. I found other batteries but they are twice if not 3 times the price!! I feel i am being ripped off now!!

Ebay batteries would do fine for me but they cannot be shipped!! grrrrr...............

I will keep looking until i find the right battery than............................

Patrick

[Gremlin]

Me again..........

Right, after some intense reading regarding battries i seem to have become rather well informed. Now, car batteries do not like to be discharged beyond say 20%, or that what i have read, while the other batteries do not mind being deep discharged. 

Now my controller shuts down at 21 volts, not to discharge the batteries completely, so in theory i could use car batteries, the amp draw is not to large, its like running a leccy fan on a car.................

Sorry for if i keep going around this but i have no viable option at the moment and it seems car batteries will have to do, i know many of you said its a bad idea, i was just trying to raise my hopes that with the controller shutting down i should be fine........

Patrick

[battenberg]

Just one thing to note is the total weight will have an effect on the amps drawn. I don't know how much an invalid scooter weighs but a fully built toylander weighs approx 80kgs.

i went to a mobility shop today to pick brains, a new 4 wheeler scooter with suspension weighs 80Kg, + up to a 20 stone rider!
the guy reckons it has ample power and torque at the motors to take that weight up a 1:5 hill, and buzz about for 20 miles!

[brian]

Hello again Patrick.

It is a little delicate as I do not know your financial situation but,

A] Car batteries, amp/hr for amp/hr are usually cheaper than leisure/gell batteries.

B] They will do the job very well.

C] They do not like to be deeply discharged regularly and so will fail earlier in a Toylander than they
     would  in your car.

D] If they are recharged more often than would be the case if you were using a leisure/gell battery,
    then there life would be prolonged, but your child might be a bit narked, depending on the
    childs attention span if you kept telling him/her the batteries needed recharging when him/her
    were clearly having fun and the Toylander was still able to trundle about.

E] If you can afford to replace the car batteries when they fail, you realy do not have a problem.

D] If you can't get hold of any leisure/gel batteries at a cost you are prepared to pay, you realy
    don't have an option other than to go the car battery route, or abandon the project, which
    clearly, you will not want to do.

I don't know if the above is any help/consolation, but it is how I read the situation you are in and were I in your position, I would go the car battery route, cross my fingers and bite the bullit if/when the batteries finally will no longer power the Toylander any more.  At least you will have had the pleasure of seeing your creation bring hours of pleasure to your child, and a new set of batteries will put you back into the running once again.

Kind regards,

Brian.

[markh15]

Hi Patrick,
I think that you are getting yourself bogged down with this.
 
Everyone who has advised you is right in their way. I know that as Brian suggests, 'Deep Cycle' batteries are the best option, but as you point out, due to your location, these are not readily available or are prohibitivly expensive.
Yes, sealed car batteries will do the job just as well, but as Brian has pointed out, they don't like to be fully discharged.

To me, you are missing the obvious, the children will not be using the car 24 / 7, so just put the car on a '24v Trickle charger' over night. If you can't get a 24v one, use a couple of 12v ones, one on of each battery, every day. This will keep the batteries topped up, and a good one will have a cut off function when the batteries are fully charged.

Hope this suggestion helps you Patrick.

Keep Smiling,
Regards,
Mark.

[Gremlin]

Thanks guys,in fact i will taking the car battery route. The charger is no problem i have one already. The car will be used mostly on weekends so keeping the batteries charged is no problem. I have been reletivly lucky with car batteries in my cars, lasting 5 years and over.

The 20 volt cutoff should not deep discharge the batteries so it should work.

Thanks to all of you who have spent thier time answering...............

Patrick

[Gremlin]

Ok got my batteries, 45ah yuasa for................................90?........................

I am a happy bunny.............................

Patrick

[brian]

Well done Patrick, onwards and upwards eh?

 Regards,

 Brian

[Stanley]

hi,
yeh, ive got 2 12v 9ah batteries,they are lead acid, so esencaily the same as car batteries from an electrick scooter, they work fine,
they should be charged at 29v, probly charge them at 4-3amps, so this will take 11-15hrs
just leave it on charge,and take it off when you want to use it
hope this helps,
Stan