05-06-2017, 07:18 PM | #11 |
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Lee's Summit, MO, USA
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The important point here is that working with battery packs can be dangerous, and more so with larger capacity packs, and some Li-Ion Batteries.
In this public forum, where the readership might be inexperienced - even if the people who are posting are experienced - it is kind to gently make that point. Unfortunately, I don't know a kind way to say "Do you know what you are doing????" -- without any implication. |
05-06-2017, 08:06 PM | #12 | |
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pelham, NH, USA.
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What I can say is that the symptom you indicated is often repairable by resetting the battery. The segway I2 has a design factor that will deplete on battery below the low voltage floor of the charging system. If you leave it unplugged for too long, typically one battery (usually the rear) will fall below acceptable levels. It will be much easier to first try to restore the battery to a chargeable voltage, before you do try to dis-assemble and repair a battery that may not have a mechanical fault. There are two companies that offer a restoration device for rent or loan of one sort or another that I know. I have had good luck with both. I suggest you speak with Jason Able at MTO battery. His company has both a battery restoration device, and can also completely rebuild (and often does) the segway battery. He may, or may not give you the details as to the interior of that battery. It is his business, so he may not want to tell you too much of the interior of that battery, but he can tell you of the level of difficulties you are likely to encounter. Good luck. Be careful.
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Karl Ian Sagal To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "Well done is better than well said." (Ben Franklin) Bene factum melior bene dictum Proud past President of SEG America and member of the First Premier Segway Enthusiasts Group and subsequent ones as well. |
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05-07-2017, 05:44 AM | #13 | |
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BTW ER is free in my country for every citizen, enough with that. Thanks for your help, different point of view. |
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05-07-2017, 09:30 AM | #14 |
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And for the record, while segway technology, including the batteries, is sophisticated, it is not beyond everyone to understand.
I happen to be an electromechanical engineer, and while I have not opened my segway batteries, there is a reason for that. I live 45 miles from where segways are built. I have brought my segways to the factory when needed, but that has not been the case for over a decade. And, the technology is no longer cutting edge, in that it is 15 years old, and in high tech, that is almost ancient. I am trying to recall, but I believe when I bought my first segway (2003), we all had flip phones, and were trying to understand why some phones were adding cameras. So, while repairing bits of the segway is clearly beyond most of us here on the forum, it is not beyond all of us. All that having been said, the batteries are managed by a proprietary circuit that is not easy to understand unless you have some details, and the details are not published anywhere that is easy to get a hold of. So, while the mechanics of the battery are not too difficult to figure out, the reason for a red light on the battery charging circuit may be far more involved than it may appear. And lastly, I will not list the many things I took apart and repaired that I was told could not be done, or was not worth the effort. I like to know how things work, and often repair items that others would not. I do not trash a person because they want to try.
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Karl Ian Sagal To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "Well done is better than well said." (Ben Franklin) Bene factum melior bene dictum Proud past President of SEG America and member of the First Premier Segway Enthusiasts Group and subsequent ones as well. |
05-07-2017, 11:58 AM | #15 |
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Location: Ocean Springs MS
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If the battery is 'good' (no failed cells) and the problem is just that it's voltage is so low that the onboard charger won't recognize it, it's a pretty simple process to correct that
You would need a variable DC power supply and an inline ammeter to measure the current. Hook the power supply to the battery, positive to positive, negative to negative and raise the voltage until the ammeter reads about 2 amps. As the battery begins to accept a charge, the current will go down a bit and you can raise the voltage a bit, keeping the current at about 2 amps. It may take you 12 to 24 hours, but eventually you will get the battery pack voltage up to around 50 volts and at that point you can put the battery back on the Segway and it will probably recharge it . . . . if indeed the battery doesn't have any defective cells. So long as you keep the current to 2 amps or less you're not going to have any problems I would try this process first, before you decide to open the battery . . . . and yes, just about any other civilized nation you can name has a better healthcare plan than the USA - An uninsured person here can go to the emergency room and end up losing their house and anything else they own. Only in America! Don |
05-07-2017, 04:31 PM | #16 | |
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Location: Spain
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In my case I can't take it to MTO as I live in Spain and 1)Shipping for such a heave stuff would be VERY expensive, 2)Ion batteries, as you know, are hard to ship lately... I want to give it a try on my own means. You're right that being a patented toy, there's not much info around about it. I'd like to know more in deep what the board inside the batteries does. It may be a charge balancer, but I will check as soon as I get them. As soon as I get them I will see what's the current voltage in them and decide based on that Thanks!! |
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05-07-2017, 04:36 PM | #17 | |
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Spain
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I usually just solder wires to the batteries and nickel strips, if you try normal solder on them it doesn't stick, but if you sand it a little before, solder starts to stick to it easily. I also use some flux. Risk: Yes I've worked with re-packing LiPO's a lot (RC enthusiast) and had one issue one day already so I know I need a window around hehe, thanks for the tip Thank's I'll keep you posted on this |
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