mzokc's Blog

[mzokc]

While deciding what to do with the 680 entries in the blog located on the previous server, I thought this would be the best place to mention the latest glide and eventually link you to the new location where the blog is.

Thanks to Frank, all 680 adventures were saved in perfect Word/Access table format! It's going to be a lot easier to transfer the information if necessary.

And now...on with the adventures:

Easter Egg Hunt Glide - April 15, 2006 5:08 PM CDT

A warm, balmy and breezy day made for a great glide adventure to the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. This annual event is enjoyed by all, and as usual the cameras are everywhere. The Segway HT is perfect for all these events and adds to the fun. One is one with the community when walking or riding in the open air and the HT makes for perfect transportation.

Happy Easter everyone!

[mzokc]

OKC Memorial Marathon Glide - April 30, 2006 4:00 PM CDT

When the runners start running outside your home, it gets you inspired to enjoy the day, and what better activity that hopping on the Segway HT to enjoy today's spectacular weather. I glided after the runners were finished and glided throughout the neighborhood until the batteries were almost discharged. One of the greatest views from the HT is how the view of the homes changes as you glide by. With extensive trees, the movement helps capture the entire home hiding behind the trees.

[mzokc]

Pulling and reattaching the plug on the Segway HT before bed gave the HT an additional boost for an early morning car repair glide. It was like old times with plenty of power except for one long gentle hill. In about 15 minutes the 2 mile glide was complete and the HT slipped into the trunk for the ride home. Using the HT for car repair transportation continues to be a great reason to use it as a spare vehicle.

[mzokc]

It's been way too long since the last glide, but the beginning of the 4th of July weekend was a good way to warm up the Segway HT. A nice early Friday morning donut run? Sure, why not! I've missed riding and gliding and look forward to more adventures soon. The HT performed nicely as usual.

Great to see the HT appearing on more television specials and ads during the last month. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday everyone!

[mzokc]

With rain hitting and missing the downtown area, we were lucky to have dry weather during the annual neighborhood 4th of July parade of bikes, scooters and various motorized devices. Decorating the Segway HT added to the fun while using the HD camera to capture the event. Three fire-trucks and many firemen were present to round the block and blow the siren during the celebration. A cannon sounding gun (at ear damaging levels) was fired to start the parade. Sad to say the HT made it a bit too easy to glide near the loud sound (additional tinnitus occurred within a day.) For me, it usually it takes several weeks or months for increased ear damage to subside to its normally low hiss level. Segway HT gliding gets my mind off the problem, so more gliding will be on the schedule during the rest of the summer!

Hope you all enjoyed a great 4th of July and will continue to have a great summer.

[mzokc]

The Grateful Bean (Kaiser's Ice Cream Parlor) opened up this week and after driving by and stopping for a breakfast item and a milk shake it seemed to be a perfect day to hop aboard the Segway HT and glide by.

Later in the day I toured the traffic circle area and waved at the folks enjoying their ice cream treats. The Grateful Bean open on Saturday is perfect, since their previous schedule over a year ago was M-F only.

The HT worked perfectly in the 90 degree weather - about 15 degrees cooler than yesterday! Other places of business are opening up in the area and the HT is a perfect way to get there from home. Happy summer gliding everyone!

[mzokc]

What fun enjoying a glide on the Segway HT to a nearby neighborhood ice cream social that celebrated National Night Out to promote safe neighborhoods. There were plenty of questions and comments about the HT. The extremely hot weather was very hot, however the HT made the glide cooler with the 12.5 mph wind during the trip. Dozens of ice cream flavors made the day cooler as well.

[mzokc]

While I have enjoyed a few undocumented Segway glides since the last post (Another bakery visit and a glide around the community) I was able to get the Segway PT upgraded today (10/14/06) and try out the new i2 PT. It was a very fitting day to do it with all of the Segway owners out in Long Beach at Segway Fest.

They offered $1500 on trade (with the bad batteries.) However the new i2 is too heavy to be lifted easily into the car. I did ride the new model for the first time today. Nice, but I was a bit sloppy stepping off. I was extremely impressed with how easy and natural the new steering is. I took to it instinctively.

The new software upgrade has one problem, my spent batteries that gave me about a mile or two of service will now only give service for a few hundred feet! More safety and less battery life! It's time for lithium cells!

[polo_pro]

The new software upgrade has one problem, my spent batteries that gave me about a mile or two of service will now only give service for a few hundred feet! More safety and less battery life! It's time for lithium cells!
Just run over to Ebay and keep an eye on the Segway auctions for spare sets of used NiMH batteries. I'd ask the seller some detailed questions as to how the batteries were treated during their lifetime. And if the seller is nearby, ask to take the NiMH for a test glide of 8 miles. You can get a replacement pair of NiMH for between $100 and $200. I'd hope this will last you another year...something you'll appreciate if quick charge Li-Ions come out during that time!

Also, ask your dealer to refer folks upgrading to Li-Ions to you. You're helping your dealer out because it softens the blow when he tells them that someone will throw in $100 to $200 to help them buy their expensive Li-Ions.

[wwhopper]

And a set of LiOns for long distance gliding, if you are at home, or taking your seg by car somewhere.

Mzokc glad you got a chance to try out the new I2, and your experience is not unlike the rest of us on our first step off of the Gen 2 machine. It is so different than what we are used to.

Sorry you did not make it to Long Beach, it was a great time, that is for sure. And the glide around LA was not to be missed.

Keep up the postings!

[menoseg]

It was indeed fun. It was also my first 'glide' experience.

I was on a rental.

I’m currently in the process of buying one. :D

[mzokc]

I took a last glide with the original battery packs today. That equaled at least 690 glides on the original packs. All the glides were documented right here on Segway Chat. It has been an unforgettable adventure on that first set of batteries!

New NiMH battery packs were purchased for original performance and maximum clearance under the PT. Lithium-ions were considered, but the additional cost made staying with NiMH an easy choice. I stopped by at the Oklahoma City Segway dealer today after waiting about a week for delivery of the batteries.

Today's glide of riding in the house and outside for one city block brought the PT to a slow down as the new software upgrade prevented using the old pack for any distance. (I live in a 99 year old home, so it's normal for me to use something for a long time!) Today was the first time the battery packs were removed (one at a time) and some duct tape was used to remove a bit of leftover adhesive on the chassis where the old battery seal came in contact with the metal.

The midnight blue batteries look nice with the original gray color. It's the only color shipping in NiMH, so any photos from of the HT/PT from this day forward will feature the two tone i167. After a full charge, I will post my feelings about the upgraded software. It will be fun to enjoy a fully charged and a "like new" original Segway PT again!

[mzokc]

I could not be more pleased with the new upgrade and new batteries. The original speed and performance has returned and the i167 is working great. The only problem was the time it took to discharge the batteries by gliding throughout the downtown area Sunday afternoon. All the original enjoyment is back and I look forward to many happy adventures on the second set of batteries.

With the old battery packs ready for recycling, it's a perfect time to close out the blog entries. One set of batteries gave me a lot to write about during the last 44 months! Someday I hope to republish the blog with the photos on .Mac. For now, enjoy the photos!

http://homepage.mac.com/mzokc/segway/PhotoAlbum42.html

Delivery day is a good place to start, but check out all the links at the top of the photo pages. Hope you have high speed internet access!

[pam]

Bravo, Mark! What a great treat. And 44 months - longer for a set of batteries than expected, I'm sure. And you definitely gave them a workout.

Thanks for sharing your Blog with us -
Pam

[mzokc]

March 3rd, 2009 - Tonight I enjoyed a great glide to celebrate my sixth year anniversary of owning a Segway here in Oklahoma City. So many new places to eat within a few blocks with new sidewalks and resurfaced roads everywhere! With panoramic windows allowing everyone to check out the glide, the James E. McNellie's Public House features comfort food and hundreds of beers; a perfect place to park the HT and enjoy dinner. http://www.mcnelliesokc.com/

Segway HT, XT and i180's now appear all over the downtown area.

- Airport personnel check the tarmac and conduct security in the terminal. (6 years ago the first thing the police said to me was, "We need this at the Airport.")
- Police glide in our "Underground." A pedestrian tunnel system throughout the downtown area. http://www.downtownokc.com/Default.aspx?tabid=58
- OKC Ambassadors ride Segway HT giving direction and assistance. http://www.downtownokc.com/Default.aspx?tabid=69
- Midwest City has gotten into the glide too. http://newsok.com/midwest-city-police-to-roll-out-segways-on-weekends/article/3343833
- A pair of Dr. Seuss grinches glided in the 2008 Ghouls Gone Wild Halloween Parade.
- Sonic Segway Santa visits Downtown events on his Segway personal transport scooter. Santa has lots of fun with treats for kids and adults. http://www.downtownindecember.com/ Segway Santa even got a national mention in USA Today in the December 28–30, 2007 edition.
- Everyone can enjoy a test glide at our OKC dealer: Segway of Oklahoma - http://www.segwayok.com/

The latest one to glide is our new "Thunder" NBA mascot "Rumble" who appeared on a Segway with flashing lights to celebrate our win against Dallas.
http://gallery.me.com/mzokc#100196/IMG_0298&bgcolor=black

We have come a long way since my first daytime glide when I was stopped by a newspaper reporter who said, "I never thought I'd see a Segway in Oklahoma City!"

Enjoy the glide!

[wwhopper]

We have missed your posts.

It is amazing to see what has happened in this tiny world of ours in the last 6 years since we all began gliding!

[mzokc]

Our NBA Mascot traveled the St. Patricks Day parade route faster on his Segway!

http://thunder-nba.com/rumble/photos.php

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!

[mzokc]

Well, that St. Patrick's Day glide was the last one on the second set of batteries. Running the NiMH cells down that evening (by parking with the Segway running) was a bad idea. After Blinky disappeared, I plugged the i167 back in. A week later I found two red charge lights and no amount of switching packs or re-plugging in would help.

Since only 50 glides were enjoyed over 30 months, I failed to get full use of the batteries when compared with the first set of batteries that were used every day. My local dealer successfully charged them using an external charger, and the problem seemed solved. Green lights appeared when I reinstalled the packs, but a week later while plugged in, the red charge lights were on again.

So it's decision time. Buy new batteries for my upgraded i167, trade in for a new one before May 15th, or sell the historic model to the city if they want one with original steering. Another option is to donate the i167 to one of our museums (if they plan on a Segway exhibit) since so many Segway PT's are being used by the city. The decision is more difficult with the upcoming move back to Orange County, California. While downtown OKC has been spectacular for using the PT, I don't know where I am going to be living yet. I plan to be out-of-state several months a year, so battery life may suffer no matter which model I own.

Meanwhile, thanks to all who posted their experiences with red charge lights, bad batteries and upgrading to new i2 and x2 models. Your expertise makes it easier to make these decisions.

[bentbiker]

My local dealer successfully charged them using an external charger, and the problem seemed solved. Green lights appeared when I reinstalled the packs, but a week later while plugged in, the red charge lights were on again.
This does not sound like a battery problem to me. Sounds more like the charging circuitry on the Segway has gone south. If an external charger provides a good charge and good range, the Segway should do the same.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

[wwhopper]

What to do when the parts start to fail, and replacement costs equal purchasing a new machine.

Find and pay for a gen one part or trade up to a gen two.

And for an early I-167 is it the early hypertronics connectors (exposed wire pins) or the later elcon connectors (plastic covered pins?) If it is the early hypertronics, then you will have to go with the purchase of a new handlebar as well (moving you up a grand more in price) (As and FYI - Segway of Annapolis did have a hypertronics CSB on the shelf the other day)

Sounds as if you have emotional attachment to the machine, so you might just want to wait. Though trading in on a new machine may indeed be a good option. Only you can decide how to proceed.

[mzokc]

Segway customer service returned my call today and suggested bringing the PT to the dealer who can ship it to Segway for full diagnostics. With both red lights appearing (rather than one light) it does appear to be the PT, but this would answer the question of whats really wrong. After getting an estimate of repair costs, the decision will be easier to make.

As far as being attached to it? I've enjoyed a lot of adventures on this first gen model while traveling across the country. The blog and pictures are the important historical documents that will always bring back the excitement of those early glides. The i167 is light enough to lift into the car, and that's the real attachment. The x2 would require more accessories to enable travel with the car.

Customer service did mention that the i167 is still popular with those who have special needs. I find the new model looks much more sportier, so maybe it's time to update my image before starting retirement!

[mzokc]

The dealer tested the PT and found that the charger is bad. He is quoting a price of $750. I will be checking with Segway as they were mentioning $200 for a bad charger. A new i2 is sounding better everyday.

[wwhopper]

A new i2 is sounding better everyday.

The Gen One Trade in Event will soon be over for 2009!

You will really enjoy the i2, its just enough different that you will hate it at first, but once you spend time with it, it is a superior machine to the first gen ones.

[mzokc]

Customer Support responded today to my questions. The $200 charge is what Segway would charge for a full diagnostic if I did not get the PT repaired. With a $100 dealer charge for shipping, it would be a bit pricey just to verify the need to update.

I had a good discussion today with my Segway dealer about "Power Assist Mode," one feature that is missing on the i2. I mostly use PAM to brush off the wheels before bringing the PT into the house. Remembering that it was possible to use the balance assist to move the PT, the feature won't be totally missed. However the lack of turning the wheels with a twist of the wrist will take time to get used to.

He explained about how the i167 glided normally with a set of new batteries, but the PT would not charge properly. You all responded correctly with your earlier posts of what was wrong.

Since I have multiple sets of NiHm batteries, an interesting option that the dealer would support is to use the good NiHM batteries on the i2 and get a refund of about $1000 on the LIons. But I don't plan on flying with the PT, so the best option may be to exercise the NiHMs to health and then sell them. I have never used LIons in OKC, but the need for more distance when enjoying events in Southern California would make LIons a must.

Thanks Will for the feedback. The majority opinion of owners indicates that they love the i2 and x2 after gliding for awhile. If the history museum ever needs a PT, they should obtain the one from our NBA mascot, "Rumble." They have started a collection of NBA stuff, so it would fit right in with that display area.

[Bob.Kerns]

Since I have multiple sets of NiHm batteries, an interesting option that the dealer would support is to use the good NiHM batteries on the i2 and get a refund of about $1000 on the LIons. But I don't plan on flying with the PT, so the best option may be to exercise the NiHMs to health and then sell them. I have never used LIons in OKC, but the need for more distance when enjoying events in Southern California would make LIons a must.


Interesting that your dealer will support NiMH batteries on the i2 -- they don't work. Lots of us would like them to work, for the purposes of flying with them.

[mzokc]

Thanks Bob for the info. Your post got me reading the i2 manuals and checking for other details that should be considered before repair or replacement of the i167. Since there is a great deal of battery life left in the current NiHM batteries, a repair of the i167 charging circuits may be the best solution at the present time.

[mzokc]

A huge "Thank You" to all who gave feedback about repairs and trade-ins. The concern of additional costs during repair and the generous offer by Segway to upgrade helped make the decision to purchase the i2 on May 9th. Getting an additional price cut on the i2 was the icing on the cake! Thanks to Segway of Oklahoma where Bobby consistently provided support during the decision of repair or replacement.

This repair would have cost:
Shipping PT to Segway: $100
Replace charger base: $795
(alternate handlebar if necessary could add to cost)
Shipping back to OKC: $100

After one of the first "Amazon delivered" Segway PTs in Oklahoma was boxed up with it's original grey batteries, the new i2 was assembled by the dealer while I took photos. It's quite a switch from 3/3/2003 when assembly was owner accomplished at the house. Bobby stayed after hours to assemble the i2 and helped me lift it into the car. Removing it was a two person task, but all went smoothly. Since Bobby fully charged the batteries before the sale, I was able to glide right away. New eateries with their huge glass windows make it easy to keep an eye on the HT during dinner! A first day glide would not be complete without the in-house self portrait.

i167/i2 photos at: http://gallery.me.com/mzokc#100228

With the angle of the streets highly crowned for rain run off, one interesting difference is the additional work required when gliding in a straight path. The curve of the street requires holding the handle bar upright at all times. Before I could glide straight by shifting weight and not turning the control. The tilt compensation makes sense, but it was a surprise when gliding on the street.

The i2 glides around the rooms inside the house perfectly. The precision control at low speed does not disappoint. I am very happy on day one and realize the upgrade was the right move to make.

With the exchange program, the i2 cost less than a Tesla "Model S" deposit and you can travel over half the distance of a GM VOLTs projected electric range.

One more thing... Apple is dropping the ability to edit the old web pages that contain the first SegwayFesT photos and the i167 glide photos on July 7, 2009. They will still remain, but no more editing or adding to that collection.

http://homepage.mac.com/mzokc/segwayfest/Menu114.html

http://homepage.mac.com/mzokc/segway/PhotoAlbum39.html

BTW for those who view album 39, Bruce Gordon passed away in 2007. He replaced his i167 with an i2 and enjoyed the new model.

[mzokc]

Apple has sent MobileMe customers an email on October 8th to announce that they will discontinue accessing our photos on the homepage.mac web pages.

What this means is any links to those photos will no longer work on November 8th. Photos of the first SegwayFest that have been accessible using links in the Segway newsletter or when doing Google searches will not function at that time.

Since the original content will remain in our storage space, it's not saving Apple any disk storage, just CPU time on their side.

Historic documentation - viewable one day and gone the next. I am just happy that I have been able to keep the content alive until the links no longer work.

[mzokc]

Haven't posted in awhile, but there is a good reason. My first Segway HT in 2003 was only the beginning. Upgraded to the i2 18 months ago. Today a new vehicle was purchased to transport the Segway PT in.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark-z/sets/72157625586026027/show/

I've been posting at GM-Volt.com, so I won't go into details here, but one question will be how to lower the wheels into the recessed hatch area. When my move to So. Cal. is complete, it will be time to visit the local Segway store for some advice.

Happy 2011 everyone!

[mzokc]

I haven't posted since the Chevy Volt days. Finally brought the Segway i2 out to California from Oklahoma and enjoyed using it when filming the arrival of a replacement to the Chevy Volt. The video is a bit over the top, but after waiting since 2008 for a 100% electric car, the dream has been realized.

Select the link below to enjoy the delivery story and video showing the Segway i2 posted at GM-Volt and have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend ahead.

Delivery of the Electric Car (http://gm-volt.com/2012/11/16/tesla-personal-delivery/)

Mark Z

[mzokc]

It was 10 years ago today that my first Segway delivery took place in Oklahoma City. A lot of change since then, but the enjoyment of gliding on a Segway PT/i2 continues. Now the glides take place in Southern California and the anniversary glide took place outside today at the same location as the Tesla delivery. However, in the spirit of OKC, where I enjoyed the PT inside, the i2 performed perfectly tonight with the added convenience of using an elevator to move it to the second and third floors! This image is reflected in the west window, with a sunset sky in the background.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEex_o-CQAAxCh9.jpg