Switch to replace the controller

[CROSSBOLT]

Has anyone rigged a switch of any kind to activate/deactivate a PT ? I find my controller intermittant and unreliable. I want a switch similar to the mini-Pro...

How to do it?

[Philip]

Originally Posted by CROSSBOLT

Has anyone rigged a switch of any kind to activate/deactivate a PT ? I find my controller intermittant and unreliable. I want a switch similar to the mini-Pro...

How to do it?

There isn't any easy way to achieve this, as far as I know. It isn't possible to wire in a push-button that opens/closes a set of contacts or bridges a circuit on the radio board inside the Segway PT to turn it off/on.

What you could do, I suppose, is to open up an InfoKey and bridge the Power Button switch and run wires to a push-button. Put the InfoKey inside a small box, and mount the button on the top of the box, and affix the box to the Segway PT somewhere convenient (such as on the top of the Centre Console between your feet, or on the Handlebar near the InfoKey Dock).

[snaffah]

You probably just need a new key. It?s also possible the radio board is on its way out.

[CROSSBOLT]

Is there a schematic diagram existing for these X2 PT?

[Philip]

Personally, I have never seen a schematic of the radio board published, or even being passed around anywhere. However I don't believe this would help you to add a Power push-button. The radio board only responds to a specific security code that is transmitted by the matched InfoKey (obviously). But there is also security happening between the radio board and the electronics inside the PowerBase. If you were able to work around the radio board and get it to ask the PT to start up, the PT would immediately shut down again once it noticed what was going on. The Segway PT was designed to be difficult to hot wire :-)

[CROSSBOLT]

Originally Posted by Philip

Personally, I have never seen a schematic of the radio board published, or even being passed around anywhere. However I don't believe this would help you to add a Power push-button. The radio board only responds to a specific security code that is transmitted by the matched InfoKey (obviously). But there is also security happening between the radio board and the electronics inside the PowerBase. If you were able to work around the radio board and get it to ask the PT to start up, the PT would immediately shut down again once it noticed what was going on. The Segway PT was designed to be difficult to hot wire :-)

I appreciate the rapid replies! I get that the design was to thwart theft of a very expensive toy. However, this toy is used for farm-type chores for a creaky old guy who still is blessed with the mobility to do the chores but can only walk 40 steps or 40 feet (whichever occurs first!) without agony setting in. The tempramental, battery-eating infokey is just an annoyance.

The John Deere tractor is an expensive tool that any moron can steal but sits close to the house and is easy to start without all the tomfoolery of a super secure battery operated gizmo.

I was told that if I were to find and fiddle with the main board of a Segway, it would self-destruct. That true?

[dgbint]

Originally Posted by CROSSBOLT

I was told that if I were to find and fiddle with the main board of a Segway, it would self-destruct. That true?

Yes, almost.

It is a very technical computer.
No real details were ever released ( to the best of my knowledge ).
To do anything with it, you need to be both highly skilled and have lots of technical info.
Even then, it would be a daunting task.

The key delivers a complex message.
Perhaps with technical expertise, you could intercept ( record ) that message and 'replay' it.
Even that probably would not work.
I would guess that the infokey issues a message and the Segway responds with another message.
Messages in both directions probably need to be handled properly for lock / unlock to work.

Best to just buy a box of button batteries.

[Philip]

Originally Posted by CROSSBOLT

I appreciate the rapid replies! I get that the design was to thwart theft of a very expensive toy. However, this toy is used for farm-type chores for a creaky old guy who still is blessed with the mobility to do the chores but can only walk 40 steps or 40 feet (whichever occurs first!) without agony setting in. The tempramental, battery-eating infokey is just an annoyance.

The John Deere tractor is an expensive tool that any moron can steal but sits close to the house and is easy to start without all the tomfoolery of a super secure battery operated gizmo.

I was told that if I were to find and fiddle with the main board of a Segway, it would self-destruct. That true?

I hear you, Crossbolt. We use an x2 SE to get around our 10 acres every day, it is a great tool for the job. We also have a quad bike and a tractor for the various jobs on the property. But the x2 SE sure gets a lot of use to get around quickly and easily (my wife has been recovering from a broken leg for the past 6 months, so it has been invaluable). And just like our quad and tractor, a push-button starter would be perfectly suitable in our environment, too.

I tend to agree with Snaffah that you probably just need a new InfoKey, or get it repaired. The radio board is an extremely reliable component, so the likelihood that it is the problem is quite low (compared with the InfoKey buttons).

[CROSSBOLT]

Thanks, Philip! Yes, probably a new battery in the infokey is all I need. Some of these china batteries from Amazon expire prematurely...