Cold batteries = fewer infokey bars

[JIO]

My i2 is strange with the infokey display. If the weather is cold and the batteries are all charged up (both blinking green), when I start it up, the infokey will read between 2 to 5 bars. But if I shut it down and point a hair dryer at the electrical plug-in area on the back for about 1 minute, then when I start it up, all 8 bars are showing.

I'm wondering why first off and I'm wondering if that rear part of the base where you plug in electrical cord is where the infokey gets its reading.

Also by cold weather, I'm talking 40 - 50 degrees.

It doesn't take long with the hairdryer, nor does the hairdryer really heat up the area that much. It's just strange, and I know that the batteries are really at full power. In most cases, I just ignore the number of bars as they will stay low or add bars as I ride.

[Isidore]

My i2 is strange with the infokey display. If the weather is cold and the batteries are all charged up (both blinking green), when I start it up, the infokey will read between 2 to 5 bars. But if I shut it down and point a hair dryer at the electrical plug-in area on the back for about 1 minute, then when I start it up, all 8 bars are showing.

I'm wondering why first off and I'm wondering if that rear part of the base where you plug in electrical cord is where the infokey gets its reading.

Also by cold weather, I'm talking 40 - 50 degrees.

It doesn't take long with the hairdryer, nor does the hairdryer really heat up the area that much. It's just strange, and I know that the batteries are really at full power. In most cases, I just ignore the number of bars as they will stay low or add bars as I ride.

that seems very strange, have you tried just waiting a short time (not using the hair dryer) to seeing if it's the hair dryer or just the batteries completing their self test routine? Also what series are your batteries are they newe or a year old?

[Desert_Seg]

The wireless transmitter (antenna) is just below the console cover (under the 5 flashing lights). Using the hair dryer at the rear wouldn't do much more than warm up the console as the plug receptacle is a sealed unit.

In cold weather your batteries may (emphasis on the may) send out erroneous readings. These readings will correct themselves as the battery warms up.

Steven

[SEGsby]

Going out on a limb... Based on similar experience of mine, you have a battery pack that does not like the cold and operates in a marginal manner. It's usually not much a problem, otherwise.

A battery replacement solved this problem for me, but it took 3 more batteries to get the current that's working right.

Goodluck,

SEGsby

[aClimbAxe]

My i2 commute to work increased from 3 miles to 9 mile in mid November when the company I work for moved from Del Rey to El Segundo. The morning route is cooler, usually against the wind, very few stops, bike paths most of the way and ends with a 0.3 mile 100' climb from the beach into El Segundo. I usually get the InfoKey warning icon at 8.5 to 9.0 mph on the climb.

I start with a indoor full overnight charge with 8 bars. Prior to the climb, I'm down to 2 bars. When I get to work, it still has 2 bars. I lean it in riderless balance mode against the wall for about 10 to 20 minutes before shutting down and charging, during this time it will add 3 bars (5 total), <3 bars> usage is appropriate for the distance, speed and conditions of the commute.

The return glide is usually warmer and more leisurely, and the battery gauge operates normally. However, if I'm "less leisurely" it will drop 1 or 2 bars, but will add them back if I wait 10 - 15 minutes before shutting down and charging.

This is something I've been watching since I started this commute. I haven't had any problems, battery, InfoKey or other equipment. I was thinking this was normal for the commute as described.

Warren

[polo_pro]

My i2 commute to work increased from 3 miles to 9 mile in mid November when the company I work for moved from Del Rey to El Segundo. The morning route is cooler, usually against the wind, very few stops, bike paths most of the way and ends with a 0.3 mile 100' climb from the beach into El Segundo. I usually get the InfoKey warning icon at 8.5 to 9.0 mph on the climb.

I start with a indoor full overnight charge with 8 bars. Prior to the climb, I'm down to 2 bars. When I get to work, it still has 2 bars. I lean it in riderless balance mode against the wall for about 10 to 20 minutes before shutting down and charging, during this time it will add 3 bars (5 total), <3 bars> usage is appropriate for the distance, speed and conditions of the commute.

The return glide is usually warmer and more leisurely, and the battery gauge operates normally. However, if I'm "less leisurely" it will drop 1 or 2 bars, but will add them back if I wait 10 - 15 minutes before shutting down and charging.

This is something I've been watching since I started this commute. I haven't had any problems, battery, InfoKey or other equipment. I was thinking this was normal for the commute as described.

I saw similar behavior when I commuted for 1.5 years in Santa Barbara right along the beaches. But I was using NiMH and going shorter distances. Segway batteries are never going to work optimally in the cold. You gotta expect lower range. But I also noticed that the battery gauge could be erratic at times too.

Just keep your Li-Ions fully charged and you should be fine. How old are your battteries (and what revision are they...AB?)?

ps - I had a sizeable hill along my commute too. If for some reason I'd forgotten to charge Eeyore, I'd usually power assist him (Gen 1) up the hill to be sure I got to work. I'd also ride slower along the flats. This probably added 3 or 4 min to my commute time, but it was preferable to having to walk Eeyore into work for the last half mile. If I wanted to arrive hot and sweaty at work, I'd be riding a bike!

($10 says JohnM will jump on that last statement within 24 hours...any takers?)

[nickyboy]

My i2 is strange with the infokey display. If the weather is cold and the batteries are all charged up (both blinking green), when I start it up, the infokey will read between 2 to 5 bars. But if I shut it down and point a hair dryer at the electrical plug-in area on the back for about 1 minute, then when I start it up, all 8 bars are showing.

I'm wondering why first off and I'm wondering if that rear part of the base where you plug in electrical cord is where the infokey gets its reading.

Also by cold weather, I'm talking 40 - 50 degrees.

It doesn't take long with the hairdryer, nor does the hairdryer really heat up the area that much. It's just strange, and I know that the batteries are really at full power. In most cases, I just ignore the number of bars as they will stay low or add bars as I ride.

Hmmm, interesting. I have an X2 that has the "cold start bug". I unloaded it from the van recently (having been fully charged) and was a little worried to notice only 1/2 charge showing on the bars. It performed well enough during the event (see Dirty Weekend!) and charged up in the van overnight and was showing full charge the next day. I just put it down to "These B****y Segways being tempremental again". Maybe I was wrong.

I wish you guys would stop talking about commuting along the beach!

[aClimbAxe]

[QUOTE=polo;161863]

Just keep your Li-Ions fully charged and you should be fine. How old are your battteries (and what revision are they...AB?)?




I've had my i2 since May, 2007 and have put a little over 1800 miles on the batteries, which are Rev. AF.

Thanks for the info.

Warren

[JIO]

My batteries are a little over a year old. I bought the i2 in October, 2006. The batteries are always kept charged and even when the infokey shows sometimes only 2 bars, I'm pretty sure they are fully charged as I can glide for say 10 miles and then the infokey reads 4-5 bars. There is no decrease in power. I'm pretty sure the infokey is just receiving faulty information. I even tried a different infokey and the results are the same. With the hair dryer on for 1-2 minutes aimed at the back of the base, I'm reading full power. Strange readings...I just chalk it up to my i2 being ornery in cold weather. Batteries are fine though.

What I haven't tried but will do when I return from vacation in Hawaii (tough life but someone has to it) is to fire up the i2 and then while running aim the hairdryer at the back and see if it goes up one bar at a time or just go like from 3 to 8 in one jump...or maybe I need to turn it off and restart it before it reads 8 bars. Interesting behavior though.

[SegDog]

Hello,

What are the odds that the infokey is the culprit?

SegDog

segwayphilly is starting a local group

[polo_pro]

Just keep your Li-Ions fully charged and you should be fine. How old are your battteries (and what revision are they...AB?)?




I've had my i2 since May, 2007 and have put a little over 1800 miles on the batteries, which are Rev. AF.

Thanks for the info.

Warren

Happy to help out...but hey, how about rep pointing me for my time and effort. It'll help counteract the person who neg repped me for that JohnM joke I made at the end of my last reply in this thread! And to that anonymous person...JohnM isn't a troll. He's an advocate...just he chooses to advocate bikes (much like I choose polo)!

[bentbiker]

Hello,

What are the odds that the infokey is the culprit?

Probably pretty close to zero since he tried two keys and had the same result.

[SegDog]

Hello,

I did not see the part stating that another infokey gave the same result. This was a passing thought, but my actual thought-process had more to do with seeing how the infokeys seem to show similar bars when going through diagnostics. A couple of quirky things happen with the infokey.

[bentbiker]

. . . but my actual thought-process had more to do with seeing how the infokeys seem to show similar bars when going through diagnostics. A couple of quirky things happen with the infokey.

I believe you are thinking in terms of the infokey doing some analysis or calculation, maybe even keeping track of usage. Actually, it is just a screen; it displays what the unit sends out. So, if two infokeys are both working correctly, they will show identical results.

[SegDog]

Hello,

Well, I was really thinking about how the infokey acts with the machine off. Not when it's analyzing or calculating. I was attempting to look at the sometimes overlooked, not quite logical, way LCD's act when it's cold, or other conditions. Just another tool.

SegDog