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Technical Aids Tips and Tricks L

Tuesday, January 21st, 2014

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I like my smartphone…!!!

With my old mobile phone I didn’t write as much as 5 text messages within 5 years since my accident because I couldn’t push the small buttons with my buckled thumb.

When I tried to hit the keys with my index finger it looked a bit like our fellow citizens who were born before 1965 ;-)

I would like to point out here that you can not learn to be patient!!!

You might be able to say: You can learn to endure patience, but nothing more.

For someone like me with my tired fingers a smartphone is really brilliant. A little sweep over it, and the text message is almost done.

The search for my first smartphone was a little difficult.

Many things which I buy I pick because of handling and key chain suitability so that they don’t fall down immediately.

I am “Lord of the key chains”, see older blogpost.

(Picture is not faked!!!)

Newton, you know who I mean, the guy with the apple, has fallen in disgrace already for years.

When I searched for a “Rollinator-Tetra-suitable Smartphone” I noticed that these phones compared to a regular cell phone don’t have a loop any more to hang them on one of my beloved key chains.

The sales clerk suggested fastening a key chain to the slots of the speaker on the cover…

This won’t last for 2 minutes with me!!!

The chance of survival for a smartphone without Rollinator-fall protection is highly estimated below 5 days.

Before I had a Samsung offroad cellphone, with a giant loop and extremely robust, but with no special functionalities.

Thus I bought the Samsung S3 offroad smartphone, but brought it back after a weekend of installation work because it constantly crashed…!!! For once, I don’t mean the device, but the software. Additionally the internal memory of 100 MB was just enough for 25 apps, ridiculous…

So better the regular S3 (by now I knew the handling), but with a solid leather or silicone cover and key chain. There should be some suitable accessories available for me..

Even after days of extensive search in stores and internet I couldn’t find a cover on which I could hang a key chain!!!

Would the producers want the phones to regularly fall down???

So I had to help myself…!!!

The solution was so simple… I bought a standard leather cover and punched my key chain hole into it myself with my office hole puncher.

Smartphone with self-made fall protection


Please note the display: Model 386 SX 12MHz ;-)

There is actually a smartphone cover with key chain loop available, see below…!!!
There is actually a smartphone cover from Samsung available, thanks to Mark for the tipp:
The cover is an original Samsung accessory, the loop is quite good, and because of the rubber cover it doesn’t slip away easily…
Without cover it was regularly lying on the floor, and I thought it was a pity that the loop for the key chain was missing… I bought it here:

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0083TWHFG/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is available in different colours… Important it is original Samsung… The “no names” don’t really fit tight to the phone.

Translator BL

 

 

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Posted in General, Technical Aids, Technical Aids for Quadriplegic, Selbstgebaute Hilfsmittel, Tips and Tricks | 1 Comment »

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXXIII

Wednesday, December 11th, 2013

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It doesn’t always have to be the big reconstructions in your home like e.g. bathroom or stairlift… (see older blogposts).

Often you “just” need to drill a single hole at the right place to make life easier for a wheelchair user.

Because I never had a video-surveillance-security system at my apartment door I used a virtually maintenance-free, analogue peephole when I was pedestrian.

With its fitting height of 145 cm this is now only usable for me in connection with my standing chair, some ignorant mates call it standing wheelchair.

Because I order a few or many parts in the internet and like to look into the eyes of the courier drivers before I open the door I have drilled a 14 mm hole in my door in individually adjusted hobbit height with the active support of a friend.

A highest price Conrad Elektronik peephole order no. 75 01 63 for the full price of 6,39 € was then screwed in from both sides.

The analogue NSA hobbit peephole

serves its purpose 100%.

The angular field is surprisingly good, you can see the face of the “ringer” even above a size of 1,40 m when he is there… !!!
You don’t have to identify the courier drivers by the size of the parts they bring ;-)

Read the blogpost about a handle on my kitchen door. I have mounted such a handle on my entrance door as well to close the door easier from the outside (see older blogpost).

Now I only need a band-aid to hide the peephole in granny style ;-)

Translator BL

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Hilfsmittel Tipps und Tricks XXXII

Friday, November 1st, 2013

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

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Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXXI

Friday, October 11th, 2013

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It doesn’t always have to be the large items such as a wheelchair, wheeled walker, or a leg trainer that should be told about.

Often it’s the simple things that take care of business!

Like when your roommate or you yourself snores, that can quickly lead to disputes.

Apparently I have a nighttime job as a lumberjack, so I even went to sleep laboratory, where they prescribed me a CPAP-device + nasal pillow.

With that mask, I don’t mean the standard sleeping mask type : “I AM YOUR FATHER “, (see older blogpost).

Now my roommates are happy campers, as long as I behave and wear my mask.

During impatient care in more-people bedrooms I’ve heard of piss-bottles flying through the room if the noise-level was elevated after 10 P.M.

Past spring I had an almost 94-year old :Geriatrix (the real old guy from the Asterix comics) laying next to me. His breathing activities sounded like an engine start of a a Ju 52/3*.

Someone gave me a hint about some

earplugs by the brand named Alpine, called ” SleepSoft”

http://www.alpinehearingprotection.com/

So far I have only heard of Alpine as a high quality brand of car stereos with lots of base. They used to be so popular under thieves, that they professionally extracted it after 6 weeks out of my VW… dammit!!!

The special thing about these earplugs is, that they have a tube in the center of them, so you don’t hear the snoring of your neighbour anymore, but you are still able to talk about quantum physics with the night nurse.

So they are eliminating the snoring frequencies, but too bad that you can still hear the alarm clock and there is no chance against the nurses wake-up call anyways.

They have several different types of earplugs, for whatever fits your needs.
For sleeping, swimming, music or hunting, all available.

I even tried them out in a suicide attempt during a concert. Pre-band:

ANTHRAX,

one of the most silent Metal bands out there…if you want to believe me… ;-)

and then…

Motörhead

These earplugs definitely passed the hardcore-metal concert test and the four week old fart snoring action with decoration.

What an awesome concert; for that I even used a GPS and drove to the Offenbach ** town hall without applying for a Visa first.

Lemmy definitely doesn’t count to the mellow music category. ;-)

* 3-engine propeller plane from 1932

** People from Frankfurt and Offenbach don’t like each other (similar to Greenbay Packers and New England Patriot fans)

Translator Chris

 

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Wheelchair Tuning Part XXXV

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

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You can always find something new on the Rehacare in DĂĽsseldorf.

However you have to look closely at some vehicles to recognize the range of use.

Quite often you see things from the past coming back. This supposed-to-be new technical achievement is obviously a medieval upgrade.

An

Offroad Palanquin Chair

with a battery-powered supporting middle wheel is quite special.

It is made by: www.ferriol-matrat.com and makes trekking tours through virtually every terrain possible. The company also makes other innovative technical aids.

There is also the variant of a

Semi-palanquin Offroad Chair

with two middle wheels so that the wheelchair doesn’t fall over, for just one pusher.

You can rent such a wheelchair in various places in Germany for trekking tours. For more detailed information please contact the producer!!!

Now I just need two sherpas, and I can climb the Taunus mountain range again via the north face ;-)

Translator BL

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Rehacare 2013

Sunday, September 29th, 2013

Back from the “Rehacare2013″

(Rehability Fair) in DĂĽsseldorf, there is a lot to report, new blogposts in process ;-)

2nd Test drive after 1 year

“The Genny”, Wheelchair Segway

(see test report Rehacare 2012).

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Sport News V, Wheelchairgolf

Sunday, June 9th, 2013

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Trial lesson in Tenerife

I had already reported a year ago about an electric wheelchair with which you can play golf, (see older blogpost).

In Tenerife, you can rent such a golf wheelchair in the Hotel Mar y Sol in Los Cristianos, and also play a round with a coach on the golf course.

As I once played field hockey in my previous live and I would have liked to hit a ball again, my curiosity was even bigger.

This year I even had the possibility to meet the challenge of playing golf with my friend Christian Nachtwey, a former European champion and team captain of the German National Team in wheelchair golf.

Christian is not only an excellent golf player but also has a company which produces these golf wheelchairs. www.powerbasetec.de

In my former life I have driven many fork lifts, lifting platforms and similar vehicles with joystick, but such a delicate steering mechanism as it is in the golf wheelchair was new to me. Just driving around is really fun!

However, I was still in doubt how I should hold the golf club with my limited finger function and then even be able to hit the ball.
You have to take such “trifles” as a game, up to now we usually could think of a solution.

You are buckled up with knees and chest, similar to my Standing chair at home, and then you rise to the sky.

I have to admit, we were “just” on the Driving Range.

After we fixed the golf club with velcro straps and duct tape to my hand, the test series “Play Golf 1.0″ instead of “Drive Golf 12.1 years” could begin.

To my surprise you hardly need power, so that the ball even moves with me.

It seems to me that you can learn to play golf quicker as a “wheeler” than as a “footer” because you don’t twist the upper body during the shot due to the belts.

It is a lot of fun, I can recommend it to everybody to give it a try.

Wheelchair golf is also possible on Mallorca, this is there offered by “FUNDACIĂ“N HANDISPORT Mallorca”.

With them I was already sailing last year. It was a perfect day then, (see older blogpost).

A roll of duct tape is necessary per hole…

After I unpacked my “secret weapon”, the golf-ball from Eintracht Frankfurt which I brought along, Christian virtually didn’t have a chance any more ;-)

Translator BL

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Rollator Part II

Sunday, May 26th, 2013

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On Friday I was at the discount supermarket with the big L and looked at the offers for the coming week.

You should have taken a picture of my face, I am still a bit speechless!!!

As far as I remember we have in Germany doctors, health insurances and medical supply stores who take care about the patients supply of medical devices, and not the supermarkets…

Why does a discount supermarket suddenly sell rollators???

Did I miss something???

I am missing a medical device number in the flyer.

Who will adjust the rollator to the user, and what about maintenance, repair and liability???

Please post a comment…

Do I have to buy my next wheelchair at IKEA and screw it together myself out of two Billy shelves?

Photo Source Lidl

Translator BL

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Wheelchair Tuning Part XXXIV

Monday, May 13th, 2013

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I have already pointed out several times that you are hardly seen by the car drivers as wheelchair user in the dark, and that the upgrade with reflectors on the wheelchair can actually prolong one’s life (see older blogpost).

For the 18-year-old kids who think their highly tuned 65 hp small car would need apart from the blue-red blinking footwell area illumination an absolute highlight on the outside there are luminescent valve caps.

When the wheels are turning the battery-driven lamps in different colours are starting to glow or blink.
It’s quite impressive and immediately attracts the attention of the police… wasn’t there something about road traffic regulations… ;-)

For us wheelchair users these little lamps are great. You are turning the wheel a little bit, it is blink-blinking, and you are well noticed in traffic and also at street fairs by pedestrians.

You can buy them for just a few Euros in Ebay, partially even directly from Hongkong. So far all shipments from China have arrived undamaged at my home.

These lamps are working for months without changing the batteries.

I am using them on my beloved FreeWheel (see blogpost), a single spoke wheel which is clamped to the footrest of the wheelchair.

I have given a set of these lights to my wheeler friend, and he screwed them directly onto his wheelchair.

He was really stopped by the police when he was just coming out of the pharmacy, and he should have paid a ticket because of the illegal illumination of his wheelchair.
For each running wheel 5 Euro fine because of blue instead of orange illumination, and because the valve caps didn’t have an off-switch another 2 x 5 Euros on top.

What a nonsense… these are the regulations for a bicycle…

20 Euro fine because the police can’t distinguish a wheelchair from a bicycle…!!!

My friend asked the officers to send him the ticket with the corresponding paragraphs home and announced the probable publication of the incident on the EIGUDE internet blog.

Unfortunately we are still waiting for the ticket to be sent since a couple of months now ;-)

Translator BL

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Technical Aids for Quadriplegics Part XII

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

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It doesn’t always have to be the expensive aids from the medical supply stores which make one’s life easier.

If you have finger motor functions as if you are wearing boxing gloves the little metal clip on the toast packaging becomes your object of hate.

These clips are “Newton’s” best friend.

For some time, I am only using re-usable

plastic fasteners


for plastic bags.

Simply great, these little clips.

They are available in some supermarkets or for little money at the yellow Swedes!

Translator BL

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Technical Aids for Quadriplegics Part XI

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

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Around 30 years ago I tried to learn to play guitar.

The success was so limited that I put the career aspiration to be a professional musician on hold for an indefinite period.

As mentioned already several times, my finger function is very limited since my accident so that playing the guitar was not necessarily on my priority list.

Many quadriplegics like me with our cervical spine injuries have difficulties with gripping.

Therefore it was so much surprising when Mary from Scotland (quadriplegic as well) showed me her self-constructed

guitar plectrum holder.

When she told me that in spite of her handicap she is able again to strum around on her guitar her eyes were sparkling.

A really great idea, we need more of these.

Tips as usual to contact: rollinator@eigude.de

Click here on “Quadriplegic Tips”, to read other tips!!!

Translator BL

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Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXIX

Friday, March 1st, 2013

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Flying with a wheelchair!!!

It is actually no big secret, but I am asked again and again how I make it into the plane, because as is known I am neither able to walk, jump nor hop.

The answer is very easy, with a plane wheelchair and two strong guys!!

When the plane has docked at the gate I move with my own wheelchair to the plane door.

If you have an outside position you drive to the plane with a normal bus.
From there you move upwards to the height of the plane with a

plane lifting bus

If this “Beam me up Scotty Bus” is even working properly you should be the first at the upper door (the other passengers are coming from the other side of the plane).
I have already experienced this differently, (see older blogpost).

In this bus two kind airport employees help you with the transfer from your own wheelchair to the worldwide similar

plane wheelchair (model on the left)

On this piece of equipment you are pulled through the plane until you arrive at a special seat row where you can fold up the armrest to the aisle.

Then the famous “dwarf tossing” to the window seat can start…!!!

Don’t be afraid, the guys know what they are doing!!! ;-)

This time we have set a new record on the return flight, only 1 hour 40 minutes from landing until leaving the airport building. :-(

Click here on “Flying” to read stories all about “Flying with a wheelchair”.

Many years ago, I have worked at a beverage wholesaler, and the plane wheelchair always reminds me a bit of a sack truck with chair.

Translator BL

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Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXVIII

Friday, January 18th, 2013

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The medically proven positive effect of hop blossom ice tea, or disdainfully just called beer, is generally known.

“Cold wheat soup” dope

is extensively carried out, especially in Bavaria with state recognition.

If you are not able to remove the crown cap of the medicine bottle any more due to the paralysis of your hands, illness, stroke or too much doping, there is only one thing to help, the

One-arm-hop-blossom-ice-tea-bottle-opener

Source of supply of this ingenious aid without medical device number is amongst others

the company www.Mehal.de

I have already reported about their knife holder (see older blogpost).

Here is a link to other helpful special openers:

Type I bottle / jar opener

Type II bottle / jar opener

2. self-developed technical aid, my medicine bottle opener

Type I canpull opener

Type II can opener

Security advice: Too much doping can influence the driving characteristics of your wheelchair substantially.

Special thanks to Technical Aids Stuntman Ochim, who immediately volunteered to test the opener with video evidence.

Translator BL

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Wheelchair Tuning Part XXXII (Competitor)

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

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At the Rehacare fair I had the world’s lightest wheelchair on my knees, the

Panthera-X carbon fiber wheelchair

of the Swedish company

www.Panthera.se

weighs only 2.1 kilo (4,61 lb) (without wheels).

As light as the wheelchair, as heavy is the price for this wheeler Ferrari . ;-)

Further information e.g. www.aktiv-rollstuhl.de

Translator BL

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Technical Aids Tips and Tricks IXL

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

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Technical Aid of the year!

FreeWheel

 

Uneven paths, curbs, cobble stone, sand, gravel, grass and of course snow are not really friends of a wheeler.

With a little oomph you reach an artistic score of 5.8 for your flight out of the wheelchair. This can end up annoying, see older blogpost Broken Leg.

The solution is rather simple, you “just” need a longer wheelchair. But if I had a longer wheelchair I wouldn’t get it into the wheelchair loading system of my car.

My Minitrac and handcycle are great, but I always need a volunteer to get one of it out of the cellar.

A super alternative is a single wheel in the size of half a children’s bicycle which you clamp to the front of your wheelchair, and when the front wheels are lifted it gets perfect. The wheelchair then looks a bit like a jogging stroller. There are various producers of such a system.

On the Rehacare fair in DĂĽsseldorf I have met Patrick Dougherty, the American inventor of the

www.goFreeWheel.com

I knew this attached wheel from many videos from the internet, but it is not easily available in Germany. It is so small that you can store it at the back of a rigid frame wheelchair. I take it on my knees when I descend with my platform lifter because I have a foldable wheelchair. Just input “FreeWheel” in Youtube and see for yourself what is suddenly accessible, e.g.:

I could buy a new “fair wheel” from him which was still lying in the hotel. On the last day of the fair he deposited it at the booth of Runa Reisen, a travel agency for handicapped. I know their staff very well because I always book my holidays there. They have sent the FreeWheel to my home then. Thanks again from this side.

With the FreeWheel it is even possible, ideally with additional Mountainbike tyres, to ride safely in the snow. Now the next winter can start, or maybe even a little bit of desert…

The FreeWheel is clamped tetra-easily to the footrest of a rigid-framed wheelchair. (But I have a foldable wheelchair…???)

If you ride forwards afterwards the front tyres of the wheelchair are lifted, and the fun can begin.

Because of the big tyres even “shocks” due to rough grounds are almost not noticed any more.

A rack with maximum load of 12 kg is available as well.

It has been upgraded with missing spoke reflectors incl. blinking valve caps (see picture above).

Of course Patrick wanted to know in detail how I get the FreeWheel clamped to my actually non-suitable foldable wheelchair by magic with Michael’s help. ;-)

New 2014 FreeWheel for folder-wheelchairs

For enquiries contact as usual: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

 

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Posted in General, Simply great, Technical Aids, Technical Aids for Quadriplegic, Pimp My Ride, Selbstgebaute Hilfsmittel, Holiday, Winter | 5 Comments »

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