Archive for 十月, 2010

Wheelchair Tuning Part XVII (Competitor)

星期六, 十月 30th, 2010

A real rarity:

Bought by a German in the USA and photo taken by me in Spain, an

Israeli Foldable Scooter.

This scooter is completely foldable. With its two batteries it has coverage of around 15 kilometers. Basic but functional.

The grey colour reminds somehow of the military!

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XX

星期五, 十月 29th, 2010

Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife is exceedingly accessible, but quite hilly and only to cope for fit wheelchair users or with extreme pusher.
Wheelchairs, rollators, crutches and rented scooters or electric wheelchairs belong to the townscape.
An alternative to electric wheelchair or scooter is an approximately 60 kg heavy, little tractive.

Minitrac or Swisstrac

I call this thing a mobile cider crate.
With some practice the docking is quite easy. The tractive power is remarkable. I didn’t have any difficulties with gradients, provided that the floor plates were not too slippery.

Curbs are no hurdles at all. The docking bar in the mid of the wheelchair can be de-installed easily, even with a foldable wheelchair.
The some year old Minitrac has passed my 10 day test quite well. Although it was mounted to my wheelchair in a little unconventional-creative-spanish way, it was technically absolutely alright.
The Minitrac a German and the Swisstrac a Swiss product are quite similar. I only heard good things about the Swisstrac, but haven’t tested it yet. I have seen the new Swisstrac on a fair, the new docking station is easy to handle for quadriplegics.

I like these small things, and they fit into any trunk, if a well-trained pedestrian is found to lift it.

The colour was disgusting: pinkish red with glitter effect! Ugh…

There is one comment worth to be translated from the chief engineer of Swisstrac

Crazy Flash IV Addendum

星期五, 十月 29th, 2010

The fire department in Frankfurt has upgraded and switched to

Emergency vehicles with pedals

(see older blogpost).

Please note the blue fire water bucket on the front.

Translator BL

Eigude Shame Part X

星期二, 十月 26th, 2010

I might seem to be a notorious complainer sometimes, but some companies get away with stuff that’s a bit too cheeky.
The photos were made on 05.10.2010.

Tested “good” by the German product test foundation in 4/2006!
When the DVDs were tested I was still pedestrian.

Translator BL

Signs Part V

星期二, 十月 26th, 2010

This sign kindly indicates that the way ends 100 meters further ahead on the mole at the sea.

If you are not Jesus of Nazareth, it is also dead end for any pedestrian.

Eigude Shame II Addendum

星期二, 十月 26th, 2010

对不起,此内容只适用于Deutsch

Wheelchair Tuning Part XVI

星期二, 十月 26th, 2010

When I was at the last rehab fair I have tested an assumed new wheelchair drive. It is called

NuDrive

and is basically not a bad idea.

For para- or quadriplegics like me without abdominal muscles and a disposition to fall forward out of the wheelchair it might not be suitable.

By pulling on two handles the driving wheels are turned independently from each other, and by pushing the brakes are applied. Unfortunately these things only have one gear so that you only get faster if you are “paddling” faster.
Even if I wouldn’t purchase this drive, it makes driving considerably easier if you don’t have much power. I like it that it has been thought about us quadriplegics as well with wristbands.

Somehow I think to have seen something similar on age-old wheelchairs…

Translator BL

Online Again!

星期二, 十月 26th, 2010

After two weeks

Technical Aids Testing

on Tenerife I am online again!

Here endurance test of the wheelchair tractive “Minitrac” in high temperature range.

Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XIX

星期日, 十月 10th, 2010

I think that this special pen might be quite helpful for many fellows who can’t grip very well any more. It is also available rubberized. This pen was probably developed by a concerned person.
I think the

special pen

is great.

If you don’t have much power to write I recommend DVD labelling pens.

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XVIII

星期六, 十月 9th, 2010

The market for technical aids is huge.

There is almost everything you can imagine in the broadest sense. The problem is not only that this stuff is unreasonably expensive, but also apparently nobody has ever tested it.

The Taiwanese fabricate a basically ingenious key holder, like a Suisse Army Knife.
This can be found in almost every catalogue for technical aids.
Because of its size the key holder can be grasped even with limited finger functions. If the key is stuck in the lock the holder is bent by 90° so that you can open the lock due to the big lever with your “little finger”!!!

Attention: If someone else wants to open a door with your key holder please point out to him that a key can be broken off quickly with this technical aid.

The bad thing is that our European keys are a little thicker than the Asian ones and therefore don’t fit in. Such technical aids disappear in the cupboard, like the food processer from the home shopping channel. I have adjusted my

Key holder

accordingly (filed the slots and provided with a longer screw), and I am using it daily.

Last year on the rehab fair I have pointed out this deficit to the Taiwanese. Yesterday I was at the Rehacare in Düsseldorf, but I didn’t see the key holder any more.

Translator BL

 

Signs Part IV

星期四, 十月 7th, 2010

We wheelers are often treated a little childlike.

I am not annoyed with anybody if he is patting my head in the last moment of saying goodbye.
That’s just the way it is if you are just 1,38 m small.
But if it will ever occur to anyone to spit on a tissue to wipe a spot off my face then only steel-toed boots protect him from my wheels.

For the city of Frankfurt all wheelers seem to be like children.
In the zoo a playground was built especially for us active wheelers. Actually this signage can’t be interpreted differently.

active wheeler’s playground

Translator BL