Pride Mobility TRAVEL MATE Owner's Manual page 26

I V . B A T T E R I E S A N D C H A R G I N G
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How does the charger work?
When your Travel Scooter's battery voltage is low, the charger works harder, sending more electrical current to
the batteries to bring up their charge. As the voltage approaches full charge, the charger sends less and less
electrical current to the batteries. When the batteries are fully charged, the current sent by the charger is at
nearly zero amperage. Therefore, when the charger is plugged in, it maintains the charge on your Travel Scooter's
batteries, but does not overcharge them. We do not recommend that you charge your Travel Scooter's batteries
for more than 24 consecutive hours.
What if my Travel Scooter's batteries won't charge?
Ensure that both ends of the charger power lead are inserted fully.
How often must I charge the batteries?
Two major factors must be considered when deciding how often to charge your Travel Scooter's batteries:
! All day Travel Scooter use on a daily basis.
! Infrequent or sporadic Travel Scooter use.
With these considerations in mind, you can determine how often and for how long you should charge your Travel
Scooter's batteries. We designed the off-board charger so that it will not overcharge your Travel Scooter's
batteries. However, you may encounter some problems if you do not charge your batteries often enough and if
you do not charge them on a regular basis. Following the guidelines below will provide safe and reliable battery
operation and charging.
! If you use your Travel Scooter daily, charge its batteries as soon as you finish using it for the day. Your Travel Scooter
will be ready each morning to give you a full day of service. We recommend that you charge your Travel Scooter's
batteries for 8 to 14 hours after daily use.
! If you use your Travel Scooter once a week or less, charge its batteries at least once a week for 12 to 14 hours at a time.
! Keep your Travel Scooter's batteries fully charged.
! Avoid deeply discharging your Travel Scooter's batteries.
! Do not charge your Travel Scooter's batteries for more than 24 consecutive hours.
How can I get maximum range or distance per charge?
Rarely will you have ideal driving conditions—smooth, flat, hard driving surfaces with no wind or curves. Often you
will face hills, pavement cracks, uneven and loosely packed surfaces, curves and wind, all of which affect the
distance or running time per battery charge. Below are a few suggestions for obtaining the maximum range per
battery charge.
! Fully charge your Travel Scooter's batteries prior to use.
! Plan your route to avoid as many hills, cracked, broken, or soft surfaces as possible.
! Limit your baggage weight to essential items.
! Try to maintain an even speed while your Travel Scooter is in motion.
! Avoid stop-and-go driving.
What type and size battery should I use?
Your Travel Scooter comes equipped with two deep-cycle batteries that are sealed and maintenance free. Both
AGM and Gel-Cell are deep-cycle batteries that are similar in performance. Do not use wet-cell batteries, which
have removable caps.
26 www.pridemobility.com Travel Mate