The Laird's Rant

It is sometimes hard to say No,

but I am becoming very frustrated with many of the comments, posts and 'statements' being made by people who are not qualified to make them. So if you are prone to post 'none valid information' then, NO I don't want any more, Thank you.

Recent items of irritation include:

"The Vectrix reported voltages are 'out' by a couple of volts".

Can you be absolutely sure on this?

The Vectrix reported voltages are taken from the charger output line (to the battery), therefore they will be 'correct' at the charger end. WELL, correct allowing for the fact that the display will be to the nearest volt down, (That is, any voltage between say,143.0 & 143.9 volts actual, will display as 143 volts) subject to the accuracy of hundreds of components and subject also to the vagaries of a computer programme.

The charger voltage itself will be different from the battery voltage because there will be a voltage drop due to resistance on the journey from the charger to the battery and current flowing on that line.

I have a collection of data showing voltage differences of 0.1volts up to 1.9Volts between a 'cycle analyst' and the Vectrix display over a single charge routine. Anyone who thinks that this is a 'fault' is seriously mistaken. It is the result of accumulated errors plus the effects of resistance and is something that we engineering types take account of when working with such with equipment and measuring devices. Oh, and remember that digital measuring devices are not always accurate despite what it says in the blurb, clock speeds, signal processing, analogue/digital conversions along with any 'electrical noise' all conspire to confuse a digital meter. And don't tell me that you don't get 'noise' on the terminals of a battery, I happen to know different.

Data supplied:

Talking of data, I have got more data than I know what to do with. Every once in a while someone sends me data to 'help' me to understand some problem or other. Some data is good. Too much data is nothing but a time waster. I have recently been sent 'some' charge data. There are four items per line and just under 14000 lines. That is over 50000 pieces of data to consider/look at. I had asked for less than 120 items of data. I have wasted hours trying to condense that data into something manageable and thereby useful.

U-Tube videos:

Another useless form of data is a 'U-tube' video. I don't have time to waste watching bloody U-tube, I'm an engineer, we engineers work with facts not video shows. A page of facts beats the hell out of a ten minute indistinct U-tube video show.

'Good ideas':

There are such things as Good Ideas but, if the 'good idea' requires things that you don't have to hand, then it may not be that good. A 'not so good' good idea is adding cells to an existing battery. Adding cells means that the charge voltage will need to be increased, can you do it? Will you have to involve others to make your 'good idea' work? If you really have a good idea, just make sure that you can complete it yourself or that you have already orgainised the help that you will need to carry it to fruition, otherwise your 'good idea' may give you more trouble than you started with.

There is another problem. When things don't work out as expected, some 'helpful' folk start making suggestions. Now, I'm not adverse to ideas but, if I am expected to deal with the problem then what I NEED is to know exactly what the complaint/problem is. NOT an opinion or even hints or suggestions as to how I should deal with it, JUST a simple statement of fact. I am perfectly capable of asking questions if there is something that I need to know.

What is perhaps not so obvious to folk is that there appears to be a wide variation of battery to deal with. When I started, I was working with one battery, the NiMH 102 cell standard Vectrix fit. NOW, there is the additional Lithium battery, with it's numerous variations of chemistry, construction and even the numbers of cells fitted. What started as a relatively simple task, that is, re-arranging the charge routine for a single battery has become a major occupation that, frankly, I don't have time for.

If you require a charger file for your bike/battery, then by all means ask me BUT contact me first, answer my questions, if the file you get doesn't perform as expected, then contact me, tell me what is happening (facts only) and I will endeavour to sort it out. MY WAY.

Software files:

I can't help but notice that folks are getting 'programmes' from obscure sources. The Scooter diagnostics programme is a commomn one, and modified software is another. Well, The only reliable scooter diags programme (for the E.S.D. charger and early software) is an early version, 2.1 actually. Later versions do not always 'communicate' correctly with the earlier Can data as used in the E.S.D. charger. If the diags programme has not been installed into the computer by the 'diags installer' there may well be 'something missing'. Up-dating doesn't always improve things, and this, up-dating the 'scooter diags', is one which up-dating doesn't improve.

If you get The Lairds software from the laird, then you can be sure it is genuine. If you get it somewhere else, you can be sure of nothing. Remember, the wrong software can wreck your bike or battery.

Another gripe:

Keep it short, no need for a 'life history', I like friendship, nice to know which bit of the world you live in, and I often ask questions and 'chat' to those who contact me BUT when a job is needed to be done and results are wanted, then 'brief and simple' is the better way.

Now, if anyone feels 'got at', then I am sorry, I didn't mean to offend, it's just that I have spent twenty something hours this week trying to sort out charger programmes for a number of people. Most of it very straight forward, but some of it defies description.

I intend to retire from this particular activity this year, I am 70 and have other things to play with. Before I retire however, I will organise a replacement and that process has already begun.

He who takes over this game will need your co-operation, so keep in mind what I have said above and make his job that much easier.

One last thing in the 'Gripe list'.

Does anyone know why it is that the 'V' forum is less than 1% useful information (there is some really good stuff out there) and over 99% opinion, rubbish and crap? Come on folks, none of us really has time to waste, life's too short. If you don't KNOW what you are talking about, it might be better for everyone if you asked questions rather than make (incorrect) statements or offer worthless 'opinions'.

O.K. I'm definately getting too old for this, I will leave you to discuss this to death.

One last line. Would everyone who is using 'Modified software' please send me an e-mail and list the software file name, this is so that I can log users and also advise anyone using 'out of date' software that a newer version is available.

E-Mail me at [the_laird at manx dot net] .

Have fun,

The Laird.