A little OT: Jump starters

[Bobbie Mayer]

Not really OT as I would also be able to use one to power small electronics if I were off the grid. But I'm looking at getting a jumpstarter (one of those portable battery types) preferably one that also has a 110 outlet. Any recommendations? I don't want to spend more than about $100 if possible unless I can't get anything decent for less.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Not really OT as I would also be able to use one to power small electronics if I were off the grid. But I'm looking at getting a jumpstarter (one of those portable battery types) preferably one that also has a 110 outlet. Any recommendations? I don't want to spend more than about $100 if possible unless I can't get anything decent for less.

Hi, Bobbie

I bought one of those from Sears so I could power my- brace yourself- record player!
Yes, I mean vinyl records. My player is 12v so I didn't buy a battery with a 110 outlet. I'm thinking that might be a big upcharge as it would have to have an inverter built in to it.
You might think about buying the regular jumpstarter with the most power storage capacity you can afford, and adding a small inverter that plugs directly into it like the one in the picture. I got one at Wal-Mart for $20.00. The nice thing about this is you can also use it in your car- I actually plug the "jumpstarter" ITSELF into this when I'm traveling and recharge it! Mine and the one pictured also have a USB port. You can buy these in various wattages, and some have two 110v plugs.

Hope this helps

Francesca

[Raz]

Hi Bobbie, Pardon my ignorance, OT? I have no experience with jumpstarters but I assume they are a rechargeable battery, lead acid gel cell I suspect, and if there is a 110 outlet, an inverter. You might be better off with just the inverter as you already have the battery. Just s thought, Raz

[CliveAlive]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Not really OT as I would also be able to use one to power small electronics if I were off the grid. But I'm looking at getting a jumpstarter (one of those portable battery types) preferably one that also has a 110 outlet. Any recommendations? I don't want to spend more than about $100 if possible unless I can't get anything decent for less.

I liked this one, as an all-around useful gadget.

600 Amp Jump Starter - Air Compressor - 400 Watt/110V Power Inverter - iNeedParts.com

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

Hi Bobbie, Pardon my ignorance, OT? I have no experience with jumpstarters but I assume they are a rechargeable battery, lead acid gel cell I suspect, and if there is a 110 outlet, an inverter. You might be better off with just the inverter as you already have the battery. Just s thought, Raz

The jump starter is a power pac you can carry out to your dead battery and use it to start your car. That's my primary need. Some of them also have things such as air compressors (also useful) built in, some have 12V outlets, and some have 110 outlets.

If I'm going to have this battery sitting around, it makes sense to have it also useful for things like recharging the electronics when the power goes out. Ideally I'd like something that would let me heat water when the power is out. (I could go out and do that in the trailer but by the time we have windstorms and power failures the trailer is tucked in for the winter.)

[Francesca Knowles]

Interesting idea!
I wonder how much power that would draw...
Does anybody out there know how long you could power something like a percolator (1500 watts?) off one of these units?

Francesca

[Bobbie Mayer]

You can't get 1500 watts. But there are some water heaters that draw much less. My Keurig is rated at 700 watts- what would happen if I only had 600? Would it just be slower?

There are some 12V coffee pots around, has anyone tried those?

[Bill K]

Yes it would be like turning your stove down from high to medium.

Bill K

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

You can't get 1500 watts. But there are some water heaters that draw much less. My Keurig is rated at 700 watts- what would happen if I only had 600? Would it just be slower?

There are some 12V coffee pots around, has anyone tried those?

[Don'n'Deb]

I have used a 12v coffee pot in the truck, slow way to go, and you have to stop to use(slops water if moving down the road).

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Bill K

Yes it would be like turning your stove down from high to medium.

Bill K

That would be okay. It does 8 oz in about 3 minutes so if it took longer that would not be an issue. As long as it wouldn't hurt the machine.

The other option is a small propane stove but then I have to worry about ventilation.

[Greg H]

Anything that creates heat like a coffee pot, curling iron, hair straightener,(you get the picture) is very hard on a DC setup, even a generator has a hard time with anything that makes heat.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Don'n'Deb

I have used a 12v coffee pot in the truck, slow way to go, and you have to stop to use(slops water if moving down the road).

I think an important difference to consider is that your truck is probably running while you're making the coffee.
I'm wondering how long a battery pack would last without that continuous charge

Francesca

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Greg H

Anything that creates heat like a coffee pot, curling iron, hair straightener,(you get the picture) is very hard on a DC setup, even a generator has a hard time with anything that makes heat.

So maybe better to get a propane burner for inside backup (don't worry, plenty of air-leaks at my cabin so no worries about asphyxiation while heating water for coffee) and not hope the jump-starter can do that job, just let it recharge the iPad and phone.

[honda03842]

We have a 600 watt Mr. Coffee that we run off an Inverter when off the grid. It takes about 10 minutes to make coffee and has little effect on the battery.

We carry a 1000 watt inverter and a smaller lighter inverter (100 watts). We use the small one for things like the TV.

Norm

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Not really OT as I would also be able to use one to power small electronics if I were off the grid. But I'm looking at getting a jumpstarter (one of those portable battery types) preferably one that also has a 110 outlet. Any recommendations? I don't want to spend more than about $100 if possible unless I can't get anything decent for less.

We have always carried a jump starter with us, only for giving the car a jump. Our newest is from Walmart ($20). We carry one because we are sometimes way out and AAA or for that fact no one is going to give us a jump. It's come in handy for us and others. We also carry a small compressor.

Norm
Norm

[Ed Harris]

I have owned,used and dissected several of these Jump Starter units and they are all pretty much the same.
They use either a 7ah or 18ah sealed lead acid battery exactly like an Alarm backup battery.

They also have some kind of battery charging circuit inside and an inverter if they produce A.C. power too.

They sometimes have air compressors and Lights in there too.
I have 4 that have 3 LED lights on top and with the 18ah battery they will provide light for longer than I have ever needed it.

If you don't need to use it Jump Start your car you can make a more powerful model by just getting a bigger battery and suitable charger.

I have options up tp 100ah batteries working with a $20.00 charger from WalMart and we use them for everything when camping and also to operate Ham radios from when needed.

Its just all packaging that makes them so handy as they are sold.

I buy the Batteries from a national alarm supply distributor that has branches in 120 cities in the U.S. if anyone wants that info just PM me.
They are about 1/3 to 1/4 of the retail price this way.

Ed

[Francesca Knowles]

Here's part of a review of a $100.00 unit being sold on Amazon. Full reviews at
Amazon.com: Black & Decker VEC026BD Electromate 400 Jump-Starter with Built-In Air Compressor: Automotive

603 of 619 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A lot of misconceptions regarding these products., April 14, 2008
By Michael O. (Rhode Island, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Black & Decker VEC026BD Electromate 400 Jump-Starter with Built-In Air Compressor (Automotive)
I just wanted to clear up some common misconceptions regarding these jump-start/inverter/inflator products. I personally own 3 different types from 400 watts to 1500 watts and have done tons of research on them. I guess you could call it an unusual hobby I have. I blame the manufacturers for over hyping these units or just choosing not to inform consumers of their limitations.

THESE UNITS ARE NOT AS POWERFUL AS YOU THINK! Most people seem to be very disappointed by the amount of "juice" these put out.

--FRESHLY CHARGED this item will probably run a small TV/DVD combo continuously for around 2.5 hours. That's it. Also, you can't run a coffee maker, hair drier, microwave, refrigerator or heavy duty power tool off this. It's just not designed for that kind of use. Buy this to run a small TV, fan or laptop for a few hours, or to charge your cell phone. That's all it's designed for.

[mcbrew]

The unit that Clive mentioned is sold at Harbor Freight, and is often on sale for $99 or less. I just bought one about a week ago. I use it in the Scamp for running the interior lights and charging cell phones and other toys when dry camping. I put LED bulbs in the interior fixtures, so they could probably run for days before the batter noticed.

I keep the power pack under the dinette seat where the power cord is. This way, I can also plug the 120v system into it and have 400 watts available at the outlets. I made a cigarette lighter plug to power the interior lights, as well as the 12v outlet that I installed in the kitchen.

Yesterday, I used the inflator for the first time to top up the tires. It works well, but the gauge is vague in the lower pressure zone. Since my Scamp is only supposed to have 15-20 PSI in the tires, I still have to use my tire gauge on it.

The unit comes with both 12v and 120v charging cords. It charges faster on 12v.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by mcbrew

Since my Scamp is only supposed to have 15-20 PSI in the tires, I still have to use my tire gauge on it.

.

Not to send everybody scrambling for the "off-topic" button that we don't have, but I've never heard of Trailer tires that run on such low pressure- What kind are they?
I thought most ST's ran at about 50 lbs

Thanks, and please excuse the interruption!

Francesca

[mcbrew]

I understand the confusion. The "maximum" allowable pressure is indeed 50 PSI. However, trailer tire pressure is dependent on the weight on each tire. According to both Scamp and Goodyear, the tire pressure for my '84 Scamp 13 should be 15 to 20 PSI, depending on how much stuff I have inside. Most people ignore this and always inflate to max sidewall pressure... but in my opinion, that's like always taking elevators to the top floor.

Here's a link to Goodyear's recommendation. It's the very first chart. Note that the chart is based on the weight on EACH tire, not the whole trailer weight.

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/rv_inflation.pdf