Portable Jump Start Packs

[armalites]

A good review but I only lasted about 11 minutes before I had to switch him off

He does some good stuff but the voice over can get a bit wearing at times

 

[slim_boy_fat]

This is mine, bought direct from our friends in the Orient back when I had the BMW.
It started a few cars but never needed it for mine.... . CLICKY
When I changed cars, I charged it up and it's lived in the boot of the Lexus for a year and had retained 3/4 of indicated capacity. Now fully charged and ready for next possible use.
Very happy with it.

 

[Wedg1e]

We were on-site in Mancunianland a couple of years ago, someone left the Connect's back door open and when we came out the battery was too low to start the damn van. It leaves all the lights on as a clue FFS
Cue the site expert with his jump pack: start anything this will mate, we even use it to jump the forklifts.
Clips it on, turns the key: rrrr-click.
Nah mate, your battery's knackered, must be well gone, Ford rubbish etc. etc.
As it happened the guy I was with had breakdown cover for any vehicle he happened to be driving, so he called them out. RAC man wasn't best pleased: it's not supposed to apply to commercial vehicles but he got his jump leads out and the Connect started first turn.
I wasn't that impressed with the jump pack

 

[angellonewolf]

Thats odd, Ring usually have reasonable stuff.

My Yaber arrived. It is massive, tissue box or glove box sized. Comes in a nice case. Heavier than a big powerbank and not much bigger in electrical capacity, it would be interesting to open it up and compare..

View attachment 441615

hows yours doing i tryed to use mine once on a car that was not turning over very well but made no differance ?

 

[Turbo]

Bought the lad one of the Lidl jump start packs on 12 January 2024. He fully charged it and left it in the car until this week. Went to lend it to someone at work and it was dead. I didn't realise it discharged like this.

It does say in the instructions to charge it regularly!

 

[skotl]

It does say in the instructions to charge it regularly!

Mine has a button that shows its charge state. After two weeks it's around 75% so I bring it indoors and give it a boost with the laptop charger.

Still wouldn't be without it: the car phones home every 30 minutes, apparently, so the battery ends up flat after a week.

Hence this: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...kle-charge-through-the-trailer-socket.131358/

 

[Onoff]

Mine has a button that shows its charge state. After two weeks it's around 75% so I bring it indoors and give it a boost with the laptop charger.

Still wouldn't be without it: the car phones home every 30 minutes, apparently, so the battery ends up flat after a week.

Hence this: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...kle-charge-through-the-trailer-socket.131358/

It's a Lidl one you have?

 

[skotl]

It's a Lidl one you have?

Nup -Noco, from Halfords. With a 10% trade discount think it was around £100.

 

[mtf70]

Following much research my Noco GBX 45 arrived yesterday and after charging fully went out to try and start the 1.25 Fiesta that is completely dead and hasn't been started since Jan when it was jump started.
Clipped on, pressed override button as battery charge was too low to sense then started first turn of key like a new battery had been fitted.
I'll probably be using daily as a power bank for my phone when out and about but hopefully it will get me out of trouble if I ever need it.

 

[Onoff]

I might take this Lidl one back and get something else.

 

[Mark 5]

I bought 3 of these 3-4 years ago, mine hasn't had a great deal of use but started anything when called for.

I misplaced it for over a year, found it completely discharged, plugged it in overnite back up to 100% and fully working.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DBPOWER-Starter-Portable-Engines-Flashlight/dp/B0CDBS5XMP/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2WM3MZR3W07W7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YGsrxD7lw6q_gYJUzj3hf7S7OYiDGm2t1LsiY53OCB_2FDP967ve7e0uqTFGKW9PNukRhQpaClmMzpmea2bc4JxRqtYA388CGffjFSeZ-A_Oeybp-Vt58IHstpA_QRehR52-SFjJyGQ8oizF8X4EbJoJ6PiCHBYBDk-lmgYtcDBPxziuSK_SjfQDjJBElSMvG75h081uwV6I8xu9pEtZhQCrNKRiPWdtcHKpkDTPvN-NPGs6X6LQfIuiAGMKuDdIIevD9uOt8M3NdIJ1bfvCicjFf526OoOKVpdhRjtv1B8.82zKL6goZuHrPZnjnJPywDZ4NKK7E_J6Hui2kAUpV38&dib_tag=se&keywords=DBPOWER+Jump+Starter+1600A+Peak+Portable+Car&qid=1712945542&sprefix=dbpower+jump+starter+1600a+peak+portable+car+%2Caps%2C2844&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[Kram]

I previously resisted as the big ones were just too expensive, even at £80. Also the GooLoo had a more expensive version with usbc fast charging, which I also wanted.
My brother has Yaber branded small one, which seems to work well enough, but there is a big version of it I have been watching similar spec to the GooLoo (I am ignoring the silly numbers, instead looking at battery capacity of 26.8Ah)

Well now we are into spring, prices have dropped a bit. 10% discount and a £25 voucher brings it to £65 and I have bought one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CFQ254VW

View attachment 441485

Not yet tried this on a car however it spins the cbr6 with ease, and with a completely dead battery that may as well not be connected - I hope it hasnt caused damage as I noticed the voltage rose to 16v on my meter.

Today I tried the 12v cig lighter socket for powering tyre pump and mini air inflator. Both kill it dead, the motors didnt spin or make any noise, no buttons work, rubbish. Luckily plugging it in to charge, wakes it up and works again.

Still showing 99% charge, I havent needed to charge it yet.

 

[Mark 5]

A good rule to any jump starter/power pack is when connected and starting a vehicle engine, is not rev' the engine, start it and disconnect power pack, rev' all you want then.

Another thing, found by personal experience when jump starting, to disconnect any fuse wired directly off the car battery to something, found that out when I blew the fuse to my LPG installation.

 

[Kram]

I had an idea, if the dc out wont do cig lighter accessories due to some electrical protection, I bet the main output would. Croc clips fit nicely over the cig plug, works fine.
Annoying thing is the boost mode only lasts 30 seconds but will be ok for doing tyres and pressing it a few times.

I think the DC output will be great for running my.lipo charger, for topping up bike battery - it has a max input of 18v so I cant use 21v powertool batteries to run it.
So now I need a DC 5.5x2.1 to XT60 plug.

 

[not done it yet]

I bought the lidl one (at least three years ago?). Used mainly as a long lasting torch and low current power source. Started cars on a very few occasions.

It now generally resides in the glove drawer of my EV glove for the (eventual) failure of the 12V lead/acid battery. Came in useful this week when I needed a power-pack for my phone and tablet, while I was ‘parked’ overnight without any mains connection socket (not in the car).

The one mod to it was to glue a washer around the on/off button - to avoid its accidental application as a stop button.

 

[winchman]

Used my Noco to start a random blokes car at the car boot last week and started the digger must re charge it too!

 

[Nomad]

Mine has a button that shows its charge state. After two weeks it's around 75% so I bring it indoors and give it a boost with the laptop charger.

Still wouldn't be without it: the car phones home every 30 minutes, apparently, so the battery ends up flat after a week.

Hence this: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...kle-charge-through-the-trailer-socket.131358/

Wow! What's the point of an emergency booster pack that loses charge so quickly?
Most folk want a "buy it and forget about it until I need it" unit not something that will be too flat to be any use when actually need it

A button to show charge is a good idea. Mine has a basic 5-bar charge scale, very crude but better than nothing, it seem to keep full charge for many months with no problem .. touch wood it continues like that !

 

[addjunkie]

Wow! What's the point of an emergency booster pack that loses charge so quickly?
Most folk want a "buy it and forget about it until I need it" unit not something that will be too flat to be any use when actually need it

A button to show charge is a good idea. Mine has a basic 5-bar charge scale, very crude but better than nothing, it seem to keep full charge for many months with no problem .. touch wood it continues like that !

Ive two my cheapie from ebay….9 months will still start a pick up. Get used most on my digger in winter.

 

[skotl]

Wow! What's the point of an emergency booster pack that loses charge so quickly?
Most folk want a "buy it and forget about it until I need it" unit not something that will be too flat to be any use when actually need it

A button to show charge is a good idea. Mine has a basic 5-bar charge scale, very crude but better than nothing, it seem to keep full charge for many months with no problem .. touch wood it continues like that !

Batteries don't have infinite efficiency

 

[not done it yet]

Batteries don't have infinite efficiency

It’s a good job that most don’t lose charge at that rate! I doubt my EV would lose more than 1% over a fortnight.

If they did, I’m sure the EV haters would have had a ‘field day’ long before now.