Mini car jump starters, any use?

Johntm

Was looking at these and wondering are they any good basically.

Will the battery go down after few months. It would only be used to jump start cars maybe 1 a week

Does anyone have one or know much about them, are they worth the money. I would probably looking at the one for €150


http://cars.donedeal.ie/caraccessories-for-sale/mini-car-jump-starters-new-xl-model/6718870

corktina

I got a much bigger version in Halfords for about €50 some years back which I feel would be more durable

Johntm

corktina wrote: »

I got a much bigger version in Halfords for about €50 some years back which I feel would be more durable

was it much use, from what I've heard the batteries don't last on them or the components aren't good quality

corktina

still using it.

ironclaw

http://junopower.com/collections/iphone-5-5s-compatible-external-batteries/products/jumpr-cars-best-friend-jumpstart-cars-on-the-go

One of the best battery packs I've ever used for iPhone, GoPro and I can confirm, as it states, it can jump start a car. Incredible piece of kit.

Wossack

ironclaw wrote: »

http://junopower.com/collections/iphone-5-5s-compatible-external-batteries/products/jumpr-cars-best-friend-jumpstart-cars-on-the-go

One of the best battery packs I've ever used for iPhone, GoPro and I can confirm, as it states, it can jump start a car. Incredible piece of kit.

very cool! could do with something like that for the motorbike - mind if I ask where you got it from?

dieselbug

They do seem to work


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn-wh7BQo2E

Or one of these, top of the range.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260803692970?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Johntm

Think I will go for one of these but would like a smallish one.

The one in the last post looks the business but only looking to spend €100ish

ironclaw

Wossack wrote: »

very cool! could do with something like that for the motorbike - mind if I ask where you got it from?

It was on Kickstarter and they are very popular so they drop in and out of stock. Keep an eye. Honestly, well worth it.

dieselbug

Is this the same unit?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/13600mAh-Portable-Mini-12V-Car-Jump-Starter-Jumper-Booster-Battery-Charger-Pack-/321432216387?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4ad6da6343

Johntm

Looks exactly the same and €50 quid or more cheaper. Thanks

ironclaw

Johntm wrote: »

Looks exactly the same and €50 quid or more cheaper. Thanks

Just to point out thats not the same as my link. And you would be very naive to buy a cheap lithium battery. They are lethal if used incorrectly. Jump starting uses a huge amount of current and incorrectly used or calibrated can explode.

Don't buy cheap batteries. Its fine for charging your iPhone, its quite different when jumping a car. You are talking about 100's of times the power and the danger level ramps up considerable.

antodeco

ironclaw wrote: »

http://junopower.com/collections/iphone-5-5s-compatible-external-batteries/products/jumpr-cars-best-friend-jumpstart-cars-on-the-go

One of the best battery packs I've ever used for iPhone, GoPro and I can confirm, as it states, it can jump start a car. Incredible piece of kit.

Interesting! That's 6000mh! I've a 15000mh one for charging multiple phones/tablets. I wonder if I could charge the car from that!

Special Circumstances

ironclaw wrote: »

Just to point out thats not the same as my link. And you would be very naive to buy a cheap lithium battery. They are lethal if used incorrectly. Jump starting uses a huge amount of current and incorrectly used or calibrated can explode.

Don't buy cheap batteries. Its fine for charging your iPhone, its quite different when jumping a car. You are talking about 100's of times the power and the danger level ramps up considerable.

+1
I would be genuinely afraid of some random shenzen high power lithium battery on its own, never mind combined with a lead acid.

Not a hope I'd leave it charging unattended either. I just don't trust a lot of that stuff. Cheap stuff where the greatest risk is that it doesn't even work right once, but stuff with that much potential for fire/explosion - no thanks.

ironclaw

antodeco wrote: »

Interesting! That's 6000mh! I've a 15000mh one for charging multiple phones/tablets. I wonder if I could charge the car from that!

Its not about the rating or capacity. Its how the battery deals with load and current. They have to be designed to give a large, normally very short, current load to jump the car. So even if you have a big capacity battery, it may not be designed to or capable of a jump. Most are designed for charging, so between 2 and say 10 amps over a long period of time. Its quite different to asking for potentially 200+ amps over a second.

Lithium batteries are seriously, seriously dangerous if in the wrong hands or used incorrectly. This is why you are slowly seeing them being banned or restricted on planes and metros. They are basically a bomb.

Special Circumstances

XKCD "Bag Check"