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So I don’t have to carry cables anymore?

Gibbon1 7y ago
Yeah a hand held jump starter is like $40-60. I have one that was left in my car when it got recovered after being stolen. Works great. Also doubles as a USB charger and flashlight.
- dylan604 7y ago
  >Works great. As long as it has enough charge to do its job when required. What type of batteries are in these, and how long do they hold appropriate charges? I've seen these smaller starters in stores that I immediately dismiss them as useful (dollar stores etc).
  - Gibbon1 7y ago
    What I found is that if the car battery is completely dead they don't work. So they aren't a complete replacement for jumper cables. But I've left the lights on, battery dead. And the hand held jumper got my van started. I don't know how long the batteries last. I assume they use lithium polymer batteries. Mine I just keep it plugged in all the time.
    - jacquesm 7y ago
      Let it sit for a few minutes before attempting to crank the car otherwise the starter motor and the battery are in competition and that leaves too little for the starter motor. First you need to bring the battery up to a voltage higher than what's left under maximum load by the starter motor. 10V should do it for most cars.
  - Baeocystin 7y ago
    They all use some flavor of lithium. The one I got ( https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748D8KT6/ https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748D8KT6/ ) holds its charge well. I keep it in my glove box, and even charging it every few months, it only drops down one light out of five. The largest vehicle I've started with it was a V-10 gas Ford truck, and it worked without issue. I was genuinely impressed.
  - listenallyall 7y ago
    I just used my Noco 1000 Amp to help some guys in a parking lot on Friday. The last time I had charged it was many months ago, maybe a year. Came on at full power and got the car started in 30 seconds. Big fan.
    - dylan604 7y ago
      so what are these manufacturers doing that allows a LiPo to keep power for that long with no maintenance charges? I have to remember to plug in my RC batteries periodically as well as my camera batteries to keep them from becoming useless.
      - Retric 7y ago
        Battery chemistry makes a huge difference in self-discharge rates. Check out column “Self-discharge rate” here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_commercial_battery_types https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_commercial_batte... It’s rarely optimized for in home electronics as people will generally just keep them plugged in. But, when it’s important they are options.

Yeah a hand held jump starter is like $40-60. I have one that was left in my car when it got recovered after being stolen. Works great. Also doubles as a USB charger and flashlight.

dylan604 7y ago
>Works great. As long as it has enough charge to do its job when required. What type of batteries are in these, and how long do they hold appropriate charges? I've seen these smaller starters in stores that I immediately dismiss them as useful (dollar stores etc).
- Gibbon1 7y ago
  What I found is that if the car battery is completely dead they don't work. So they aren't a complete replacement for jumper cables. But I've left the lights on, battery dead. And the hand held jumper got my van started. I don't know how long the batteries last. I assume they use lithium polymer batteries. Mine I just keep it plugged in all the time.
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    Let it sit for a few minutes before attempting to crank the car otherwise the starter motor and the battery are in competition and that leaves too little for the starter motor. First you need to bring the battery up to a voltage higher than what's left under maximum load by the starter motor. 10V should do it for most cars.
- Baeocystin 7y ago
  They all use some flavor of lithium. The one I got ( https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748D8KT6/ https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748D8KT6/ ) holds its charge well. I keep it in my glove box, and even charging it every few months, it only drops down one light out of five. The largest vehicle I've started with it was a V-10 gas Ford truck, and it worked without issue. I was genuinely impressed.
- listenallyall 7y ago
  I just used my Noco 1000 Amp to help some guys in a parking lot on Friday. The last time I had charged it was many months ago, maybe a year. Came on at full power and got the car started in 30 seconds. Big fan.
  - dylan604 7y ago
    so what are these manufacturers doing that allows a LiPo to keep power for that long with no maintenance charges? I have to remember to plug in my RC batteries periodically as well as my camera batteries to keep them from becoming useless.
    - Retric 7y ago
      Battery chemistry makes a huge difference in self-discharge rates. Check out column “Self-discharge rate” here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_commercial_battery_types https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_commercial_batte... It’s rarely optimized for in home electronics as people will generally just keep them plugged in. But, when it’s important they are options.