Battery packs

Hi Blake

I purchased one of these from the EO Shop for extra security when in remote areas and travelling solo

Super Mini Booster

Very small and takes up no room.

I have seen them in action and they will start your four wheel drive if the battery is flat.



Cheers


Stephen

Hi Blake, I have also been looking at these, but want to get the small lithium one, have read they hold a charge for 6 months or so.. Just want one to throw in the glove box, and/or in a camel back, for when on the bikes.. Have seen one used, to start a car (4cyl) which refused to start, repeated attempts over a period of an hour or so, finally got it started.. The little battery pack, never looked like it was even slowing down.. Very impressed.. Seen them advertised from around $80 up to $200 or so.. The other type are big and heavy, around same price I think.. Take way longer to charge also, and not as portable.. Cheers Odog

As I am never in a hurry. I have made sure I can charge my starting battery with my solar panels. May take a little longer but I am fairly sure I will find something interesting for a while no matter where I am.

I have a lithium battery pack , don't know what brand it is , don't think it matters much ,
13800mAH - Peak current 600 A - Start current 300A

As a test on a 4lt EL - Falcon petrol that was about to be pensioned off , I turned the lights , radio and fan on to flatten the battery , dead as a maggot , not even a click , I started the motor 12 times with the headlight switch left on , without a problem , I only stopped at 12 because I was tired of playing , the Batt Pac still had plenty of life left .

Between each start I disconnected the batt pac and with the headlight switch left on I would crank the motor so it was still dead as a maggot , pretty good test I thought .

I got one of the small lithium battery packs off eBay for $100 so its at the cheap end, its great and will charge up laptop, phone etc fits in the glove box and I can confirm it will start my V6 petrol hilux easily and that was tested with the starter battery disconnected. It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts but at $100 I'm sold on them.

A cheap solution may not be all that practical at all if it doesn't work when you really need it.
The Mini-Booster, as mentioned above, may be OK but at $263 (current ExplorOz shop price) is a reasonable outlay for just a jump starter device that does nothing else.

Firstly, ensure you carry a quality set of jumper leads and then you have the means of jump starting when another vehicle (or suitable battery supply) is available.

As for me, I also require a portable battery pack from time to time, when camping out with my tent.
I have a 75Ah Thumper for this sort purpose and the extra advantage is that it has the grunt to jump start my diesel. It came complete with a set of jumper leads that plug into the Thumper via a 175A Anderson Connector and with heavy duty clamps on the remote end.
Perhaps not the cheapest option, but a great bit of kit I wouldn't care to be without for remote travel. It charges from the vehicle alternator when traveling with its own charge kit and cable and is always ready for a myriad of portable battery duties including jump starting when required.

A couple of years ago the starting battery shat itself suddenly when camping at Rawnsley park in the Flinders Ranges. A simple jump start got the vehicle started and all was OK until I turned the ignition off. Then I needed to jump start again. The portability of the Thumper may this a simple task. Had to buy a new battery at Hawker, on the way home, but the Thumper saved any hassle I may otherwise have had.

You know most of those jump starter things in 900A range use an 18ah battery.

There are lots on ebay in range $45 to $80

The real issue is getting a good contact to you car such that these smaller batteries can deliver the current.

I carry one of these 18ah batts which has a short anderson plug on it , and a matching plug on the car battery.

Whole thing ends up being smaller and more portable , so it is often left connected up to lights etc at camp.

Keeping it charged is another issue , but in my case I leave it permanently connected to car via a diode (more details if needed).