Thumper battery packs
Submitted: Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 00:29
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cranswick
l'm thinking of getting a thumper battery pack, 90 amp hour which comes with a 100 watt inverter connected on top . Maybe get a solar panel as
well. Are thumper battery packs any good, is it worth it around $1,500?
could this one run a small fan heater , how long would it run a fan heater before it would need to be recharged?
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 07:26
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 07:26
In my opinion forget any 12 volt supply to run a fan heater.
I own a 90 A/h Thumper (without an inverter) and they are excellent for tasks such as running a fridge and 12 volt lighting and if you buy the heavy duty type, they provide jump start capability for emergencies.
I have a bi-fold 80 watt solar panel to "put something back" during daylight hours and have the added ability to recharge the thumper through the in-car charging kit when driving.
I also have a 100 A/h Remco AGM battery contained in a Sidewinder Flyer case but I treat this as my on-board auxiliary battery as it is quite heavy and I use the Thumper for portability when camping.
If you really need heat away from a 240 volt supply, you may like to consider a Coleman catalytic heater which runs off propane gas, but then you also need to consider the need for adequate ventilation when in use.
I find a
camp fire is the best way to stay warm in colder weather until retiring for the night and once in bed we require nothing to maintain warmth.
Bill.
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395109
Follow Up By: Member - Teege (NSW) - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:01
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:01
Bill
Or
camp in the back yard and run an extension lead to the caravan/tent whatever. It never ceases to amaze me what people want to take with them when they "go bush". If you can't live without an electric heater why bother. You see these gigantic "off road" caravans with washing machines, driers, huge fridge freezers,
satellite tv and all the trimmings. A dirty big generator to run the compulsory air conditioning. And they come
home and spruik about their "roughing it" in the outback. There I've had my whinge. Sorry if I upset anybody, but I just can't see the point of it all. To me, the joy of the outback or the bush is to be there, one with nature. Not cooped up inside a b....y big aluminium or fibreglass box watching the Bold and the Beautiful with the air conditioning running while mummy cooks a roast in the oven. One of the best nights of our lives was spent sitting on the Old Ghan railway at Algebuckina. A moonless night, the milky way above us,drinking wine and listening to the silence.
teege
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Follow Up By: Member -Tukka (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:04
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:04
I'll second that teege
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:15
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:15
Totally agree but with the odd reservation , Teege , you had something to keep the wine chilled did you not ? Camping has come a long long way with different levels of comfort to suit just about anyone , personally think that its not camping if where you are has street lights , lol.
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Follow Up By: jeep cherokee - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 11:25
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 11:25
Teege you hit the nail on the head there mate.Of course we have to keep the beer and wine chilled, but as for the rest, what is wrong with a doona over your legs or the
camp fire coals under your chair.The basics you should have but not the whole house and contents.
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 18:36
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 18:36
Although its not my way of camping, I'll not criticise others who do it a different way.
I have to say though that for my current lifestyle, I prefer the feeling of being "outdoors" and only venture inside the Oztent or camper when retiring for the night.
I also enjoy some trips when we just use the swags.
But, for some people, a bloody big van is their preferred choice and that is their own prerogative. I have seen people pull up to a
camp site and you never see them outside all weekend, preferring to stay indoors and probably watch TV or something.
I guess everybody has different requirements and perspectives.
I bought a catalytic heater for the odd cold night, but have never used it.
I would only ever try it in circumstances where it was bloody cold and you couldn't light a fire.
Bill.
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Follow Up By: Member - Flynnie (NSW) - Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 20:40
Tuesday, Dec 15, 2009 at 20:40
There is another thread running about sine wave
inverters.
The concept of a Thumper and an inverter may be OK in some situations but I can see no point in having the inverter "built in". Now there must be a niche market for them or they would not be made, but I don't know what it is.
A Thumper or another battery pack connected to a separate inverter would seem the go. Rather more versatile imho.
Just had a dual battery done on my cruiser and am thinking of adding a Thumper later. But it is pricey and to me only makes sense as I put a fairly high value on its jump starting ability.
If you run a serious inverter you could suck all the charge out of any automotive battery pack in minutes. I reckon running a computer during a blackout the inverter was probably drawing between 15 and 20 amps from the battery pack. This might be OK at
home when you can recharge it after a blackout but on the road is completely impractical.
An inverter is not really a piece of day to day camping gear in my view and I own one, Powertech 380w pure sine wave. All my camping gear that is electric is set to run on 12 volts.
Flynnie
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009 at 07:20
Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009 at 07:20
I agree Flynnie,
A mate of
mine has a 105 A/h Thumper with an inverter mounted on top but don't think he has used the inverter for anything other than his electric shaver.
I have a separate 300 watt inverter I use infrequently while travelling if I need to recharge the SLR camera battery or the video camera battery. That is the only use for ours.
I don't take the laptop away any more except for the odd rare occasion and that has it's own 240v/12v power pack so I can plug it directly in to the vehicle supply.
Bill.
FollowupID:
663681
Reply By: Maîneÿ . . .- Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 at 22:35
Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 at 22:35
look at the relevant numbers
both $$$ and Amps/Watts
300 Watt PSW Inverter.. ~$350
100 ah AGM DC Battery.. ~$350
Solar regulator & cable.. ~$150
100 Watt Solar panel.. ~$900
Total $1,750 MAXIMUM . . for EVERYTHING
there's no comparison with a 90ah thumper @ $1,5OO :-(
Maîneÿ . . .
AnswerID:
395884