Battery Packs

[Matthewb]

Has anyone any good advice on what's hot/what's not in the way of those "emergency" battery packs which you can carry around in the boot of your car for when you have a flat battery, or more importantly, charge up at home, take down to the boat, and use it to power an air pump for the tender? And of course have it as a spare in case you run the batteries flat.

Don't need one with a compressor - I've already got one, but it's such a fag having to lift the engine room hatch every time to connect it up to the batteries. I thought a portable pack would solve the issue.

I've seen them in Halfords for about £90 but I'm sure you must be able to get them cheaper.

Any experience anyone?

Thanks,
Matt

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Happy1]

I bought this one from www.screwfixdirect.co.uk :-

https://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/inf/recommend.jsp;jsessionid=OHOAHOIK1PN4FCJO2C3CJ0Q?ts=12142

Good luck

<font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[byron]

There's always a few for sale on Ebay

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[jrn]

Does the battery pack come with a compressor? If so is that what you used for pumping up the dinghy - 50 seconds to pump a dinghy sounds good !

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[martynwhiteley]

Just bought one from Makro for £16.99 + Vat!

I'd already got one from Lydl some months ago for £15, but this new one has a much larger battery and jump leads already attached. It also includes a lamp (but no compressor).

If you can't get to a Makro, try local market stalls, they seem a popular product at the moment, although the model I bought seems to have a going rate of about £25.

Certainly don't pay anything like £90!

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue> Real boaters do it on the Humber </font color=blue>

 

[gtmoore]

I have one of these from Makro - works fine with the high speed LVM pump and at £17 plus VAT is a bargain.

<hr width=100% size=1>Gavin

 

[longjohnsilver]

If you use the compressor on the pack it will take about 50 hours, for a 50m second pump up you'll need a proper inflator. LVM seem to be recognised as the best, not the cheapest but a good bit of kit.

Still can't see why anyone wants one of these battery packs for the boat, already much previous discussion here, H1 says he's startred his engine with one, but he shouldn't have let the battery go flat in the first place, too many useless gadgets, and secondly he carries a generator which would have done the same job and is of much more use.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[martynwhiteley]

Ah, but when you anchor/moor up in the middle of nowhere, and forget you've left your 12v fridge switched on all night. The twenty quid plastic box will be a very cost-effective solution.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue> Real boaters do it on the Humber </font color=blue>

 

[longjohnsilver]

As long as you've remebrerd to keep the plastic box charged up, which if you've left the fridge on I bet you'll have forgotten to charge the plastic box. Why not have a second battery? That's what most people would do.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Happy1]

The £49 for the battery booster is the best insurance you could buy for that money /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Lets face it how much is a pack of 10 duracel battteries £10? Anyway this battery booster pack has many uses, you just have to use your imagination and of course keep it topped up and checked as you would with any piece of kit. It is portable so therefore can also be used, say if you want to take the dinghy only somewhere, I used it last night to blow up an inflatable toy, much easier than fiddling to get the LVM (the best IMHO, around £69) inflator attached to the main battery. I was quoted £230 for an additional battery to be fitted, that would have remained unused except in emergencies, my booster pack has more than paid for itself in a couple of months. With 400 cranking amps it is more than capable of dealing with my 4.3ltr engine, but for much bigger diesel's best to seek advice /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Happy1]

To use it for restarting engines CHECK the cranking amps on it. Have either of you tried to re start an engine with a flat battery yet? just interested to know, and also how many cold cranking amps does the Makro booster give out? Screwfix are normally very keen on price, but not to say there is not somewhere cheaper though. I have seen some in Swindlerys double the price, they look exactly the same but with a different label!!

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[JerryHawkins]

Charge it properly!

If you get one, forget about charging it with the AC adapter or cigarette lighter adapter supplied (except in an emergency) or the battery won't last a year!

Get an Optimate charger (see http://www.accumate.co.uk/it010003.html). I did after I'd ruined one battery. As an emergency power pack, its only any good if its always charged and ready. Just leave it connected to the Optimate all the time you have mains power available.

Cheers,

Jerry

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[longjohnsilver]

I used it last night to blow up an inflatable toy

The wife's on holiday? /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Happy1]

Errr, the wife went this morning, so I must admit it was a threesome,.......... with the donut /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[longjohnsilver]

Aha, that's got a big hole in the middle................................?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Canboria]

I can confirm that Peter was towing the said doughnut on the Medway last night, we passed him as I was coming back down the river, although it looked like the dope on the end of the rope was a rag doll the way he was bouncing about

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Happy1]

Yes that was me, great fun had by all, it was Louise's brother being towed, but he did look a bit pale when he got back in the boat /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>