Charge your phone and jump start your car??

[jabin]

This looks promising:
http://antigravitybatteries.com/microstart/

The Micro-Start PPS (Personal Power Supply) is the world's smallest Jump Starter and Personal Power Supply (only 6” x 2-7/8” x 1”).

 

[Kracin]

saw some videos on it.. and i want it, but dont want to spend the price tag on it quite yet. the sat and jump started a bike 5 times, then a v6 tacoma 3-4 times, and back to the bike again. i've had jump starters that were made from car batteries that were only good for 2 maybe 3 jumps on a regular car. the bonus is these have a power gauge on it.

ideal situation is want to run a set of power wires to the storage location in my truck and have it trickle charging any time the truck is running, that way it will always be full when you need it.

 

[theamcguy]

I have one they work as advertised.

 

[4xdog]

Jonathan Hanson gave a detailed review the other day on the Overland Tech & Travel section of his Overland Expo site:
http://www.overlandexpo.com/overland-tech-travel/2014/4/9/the-micro-start-xp-1.html


As theamcguy notes, they work as advertised. I've been waiting for a product like this for a while.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Considering "good" jumper cables that are rated for 220A are 6 ga, those wires look AWFULLY small for 200A. Maybe they're OK for such a short length. IDK. Reviews so far are positive...

Tommy

 

[JobeFabrications]

Had my truck jumped by one of these a week or so ago...I was skeptical when the guy walked over with this little box...but it worked. He said he had used it for a couple of vehicle jumps without recharging it.

 

[schmelpboy]

Had my truck jumped by one of these a week or so ago...I was skeptical when the guy walked over with this little box...but it worked. He said he had used it for a couple of vehicle jumps without recharging it.

Unless he took it off of the vehicle a millisecond after the vehicle started it, he WAS charging it each time.

I think I'm going to pick one up just to try it out. I have full size jumper packs, but for the cheap price, I'll try it out for fun.

 

[Ruger_556]

Our Matco guy carries those... Says they work :shrug:

 

[Strouty]

Unless he took it off of the vehicle a millisecond after the vehicle started it, he WAS charging it each time.

I think I'm going to pick one up just to try it out. I have full size jumper packs, but for the cheap price, I'll try it out for fun.

There was not enough time to make a real difference. If that video is legit, I am impressed.

 

[schmelpboy]

There was not enough time to make a real difference. If that video is legit, I am impressed.

I was just referring to the guy that uses it to jump start vehicles, not the video shown (I'm talking about a couple of posts back).

 

[schmelpboy]

Our Matco guy carries those... Says they work :shrug:

My MATCO guy should be around today....I'll have to see if he carries one.

 

[Kracin]

I was just referring to the guy that uses it to jump start vehicles, not the video shown (I'm talking about a couple of posts back).

why so skeptical that it can actually continually start things with no problems????

if by "charging" you are saying hes charging it with the cables attached... then lol my friend, lol

 

[tez929rr]

Thanks! Just ordered one from Amazon!

 

[teamarctic]

the shop i work at has one of these. works great instead of lugging a big ol boost box out to a vehicle.

 

[gkring]

We use www.thepowerall.com at work. We tested them on our service drive jumping dead cars. We would get about 15 jumps before we had to plug it back in. Supersmall and lightweight and the USB port is a plus for phone charging away from the car.

 

[NKlamerus]

I wonder of one of these would work in the marine world. We have a 2 stroke mercury 150 saltwater outboard. The boat uses 2 batteries a year just for radios, vhf, sonar etc....starting the engine after 12 hours of sonar is a cross your fingers moment

 

[MN4x4]

Just read the write-up on Overland Expo (http://www.overlandexpo.com/overland-tech-travel/2014/4/9/the-micro-start-xp-1.html) and it wouldn't start a Mercedes 300TD diesel. Supposedly they have one coming out that will, but until that time it won't work for my 'fleet'.

 

[TRWTOW]

amazing I want one

 

[Trikerider]

Hey is true that you can jump start a MINI with a cell phone ? LOL

 

[schmelpboy]

why so skeptical that it can actually continually start things with no problems????

if by "charging" you are saying hes charging it with the cables attached... then lol my friend, lol

I'm skeptical of anything until I test it....As should everyone.

And yes, if the cables are attached, it IS charging it. Same concept as any jumper pack. My statement was that that tow truck driver mentioned in an earlier post, (I assume it was a tow truck driver) said he hasn't had to charge his after 4 car jumps, if he left it on the battery of the car after it was started, ti was in fact charging off of the vehicle after the jump...

 

[RVDan]

I saw a live demonstration and I'm still skeptical.

Particularly the thin cables bother me. I struggle to believe enough power can flow through them to start a big engine that's attached to a dead battery. Yes the battery technology is sound but my minimal electrical knowledge tells me I need a bigger cable and a better connector to flow enough power to overcome the drain of the dead battery and turn over my big block.

 

[1233user]

I'm skeptical of anything until I test it....As should everyone.

And yes, if the cables are attached, it IS charging it. Same concept as any jumper pack. My statement was that that tow truck driver mentioned in an earlier post, (I assume it was a tow truck driver) said he hasn't had to charge his after 4 car jumps, if he left it on the battery of the car after it was started, ti was in fact charging off of the vehicle after the jump...

I don't believe that this is the case. I am sure that there are diodes built into the device that would not allow it to be charged back through the jumper cables. A small battery of this type would never survive being charged at a high amperage rate the alternator of a car would put out.

 

[12ozd]

I was skeptical at first, boss got one, took it home, and brought it back on monday;
Here's what happens when you use it on a 2001 7.3 that has been sitting since Oct.2013.
It went through the glow plug cycle, and cranked for about 5 seconds.
SOB almost started. Once he let the smoke out, he knew he was done.

 

[GCncsuHD]

I was skeptical at first, boss got one, took it home, and brought it back on monday;
Here's what happens when you use it on a 2001 7.3 that has been sitting since Oct.2013.
It went through the glow plug cycle, and cranked for about 5 seconds.
SOB almost started. Once he let the smoke out, he knew he was done.

Instructions on the site state not to leave it connected for more than 30 seconds...so that glow plug cycle (30+ seconds if you were going by the light, several minutes if you were actually monitoring the plugs-the light actually means nothing) more than ate that up.

Unless he took it off of the vehicle a millisecond after the vehicle started it, he WAS charging it each time.

I think I'm going to pick one up just to try it out. I have full size jumper packs, but for the cheap price, I'll try it out for fun.

I'm skeptical of anything until I test it....As should everyone.

And yes, if the cables are attached, it IS charging it. Same concept as any jumper pack. My statement was that that tow truck driver mentioned in an earlier post, (I assume it was a tow truck driver) said he hasn't had to charge his after 4 car jumps, if he left it on the battery of the car after it was started, ti was in fact charging off of the vehicle after the jump...

Nope, there are diodes in the jump cable to prevent this. Look at 12ozd's pic, the diode is what burned up from leaving it connected much longer than the manufacturer's warning.

I'm very interested in picking one of these up now...not for jumping cars necessarily though I might try it a time or two, but for a portable 12 and 5v power supply for a portable stereo project.

 

[schmelpboy]

Instructions on the site state not to leave it connected for more than 30 seconds...so that glow plug cycle (30+ seconds if you were going by the light, several minutes if you were actually monitoring the plugs-the light actually means nothing) more than ate that up.




Nope, there are diodes in the jump cable to prevent this. Look at 12ozd's pic, the diode is what burned up from leaving it connected much longer than the manufacturer's warning.

I'm very interested in picking one of these up now...not for jumping cars necessarily though I might try it a time or two, but for a portable 12 and 5v power supply for a portable stereo project.

Thank you for providing factual information based on the inner workings of the electronic board, rather than just being an ***.
I just assumed the circuit board on these was built the same as my snap-on pack...It's small enough to fit in that pack, yet you CAN charge it using the vehicle that you had just "jumped." I've got one coming, so I'll put it to the test also.
This might sound stupid, but I guess it'd be hard for most people to remember how long you can and can't leave something like this on a battery...With the 10,000 other things that are going in and out of my head a day, it'd be hard to remember everything in the owner's manual. Besides, shouldn't it be pretty easy to build in a safety failsafe so that it wouldn't torch the pack after 30 seconds of crank time?

 

[12ozd]

Instructions on the site state not to leave it connected for more than 30 seconds...

Not to split hairs, manual on this one (Quipall PCAJS200) says to remove w/ in 30 sec. after engine starts.
Either way, don't think it was intended for that application.
But I am impressed at what it did do.
$100 lesson learned, new one ordered!
Sold 7 more units though.
I bought 1 for wifes' car, and 1 for mother in laws' car.
Boss bought 5 more. (1 for each kid, 1 for the wife)

Guys at the marina are "eating them up!"

 

[GCncsuHD]

Not to split hairs, manual on this one (Quipall PCAJS200) says to remove w/ in 30 sec. after engine starts.
Either way, don't think it was intended for that application.
But I am impressed at what it did do.
$100 lesson learned, new one ordered!
Sold 7 more units though.
I bought 1 for wifes' car, and 1 for mother in laws' car.
Boss bought 5 more. (1 for each kid, 1 for the wife)

Guys at the marina are "eating them up!"

I didn't read a manual or anything, I was just going off the description for the replacement jump cables. Doesn't discern between after starting or just connected in general, just says 30 seconds.

MICRO-START Replacement Clamps

These are a set of Micro-Start Replacement Clamps. The have a built in Diode to prevent from back-charge to the MICRO-START from the Vehicle.

PLEASE NOTE: THE MICRO-START IS FOR JUMP-STARTING ONLY THROUGH THE JUMP START PORT!!!! NEVER LEAVE THE MICRO-START CONNECTED TO YOUR VEHICLE'S BATTERY FOR LONGER THAN 30 SECONDS OR USE IN PLACE OF YOUR REGULAR BATTERY!!! DO NOT TRY TO CHARGE THE MICRO-START DIRECTLY FROM YOUR BATTERY THROUGH THE JUMP START PORT. SEVERE DAMAGE CAN RESULT!

 

[tez929rr]

FWIW I stopped for a neighbor today - Honda minivan would not start. Another neighbor had been trying to jump it from his fF150. I think he probably had a bad connection, but the microstart cranked it right up. I ordered another one one for my wife's car that sits at the airport in Memphis. Good stuff.

 

[mustangfan]

I bought the Powerall and I thought I would try it out on a 5.0l mustang that was sitting since last summer. I hooked up a batter to the car and it cranked like 2 times and then WRRR nothing. SO I pulled out the powerall and hooked it up along with the battery. I jumped in and started cranking. After about 6-8 revolutions the thing fired. It took another 3 or 4 more trys before it actually kept running (bad gas), but the Powerall worked as advertised. I was a little surprised.

Then last week we were camping, we had used it to charage our phones over the night and then a friends said his Denalli was dead. I pulled out my Powerall and told him "Lets give it a test before we break out the jumper cables." We put it on let is sit for about 20 seconds and he jumped in and it fired right up. I think he will be buying one SOON. Love it!!

 

[ccoorreeyy]

I bought one yesterday after being shown (proven) that it would crank a f150 without a battery at all in it!

 

[mstewart]

I got the Powerall a few weeks ago. I've only charged phones and jumped a weak battery on a Seadoo. It's worked so far. I got it at Amazon for $99 and free shipping w/ Prime.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D42AFS8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Kind of pricy for what you get but what would it cost you if you didn't have it when you needed it?

 

[4x4_G30_Sportvan]

Looks pretty neat.

Now, if it would just come up for sale on Woot......

 

[HOTFR8]

I was skeptical at first, boss got one, took it home, and brought it back on monday;
Here's what happens when you use it on a 2001 7.3 that has been sitting since Oct.2013.
It went through the glow plug cycle, and cranked for about 5 seconds.
SOB almost started. Once he let the smoke out, he knew he was done.

I have seen the same results here. Unit either melts or fails causing a fire.
One firm that tested one stated the battery if left to sit for about 6 months failed altogether and could not be revived no matter how you tried to charge it. Causing a fire concerns me.

I have a bigger jump start pack that I have had for years and I only ever charge that after I have needed to use it.

For smaller items I have a GO-PUCK and they are good to charge things like phones etc.

 

[Bogey won]

Bought one, carry it on my hawg, one i had started 6 Chevys in a row, hate the price love the box, kinda sounds like my last girlfriend.

 

[Matt M PA]

While we were at Chryslers at Carlisle, a guy left the radio playing in a 1970 Coronet RT convertible until the amps shut down. Starter just clicked. A friend got one of these from his trunk...and the 440 fired up. I was amazed. Ive been considering one of these for the last month or so....

 

[bulletpruf]

Bought one, carry it on my hawg, one i had started 6 Chevys in a row, hate the price love the box, kinda sounds like my last girlfriend.

 

[jimgood]

I wonder what the implications of this are for electric vehicles. Does this mean that lightweight, compact batteries are just around the corner?

 

[ctgoodman]

Oohhh.. that looks cool. That would be great to take camping.. I to would rig up some kind of trickle charger in the truck to keep it topped off.

 

[tez929rr]

Updated 9/8/14: started the 6.8 liter V10 in my truck. The positive side of the connector cable got pretty hot, but it worked.

 

[ctgoodman]

Wonder how that would work with the two battery setup in my Dodge Cummins.