1.) Swamp Fox - 04/27/2017

Here are three portable battery jumper/device chargers I’ve seen locally, with three levels of oomph, which I believe is the proper term, but I admit I’m no meteorologist.

I’d like something I could rely on to jump my truck batteries in an emergency, as well as charge devices like phones, cameras and laptops when I’m in the boonies. The first two units are made for compactness, but differ in oomph. Can I get away with the littlest one and save some money? Or is that not worth the risk of failure?

I remember Billy mentioned a battery jumper he liked, and Floyd was into solar chargers for devices at one point. If anyone knows of one or the other that they would recommend, let me know.


[url]http://www.allstartboost.com/products/micro-boost/[/url]

[url]http://www.allstartboost.com/products/boost-max/[/url]

[url]https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schumacher-Electric[/url]

2.) DParker - 04/27/2017

I bought this one last year based on glowing reviews on multiple forums. I can't tell you how well it works though, as I have not yet needed to use it.

[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-AG-XP-10-Multi-Function-Starter/dp/B00MQ5Z5F2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493331652&sr=8-1&keywords=Antigravity+XP-10+Microstart"]https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-AG-XP-10-Multi-Function-Starter/dp/B00MQ5Z5F2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493331652&sr=8-1&keywords=Antigravity+XP-10+Microstart[/URL]

3.) Swamp Fox - 04/27/2017

Thanks for that.

In case the third link in my original post doesn't work, here's a second attempt.

I can't edit the OP (blank box). Wish I knew why, LOL.


[url]https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schumacher-Electric-1-200-Amp-Car-Battery-Jump-Starter/50223897[/url]



1200 peak amps for jump starting vehicles in emergencies
2A USB port: 2x faster charging on all USB devices, including smartphones, tablets, etc
150 PSI air compressor with pressure gauge, nozzles and storage area
400-watt peak inverter that converts 120 VAC power (no idea what that means...:tap:)
2 AC outlets to charge small appliances and electronic devices
Digital display that monitors charge level of internal battery and voltage of vehicle's battery
High-flow air inflator/deflator for blow-up mattresses, pool rafts, beach balls, etc


$129


[I]:Tool Time Grunt x 2:[/I]

4.) Swamp Fox - 04/28/2017

DP, does yours have two USB ports? That's what it looks like.

5.) DParker - 04/28/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48493]DP, does yours have two USB ports? That's what it looks like.[/QUOTE]

Yep...one each of 1A and a 2A ports.

6.) DParker - 04/28/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48492]High-flow air inflator/deflator for blow-up mattresses, pool rafts, beach balls...[/QUOTE]

...and "girlfriends".

7.) Swamp Fox - 04/28/2017

LOL...


Dolls only want guys with great spelling:

8.) DParker - 04/29/2017

So I'm sittin' here with my new drinkin' buddy, Christopher...



...and both of our cell phones are running low on juice. But neither of us thought to bring a charger, even though the taproom thoughtfully provides A/C outlets under the bar. But wait...a quick run to the truck and...



Science! Let's see how much web surfing it takes for 2 of us to bleed this sucker dry.

9.) Swamp Fox - 04/29/2017

There you go! LOL

Tell him that whenever I got called Christopher I knew I was in trouble...

So for him, his mom probably got down into his middle name. :-)

10.) DParker - 04/29/2017

Well, Christopher got a call about a birthday party full of young women who have had enough to drink that men are now invited, so I'm continuing the experiment solo.

Do us proud, Christopher.

11.) Swamp Fox - 04/29/2017

See, I knew he was in trouble...

12.) DParker - 04/29/2017

We should all be in that kind of trouble.

13.) Swamp Fox - 04/29/2017

....

14.) DParker - 04/29/2017

The wisdom of Elvis continues to inform us.

15.) Swamp Fox - 04/29/2017

:beer:

16.) billy b - 04/30/2017

[QUOTE=DParker;48490]I bought this one last year based on glowing reviews on multiple forums. I can't tell you how well it works though, as I have not yet needed to use it.

[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-AG-XP-10-Multi-Function-Starter/dp/B00MQ5Z5F2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493331652&sr=8-1&keywords=Antigravity+XP-10+Microstart"]https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-AG-XP-10-Multi-Function-Starter/dp/B00MQ5Z5F2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493331652&sr=8-1&keywords=Antigravity+XP-10+Microstart[/URL]

[/QUOTE]

I have two of the exact Interstate ones, one in each veh, I have used both of them to jump start other peoples cars and to keep my electronics charged when hunting, don't know about any other brand but the Interstates work great.

17.) crookedeye - 04/30/2017

billy the old mountain men never had electronics while hunting....:tap:

18.) billy b - 04/30/2017

They had to, how else could they charge their cell phones and
gps?

19.) Swamp Fox - 06/07/2017

I probably don't pay enough attention to solar powered stuff, especially for backcountry use, but if you can get a full day's sun, this shows some promise. It turns out it's still in a pre-order posture, but the price is right.

Weighing in at close to two pounds, I think you'd have to be pretty married to your gadgets to want to backpack this, but some people will.

I assume the following on what it will charge means what it will charge on a full day's sun, and I infer "or" between each entry. Still, I think it's pretty impressive. You won't get a full day's sun humping through Eastern woods, but you will out west. I think for me it would be more of a base camp gadget, but I'd like to see if it would be of any use on a long weekend under the trees.

Post up any similar aids you know about or are using.


[QUOTE]What it powers

Smartphone
2 full charges

Tablet
1 full charge

Basecamp LED
6 hours

POV Camera
4-5 full charges

DSLR Battery
2 full charges w/ USB adapter

Handheld GPS
6-8 full charges

Digital Camera
4-6 full charges

Headlamp
5-8 full charges

2 Way Radios
8 full charges

[url]https://www.inergysolar.com/product/raptor-pro/[/url]

[url]https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/raptor-pro-solar-powered-quick-charger#/[/url][/QUOTE]

20.) bluecat - 06/07/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;48492]Thanks for that.

In case the third link in my original post doesn't work, here's a second attempt.

I can't edit the OP (blank box). Wish I knew why, LOL.


[url]https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schumacher-Electric-1-200-Amp-Car-Battery-Jump-Starter/50223897[/url]



1200 peak amps for jump starting vehicles in emergencies
2A USB port: 2x faster charging on all USB devices, including smartphones, tablets, etc
150 PSI air compressor with pressure gauge, nozzles and storage area
400-watt peak inverter that converts 120 VAC power (no idea what that means...:tap:)
2 AC outlets to charge small appliances and electronic devices
Digital display that monitors charge level of internal battery and voltage of vehicle's battery
High-flow air inflator/deflator for blow-up [B]dolls[/B], pool rafts, beach balls, etc


$129


[I]:Tool Time Grunt x 2:[/I][/QUOTE]

fify

21.) Swamp Fox - 06/07/2017

Yesterday, a hot girl asked me if I wanted to see a movie.

I said sure, and she asked, "What would you like to see? "

I said, "You pick."

She said, "You pick."

I said, "I don't care, you pick."

She said, "Sir, there are other people waiting in line to buy tickets."

22.) DParker - 06/07/2017

I have to do some research first, but after I do I'm going to come back and weigh in on this battery stuff.

23.) Swamp Fox - 06/07/2017

No pressure, but...

24.) DParker - 06/07/2017

I meant that as more of a "You might want to plan on having something more interesting to do later" heads-up. :p

25.) Swamp Fox - 06/08/2017

Thanks for the warning...LOL...I managed, but just barely.

26.) bluecat - 06/08/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49340]

[/QUOTE]

Must be watching [I]A Dog's Purpose[/I].

27.) bluecat - 06/08/2017

LOL!

28.) bluecat - 06/08/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49340]
[/QUOTE]


Cat on Left: "I wish I had opposable thumbs."
Cat on Right: "Didn't I get you that Craftsman wrench set awhile back?"
Cat on Left: "What does that have to do with anything?"
Cat on Right: "Never mind."

29.) Swamp Fox - 06/08/2017

[QUOTE=bluecat;49344]Must be watching [I]A Dog's Purpose[/I].[/QUOTE]


LOL..Could also be the movie version of Jim Comey's upcoming novel about his conversations with the President (original working title [I]Windtalkers[/I], but it turns out that one is taken already).

Spoiler alert: Pay attention to that grandfather clock near the door.

Advance copies have critics praising dramatic plot, panning pacing. "Not bad for a first-time author," says one literary critic, who spoke on condition of anonymity.


[url]http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/07/james-comey-trump-russia-testimony-2017-239253[/url]

30.) bluecat - 06/08/2017

Comey blathering now. Better call the wambulance.

31.) bluecat - 06/08/2017

"Then what did you say? Then what did he say? Then what did you say? Then what did he say?"

32.) DParker - 06/08/2017

The witness will confine himself to addressing the charge of battery...

OK, so after getting some additional info from the support folks at Antigravity Batteries (the manufacturer of the XP-10 unit that I have and talked about previously in this thread) I've been able to convert the product's advertised 18 amp-hour rating to a more meaningful watt-hours rating in order to come up with an apples-to-apples comparison between it (just to serve as an example) and the solar-powered charger unit above. The "Raptor Pro" has a fully charged rating of 24 watt-hours, while the XP-10 is rated at 67 watt-hours. So...in theory, at least, you can get ~2.8 times as many charges (of phones, laptops, whatever) from the XP-10 before requiring a recharge as you can from the Raptor Pro. But the advantage of the Raptor Pro in an outdoors context is the fact that, while it needs recharging itself more frequently than the XP-10 (and likely other comparable battery packs), you actually [I]can[/I] recharge it in a remote setting with no access to any usable source of energy other than the sun.

So then the comparison rests on whether or not the rate of recharge of the solar unit is sufficient to meet your needs. I'll postulate a simple, bare-minimum use case to see if at least that is handled, and if so then it can be scaled up from there. Let's assume that the only device you're going to want to be able to recharge is a single smartphone. I'll use my Galaxy S7 Edge as an example, as it has one of the beefier batteries available, and if it can be handled then pretty much most/any other phones should be able to be supported as well. Let's assume that in a single day's use the phone's battery is discharged to an average level of 50%. This is a pessimistic estimate given that, in a wilderness setting, you should have the Bluetooth, WiFi and other radios (except for the cellular one) in your phone disabled in order to conserve battery, as they serve no purpose. I would also turn off the GPS whenever I wasn't actively using it for the same reason. And I don't use my phone actively while hunting (unless I need to contact or be contacted by my son, who is usually in a spot a few hundred yards away). So in my own case, if I'm spending multiple days in the field (in a cabin, tent, whatever) the only real taxing of the battery is going to come from keeping the cellular radio active, and any I'm-bored-in-camp-so-I'm-playing-games-and-surfing-the-web activity. Even with that I doubt that the battery is going to drop below 65%-70% or so...but Swampy might start a really good Python-quoting fest that I need to keep up with, so let's assume that's enough to take my battery to 50% before I plug it into the charger for the night. So, given all that (and bear in mind that this is a complicated topic, so all of this is very simplified)...

[indent][table="width: 500, class: grid"]
[tr]
\t[td]S7 Edge battery capacity[/td]
\t[td]3,200 mAh (milliamp-hours)[/td]
\t[td]11.84 Wh (Watt-hours)[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
\t[td]Charge required after 50% depletion[/td]
\t[td]1,600 mAh[/td]
\t[td]5.92 Wh[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
\t[td]Raptor Pro's battery capacity (@3.7v)[/td]
\t[td]6,486 mAh[/td]
\t[td]24 Wh[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
\t[td]Typical energy loss during recharge[/td]
\t[td]~20%[/td]
\t[td][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
\t[td]Depletion of Raptor Pro's battery at 80% charging efficiency[/td]
\t[td]1,920 mAh[/td]
\t[td]7.1 Wh[/td]
[/tr]
[/table][/indent]

So, on average, an overnight recharge of a Galaxy S7 Edge battery that's been depleted to a level of 50% should use up just less than 30% of the Raptor Pro's fully-charged battery...meaning that you should be able to average 3 charges of the phone under typical conditions before depleting the Raptor Pro's battery and requiring a solar-powered recharge. In reality, you wouldn't want to deplete the Raptor before recharging it because that places stress on the lithium-ion battery that can reduce its useful life-span. You also don't want to recharge it so frequently that you're topping it up after depleting it by not much, as that's also non-optimal in terms of battery life (of course, that concern goes out the window in a survival situation). So you're probably going to not want to use the solar panels to recharge the unit until the batter has fallen to somewhere around 50%...give or take 20% (again, a complicated subject that you can find a lot better info on elsewhere).

So in the above scenario it's obvious that, assuming the published specs are accurate, and also assuming that the weather is favorable (with enough sunshine during the day) the Raptor Pro would be more than up to the task of keeping even a large cell phone battery charged during even an extended stay in the wilderness, and that the greater battery capacity of a unit like my XP-10 is not a comparative advantage. Now you just need to take the above analytical method and adapt it to your own probable use case(s) involving whatever devices it is that you might bring with you to camp/on stand, and how you think you'd typically use them.

33.) Swamp Fox - 06/08/2017

That's good. I like simplified.


Excellent work, Professor!


:beer:

34.) DParker - 06/08/2017

Thanks. I went back and gridified it to make it easier to read too.

35.) bluecat - 06/08/2017

I thought the advantage to Lithium Ion was there was no battery memory and no effects from partial charges. The batteries have a life that is not diminished by small or large charges. This is why Tesla has focused on this technology for solar power. I have heard you don't want to completely deplete them however for durability reasons. I haven't stayed at a Holiday Inn for a while now but this is what I was told by those in the know.

36.) DParker - 06/08/2017

You're correct that Li-Ion batteries don't suffer from the "memory" issue that NiCd batteries do. But they do have a limited number of charge "cycles" they can undergo before they begin to lose capacity. There are a lot of good explanations of the issue on the web. Here's a pretty decent one: [URL="http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-get-the-most-from-li-ion-batteries/"]ZDNet: How to get the most from Li-Ion batteries[/URL]

37.) Swamp Fox - 06/08/2017

That's a good article. I'd never heard the "25% discharge x 4 = 1 discharge" explanation before, but I suppose it makes as much sense as anything else. Also never heard that long-term storage at full capacity was harmful. Wish there had been a little more explanation of that.

I don't have as much trouble with LI batteries since I started putting them on the charger right after working them. I also try to watch storage temp as best I can, but it's far from optimal. (Outside, cold/hot).

"Lantern batteries" on the other hand give me fits, but they're not LI.

38.) Jon - 06/09/2017

So....just a few things to mention on this topic:
#1. DP has the unit most motorcycle enthusiasts use for emergency use, it's easy to use, takes up very little space and is efficient.
#B. I'm struggling with doing any research for Swampy's big stay in the remote wilderness due to the fact that he's researched every gizmo from toilet paper to solar showers and had purchased exactly zero of these gizmos for the event.
#5. The solar panel I bought for $14.99 on Amazon that I hooked up to my feeder battery has charged that battery for 2.5 years sufficiently to spin the feeder 2x a day for 10 seconds amid the raccoon chewings and duct tape repairs.

39.) Swamp Fox - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=Jon;49368]So....just a few things to mention on this topic:

#B. I'm struggling with doing any research for Swampy's big stay in the remote wilderness due to the fact that he's researched every gizmo from toilet paper to solar showers and had purchased exactly zero of these gizmos for the event.
[/QUOTE]


That's not true. I HAVE bought toilet paper. Not enough sometimes, as it turns out, but that's not important right now...Although it was fairly important at the time.

As for solar showers, I prefer the the propane kind. Folks can look up Zodi if they're interested. I tried making my own solar showers one time, but it turned out not to be practical...LOL...At the least the way I was doing it. :shh:

Now, if anyone can find an off-the-shelf truck-mounted hot water system, I want to know about it. There used to be a company in Australia that made them, but no more. There are a few DIY project versions out there, but that ain't gonna happen. LOL.

Very pleased to know this Raptor Pro might actually work well. Maybe I've had the wrong impression, but the solar stuff I've seen promoted for this kind of thing in the past has always left me unimpressed on some level.

40.) bluecat - 06/09/2017

I wish on the battery reviews, they would stop comparing Lithium Ion to Nickle Cadmium. Nickle Cadmium is ancient technology and has been replaced by Nickle Metal Hydride. Nickle Metal Hydride have no memory issues like the Nickle Cadmium did.

41.) Jon - 06/09/2017

Don't forget the bumper dumper

[URL=http://s93.photobucket.com/user/jonnybow/media/bumper%20dumper.jpg.html][/URL]

42.) DParker - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=Jon;49376]Don't forget the bumper dumper

[URL=http://s93.photobucket.com/user/jonnybow/media/bumper%20dumper.jpg.html][/URL][/QUOTE]

We laugh...but that's probably one of the better uses for a trailer hitch receiver I've ever seen.

43.) Swamp Fox - 06/09/2017

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "camp stool."

44.) DParker - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=Jon;49368]#1. DP has the unit most motorcycle enthusiasts use for emergency use[/QUOTE]

And beer drinkers as well.

45.) bluecat - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49378]Brings a whole new meaning to the term "camp stool."[/QUOTE]

:-) +2

46.) bluecat - 06/09/2017

DP, I had no idea your unit was liked by biker gangs.

47.) DParker - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=bluecat;49381]DP, I had no idea your unit was liked by biker gangs.[/QUOTE]

My unit has universal appeal.

48.) Swamp Fox - 06/09/2017

LOL...

49.) Swamp Fox - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=bluecat;49380]:-) +2[/QUOTE]

Poop humor is the best humor...except maybe for anatomical humor...

50.) DParker - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49384]Poop humor is the best humor...except maybe for anatomical humor...[/QUOTE]

I was scanning subject lines in my e-mail spam folder before cleaning it out when I happened across one for something called the "Pop Strainer". I was scanning so fast that I misread it at first, and nearly spit coffee all over my keyboard.

51.) bluecat - 06/09/2017

I'm still trying to figure out if you had a four-armed waiter or not. Was service extra fast - one set of arms gets your beer while the next pair takes your money?

52.) DParker - 06/09/2017

[QUOTE=bluecat;49386]I'm still trying to figure out if you had a four-armed waiter or not. Was service extra fast - one set of arms gets your beer while the next pair takes your money?[/QUOTE]

Bartenders get a little testy when you refer to them as "waiters"....especially the genetically-engineered ones we create here.

53.) Swamp Fox - 06/09/2017

"Busier than a four-armed bartender on Half-Priced Mojitos Ladies' Night..."

54.) bluecat - 06/10/2017

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;49388]"Busier than a four-armed bartender on Half-Priced Mojitos Ladies' Night..."[/QUOTE]

+ 2 :ach: