Well this is a good end to a long search. I rely heavily on user comments, mostly from Amazon, when buying a new item. In the case of portable power there are many options on the market and sorting them out wasn't easy. Choices ranged from near $50 units with a wide variety of features such as AC outlets, DC outlets, compressor, AM/FM radio, reverse polarity safety features, trickle chargers and more. As I read through user comments it became clear that the more features a product had the lower the user rating. It seems many of these are not well designed and fabricated, fail quickly or arrive DOA. Batteries seem to be a big weakness failing to charge right out of the box. So I quickly learned finding the right unit was not going to be easy. Many of the jump starters or portable power units come with short cables, perhaps 24" or so, and users complained about that design decision. Many units are lighter weight at the expense of being lower power for jumping batteries. I was looking for 1,000 or more cranking amps.
As I was doing my research I took my boat to the lake and wouldn't you know it I must have left something turned on and the battery wouldn't turn the engine over. I had to launch the boat, then borrow the ranger's jump box. There's a lesson for me first-hand. Don't be without a jump box. I ordered this two days later. The ranger's 1,000 amp unit worked fine on my boat.
Users highly rated the K&K Jumpstart 660 and that was on my short list.K&K Jumpstart 990681 Jump N Carry 660 12 Volt Jump Starter Users said it was a heavy worker with no bells and whistles. I was tempted to buy this one because truly the main reason for purchasing one of these boxes is to jump start my boat if needed. All other features are fluff for me, but I like fluff sometimes. I finally took this off my list for these reasons: 1) No power switch. This concerned me because it means I'd be hooking up the jumper cables to my boat battery and could produce a spark. If there are gas fumes that could be dangerous. 2) No protection for overcharging.
Another unit that made my short list was the PSJ2212 - Pro Series 12V Battery Jump Starter - 22 which has a whopping 2,200 cranking amps. However the battery is 22ah which is the same as this unit so I'm not sure how they get more power out of the same battery? Hummmm. This unit was also very basic but with a reverse hook up alarm, overcharging protection. I was not sure if it has a power switch to prevent sparks when hooking it up. It only had one user review which was 4 stars. Tempting though. Finally on to this Allstart device...
So far I'm pleased with the ALLSTART AMPG-108. In fact I have this laptop plugged into it right now. It's everything promised and more. I couldn't find out ahead of time if it had overcharge protection so had to wait until it arrived and I could check the manual. It does shut down when fully charged. It also came with a DC to DC cord which is great and I missed that in the description. Amazon shows that people who buy this unit also buy a separate DC to DC cord so I ordered one for $12 which I hope I can return.
This unit came charged and there was a sticker on top saying it had been charged August 8, 2009. It was still fully charged when it arrived today Oct 16, 2009. I'll use it for a while then put a fresh charge on it. I bought it for several reasons. 1) Long cables 2) Power switch for jump cables 3) 1,700 cranking amps 4) 22ah battery 5) 300w power inverter for with 2 AC outlets (fluff but I like it). We actually have owned this exact model of inverter and used it in our car for 2 years so I have faith in the quality and reliability. 6) DC outlet 7) Included storage bag.
Pros:
o Thick well fabricated case.
o 48" jumper cables
o 1,700 cranking amps
o Battery level meter (instead of simple lights)
o Can charge the unit in the car from the 12V DC outlet of the car
o 2 120V AC power outlets
o 1 12V DC power outlet
o Power switch for jumper cable power
o built in light which swivels up/down about 60 degrees
o No spill battery
o Sold and shipped (free) by Amazon. This means I can count on Amazon for a good return policy should I need it.
o Over charge protection
o Built in charger
o Front panel lights show the AC inverter status.
o Front panel charge indicator lamp
Cons:
o AC inverter fan is noisy and always on when using the inverter.
o The built in light bulb is an old technology filament type, not LED, lower light output, more likely to need replacement.
o No AC charging cord included
o The unit is not actually waterproof. Instructions say to keep it in the included bag and out of the rain and moisture.
o Jumper cable jaws have power only on one side of the red + clamp. (ground clamp jaws are both wired)
o No automatic protection for overcharging when using the car DC outlet to charge the unit.
o Front panel charge indicator lamp does not work when charging from DC.
I wish a user manual had been available on line but I couldn't find one.
Get more detail about ALLSTART AMPG-108 1700 Amp Marina Portable Power Generator With Power Inverter.
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