My wife's car has jumper cables anyway, but I was thinking of adding this. It charges from the cigarrette lighter, stows away, and when needed, can be hooked up VIA THE LIGHTER to charge a nearly dead battery (enough to start). Being here in Fairbanks, it seems like a nice thing for her to not have to get out to hook up cables, and ask someone for help (AK has a very high rape statistic). Mainly, has anyone used or heard about these? For the price it seems pretty good, worth a try.

http://www.firststreetonline.com/Uni...axd?cid=444#no

Thanks!

 

I bought one for my wife(plugged into an AC outlet for charging.....high end model.....charge would last about 3 months......they say).......not worth much if the battery is dead.

 

Scott

For what its worth, I would look into a stand alone booster pack. they are not that big, and can be recharged at the house. Don't go hog wild on high priced ones, they aren't that much better.

http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045/...1P/reviews.htm

something like that is usually fine. We use them in commercial applications, for starting cars at the shop, and on the road. They work good, and are cheaper than say "snap-on".

 

Thanks Pind, I saw those too, also a very good idea.

 

I bought the same model.......I'm not impressed.

 

Wait, which one?

 

I bought my wife a combination jump starter / air compressor at Amazon.com .
It was a good buy . Once she left the ignition on overnight and the battery was completely dead . This unit started the car . It has power outlets in the front . When we had a power outage from a storm she brought it in the house , plugged in a small inverter , and used it to power her curling iron and lighted makeup mirror .

 

Yeah, I've got one of the air compressor, light, booster cable, cig lighter socket and plug type ones. I think it was from Cosco (it was a gift from GF's parents for lending them a quad for a winter).

It can be charged from a cig lighter socket, or wall plug. It can start a car via the cig lighter (if it doesn't need that many extra amps to start) or via jumper type cables.

I doubt it would start a large vehicle especially if the battery was at 0 volts, but it would likely start a car.

It has a standard dry cell battery in it, so if it croaks it would be easy to replace.

I've learned not to leave those things plugged in to the wall all the time. Inside is a cheap "cube" charger that I have found will kill those batteries.

Anyway, if it were me, I'd spend the extra change and get one with a light and a compressor. The compressor is slow, but there've been times when you go out to the car and the tire's flat- and using this to air up one tire for a trip to the tire store is faster than breaking out the big compressor.

 

Take the money you would spend on that and put it into a nice trickle charger wired in to the 120v Heaters on her car. That way she is plugged in her battery is staying maintained. Check out a company on VanHorn rd called ABS Alaskan.

http://www.absak.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/23_111_192

Also, up here most people will stop and check on a disabled vehicle along a roadway. Esspecially during the winter. I know I still do.

The stats up here aren't great but if you look into it a bit closer, I doubt that your wife would fit the profile of the most common victim(s).

 

I have heard about those, will likely get her one. Now that she is getting quite pregnant and will have the baby soon, ( I deploy March 9) and with me not there I want every angle covered. I think I will still get a portable compressor/jump starter for her trunk still, and a trickle charger.

You're right about the statistics, I feel better about that, plus she likes to go to the range!

 

Not a bad Idea.

Good for her!