SCA Jumpstart - 900 Amp - Includes LED Light & 2A USB Port for Tablets/Phones $69 (Usually $115)

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• 

  [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 18:53

  While this a good deal I wouldn't recommend buying one of these to take up your boot space and lug around the 15kg battery box for that rare moment you'd have a flat battery.

  I'd get one of these that will easily fit in your glove box and still jump start your car and charge your phone just like this big bulky unit.

  I guess the pro of this big unit is that it should do multiple jumps between charges..

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 18:57

    Are those compatible with all vehicles? Also these are 15kg? Didn't know they were so heavy. What's in them?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 18:58

      +2

      A big fat sealed deep cycle battery in that big unit, the little jumper would be compatible with every vehicle the big one is.

    • 

      Shonky on 29/07/2015 - 18:59

      Take a guess? Batteries. Heavy is generally a good thing.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 19:01

        +1

        I'd take a lsd lithium battery over a deep cycle any day.

      • 

        tonyjzx on 29/07/2015 - 19:32

        +4

        weight 7.36kg

        yeah i would rather pay less for something more likely to jump start you car than a 12,000mah (!!!) powerbank

    • 

      SteveAndBelle on 29/07/2015 - 19:00

      +1

      SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) Batteries versus Lithiums in the unit in StoryTellers link. Sorry but I doubt they're actual 'Deep Cycle' batteries though.

      I see the smaller Lithium based units have been 'tested' up to 60 degrees. I wonder how they go in real-world extreme temps in Australia?! Traditional Lead Acid batteries can handle it fine.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 19:03

        I guess they'd be fine as your mobile phone would have them in it..

      • 

        SteveAndBelle on 29/07/2015 - 19:04

        +3

        @storyteller: Rare that you'd leave your phone in a hot car every day though. Makes you wonder why more & more dahscams are going with Capacitors, hmmm :)

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 19:15

        @SteveAndBelle:

        normal ceramic caps found in dashcams are likely only good for about 85c but given they don't explode like lithium or catch fire I think the real reason for dashcams using them is that they're a lot cheaper. the dash surface in my car last summer hit about 95c from memory (tested using infrared thermometer).

        the temps would be much lower in the boot or glovebox, some cars these days have heat shields under the dash to protect electronics and glove box areas from sun damage.

      • 

        SteveAndBelle on 29/07/2015 - 19:19

        @storyteller: They're actually Electrolytic Capacitors and the ones in mine are rated at 105C but you're probably right about them being cheaper than batteries ;)

      • 

        Shonky on 29/07/2015 - 19:25

        +2

        @SteveAndBelle:
        Note that rated to 105C just means they'll last a longer. Doesn't mean they'll magically withstand 95C where at 85C cap will not. Typically they are 5000 or 10000 hours at 105C and double for each 10C drop from there.

      • 

        bargaino on 29/07/2015 - 19:52

        @storyteller:
        Lithium batteries don't explode in a hot car, they just have a short working life.

  • 

    bargaino on 29/07/2015 - 19:50

    Agreed. You might as well just carry a spare battery in the car.

  • 

    Sober Thoughts on 29/07/2015 - 20:19

    BlitzWolf™ K3 Jump Starter. High current output > 200A, peak value 400A, and they claim the K3 will jump start your 4.0L gasoline or 2.5L deisel engine around twenty times on a single charge. I'd like to see that.

  • 

    tonka on 29/07/2015 - 20:39

    Are you are recommending one of these after using one? I don't trust a single thing from Banggood anymore, my experience is descriptions and reviews are all deceptive and some of the stuff they sell is absolute junk.

  • 

    systmworks on 29/07/2015 - 20:51

    +1

    I dont carry it around in my car. It stays at home in the garage, and gets brought out during power outages (light) and if any car/jetski at my place needs a jumpstart.

    If I happened to be out somewhere, and had a flat battery, Id call on my RACQ or free roadside assistance. Could do the same at home, but find one of these devices is handier than waiting half hour for someone to turn up.

    And great camping/boating etc to charge stuff.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 19:29

  I can't see the usefulness of this for the vast majority of people.

  The capacity of the battery on it will have degraded to uselessness after a handful of years. You'll also have to regularly make sure it's fully charged or risk having it not have sufficient charge when you finally need it.

  Jumper cables will last approximately forever and people are almost always happy to give you a jump.

  If you think, for some reason, you're going to be stuck somewhere with your < 2L vehicle where you'll not be able to find a jump and will keep this charged every 3-6 months and replace it every 3-5 years… then I guess it's for you. I just can't think how I'd ever be in that situation.

  • 

    tonyjzx on 29/07/2015 - 19:33

    -2

    yeh i'd agree with this guy more likely

    if you car is killing batteries, your battery or your alternator or starter is stuffed

    the above devices are bandaids

    they are certainly useful in dire situations… but if you use it often, spend the money in FIXING YOUR CAR

    • 

      skinny on 29/07/2015 - 19:43

      +1

      yeh i'd agree with this guy more likely

      How did you work out tantryl is a Guy? unless you did a bit of big data analysis https://twitter.com/tantryl

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 19:45

      +2

      the above devices are bandaids

      That's exactly what these are for and being advertised as. Who's saying they are meant to be a permanent solution?

      • 

        skinny on 29/07/2015 - 20:14

        +1

        Why not? Instead of $200 battery, just carry the $69 in you car and jump start all the time ;)

  • 

    tonka on 29/07/2015 - 20:35

    +5

    I've had mine for 5 years and it still performs as new I use it quite a lot and maybe charge it every 12 months but it has never gone to the point it was requiring a charge, despite a period of about a month where I used it twice a day before replacing my battery.

    Many people that have been told jump starting a car may damage the cars computer are not happy to give a jump start. Plus they may not be handily hanging around your driveway when you need them. Gotta admit when I've had trouble in the past not many people have shown a lot of interest in helping, maybe the occasional kind one but you gotta wait for them.

    I bought this as my mother sometimes goes months without driving her car, never drives more than 1km and needs a jump start every single time regardless of how new her battery is. The times I've had a flat battery for whatever reason guess what 30 seconds later I'm on my way. No waiting 1-2 hours for NRMA in the middle of the night at an empty train station. No late for work after a flat in the morning.

    I don't think you should review a product you haven't used.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 29/07/2015 - 21:06

      -2

      It was pretty plainly not a review and noone reading it could be confused about whether or not I had experience with this device.

  • 

    greenie4242 on 30/07/2015 - 01:39

    +8

    @tantryl: My extended family has a bunch of vehicles between us, daily-driver, work wagons, and track cars. We have two or three jumper boxes lying around, and all have come in handy for various reasons. We often rescue each other, and lending out a jump-starter for a week or two until any issues are sorted out/repaired is quite common.

    The batteries don't degrade quickly, GEL cells can last a good 10 years if treated well, longer than a car battery in some cases. We've had a few that lasted nearly 10 years but they weren't treated well. One of them died after about 5 years but we hardly ever charged it, and it was always sitting in a hot car. It used to be worth buying a new battery to replace the internal one, but these days the entire units are usually cheaper than a replacement battery.

    From experience, they're good when:
    a) Your car won't start in the morning, no idea why. It could be a one-off, could be your alternator is faulty, could be a loose or broken alternator belt, or a bad battery. No time to diagnose it, because you're in a hurry, and have some important appointments later that day. Pop this jump-starter in the boot, and you won't have to worry about being stranded.
    b) You may be able to get a jump-start, but it takes time and many people are reluctant to give you a jump these days as they're worried you're trying to car-jack them! Try getting a jump-start at 3am on a highway or in a dodgy area. Not going to happen. I've been there, and a jump-starter like this saved me.
    c) Many new cars don't provide easy access to the battery, so they won't be able to give you a jump-start even if the driver wants to! My mate's Merc has screws holding in the battery, and it's buried behind the engine. There's no room in the battery box for jumper-cable access.
    d) You left your headlights on by accident. Oops. Can happen to anybody. This'll get you going.
    e) Your car is parked in the garage. Impossible to get another car in front of it to jump-start it.
    f) You don't drive a particular car regularly, or you go away on holiday for a month or two and when you return the battery is too flat to start the car.
    g) You're trying to diagnose a battery/alternator/wiring/starting issue, and you don't want to flatten your installed car battery.
    h) You know your alternator is stuffed and not properly charging your battery but have no time to fix it yourself, or you're waiting for parts, or the mechanic is booked out for the next week or two. You can still use your car for short trips, you just need to jump-start it sometimes.
    i) Last Saturday I went to the park with my wife for a picnic and to read a book. My Kindle battery went flat while I was reading. I could have fed the ducks, or enjoyed the sunshine, or run through the grass, but I was up to the last chapter of the book and couldn't relax. My jump-starter has a USB port so I was able to recharge my Kindle, enjoy the last chapter of my book, and have a nice day.
    j) While I was charging my Kindle, I put a jumper on top of the jump-starter and used it as a pillow.

    That being said, I'm now a big fan of the LiIon style starters. I bought one of these a couple of months ago and it's been fantastic:
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141631945797
    On Monday it started a 4.5L V8 car about 8 times before the indicator showed it was getting low on voltage, but it still hadn't hit the red warning light "don't use it" indicator. We used it to diagnose some alternator problems. But I don't think the LiIon cells will last as long as GEL cells, as I know that laptop batteries often only last 2-3 years before losing much of their capacity. Also well maintained GEL cells are much more tolerant to heat, over/undercharging and general abuse. It remains to be seen how long the LiIon jump-starter will last. I've started putting labels on all my batteries/chargers/jumo-starters with the purchase date so I know how old they are.

• 

  skinny on 29/07/2015 - 19:45

  +1

  Can this be held in a backpack to power the iPhone?

  • 

    cpho on 29/07/2015 - 20:12

    +1

    Yes. This way, you can finally get more than half a day's use out of them

  • 

    Charity on 29/07/2015 - 20:16

    -1

    yes, but only someone literally retarded would do so.

    • 

      skinny on 29/07/2015 - 20:20

      +1

      like Zombies?

      • 

        Charity on 29/07/2015 - 20:23

        yes, like zombies. they are usually camping outside Apple stores a week before the release of a new product. ☺

        wait, don't you have an iPhone?

• 

  Hirolol on 29/07/2015 - 20:07

  +3

  Cool.
  Means I can just drive around and jump start anyone that needs it

  • 

    systmworks on 29/07/2015 - 21:47

    +7

    I guess.. but please only do that if you are a trained paramedic.

    • 

      strangeloops66 on 29/07/2015 - 22:09

      PMSL I'm imagining a Mad Max-type character with one of these on the look out for any opportunity to defibrillate mass victims of some dystopian catastrophe.

    • 

      Hirolol on 30/07/2015 - 03:17

      HAHAAH

• 

  cornbeef on 29/07/2015 - 23:05

  +1

  The units that include the air compressor such as this provide added value but we're unlikely to see them at that price again

• 

  Russ on 30/07/2015 - 00:47

  +1

  I won't vote on this unit, because I have no experience with it, and no conclusions can be drawn from the picture.

  I can tell you what is important in a starter rated at 900A, and that is the resistance of the leads and clips.

  Average-size cars do draw peak currents around 900A as they are starting, with much of the current around the 600A mark.

  If a starter is to be able to provide 900A, and start a car, then the voltage at the car end of the wires should be no lower than 10V. Lower than that and you will have difficulty getting the car started. The battery voltage must not drop too much either, so a physically-small battery won't be able to supply enough current either. In my opinion, the lead-acid battery in the charger should be at least half the weight of the car battery if you are to supply 900A.

  Let's assume that the battery stays at 12V while it is supplying 900A (a bit of a fantasy, but let's pretend). If you want 10V at the car, then only 2V can be lost in the cable and clamps (and fuses and switches if the charger has those). 2V through two leads = 1V drop in each lead. The resistance of the load plus the battery clamp must be no more than R = V/I = 1/900 = 1.1 milliohms. If the lead is one meter long, then even if we assume the battery clips are zero resistance, that means the battery lead wire must have a cross-sectional area (CSA) of about 20mm^2, so assuming the cross section is round, that means a copper diameter a little over 5mm. About 10% of the CSA of the wire, the space between the strands, is air which doesn't conduct, so the diameter of the cable would have to be a little larger, closer to 5.3mm.

  So whenever you evaluate a charger, pull back the grips on the battery clips and look at the copper part of the wire. If it isn't at least 5mm thick, then the 900A rating is bogus.

  That said, thinner wire can still start your car, if the battery is merely flat. 10 Amps for five minutes will usually charge a car battery sufficiently that it should be able to crank for a few seconds and start the car. Ten minutes charging is even better. But if your battery has gone open-circuit or has a collapsed cell, your battery cannot ever be charged to a level that can start the car, and this is where a high-current jump starter or jumper cables from another car are the only workable option.

  Also, don't forget to charge the jump starter regularly. For long life, lead-acid batteries should be charged every three months. Set a reminder on your smart phone to go off on Saturday every 13 weeks, to charge the jump starter. Set a second reminder for Sunday every thirteen weeks, telling you to take the jump starter off charge and put it back in the car.

  • 

    Sevenofnine on 30/07/2015 - 01:53

    +1

    OMGoidness… I just woke up after falling asleep somewhere in the middle of this essay… Nice work though …

  • 

    mskeggs on 30/07/2015 - 14:26

    +1

    I have experience with these. The cables are under 1m in length and the copper cores are about as thick as a pencil, more than 5mm diameter, probably closer to 1cm.
    I bought one from Kmart in 2001. It worked for very occasional jump starting and regular camping trips where I used it to power lights and airbed pumps until 2013. It then stopped charging, I expect a shorted cell inside the SLA pack. The model I had contained a standard 17aH battery pack. The limiting factor is the max current draw on the battery, not loss via the cables. If you are buying primarily for jump starting I would suggest getting one of the higher Amp models, or leaving it connected for 10mins as you suggest. My brother-in-law has one rated to 1800A.

    To charge it I just clip my smart battery charger to the clamps, it keeps it on a float.

• 

  Geewhizz on 30/07/2015 - 05:40

  +8

  We have this. During the floods in Bundaberg it charged both our phones for 8 or 9 days while we were without power, along with lights, book readers etc. Works well as a jumpstarter too. lol

• 

  Sevenofnine on 30/07/2015 - 12:23

  I used mine one on Monday … Couldn't be bothered to align the other car so the jumper cable could reach … Plug this thing in ( my is a red one for 6cyl !) and started first time … No problem. The only problem was the recommendation to connect the black cable (-) to a non-moving part of the engine…. The engine was covered by those fancy plastic cover… So I just connect to the(-) part of the battery.

  • 

    mskeggs on 30/07/2015 - 14:29

    +2

    I think the reason for that recommendation is because there can be a spark when you attach the final clamp, and lead-acid batteries can produce flammable hydrogen gas. Clipping it to the chassis away from the battery lowers the risk of that igniting. Happy to be corrected if I am wrong and there are other reasons.

    • 

      Sevenofnine on 30/07/2015 - 15:15

      +3

      There is actually an On/Off switch which is the final step after all the connections is done to switch to On. This would eliminate the possible spark issue … But then again not many would follow /read the instructions :-)

      • 

        Russ on 31/07/2015 - 08:33

        It does say that in the manual, and that is surprising. The switch doesn't look nearly large enough for 900A, although if used as described in the manual, it doesn't switch that much current, it only carries it.

        They should really have put the usage of the switch into the steps of the "jump starting" part of the manual, instead of describing it elsewhere.

• 

  systmworks on 30/07/2015 - 19:35

  +2

  To anyone who bought this, remember to leave the USB port switch (on back) in the OFF position when you are not using it, as the battery will drain faster when the USB port is powered, even if no device plugged in.

  • 

    Russ on 31/07/2015 - 08:48

    The SCA website doesn't mention USB ports, nor does the manual. Perhaps you are thinking of a different brand or model of jump starter?

    Good advice, though, if your jump starter does have USB ports.

• 

  tanksinatra on 09/08/2015 - 20:09

  Got this one cheap during some other special combined with some SCA credit.
  Have jump started a few 4cyl cars with this. Worked well.
  Build quality is a bit so-so; the cigarette sockets came loose and the USB died after ~six months. Plastic case is pretty hardy though.

  From memory it has a ~18ah battery. Good for camping (~216Wh) but don't let it sit flat too long or the lead acid battery will die. The 12v accessory sockets are great for running lights, phone chargers etc. Inbuilt USB was great while it lasted. Has a low voltage alarm.

  Bear in mind that the lead acid battery will slowly degrade over 3-5 years. You could replace it when it dies, but it would probably be cheaper just to buy a whole new unit.

  These days for starting purposes I'd probably look at a lithium based jump starter. They fit in the glove box but still pack a punch. Not so good for camping though as they tend to have a lot less power.