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Well I didn't mean carrying an entire spare car battery, just the jump start pack, you would hook onto it. It's a lot better than carrying around booster cables cause the problem with booster cables, is that you need an entire other car to boost with the cables. Downtown with lots of traffic might be easy to find someone, but if you are parked somewhere remote, then you have to go wave someone down and get them to come to where your car was and I don't understand why people prefer this method, than just carrying a jump starter around when they travel.
Have to wonder how many people carry them these days. I carry them not just in case I need them but someone else might need a jump.
I found some really nice truck jumper cables at an auction. They are about 15' long (maybe 20) remain flexible to something like -10 degrees, heavy duty (8 or 10 gauge). So I carry those. It is about 50/50 for me or for others.
Recently my truck would not start at a gas station. The gal working there had an electric car (not supposed to jump with those). I was near a college and all of the patrons who came there while i was there were young women. I stopped asking after my first few attempts obviously terrified them. Then I discovered I did not have my AAA card or my walled with me. All I had was an emergency ATM card I keep in my truck. I had top pay $60 for a tow truck to come give me a jump. My fancy cables and AAA account did me no good whatsoever. I was ticked.
I keep mine coiled inside the spare tire rim; no maintenance required. Unless they are damaged, they'll do the job if there's another car around . The couple of times I've needed a jump I was parked in a lot full of other cars and their owners. If I planned to travel and camp out in the sticks a lot I might buy a jump starter. Still as already mentioned its another thing you have to maintain and remember to put back in the car. It will be just as useless as cables/no other car if its dead or sitting in the garage plugged in. Of course there are those who refuse to get a smudge on their hands dealing with a dead battery.
Well I didn't mean carrying an entire spare car battery, just the jump start pack, you would hook onto it. It's a lot better than carrying around booster cables cause the problem with booster cables, is that you need an entire other car to boost with the cables. Downtown with lots of traffic might be easy to find someone, but if you are parked somewhere remote, then you have to go wave someone down and get them to come to where your car was and I don't understand why people prefer this method, than just carrying a jump starter around when they travel.
What I am telling you is that this "jump start pack" is a BATTERY. You have to keep it charged, or it isn't worth anything. That means you have to, somehow, connect it to a reliable source of power to keep it charged. If that's AC then you have to plug it in somewhere. Carry the thing indoors and charge it overnight every few weeks? If you connect it to the main power system of your car to keep it charged then if your car's charging system is NG it probably wont' be keeping the "jump starter" (= BATTERY) charged either.
Personally I would rather get someone to give me a jump start every five years or so rather than carry around a second (OK, OK, smaller) battery everywhere, another piece of equipment that has to be maintained and is certainly more prone to failure than a pair of jumper cables. As I pointed out, people who deal with driving in genuinely remote areas where assistance from other motorists is truly unavailable already have their strategy figured out.
I have now explained why people do not buy these "jump starters" (= BATTERY) and carry them around everywhere, when they can use jumper cables. You asked, I have told you.
Well I was asked to jump start 6 cars in a month, so I figure that this kind of thing must be happening a lot more than every five years to be asked so much. So I thought if it happens often, why not charge that battery for when the really cold weather forecasts come...
I found some really nice truck jumper cables at an auction. They are about 15' long (maybe 20) remain flexible to something like -10 degrees, heavy duty (8 or 10 gauge). So I carry those. It is about 50/50 for me or for others.
Recently my truck would not start at a gas station. The gal working there had an electric car (not supposed to jump with those). I was near a college and all of the patrons who came there while i was there were young women. I stopped asking after my first few attempts obviously terrified them. Then I discovered I did not have my AAA card or my walled with me. All I had was an emergency ATM card I keep in my truck. I had top pay $60 for a tow truck to come give me a jump. My fancy cables and AAA account did me no good whatsoever. I was ticked.
Well, I suppose every so often one runs into this kind of situation. It's not surprising, to tell the truth, when a large number of upper-middle class people under 25 have probably never seen anyone in their family use a wrench and certainly have been trained in being non-self-sufficient - that the very idea of jumper cables would send them into a tizzy.
Well they have jumper cables but what good is that if you don't have another car? Buying jumper cables without an extra battery, is like buying CDs without a CD player, and then asking your friends if you can borrow their CD player instead of getting your own, isn't it?
The reason I do not have one is that they all seem to have lights and/or compressors. Or some other gimmick.
I have a very nice 12VDC compressor, I don't need another one.
I have lots of flashlights and lanterns, I do not need another one.
I have lots of gadgets and gimmicks, I do not need another one
What I would like to have is a jump starter that has a built in 100 watt inverter, with 2 AC outlets, and 2 USB ports for charging phones, Kindles, etc. and a 12VDC socket. I have been looking on eBay, Amazon, at Walmart, Costco, auto parts stores, Harbor Freight, etc.
So far haven't found one that meets my needs and/or wants: Power supply for jump starting vehicles; inverter; 2 110VAC outlets; one 12VDC outlet; 1 or 2 USB ports.
That's it!
No light, no tire inflator, no radio, no CD player, no cassette player, no FRS or GMRS transceiver, no CPAP machine, no hair dryer, no gadgetry or gimmickery.
Ever have a dead battery and someone offered to start your car if the bumpers matched? If you remember this you're getting up there.
I remember when vehicles with automatic transmissions could be push started. Of course, it was necessary to get to about 35 MPH before putting it in gear!
I remember putting a tire between the bumpers if they didn't match close enough. Hang the tire on a rope off the hood ornament.
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. The couple of times I've needed a jump I was parked in a lot full of other cars and their owners. If I planned to travel and camp out in the sticks a lot I might buy a jump starter. Still as already mentioned its another thing you have to maintain and remember to put back in the car. It will be just as useless as cables/no other car if its dead or sitting in the garage plugged in. Of course there are those who refuse to get a smudge on their hands dealing with a dead battery.
