Looking at getting a jump starter that I am able to use as a power source when camping and can charge off a 400 watt inverter in the jeep. Does anyone have suggestions on what brand and size to get? I don't know where to start.

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05 Renegade Stock
NSG370 6 Speed
Some Painted Stuff

i personally dont own one but i have some friends who own the ac delco or associated portable battery chargers and they all seem to love them. A normal portable one is efficient, no need for the heavy duty ones.

http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B0012OPF ... Brand=core

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2004 Liberty Renegade
Silver, loaded
Full skid plates
255/65/16 yokohama Geolander A/T-S
Tow hooks
Flowmaster super 44

Are you talking about Jumper battery?

If you are why would you need to charge it off an inverter?

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http://www.Colorado4Wheel.com
"Its not about what you can DO with your Jeep, its about where you can GO with your Jeep."
Knowledgeable - But Caustic

Sounds like he wants to use it for radios and whatnot at camp at night and charge it using the inverter while wheeling during the day.

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Aaron

A vehicle isn't yours till you learn to wrench on it yourself.

2002 Jeep Liberty Sport (Eugene, I am the Passenger, And I ride and I ride.)
1999 Chev Astro 2WD (Green, Daily Driver)
1997 Chev Astro AWD (Grumpy "The Heep", $250 Rally Van, 335k miles, 2" lift, 31" tires)

I will be using it while camping at night to run battery chargers for cameras/lanterns, an electrothermal cooler, a laptop, among other things. And will charge it off the Jeep when driving through a DC/AC inverter.

My question is how many watts does it need to be, I don't want to get too big, I'm not sure if I should get a 250, or 400 watt, the 400's weight a lot more than the 250's. And my inverter is 400/800 peak watts.

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05 Renegade Stock
NSG370 6 Speed
Some Painted Stuff

Has anyone used the Black and Decker Electromate 250, or 400 before. I would like to hear some suggestions, if anyone has anything to say.

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05 Renegade Stock
NSG370 6 Speed
Some Painted Stuff

but you dont need to charge it off of a DC/AC inverter, all the jumper battery is is a 12V battery just like your automotive battery. you need only connect it to a 12V source and it will charge it, or should the cause be charge the system the other way around.

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http://www.Colorado4Wheel.com
"Its not about what you can DO with your Jeep, its about where you can GO with your Jeep."
Knowledgeable - But Caustic

yep .. fyi .. the DB 400 looks like it also have a 12.5v input for charging it .. no need for a separate power inverter.

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2005 CRD Limited
added Mopar plates, snow, mud
Detours backbone (w/lp8500)
Skink super sliders

If its got alligator clips for jump starting a car then its got a 12V input for charging.

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http://www.Colorado4Wheel.com
"Its not about what you can DO with your Jeep, its about where you can GO with your Jeep."
Knowledgeable - But Caustic

Ok well I already have the inverter in the jeep, and most packs I have seen charge from a wall outlet not off a 12v system, the clips are for jumping only. But either way I will be using it to run equipment off of and would like peoples suggestions on brands and models.

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05 Renegade Stock
NSG370 6 Speed
Some Painted Stuff

All the wall outlet will do is give a 12v source to charge the battery from.


Theres no need to have conversion loss going from 12V DC to 120V AC to 12V DC.


I have the $40 one from samsclub. Works fine. If you open them up all you will find inside is a 12V battery that is about the size of a motorcycle battery.

FYI you could do the same thing but even better by having a second car battery under the hood on an isolator. Always up there, always charged, if you left your headlights on and ran the main battery down the second battery on the isolator is still charged and ready to go. If you dont want something to switch between vehicles or use as an actual jumper battery, then the battery on the isolator is the way to go for camping.

Also, you will find that most jumper batteries will only last a few hours before needing to be recharged if running high drain things like inverters and such.

Jumper batteries don't have near the CCA of regular automotive batteries.

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http://www.Colorado4Wheel.com
"Its not about what you can DO with your Jeep, its about where you can GO with your Jeep."
Knowledgeable - But Caustic

When my CRD diesel battery ran down because of a small drain on the 12V socket (small string of 10 Christmas lights) I just pulled out my emergency jump start pack which has worked on my XJ, Miata, Focus ect and.....nothing; didn't budge that baby. Then I tried one of those neat cigarette lighter to cigarette lighter connectors which works with the Miata, nothing. After several hours on a strong charger it started. Now I try to make sure the battery is good but always carry jumper cables. If you are really going to dry camp a second battery really sounds good. You don't want to do anything to compromise your starting.

Agreed, with the discharged optima(junk) in the CRD(high demand start, high compression), neither of my fully charged jumper batteries would start the CRD.

Second battery on an isolator is the best way to go, but does lack the portability of a jumper battery.

_________________
http://www.Colorado4Wheel.com
"Its not about what you can DO with your Jeep, its about where you can GO with your Jeep."
Knowledgeable - But Caustic