Random Thought Thread

I have an Audew I've had for a few years. I plug it in every three months to make sure it's still holding it's charge. So far, so good. It got an excellent review on YT from a trusted source sometime in the past. I already owned it at the time I watched the comparison testing on YT.
 
bluemax_1 said:
While I’m generally a fan of multiple redundancy, over the years, my thoughts on jumper cables have changed, after having carried (and used) them for decades.

Here are some of my personal experiences and thoughts on why I no longer carry jumper cables, now that these smaller portable jumppacks are available.

- GF in college started keeping jumper cables in her car as well, after seeing me use mine, and me explaining why I carry them. She tried to be helpful, when someone else had difficulty starting their vehicle. They of course, offered to be ‘helpful’, connecting the cables on their end, but crossed the polarity. Fried her car’s ECU, when they tried starting their car.

Almost all the good jumppacks have cross polarity detection/protection, and will BEEEEEEP (if someone screws up the connections), but since there’s only one pair of clamps, it simplifies things when only one person is hooking it up, AND eliminates the possibility of frying the sensitive electronics in your own vehicle (I’ve had people tell me of ECU issues from giving someone else a jumpstart, even with both ends hooked up properly).

- also in college, I tried helping give someone a jumpstart. Hooked the cables up, their vehicle started right up. As I went to unhook the cables, they said, “Oh wait… do you mind leaving things hooked up for a bit?”, I said, “Why? It started up and is running, now”. They said, “Oh, my friend told me the alternator is going bad, and isn’t charging the battery, so if you unhook the cables right now, the engine will die again. I just need you to leave the cables hooked up to charge the battery enough to get home”. Great. Now I’m stuck here, for 15-20 minutes, when I have other things to do.

I’ve had someone try that, when I used a jumppack to give them a jumpstart. Simple (and truthful) answer, as I unhook it, “Oh, these small jumppacks can deliver enough current to crank the starter, but they don’t have anywhere near enough capacity to charge a flat battery. Sorry, but you should call a tow truck”.

*** as for NOCO jumppacks; although I see them recommended often, I’ve read (and personally known) more complaints from owners finding them swelled up, when they went to use them, or flat/dead after a few months, when they were needed, than with most other brands (also entirely possible that more people buying that brand = higher chance of hearing about failures).

I started carrying jumppacks from the old lead-acid days, having owned a couple Schumachers and a JNC. Big, bulky, and especially in the winter cold, they needed to be charged ~every 30 days, if I wanted to be sure they’d work when needed (waiting 60 days without recharging in the winter time, meant a 50:50 chance they wouldn’t be able to start a vehicle).

Tried the first LiIon jumppack back in 2015 (a brand/model that’s long since defunct: a PowerAll Rosso). I carried it along with the Schumacher lead acid, periodically checking the Rosso, until it had sat in the vehicle for a year, since the last charge. Confirmed that it could still start a vehicle after being left in it 24/7/365 since the last time it was charged. I still have that one. It can still jumpstart a vehicle, but it’s long since been relegated to use as a 5v USB battery pack, for powering gizmos.

I’ve tried (and still have) many LiIon jumppacks.

- PowerAll Rosso
- dbPower 2000A
- Audew 2000A
- GooLoo GT4000
- GooLoo GTX280 (these have the ability to jumpstart vehicles, and come with jumper cables, but I got these mostly for use as battery packs).

The reasons I recommend the GT4000, nowadays;

- the oldest units were bought in 2022. As with all of these, I check them first every 30 days, then 3 months, until they’ve sat in the vehicle that’s left outside 24/7/365, for a year since the last recharge (took a while, as I reset the ‘clock’, when I gave someone a jumpstart and recharged the unit). Instead of the cheap 4-LED battery gauge (like the PowerAll, dbPower, and NOCO units I’ve seen), where I have no idea if 2 LEDs means 27%, or 67%, the GooLoo (and Audew) units have a digital display that shows the battery level in percentage.

They’ve been at 96-97% after 1 year, and I confirmed that they would start a 6L engine with battery disconnected.

- the GT4000 units have a BIG backlit LCD display that shows things like battery percentage (the Audew battery percentage display is small, and too dim to be easily read in sunlight), as well as things like input charge current, and output current (when using the unit as a battery pack, which makes it easy to see, and calculate battery drain and estimate equipment runtimes when using it as a battery pack). The BIG display is a boon for folks with presbyopia 😝

- this next part is a BIG feature to me. The GooLoo GT4000 and GTX280 units have a 100w USB-C in/out, so they can be used to charge things like Apple devices, at 100w, but importantly, the jumppacks themselves can take a 100w charge current. I’ve drained them flat, powering a USB powered portable fan, and recharged the unit in just over an hour. The older units that all have much lower charging current inputs take 4-5+ hours to fully charge.

The GT4000 is packaged with their fast charge CLA (Cigarette Lighter/Accessory) cable, and I confirmed that the 120w CLA port on the Toyota does indeed, show a 104-105w input on the unit. When I was at a friend’s during a power outage. I used the GT4000 to recharge cellphones, and the CLA cable to recharge the GT4000 from 7x-80%, back to full, in just the ~17 (total) minutes driving to and from a store to get some items.

- the GT4000 has nice, big, clearly labeled buttons for Power and Boost. The Boost button is needed when using it to jump something with a really dead battery (or using it to jump 12v accessories). In contrast, whichever moron designed the dbPower jumppack, made the Boost button a small, recessed black button on the side of the black adapter that plugs into the jumppack to connect the battery clamps. If you didn’t RTFM (and have presbyopia) good luck finding that stupid button (that needs something like a pen tip, to press), in the dark, at night, in the rain, when you’re trying to jumpstart a vehicle.

- the fast recharge makes the GT4000 a great accessory power pack. I’ve used the one in my DD, to power numerous 12v powered accessories, like the Sylvania Rapid 12v tire inflator (that draws ~170-180w peak! It’s compact and fast, but if you plug this into the CLA port of many vehicles, there’s a good chance of popping the fuse! Having seen this happen with another CLA plug inflator in a friend’s car, I used to keep a battery clamp to CLA port extender cable to use. Ditched that, when I confirmed that the GT4000 easily powers 12v accessories (and comes with an included CLA port cable).

I’ve also used the GT4000 to power the 12v car jack (another convenient device. Not that much bigger than the manual scissor jack, but MUCH faster than cranking away with the manual jack. Raises a corner in ~20-30 seconds with a button press, while allowing me to stand somewhat protected from inattentive drivers (and maintaining situational awareness, in less than stellar areas).

Even use it regularly to power the 12v hydraulic master unit for the Quickjack 7000 (another highly recommended item, for folks who can’t install a 2-post or 4-post lift in the garage (or like having the remote ability, for raising a track car, or hauling to a parent’s/relative’s/friend’s to work in their vehicle).

- the GT4000 also has a built-in preheat feature (LiIon jumppacks don’t provide full cranking amps until warm, if it’s really cold), that I have yet to test, as I haven’t needed to give anyone a jump in sub-zero temps since getting the GT4000 units.
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Great review!

I see that the GT4000 has two versions, one with pre-heat and one without. Make sure you buy the right one in cold regions.
 
bluemax_1 said:
While I’m generally a fan of multiple redundancy, over the years, my thoughts on jumper cables have changed, after having carried (and used) them for decades.

Here are some of my personal experiences and thoughts on why I no longer carry jumper cables, now that these smaller portable jumppacks are available.

- GF in college started keeping jumper cables in her car as well, after seeing me use mine, and me explaining why I carry them. She tried to be helpful, when someone else had difficulty starting their vehicle. They of course, offered to be ‘helpful’, connecting the cables on their end, but crossed the polarity. Fried her car’s ECU, when they tried starting their car.

Almost all the good jumppacks have cross polarity detection/protection, and will BEEEEEEP (if someone screws up the connections), but since there’s only one pair of clamps, it simplifies things when only one person is hooking it up, AND eliminates the possibility of frying the sensitive electronics in your own vehicle (I’ve had people tell me of ECU issues from giving someone else a jumpstart, even with both ends hooked up properly).

- also in college, I tried helping give someone a jumpstart. Hooked the cables up, their vehicle started right up. As I went to unhook the cables, they said, “Oh wait… do you mind leaving things hooked up for a bit?”, I said, “Why? It started up and is running, now”. They said, “Oh, my friend told me the alternator is going bad, and isn’t charging the battery, so if you unhook the cables right now, the engine will die again. I just need you to leave the cables hooked up to charge the battery enough to get home”. Great. Now I’m stuck here, for 15-20 minutes, when I have other things to do.

I’ve had someone try that, when I used a jumppack to give them a jumpstart. Simple (and truthful) answer, as I unhook it, “Oh, these small jumppacks can deliver enough current to crank the starter, but they don’t have anywhere near enough capacity to charge a flat battery. Sorry, but you should call a tow truck”.

*** as for NOCO jumppacks; although I see them recommended often, I’ve read (and personally known) more complaints from owners finding them swelled up, when they went to use them, or flat/dead after a few months, when they were needed, than with most other brands (also entirely possible that more people buying that brand = higher chance of hearing about failures).

I started carrying jumppacks from the old lead-acid days, having owned a couple Schumachers and a JNC. Big, bulky, and especially in the winter cold, they needed to be charged ~every 30 days, if I wanted to be sure they’d work when needed (waiting 60 days without recharging in the winter time, meant a 50:50 chance they wouldn’t be able to start a vehicle).

Tried the first LiIon jumppack back in 2015 (a brand/model that’s long since defunct: a PowerAll Rosso). I carried it along with the Schumacher lead acid, periodically checking the Rosso, until it had sat in the vehicle for a year, since the last charge. Confirmed that it could still start a vehicle after being left in it 24/7/365 since the last time it was charged. I still have that one. It can still jumpstart a vehicle, but it’s long since been relegated to use as a 5v USB battery pack, for powering gizmos.

I’ve tried (and still have) many LiIon jumppacks.

- PowerAll Rosso
- dbPower 2000A
- Audew 2000A
- GooLoo GT4000
- GooLoo GTX280 (these have the ability to jumpstart vehicles, and come with jumper cables, but I got these mostly for use as battery packs).

The reasons I recommend the GT4000, nowadays;

- the oldest units were bought in 2022. As with all of these, I check them first every 30 days, then 3 months, until they’ve sat in the vehicle that’s left outside 24/7/365, for a year since the last recharge (took a while, as I reset the ‘clock’, when I gave someone a jumpstart and recharged the unit). Instead of the cheap 4-LED battery gauge (like the PowerAll, dbPower, and NOCO units I’ve seen), where I have no idea if 2 LEDs means 27%, or 67%, the GooLoo (and Audew) units have a digital display that shows the battery level in percentage.

They’ve been at 96-97% after 1 year, and I confirmed that they would start a 6L engine with battery disconnected.

- the GT4000 units have a BIG backlit LCD display that shows things like battery percentage (the Audew battery percentage display is small, and too dim to be easily read in sunlight), as well as things like input charge current, and output current (when using the unit as a battery pack, which makes it easy to see, and calculate battery drain and estimate equipment runtimes when using it as a battery pack). The BIG display is a boon for folks with presbyopia 😝

- this next part is a BIG feature to me. The GooLoo GT4000 and GTX280 units have a 100w USB-C in/out, so they can be used to charge things like Apple devices, at 100w, but importantly, the jumppacks themselves can take a 100w charge current. I’ve drained them flat, powering a USB powered portable fan, and recharged the unit in just over an hour. The older units that all have much lower charging current inputs take 4-5+ hours to fully charge.

The GT4000 is packaged with their fast charge CLA (Cigarette Lighter/Accessory) cable, and I confirmed that the 120w CLA port on the Toyota does indeed, show a 104-105w input on the unit. When I was at a friend’s during a power outage. I used the GT4000 to recharge cellphones, and the CLA cable to recharge the GT4000 from 7x-80%, back to full, in just the ~17 (total) minutes driving to and from a store to get some items.

- the GT4000 has nice, big, clearly labeled buttons for Power and Boost. The Boost button is needed when using it to jump something with a really dead battery (or using it to jump 12v accessories). In contrast, whichever moron designed the dbPower jumppack, made the Boost button a small, recessed black button on the side of the black adapter that plugs into the jumppack to connect the battery clamps. If you didn’t RTFM (and have presbyopia) good luck finding that stupid button (that needs something like a pen tip, to press), in the dark, at night, in the rain, when you’re trying to jumpstart a vehicle.

- the fast recharge makes the GT4000 a great accessory power pack. I’ve used the one in my DD, to power numerous 12v powered accessories, like the Sylvania Rapid 12v tire inflator (that draws ~170-180w peak! It’s compact and fast, but if you plug this into the CLA port of many vehicles, there’s a good chance of popping the fuse! Having seen this happen with another CLA plug inflator in a friend’s car, I used to keep a battery clamp to CLA port extender cable to use. Ditched that, when I confirmed that the GT4000 easily powers 12v accessories (and comes with an included CLA port cable).

I’ve also used the GT4000 to power the 12v car jack (another convenient device. Not that much bigger than the manual scissor jack, but MUCH faster than cranking away with the manual jack. Raises a corner in ~20-30 seconds with a button press, while allowing me to stand somewhat protected from inattentive drivers (and maintaining situational awareness, in less than stellar areas).

Even use it regularly to power the 12v hydraulic master unit for the Quickjack 7000 (another highly recommended item, for folks who can’t install a 2-post or 4-post lift in the garage (or like having the remote ability, for raising a track car, or hauling to a parent’s/relative’s/friend’s to work in their vehicle).

- the GT4000 also has a built-in preheat feature (LiIon jumppacks don’t provide full cranking amps until warm, if it’s really cold), that I have yet to test, as I haven’t needed to give anyone a jump in sub-zero temps since getting the GT4000 units.
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Beautiful review and write up B bluemax_1 , Thank you 👍
 
SharpBits said:
Great review!

I see that the GT4000 has two versions, one with pre-heat and one without. Make sure you buy the right one in cold regions.
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Just an FYI, as mentioned, most of these LiIon jumppacks can deliver full/near-full cranking amps when warmed up.

In some, like the Audew, you can do this simply by making multiple start attempts. The internal resistance will warm the pack up enough to deliver the current.

This was tested and shown in the ProjectFarm video review, and I had the chance to confirm this myself (with the Audew, before getting the GT4000 units), when I had to give a coworker a jump, in about -12f.

The first try, all we heard was the solenoid click. Starter never even turned. Same with the 2nd attempt. Tried reconnecting the clamps, and confirmed that there was a spark when connecting (showing good connections). 3rd attempt, the starter turned twice, sluggishly. 4th attempt, it cranked right up.

That said, there are some brands/units that have built-in protection that prevent them from being used if the unit is too cold (so you can’t even try warming them up with repeated start attempts). I do not know if the GT4000S (the version without the pre-heat feature) is one (if it doesn’t have this protection feature, then the pre-heat in the GT4000 might be superfluous). The smaller NOCO units might have this protection built-in, as I’ve read accounts of people not being able to use them in sub-zero (although I can’t be 100% sure it wasn’t user error).
 
bluemax_1 said:
Just an FYI, as mentioned, most of these LiIon jumppacks can deliver full/near-full cranking amps when warmed up.

In some, like the Audew, you can do this simply by making multiple start attempts. The internal resistance will warm the pack up enough to deliver the current.

This was tested and shown in the ProjectFarm video review, and I had the chance to confirm this myself (with the Audew, before getting the GT4000 units), when I had to give a coworker a jump, in about -12f.

The first try, all we heard was the solenoid click. Starter never even turned. Same with the 2nd attempt. Tried reconnecting the clamps, and confirmed that there was a spark when connecting (showing good connections). 3rd attempt, the starter turned twice, sluggishly. 4th attempt, it cranked right up.

That said, there are some brands/units that have built-in protection that prevent them from being used if the unit is too cold (so you can’t even try warming them up with repeated start attempts). I do not know if the GT4000S (the version without the pre-heat feature) is one (if it doesn’t have this protection feature, then the pre-heat in the GT4000 might be superfluous). The smaller NOCO units might have this protection built-in, as I’ve read accounts of people not being able to use them in sub-zero (although I can’t be 100% sure it wasn’t user error).
Click to expand...
That's the review I was referring to. I like that fella.
 
Blues said:
That's the review I was referring to. I like that fella.
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Yep. I’ve read criticisms about his reviews on another board, but personally, I really like his reviews. He doesn’t ramble and drone.

He explains his testing methodology, and then just gives the results quickly. Even if the videos are 15-20 minutes, it’s all data (unlike many YT ‘reviewers’ who must LOVE hearing themselves talk. 30 minute video for 17 seconds of pertinent info 😝).
 
bluemax_1 said:
Yep. I’ve read criticisms about his reviews on another board, but personally, I really like his reviews. He doesn’t ramble and drone.

He explains his testing methodology, and then just gives the results quickly. Even if the videos are 15-20 minutes, it’s all data (unlike many YT ‘reviewers’ who must LOVE hearing themselves talk. 30 minute video for 17 seconds of pertinent info 😝).
Click to expand...
I bet he'd be a CPK fan. Just sayin'.
 
bluemax_1 said:
While I’m generally a fan of multiple redundancy, over the years, my thoughts on jumper cables have changed, after having carried (and used) them for decades.

Here are some of my personal experiences and thoughts on why I no longer carry jumper cables, now that these smaller portable jumppacks are available.

- GF in college started keeping jumper cables in her car as well, after seeing me use mine, and me explaining why I carry them. She tried to be helpful, when someone else had difficulty starting their vehicle. They of course, offered to be ‘helpful’, connecting the cables on their end, but crossed the polarity. Fried her car’s ECU, when they tried starting their car.

Almost all the good jumppacks have cross polarity detection/protection, and will BEEEEEEP (if someone screws up the connections), but since there’s only one pair of clamps, it simplifies things when only one person is hooking it up, AND eliminates the possibility of frying the sensitive electronics in your own vehicle (I’ve had people tell me of ECU issues from giving someone else a jumpstart, even with both ends hooked up properly).

- also in college, I tried helping give someone a jumpstart. Hooked the cables up, their vehicle started right up. As I went to unhook the cables, they said, “Oh wait… do you mind leaving things hooked up for a bit?”, I said, “Why? It started up and is running, now”. They said, “Oh, my friend told me the alternator is going bad, and isn’t charging the battery, so if you unhook the cables right now, the engine will die again. I just need you to leave the cables hooked up to charge the battery enough to get home”. Great. Now I’m stuck here, for 15-20 minutes, when I have other things to do.

I’ve had someone try that, when I used a jumppack to give them a jumpstart. Simple (and truthful) answer, as I unhook it, “Oh, these small jumppacks can deliver enough current to crank the starter, but they don’t have anywhere near enough capacity to charge a flat battery. Sorry, but you should call a tow truck”.

*** as for NOCO jumppacks; although I see them recommended often, I’ve read (and personally known) more complaints from owners finding them swelled up, when they went to use them, or flat/dead after a few months, when they were needed, than with most other brands (also entirely possible that more people buying that brand = higher chance of hearing about failures).

I started carrying jumppacks from the old lead-acid days, having owned a couple Schumachers and a JNC. Big, bulky, and especially in the winter cold, they needed to be charged ~every 30 days, if I wanted to be sure they’d work when needed (waiting 60 days without recharging in the winter time, meant a 50:50 chance they wouldn’t be able to start a vehicle).

Tried the first LiIon jumppack back in 2015 (a brand/model that’s long since defunct: a PowerAll Rosso). I carried it along with the Schumacher lead acid, periodically checking the Rosso, until it had sat in the vehicle for a year, since the last charge. Confirmed that it could still start a vehicle after being left in it 24/7/365 since the last time it was charged. I still have that one. It can still jumpstart a vehicle, but it’s long since been relegated to use as a 5v USB battery pack, for powering gizmos.

I’ve tried (and still have) many LiIon jumppacks.

- PowerAll Rosso
- dbPower 2000A
- Audew 2000A
- GooLoo GT4000
- GooLoo GTX280 (these have the ability to jumpstart vehicles, and come with jumper cables, but I got these mostly for use as battery packs).

The reasons I recommend the GT4000, nowadays;

- the oldest units were bought in 2022. As with all of these, I check them first every 30 days, then 3 months, until they’ve sat in the vehicle that’s left outside 24/7/365, for a year since the last recharge (took a while, as I reset the ‘clock’, when I gave someone a jumpstart and recharged the unit). Instead of the cheap 4-LED battery gauge (like the PowerAll, dbPower, and NOCO units I’ve seen), where I have no idea if 2 LEDs means 27%, or 67%, the GooLoo (and Audew) units have a digital display that shows the battery level in percentage.

They’ve been at 96-97% after 1 year, and I confirmed that they would start a 6L engine with battery disconnected.

- the GT4000 units have a BIG backlit LCD display that shows things like battery percentage (the Audew battery percentage display is small, and too dim to be easily read in sunlight), as well as things like input charge current, and output current (when using the unit as a battery pack, which makes it easy to see, and calculate battery drain and estimate equipment runtimes when using it as a battery pack). The BIG display is a boon for folks with presbyopia 😝

- this next part is a BIG feature to me. The GooLoo GT4000 and GTX280 units have a 100w USB-C in/out, so they can be used to charge things like Apple devices, at 100w, but importantly, the jumppacks themselves can take a 100w charge current. I’ve drained them flat, powering a USB powered portable fan, and recharged the unit in just over an hour. The older units that all have much lower charging current inputs take 4-5+ hours to fully charge.

The GT4000 is packaged with their fast charge CLA (Cigarette Lighter/Accessory) cable, and I confirmed that the 120w CLA port on the Toyota does indeed, show a 104-105w input on the unit. When I was at a friend’s during a power outage. I used the GT4000 to recharge cellphones, and the CLA cable to recharge the GT4000 from 7x-80%, back to full, in just the ~17 (total) minutes driving to and from a store to get some items.

- the GT4000 has nice, big, clearly labeled buttons for Power and Boost. The Boost button is needed when using it to jump something with a really dead battery (or using it to jump 12v accessories). In contrast, whichever moron designed the dbPower jumppack, made the Boost button a small, recessed black button on the side of the black adapter that plugs into the jumppack to connect the battery clamps. If you didn’t RTFM (and have presbyopia) good luck finding that stupid button (that needs something like a pen tip, to press), in the dark, at night, in the rain, when you’re trying to jumpstart a vehicle.

- the fast recharge makes the GT4000 a great accessory power pack. I’ve used the one in my DD, to power numerous 12v powered accessories, like the Sylvania Rapid 12v tire inflator (that draws ~170-180w peak! It’s compact and fast, but if you plug this into the CLA port of many vehicles, there’s a good chance of popping the fuse! Having seen this happen with another CLA plug inflator in a friend’s car, I used to keep a battery clamp to CLA port extender cable to use. Ditched that, when I confirmed that the GT4000 easily powers 12v accessories (and comes with an included CLA port cable).

I’ve also used the GT4000 to power the 12v car jack (another convenient device. Not that much bigger than the manual scissor jack, but MUCH faster than cranking away with the manual jack. Raises a corner in ~20-30 seconds with a button press, while allowing me to stand somewhat protected from inattentive drivers (and maintaining situational awareness, in less than stellar areas).

Even use it regularly to power the 12v hydraulic master unit for the Quickjack 7000 (another highly recommended item, for folks who can’t install a 2-post or 4-post lift in the garage (or like having the remote ability, for raising a track car, or hauling to a parent’s/relative’s/friend’s to work in their vehicle).

- the GT4000 also has a built-in preheat feature (LiIon jumppacks don’t provide full cranking amps until warm, if it’s really cold), that I have yet to test, as I haven’t needed to give anyone a jump in sub-zero temps since getting the GT4000 units.
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Dang, lots of good info! :thumbsup:

I bought a NoCo 1750 in July '21. I don't do the best job keeping it topped off, but it has never let me down when needed. I've never found it not reading full. No swelling. Use it as a power bank sometimes when camping.

My buddy has a 3000 for his diesel that's about a year newer, and same situation, no problems. I'd bet that you're correct, more of the NoCo out there in the wild, so you hear about more problems. People don't tend to write about things when they work as intended, but many sure bitch and moan when they have problems (even when they're user error).
 
bluemax_1 said:
While I’m generally a fan of multiple redundancy, over the years, my thoughts on jumper cables have changed, after having carried (and used) them for decades.

Here are some of my personal experiences and thoughts on why I no longer carry jumper cables, now that these smaller portable jumppacks are available.

- GF in college started keeping jumper cables in her car as well, after seeing me use mine, and me explaining why I carry them. She tried to be helpful, when someone else had difficulty starting their vehicle. They of course, offered to be ‘helpful’, connecting the cables on their end, but crossed the polarity. Fried her car’s ECU, when they tried starting their car.

Almost all the good jumppacks have cross polarity detection/protection, and will BEEEEEEP (if someone screws up the connections), but since there’s only one pair of clamps, it simplifies things when only one person is hooking it up, AND eliminates the possibility of frying the sensitive electronics in your own vehicle (I’ve had people tell me of ECU issues from giving someone else a jumpstart, even with both ends hooked up properly).

- also in college, I tried helping give someone a jumpstart. Hooked the cables up, their vehicle started right up. As I went to unhook the cables, they said, “Oh wait… do you mind leaving things hooked up for a bit?”, I said, “Why? It started up and is running, now”. They said, “Oh, my friend told me the alternator is going bad, and isn’t charging the battery, so if you unhook the cables right now, the engine will die again. I just need you to leave the cables hooked up to charge the battery enough to get home”. Great. Now I’m stuck here, for 15-20 minutes, when I have other things to do.

I’ve had someone try that, when I used a jumppack to give them a jumpstart. Simple (and truthful) answer, as I unhook it, “Oh, these small jumppacks can deliver enough current to crank the starter, but they don’t have anywhere near enough capacity to charge a flat battery. Sorry, but you should call a tow truck”.

*** as for NOCO jumppacks; although I see them recommended often, I’ve read (and personally known) more complaints from owners finding them swelled up, when they went to use them, or flat/dead after a few months, when they were needed, than with most other brands (also entirely possible that more people buying that brand = higher chance of hearing about failures).

I started carrying jumppacks from the old lead-acid days, having owned a couple Schumachers and a JNC. Big, bulky, and especially in the winter cold, they needed to be charged ~every 30 days, if I wanted to be sure they’d work when needed (waiting 60 days without recharging in the winter time, meant a 50:50 chance they wouldn’t be able to start a vehicle).

Tried the first LiIon jumppack back in 2015 (a brand/model that’s long since defunct: a PowerAll Rosso). I carried it along with the Schumacher lead acid, periodically checking the Rosso, until it had sat in the vehicle for a year, since the last charge. Confirmed that it could still start a vehicle after being left in it 24/7/365 since the last time it was charged. I still have that one. It can still jumpstart a vehicle, but it’s long since been relegated to use as a 5v USB battery pack, for powering gizmos.

I’ve tried (and still have) many LiIon jumppacks.

- PowerAll Rosso
- dbPower 2000A
- Audew 2000A
- GooLoo GT4000
- GooLoo GTX280 (these have the ability to jumpstart vehicles, and come with jumper cables, but I got these mostly for use as battery packs).

The reasons I recommend the GT4000, nowadays;

- the oldest units were bought in 2022. As with all of these, I check them first every 30 days, then 3 months, until they’ve sat in the vehicle that’s left outside 24/7/365, for a year since the last recharge (took a while, as I reset the ‘clock’, when I gave someone a jumpstart and recharged the unit). Instead of the cheap 4-LED battery gauge (like the PowerAll, dbPower, and NOCO units I’ve seen), where I have no idea if 2 LEDs means 27%, or 67%, the GooLoo (and Audew) units have a digital display that shows the battery level in percentage.

They’ve been at 96-97% after 1 year, and I confirmed that they would start a 6L engine with battery disconnected.

- the GT4000 units have a BIG backlit LCD display that shows things like battery percentage (the Audew battery percentage display is small, and too dim to be easily read in sunlight), as well as things like input charge current, and output current (when using the unit as a battery pack, which makes it easy to see, and calculate battery drain and estimate equipment runtimes when using it as a battery pack). The BIG display is a boon for folks with presbyopia 😝

- this next part is a BIG feature to me. The GooLoo GT4000 and GTX280 units have a 100w USB-C in/out, so they can be used to charge things like Apple devices, at 100w, but importantly, the jumppacks themselves can take a 100w charge current. I’ve drained them flat, powering a USB powered portable fan, and recharged the unit in just over an hour. The older units that all have much lower charging current inputs take 4-5+ hours to fully charge.

The GT4000 is packaged with their fast charge CLA (Cigarette Lighter/Accessory) cable, and I confirmed that the 120w CLA port on the Toyota does indeed, show a 104-105w input on the unit. When I was at a friend’s during a power outage. I used the GT4000 to recharge cellphones, and the CLA cable to recharge the GT4000 from 7x-80%, back to full, in just the ~17 (total) minutes driving to and from a store to get some items.

- the GT4000 has nice, big, clearly labeled buttons for Power and Boost. The Boost button is needed when using it to jump something with a really dead battery (or using it to jump 12v accessories). In contrast, whichever moron designed the dbPower jumppack, made the Boost button a small, recessed black button on the side of the black adapter that plugs into the jumppack to connect the battery clamps. If you didn’t RTFM (and have presbyopia) good luck finding that stupid button (that needs something like a pen tip, to press), in the dark, at night, in the rain, when you’re trying to jumpstart a vehicle.

- the fast recharge makes the GT4000 a great accessory power pack. I’ve used the one in my DD, to power numerous 12v powered accessories, like the Sylvania Rapid 12v tire inflator (that draws ~170-180w peak! It’s compact and fast, but if you plug this into the CLA port of many vehicles, there’s a good chance of popping the fuse! Having seen this happen with another CLA plug inflator in a friend’s car, I used to keep a battery clamp to CLA port extender cable to use. Ditched that, when I confirmed that the GT4000 easily powers 12v accessories (and comes with an included CLA port cable).

I’ve also used the GT4000 to power the 12v car jack (another convenient device. Not that much bigger than the manual scissor jack, but MUCH faster than cranking away with the manual jack. Raises a corner in ~20-30 seconds with a button press, while allowing me to stand somewhat protected from inattentive drivers (and maintaining situational awareness, in less than stellar areas).

Even use it regularly to power the 12v hydraulic master unit for the Quickjack 7000 (another highly recommended item, for folks who can’t install a 2-post or 4-post lift in the garage (or like having the remote ability, for raising a track car, or hauling to a parent’s/relative’s/friend’s to work in their vehicle).

- the GT4000 also has a built-in preheat feature (LiIon jumppacks don’t provide full cranking amps until warm, if it’s really cold), that I have yet to test, as I haven’t needed to give anyone a jump in sub-zero temps since getting the GT4000 units.
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+1 for the GooLoo GT4000.

I had used a NoCo for a number of years and it performed well and I never had any issues with it until a truly bitter winter when it seemed I was using it several times each week to jump someone's vehicle and it may have been age or it may have been from cycling it a lot that winter, but I got it out to jump a guy who had slid off in a snow bank and let it sit a few days. After pulling him out of the ditch, when I got the NoCo jumper pack out it was in fact bulging and useless (I still carry jumper cables too and they came in handy that day).

After that I bought a GooLoo GT4000 and can say I don't think I'll go back to NoCo. I don't think NoCo are bad at all the two I had served me well for years. But I do really like the GooLoo GT4000 and the features it has. And the GooLoo GT400 will crank vehicles in extreme cold better than the NoCos that I had did (I can't remember which NoCo models those were to compare the specs, but they were close at least).
 
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