Portable 12v Battery for SHTF

[workinwifdakids]

Does anyone have any opinions on this? It's a hardened waterproof rechargeable battery with a 12v plug. Of course those little 12v USB adapters are everywhere. Anyway, I'm wondering what some of you with some technical expertise think.

[Aesop]

It's probably durable as hell, but at $230-300?!?
Does it come with a free reach-around afterwards?

What are you trying to do/need a small 12V for, and what other ways are there to do that that cost less than $300?

For example, a 12V motorcycle battery made to survive being bounced around through motocross runs under $100, and for the extra you could buy an inverter and a small solar panel with charge controller, or just buy 2 more batteries.
Or buy 192 D-cell Duracells.
Or buy this and this.

The one in your link looks like it was made for running some secret squirrel's thermal sight and satcom Toughbook from his deep-cover recon sniper position after surviving a bad HALO jump.

[workinwifdakids]

I want a way to recharge a ham radio, as well as AA batteries, if there's no power. I want it compact and lightweight, in case I have to throw it in a backpack. And, these guys also have foldable lightweight solar panels that charge the battery.

Also, 192 D batteries might weigh me down if my HALO jump target is in the middle of the ocean.

[Aesop]

Look into the K-tor links I just threw out. They're both backpack-portable.
Also, Energizer (and others) make a smart recharger and a full line of rechargeable batteries, and even Wally World has them.
300 bucks should get you a lot more than just a brick.

There's also MNS, who sell anything you'd need to turn a bicycle or exercycle into an in-home power station for SHTF, for more non-portable use.

HALO jump into water? Inflatable payload buoyancy cell.

[Termite]

I'm wondering what some of you with some technical expertise think.

I think the website is using emotional salesmanship to sell overpriced stuff.

Workin',

Decide specifically what you want to do, and how portable it has to be.

Battery Junction is a good place to start looking. As is Amazon.

For AA recharging, with portability being less important, I would use a 4-8 bay smart charger that uses either 120vac or 12vdc input. Ideally it would charge all batteries(D,C,AA,AAA ni-cad/ni-mh) AND the various li-ion 3.2volt cells(14500, 16340, 18650, and 26650). Like this, although it doesn't do D-cells. Add the largest PV panel you think practical, a 18 ah AGM battery, and 6-10 amp charge controller. Follow the SEAL rule on breakable components, like the charger.

[Greg]

I'm wondering what some of you with some technical expertise think.

I think the website is using emotional salesmanship to sell overpriced stuff.

Indeed. The fact that this battery pack is 'armored' seems to be justification for raising the price by an order of magnitude.

60wh is the equivalent of a small laptop battery. It's equivalent of 6 18650 rechargeable lithium cells. They sell USB battery packs based on those cells now, commonly 2 or 4 but they can do 6 or more cells. I have one that's 2 cell, is well-reviewed and I paid 8 dollars for it w/o batteries. (From a Hong Kong seller, domestic retail with a marketing budget products will cost more.)

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-u ... ck-travel/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffreymor ... ery-packs/
http://lifehacker.com/five-best-externa ... -509802431
http://www.cnet.com/news/capacious-juic ... next-trip/

Anker is a very popular brand these days. Sometimes you find them on sale for quite a bit less than the listed price in these articles.

Workin',

Decide specifically what you want to do, and how portable it has to be.

Battery Junction is a good place to start looking. As is Amazon.

For AA recharging, with portability being less important, I would use a 4-8 bay smart charger that uses either 120vac or 12vdc input. Ideally it would charge all batteries(D,C,AA,AAA ni-cad/ni-mh) AND the various li-ion 3.2volt cells(14500, 16340, 18650, and 26650). Like this, although it doesn't do D-cells. Add the largest PV panel you think practical, a 18 ah AGM battery, and 6-10 amp charge controller. Follow the SEAL rule on breakable components, like the charger.

Also how tough everything needs to be. Are you an operator, or a hiker/backpacker? What conditions will be working in? Again, gear used by regular backpackers and outdoorsy types is an order of magnitude less expensive than that armored battery module.

One thing worth remembering, different battery chemistries require different charging algorithms and cheaper 'multi-chemistry' charges are generally good at charging one type of battery and for the rest should be considered a reserve capability best only used when necessary. (I have an inexpensive multi-chemistry charger that is good for li-ion and *can* charge nimh but is rough on them and isn't the best way.)

Anyway, how big is the ham radio? If it's a little hand-held (like a Baofeng) it's likely going to have a battery with as much juice as your cell phone. Actually, there's a small chance it has the *same* battery as your cell phone. An Anker-type portable battery pack should be more than sufficient for charging your radio and your various little portable gadgets. Combine that with a portable solar panel, and a portable charger for you nimh's and you should be good to go.

Also wanted to add, unless you're really serious about SHTF, big solar setups and lead-acid batteries, or you're planning on becoming an RC-enthusiast... you don't really need 12v.

[randy]

Actually, most amateur radio equipment will run/charge off 12v external power, so yes he does want it for ham purposes.. But I agree with the basic premise that the OP equipment is overpriced.

Check out the Powerwerx website. You should be able to put together something suitable for a lot cheaper.

As an example, my ham shack uses this and this in conjunction with my 35A power supply (which I need for the gear anyway) a surplus 21Ah battery as back up power. Works fine and is much more flexible and cheaper than any commercial UPS that could provide the same performance.

I also use it for maintenance charging my portable station batteries (17Ah gell cells in waterproof plastic ammo can type boxes) used at Field Day and Public Service Events.

[Greg]

Actually, most amateur radio equipment will run/charge off 12v external power, so yes he does want it for ham purposes.. But I agree with the basic premise that the OP equipment is overpriced.

It *really* depends on what he's running.

If it's a handheld, keeping it powered can be treated like keeping your cell phone juiced. If he's powering a ham shack, I think you've got it covered.

[workinwifdakids]

Okay, thanks for saving me money! Here are my requirements:

Charge ham H/T from 12v connection (somehow): 7.4V 1400mAh
Charge 4 AA batteries at once
Solar power for extended power outage
Whole package under 10lbs and able to fit in a backpack
Not requiring a whole lot of electrical knowledge to put together

Those are my only requirements at this time.

[randy]

Actually, most amateur radio equipment will run/charge off 12v external power, so yes he does want it for ham purposes.. But I agree with the basic premise that the OP equipment is overpriced.

If it's a handheld, keeping it powered can be treated like keeping your cell phone juiced.

Except that, unlike many cell phones etc. you really need a 12v source for most amateur gear. Most USB chargeable devices I'm familiar with (including my work phone and, wife and daughter's cell phones, all of our tablets) run at 5v. The USB charging ports I run from the RigRunners in the family vehicles have built in voltage convertors so that the overall system (including the Ham HT I keep in the truck) run at 12v output.