What in the World is a Battery Jump Starter?

!: What in the World is a Battery Jump Starter?

Have you ever left your headlights or some other electrical device on overnight and came out bright and early to start you car? The battery is completely dead. All you hear is the pathetic dying sound of that annoying buzzer in the dashboard. To add insult to injury your wife or husband has just pulled out of the driveway and they are gone.

What do you do?

Like most people you have a pair of jumper cables but that requires another car. It is too early to wake you neighbor or picture a dead car on the proverbial deserted highway with no one to help you. This is where a battery jump starter can become your best friend. A jump starter or battery booster is the equivalent to having another car with a good battery packaged in a small, portable box. They are basically a rechargeable battery with a pair of jumper cables attached. All you need to do is hook up the cables and start your car. These little jewels can be a lifesaver. They are compact and easy to carry. You can keep it in the garage or put it in the trunk. I have my wife to carry one, so she doesn't have to go wandering around some dark alley or parking garage with a pair of jumper cables.

In a situation like this, a jump starter is the ticket to getting your car up and running.

There are several models and makes out there. Some can jump a 24 volt or 12 volt battery. These are ideal for tow truck drivers that have to jump diesels and gasoline engines. A few even have air compressors built into the unit and outlet to plug a cell phone. If you are traveling long distances, a jump starter can be an emergency back up power source for you car battery, cell phone and air up a flat tire. Be wary of the cheap ones that they sell at your local big box store for 50 bucks. For example, they sometimes label them as having 450 amps but in reality they have only 250 amps of "cranking" power. You are much better off buying a professional grade unit like the Jump N Carry. A unit like this has 1,700 amps of cranking power and is built for repeated use. You get what you pay for in the world of the battery jump starter.