QUESTION

Is there enough power to run a sump pump intermittently during a rainstorm when the power is out???

DURACELL POWERPACK 600

I use this power supply to run a portable ipod boombox in my 1964 Triumph TR4 as it has a positive ground and I don't want to convert it from it's stock format.It is perfect for what I needed and has also been convienient for other small jobs around the house. As long as you don't expect it to do more than it was intended to, I give it a solid recommendation.

Good price for a backup power source!

I haven't actually needed to "use" this item yet but I've got it plugged up and on "standby" for any emergency. I bought it mainly for the wattage and the price. Compared with the Black and Decker Powermate (only 400 watts) I felt this was superior AND Duracell is a good name for battery products in my book! I can say that I have used the radio and the light on it and that it appears to be charging fine.

When you need power

I've been using this power pack off and on for a few weeks and it's been great so far. If you need some additional or emergency power this is a good item to have in your inventory.

Value for Money

I would rate this product value for money. I did expect it to be more powerful but it certainly serves the purpose that I require it for. I think that this would be a tremendous asset in the event of a powercut.

Portable poower

It seems like the best of all possible choice at the time and I can't wit to put it to use, but am not inviting an emergency.

Very nice!

The quality of this item is excellent. We charged it up and plugged in a lamp that we would use if the power had gone out and also plugged in both our cell phones. We turned the light on and went to bed. It was still on and still had over 20% charge left in the morning. Phones were fully charged. Radio tuner could be better if it had a fine tuning knob like our weather radio has. Overall, great product.

Worth the price

This product is an excellent value if you keep the battery charged properly. I use my trucks cigarette lighter plug in for bulk re-charging and a small roof mounted solar panel to automatically maintain the battery charge over 14 volts @ 1 amp per hour during the day. Handy built-in inverter works as is intended! Light weight for me...only 29 lbs.

AM/FM Radio seems like an afterthought. Would be better with a digital voltage readout meter in its place.

Meets expectations

I use this powerpack to run my pop-up camper. It is much quieter than a generator and costs a lot less too. I plug my campers AC right into the powerpack just like I would if it were a generator. I have yet to plug something in that trips the over current circuit. This summer I will be able to determine how long the battery will last while camping. Until then, I am satisfied with the peak power performance. This powerpack can handle pretty high draw without tripping.

Good product

I purchased the Duracell Powerpack 600 three months ago. Since then I have used it to jump started my van with a big 5.7L engine four times (I finally tracked down the short that was causing the van battery to discharge). I have also used the AC and DC outlets for various tasks like powering my laptop and running an electric drill. I read all of the negative comments before buying the Powerpack. For the most part I think they had unrealistic expectations about the Powerpack. Of course it is just a deep cycle AGM battery in a convenient shell. You'll be happier if, before buying this product, you Google "deep cycle battery" to learn what to expect and how to care for the battery. I think the price is right and I would recommend this product to a friend. Oh yes, the radio really is a joke.

Great Product!

The only reason I did not give this product a 5 star rating is because it doesn't have over charge protection while using the 12 volt charger.
So far I have used this product twice on my 350 cu in V8 and it has worked each time!
Dan

Nice power pack!

This thing does a great job. I use it on my boat to power lights, fans or the tv in the evenings after shutting down the generator. It works really well. My only complaint is the ear-shattering alarm that sounds when it's about out of juice. It went off at 4am one morning and scared the heck out of us! I wish there was a way to shut it off. Minor annoyance, though, for a really good product.

Handy item

Pros - Well built and durable. Like the display that shows the wattage being used and amount of power left in battery. Also like the maintenance charge ability. I can keep the battery plugged in and then its ready to use when needed. Runs my 32 inch TV, DVD player and 100 watt stereo amp with surround sound for more than an hour.

Cons - Wish it also came with an air compressor (I know, what about the kitchen sink!)

Durable and easy to use

Tried this out on a camping trip to run a CPAP machine used to treat sleep apnea. It lasted almost three nights without using the heated humidifier. The directions were easy to understand and it came with a bag that holds AC and DC chargers as well as battery jumper cables. The product seems to be well built and durable. I wish it charged more quickly, but we are very satisfied with the product. Have ordered a small generator to recharge the battery during the day for extended camping trips.

power

The Duracell power pack was a great buy. the power pack was great on our camping trip. Several people at our campsite love it and stop and asked where i had bought it. The price was great and it was worth it. while camping i was able to power regular size CD home sterio and a electrical air pump to inflate an air matress at the same time without any power loss.the radio worked the emergency light was brite. make sure you re charge after each use for longer power source if you are camping.

It works fine. And you can add external capacity easily

Tried it a few times in the few weeks I've had it and found it to be terrific. I have a few of the smaller Black and Decker (10 and 20 VA) powered inverter modules that were clearanced for $10 at our neighborhood Home store that got me curious about this thing. Heck no, it's not a generator, and yeah, it's basically a flashlight about the size and weight of a cinder block, but the combination of radio, flashlight, clock and THREE 120 outlets would certainly be handy in a blackout. The Mfr recommends leaving it plugged in (charged by a little wall-wart transformer) all the time to keep the battery topped off.

Did somebody really say they wished the LCD clock could be turned off to save power? Nah, even an AGM battery will discharge with no draw at all WAY more than that little clock would - the difference has to be insignificant. And far outweighed by the convenience of having the clock stay set.

Now how about some superbright LED's in the handle? Now those could be normally-on so you could find it in the dark, but switched so the light wouldn't bother you if you were sleeping near it or something like that. They say the built-in 5-watt flashlight will run FIFTY hours straight on a full charge, so I'd guess that a few 20,000 mcd LED's would draw 5 ma each, and the unit would last for months (maybe years) between recharges. Of course, an AGM battery shouldn't be stored discharged (thus the directions say to leave it plugged in with the little charger going all the time) but if one stayed lit while it was charging, you could find it, and if the power went out, the bank could go on full by default and actually light up the area around the unit.

A good backup

This battery pack is no substitute for a generator, but is certainly a great backup. Rather than start up a generator to power a drill or a television, you can simply utilize this relatively light powerpack to run low power devices. We're definitely going to purchase a second one!

The internal light is powerful, and the internal radio is convenient. It's only an extra benefit that it can be used to jumpstart a vehicle. We're going to pick up some solar trickle chargers and use this as a small solar system in the house.

Good machine

Well the first one of these that amazon sent to me died in two days. The charging light refused to go out until the unit was fully charge even if the unit was unplugged, also the reading on the digital readout of wattage was vastly incorrect.
After receiving my second unit from amazon it works as described and I've found that this is mainly designed for light duty applications. Even though it sounds very powerful since it's able to run a device that is 600 watts and all. If you really desire to power something that powerful get a generator or something that holds more juice than this. For the most part I just use this to charge other batteries ie cell phones, laptop, and rechargeable batteries. I charge this machine on a solar panel about twice a week or so. 30 Watt Mono-crystalline Portable Briefcase Solar Panel 12V Charger - temper proof glass
It takes 3 to 4 hours to charge through the DC input on a perfectly sunny day, which could easily give you to time to charge cell phones and laptops and not have to use this machine till the evening.

Solar Power Generator

I'm using a 15 watt solar panel to keep the Powerpack 600 charged. I use it to charge pdas, cell phones, video games. I have also used it for portable power on fans,lights, TVs, and laptops. Will not power frigs and large power hunger items. I purchased the Powerpack 600 to see if it would charge from a solar panel and it charges from sun-up to sun-down. HEY,I'm a little greener than I once was!

It is NOT SAFE to leave this unit in your car trunk

An important item that the marketing materials leave out is that this unit must not be used or stored above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a warning in the owners' manual about this. I contacted the manufacturer by email and asked if it was OK to store the unit in the trunk of a vehicle, which could get up to 150 degrees or so in the summer sun, as long as you let it cool down below 104 degrees before using it. The representative checked with their engineering department and responded to me that it is not safe to do so. Seems you can't allow the unit to get below 32 degrees Fahrenheit either, according to the manual. So much for leaving the unit in your car as an emergency backup.

Another thing that is not mentioned is that the AC outlets provide power that is a "simulated sine wave;" simply stated, this means it is not as "clean" as power from a regular AC outlet. Therefore, I would not recommend that expensive computers and other electronic equipment be plugged into the AC outlet. Use the 12V DC "cigarette lighter" outlet for this type of equipment, using the appropriate adapter for your cell phone or computer, and it is perfectly fine.

Otherwise, generally speaking, a good unit to have around, in your climate controlled garage, in case the power fails.