New Automatic Jump-start thing - help

[diamondjfarms]

My husband wants to get some automatic jump-start thing called a Safety Boost, for our farm truck (which we don't use very often, and often has a weak start, and is often dead when we forget the radio playing while working on projects) and possibly the hay tractor (used to put out round bales, and doesn't like the occasional cold days in Texas). Anyway, my husband's cop friend says this thing is awesome. He has one in his cruiser, and says his battery is often drained by the light array and computers on-board. It mounts to the side of your battery, and wires to your battery clamps. Then it slow charges from your battery while the engine is running, and it stores that charge for up to like a year or so. When your battery dies, it doesn't. You have to click a little thing that looks like a car door remote, and it allows the stored energy in the safety boost to jumpstart your truck. His friend says it's like a guy with a running truck and jumper cables just waiting under the hood, all the time. Apparently, the cops have to call wreckers out alot, for this problem. (our tax dollars at work). His car was picked to have one of these Safety Boost things, and he is very happy.
The thing is, they aren't really cheap, and I'm wondering if we should even get one (or two). I guess, if we sell the truck, we could move it to the next one, so it is sort of a one time investment, and it sure beats walking back to the house to get something to jump the truck off with, or remembering to park the hay tractor up at the house on cold nights so we can hook it up to the battery charger.
So I guess my question is, do you think it is worth getting one of these things? He's also talking about getting one for the ancient Mule he keeps at the deer camp.
Does anyone have one? do you like it? I found their web site www.SafetyBoost.com

[idigbeets]

Its a hard wired jump box that trickle charges while your engine is running, which if you're not running it often, will also discharge and now you have TWO dead batterie... I'd just buy something like the Jump N Carry 660 and bring it with you.

[Bearfootfarm]

I bet if you clean the cables and terminals on your present battery the problems will go away.

You can get portable jump starters for $50-150 depending on the size, but they are really nothing more than another battery with a charger

[diamondjfarms]

I'm not a fan of hooking up jumper clamps to batteries. Those hand held jump boxes scare me a bit. Plus, you have to remember to charge those up, and get them back in the truck regularly. This Safety boost thing, would do it for me. I spoke to our cop friend this weekend. He says that even if the truck sits for a year or even more, the safety boost thing will still have enough power stored to jump off the battery. Then it will recharge itself with no effort from me.

It looks like my husband is going to get them, so I'll be able to give a report when they come in.

[Bearfootfarm]

Plus, you have to remember to charge those up, and get them back in the truck regularly.

You keep them in the truck and they charge from a cigarette lighter or from house current

He says that even if the truck sits for a year or even more, the safety boost thing will still have enough power stored to jump off the battery

I think he's overly optimistic.
No matter how great he makes it out to be, it's still just a battery that's smaller than the truck battery

[JeepHammer]

Forgive me if the first post from a new member isn't supposed to be in the open forums...

I've lived on a farm, or in a military barracks most of my life.
This has lead to a lot of starting issues on all kinds of equipment.
When you are deployed in the military for a year at a time, the battery in your POV (Personally Owned Vehicle) has a tendency to be VERY dead when you get back...

And we all know how farm equipment gets used/abused.

I'm also an off roader, Jeeps mostly. There is nothing like having starting/charging issues when it's a 15 mile walk to the nearest person with a charged battery...

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Here are some suggestions for you,
More reliable than the 'Jump Pack' products others have suggested.

1. Solar Powered Battery Charger.
These things are DIRT CHEAP, maintain the battery voltage without messing with them.
They work anywhere the sun shines.

The only 'Draw Back' is you will have to get used to seeing it mounted on the vehicle.
Aesthetics is often the deciding point, instead of function, and since people aren't used to seeing them, they tend to steer clear of anything they have to mount externally.

2. A Two Battery Primary Vehicle.
With a second battery in your 'Daily Driver',
That second battery on 'Anderson Power Pole' connectors (all over Ebay for cheap) allows you to QUICKLY pull the charged SECONDARY battery from your daily driver and plug it right into the piece of equipment you are trying to use.

This is particularly handy for people with several pieces of equipment that uses 'Standard' size batteries.
You ALWAYS have a charged battery handy, It's quick, efficient, and you don't have to buy a bunch of batteries for all the different equipment.
Once the equipment has battery cables switched to 'Anderson' type connectors, the battery install is a snap, simply plug in the battery and go.

I had a real issue with farm equipment batteries being stolen while they set out in the sheds/fields.
This stopped the problem entirely.

Draw back to this arrangement is raising the hood on your primary vehicle,
Pulling the SECONDARY battery,
And lugging it to the piece of equipment.

This isn't an issue for me since every time I have a dead battery, or missing from some louse running off with the battery (often cutting the cables to steal the battery),
It saved a TON of second trips to charge the battery, no dragging out jumper cables, no running 17 miles to down to get a replacement battery...

3. A battery DISCONNECT switch.
By simply turning the battery OFF when you aren't using it, it won't discharge as quickly as connected to a system with parasitic drains.

Drawbacks,
You loose radio presets, and in some computer controlled fuel injected vehicles,
There is a turn the key on, then off process to boot up the computer.
Remember, these are draws on the battery while the vehicle is sitting still to retain those memory circuits.
You loose all that stuff anyway if the battery goes dead.

4. Larger Battery Reserve.
This could be a larger battery in a single battery system,
Or adding a second battery to the system.
Eventually, both batteries will fail...

5. If you do a second battery,
Then use a 'Disconnect' or 'Isolation' circuit for the second battery.
This is pretty easy to wire up, and when the engine IS NOT running, an oil pressure switch disconnects the second 'Reserve' battery from the main system.

This is an automatic reconnection when the oil pressure comes up, engine running, so the second battery can charge.
With a push button on the dash, you can SELF JUMP START from the second battery without dragging jumper cables.

It's a little more intensive, but this gives you capabilities you wouldn't otherwise have, including self rescue/jump start.

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*IF* you are interested in any of the above, I have done several technical articles on this very subject.
I have wiring diagrams, tutorials prepared for these types of conversions, free of charge, for the asking.

If I can help, I will help with your situation.

I use COMMON parts, stuff 'Off The Shelf' from the parts stores, NOTHING PROPRITARY so you don't have to struggle with warranty, wait for replacement parts, ect.
Everything I use is commonly available, and that makes it inexpensive.

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The 'Boosters' mounted on or near the battery have a second battery installed in them.
The issue with that second battery is that it's a second SMALL battery, and it will fail over time simply from the charge imbalance between different battery types.

Different size, age, types should NEVER be combined!

The regulator in the alternator senses DEMAND, it doesn't matter where that demand comes from...
*IF* you have two different age/size/type batteries in the same circuit, ONE will demand charging differently than the other,
One will demand charging, the other will be OVERCHARGED, and that battery will 'Cook'...

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The issue with 'Charge Packs',
Those little jump starting packs is the battery is VERY SMALL, usually undercharged since no one keeps track of the charge state, just hauling it around until it's needed,
And if you leave it plugged in until needed, it's never where you need it...

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