Portable Power Station

[Robspot]

Have a look at the last item on this link.

http://www.generators.co.uk/suitcase.php

Any views on how useful this would be? I reckon you could charge it off a genny during sensible hours and then use it to power essential beer and lighting items at night thereby avoiding the certain buggering you may receive from generator haters.

[rcutler]

RIP OFF!

Get one the same power and smaller from DIY shops or macro for less than £80!!

[Robspot]

Have you got a link Rick? I can't find them anywhere.

Aside from the price, what do you think as to their usefulness?

[Mr. Invincible Mou]

Hi robspot, a quick google turns up quite a few hits. You will need to check out the exact specs, but here are some around the £70.00 quid mark.

UnicornMotor

AJM Shopping

And to make you happy about your first suggestion, this looks like the same thing for £311.38 HTA Systems

In general, it looks as though this sort of device is popular with fishermen, so check out some angling shops. Personally, I would go for one with a compressor if I was getting one, as I have a small unit in my car already (does not do AC) and it is invaluable for airbeds and emergency tyre inflating.

[jpchenet]

I got one from Makro for about £25 that has three 12V sockets and has car jump leads.

[Robspot]

Thanks for your help Mr I and JP.

I am looking for one with a decent inverter to run beer fridge (75W). The link above has 180w inverter which should manage easily for nightime drinking. There is one on ebay for 80 quid with 150w inverter but only one battery. The one I am looking at has two 18 Ah batteries. I've also found it cheaper on QVC for £120.

The real question is whether or not it is worth bothering with. Will it run my fridge for ten minutes and then pack up? Will it take an entire generator tank of petrol to charge it up again? Will I be too pissed to care?

[Snoring Rhino]

I have a similar unit as JPC (£30 from Costco), + a 240v - 300 watt Inverter from Maplin(£25). This year I plan to run the Cool box off of it whilst its not in the car (12v), + charge the video, digital camera and phone via the inverter. Whislt out and about in the car recharge the power pack and run the cool box of of the 12v.  Though about a solar pannel to continously trickle charge the power pack while running the coolbox but one with 2.5 amps will be at least £75 and still only slowing down the battery drain.

[Robspot]

Hmmm solar power, that's interesting, hadn't thought of that. I could erect some sort of wooden gazebo and line the roof with panels. How many would I need to run a fridge? Or maybe heat the pool, lighting, stereo (maybe a full disco). Ok I'm getting carried away now.

I have seen a 12V 15W panel for 80 quid. Does this mean I need 5 to run a 75w fridge? I'm not very electrical I'm afraid.

Anyway.......If we built this giant wooden badger?

[jpchenet]

Anyway.......If we built this giant wooden badger?

Zarse would poke it with his spoon!!!  

[Mr. Invincible Mou]

Zarse would poke it with his spoon!!!  

Ooo.. That's Shocking  

[Robspot]

How could I have missed that one  

I'm not sure it's possible to build a spoon proof wooden badger, but I guess it would depend on the size of his spoon. Come on then Mr Zarse - how big is it?

[Steve Pyro]

Robspot, is your 75W fridge a heat pump type or a refrigeration compressor type?
If the latter, it may have a larger starting load than it's run load and hence will require a greater capacity supply.

My illustrious band of warm beer drinkers intend to purchase a small chest freezer, fill with water and run the freezer from a genny during the day.
The insulation of the freezer and the ice contained therein should stay nice and chilled during the night and we (hopefully) won't need to run the generator at night.

We're taking one of those 800W 2 stoke small gennys from Makro / Costco / Romford Sunday market that retail for about £75.

[Robspot]

Robspot, is your 75W fridge a heat pump type or a refrigeration compressor type?

Errr  

I've got a small beer chiller type fridge but I was also thinking of taking a 4ft upright type fridge. I would guess at the compressor type.

[Steve Pyro]

Rob, have a look on the data plate on the fridge (or failing that, see what fuse is fitted).

This should confirm the total full load current.

[Robspot]

Will do, cheers Steve.