New Coleman Powermate Battery System

[rbeckey]

Today I was at Pep Boys auto parts and found a Coleman Powermate "Waterproof Jumpstart System" in the clearance section for $20. It has an 18AH SLA battery and is in a bright yellow Pelican style waterproof plastic case. It weighs approx. 17 lbs. and is 12x10x7 inches, not including the handle. I will no longer have to yank the tractor battery for a launch.

Of course I suppose it could jump start cars if absolutely necessary.

 

[Dbarrm]

Nice find.

Dan

 

[RandyM]

Of course I suppose it could jump start cars if absolutely necessary.

I'd rather jumpstart a rocket any day!:rotflol:

 

[cornyl]

Great, Good deal!
I have used my coleman for launching also. If your unit has a 12 volt aux cigarette type jack - Do not use it. This jack is fused and will eventually blow the fuse.
There are two sets of teeth on the positive clamp and there are two sets of teeth on the negative clamp. One of the teeth on each clamp is a dummy. In another words they are just used to get a better bite on the battery terminal but do not conduct electricity.
When you hook on your launch system clips make sure your on the side of the jumpers that are live . It is the side of the jumper that the thick wire is attached to.
I went crazy the first time I went to use it and was going to take it back until I noticed what was going on.

 

[SwingWing]

Hey Bob, Long time, no see.
I'll have to look for one of these next time I'm in a store.

 

[rbeckey]

cornyL,
Thanks for the tips. Saving a fellow rocketeer some aggravation hasta earn some good karma. This particular Coleman unit has several screws visible. I could probably replace the present fuse with a 20 amp. I was envisioning a controller with a cigarette lighter plug instead of clamps. It tangles less and seems a little neater. Maybe I can find another yellow Pelican case and build it into that.

I could also remove the fuse from insidethe unit and fuse the controller in a more accessable fashion.

 

[KDRaven]

Novel idea just wrap tinfoil around the exsisting fuse and put it back in then the battery would melt down befor the fuse would blow.:rotflol:
But on the serious side I think that hapend to a friends of mine battery box that we used one time and the next time it would not go, even though it showed that it had a charge or it was the clip problem and we did not think of that at the time. Thanks for the tip on the clips.

 

[rbeckey]

"Novel idea just wrap tinfoil around the exsisting fuse and put it back in then the battery would melt down befor the fuse would blow."

If you will carefully read the post you will note my intention to fuse the contoller. Actually, the system I use now has no fuse and has yet to "melt down." I believe the wiring would fail long before the battery itself. Since others already use the jumpers apparently have they no "melt down" issues either. I feel quite safe altering this system to meet my particular needs. Perhaps Coleman's lawyers will be concerned, but I will not.

 

[roadkill]

The thin lead wires on your ignitor(s)
will be long gone breaking the circuit
before the jumper cables melt down....

 

[snowman2]

If your unit has a 12 volt aux cigarette type jack - Do not use it. This jack is fused and will eventually blow the fuse.

My "jump starter" batteries have a 15 amp "slow blow" circuit breaker on the aux jack, not a fast acting replaceable fuse. Multiple times I've used the batteries to concurrently ignite 7 Estes igniters (drag race) without a problem, as well as 10 ematches for a cluster.

If the device has a replaceable fuse then rbeckey should consider replacing it if it is low amperage, and keep a set of spare fuses.

If you use a 12 volt aux plug with the battery, such as those sold by Radio Shack and others, to power the launch sytem, you also need to check it as it probably contains a fuse, often 5 amps. A 5 amp fuse is too small for a launch system.