Filed under: Gadget Reviews, Technology & Camping

Postcards From The Road – The Black and Decker Powermate 400

The Black and Decker Powermate 400 AC/DC Portable Power Station/Jump-Starter/Compressor  - Purchasing this multi-use device was a brilliant decision on my part, if I do say so myself. Just having it sitting in my storage area, fully charged and ready to go, gives me a peace of mind that a set of jumper cables can’t match. It can start my car if my battery is weak or dead and doesn’t require a good samaritan or AAA tow truck. Its multi-stage internal charger keeps it fully charged by leaving it plugged into an AC outlet overnight.

But that’s not all its good for:  It’s like a multi-function swiss army knife. During our recent RV trip, it allowed me to:

1- Check the air pressure in my tow vehicle and trailer tires and top them off as needed.

2- Via one of its 2 12-volt receptacles, it ran my 12-volt air pump to firm up our Coleman air mattress.

3- And our 12-volt portable fan inside and outside of the trailer.

4- It has a built in system to check on the health of our tow vehicle’s alternator.

5- And it allowed me to jump start our tow vehicle after forgetting to unplug the trailer-to-car umbilical cable after leaving the rig parked outside my son’s home for 3 days, thereby draining the vehicle’s battery below that required to crank its engine.

It also has 2 AC outlets that’ll light an emergency drop-lamp or other low-voltage device. More specifics include:

• Use for tailgating, camping, and power failures when no wall outlet is available
• Powers and/or charges AC and DC appliances
• Built-in multi-LED worklight
• 450 amps for instant jump-starting without the need of another vehicle
• Built-in 120-volt AC charger for use with ordinary household extension cord for recharging
• Keyless ON/OFF power safety switch and reverse hook-up warning alarm
• LED battery status indicator
• MFG Brand Name : BLACK and DECKER
• MFG Model # : VEC026BD
• MFG Part # : VEC026BD

After 3 years of faithful service, it was $100 well spent.

Till next time,

The Traveler

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