Postcards From The Road – The Black and Decker Powermate 400
Posted By Traveler8343 On March 31, 2012 @ 7:57 pm In Gadget Reviews,Technology & Camping | No Comments
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.
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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
Last 5 posts by Traveler8343
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Article printed from Good Sam Camping Blog: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com
URL to article: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/03/postcards-from-the-road-the-black-and-decker-powermate-400/
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[2] POWER at your Campsite – Chapter 1: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2010/11/power-at-your-campsite-chapter-1/
[3] CAMPSITE POWER Chapter 4 – Converting Battery Power to: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2010/12/campsite-power-chapter-4-converting-battery-power-to-household-power/
[4] WHATS A TOAD? – A RV Newbie’s Vocablulary List: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/07/whatsa-toad-a-rv-newbies-vocablulary-list/
[5] Campsite Power – Chapter 2 FREE ELECTRICITY FOR…: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2010/11/campsite-power-chapter-2-free-electricity-for-everyone-for-life/
[6] SAVE 75% or MORE ON YOUR NEXT CORDLESS TOOL BATTERIES (Yes,…: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/01/save-75-or-more-on-your-next-cordless-tool-batteries-yes-i-like-saving-money/
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[8] Henry Horton S.P., Tennessee: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/11/henry-horton-s-p-tennessee/
[9] Mau-Mau, A Most Peculiar Cat: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/11/mau-mau-a-most-peculiar-cat/
[10] Put Tab A Into Slot B...: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/07/put-tab-a-into-slot-b/
[11] Part 3 - Big Trees State Park, Calaveras County, California - Exploitation of the Sequoias: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/06/part-3-big-trees-state-park-calaveras-county-california-exploitation-of-the-sequoias/
[12] Part 2 - Big Trees State Park, Calveras County, California: http://blog.goodsamcamping.com/2012/06/part-2-big-trees-state-park-calveras-county-california/
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