wanted to make this a sticky on this subject.
so people can get more info and add to this subject.


i have been looking for these items and not sure which one is the best to get. it is something that needs to be easy for a girl to use as well.

i have seen some jumper cable that have a safety mechanism that wont allow u to mix the positive and negative around.

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/HanoverAssets/Improvements/product_images/276141zz.jpg


there is another one that uses the cigarette lighter for a jump from car to car but i was wondering if this is good cause of the high flow of amps jumping through the 15 amps of wiring in there.


http://www.ajprindle.com/MEDIA/ProductCatalog/m750232_10587-01-001-lg.jpg





as for the battery starters i dont know anything about them. not sure if they are worth the money. some i have noticed have 10 amps and those run for about $40-50. and there are some that have 450amps $100-140. so why would i need it at 450amps vs. 10amps if they both can jump the car.


http://www.jcwhitney.com/wcsstore/jcwhitney/images/imagecache/G_21119G_SW_1.jpg

because if the battery is really dead, 10 amps isn't going to cut it when it comes to starting the car. (you need hundreds of amps)

I have the exact Vector jumper pack pictured above. It does not cost $100, it is actually about $50 and is an excellent unit. It also includes a built-in air compressor and I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good low-cost jumper pack.
The current ratings for a jumper unit like this with a self-contained gel battery will always be in the hundreds of amps, and indicate how much current the unit can provide through the jumper terminals. 450 amps is plenty.
As far as I'm concerned the ones that plug into the lighter of both vehicles are worthless, as they don't actually supply enough power to jump-start the dead car but just charge the battery. The current cannot exceed the fuse rating of the lighter or the fuse will blow, and if the battery is really dead it may not work at all. Anyway these are totally useless on Subarus and most other import vehicles because the lighter socket is only live when the key is on.

which model vector do you have?
as i was looking around i noticed that the have a few different models that range in different prices. not really sure what the others are different in.

I have a Delco walljack AC unit that has a 50amp burst capability to start the car. It works on a 40F morning on my car sitting in the garage overnight. 10 amps is probably not enough.

Personally, I keep a set of long (~8ft), heavy gauge (2ga), flexible standard-type jumper cables in my car. This is what I suggest. Long so you can get jumped without having to have the cars lined up perfect, heavy gauge to counteract the long cables and be able to start almost immediately, and flexible so they're easy to use. Teach your GF how to hook them up properly.

Those cigarette lighter things will not start a car. The fuse on the cig lighter is probably only 10-15 amps, and the wire is really small.

what u are proposing is something that needs a wall jack, if that is what i understand.
if it is, i am not looking for something that needs an extension cord. it needs to be mobile.

The model # is VEC012C. 450 amp jump-start, air compressor, 12-V outlet and LED work light.

I think I have the same jump pack in the picture, as well. Mostly, I use it for the air compressor, but I did have to use it to jump start the work van the other day. I had to leave it hooked up for a few minutes, but it started the V8 Dodge van I had that day. If I had charged it recently, it probably would have been faster, but I don't think it had seen a charger in over a month, and I often use the compressor several times a day. It's great for refilling the low pressure tanks I deal with, but it really takes a while to refill a low/flat tire. I've had to do that a time or two, too. Usually, I just aired the tire up enough to safely drive it to a gas station and finish filling it there.