Porta Jump

[Gary]

Anyone have any experience with a product called the Porta Jump? Its a little rechargeable battery about 3"x3"x2" that is supposed to be able to recharge a dead car battery through the cigarette lighter enough that it can be restarted. I'm still having charging issues on my scooter, and was thinking of carrying one of these around as a "spare" battery in case I ran my scooter battery down. The ads claim the Porta Jump can restore the "surface charge" in a car battery enough to start the engine in ten minutes or less so I would guess that it could recharge a tiny scooter battery very quickly.

Of course what Ishould do is fix the charging system, but I'm a bit intimidated. I do know from measurements that the system isn't putting out any current, but haven't taken the time yet to determine if this is due to a defective stator, a defective voltage regulator, or something else. The battery is a new Yuasa and takes a charge from an external charger just fine, so that's not the issue. For the time being I've been recharging the battery each night and that allows me to ride the next day. However yesterday I rode about 35 miles and the scoot wouldn't start. I carry a set of small motorcycle/ATV jumper cables with me and was able to get a jump from a car. The battery still had enough juice in it to power the scoot to get me back home (about 7 more miles), but now I'm getting nervous about becoming stranded somewhere. For a while I carried a spare scooter battery under the seat, but even though it was a "sealed" AGM type, some of the electrolyte got out and made a mess. It also took up a fair amount of room. However, until yesterday I had been able to ride pretty much all day (intermittently) on a single overnight charge without needing a jump, so I stopped carrying around the spare battery. Now though I'm again thinking that I need a backup, hence the question about the Porta Jump.

Cheers,
Gary

[TeamTEOR]

That will get you out of a mess. They also sell jump boxes that are about 10 lbs or so that you could use and they would jump start things almost right away, but they are much more bulky in size. The sad thing here is that this situation is going to get worse, and your battery is not going to be able to hold on much longer. As the part that is bad, Stator or regulator gets worse you will be over drawing power for extended periods from the battery. That can lead to much large problems including a possible fire. Continue to use a good charger on the battery like a float charger, and it will last you much longer. Is there really no one that can help you out on it in your area?
Tom

[Gary]

Tom,
Thanks. I've been using a float charger to recharge the battery overnight. That has worked OK for three months now (~3,000 km). But it could be that the battery is getting tired. Will have to see.

There probably is a shop in San Diego that will work on my Chinascoot; I don't know. So far, I've done all of the maintenance/repair on my 150 and 250 myself (with the help of the 'Dawgs'and sites like Oregon Vintage.) I look at it as fun and all part of the 'experience' of buying a cheap Chinascoot. So, I'm going to try to tackle the charging problem myself. if it becomes a hassle, I might have to look at a more quality scoot (like your Xciting).
Gary

[TeamTEOR]

Keep us all up to date, you never know when the info will help out someone else.

Ahh, San Diego, I wish I could spend more time out that way. Pacific Beach, Mission Beach... Good memories.
Tom

[fulltimerart]

Until you have time to fix the charging system you could always carry a small solar panel with you and just clip it to the batt anytime it needs to be topped off. Art

[Gary]

Art -
Brilliant! I could have a solar powered scooter! How environmentally friendly!

Seriously, do you have a recommendation for a panel? I'll try it!
Gary

[TeamTEOR]

Here is a small 1.5watt unit: tinyurl.com/qzj4x

Here is a larger 5 watt unit: tinyurl.com/34eprh

[Gary]

Thanks Tom. Got to love Harbor Freight!
Gary

[Gary]

I guess this Jumpstarter might be another option: www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91045
Bigger than the Porta Jump, but more powerful. Also has a charge indicator so you know when it needs recharging. Resonably priced at $25.

[TeamTEOR]

12lbs is not all that much weight, as long as it is not kept inside your top box (unless it clips onto the scooter really well). Do you think it would fit in your box under the seat? I have no idea what the viva is like up close. You could always wear a backpack.
Tom

[Gary]

Tom,
The under-seat storage on the Viva is actually pretty cavernous. The Jumpstarter would fit no problem with plenty of room for other stuff. But I guess after considering all of the options, I'll probably go back to what I was doing originally - carrying a second lead acid battery under the seat. This time I'll secure it properly so it doesn't tip over and make a big mess. The spare battery plus a pair of jumper cables should get me through until I replace my stator.

Thanks for your help,
Gary

PS: Yes, summer in San Diego is pretty nice. Perfect for scootering. And some very nice 'scenery' at the beach areas.