 "Short term life span" | 2009-11-16 |
| - Reviewed By willsied82 |
| I have had this for maybe two years now, and initially, it was great. However, my car battery just died and I intended to use this to jump it. It was out of power so I've tried to charge it and it no longer accepts the charge from the AC adapter. I've read that it can be charged via DC adapter and people do so driving around in their cars, but if I could do that, I would not need to jump start the car to begin with. Consequently, I have this unit sitting uselessly in my house and have to call a service to come jump start me. I'll be buying another brand as a replacement. |
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 "Flawless Performance!" | 2009-11-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1XRFYSLMTWKX3 |
Went shopping for an affordable solution to allow me to use my CPAP machine while car-camping. A secondary use would be to power the CPAP during infrequent power outages. After doing extensive shopping on Amazon, internet searches and local "brick and mortar" stores, I choose the Duracell DPP-600HD Powerpack.
Since the unit was delivered, I fully charged it (per instructions) and have taken it on two outings. I am very happy to report that it has performed flawlessly! Both outings were for two nights each. On the first outing, I had no opportunity to recharge the unit during the day, so I operated my CPAP without the optional humidifier. After the first night, the charge was down to 40%; so I expected the unit to die during the second night. Surprisingly, it didn't and operated my CPAP throughout the second night.
On the second outing, I had the ability to recharge it during the day and used the humidifier. Based on the rated watts/hour of the CPAP with humidifier, the Duracell 600 should not have powered the unit all night. However, it did!
I used the built in light just to make sure it worked (it did). May use it during a power outage, but will probably save the charge for the CPAP. Tried out the radio and it worked fine (even in camp). Good reception, but, as fully expected, lousy sound... AC/DC outlets both functioned well.
This unit scores high on price and functionality. I'm checking in to solar charges to take with me camping - this will let me take on a week-long scout camp next summer. |
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 "I keep it between the driver and passenger seats in my minivan" | 2009-11-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: AOIIAVRBKHZ7C |
| I keep it between the driver and passenger seats in my minivan. It worked well to jump start a vehicle from it to to the battery but not from just into the cigarette lighter/utility outlet. I use it as a charger without the need for car adapters and/or use to run a notebook computer for movies for my children while I drive. Big fat plugs might hit the power switch or limit the number of items you can plug in because of the outlet locations, but I am still happy I purchased this item. |
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| "Just what I needed" | 2009-11-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2AIK37IWL09X7 |
| The duracell DPP 600 a very convenient way to power necessary items or items for leisure. I use it for backup for some of my photography lighting such as studio flashes when I am on the road. Of course the jumper cables are also a plus. The product is built nice and rugged. With 600 Watts of power I am able to power up multiple items that require minimal power for hours at a time. This unit is a must for people who love the outdoors and road warriors who are looking for an affordable power pack option. |
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| "Wonderful device. Everyone should have this in their trunk or garage." | 2009-10-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: A11WB8VTPLSBUU |
I received this as a gift last Christmas, and it works great. I have used this power pack many times, and it has always come through. Right out of the box on Christmas morning, without even plugging it in, it managed to jump-start my grandparents' Saturn Vue, a four-cylinder SUV. May not have worked for a larger car, but this was without even charging it first. The meter on mine works (some people have complained of broken ones), but it is a tad balky; the button must be pushed hard to get the display to function, and it often seems to have trouble deciding the true reading. The unit can stay fully charged for a few weeks of cooler weather, but once it begins discharging slowly its readings can vary from 5-10% .
The radio can be difficult to tune precisely without a short screwdriver, but the AM reception is very good (haven't tried the FM yet, that I can recall). The light is useless as something handheld because it's fixed to the unit and the pack is not light, but for lighting up a tent, or under the hood of a car with a dead battery or a broken underhood light, it works wonders. I don't mind that the clock stays on - my old digital watch ran for years on a battery the size of my thumbnail. Haven't tried the alarm function yet, but I have no reason so far to doubt that it would probably work in an emergency. It's a robust piece of equipment, to be sure.
Without cargo locks or other items to hold it in place, it will slide around your carpeted trunk. Buy some wide Velcro strips with adhesive backing and affix them to the underside of the thing. That seems to work good, at least on the carpet in the back of my Eldorado. I have also purchased some of those 90-degree CargoLoks from Amazon, but those did not work as well as I'd hoped (note: I did not buy the CargoLok mat they're designed for, so there's that) - the unit managed to knock past them without much trouble (they work great for smaller stuff though). I used some pretty heavy duty Velcro - craft kit type stuff might not do the trick. Easy fix.
So far, in addition to what is mentioned above, I have used this item to charge my cellphone, jump-start five vehicles, including my Eldorado (4.6L V8 engine) when the battery died, run indoor lamps, and as a camping light. It has performed each task flawlessly. I have little doubt this thing can jump anything with four wheels if you keep it in your trunk, recharge it every few month, and stick it back in your trunk. I use mine for something small like charging my cellphone to drain it a little, but I've sped up the process by plugging a floor lamp and a table lamp into it on a whim. Worked great. No, this unit will not keep you alive during an extended power outage - but it could run your alarm clock for a few nights and keep your cell topped off, all while giving you a radio and a light source. And it can be recharged through your car, so if you've got gasoline you've got some portable electricity.
Overall: A handy gift that everyone could use. Emergencies aren't picky. |
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| "Works as advertised" | 2009-10-16 |
| - Reviewed By markfellows2 |
I am satisfied with my purchase. This unit is exactly as it is advertised. It looses a star because of the inability at this time to replace the battery. I am hoping that situation changes in the future though and that there will be an aftermarket battery for this.
The unit couldn't be more easy to use. I intend to charge this unit in the future via solar panels and haven't had the chance to try that as it has been overcast and rainy since I received my order. I have been testing it for a few days by charging it with the AC power pack though. I find that the advertised power and times are accurate.
The radio works fine. The unit puts out the advertised power, the AC charger works as it should, and the cooling fan inside the unit is quite.
So far, I used it to power a lamp in my living room for about 4 or 5 hours with a 23 watt cfl installed. At the end of that nights use, I looked and the power meter said 40% left. I did not confirm this with a DVM though, so I don't know how accurate that was.
As far as build quality, it is fine. Some have said it is "much better" than the "cheaply made" Black and Decker Electromate 400(which I also have). That is false, build quality seems about the same to me.
The only quality difference I would note between this unit and the BD is that the cooling fan on this unit is much quieter.
Aside from build quality as looked at externally, there are differences to these two units. The Duracell has a 28 AH AGM(Absorbed Glass Mat, which is the top of the line in sealed lead acid batteries right now) deep cycle, and the Black and Decker has a 19AH battery. I can't remember if the BD comes with a Deep cycle or not, The Black and Decker has one less AC outlet, a less robust AC inverter, and an additional DC outlet(which I find very useful to daisy chain these units together with in parallel). The Black and Decker has an air compressor which is useful, and the Duracell has a radio which is also useful.
I personally like them both. We will see in the future how reliability plays out.
For now, I have used every feature on both units and both units work as they should for their respective purposes.
Mark :)
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