I decided to follow up on this portable power pack idea by actually buying one. It occurred to me that a small, powerful and portable battery might be useful for powering 12 volt motorcycle accessories while off the bike. Of course, they are also designed for powering cell phones, laptops and the like, but that didn't interest me as I don't have much use for those devices.
As it turned out, I discovered that most of the cheap portable batteries had a very low power limit of only 2 amps from their 12 volt outlet - if they could power anything 12 volt at all. However, I had my attention drawn to a review last month of the iStart battery by WebBikeWorld. I noted that the review said that it was able to provide power of up to 10 amps from its 12 volt port. While more expensive than most of the typical portable Li batteries, it appeared to be the only game in town, other than the similar size Anti-Gravity battery, which sells for around $100 on Amazon and has a 9 amp 12 volt power limit. So I ordered one from Amazon. The iStart battery sells for $130 from the distributor, QuickCable.
Today I gave the iStart a try. It comes with a coaxial electronic equipment power extension cord that plugs into the battery's 12 volt power port which has a double coaxial connector end. I removed one coaxial connector and soldered on a standard SAE connector, which will allow me to power devices like electric clothing or a small air compressor that use that type of connector, while the other coaxial connector can still be used to power 12 volt electronic equipment, such as a portable DVD player.
I charged up the iStart, plugged in the modified power cord and hooked it up to my Gerbing's electric jacket and gloves (which connects to the cords extending from the jacket sleeves). What do you know? The jacket and gloves both heated up and their temperature could be regulated by the Gerbing's “Heat-Troiler†electronic thermostat. The jacket has a 6 amp (77 watt) draw and the gloves take 2.28 amps (22 watts) of power for a total of 8.28 amps - within the battery's 10 amp (128 watt) power limit.
The battery was able to power both the jacket and gloves for about an hour before the power indicator was showing a low charge. It required three hours to fully recharge the battery from the supplied 120V power source.
While there are a number of self-contained battery-powered outdoor jackets and gloves now available on the market selling for around $200 and over, if you already have electric clothing and would like to use it while off your bike, or have some other 12 volt accessory that you would like to power while away from your motorcycle, the iStart or a similar battery might be a useful addition to your gadget collection. Plus, you never know when you might need to jump start a car or motorcycle, or have to power an electronic device. Just be careful to read the battery specifications before you buy to be sure that it has enough power for your needs.
