Reviews
Projecta Battery Protector
This little device cost me only $15.95 when it was on special. I purchased it from a Repco store but I have also seen it on sale at Super Cheap Auto for a bit more. It is designed to protect your 12 volt battery from going flat due to over discharge. Flattening your batteries will greatly shorten their life, and in the case of your car battery, it will mean that you can not start your car. This model is made by Projecta, an Australian company. As of February 2008, the web site for this product is here. The device will cut off power when the battery voltage reaches 11.6 volts. This should be enough to start a typical car. When the battery reaches 12.5 volts, the device will allow electricity through again.
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Testing.
I tested this device by plugging into the cigarette lighter socket on a friend's car. I ran a load of two conventional lights and a small 7 inch LCD television from it for several hours. This is a typical load that a car dweller might use. The length o time that the load can be used will depend on the capacity of the battery it is being drawn from. So I can't really give a typical usage time length Eventually the device cut off the power as it is designed to. I then had my mate kick over the engine in the car. It started fine.
The second test involved running the loads again until the device disconnected the power, and leaving the system in place overnight. That is, I discharged the battery to 11.5 volts, then left it overnight. The car once again started okay, and shortly afterwards the battery was being charged again. Soon enough the power was avaliable through the device again.
Opinion.
This is a great device to have, and pretty much a must have to car dwellers. It costs only a little and will save you big dollars and inconvenience of your battery going flat. You can use it with just your car battery, or with a dual battery system. If you are pretty cluey with electronics you could even hard wire it in to your accessories circuits, ensuring they don't discharge your batteries. This is probably one of the first things I suggest you buy if you are a car or van dweller and are using any sort of electrical device in your car or van.
