What is it?
If you’ve ever been stuck with a dead battery waiting for someone to arrive with jumper cables to connect to another car’s battery, you’ll find it hard to believe you could have the solution in your glove box or under the passenger seat all the time .
The Gizzu 1000A Smart Jump Starter is literally in the palm of your hand. It is a 1000Amp car jump starter that can jump start a petrol engine up to 5 liters or a diesel engine up to 3 liters. And the entire setup fits into a small carry case that can be tucked away unobtrusively anywhere in the car.
It is 13 cm long and 10 cm wide, which is slightly larger than a smartphone. It has a battery capacity of 10400mAh, about twice the size of an average portable power bank.
The LED display shows 9 different protection function values and includes a built-in LED flashlight for use in the dark. It includes a USB 3.0 port for charging mobile devices if they die while clearing road problems. It comes with a 2-in-1 USB charging cable and a compact Sparkless Smart Cable with red and black terminals.
We had waited in vain to test the device, since fortunately our car battery has been fully functional for some time. But then a friend in our office got stuck in an SUV that caused him battery problems. Normally we would have called AA or another friend would have been called with car and jumper wires.
The Gizzu device had been supercharged for precisely this type of need. We connected the red clip of the included Smart Cable to the positive battery post and since that was the only accessible clip, the black clip went to a metal part of the motor. That’s what the experts recommend anyway: Connect the negative pole to a metal ground instead of the negative pole of the empty battery.
The car started immediately.
Then two things happened: the friend was able to take his car to a service center where the battery was replaced; and we marveled at an LED display on the Gizzu as the power capacity stayed above 80% for several weeks before fully charging it again. That means it has enough power and capacity to fuel multiple dead batteries, and also keep pushing the charge of a stubbornly dead battery. Gizzu says it will last 1000 cycles.
The real technical magic is inside. Protection features include short-circuit protection, overvoltage and undervoltage protection, overload and temperature protection, and reverse polarity and charging protection.
How much does it cost?
It costs less than R1200 in store at Builders and online at Takealot.com. Distributed by Syntech. For more information, visit www.syntech.co.za.
Why does it matter?
Three words: peace of mind.
What are its main disadvantages?
· Instructions for connecting the red clamp are not clear when only one clamp is available – considering most motorists have no idea how to jump start cars.
· Solar charging would be an added bonus when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and forgot to charge it at home.
What are the biggest pluses?
Incredibly compact, fits in a holdall, glove box or under a seat.
· Lightweight: The entire setup weighs 361 g.
· Gives a clear indication of the remaining power.
· Holds its charge almost indefinitely.
* Arthur Goldstuck is the founder of World Wide Worx and Editor-in-Chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter at @art2gee
