麻豆区
Customer Review
- Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2023After using a lead acid jump pack for 8 years that it was time to upgrade. Looked at multiple reviews and did some research using recommendations from Project Farm and other similar YouTube channels, I reluctantly landed on the Noco product line. The Noco GB40 according a lot of past reviews and product tear-downs that are now oddly removed from the internet clearly showed that the product was a good looking product but internally, was not very well made and incapable of starting vehicles up to the rated engine sizes as stated Noco's marketing literature. The GB70 however, fared much better in independent testing and seems to balance out price and performance in a unit that actually CAN start most engines on less than favorable conditions which is when they're needed the most. While I rarely need a jump pack myself that I have come across MANY vehicles that need jumpstarting and I had a few opportunities to try out my new GB70. The jump pack is easy to charge up using micro USB (7 hours from fully discharged to full charge) or can be fast charged in 3 hours using the included cigarette lighter adapter and XGC cable. The clamps are made from a well formed plastic and uses NOCO's updated clamp design that allows the clamps to get into tighter connections than previously possible. The cables are well made and feature a nice quality silicone jacket that should last well beyond the life of the product. The built in light is exceptionally bright and a welcomed feature especially when trying to boost a car in a dark parking lot. The jump pack has some key safety features built into such as reverse polarity protection, voltage detect, is IP65 rated (so splash proof) with port covers. In the event it has to jump a car that is completely dead that the user can bypass the safety systems to force the unit to turn on and jump a car but this should only be used as a last resort option. Contrary to popular belief this jump pack doesn't "boost" anything so those that say overriding the unit to boost the voltage up from the jump pack is incorrect. It is simply bypassing the safety features and engaging the outputs of the pack because the car battery voltage has fallen too far for the "smart circuitry" to detect the correct polarity and engage the outputs. This jump packs really are just simple high current output batteries that have enough juice in them to turn over the starter at a speed fast enough to get your engine running and doesn't "boost" the voltage output beyond what the pack was designed for (approximately 12 volts). The jump pack also features a USB port out that supports up to 2.1 amps output to charge things like your camera or phone but don't expect too much capacity from the jump pack. They're high output devices not high capacity and the rated output of 2.1 amps from the port falls short of the 2.1 amp rating. more in the range of 1.5-1.7 amps is my estimates. Overall I am happy with the product so far. In the 2 months I've owned it I've jumped at least 3 cars with it and have done my own in garage testing and so far it is worth keeping.
Now... for the not so great things some of which are NOCO specific and some that are general issues/limitations/precautionary notes regarding all lithium based jump pack systems.
1. The unit features a XGC port that can be used to fast charge the unit (GB70 and GB150 models) and that same port can also be used as a 12 volt output using the included XGC cable and female cigarette lighter port adapter. NOCO rates this way of using it as a portable power pack up to 15 amps to power things like a tire inflator pump. I do NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES recommend anyone use the XGC port as an output because it is unfused! Should you pull more than 15 amps or have LONG cable runs for your little 12 volt devices that should you exceed the port rating that it will pop the internal safety on the unit and render the jump pack USELESS. It is NOT serviceable and NOCO will not warranty this and the end consumer is unable to fix this. Why NOCO chose a POOR design like this that has a high chance of failure goes beyond me. One should modify their XGC cable to be fused up to 7.5 amps or simply avoid using it altogether. I though perhaps the fuse was located in the female portion of the included plug but nope - NOTHING. VERY FOOLISH engineering design NOCO!
2. For the price this unit sells for why is there no included case but instead a cheap bag that BARELY fits the unit? I purchased the matching case at a cost of an extra $40.
3. The jump pack only has a 1 year warranty and if NOCO claims it is so good "since 1914" as per the marketing BS then why wouldn't you warranty something like this for longer than 2 years?
4. Rated output claims are so far fetched it is laughable. 2000 amps output? Sure when the internal battery dead shorts and explodes maybe for 1 nanosecond it will put out 2000 amps combined with a + 300C fire to go along with it. Realistically this thing will put out about 500 amps out of the clamps. When I tested this jump pack in my garage on a 2002 honda civic with a cold engine @ 10C with car battery disconnected that my fluke clamp meter showed the car pulled 300 A from the GB70 - this is realistic and is a reasonable output. Other tests shown on youtube prove out that this unit can supply about 500 AMPs max so this should get MOST cars up and running even in some extremely cold temps permitted their car battery isn't completely flat. Think of the GB70 as a jump pack that will help supplement the existing battery to help get an engine going.
4. The engine size ratings - The GB70 marketing claims it can jumpstart an 8.0L gas or a 6.0 L diesel motor. While that MIGHT be true in a place where its really warm that I would suspect the target buyers of this jump pack are likely the folks that live in colder climates where car batteries will show signs of weakness and require a jump to get a car going. Where I am, temps will get as low as minus 37C and even cars that have their block heaters plugged in will struggle to start at these temps. Use a NOCO jump pack right? Well.... read on.
5. Jump packs have similar problems that car batteries suffer from too - extreme heat and cold. Lithium jump packs offer a lot of convenience in the form of small box that packs an enormous amount of energy. The problem lies in how these jump packs are stored. You should NEVER EVER leave li-ion jump packs in your car if you the internal temps of the trunk/car exceed 30C or dip below -10C. Beyond this temperature range, lithium batteries become unstable or can be damaged if attempted to be used or charged. High heat storage will DRAMATICALLY shorten the life of the jump pack and can even lead to thermal runaway which will EASILY burn your car up and anything around it. Look it up on youtube or look for "Lithium ion fires". Conversely if you store these jump packs in cold (not even extreme cold) that they lose an enormous amount of their stored power and if attempted to be charged at temps below 0F, will lead to damage of the cells. The way to get the MOST life out of these li-ion jump packs is to store them in a place that is comfortable for humans when not in use - ie inside your home. This leads me to my next point...
6. If these lithium jump packs shouldn't be stored in the extreme climate of a car but instead in a room that is suitable for humans then having the convenience of a jump pack is negated because it won't be available when you really need it.
7. Charging - Lithium batteries have EXTREMELY low self discharge rates which you'll often see as a benefit in marketing literature. I wholeheartedly agree that lithium batteries are amazing at maintaining their charge levels for so long so its one of those kind of things where it is NEARLY a set and forget item BUT... lithium batteries should NEVER be stored fully charged or discharged below 20%. Ideal charge capacity is in fact around 40-50% which means any jump pack you own should be OVERSIZED for what your needs are b/c in an ideal storage condition your jump pack should always be half charged despite what NOCO literature tells you. Don't believe me? Go research ideal li-ion charge capacity and all evidence including engineering white papers will clearly show optimal long term storage charge capacities should hover in the range of 40-80%. Even electric cars don't fully charge to 100% so why should you fully charge your li-ion jump pack if you want it to last for more than a year or two?
Jump packs I believe have their place and Noco makes a half decent product that not only looks the nicest but DOES deliver on most of their claims permitting the user UNDERSTANDS what they should and should not do with it. This isn't a magical box that should be stored in your car to save your skin when your car battery is weak. These jump packs are really suited to businesses, automotive service professionals, and tow truck operators. The biggest hindrance to li-ion jump packs are the storage and temperature requirements to maximize their life and safety. If they're abused there is a SIGNIFICANT risk of fire or equipment failure which is where I suspect many of the NOCO units get unfavorable reviews. Read the jump pack literature and educate yourself on li-ion batteries and make an informed decision. I am an automotive service professional and store this unit in my heated garage at approximately 80% charge - Fully charged li-ion batteries in storage is a big no no for longevity so I will try to target my li-ion devices for 3/4 charge to ensure they get the longest usable life possible.
Giving the NOCO GB70 a 4 star overall rating because I think they make a nice looking product that mostly does what it does. Dinging them a full star for their bogus marketing claims that severely bend the truth to the ill informed and the lack of a user serviceable fuse for the XGC output. If the XGC output fails then it is 100% game over for the GB70. Buy a replacement is what NOCO will tell you. Just best to never use the XGC output and instead get your vehicle running and run your equipment off of the fused cig lighter plug in your vehicle instead b/c if you pop a fuse you can AT LEAST REPLACE YOUR OWN FUSE!
TL:DR - A reasonably well made product that will do most of what it claims permitted you FULLY UNDERSTAND the technology behind li-ion batteries AND what you can and should not do with it.
