Ozcharge Rescuemate RM1000 – the real deal
We recently had the chance to get our hands on the Ozcharge Rescue Mate 1000, a capacitor based jumpstart pack. This award winning product peaked our interest – I mean how does a jump start pack that doesn’t hold a charge manage to get you going if you have a flat battery?
Despite the scepticism, I have to say that I’m definitely a convert after reviewing the product, and I’ll be investing in one for sure.
The version we tested was the RM1000, named so because of the fact that it outputs 1000 amps, which the manufacturer claims will start up to a 10L Petrol, and a 5L Diesel engine. We were highly suspicious of this claim to start with, due to previous experience with the new mini lithium based jump start packs which are all the rage until you read the fine print and see that they will only work when the battery is struggling to start the car, not when it won’t start.
I’m pleased to say that the RM1000 exceeded expectations and I’m confident that it will start a flat battery due to the test we conducted which I’ll explain now.
How is it supposed to work?
The RM 1000 is supposed to be able to charge off as little as 3V. And given that a battery is considered flat at 12V of charge, there is likely to be plenty of juice still in the battery that the RM1000 can draw off, even if that battery won’t start your car. It also only takes approx. 90 seconds to charge from a 12V source which is pretty quick!
Alternatively, you can also charge off any device that has a USB port (think Powerbanks, laptops etc). However, given the lower voltage here, it will take close to an hour to build up a charge. Really not a big issue we don’t think given the versatility this option offers…
The Test
We were gifted a perfect test subject in a 3.0L Diesel Hilux which one of the guys in the office owns, and has been sitting in the yard because the battery was dead and wouldn’t charge. The only problem was that the battery was completely cactus, to the point that the accessories wouldn’t even start,so we were unable to charge the RM 1000 off it due to the minimum 3v charge requirements we mentioned earlier.
We didn’t want to deliberately flatten a battery for the purposes of this test, because that seemed like a waste. Luckily, it turns out that I had a 600CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) battery sitting at home, which I’d pulled out of my car 6 months or more ago when it didn’t want to hold a charge any longer.
I figure that if the RM1000 charged off a flat battery that had been sitting around for well over months, and then managed to start a cold 3.0L Hilux which had a truly dead battery, then I’d be convinced that the claims are well founded.
I brought the battery into the office and connected the RM1000 up. The LED light lit up saying charging and the voltage shown on the screen began to increase. Within minutes, a separate LED flashed, indicating that the unit was charged. I was surprised how easy that was; and all from a battery which using a multi-meter showed 10.5V.
Excited by the fact that the thing had just charged off a depleted battery, I grabbed the keys to the aforementioned Hilux and headed outside. I opened the door, turned the key and saw that there was not even a hint of life showing on the accessories panel. I wondered if the fact it was completely dead would prevent the RM1000 from being able to start the truck?
I pulled the bonnet and connected the jumpstart pack, checking the instructions one last time. There is only one button on the RM1000 which made turning it on super easy. Once pressed, the screen lit up and the display announced it was ready.
One more push of the button and the 10 second countdown time started, giving me enough time to get to the ignition and await for the beeping to start, which tells you to start the car.
As soon as the buzzer went off, I turned the key and the dash came to life. The Glow plug did its thing, and as soon as it turned off I cranked the engine. Despite not having been run for at least a week and being dead cold, the engine kicked over straight away, just like you’d expect with a fully charged battery.
With a feeling of wonder and a big smile on my face, I disconnected the jump start pack and dropped the hood. Who would have thought – a jumpstart pack without a battery that can charge off a flat battery and comfortably start a Diesel engine? And if that’s not enough, one that’s very compact versus the equivalent battery based jump starter.
The Verdict
This is the real deal – a top rate product that works just like it promises, in a quality and compact package. I’m definitely going to get one to keep in the family car just in case they have an issue. A brilliant piece of kit and one that after testing I’d highly recommend!
Aiden
Note: If you are interested in purchasing the RM1000, we have them for sale in our Safety Shop. The RRP for this item is $499.00, although Non-policyholders will save $100.00 off that RRP at the moment (once registered), and Customers will save even more.
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