QUICK LOOK

• Suitable for use on a standard 12V car battery
• LED charging indicator lights
• Size: 174mm x 65mm x 52mm

The Startmonkey 200 is designed to charge up a car, motorcycle, boat or lawnmower battery. According to the image on the packaging, the Startmonkey 200 can also charge cellphones.

The device took a bit of figuring out before I could get it working. There is a single button on the battery pack, below a row of lights. I checked, and there was no “warning, do not press!” sign, or any form of label assigned to the button, so of course I pressed it. ..and then, as if magically, out of nowhere...

...nothing happened. I toggled the button on the battery pack a number of times, awaiting a reaction, which I expected to see from the row of lights. But instead they'd light up momentarily, then disappear. During all of this, I had the Startmonkey connected to my ever-dead motorcycle battery.

After much button-switching and head-scratching, I finally realised that the button needs to be pressed twice, at once (yes, twice at once, like a double-click) in order to switch to charging mode. When not in charging mode, pressing the button will only show you the amount of charge on the battery.

I'm not sure whether this is a standard procedure, or if this Startmonkey was just monkeying around. However, with a quick “press-press”, I finally got the battery charging.

The device with it's box, including its comfy squishy compact packaging, is conveniently sized for travel. Very! The box can easily be tucked away under your car seat or, for a motorcycle, can be stored in your top box. If you have a top box. (I don't.)

With the Powertraveller Startmonkey200, a situation that could be a crisis is turned into merely an inconvenience, and with a storage time of 1 year per 75% battery power, you're always ready to power up your vehicle and go.

Just remember: when pulling over for an emergency, always use your flashers.. 

Turn Ons

• Startmonkey200 can also charge portable gadgets such as cellphones and MP3 Players
• Storage time of 1 year with 75% battery charge
• Compact and easy to store in a car

Turn Offs

• The fine print went on to explain that, to charge your cellphone or portable gadgets with this device, you will additionally require the "Motormonkey"

Price: R 1999.00