Black and Decker Electromate 400
Introduction
The Black and Decker Electromate 400 is one of a new category of emergency power
stations that combine several functions into one device. It includes the following
features:
- 228 watt lead acid battery
- 120V AC power inverter (2 independent plugs)
- Two DC auto accessory plugs
- 120PSI air compressor w/pressure gauge for inflating tires and air mattresses
- Bright LED area light
- Car jump starting capability (450A)
- Sealed, weather resistant housing
The real value of all-in-one power stations is that just by remembering to carry
one device with you, you're prepared for a number of emergencies even if you
don't specifically know what problems you might encounter. Think of it as a first aid
kit of things that use power. The all-in-one device is much less expensive than
the sum of its parts bought individually and far more compact. And the fact that
it is battery based (not a gas based generator) means that you can use it inside
without worries.
Battery
The battery is the heart of the system. It is a 12V, 19Ah sealed lead acid battery
similar to a small car battery with a storage capacity of 228 watts. The choice
of a lead acid battery is what gives it the power to start a car while
being economical enough to use in non-emergency situations like camping.
The battery has a unique charging system. You plug an electrical extension cord
into its back. It does not have a separate power cord. We believe that this
decision was made to make the unit more available in emergency situations
because you can use it with any extension cord where you happen to be, not
a special proprietary cord that can get lost.
When you open the box, the instructions say to fully charge the battery for 40
hours to make sure it fills to maximum capacity. Lead acid batteries don't
like to be fully discharged, so it also recommends that you fully charge the
battery before putting it in storage (to increase the probability that it'll
still be holding some charge by the time you next decide to charge it). Other
than that, the unit is maintenance free. There is an indicator on the
front that lets you check the charge level.
Power Functions
Most people will buy this unit for its ability to power normal non-battery operated
household devices. During hurricane Rita we used a similar unit to run the clock/radio
in our master bedroom because it had much better AM reception than the portable
radios we had. The AC inverter converts the 12V DV battery power into normal 120V AC
household power. The 400 in the name indicates that the inverter is cable of peak bursts
of 400W power draw, but in practice you should probably only be using this to power devices
in the sub 50 watt range (not an air conditioner). AC inverters are not 100% efficient so
if you are running appliances off the inverter, expect a storage capacity more like 190 watts.
The two DC auto accessory plugs let you use any devices you normally plug into a car
cigarette lighter. One of the most useful things in this category are cell phone chargers.
When using the accessory plugs, you draw power directly from the battery with no loss.
Other Functions
The car starting and air compressor functionality come in handy surprisingly often. And
since one of the best ways to deal with an emergency in Houston is to simply drive to a
different part of the city that isn't as affected, these simple tools can be lifesafers.
Conclusion
We've been using a precursor to the Electromate 400 (something called the Vector Extreme
PowerStation) for more than 6 months with a lot of success. The Electromate 400 has
exactly the same functionality but only occupies about half of its volume, an amazing reduction.
It has a number of nice touches such as the LED area light (LEDs cost more, but only use about 1/4
the power of a normal bulb), a power switch on the AC inverter and multiple
DC accessory plugs. We view the Electromate 400 is a "mistake eraser". For example, when
the power goes out in a storm we can just to to the Electromate and turn on the area light,
then plug in whatever we need even if we hadn't planned ahead for the outage by buying portable
equipment. Highly recommended.
Where to Purchase
We purchased our review unit in the automotive section of the Stafford Walmart
and also saw the unit at the Sugar Land Walmart
for $99 in May, 2006. The Electromate 400 is actually made by a company called Vector which sells the product under different names. The manufacturer part number is VEC026BD for the orange
Black and Decker version and VEC026 for the gray Vector branded one. You can find them online at:
We've also seen a baby brother called the Electromate 250 but haven't
used one personally. Its battery is probably only about half the size of the one used in the Electromate 400 and it only has one AC outlet and DC accessory plug,
but solves many of the same problems.
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