Varrox 12v power supply experiences

[Grif]

Before I spend any dosh I'm wondering if anybody has used one of these to power a varrox (or similar)?:

Suaoki G7 Car Jump Starter Battery 600A Peak with Intelligent Clamps as Flashlight 18000mAh Power Bank for Phone Tablet Laptop Camera, Green

 

[SDM]

Before I spend any dosh I'm wondering if anybody has used one of these to power a varrox (or similar)?:

Suaoki G7 Car Jump Starter Battery 600A Peak with Intelligent Clamps as Flashlight 18000mAh Power Bank for Phone Tablet Laptop Camera, Green

Should be ok for1 or 2 hives I guess

 

[Tom Bick]

I have a 1200mah and bought for sublimation and other uses.
I have powered a vaporizer tool twice as a test and to check just what happens to the oxalic. The power pack only lost one Light so I am hoping for about 6 hives before it needs a recharge. Any extra hives will be a bonus, I am not looking to treat all my hives.

 

[denise washington]

ive just bought one lad on n ext gardens got one and he does 8 hives and still some power left in it

 

[Eyeman]

Just finished a second round of OA sublimation.
Using a freebie second-hand free car battery from local garage and using 2 varrox at a time for 3 min on then 3 min cooling. Done 15 hives in one session with no need to increase the time for final sublimation.

 

[Plenty of honey]

I can get about 23 to 25 treatments out of one battery with my Varrox.(thats with a 50AH Amphere hour battery), but thats it. The battery is new. Going to get another bigger one so i can do three of four apiaries in one day. Or a different piece of kit.
Considering long leads from my twin battery truck, but not sure this is wise.
£300 for new batteries in that if their knackered!! however, i do reckon car batteries are probably the best.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Before I spend any dosh I'm wondering if anybody has used one of these to power a varrox (or similar)?:

Suaoki G7 Car Jump Starter Battery 600A Peak with Intelligent Clamps as Flashlight 18000mAh Power Bank for Phone Tablet Laptop Camera, Green

I have one. It does 8 hives for 3.5 minutes each and there is still one light on

 

[Karsal]

Before I spend any dosh I'm wondering if anybody has used one of these to power a varrox (or similar)?:

Suaoki G7 Car Jump Starter Battery 600A Peak with Intelligent Clamps as Flashlight 18000mAh Power Bank for Phone Tablet Laptop Camera, Green

Seems a lot of money to fork out when a new car battery could cost £25 and do dozens of vapes before needing a recharge. It is however easier to carry a car jump starter and is easily portable. You also need a battery charger for a car battery. I have my car battery in a Tesco shopping bag which is easily carried from the car but is heavy.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Seems a lot of money to fork out when a new car battery could cost £25 and do dozens of vapes before needing a recharge. It is however easier to carry a car jump starter and is easily portable. You also need a battery charger for a car battery. I have my car battery in a Tesco shopping bag which is easily carried from the car but is heavy.

You must have a strong tesco bag

 

[For want of a better word]

You must have a strong tesco bag

I think that is one of the wire baskets!

For the Varrox I use a deep cycle leisure battery.... bought two 12 x 8 x8 plenty amphours to do 12 colonies... then back on charge... when not in use on electric fence around birds to keep the perishin stoat out!!

Friend borrowed the varrox and use one of the Halfords starter things with the fancy lights... cooked it after 3 colonies!

Nos da

 

[madasafish]

£10 for a 45AH car battery used - two years old or less - is my recommendation. And a small wheelbarrow. And 2 meters of leads.

And recharge on an intelligent charger every three months.

That's the cheapskate way which will do 12 hives without any issues. And then recharge in 30 minutes - so could probably do 25 on one charge.

(I was trained by Aberdonians..make Yorkshire folk appear spendthrift)

 

[viridens]

Before I spend any dosh I'm wondering if anybody has used one of these to power a varrox (or similar)?:

Suaoki G7 Car Jump Starter Battery 600A Peak with Intelligent Clamps as Flashlight 18000mAh Power Bank for Phone Tablet Laptop Camera, Green

Looking at the figures, 18000mAh is 18 Ah, or 18 Amps for 1 hour.

A Varrox has a 150W heater. 150 ÷ 12 = 12.5 Amps

dividing the 'power bank' capacity by the Varrox current,

18 ÷ 12.5 = 1.44 so this unit SHOULD power a Varrox for almost an hour and a half.

-But that's assuming that the 18000mAh capacity (why do they quote it in mAh?) is genuine.
Erichalfbee's experience is the reality.

The Varrox is robust, but not very efficient. My quickie experiments with a heating coil in a Pyrex spoon gave vaping with about 15W of power.
Has anyone else experimented?

 

[madasafish]

Looking at the figures, 18000mAh is 18 Ah, or 18 Amps for 1 hour.

A Varrox has a 150W heater. 150 ÷ 12 = 12.5 Amps

dividing the 'power bank' capacity by the Varrox current,

18 ÷ 12.5 = 1.44 so this unit SHOULD power a Varrox for almost an hour and a half.

-But that's assuming that the 18000mAh capacity (why do they quote it in mAh?) is genuine.
Erichalfbee's experience is the reality.

The Varrox is robust, but not very efficient. My quickie experiments with a heating coil in a Pyrex spoon gave vaping with about 15W of power.
Has anyone else experimented?

Glowplugs for a pre Direct Injection diesel work very well... Modern DI diesel ones are too hot..

 

[oliver90owner]

Viridens is only correct if the voltage and amp hours are correct, which I very, very, very much doubt! The capacity likely refers to a USB outlet, not the 12 volt side. So only 5V at best? Not a chance, this side of the next ten Christmasses that that battery would run a varrox for anywhere near an hour and a half!

Do make sure there is no timer on the 12 volt outlet side, or you may find it will not work continuously for 2-3 minutes from the croc clips.

 

[Amari]

I can get about 23 to 25 treatments out of one battery with my Varrox.(thats with a 50AH Amphere hour battery), but thats it. The battery is new. Going to get another bigger one so i can do three of four apiaries in one day. Or a different piece of kit.
Considering long leads from my twin battery truck, but not sure this is wise.
£300 for new batteries in that if their knackered!! however, i do reckon car batteries are probably the best.

As I've posted previously on a recent thread: I do not use a mask. I have a 15m heavy duty truck jump-lead from my car battery to the vapouriser (2m) = 17m. It takes at least 90 seconds for 'smoke' to appear from cracks in the hive by which time I'm at least 20m away upwind. I've never had the slightest sensation of inhaling the vapour.
I usually allow 5 minutes (no residue crystals remain) then withdraw the instrument and immediately plunge it into cold water.

 

[Grif]

Thank you all for the input.

On reflection I have decided to buy a 12v 22Ah leisure battery for about £35which SHOULD easily power the varrox for my half dozen hives, manageable weight at 6kg, withstand deep cycling, and I already have a charger for it.

The Suaoki Car Jump Starter Battery is nice and light but a bit pricey and not sure I'll get round all the hives before it runs out of juice.