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 Don't throw away the original packaging Aug 18, 2010
The unit performed at about 40% of advertised. Could only run a laptop computer for just over 2 hours.
Having difficulty right now returning due to the fact that I discarded the original packaging. I really expected it to work, so why would I need the original packaging.
May be a bad unit, but eating the cost for return shipment makes it an expensive trial.
Good battery / Heavy unit / Recharge takes time Jul 21, 2010
I purchased this to bring along on car trips to power-up laptops, cell phones, and for car trouble. Caution: It's heavy. So keeping this in the backseat of your car for extended periods of time isn't a good idea since you'll be hauling an extra 20 - 30 pounds for nothing (wasting gas).
Aside from the sheer heft of this unit, it takes 10+ hours to recharge full (I think the manual says 14 hours?). So recharge a day ahead of your road trip.
This unit is terrific otherwise. I use it daily to recharge my cell phone(s) while I keep this at home. It hasn't failed me yet (after a few months of use).
Only lasted 2 months Jun 29, 2010
Bought this for camping - used it once with no problems. When we got back we plugged it in (the manual says you can leave it plugged in all the time)a couple of weeks later I noticed the display was flickering, when I unplugged it the display did nothing (it should show percentage of charge or amp draw depending which 'mode' you're in) The 'customer support' number listed in the manual is not a good number, so I went through a process of requesting online support - 2 days later I got an email back asking me to call a different support number and supplied a 'case number'. 20 minutes on hold later, Xantrex told me to talk to Amazon, I told him I was out of my 30 day 'return window' with Amazon. The product has a 90 day warranty, and I was within that, but he insisted it wasn't their problem, but Amazon's. I sent an email to Amazon and they are going to allow a return, which I really appreciate, but still feel Xantrex really let me down, not to mention I still need one of these!
 defective. Jun 27, 2010
I bought this unit in order to have emergency power for my C-PAP breathing machine. Upon examination the 110 volt power receptacles did not work. The compressor, 12 volt power, light, and jumper cables worked just fine.
During a recent summer storm we lost power and I could not sleep. VERY annoying. Very disappointing.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Highly recommended May 14, 2010
This review is for the Xantrex XPower Powerpack 400 Plus Portable Backup Power Source.
I bought this unit five years ago to provide emergency lighting during power outages. You can plug a normal lamp into either of the two AC outlets on the unit. When the lamp is equipped with a CFL bulb, you can enjoy the illumination equivalent to a 100 watt bulb with only 23 watts of power required. Using a CLF bulb with this unit will allow you to enjoy normal lighting for hours and hours. Obviously, if you use a 60 watt CFL bulb (13 watts actual power required) the battery in the power pack will last much longer. Using normal lamps is sure a lot better than using candles.
If the battery discharges prior to restoration of normal AC power to the house, you can recharge the battery by attaching it to your car's battery and running the car for a few minutes.
Although I did not buy this unit to jump start my car (with the included cables), I have used it for this purpose twice. In both cases, the car's battery was completely dead, and my normal Everstart jump starting battery would not jump start the car. This Xantrex power pack had absolutely no problem starting the car. Having it available to jump start my car just one time paid for itself (as far as I am concerned).
This device can also be used to run your laptop computer and/or recharge the laptop's battery. You can either plug your laptop into one of the two AC outlets of the inverter, or (if you have a car power supply for your laptop) you can plug your laptop into one of the 12 volt DC plugs. In the same way, you can also recharge your cellphone.
I highly recommend these to anyone who lives in an area where power may be lost (due to heavy rains, winds, hurricanes, etc.) Just make sure you get some low-wattage CFL bulbs to use with it.
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