INVENTIONS : New Charger Soothes Those Late-Night Dead Battery Blues

“Got a jump?”

Many a weary driver with a dead battery has uttered that plea. But finding someone with jumper cables willing to help out late at night or on the freeway median can be an impossible task.

So Innova Electronics Corp. in Fountain Valley has introduced Power Charger, a cordless battery charger that brings cars back to life just by a plug’s being inserted into a cigarette lighter. Frustrated and embarrassed drivers don’t even have to open the hood, much less worry that they have hooked up the cables wrong.

Power Charger can start an engine in 15 to 30 minutes and can also charge 12-volt battery packs and cellular phone batteries. The product weighs eight pounds and can be carried over the shoulder. The suggested retail price is less than $100.

Innova has also introduced DC Power Pack, a 12-volt product that can boost the battery charge in flashlights, lanterns, cellular phones, hand drills, TVs and camcorders. The pack can be recharged in an auto cigarette lighter in one to three hours. The suggested retail price is less than $65.

Both products are available at automotive and recreation shops.