AUTOMOTIVE
Let the Music Play
Music is the sound of summer. CAA Battery Depot will save you from draining your vehicle’s battery when you just don’t want to turn off the stereo.
By Richard Snyder
PHOTO: BORODAI/ENVATO
WE’VE ALL FELT IT. That sinking feeling when a song that’s got everyone dancing suddenly stops halfway through. Dead battery. Party killer extraordinaire! Don’t get caught de-tuned this summer. Make sure your camping, beach or tailgating party is fully powered. To help you plan, we asked Steven Millar at Regina’s CAA Battery Depot for some input.
TUNES IN THE AFTERNOON
A car battery is designed to deliver a short high-voltage current to quick-start the engine. It is not designed for a continuous current, which is what you need for running your car stereo or heater for an extended time. You won’t hurt the battery by using it that way, but you risk running out of juice. For a few tunes in the afternoon, you should be okay. But to be safe, have your battery checked (the kind folks at CAA Battery Depot will do it for free) before heading out, to ensure it is operating at full capacity. And take along a battery booster — be sure it is charged and ready for action — to help bring a drained battery back to life.
A NIGHT OUT
You’ve planned for an overnighter. You really do not want your vehicle battery to die, so forget about using it to power your tunes. Instead, get a power pack, which you charge fully at home. Many power packs have USB ports, so you can charge a cellphone or laptop or power a portable speaker. There are combination booster/power banks on the market, too, and some have household outlets for powering small appliances.
A WEEKEND OR MORE
For a few days or more off-grid, you need reliable power. That’s where deep-cycle batteries come in. These are used for marine applications, golf carts and RVs. You will also need a unit to charge the battery before departure. An inverter is needed to power small appliances (that is, anything with a standard household plug). It converts the battery's DC current to the AC current they require
CAA BATTERY DEPOT IS HERE TO HELP
With any of these solutions, how much life you get out of a battery or power pack will depend on how much power you are drawing from them. And that depends on the power requirements and runtime of the devices you hook up. The professionals at Battery Depot can help you find exactly what you need to keep the music playing all summer long. Batteries are, after all, what they do best. CAA