Just a quick note about alt. energy products at Costco. I picked up the Statpower 300 watt inverter (http://www.statpower.com/pwtz300.htm), about $35,and three dual-pack compact fluorescent 20 watt bulbs (each gives the light of about a 75 w. incandescent) at $18 per pair. The inverter will be able to run all of these lights with power to spare.

They also have a 12 volt ten amp. charger that can run from a generator for about $30. Lead acid batteries are also there, but not deep cycle types (but even a car battery will last quite a while if not discharged too deeply). The car batteries are less than $50.

I'd posted a note on this forum earlier about connecting an inverter to a home wiring system. Note that the directions I gave would not work with the Statpower. Send me a note if you would like directions on connecting this unit to house wiring.

-- Gary S. (garys_2k@yahoo.com), December 15, 1999

Answers

My Costco and Sams have a PowerSource unit in stock. It is $50. at Sams and $57. at Costco ($10. rebate slip on package). This unit when charged up would allow you to start a car (has clips) or plug in a trouble light (cig lighter plug) or plug in the inverter mentioned above to power lights and small appliances. I'm testing my unit as I post this.

Costco has the three items in stock that would go together.....PowerSource, inverter & a neat light/radio.

-- rb (ronbanks_2000@yahoo.com), December 16, 1999.

I got the Prestone "Jump-It" at Walmart, plus inverter. Sam's has a house brand, and Brookstone seems to have a nice but very much more expensive unit.

Will be running my kid's asthma nebulizer for it, if nothing else. And it paid for itself the first week, when we had a problem that kept running the car battery down.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), December 17, 1999.