MAGLITE RECHARGEABLE SYSTEM TORCH
Price £114.90
Tel 0800 634 9175
Web www.maglite-torches.co.uk
Comments This is Maglite’s flagship torch. But while all Maglites combine durability and style with good levels of light output, nothing compares to the System torch. At the business end is a small halogen bulb, almost like a miniature version of those found in domestic security lights. And, just like those security floodlights, the resulting lighting is eye-blindingly bright – to be more precise 51,700 candle powers’ worth of light. Powering the bulb has meant that Maglite has ditched conventional ‘C’ and ‘D’ batteries in favour of a large NiCd rechargeable pack. And, bundled with the torch, is an easy-to-fit charging cradle complete with a 12V and mains charger. Phenomenal lighting power aside, this product has all the usual features of durability that we have come to expect of Maglite. O-ring seals are used throughout so the bulb holder and battery compartment are protected against water ingress. The tough aluminium body is anodised inside and out for maximum corrosion protection, too. The super-high-tech bulb has an average 50-hour life, and the battery pack can be charged at least 1000 times. Usefully, as always, the light’s beam can be focussed. Set wide, you get a lighting pattern not dissimilar to a vehicle’s headlights: the light trails off towards the distance but there is plenty of illumination immediately in front of you and spread out a fair way either side. With the beam in spotlight mode, you’ll be truly amazed how far into the distance you can see.

CTEK MULTI XS 3600 BATTERY CHARGER/CONDITIONER
Price £49.95
Tel 0870 204 8080
Web www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk
Comments This unit is so good in so many ways that it’s hard to know where to start highlighting the positives. Okay, let’s go for the obvious. You can tell from the picture (right) that the product really is compact. Its small size is due to the fact that the big transformers used in traditional chargers have been replaced by clever switch-mode electronics – the same technology as used in mobile phone chargers. The technology also allows super-fine control over the unit’s output. So much so, that you can leave the battery connected to your ‘van during charging and the sensitive electronics will not be harmed. Being bang up to date, CTEK has ensured that the 3600 is usable with practically all batteries. Different cycles are selectable for standard, calcium silver, and optima-style batteries, thereby optimising charge speed and performance. If left permanently attached to a battery, the unit switches over to a sophisticated conditioning cycle once the battery is almost full. In other words, it waits until the battery starts to lose charge slightly and simply pulse-charges it back up again. As for the practicalities of conditioning, two types of lead can be left attached to the battery – simply route these to a convenient place and, thereafter, connecting the unit is a doddle. The XS 3600 is semi-weatherproof so it will be fine if left under a closed bonnet with the mains lead trailing out under the ‘van, enabling you to keep the vehicle locked and alarmed.

HALFORDS POWER PACK 200
Price £69.99
Tel 08457 626625
Web www.halfords.com
Comments Over the past few years, the booster pack market seems to have split three ways. There are the mega-powerful units, capable of spinning lorry engines over, which tend to be expensive and relatively basic – any extra features are usually safety related. At the other end of the scale are the bargain boxes that are literally nothing more than a battery with jump leads attached. And, of most interest to us, there are the leisure-orientated mid-market models which make the most of the portable 12-volt supply to power tyre compressors, lights, and even inverters. Halfords’ Power Pack 200 is loaded to the gunwales with extras. An integral compressor effortlessly takes care of any flat tyres. Or, you could make use of the 150W internal inverter to briefly run small mains devices. And, should you find yourself changing a wheel in the dark, you will appreciate the two built-in fluorescent tubes. You could even use your motorhome’s cigarette lighter socket to power one of those 12-volt wheel-nut guns. But what about starting dead motorhomes? Well, a clever isolator keeps the jump leads dead until they’re connected and the unit senses some voltage – this prevents arcing. Halfords makes no claim about maximum output but when we tried the unit it seemed to work as well as many of the 400-amp (900-amp peak) boosters on the market. It will cope with most petrol, and small diesel, engines but owners of larger diesel-engined coachbuilts will need something beefier.

MAGELLAN EXPLORIST 210
Price £174.95
Tel 01621 853003
Web www.magellangps.com
Comments The automotive sat-nav market is in free fall. Now that reliability and ease of use are as good as they’ll ever be, manufacturers are packing in an increasing number of features while reducing prices ever further. When it comes to handheld GPS units, until recently, to get a unit which is really useful when you’re off the beaten track you’d have to pay several hundred pounds. But now, Magellan’s new Explorist 210, at only £175, has changed all that. Although the screen does not show colour, it provides a reasonable screen resolution and supports proper mapping. The highly generous 22Mb of internal memory means a fair few detailed maps can be crammed in, too. Or, you can load one of Magellan’s routing maps, which gives the unit limited automotive sat-nav functions. Magellan has got so much else right with this product, too. It’s easy to use, with buttons on the front panel for the most commonly used functions. And, two AA batteries provide up to 18 hours’ use. And the speed of satellite recognition, and processing, is second to none. Satellite tracking is excellent too. Only the thickest forests, or deepest of ravines, seem to interrupt the signal. Although there’s little in the way of extra ‘outdoor’ features such as an electronic compass, altimeter, barometer, or thermometer, most of these are really only used frequently by hard-man outdoor types.

ALLCAM 768DVB
Price £149.98
Tel 0115 8226589
Web www.allcam.biz
Comments DVD, DVB, MP3, MP4, USB, PS2 – don’t you just hate TLAs (three letter acronyms)? Well the point of that slightly baffling introduction is to demonstrate how versatile this stylish little product is. Essentially, it is a portable DVD player with a top-quality 7in TFT screen, a powerful lithium-ion rechargeable battery, remote control, and a three-second anti-shock DVD buffer. Just like many other portable DVD players, it will also play video CDs, music CDs, CDs full of MP3 files you have compiled yourself, standard DVDs, and compressed movie formats such as Div-X, X-vid, and MP4. But that’s just the start. Also built in is an aerial that allows the 768DVB to receive analogue TV, digital TV (DVB), and even digital radio. Allcam points out that DVB signal varies widely in the UK, so a portable external aerial is recommended – naturally, the unit accepts these. The unit will also output audio and video, so you can easily hook it up to a larger screen, which saves buying a separate tuner or set-top box for your motorhome. For the video gamer, a joystick is included with more than 300 games built in. Also, you could review your day’s filming or picture taking as a screen input allows connection to most static cameras, video cameras – and even PlayStation 2s. A separate USB port makes it possible to download images directly off most digital cameras, too.