davefrombc

Those sockets are the most practical by far. There are so many 12v accessories that plug into them.. Get one(s) with the cap to close them up when not in use. There are other connectors you can use, but they're not nearly as convenient and are a lot more "geeky" to install; such as the XT60 some of the power stations use with their chargers and the Anderson connectors available in polarized plugs from 15A to over 300A. I don't like the SAE connectors because they can accidentally be reverse connected and the other one I've got on an old Honda generator that uses contacts in a T configuration. A search on them brought up " Deans style T connectors"

I don't normally carry my portable on the quad unless going out for an extended time and I want to take some perishable food and drink along. at 53 quart , it is bulky and heavy. It does go out in the truck or boat if going camping or fishing. A lot handier than using a cooler and ice. I added accessory sockets to both the front and rear of my old '91 Honda Fourtrax 300FW so I can run accessories on both front and rear as needed.

The piezoelectric coolers barely keep things cool but the portable fridge/freezers are compressor operated and can cool down to -4F. They're a lot more expensive than the coolers but much better, and to top it off they draw less current than the piezo coolers do.

Totally agree. LOL.. I have a Harvest Right freeze dryer I got on sale at Costco last year. My 82nd birthday present to myself. A game changer in making trail food and snacks Freeze dry and package up food in vacuum sealed bags.. Great meals and snacks, almost no weight and worry about spoilage ,

I like my 12v fridge/ freezer For packing stuff that needs to stay cold, Yes, they're expensive but far cheaper than ending up with spoiled food and warm beer.

I'm curious. How many here rely on satellite , either geostationary or LEO ( Starlink) services for their internet? Where I am in BC's Southern interior, I have Starlink home for my internet. There is no cable or fiber here and cell service is minimal at best. I can get all the TV service I want through streaming. I recently bought and set up a Starlink Mini and lent it to my granddaughter who is working at a remote mining camp as their safety officer and paramedic. I subscribed to their 100GB monthly service and had it drop to Standby at the end of the first month service. So for an investment of $299.99 for the Mini, an initial $75 for one month of !00GB of full speed data and then $15/ mon. for standby, the Mini gives my granddaughter internet services at old dialup speeds so no streaming. It allows her to make audio calls ,and we found it also allowed her to make a video call to me although it had freezing and pixilation frequently but was still usable. So with her phone and the Mini she has internet service, and the ability to make a phone call through Messenger from anywhere in North America for CAD $15/mon. Compare that to the price of Inreach, Spot-x or any of the other emergency calling equipment and service. The Mini does not have navigation, but you can easily download maps with it. At only 10 x 12 Inches ,it can be carried in a backpack or mounted on a vehicle,quad, ATV or boat as needed and easily transferred between rides.

LOL yes , if a ham takes his HF mobile gear with him he ( or she) can literally talk to the world if the bands are open. The rules have changed considerably since I got my license in 1977. Morse code is no longer a requirement . Where it took at least a month or more to get all the theory and code speed up, some can get enough to pass the basic license in a weekend in Canada.. I would think it is much the same in the US. Back before there were satellite communications I chatted with some fellows at the South Pole research station from my mobile in my truck at the time.

We all hope to never need emergency communications.

Ye3s, but needs cell coverage to do that You can download maps to use offline. It uses your phones GPS to show your tracks , but it doesn't relay your information outside of cell service. Search on " Alltrails emergency call" Even to download maps you have to have cell service.. You download the maps you want to use when off cell service and the app will use your phones GPS to show your travel to you but that's all . You need cell service to download maps and to relay your position to your friends / family

My search on Alltrails shows it as a navigation only app. It does not provide emergency calling. If you are out of cell phone coverage area to make an emergency call you need a satellite connection device like Zoleo or Garmin Inreach. There may be others but those two are ones I know others have. Both are dedicated to emergency calling or text messaging and both are as expensive as buying a Starlink Mini. Neither of them offer internet access or voice / video capabilities and their service plans above the most basic emergency call are more expensive than Mini on standby... Alltrails can tell you where you are.. It does not allow you to call for help

Mini on standby is only $10 /month in the US and gives you internet service anywhere. Works with your phone for e-mail, text, and voice communication , and we found it also allowed my granddaughter and I to have a voice and video chat from her camp. On standby the video froze or pixilated a few times but was still a solid connection.. At the full speed data it would have been solid.. It wouldn't work as a GPS but you could download maps with it. The biggest thing is the communication ability with the internet capabilities more of a bonus. To me it is a lot better than a dedicated satellite communicator and connection fees. Does All trails app work if you are out of range of cell service ?

Mini is only 10 x12 inches. it could be strapped to one of the racks or stuffed in a backpack to be hauled out and used when wanted.

What do you use for communications to home or for an emergency when out of cell phone range ? I haven't seen any threads on here concerning communications for emergency or just to keep in touch so I figured it would be interesting and helpful to get one going. We never think about it when riding , but we should .. Too many people have gotten into serious trouble while out riding and in such a case being able to call for help becomes a major consideration. I bought a Starlink Mini and wonder if anyone here is using one or a satellite emergency communicator like the Zoleo . At the moment I have lent my Mini to my granddaughter who is working in a remote mining camp. We have run some tests using it on standby mode and got very pleasantly surprised at just how well it works without having to have it on an expensive plan. Initially set it up on their 100GB data plan but set it to drop to standby on billing date.. At a size of about 12" x 10" it can easily be carried / set up on a quad or ATV / 4x4

I don't know of any adapters to allow a battery charger to act as a maintainer. Depending on the output of your solar charger, It could be a "maintainer" Dash board solar chargers rated between 5 and 10W and 13 to 13.5v will act as a maintainer.. Maintainers typically normally output a very low amperage, generally one amp or less and a voltage between 13 and 13.5v to apply a very low charge rate to balance the internal leakage of a battery. Normal full charge voltage of a 12v leaed acid battery is between 12.5 to 12.8V

Newer vehicles with fuel injection and ECM controlled engine management have a constant very low draw on the battery, so when parked for extended periods it is a good idea to either disconnect the negative terminal or use a disconnect switch to to stop the draw by the ECM. If you use a maintainer it really isn't necessary to disconnect the battery negative. Be sure to use a trickle charger rated as a maintainer , not just a trickle charger..Some trickle chargers could overcharge a battery over time , leading to electrolyte loss and battery damage. Most new maintenance free batteries are sealed so you cannot top up the electrolyte with distilled water like the old flooded batteries. Even the old vehicles that only had a clock drew some from the battery and killed it faster than when a disconnect was used.

The biggest killer of all forms of lead acid batteries is letting them sit without a maintainer on them, or at least bringing them to full charge at least once a month when they are not in use.. When a lead acid battery drops belo2w full charge , either from being parked when partially discharged or by normal internal leakage the lead sulfate produced can harden on the plates. When that happens a lot of the hardene4d sulfate does not break down back into lead dioxide and sulfuric acid. You don't notice the slow loss of capacity because of it unless the battery is often left at deeper discharge rates. Any lead acid battery that sits idle for long periods loses a lot of capacity over time and if allowed to drop extremely low can easily short out when thicker sulfate can flake off the plates on recharge. A battery regularly used and kept full charged when idle can last for years while one allowed to sit for long periods at less than full charge can fail in a year.. My Quad battery is about 5 years old, as is the one for my riding lawnmower. Both are on trickle charge maintainers when not in use. The AGM battery in my 2016 Traverse is likely original as I bought it used 5 years ago. I know its reserve capacity is very low now and I will likely have to replace it next winter. As I have mentioned in other threads, a good maintainer is a lot cheaper than buying a replacement battery every couple of years.

I do too Jen . Lithium Ion batteries are great for capacity and holding their charge; but they must be charged with chargers designed for them, not with ones for NiMH batteries. Another caution for Li ion ones is to keep them out of the sun where they could get overheated. Li FePO4 batteries used in solar systems and power stations are much safer than the older Li ion batteries but they still need to be charged with chargers designed to work with them, and they cannot be used for starting service as they are designed for a long draw at low amps (deep cycle) rather than the short heavy draw of a starting battery

I don't know what garbage fires due to rechargeable D, C , A and AA /AAA batteries improperly disposed of has to do with lead acid flooded, gel or AGM batteries used in vehicles. I seriously doubt anyone is tossing full size vehicle batteries into garbage cans . Some of those garbage truck fires could also have been caused by old alkaline batteries tossed with some charge still in them and shorting to metal and igniting paper.. If a Lithium ion battery is shorted out it can quickly overheat and burst into flame itself and start a fire , but like the others it's because people are just tossing them into the garbage improperly.

The AGM in my Chev Traverse is still working but it doesn't have much reserve left at 12 years old

The "Start/Stop" feature is something in some newer vehicles that allows them to automatically stop when brakes are held at stop lights or other time you're stopped and holding the brakes. It auto-restarts the engine on brake release. For those vehicles a deep cycle AGM battery is recommended because of the very heavy load .. A regular battery would quite rapidly degrade and fail. Many , but not all AGM batteries are built deep cycle.. AGM batteries ARE good in all vehicle uses.. They're specifically recommended for use in vehicles that use start/stop because they deliver the higher load and deep cycle needed by those vehicles. It's not the battery itself having the start/stop program. AGM batteries are the best choice for bikes and ATV /UTV use in all seasons.

Best ATV for older riders is one they enjoy riding and can afford. I still enjoy my 1991 Honda Fourtrax 300FW at 82, but yes, I'd enjoy a gift of any of those other rides.

1996-2003 Polaris Sportsman 400, 500, and Xplorer 500 Service Manual View File Polaris Sportsman 400, 500, and Xplorer 500 Service Manual This detailed, comprehensive manual covers the Polaris Sportsman 400, 500, and Xplorer 500 4x4 from 1996-2003. Submitter davefrombc Submitted 05/05/2026 Category Polaris ATV  

Will this one work for you?

That sprocket looks like the reason the chain came off. I would replace it before worrying about retainers and chain guards. I really can't tell from the picture but do you know someone who may be able to fab one up for you?