Thanks gents. I'll check out the Oreilly lead since I've got one pretty close to me. This one is Popular Mechanics top choice but is a little more expensive. I does have 12v and USB ports too, plus a flashlight, which is nice:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...U33PEM3VY&th=1 . My cables are decades old, and I'm sure I spent next to nothing on them when I bought them too, so maybe they are not up to the task, or failing. I didn't realize that the cables and/or jump pack didn't supply all the juice the car needs to start.
I need to re-read how to reset the throttle adaptations after the battery is disconnected. I recall that it is some dance with the key/ignition, but the car does not need to be running.