- Charger provides a full 10W (2,000mAh) of available current in a small form factor a little over 1 inch long. Flexible, straight cable measure 50 inches in total length.
- Gomadic TipExchange Technology protects your investment by providing a means to change/upgrade your charger by simply swapping the physical charging tip. (Charging tip for SkyGolf SkyCaddie SG2-5) included with additional tips sold separately)
- Intelligent circuit provides precise output voltage and resistor configuration specific to the SkyGolf SkyCaddie SG2-5. This ensures battery is safely and efficiently charged without affecting battery longevity.
- Generous input voltage range of 12-24VDC, supports a wide variety of DC charging ports from cars and trucks (both foreign and domestic) to boats, planes and RVs.
- Built using high quality capacitors and circuit components to ensure that charging current does not interfere with FM radio transmissions. Rigorous Q&A process.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Advanced SkyGolf SkyCaddie SG2-5 2 Amp (10W) Mini Car / Auto DC Charger - Amazingly small and power
K6000 Vehicle DVR Car Recorder DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard with 2.7 Inch
- High-definition, high -definition video
- HOLD function
- Supports high capacity TF card
- Motion Detection
- support auto ignition boot, turn off shutdown
Pros:
Very low price.
Has just the right set of features. Auto-power starts it recording, does automatic file rotation, visible timestamp, etc.
Reliably records without driver needing to worry about it. (Using it for a week now.)
Power cord is thin and long enough to make installation easy. The cord is 150 inches long. Thin is also important so it slides under car's interior trim. I installed without needing to remove any trim.
Fits *securely* behind mirror on my Mini Cooper using included suction cup. Driving a Mini in SF can be very jarring because of the roads and firm mini suspension; however, it hasn't fallen off.
"Low profile" device. Meaning it doesn't attract attention so your car gets broken into.
Customization is fairly easy and manual is close enough to native English to figure out. (First test is setting the day/time.)
Decent field-of-view without too much fisheye. See my posted video stills.
Can easily swap out microsd card without removing unit.
Timer to turn off LED screen so video doesn't show while driving.
No GPS nonsense. Why is this a feature? GPS isn't reliable without antenna AND consume more power.
Supports large, 32gb MicroSD card.
Cons:
Power plug is very large. This is the biggest issue for me. (See product photos)
It is NOT a night cam! You can see things in the car's headlights, but that's about it.
Product Improvement: I'd like it better if it was a standard USB plug and included a low profile cigarette lighter adaptor!
Slight buzz (bizt-bitz-bitz) in audio (as it writes to internal memory?) Not huge deal, might be related to MicroSD Card speed or the long power cable.
It has bright-white LED lighting option and I have no idea why. Seems useless. Just increases cost of unit.
It needs a plastic polarizing filter on the front of lens that can be rotated to remove window glare.
Power plug only fits into cigarette lighter.
Recommendations:
Buy a fast 32gb micro usb drive with this unit. Files are 1.25GB per 10min of HD footage. I purchased this one and it works:
SanDisk Ultra 32 GB microSDHC Class 10
User should increase clip size in settings so it saves 14 minutes at a time.
Pictures showing "HD" quality:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B00ABW6L5K/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_dav
[See replies to this post for more questions answered.]Firstly; this is not an HD dashcam! It's native resolution is 640x480, and it's interpolated (up-scaled) to HD.
Which means, if you look at the resulting video in a 640x480 frame, it looks great! If you look at it in full-screen (1080p), it looks quite poor.
If you want a good, basic dashcam to record everyday driving, this is it. But if you want something that can read license plates and produce true HD, then the DOD LS400 at about $150 is what you want.I got this because there seems to be NO app for Android (even the one I paid for) that can give me good video, cycle over on top of the files and basically work right.
So I bought this, and it does seem to be good. Now it does not have GPS (which is good because it can stay on and not consume a lot of power when I have left it plugged in and parked and left my truck).
It does save in either 1 min, 2 min or 3 min or continuous video. They are all .AVI, so I have a mac and just select them all and open with VLC, which will keep playing them in the order of the file name. It does seem good.
There is only like .25 of a second when it goes to the next file name.
This is a lot for the little bit of money. Now don't EVER thing that a dash cam, with "infrared" LED lights could EVER show the outside in a good picture. It is impossible. You would need to have the IR LED's outside and way more than 2 or 4 or even 10 of them. Inside they would reflect of the windshield anyway.
This is a good deal for the money. Now at night, it will do so-so, not nearly as much resolution and very limited to what's in front of your vehicle by the head lights (say 20-30 feet), but on lighted streets the picture is ok. NOT crystal clear, as I could not make out my face when I got out of my truck and left it recording and it was night time. Think VGA 1M pixel resolution.
Daytime, as you can see, was ok. It is just as a 3rd party witness if anything (accident) was to happen.This is a standard Chinese made dash cam. My first impressions when taking it out of the box was how light it was but I was expecting this considering the price. It works as expected, daytime quality is fine and so far after using it for about a month it still works.
A couple of cons however,
1) the battery out of the box I charged it until the little red charging indicator turned off indicating a full charge. I unplug it from the USB charge plug and turn on the camera. The little battery icon shows full charge at 3 bars. After 30 seconds, it suddenly goes to 1 bar and 30 seconds after that to 0 bars. Shortly afterwards, "Low battery" flashes across the screen and thats it. I got about 2 minutes of runtime off of the battery. Its probably faulty, but since this will be in my car plugged in all the time, its not a dealbreaker for me.
2) construction this thing feels cheap, but i'm able to forgive it if it does what its supposed to do. However after about 2 weeks of usage, the black front panel comes off. Turns out that the panel is glued on to the body of the camera and possibly it being warm in the car loosened the glue. My car is garaged and not left to bake in the sun so to me this is slightly unacceptable. However, the camera still works, for now.
Overall, for what I paid and compared to the nicer cameras out there, it's ok. No way am I expecting it to last for the lifetime of the car but If this thing gives me a year or two of service then I'll be satisfied. In this case you get what you pay for.I'm not happy with this purchase, a first bad charger USB header communicates, the second does not work night mode. I don't know maybe I had gotten defective recorder or could all of this quality. I havent been able to send the product back.
Cobra XRS 9945 Voice Alert 15-Band Radar/Laser Detector with Full-Color DataGrafix Display, Digital
- 15-Band detection--detects 7 radar, 6 laser and 2 safety signals
- 1.0-inch OLED display provides enhanced data display in easy-to-read vivid colors
- Provides complete immunity to VG-2 and alerts for Spectre I/IV radar detector-detectors
- Add optional GPS Locator with AURA Database to alert you to Verified Speed and Red Light Camera locations and dangerous intersection locations
- One-year limited warranty
- Cobra full color data, dig comp
- Energy certified
- Portable design
Summary:
Fake alarms reduced by 90% (besides funny moments such as warning me of Train and Railroad when going to Safeway)
Voice warning comes handy
Detects highway patrol/cops from far far away, including their most advanced guns, thus saving you a fortune.
Beware some officers know their job well: Will not protect you from those smart officers, who know how to ticket you by tailgating you. No detector will help you against that one. Trust me I got ticket that way.
Checked legality with friend of mine who is an Officer and found out that these are not illegal in California. BUT:Keep on mind that seeing one in your car will certainly NOT make Officer happy, and it WILL put you in A bad light.
To conclude: Well paid off investment. I was supposed to be ticketed dozen of times w/out this. At least I am honest and hope that helps. But don't be me. I still don't encourage you to you to speed and drive unsafely. Be smart, at the end of the day all that speeding, will save you only 2-3 minutes. I promise to change, too.
:)
P.S. If in need for speed: Go to the race track.I can't justify paying more than $100 dollars for a RADAR detector. This one does the job fine. All RADAR detectors will give false alarms for door openers, etc., since they use the same frequencies. Also, officers have to have their RADAR on for your detector to work. Some of the reviews on here whined about police officers being right next to them and it not going off.
For a cheap RADAR/LIDAR detector, the Cobras work just like they should. They cannot do magic, and neither can the $400 ones. The only advantage to the more expensive ones are if they come with remote mounted (front and rear) sensors. Otherwise, it's the same technology for 4x times the price.I recently took a 400 mile round trip with my Cobra and I was very pleased in fact it saved me twice from getting a $180 ticket so it more than paid for it self two times over. False alerts are very rare and it's very obvious by the strength that it's from a store. On a straight run on the highway I get about a two mile or more warning. On hills and curves that is cut down quite a bit but still enough time to slow down. I love the extra features like the compass and intellimute. The usb port for the gps module is great to have if I ever want red light camera capability. The size is a little longer that other radar detectors but the suction cup mount seems stronger that the $350 Escort I had and the unit does not shake like the Escort did. The coiled cord is nice and is a perfect length for my car. A long straight cord is available if anyone needs that.
Overall I'm very happy with the Cobra. It looks great and works great. What more can you ask for? Buy it. You'll like it.
(Update)
After enjoying the XRS 9945 for a couple of weeks I decided to get the red light gps module. Although I haven't taken any trips yet that encounter red light cameras, I really like being able to put in my own user alerts (up to 1000) and having my speed and more accurate compass available. I feel I have the complete package now.
(Second Update)
I don't know why people are bashing Cobra radar detectors. The XRS 9945 has worked as well as an Escort 8500 I had a while back plus it has tons of useful features. I read about a $500 Bell and how it knows the difference between non police signals and police radar (different freq's). My Cobra does that at one quarter the price. I had a low end Cobra from Walmart and a mid range Whistler and they were both junk. The only time they would alert to a police radar is when you were withing 100 ft. However they alerted to everything else. The Cobra XRS 9945 is not in that class at all. It is so quiet sometimes I think it's not working. It seems the way I have it configured, the only time it alerts is when it's a cop. Isn't that what we want from a detector? It is a quality, reliable product with tons of features for a great price.I have been using this product for well over 3 months already n at first it was not senstive bit when I started to play around with the setting I found it to be very senstive... When I first got it had a hard time picking up the ka band. But since now I have set it up the right way. I usually pick up the ka band from 2 to 3 miles away. And the laser from a cop about a mile away. It's a really good radar detector and I recommend you to get it but I will say you have to play with the settings before you use it. If anyone has any questions just as me I'll glady help you out...I got this radar detector after doing research on them for a few days. It was the best value out there for a radar that picks up so many different bands of radar. Thing thing has already saved me a few times from Sergeant D-bag. If you are looking for a good radar, then pick this bad boy up.
Note: Automatic doors may set off your radar. I get false alerts on city mode maybe 2 to 3 times a day in extremely busy areas with lots of stores that have automatic doors.
Power Bright XR-175 175 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Power Inverter With USB Connection
The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that the outlet does not grip the AC plug from the device very securely. Its good enough as long as you don't pull on the cord which you shouldn't do anyway. Otherwise its a very nice product and I would recommend it to anyone with a similar need.This is my first inverter from Power Bright, but I have to say, I'll be a repeat customer. I use this little guy to run an air pump that draws something like 174 Watts, just under the max. And that pump runs for maybe 15 minutes straight to fill up my giant float. Usually in the hot sun. This little engine-that-could has never skipped a beat. I admit I was surprised how hardy this thing is given its tiny footprint. Uploaded a picture of it next to an iPhone 4 for a size comparison (the stock photo looks like a 100 photoshoped to look bigger).
The only negative thing i have to say about it is that the chords that come with it are short and seem a little cheap. But that's a nit since the unit is quality.
Buy Power Bright XR-175 175 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Power Inverter With USB Connection Now
This inverter replaces one that died in service. RIP. It runs cool and has a power on-off button so you can leave it plugged into the 12 volt receptacle.I did some research and really liked the size and style of this item. When it arrived, it worked great. It rode around in the car, sometimes in use and sometimes not in use, for 2.5 months. Yesterday I tried to use it and found out that it was completely dead. No fan, no lights, nothing. I don't know what might have caused it to stop--I'd been out of town for a month and the car with the unit was parked in the garage. I'm really disappointed because I liked it up until yesterday. I'm inclined to go back to a Black and Decker unit that we've had for quite a while and used in the other vehicle.I purchased this inverter and would recommend it to anyone, it's very small about the size of a pack of cigarettes and works amazing! I have a Lenovo laptop and my cell phone hooked to it. It comes with cigarette adapter an airline adapter and battery clips. I am just not sure how the airline connector works I have never seen this type of connection.Schumacher SE-5212A Automatic Handheld Battery Charger
Buy Schumacher SE-5212A Automatic Handheld Battery Charger Now
I would have given it 5 stars, but did not have the opportunity to evaluate the 50A charge/start mode. Overall this unit functions perfectly, and its light weight and ample AC cord and battery cable length make it easy to hook up and use. I have used other chargers previously, but none had the automatic shut off and trickle charge modes.Read Best Reviews of Schumacher SE-5212A Automatic Handheld Battery Charger Here
I bought this charger 3 months ago and it failed this morning when I plugged it in. There was no load on the charger as the alligator clips were well separated and definitely not short circuited. Being an engineer I took the cover off, traced the circuit diagram and ohmed-out the transformer to find that the transformer had failed. It is not repairable.UL approval requires that the hot wire of the power line first go to a circuit protection device (fuse or circuit breaker). There is no visible fuse or circuit breaker in the 120V circuit. The hot power wire goes directly to the transformer, which is a gross UL violation, unless there is a fuse inside the transformer, which I cannot determine since it is a sealed unit. The neutral wire goes to a switch which chooses different transformer taps for different output current settings. Thus, it appears that the 120V circuit must be protected by the house circuit breaker.
A small point, the 50 amp. output is unlikely since there is a 35 amp. 12 volt breaker in series with the negative DC output lead. This, of course, does not protect the AC side of the circuit.
Be very careful with this product as it may be a fire waiting to happen. If you own one I suggest that you place it on a concrete floor far away from any combustible materials. Do not place this unit on a wooded work bench while plugged in to AC power.
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This unit works completely as advertised, and I couldnt ask for any other features at this price. This will keep a battery in your classic car ready at a moments notice with no worry of over charging. Connect it and forget about it until the car is needed. A great charger at any price. I highly recommend it.Schumacher INC-12V-OBD 6' Cable Assembly
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Fast delivery, great product, and no more having to reprogram auto settings when battery has been disconnected for any reason.Read Best Reviews of Schumacher INC-12V-OBD 6' Cable Assembly Here
I got this cable and I keep it in my trunk in case I need to change out the battery in my or any vehicle, all one needs is assistance for power supply from a cigarette lighter in another vehicle to keep any electronics memory while changing the battery.This cable assemby is great to use to power my cars computer while I service or change the 12 volt battrery.Saturday, June 29, 2013
Vivitar Battery for Sony NP-FV100 - VIV-SB-FV100
Stinger GM Battery Multi Output Terminal
- Work on both postive and negative post on battery
- Stinger Part # SPT85302
Buy Stinger GM Battery Multi Output Terminal Now
Stinger normally gives a decent grade of product. I bought this to install a 0AWG main to supply a pair of 3000 watt amps.. I was informed by the installer that it would not work with the stock batter in my 07 trailblazerthat it's "designed" to work with the battery that Stinger produces.. no harm no foul, i'll find a use eventually or return it. Would have been nice to know that a GM battery clamp would not work on a GM vehicle in the description to avoid the troubles. And ditto to what the other person mentioned about the outputs.Read Best Reviews of Stinger GM Battery Multi Output Terminal Here
The way they make it sound, you should be able to install this to the battery, then screw in the stock cable terminal on to it. This terminal can't support two 2awg wires so you can't add your amp cable. Sucks! Buy something else.What a well thought out product.Easy to use and very functional. This product will solve many issues when the need arises to add more wiring to your GM vehicle.Energizer 84025 1000-Watt Power Inverter
Whistler XTR-190 Laser/Radar Detector Battery Operated with Built in Battery Charger
- Internal battery charger for wireless operation
- 360º total band protection including POP mode radar
- Tone alert with quiet/auto modes and alert priority
- Icon display with dim/dark mode
- Includes 3 AA rechargable batteries, windshield mounting hardware and power cord
First issue, you need to charge the batteries first time round through the car lighter charger for 12 hrs (go figure that). Otherwise you would need to invest in a 12V switch power supply to charge outside of the car.
In any case, even after charging it, the battery life is very poor which renders this whole idea of cordless worthless.
So if you are not caught up on the cord vs cordless part, get the corded model and call it quits. You'll be satisfied.
Buy Whistler XTR-190 Laser/Radar Detector Battery Operated with Built in Battery Charger Now
ok, the other guy said this was bad but he doesnt know wat hes talking about, first off the sounds is so loud i have to use the VOLUME button to turn it down, and the only reason it turns off every hour is so that it doesnt drain the battery, people dont read direction, it is all clearly stated in the manual, so next before u write a review read up on the product directions firstI bought two of these, one for me, one for my fiance. These detectors work well for picking up VG2, traffic sensors on the highway, and at the grocery store. BUT, I've had at least 3 times when a cop has been pointing his radar gun right at me, and this detector did NOTHING. I even got a speeding ticket when the cop was viewable 1/4 mile away. His radar gun pointed right at me, and this detector did nothing.The only thing it's good for is picking up the static radar that the police use, to monitor the speed of oncoming traffic, while they are driving. That will also let you know if a cop is nearby. Other than that, its a big heavy worthless waste of money.
I don't care about the lame screen, it's the audio that will alert you to look at it and check your speed.
The frist couple times that the cops were standing outside their car with their radar/lydar gun and it didn't go off, I figured that they were just trying to slow traffic, But no, this thing just doesn't do what it's supposed to do.
And it's happened with both of the ones I bought. You get what you pay for. And a speeding ticket.
Whistler makes good products, but not this one. They did something different, and it cost me $182 for the ticket plus $300 for a trsffic lawyer. I could have avoided this if I wasn't trying to be cheap.(and didn't speed all the time)But why else would you buy a detector? cause your a speeder, like me.
Want Whistler XTR-190 Laser/Radar Detector Battery Operated with Built in Battery Charger Discount?
this no even work connect to the car, batteries are bad, radar had it charge inside, maybe the forgato to intall it, to many false alarms, i but a new set the batteries and he shot him self out for no reason, other words your will have ticket if you trust himi would never tell any one to buy this. i bought it as a gift and when they went to use it , you could not hear the sound at all it dose not go high at all. and half the time it would shout off for no reason. they had it charged for a day and it would still turn off. this is not a good buy at allKat's 22500 60 Watt 8.5"x 11.5" Battery Pad Heater
Buy Kat's 22500 60 Watt 8.5"x 11.5" Battery Pad Heater Now
This warmer is a requirement here where it gets -60 below, funny thing is in the packaging it warns not to use it as a warmer pad for batterys, so not sure what to tell you except that it most likely is a company covering their butts from a law suit after somebodys car burns up.Read Best Reviews of Kat's 22500 60 Watt 8.5"x 11.5" Battery Pad Heater Here
Husky Liners Custom Fit Second Seat Floor Liner for Select Toyota Highlander Models (Grey)
Friday, June 28, 2013
Energizer 84022 12V 350 Ca Jump-Start System
I have a tractor, an ATV, a Range Rover and a VW that must start when I need them, or, I am in trouble (sometimes could be stranded). This unit fills the need for starting any of these vehicles in a pinch.
The large dial might look cartoonish, but, when you are in the middle of a blizzard, with gloves on, and heavy clothing, it is easy to locate the switch (even in the dark) as you fumble around to get a vehicle started in deep snow.
At 20 pounds, I find that I can carry it from the garage to the vehicles more easily than the larger units, and, it's easier to find some stable place to put it when you are jumping a vehicle than the larger, heavier packages.
I bought this to replace a Duracell jump/inverter package. Duracell DPP-600HD Powerpack 600 Jump Starter & Emergency Power Source with Radio
I would have bought another Duracell package except for three things: (1) 600 amps is nice, but, you don't really have to have it for most jumps; (2) the inverters are nice, but, I found that I almost never used them; (3) the price has doubled on these units in the past couple of years, and, the benefits they offer are not worth the extra money; (4) it was very fragile I had it on the side of my pickup truck and it dropped a distance of only a few feet, once, and the case was irreparably damaged from the modest fall. I had to throw it out. (The designers who invent these things on computers aren't the ones who have to use it in 4 feet of snow, with 50 mph of driving wind, and a 45 year old tractor that has a tired battery under the seat).
This unit isn't built much better than the Duracell, but, the smaller size makes it easier to find a safe, stable place to put it while you are jumping another vehicle.
I find that this little unit meets 99% of my emergency battery needs, and, the cost savings make it a worthy alternative to the larger, more elaborate packages.I recently received this product, but have not yet tried to use it. So why four stars? The unit seems well made, and I am fairly confident it will do the job. The reason I am writing this review now, and the reason I took off one star, is that I wanted to share something I read in the user manual, which might have changed my mind about purchasing the unit.
Your intended use might be different, but the reason I bought this unit was to keep it in the car all the time (charging it periodically) in case the car's battery went dead without warning. (It does happen.) Now that I have read the instructions (which I could not find on-line prior to purchase), I see that this is not a good idea. Here are quotes from the user manual...
"All batteries are affected by temperature changes. Jumpstart 400's small size, lightweight battery is more sensitive to storage temperature than a typical automotive battery. The ideal storage temperature is at 70 degrees." ... "Jumpstart 400 must be kept in an environment with temperatures around 70 degrees." ... "Do not keep Jumpstart 400 in your vehicle in extremely hot or cold temperatures." ... "If you have a concern about your vehicle starting, and you are going to work, take Jumpstart 400 into your office. Then you can be confident the Jumpstart 400 battery will provide the power you need."
Where I live, it seems that all we have are extremely hot or cold temperatures, especially in a parked car. So to me, the temperature issues severly limits the usefulness of the product. To be fair, I would expect that all small-ish jump start units, including those from other manufacturers, would probably have the same temperature issue.
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I bought the Energizer 84022 jumpstarter, and even though it arrived a day later than originally estimated by Amazon, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. My car had been sitting in the cold for 2 weeks, battery was totally gone -the lights and alarm wouldn't even work. I plugged in the jumpstarter and let it charge overnight. In the morning the green 'charged' indicator was shining and I decided to give it a shot. Hooking the jumpstarter up to my car was easy -the cables have a nice long reach, it beeped when everything was hooked up properly, and then I flipped the switch to 'Jump' and turned my key. Less than a second later my engine started without a hitch.Read Best Reviews of Energizer 84022 12V 350 Ca Jump-Start System Here
I had to get a skid-loader started in -10 degree weather that of course had a totally dead battery.I was amazed that this device could even turn over the frozen motor let alone spin it fast enough to start but it did.
The quality of the plastic parts, clamps and switches are fantastic.
I do keep it in the house and fully charged which helps greatly.I would recommend this product to anyone that is looking for a jumpstart. It is easy to use and has enough power to jumpstart your everyday vehicels (cars, trucks, 4-wheelers) I use it on all the above. Charging it is what I like the most. No adaptors to keep up with just plug it in a drop cord and let go. It's a winner in my book.
Fonus Compact Size 360 degree Rotatable Windshield Dashboard Car Mount Holder Desk Stand for Sprint
Perko 8501DP Marine Battery Selector Switch
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Works like a charm!! Our old switch was very difficult to turn, and finally got corroded from use in a salt water environment. This new one is great We love it!Read Best Reviews of Perko 8501DP Marine Battery Selector Switch Here
bought this and had my dealer install it. It works perfectly Highly recommend for the boat usage. it gives piece of mind when you have a 2nd charged battery on standby/.a must have for boat owners, easy to install and works exactly as described and the price was the best i could find here on amazon. I have to get another one for my little boat now.iShoppingdeals - Bundle Accessories for Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip (SDMX22) MP3 Player, Black/Pink Soft
- This Bundle Includes 9 Items (Non OEM): Rechargeable Speaker, Auto Charger, Home AC Charger, USB Data Cable, 3.5mm Audio Cable, Headphone, Black/Pink Soft Skins, and Smart Headphone Wrap
- Charger: Input: 100V - 240V (U.S. & World Standard), USB Data cable: 2-In-1 Features: Hot Sync & Charging
- Speaker: Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries (Power Cable Included), takes approx. 4 hours to fully charge, just connect to your PC USB Port
- Plug and Play! Enable AUX in your Car (Automobile with "AUX-IN" input)
- Compatible With Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB 8GB ONLY (MP3 Player Not Included)
Uniden Public Safety Receiver (Home Patrol- 1)
As for the hardware itself, the HP-1 is a very solid performer. The receiver has great sensitivity and selectivity. I've listened to APCO-25 digital systems, EDACS, and Motorola analog trunking systems. All of them were configured correctly without any user input. Audio quality is good, but not great. It is about what I expected from a very small speaker. The small SMA duck antenna performs surprisingly well, especially on UHF. The touch screen is bright and easy to use. Battery life with the included 2300mAh batteries is good. I get over 8 hours on a single charge. The scanner is capable of replaying and recording transmissions. A very cool feature. The scanner also comes with a home charger/adapter, car charger/adapter, and home stand. The stand is a nice touch. The HomePatrol-1 is a nice addition to my collection of scanners. People that don't like to program their scanners, or would like to use it in different areas, will probably enjoy it also.
Update: A few months ago, Uniden introduced a new "Extreme Upgrade" firmware update for the Home Patrol-1. They are charging $100 for this upgrade, and it adds some new features to the scanner. So basically in order for you get all the features of the Home Patrol-1, you now have to spend $600, or you'll have a crippled $500 radio. In my opinion, this is a dangerous practice. Many in the Amatuer Radio Community are outraged about this, but everyone has to decide for themselves whether or not they have an issue with this. As a matter of principle, I will not be paying another $100 for a firmware upgrade, and I lowered my rating from 5 stars to 4 stars. I will also think twice about purchasing another Uniden radio since I'll never know whether or not Uniden will be charging for future upgrades.Could I be dreaming? Is this really true for this price? All these features with a touch screen? Long and the short of it is this is an amazing breakthrough in digital scanners at this price point! I am a news videographer who has worked in many different markets for various stations and has had a number of different scanners through the years. The Home Patrol 1 beats many of them hands down from both a pro and amateur level. Yes the unit needs some work but I expected that as this is such a new product.
The Pros: Right out of the box you can set it up to work via zipcode, city, GPS(need the proper connection), or area (the HP1 automatically picks up what signals are in the area). These methods work extremely well right out of the box but do have some issues which I'll get to in the Cons section.
For this price it comes with everything, home AND car charger, preloaded frequencies, stand and software all in a touch screen package. Hands down this can't be beat.
The touch screen is brilliant and relatively easy to navigate. Set brightness, auto dim, contrast and power save to your liking and your off.
Having all the frequencies preloaded on a 2gig micro SD card is great also Plus the fact that Uniden updates the list on a regular basis which is taken care of just by plugging the unit into the computer and hitting update in the software.
Squelch, attenuation, range, inputting frequencies, favorites, gps connection and yes even recording are all here.
The In Between: My understanding is that Uniden knows about these problems and are working on fixing them.
While having the ability to set zipcode, range, area etc. is fantastic the unit gets a bit confused and leads to excessive work out of the box. I put my zipcode in and it loaded states that were over two hours away. Same thing with entering range, I set it for 15 miles and it loads frequencies from over forty miles away. So then you have to work on locking out channels left and right.
You can set up what you want to listen to such as fire, police, transportation, rail, etc. but the problem is even with certain departments chosen it will just load everything up. For example all I wanted was police, fire and ems yet it loaded up rail, airports and transportation anyway.
Again Uniden knows about these problems and is working on them.
The Bad or Nitpicky: Being able to save favorites in the unit is a good thing to have but to make an entire list is a giant time consuming pain and your much better off making a list in the software which leads me to the next problem. The software is easy to navigate but has little to no instruction on creating and saving your lists to the unit. I figured it out and once figured out it is a snap but a little instruction would go a long way. In fact entering and saving frequencies in the software is easier than entering them in the unit itself.
The touch screen is a giant step forward but needs some tweeks. I like seeing County, Department, Frequency etc. and be able to one touch lock but to skip a channel requires a three touch process on the tiny bar on the right which while driving can be a pain. This needs to be a one button step like on other handhelds.
The squelch feature is great to have but on the other handheld units you have more finite control with a turn type knob.
Overall a fantastic scanner for the money, it really can't be beat. Yes there are some nitpicky issues but Uniden is working on addressing them and once addressed will make the Home Patrol 1 THE unit to have. Uniden needs to come out with the car mount like they said they were going to three months ago.
Any questions on the software or unit feel free to ask.
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I'm in a small city in New Mexico and I'm sure that this scanner works perfectly in Dallas or even Albuquerque but it doesn't work where I am. The advertisements state that when you type in your zip code or city you can begin listening to fire, police, emergency transmissions etc. Unfortunately the transmissions come from a database and if your local police, fire, etc. frequencies aren't in the data base you hear nothing at all. The unit looks like you are scanning Police, railroads, etc. but it never stops.I'd advise contacting Uniden before investing in this expensive unit if you are in a small town or city.
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I've owned all types of scanners over my life having to jump to new technologies as radio systems have evolved across this land.This particular uniden isn't geared towards the advanced user, you know who your are,the ones who are at ease with programming in trunked radio systems,modes,attenuations and the like. This scanner is geared toward general novice scanner users.....and it's a breeze to use for the most part...I really like it's ability to record audio unattended...and replay it displaying the agency and talkgroup just like as if it were capturing the transmission in real time. It's fun to use while sleeping in a hotel, then replaying what happened overnight in a town you're unfamiliar with... You tend to get a feeling of the more crime ridden parts of a community, (Ooh better stay off so in so street on my way to that meeting etc.)
Even though it really is intended for Home use...you can use it while mobile and even attach hockey puck style GPS devices(with a whole lot of wiring) so you can tool down our nations roadways listening where legal as you drive, it will track systems as you move from area to area... Please remember it's unlawful to use and even have a scanner in your car in a few states (MN,IN,KY,FL,SD,NY) ..So those of you who intend on tossing the unit on your dashboard like a GPS, while trucking cross country might run afowl of the folks you're listening to, so play nice..and follow the laws. Just cuz it's lawful to scan in your home, doesn't mean it's lawful nationwide to scan while mobile.
The audio of the unit at home is fine, while mobile it's not as loud as it should be...and an external speaker should be considered...and there's no easy way to mount the unit in many cars simply because of where Uniden chose to place the SMA style antenna. (it's a very poor location).
It has some advanced features buried in the advanced menu portion of the unit , if you want to manually program a frequency, or tell it to avoid specific systems or departments with in 20 miles or so of you...and as discussed in other reviews...the manual is just plainly poorly written and the software isn't the best either. But it's uniden's first real attempt at a scanner for the masses, living with advanced radio systems in their midst, using data from Radio reference to find it's way from city to city , department to department.
All in all a 4 out of 5 , NOT too highly recommended for folks who are used to the technological side of scanning, but rather those who live in a city with advanced public service communications systems and really just wish to listen to what's happening when a siren races past your home. Just pop in the zip, block out (avoid) the systems and agencies you don't want the unit to receive and you're off and running.
Enjoy and remember watch those mobile scanner laws....you don't want a Kentucky State Patrol person rolling a Crown Vic rear tire over your $500.00 HP 1 at the side of the road during a traffic stop.
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My objective was to find a user friendly scanner that did not require an advanced degree is math and physics coupled with years of programming experience, and a professional electronics background. This scanner is easy to use right out of the box, and meets that criteria. What a novel idea . . . a product easy to use and understand.Nature Power 40050 Solar Powered PowerPak with 2 Super Bright LED Lights
However I had to test it for home use before a camping trip. There is no problem at all with the 7.5W solar Panel. In fact it puts out around 18V DC. The PowerPak is well thought out with 5V USB port and two 12V socket port for small gadgets but the problem is that there is no indicator on how much charge the PowerPak holds so it is all guessing.
My first unit died on me when I overused it in a week because there is no indicator on how much charge is left. After talking to a customer service rep at Nature Power, she told me never let it fall below a certain level. Well what level? Because again there is no indicator for how much juice the PowerPak has. She said it was ok to continuously overcharge it from the solar panel.
Returned it and got a new one. This time I followed all directions given to me by the company but still it doesn't hold full charge. I charged it every day and used the light for 4-5 hours continuously. Finally after two weeks of use it only holds a fraction of the charge and only lights the two bulbs for two hours versus the 30 hours it claims on the box.
Some of the other flaws are the directions in the manual. Then the mislabeling of 6V ports which are actually 12V ports. You can tell it was interpreted wrong. Also outside the box it states the package comes with a female cigarette lighter port adapter. Unfortunately from both packages I couldn't find mine.
This is nothing more then an expensive toy that just isn't made to last.First, there's no real manual for this product. The instructions are very simple, but there's more to this product than is described in the manual. Specifically, any kind of statement about battery life, best practices for longest lifetime, and any details about operations, as in what does it mean when the red light goes on and blinks?
It soon became clear why there's no manual. Because this product is a joke. Specifically, the battery pack. The solar panel itself seems pretty rugged. And a cluster of LEDs is pretty hard to do wrong. But the battery is a joke. After one good, long use, which probably drew down the battery all the way, there's no capacity left. If there was a metering system to keep you from running the battery down too low, what's the point? Since it only has a nominal 2.6 amp hours, and you can't (I'm guessing, since there is no meter and no specs) use more than a third or half of that, it's basically useless.
Nature Power has other products, including solar cells of higher power and adapters/converters. I've got nothing to say about those. But this product, specifically the battery back, is absolute junk.
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This could have been a really cool device especially to teach students about alternative energy. However, after two days of short-term use, the battery has not reach a full charge and has been charging for a week. Also, the usb and two light plugs are no longer working. Waste of money and can't find my receipt. Too bad it's a hoax. I liked the idea.Read Best Reviews of Nature Power 40050 Solar Powered PowerPak with 2 Super Bright LED Lights Here
Well as mentioned in previous reviews there is no indicator for how much charge the unit have; the only two indicators one for charging and the other for on. The charging indicator does not let you know whether it is fully charge or not, just that the solar panel is sending electricity. The solar panel also have a led to tell the same. The USB port can charge a phone and will do it very slowly. Tried to use the 12v outputs for other purposes but as soon as the device detect more current disable the ports and needs to be restarted, thereby the 12 volts are only for the included lights. The instruction manual is one page with picture how to connect the panel and the lights. For the 2012 summer storm for the east coast the system was handy, without electricity for almost three day, I used for lighting the basement. The light was adequate, but I wished that the lights had some kind of hook, I used tape to attach it to the ceiling. I never tried to run it for "30" hours as claimed, I charged it at least one time during the blackout for 1-2 hours with the included solar panel, it never completely discharged. Solar panel includes several plug which can be used to charge other 12v batteries.Final Verdict: The solar panel is very handy for changing and the light system is ok for camping and occasional blackout.
Suggestion to manufacturer: Please add a remaining and full charge indicator. Lights should have some type of hook for hanging.
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This. Item can come. In handy on. Power outages and also when camping. I love. This Item. It also charges my iPod. IPhone and. Tablet and laptop its great. It can even charge my car battery. Natures power products rock. And the price is very good I got my moneys worth. It. Even comes. With two. Hanging lights for campingThursday, June 27, 2013
Dual Electronics XGPS150A Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Portable Devices
I did not encounter any issues with the Bluetooth connection between the iPad2 WiFi and the Dual XGPS150a. The XGPS150a did not exhibit any problems with maintaining continuity of satellite reception or continuity of its knowing its precise location. It was highly accurate. I am particularly pleased with how quickly it figures out its location after having been powered off for a while. It does this within just a few seconds, which is a small fraction of the time that my high-end Garmin Nuvi needs to figure out where it is.
There is a competing device that hangs directly from the docking port, and I just think that this is a very dumb idea. Yeah, there is nothing about the docking port that prevents this sort of thing, but it is suitable only for cables and cradles. Nothing should be attached there in the way that that thing does. It is only a question of when, not whether, you snap it off, ruining the accessory at least and possibly even damaging the port on the iPad or iPhone, which I expect would be a costly repair.
For owners of WiFi-only devices, there are generally two issues that you have to sort through when it comes to applications. The first issue is the issue of off-line maps. As most people quickly figure out, Google Maps on the iPhone/Pod/Pad relies on continual Internet connectivity to download pieces of the map on the fly, as you travel or even as you scroll around the map without moving. The same behavior applies to most of the map apps that you can buy at the app store. This is obviously an issue for mobile use of WiFi-only devices, but it is even an issue for devices enabled with cellular-based data communications (3G, etc.), because in rural areas, loss of data connectivity is even more prevalent than loss of voice service. (And as has been reported elsewhere, it is all too common for 4G services to revert to 3G, in which case the data rate plummets from something remarkably fast to something more like a very slow DSL connection, which could adversely affect the ability for the map application to update the map as you are moving.) When you evaluate specific applications relative to this need, you need to pay close attention to the particulars of how you select the map segments that get stored in the device. And ignore all the misinformation that you find on web forums, telling you about some trick for forcing Google Maps and similar apps to cache maps in the device. Categorically, those tricks do not work.
The other issue is with forced incompatibility. Fundamentally, there is no apparent reason why an application that works with internal GPS receiver would not work with an external GPS receiver. In fact, it might not even be possible for the application to detect the difference. Nevertheless, the provider of the application can flag the application such that you cannot even download the application into the device if the device does not have an internal GPS receiver. In particular, I discovered that this is what MotionX, the supplier of several navigation applications, does. If your device does not have an internal GPS receiver, you cannot buy MotionX GPS applications directly from the device (via the app store application), and if you go the iTunes route, you can buy the app but then during the app synching phase, iTunes will give you a message saying that the app could not be downloaded into the device because the application is not compatible with that device. This is not some sort of oversight or snafu or whatever. It seems counterintuitive, but MotionX's concern is presumably that without this restriction, some people (cheaters) who use external GPS devices would purchase the app and then demand a refund, claiming that the app is not compatible with the device. It remains to be seen whether MotionX and Apple will figure out a better way to address this concern, but for the time being at least, you cannot download MotionX GPS applications into devices that lack internal GPS receivers.
This concern is potentially an issue for GPS applications in general, which is why I recommend that you start by selecting the application that you intend to use, and make certain that there is no compatibility issue of this sort, before you purchase any external GPS receiver. I had hoped to use MotionX GPS HD, mainly because it is so much less expensive than TomTom, which is a very expensive application at around $50. Before buying the TomTom application and then finding out that I had wasted my money, I attempted to get confirmation from TomTom that there were no issues similar to the situation with MotionX. I called their tech support number and then waited on hold for a long time and eventually spoke to someone in Mexico who absolutely assured me that TomTom would work only with either the internal GPS receiver or else their own docking cradle (for the iPod/iPhone not sure if they even have anything for the iPad). Then I sent an email asking for clarification, and I got a response that was confusing but that seemed to corroborate what I was told over the phone. I sent a reply to that email, and a day or two later I got another reply correcting the earlier reply, stating definitively that TomTom GPS app is compatible with all external GPS devices. That second reply even included a link for a page on their web site that indicated the same thing, although not as definitively as I would have liked. I have not decided whether to purchase TomTom, but I am confident at this point that should I choose to do so, I would not encounter an issue similar to the issue with MotionX, and in the unlikely event of such an issue, there should be no difficulty in getting a refund through the app store.
Garmin also makes a car navigation app, but presently it is an iPhone-only app. Presumably it would run on the iPAd, but either using only a small part of the screen or else blown up with lousy resolution.
I only really wanted a good map application anyway, as opposed to full-blown turn-by-turn navigation with route planning and so forth. I found two good applications: PocketEarth, and MapsWithMe. Of the two, I like PocketEarth better, because the graphical representation of the maps was easier to read and interpret, particularly with respect to freeway ramps, which sometimes are incredibly complex. PocketEarth even shows bypasses and roads that are presently under construction but not yet completed. They were indicated using dashed lines to distinguish them from existing roads, but even the ramps were indicated. This was impressive to say the least.
My final observation is for the benefit of anyone who has not purchased an iPad and who is debating whether to get the WiFi-only version or the version enabled with mobile data capability (3G, etc.). I recently had a discussion on this question with a friend who is considering buying an iPad. Notwithstanding the availability of external GPS receivers, and notwithstanding that you can get those little devices that translate 3G (or whatever) to WiFi, and notwithstanding that the offline maps issue is an issue even for devices that are enabled with mobile data communications, we agreed that for anyone wanting to use an iPad for navigation purposes, it is wise to spend the extra money on the iPad with the data capability (3G, etc.) and then purchase service for it on a monthly basis as needed, which is a nice thing that you can do with the iPad.Just wanted to let folks know that this product does indeed work with the newest iPad, the one that came out (in the USA) in March, 2012.
I have a wifi-only iPad version, and the Dual Electronics works great with it.
This device pairs easily and quickly with the iPad. It also has great battery life.
The Dual Electronics device works with my iPad's navigation software. In specific, a Navigon North America navigation application. (Its great having a huge screen to view your map the screen of the iPhone just can't compare and nor can dedicated GPS devices.)
I downloaded the free app "Dual GPS Status Tool" onto my iPad and it gives all sorts of detailed information about the GPS device (e.g., battery life) as well as about the satellites to which its connected.
To test the Dual Electronics device, I drove my 52 mile-roundtrip daily commute in the Washington, DC area. During these drives, the Dual Electronics device had no problems maintaining a connection to the satellites, to my iPad, and as a result the Navigon app on the iPad worked great.
Its great not to have to worry about holding the iPad a certain way in order to get GPS this external GPS always sits on your dash.
I use, in addition to this Dual Electronics device, the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Modem, Refurbished (Verizon Wireless) so that I can connect the iPad to the internet and get the latest traffic reports while using the Navigon app.
Note that in order to test whether this GPS device is truly working properly, I tested without the WiFi connected (because the iPad has a feature where it can determine approximate location if connected to WiFi, even without a GPS connection).
So, in sum, I can report that this external GPS works, as does its software and the software of 3rd parties such as Navigon, with a WiFi-only device such as the iPad.
P.S.: Not to get too technical here, but its adorable a little cute guy with its own form-fitting dashboard mount.
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I had a bad elf external gps, which was being used with foreflight. An IPad app that I use daily in my flight training. To my disappointment, the bad elf had a very hard time locking on satellites and further more, while a great idea to run off iPad power it proved not a great design for being in a cockpit, ESP small light planes I fly.A fellow student raved about the xgps150, and let me borrow it. I was shocked at how quick it locked on to satellites, and that it worked in my home as well. Solid as a rock. Battery life is good. My flights never go over 2 hours. The non-slip pad, is excellent and works well on an inflight dashboard. I have the xgps150A, which allows a 12-30V input for aircraft 28vdc systems. My advice for foreflight users, buy it buy buy it! It is on foreflights approved external gps list now. Its light and compact. Free shipping on amazon as usual.Just received the XGPS150A about 21 hours after I ordered it. Can't beat Amazon Prime shipping!
I was concerned, as others were that this unit would operate with my WiFi only iPad and MotionX-GPS HD. I emailed MotionX and received a positive answer in less than an hour. Using my new iPad (3) the following apps work fine, Maps, MotionX-GPS HD, Google Earth, ArcGis, iGIS and EasyTrails GPS. I did not try the Dual GPS with MotionX GPS Drive, because I have it on my iPhone 4s and don't use it much. Also, you can preload maps with GPS Drive, but you need WiFi if you need to recalculate your course.
I downloaded satellite maps of my area into MotionX-GPS on the iPad, and took a short walk and created a track and three waypoints with the Dual/iPad and my iPhone 4s. One of the waypoints was much closer with the Dual unit and the other two were different, but equally off by about 15 feet. The track was much closer with the Dual than with the iPhone. With the Dual, both coming and going pretty much overlapped and were mostly within the path I was walking on. With the iPhone, the coming and going did not overlap at all and were on both sides of the path, sometimes by quite a lot. To be fair to the iPhone, it was in my pants pocket and the Dual GPS was on my arm with the handy but somewhat difficult to use arm strap.
One of my planned uses for the Dual GPS and iPad combo is to map the locations of trees and plants in a GIS database. The ability to download satellite maps into the WiFi only iPad (don't need a WiFi or cell phone connection) and now have GPS is theoretically an improvement over using the iPhone because the iPad screen is much larger. One thing that I did not count on is that the iPad screen is almost impossible to see in sunlight. This diminishes the advantage of using the satellite maps in the background to make sure you have the exact location.
The Dual XGPS150 Status App is pretty cool and gives more information on the satellites than you would get from the iPhone.
I think this is a fantastic product and I am very glad to have it. I have not tried it with my laptop, but assume it will work well with it also.
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If you just got your shiny new iPad or are a bit under impressed with the TomTom car adapter this is for you. This unit is deceptively small and uses your Bluetooth connection to connect to your phone. The battery lasts for 10+ hours of continuous signal acquisition. It is able to see it's position in 3D space so with the arm strap you could use it for geocaching or to capture signal for your sports apps that track your position for speed and distance. I live in the sticks and quite frankly am less than impressed with aGPS signal acquisition.It is a really nifty app that lets you see how many satellites are overhead, and which ones it was able to use to construct your position and then gives a reliability rating for its trustworthiness. Even in a building I was able to get at least 4 satellites. It has a 20 channel signal and up to a 5 Hz refresh rate. Way better than a standalone GPS unit.
I love the fact that where my GPS apps used to grey out or bounce around the map or show my position several yard off, now it is razor accurate.
Its only downside, is that it takes a bit to lock into the satellites, but it is a small price to pay for this level of accuracy.
It is not waterproof, but since it is Bluetooth, putting it in a baggy for protection is simple and effective without stopping its usefulness.
It comes with a rubber sticky square so you can throw it on the dash of your car (even a curved part) and it will mold and hold to the dash give it great line of site to improve your acquisition rate. It also comes with a Velcro strap that can be doubled to fit on your arm or leg (or really big arm) for motorcycle, bike, or running. The strap fits through two small loops on the bottom of the unit so you don't have to worry about losing it in the woods. I love it.