Showing posts with label battery for car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label battery for car. Show all posts

Thursday, August 28, 2014

iKross Bluetooth Audio Music Streaming Receiver With 3.5mm Stereo Output - Connect Your PC, iPhone,

iKross Bluetooth Audio Music Streaming Receiver With 3.5mm Stereo Output - Connect Your PC, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Tablets Or MP3 Player To Speakers and Entertainment Systems, Home Or CarThe most disappointing point is that this unit doesn't stay on standby so that you can just connect to it when you need.

You have to go to the unit and hold the on button down, then wait for it to boot up... Combined with poor range, I eventually replaced this with an good old fashioned cable that doesn't gitter or go out of range.

The product works, but not the way I wish it did. I have to turn it on every time I get in the car, even if it's plugged into power. I also have to turn it off when I get out of the car or it will kill the tiny battery.

Cell phone connected fine, and the BT worked well, but the hassel of turning it on and off, I might as well just plug in a cord.

Buy iKross Bluetooth Audio Music Streaming Receiver With 3.5mm Stereo Output - Connect Your PC, iPhone, Now

excelent product and services, everything is ok but slow ship... I recommend the product and the website. regards good day

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This is a superb device that allows flawless Bluetooth connectivity for your iPod or iPhone device. Set up is a snap and is easy to use.

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Saturday, July 26, 2014

BaoFeng *UV-5R Plus* UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-way Radio, Improved Stronger C

BaoFeng *UV-5R Plus* UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-way Radio, Improved Stronger Case, More Rich and Enhanced FeaturesReview of the Baofeng UV-5R Plus (2013 edition)

I purchased this radio sold by Sain Store, serviced by Amazon in October 2013 with Prime free shipping. The radio arrived 3 days later, however the unit shipped was the European Version with the incorrect power supply and lacking the FCC type label. I contacted Sain Store and was issued an RMA and shipping address and they replaced the radio with a US version with the proper labeling and power supply.

The Radios I received both had firmware version 281. Some units are also being shipped with version 291. Users should make note of which firmware they receive because the software version you use to program the radio is dependent on the firmware you receive. There does not seem to be any user functional differences between 281 and 291.

Impressions of the UV-5R Plus. This radio is nicely small yet not to small to operate. Like many of its Chinese contemporaries, it can be a bit quirky to program via the keypad but easy to do so with the software. Understand that easy keyboard programability is not nominally supposed to be a Part 90 compliant radio. Even so you can program frequencies, splits, Tones and DPL from the keyboard with some patience, but not channel names.

Pro's of the UV-5R Plus:

Extremely Affordable, including accessories like spare batteries.

Uses standard accessories including programming cable, mics, and antennas (with other Chinese radios such as Wouxon).

Radio has voice assist operation of many functions.

LED light is very handy.

Three color LCD backlight is useful (standby, Xmit and Receive can have colors assigned).

Small enough including antenna to fit in a pants pocket.

Sturdy construction.

Legal to use on both Ham and LMS (part 90) bands if you are licensed as a user.

VFO limits can be set to ham bands (or restricted to other bands)

Very wide frequency coverage as well as 2013 narrowband operation capability.

Can monitor FRS, GMRS, MURS, (transmit capable, but not legal lacking FCC part 95 type acceptance).

Can listen to Broadcast FM

Cons of the UV-5R Plus:

Manual could be a lot better

Not a true dual receive unit (its dual watch).

Scanning is slow, and you can't select/deselect channels to be scanned from the keyboard.

No copy memory channel to VFO function.

No PTT lock out function from Keyboard (or software).

No single channel display (would be ideal if it had a single channel mode that showed frequency and name and memory channel)

Carrier Squelch Level is not adjustable (its on or off, levels 1 through 10 are all the same).

No simple keyboard and VFO lockout insuring Mem Channel only operation (nominally a Part 90 requirement).

No AM Aircraft band receive (many won't care).

Would be even more usable by visually impaired if menu selections had voice prompts.

Overall impressions. The value for the money is outstanding. These cost under $60 delivered, for a versatile sturdy product with a good capacity LiIon Battery. The ability to cover HAM and LMS makes them ideal for Emergency, and Community Service organizations. While there are many things to nit pick at (see cons:) the usability of this radio especially when programmed with the freely available software (as well as third party software) and very affordable USB cable (about 10 bucks), is very good. Its lacks all the bells and whistles of a $ 400 dollar dedicated Japanese Ham radio, but it costs 1/8th as much and has part 90 certification for legal operation on Govt. and business bands.

These radios have received pretty good reviews on the 'net. I bought one, then another for the sweetheart. Look and feel good. Seem to function well. As said on some site somewhere, It's basically a $200 radio subsidized by the Chinese gov't to sell for $58 to ruin the Japanese industry. If you're thinking of buying by all means go to the Yahoo groups Baofeng UV-5r placelots of good info, especially on programming the lil bugger. I received my first one overnite from Amazon, the second one took 3 daysto Hawaii! Sheesh. We're living in a dream worldenjoy it while you can! 73

Buy BaoFeng *UV-5R Plus* UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-way Radio, Improved Stronger C Now

I am a licensed ham radio operator, and one that is always looking for an inexpensive way to enjoy my hobby. One day a ham friend of mine told me about these Baofeng hand held transceiver (H/T) radios and said they were selling for under $50. Knowing what advances have been made in the technology of software-defined radios, I knew something like this was an intriguing possibility.

My friend let me borrow one of his Baofeng UV-5R radios for a couple of weeks. I was really impressed with what this radio can do. For its price, it is one of the best deals ever in the history of ham radio!

I chose to buy a slightly updated version of this radio, the UV-5RA, which is also apparently known as the UV-5R+. Cosmetically, the UV-5RA has a much more solid case, with some interesting trim features. The display has slightly different, generally warmer colors than the UV-5R. In all other respects, the radios are pretty much the same.

To me, the most important thing about any kind of radio transceiver is RF performance, both transmit and receive. Although I haven't done any measurements, the radios RF performance is satisfactory for general purpose use. The front end of the radio is understandably not as good as the 'name brand' radios costing five times as much, but it definitely holds its own with them. Receive sensitivity is as good as typical name-brand radios. Off-channel rejection is not quite as good. But for general use with repeaters, the tone squelch feature makes up for this. One 'feature' you may or may not like is the display lights up every time the radio unsquelches, even if it is still tone squelched. I haven't played with the squelch settings that much to see if this can be improved. The display light can be disabled if desired. There is plenty of receive audio, something often lacking in inexpensive radios.

I haven't transmitted too much with this radio, as I live in an area that is very hard to 'get out of' even with higher power. But the radio works fine for the repeaters I can hit. One criticism this radio has received is poor audio quality on transmit. I have not experienced this problem. (Having a rich, heavy 'radio' voice probably helps in this regard.)

One rather quirky feature of this radio is that the antenna connection is an SMA male. Although SMA adapters are not hard to find, this is (in my experience) opposite of all other radios on the market that use an SMA antenna connection. This will also limit the possible choices for an aftermarket antenna, something many hams add to their H/T radios.

This radio has all the basic features that most hams need. It can do all the common analog and digital tone squelch functions on transmit and receive. It can monitor two channels at once, on any combination of VHF and UHF. The display can show either the frequency or a name for a channel. And the radio can apparently hold over 100 channels of memory, although I have only loaded about 25 memories. For manual tuning, the frequency can be entered directly at the keyboard, although all other parameters (offset, tone squelch, etc.) have to be manually entered in a menu system. There are some scanning features, etc. in the radio, but these are not nearly as extensive as on the more expensive radios. For me, this is not a problem, as I rarely use these kinds of features to begin with.

The major criticism these radios have received is that are hard to program. They really aren't all that hard to program, although there are a lot of steps to go through for each channel. But because most hams do not frequently reprogram their radios, this should not be a big deal. The programming cable and software are highly recommended, and make it easy to 'clone' these radios. (If you are like me, you will want more than one of these radios, anyway!) On the other hand, because these radios are so programmable, handling things like odd repeater splits, etc. is very easy. The radio does not know the 'band plan', so you will need to know the expected split on a repeater system while programming.

These radios are also part 90 certified, so they can be used on commercial and public service frequencies. Although I have not tried to do this yet, I am occasionally in situations where having a part 90 radio that can transmit (and is easily reprogrammed without software) comes in handy. These radios can also do the new narrowband FM modulation that is now required on many commercial/public service radio systems in the US.

Battery performance is simply amazing. This is certainly one of the most surprising features. I can listen for days on a single charge, even with some occasional transmission. The battery pack is removable and swappable, so it is easy to carry a spare, if you transmit a lot. DC adaptors are available for situations where you may wish to power the radio from a power supply or car power.

There are a couple of very nice extra features, that make this a hard-to-not-like radio. One is a built-in FM receiver. Besides being able to use the UV-5R/RA as a 'transistor radio', the ability to listen to FM broadcast is useful during emergency communications. The other handy feature is a built-in high brightness LED that is intended to be used as a flashlight. Although not focused, this light is very useful and easy to use.

The bottom line? If you are a very active ham who uses their H/T a lot, needs extensive scanning features, or needs state-of-the-art RF front end performance, then one of the name brand units will probably be a better choice. But if you are less active, or want backup radio(s), or something just to monitor a local repeater, these little radios can't be beat. I have two already, and will likely buy a couple more!

Read Best Reviews of BaoFeng *UV-5R Plus* UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-way Radio, Improved Stronger C Here

You will NOT find a comparable dual band radio within this price range! Heck, you probably won't find as great a radio for double it's price!

Just with everything that came in this package, I am able to hit a 2 meter repeater about 15 miles away from my home. I live in Florida, everything's sea-level. I have no idea what the max range of this is, as I've only been playing with it for about 3 days. But, to transmit and receive clearly at a 15 mile range for under $60....I am simply amazed!

Also, the radio is solidly built. It does not feel cheap at all. The LED flashlight is pretty bright and also has a strobe mode. The FM receiver works fine for me. When I'm bored, I listen to the FM radio at work and it always mutes the radio in time for me to hear 100% of the incoming 2-way traffic.

I use mine with my speaker/mic: Wouxun Walkie Talkie Remote Speaker Microphone

I also use this data cable, which I did have to "trim" some of the housing away to fit all the way into my radio: USB Programming Cable for BAOFENG UV-5R UV-3R+ Two way Radio With Driver CD

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I am sure that once the secret gets out how good these radios are the price will go up. I compare this to my Yaesu VX5 which is a $500 radio. I run security in a hospital, and I have started replacing all my $1200 Motorolas which everyone hates to carry, I use those at fixed base stations. These are lightweight, very durable. a breeze to program. BUY THE PROGRAMMING CABLE.

If you do not need the keyboard, you may also want to look at the cheaper version. But since I have to have the latest toy, I bought this. I also purchased the Boefeng, BF 888's for my maintenance staff. They have no bells and whistles, but do exactly what I need and are dirt cheap. I did have a software conflict when programming the 888's so I recommend using a seperate computer for the 5R and the 888. Once I downloaded the software, it took about 20 seconds to program and clone other radios !! AWESOME.

mike

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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

KHOMO: 2 x 6 ft BLUE USB Charger SYNC Data Cord for Apple iPhone iPod & iPad

KHOMO: 2 x 6 ft BLUE USB Charger SYNC Data Cord for Apple iPhone iPod & iPad
  • Convenient extra long 6 foot iPhone/iPod cable ideal for usage while charging in bed, cars, hotel rooms, and more
  • Compatible with ALL iPhone models, All iPod models & All iPad models
  • This listing includes: 2 x 6ft BLUE USB SYNC Cables.
  • USB charge and/or sync compatible.
  • Brand: KHOMO Accessories.

Edit 1 year later (original: May 2011, Update May 2012):

Still going strong! No problems so far. I've even bought 4 more (some blue, some pink) to put in backpacks, different rooms, one for work, etc.

Original:

I have only been using this for a few days, maybe a week, so I can't speak to the longevity of it yet (I'll update this review if anything is noteworthy). However, what I can say is that it fulfills my iphone sync cable needs. By this, I mean that it successfully charges and syncs my phone. Nothing special. But that's good cables are meant to be in the background, they are most successful at what they do if they go unnoticed. When do you notice a cable? When it stops working, or if it breaks something that's attached to it, or if it does something weird. This one is totally boring, which is great. I mean, the color is super-cute, but that's about as exciting as a cable's going to get.

Some off-brand iphone cables have weird buttons and clasps on the end that plugs into the phone (the not-USB end), making the entire plastic end-piece much larger, which can sometimes make it difficult to use docks and stands that require you to provide your own sync cable. This one is not one of those it looks exactly like the picture.

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love having the extra long cord to charge my phone by the bedside also one for the couch so it reaches! charges my iphone and my ipad which is something i have found not all chargers do. Also used it to sinc iphone no problems. :P

Read Best Reviews of KHOMO: 2 x 6 ft BLUE USB Charger SYNC Data Cord for Apple iPhone iPod & iPad Here

Love the extra length. Bought a second set to use with extra chargers. Very durable and hasn't split like other cords. Works with my Ipad.

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Not as advertised on Amazon. Like the other 6' cables I've bought on Amazon, this one doesn't charge the iPad-3 either.

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Charger works great on my iPhone 4Gs but will not plug into my old iPhone 3G or my iPod touch.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

eForCity Universal AC to DC Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapter

eForCity Universal AC to DC Car Cigarette Lighter Socket AdapterThe seller says this thing weighs three pounds. It doesn't. It weighs about 2 ounces. That should be your first clue that the seller is ripping you off. I went ahead and ordered one anyway, and after about 2.5 weeks of waiting it finally arrived. I took it out of its packaging and plugged it into the wall. It immediately exploded, leaving black marks on the wall and tripping the circuit breaker.

Well I'm pissed. I need much more current. Nowhere on the product page did the seller say it's limited to 300mA. I'd return it, but shipping is more than the price of the item.

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This didn't work for me. Admittedly I did not think it was going to. The Adapter likely has a very small usable amperage range. I tried it for a portable DVD player and it failed completely. Seemed to work fine for a cell phone though.

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Limited to 500ma. This limitation is not shown anywhere in the ad. Will not work for my intended purpose.

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I purchased this item to use with a tire pump which plugs into the 12volt outlet in a car. It does not work. I plug it into an outlet in my home and plug in the 12volt auto plug and nothing happens. In fact the light on the adapter plug goes out

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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Power Wheels 00801-1778 Charger, 12 Volt

Power Wheels 00801-1778 Charger, 12 VoltWe received our Power Wheels as a hand-me-down. The original owners lost the charger so I came to Amazon to replace it. When the charger arrived, I originally thought it did not match the battery that Amazon says it should go to (the grey battery with a three section opening). Eventually I realized that the connector from the actual Jeep to the battery and the connector from the charger to the battery do not look alike (at all) but both work. When this charger is inserted into the center portion of the grey battery opening, it will work perfectly. It took me about a month to realize that because I thought the connector should fill all three holes instead of just the one. Once I figured that out, we were golden. My kids love this toy now.

I had to come back and edit my original review where I indicated they don't match. I can't seem to edit my star rating but I now think it's a 5 star item and I would recommend this charger.

This charger works fine and as expected. The only confusion I had was the connector. It doesn't look like the connector on the battery but it plugs in and works fine. The battery has 4 pins but the charger has only two so I thought it was the wrong one. I called the very helpful customer service dept at Fisher Price and was told it is correct.

Just plug it in to the two pins in the middle. It works fine.

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Good buy and easy to use with battery. I wish that it had a led light to let me know when it is charging

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Great product. I bought it for my little girl's Barbie Jeep when the charger would not charge a brand new battery. It is identical to the one that came with the Jeep. Worked perfectly!

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The charger was delivered ahead of the time promised and was significantly less expensive than if I had purchased it directly from the manufacturer. I would recommend this retailer to anyone and would use it again.

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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Campbell Hausfeld RP3200 12-Volt Inflator and Worklight

Campbell Hausfeld RP3200 12-Volt Inflator and WorklightThe RP3200 inflates the tire, the automatic feature operates as advertised and the device is easy to operate.

At the same time, these observations should be noted:

The vibration that occurs when it is operating is such that the device must be held down or it will jump around.

The inflation valve goes on easily, but some force is required to remove it. In the process, some air escapes from the tire.

The inflation hose and the power cable must be folded carefully in order to store them in the compartment provided on the back of the RP3200.

I would recommend this product.

This unit is very compact, and is also very powerful for its size. The

electrical plug-in is plenty long, and the air hose is also sufficient.

I would recommend this unit to be carried in your vehicle, car or truck,

or be left in your garage or workshop for use. I'm glad I purchased

this unit

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I have owned this tool for almost a year now, and have used it regularly to maintain tires at proper pressure. Easy to use, reliable, light is useful when needed.

A tad noisy if I want to find a fault with it.

Read Best Reviews of Campbell Hausfeld RP3200 12-Volt Inflator and Worklight Here

It is nearly impossible these days to find an air hose at a gas station. Especially a WORKING air hose! This cheap little gadget solves that problem. I've had it for a little over 2 years, and find it indispensable. It's super-simple to use, and I love how it shuts off when your desired air-pressure has been reached, so you don't have to disconnect the air hose, check pressure, reconnect the hose, and try again...and again.

As others have mentioned:

It is noisy [but have you ever heard a quiet air compressor??];

It jitters around a bit on the ground while it's working [but I don't see that as a problem -after all, it can only go so far while the air hose is attached to your tire's valve stem];

The coupling seal is so secure that it's impossible to remove it from the valve without losing a little bit of air (so, you simply adjust for that by putting in an extra 2-5 PSI to begin with); and

You can only plug it into your car's 12V power outlets -you can't plug it into an home AC outlet.

And yes, you do need a little bit of patience (about 60-90 seconds' worth) to coil the air hose and the power cord back into the little cubby area. Hint: Start with the air hose first, then coil the power cord, "nest-like," concentrically within the air hose coil.

It's not fancy, and it's clearly not built for heavy-duty, frequent use. But when you need it, it does the trick. Just last night, upon starting my car to drive home after a grueling work day, the warning came on the dash that 2 of my tires were low in pressure. It had started to snow, the wind was whipping, and it was bone-chillingly cold. The last thing I wanted to do was drive around in search of a working air hose. Thanks to this little gem, all I had to do was pull into the comfort of my own garage and hook it up (after letting my tires cool so the pressure readings would be accurate). Fifteen minutes later, all my tires were inflated to the correct pressure, and I was snug & warm inside my home.

This $26 gadget is a little life-saver (and sanity-saver); it's a gotta-have-it tool for your trunk or garage!

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My car is parked at a location without AC power so I keep this small 12V pump in the trunk. It has a compartment that stores the power cord and air hose. The power cord is long enough to reach both tires on each side of the car. The pump is reasonably quick to inflate considering it is 12V. There is a built-in pressure gauge and flash light. I highly recommend it!

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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

NOCO Genius G7200 12V/24V 7.2 Amp Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer

NOCO Genius G7200 12V/24V 7.2 Amp Smart Battery Charger and MaintainerThis seems to be a great charger! I am using it as a permanently installed charger in a back-up battery-powered sump pump application. I have dual 12-volt deep cycle maintenance free batteries in series for a 24-volt system that feeds a back-up sump pump. It installed in a few minutes but I did have to install different size connectors to fit my battery posts, I configured it in a few seconds, and it has been running fine. This is obviously not designed to deliver high current under continuous operation, but it seems to keep my batteries fully charged and no worries of over-charging. I like the fact that it indicates the percent charge on the batteries, and it definitely shows the drop in charge as the back-up pump goes through run cycles and drains the batteries. I have not had it long enough to vouch for reliability, but it appears to be well made and well designed. As an electronics engineer, I am satisfied with it from a technical and functional perspective.

A modern battery charger that is small, well-built, and works as advertised. The manual is well written and very clear as to what to do in what order, what to expect from the battery charger, and excellent suggestions to follow when attempting to bring a highly discharged, but still good, battery back to life. NOCO refers to their battery charger line as "wicked smart chargers". I'd say they're right on the mark!

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This works very much like the 6v/12v version just a bit bigger in size and instead of a trickle option it has a supply (13v) and a "boost" (16v). The only draw back IMO is it doesn't have the small battery settings but i guess its a trade off to get the extra features of more power.

Read Best Reviews of NOCO Genius G7200 12V/24V 7.2 Amp Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer Here

This charger is great with Optima batteries. Has a specialized charge mode just for AGM batteries. Also charges regular wet cell batteries too. I was also pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this charger. Very nice charger!

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I finally decided to purchase the G7200 after having to jump start my battery for the 3rd time. Had an old schumacher charger that can't charge a battery below 7 volts. Purchased the G7200 because of the supply function as it will charge a battery even down to zero volts! I know there are less expensive options out there, but for the features and functions of this charger, you can't beat the price.

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

DEWALT Bare-Tool DC820B 1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Impact Wrench (Tool Only, No Battery)

DEWALT Bare-Tool DC820B 1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Impact WrenchIf you are looking at the DC823 or DC825 or any other 18v impact, get this instead. Why? 25% more torque than DC825 (1330 in/lb) and 240 more inch pounds than DC823(1500in/lb). The DC820 has 1740 in/lb. With a couple simple adapters you can do anything you can with the other 2 impacts. Any "impact rated" 1/2" to 3/8" adapter will get you the functionality of the DC823. There are several adapters to go from 1/2" to 1/4" hex as well, I chose the "ASIN:B002KKBBR4 Milwaukee 48-03-4410 Shockwave 1/2-Inch Square by 1/4-Inch Hex Adapter" and now I can do anything the DC825 can do as well. Just one bit of caution however when using it with the 1/4 hex adapter to drive screws, it is so powerful you can overdrive/break normal strength fasteners if you aren't paying attention. I also have the option of just putting a socket on and using it for automotive applications. It pulls lugs nuts off like a champ. This thing rocks, just buy it already!

This is a useful tool with more power than you'd expect for its small size.

It's about 1.5 times the size and weight of my 1/4" hex drive impact tool but seems to have 4x the power. This obviously isn't going to out drive an air powered impact wrench but has more than enough power to handle lug nuts.

The only time this tool failed to impress me was removing large diameter stainless steel fasteners with seriously galled threads (an antenna mount that had been on our office roof for 10+ years.) The DC820B could break the seized 3/8 bolts but didn't have the power to break the 1/2" bolts. It tried and tried but couldn't quite get the job done. I could feel a slight flexing of the tool in my grip that probably robbed torque from the job at hand. To be fair, I had removed more than 50 bolts before attempting to free the seized bolts and didn't take the time to replace the battery so this isn't conclusive, your results may be better.

The only real design complaint I have about this tool is the socket retention mechanism. Instead of the spring loaded ball or hog ring systems used on most 1/2 air impact tools this one has a spring loaded "detent pin retention system". On my tool this requires using a small screwdriver or similar tool to push in the retention pin every time you want to change a socket. It was a hassle at first but now I just leave a short impact extension on the tool and change sockets on the extension.

I mention this since when looking at the parts diagram it appears that Dewalt has different models that use the hog ring system. One of those might be a better choice if you change sockets frequently.

Like one or two other reviewers mine emits a slight burning smell that seems to have gotten less noticeable the longer I use the tool. I have some other Dewalt tools that had the same problem but none have died (so far at least)

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This tool is small and light but has plenty of power for any 1/2" socket you would be likely to use. It works best with the lithium battery but the nicad works just fine although noticeably heavier. After using this tool hard for several days I'm not sure 5 stars is enough. The work performed per pound would have been unimaginable a few years back.

Read Best Reviews of DEWALT Bare-Tool DC820B 1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Impact Wrench (Tool Only, No Battery) Here

this tool is just like a 1/4 inch impact driver, its no stronger. dont buy this to remove lug nut or any heavy job. it didnt even tighten exhaust clamps enough.

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A friend of mine has one of these and I had to have one. Wow! My favorite cordless DeWalt, no doubt! First use was to remove the blades from my riding mower....Zip! No holding the blades, off and back on again, so easy! Plenty of power! So, be careful! This thing has enough torgue to snap bolts! I am extremely happy and satisfied with this purchase!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD Sc

Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD ScreenI've had a chance to play around with the new Drift HD170 Stealth camera for a few weeks now and made a quick video just to show a few things I've tried with it. What makes it "stealth," I guess, is the new sleek black design (the casing of the unit is made from a durable black rubberized plastic). The bright orange face of the older model did likely call some attention to itself, and for some uses (i.e. stealth uses) that's a drawback. While the older model's bright colored face made it look fun, I think I do prefer the solid black and can see why they opted for it. The feature that makes this camera really stand out from other similar POV or "extreme sports" cameras, though, is the onboard LCD screen, that allows you to see what you are going to be capturing on the spot, so you can arrange the camera just as you like; it also allows you to go through the menu on the spot and adjust options depending on your needs at the moment. (You can set things up in the menu so that the LCD turns off after a minute of being unused so as to prolong the life of the battery).

What's struck me is that the real value of this camcorder is its combination of a rugged and durable design with its versatility. It's emphasized for use with extreme sports but it's useful pretty much anywhere you wouldn't risk another more fragile camera. It's water and weather resistant not water proof so you could use it in light rain, maybe even during a hurricane if it was securely mounted, but certainly in extreme conditions where you'd be worried about a standard camcorder. (I've heard that Drift Innovation the company that makes these will be coming out with a fully waterproof case for the Stealth some time soon so that you can add cliff diving and snorkeling to the list of extreme sports you can capture subjectively with the Stealth) The camera comes with three different mounts one that you can secure to any kind of narrow belt (and it comes with an elastic belt), one that you can put on a handlebar, and one that you can secure to a helmet with the included velcro adhesives. It's easy to orient the camera, even if you've got it mounted in an odd spot the shooting orientation can be changed simply by rotating the lens manually, and the quick release mount can also be rotated so that the unit can be oriented however you like with respect to the mount.

I'm not much of an extreme sports guy but I can see where this would come in handy for various types of video projects other than extreme sports, and I tried to illustrate a few possible uses in the video. You can mount it on a bike, a motorcycle, a skateboard, or on a 12-foot-long paint pole elevated over a car (as I did in the attached video, using the handlebar mount attached to the end of the pole). Obviously, I wouldn't want to put my Canon VIXIA HFS10 on top of a long pole like that because if it dropped or bumped into something it would almost certainly be damaged. While the Stealth is not damage proof it's a lot more rugged than a standard camera, and so it works great in lots of precarious situations. I used to think that when I needed an extreme shot the best option would be a relatively inexpensive camera like my Flip, that I could more afford to have damaged than my nicer camera but with this one the risk of serious damage is significantly diminished.

You can shoot decent photos (5 megapixels and they look fine, but as you'd expect on a device that's tailored for video capture they don't really compare to the images you'd capture on a compact camera in this price range expect a few notches up from the quality you'd capture on a phone and you won't be disappointed), and very cool time lapse sequences (with shooting intervals from 3 to 30 seconds apart), plus it takes surprisingly good HD video for such a small camera. It's not as nice or as versatile as my Canon, but the video is at least as good or better than what I can capture on my Flip Mino HD plus it's got a much wider lens, which is ideal for "point of view" shooting. At 720p it captures a 170 degree view, and it's got a bit of a fisheye effect which is kind of nice, it looks very cool with POV sports footage but could be effective in other applications as well. At 1080p it captures a slightly narrower range of 120 degrees, and there's less distortion, but not as many options for frame rates. At 720p you can shoot at frame rates from 25fps to 60, and shooting at 60fps allows you to slow the footage down in an editing program without things looking jerky as they would if you'd shot at a standard 30fps and then played back at an effective 15 frames per second. At 1080p you can shoot either 25 or 30fps. (You can also shoot standard definition video if you like). The video is encoded with H.264 in a Quicktime (.mov) wrapper so it's easy to import and play or edit in a variety of applications.

One other nice feature is that the set comes with a remote control "watch" you can wear it on your wrist (it's got a velcro band) and it has two buttons: for record and stop. There's a bit of a time lag on the stop function it takes a couple seconds and sometimes I've found I've had to press the button twice to get it to respond, but otherwise it works quite well. The weak element on the camera is the onboard mike it doesn't capture clear sound at all. It's noisy and would really only work as reference and not playback. In other words if you spoke into the mike or near the mike you would be able to hear what you'd said assuming you weren't on a motorcycle, or free falling from high altitudes and it might help you to remember something but you wouldn't want to even consider including the audio in a completed video. The main reason for the weakness of the mike seems to be that its input is protected by a rubber seal in order to ensure the water resistance of the unit. The real value of this camera is in capturing video you wouldn't be able (or willing) to capture in other ways. There is another option with this camera that not all cameras of this type allow, which is to plug in an external microphone but I'm pretty sure the input is proprietary, which means you either have to buy the mike from Drift or you have to buy one of the input cables for your mike from them. When you do use an external mike you have to keep the rear hatch of the camera open and Drift sells a kind of silicon boot to help keep things sealed and protected when the mike is connected and the door is open.

The Stealth is not a one-size-fits-all camcorder that will meet every need and wouldn't by any stretch replace a standard camcorder for ordinary shooting, especially given its fixed, extremely wide lens and its substandard onboard mike but it can capture images you'd never dream of trying to capture with your standard camcorder. If all you want to do is capture extreme sports from the point of view of the athlete, or other extreme images that would put an ordinary camera at risk, this would be a very good option. For someone like me, who only rarely has a need for "extreme sports footage," I know I won't use this all the time, but I'm very happy to have it in my "bag of tricks" because, as I think my little video shows, it's a very versatile camera that can capture some very cool and fairly good quality images and video that could fit nicely into a wide range of different kinds of video projects.

I've owned just about every helmet cam on the market and I even sell the GoPro HD Hero on my site and this is by far the best camera I've owned to date.

The thing I like about it most is the ease of use. The menu is like any other PAS camera instead of hieroglyphics like the GoPro and yes I have the LCD on my GoPro and it's still a pain to use. It does take great video but no better than the drift.

I love that I can adjust the mic on the drift and pretty much turn it off if I want to and I can add a remote mic. I have one but have yet to use it. No more clanking from the mount like the GoPro either.

The battery outlast the GoPro and it seems to have great video compression. Long videos have pretty small file size. I took a 48:00 video and it was just under 3 gig.

About the only thing I don't care for is the helmet mount. I haven't used it yet but it's not that clean of a mount, I do like the GoPro better for that. I wound up putting a RAM ball on mine and that's pretty much all I use. All and all I love this thing.

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Camera arrived and straight out of the box had a faulty microphone. Had a play with it for a few days waiting to hear back from Drift Support and found the picture quality to be excellent. Really liked the good clear images and colour was spot on. Although, I soon found that a fully charged battery would drain overnight if left in the camera (even though the camera was switched off).

Thinking I just had a dud unit, and given the quality of picture, I decided to go through the Amazon returns process and had a replacement shipped out.

Amazon were excellent in how they dealt with the return and replacement. No complaints on that front (Drift on the other hand, took more than a week for their Support people to reply to my emails to tell me that it was faulty and then they passed the buck back to Amazon).

Replacement unit arrived today and upon switching it on I notice the picture is absolutely stuffed, making everything look like a psychedelic music video from the 70's. Back to emailing Drift Support. This time I won't wait for a week for their response. If I haven't heard back by tomorrow it's on it's way back for a refund this time.

You really have to ask yourself where is the quality control? Does Drift not test each unit before it's packaged?

Two cameras and two different problems straight out of the box.

It's disappointing because the Drift is the only one of the top 3 (GoPro/Contour/Drift) that offers external mic and reviewing screen facility.

I won't risk another replacement.

Looks like I'll be switching my allegiance to one of the other two brands.

UPDATE: Received a GoPro HD this week and most impressed with the quality of build and the video taken to date. The mounting system is a little fiddly but not entirely unusable. Changing camera settings was awkward at first but after clipping on the LCD BacPac it was much more simple.

I've just bought a Contour HD as well ($138) and will test that out when it arrives.

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I did my research on Go-Pro, Contour and Drift Hd170. What sold me to get the Drift HD170 was a couple of things.

1-PRICE

2-LCD Display

3-Remote Control

4-Water Resistant

5-The use of a standard size SDHC flash memory card

6-FULL HD 1080P option

7-Has a universal screw mount on the bottom for tripods.

8-All the necessary attachments I needed to PLAY is included on the package! With the exception of the waterproof casing. OVERALL I AM PRETTY STOKED!!

So as I compared each product, this was the winner. I can rig it when I climb. Once I have the funds, I am going to purchase a waterproof case so that I can use it for surfing.

The setup menu options are pretty easy. Very user friendly, well at least to me :)

I just wished that the zoom capability worked for the HD 1080p settings.

Here's a link to my videos that I did using the Drift HD170 strapped on my climbing helmet. So far I am super stoked on it!!

UPDATE:

Well for some odd reason Amazon is not letting me post a link on my vimeo videos for you to view.

You can check it out by typing on the address line vimeo then typing the (.) then the com w/ the backslash (/) then luvlifeclimbsurf. vimeo(dot)com(/)luvlifesurfclimb

Thanks

ROCKY :)

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My husband and I live at the Oregon coast and we love to ride our quads in the sand! I wanted to try this camera for following my hubby around on trails, going up and down hills, wheelie-en, jumpin' at the tops of dunes, brodies, etc. The hero camera looked a little bulky, because it sticks out so much when its mounted, and this little guy looked like it might be a little more streamlined for going through hairy stuff. Its FANTASTIC!!! It works awesome, the sound is good, the picture is clear, and I can't even tell I have it on my helmet. This camera is totally worth it if you want something that isn't going to draw a lot of attention, and you can mount it almost anywhere. Get out and do something, whoo hoo!!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Boss CAP2S 2 Farad Capacitor Silver

Boss CAP2S 2 Farad Capacitor Silver
  • 2 FARAD CAPACITOR WITH DIGITAL VOLTAGE DISPLAY
  • SILVER FINISH

I picked up the black one elsewhere. It was simple to charge up & install. The instructions don't tell you that it has to be hooked up to the amp in a complete circuit to charge it. Like with all caps, be sure to ground separate from the amp. ONE BIG THING!!! There aren't any covers for the terminals. You want to cover the positive terminal in the least! We are talking mega amp, stored up.

Other than that, it works like a cap should, storing power on those hard bass hits. If you're on a budget, this is cheaper than a new battery.

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i have owned 2 of these caps in several different vehicles both vehicles charging systems were pushing over 80% static load with the sound systems i had installed in them and even with the install of a cap there was no help in its self for either system after upgrading the vehicle grounds and charging wire from the alternator the capacitor was able to sufficiently do its job... these vehicles are not designed for sound systems over 30 amp draw so if your having issues with lights dimming under 1000w amp simply upgrading your cars electrical should help more then a capacitor.... moral is if your pulling more water from pool faster then you can fill it a capacitor isn't going to help and your next step is upgrading your cars electrical and charging system

any ways back to the caps aside from being able to supply the amp draw to your amplifier lets say your electrical is up to par and you can provide the power needed your next step is a cap

and for $30-40 these are great caps... aside from some manufacturing defects (i had to return my first one twice due to improper assembly and bad soldering jobs) but i have been in the same situation with Rockford fosgate caps as well ... it happens... i give both the caps i have bought a 4/5 stars due to this issue but as long as they can do there job they work fine remember the rule 1 farad per thousand watts no smaller then a farad

if you have problems with this product contact boss technical support they are very helpful and shipped me out 2 capacitors to replace the original one i had purchased (i was headed to a car show in a 3 week period and needed to have a capacitor that worked) they worked with me and after the car show i shipped back the bad one and one of the others and my second purchases went smoothly with no issues

will buy from boss again in the future simply from there understanding and willingness to get me a working cap the first time around

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first off i was real happy to be getting a 2 farad cap for this price when other brands sell similar ones for almost double the price of this one. shipping was fast took about 3 days but i soon find out why i got such a good deal. the cap looks good has easy to follow instructions and comes with everything you need. the problem i had is the medal posts where the screws go to hold down your power and ground terminals became loose the first time i tighten the screws into them thus causing the led screen not to light up. i was finally able to wiggle the post so they made a connection by loosing and then tightening the screws several times. would have sent it back but would have had to pay for return shipping plus add that to the shipping i already paid and that would be almost more than i paid for the cap it self. so i am just going to leave it until it stops working then just spend a little more and buy one from the stores in my area so i can return it right away if i have any problems. if not for the issue with the posts this would have been a 5 star product all the way cause with the cap the bass hits harder and no dimming of lights at all anymore.

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This cap lasted about 10 mins before it over heated and blew out a chemical vapor cloud. I know I didn't hook it up backwards because I double checked it and there's also a buzzer that sounds to protect against reversing the polarity, so it wasn't a user error. After the smoke cleared I investigated a bit further and found that the control board located on top of the capacitor was installed backwards by the manufacturer. So reverse polarities was indeed the culprit, but there was no way I would have known this without first taking it apart. Boss could avoid this problem if they made some sort of alignment notch that would prevent them from installing the board backwards, or simply quit assembling their products cheaply in China.

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The installation of this capacitor was very easy. I wired it to my amp with 4 gauge wire and now my system is finally complete. It took me about 2 hours to install, but I rewired everything and put final touches on all of the wires to make everything look clean. The hardest part was getting the capacitor 12 inches away from my amp. The capacitor was just big enough so it wouldn't fit on top of my box in my trunk.

One issue I had with installing it was charging the capacitor. In the manual it said that a blue led would blink along with the decimal point on the voltage display, but mine did none of those. When I first went to charge it, it was at 8v already (not sure if that is normal). It is not a big deal but its I just wanted to point it out.

I like how in this capacitor there is a remote wire so it is only on when your car is on accessory or turned on. I have read some forums saying there capacitor is always on and it kills their batteries.

Overall the product is great, my dome light doesn't dim when I'm pounding my 2 12" subs with a 1200w amp close to max volume. When no music is being played it stays from 12-14v and when I play loud music with a lot of bass it drops down to 11-12v when it hits along with turning the blue led on each hit.

Great product, gets the job done.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Fonus Universal Rotatable Car Mount Lighter Socket Holder Dock with USB Charging Port for HTC One V

Fonus Universal Rotatable Car Mount Lighter Socket Holder Dock with USB Charging Port for HTC One V, HTC One X, HTC One S, HTC Wildfire SWorks great. Droid mounted wonderfully. Tight fit. Arm has a sturdy feel to it. Comes with the charging usb cable which was a bonus surprise to get. Will probably buy another for my wife's car. Worked better then vent and dash mounts. LED light is a little too bright...will cover with a little tape. Love it so far.

placement into electric car port is loose. glad it has a blue light to insure connection. the arm extender is not strong enough to hold your phone device. the whole unit is not sturdy.

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This is really handy and helpful. Plugs into the car lighter and not only helps bring the phone up to see better, which is especially nice for navigation purposes, but also has an adapter on the unit which allows you to charge the phone while it's in the holder. Also like that the phone can be held vertically or horizontally. Quality is good, nice and adjustable.

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Great product, does not shake, adjustable, hold tight, using with a HTC 4,7 inches screen. Works perfectly for me. Great.

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Jensen Marine MSR7007 Waterproof AM/FM/WB SIRIUS Satellite Ready Stereo with CD Player

Jensen Marine MSR7007 Waterproof AM/FM/WB SIRIUS Satellite Ready Stereo with CD Player
  • It has 200W output power(MOSEF)
  • It has multiple line LCD display
  • This product has 40 seconds electronic skip protection (CD)
  • It comes with wired remote ready (MWR75 and MWR100)
  • It has radio broadcast data system

stereo arrived very quickly. Installed easy my husband did it!

We put it on our sailboat, sounds great even with existing speakers.

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Bought a more expensive radio so I would have a quality unit with no problems. This radio worked for one summer the next summer it worked for one week. Then we could not get any volume on the unit. The Jensen Tech told me that it can not be worked on because everything is water proof and if it is taken apart it can not be put back together. Unit is a piece of junk and Jensen does not stand behind their products. Buy something cheaper, don't waste your money on a Jensen product.

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Has a great sound and easy to operate. The auxiliary plug is in the back so I purchased a 6 foot aux. Cord. And since the stereo mounts in the head, I ran the plug for my I-pod outside the door and mounted a holster. I still need an adapter to plug in my existing remote since it has a different plug than the new stereo. Otherwise it's great!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Znex CI-3180 18.0 Volt 1/2" (12.7mm) Square Drive Cordless Impact Wrench Kit

Znex CI-3180 18.0 Volt 1/2' Square Drive Cordless Impact Wrench KitI have used Snap On, Ingersoll Rand & Znex cordless impacts for over 10 years. No need to spend the extra money on the Snap On or Ingersoll, these Znex units have the same power (and maybe a little more), and last a long time.

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Linear Act-31B 1-Channel Keychain Transmitter

Linear Act-31B 1-Channel Keychain Transmitter
  • Designed for use with Linear MegaCode format receivers only
  • Single-button transmitter that sends a unique code to a single device.
  • 318Mhz
  • Includes: Mini remote, Battery, and Instructions.

Normal key-fob size, works from pretty reasonably far away, easy to program (just push the 'Learn' button on the side of the opener and then push the button on the remote).

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It's very easy to program and use. Make sure its the right frequency for your garage opener. This is for 318Mhz. Nice small and sleek. Great addition or replacement product.

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I love this product, it allows you to keep your opener out of your car therefor barring access to your home if your car is broken into. I also like to use it when I go bike riding. I can open the door from across the street while I am in my car. Highly recommended.

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Bought this transmitter to use when I ride on my bicycle so I can leave my car keys at home. Installation was a breeze, just pushing 2 buttons.

Range is ok for what I need it for

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I have the transmitter attached to my jacket zipper for when I ride my Harley. Opens the garage door in plenty of time for me to park. The second opener is in the wife's purse for when she leaves the car at home and is out with friends. Very simple to program. Had it for a couple months and it works great.