Showing posts with label budget batteries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget batteries. Show all posts

Monday, September 22, 2014

10 Watt Black Frame Mono-crystalline Solar Panel and Battery Charger

10 Watt Black Frame Mono-crystalline Solar Panel and Battery ChargerI was really impressed by the solid construction, the aluminum frame feels like it could withstand a hurricane. My multi-meter shows it outputting 11 plus watts in full sun, and it had no problem recharging a small deep-cycle battery during the course of a day. The cables are long and sturdy, with tight-gripping alligator clips. After reviewing several lighter duty options, I'm glad I got the higher end model. The quality of the components and construction really impressed me. A solid thumbs up!

Panel was received on time. Panel seems to work well as it maintains the charge on a 75AH marine battery which powers an automatic gate opener. Mounting was slightly difficult as it must be attached from the underside. I had afix brackets to the bottom of the panel and mount the brackets to an existing support pole.

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Location:

K55, Baja California, Mexico

Purpose:

Reduce dependence on buddy's noisy & smelly gas generator during weekend trips to beach shack. Week of rest after every usage.

System [June 2008]:

-> 60W total [~3.5Amps]. Two 20W [18Vmp] panel & two 10W [18Vmp] panels of the same mono-crystalline construction. [16AWG]

-> Morningstar MPPT 15 Amp Charge Controller. [14AWG]

-> Two [2] new 12V ~100AH deep cycle batteries [parallel ~200AH, 1/0AWG]

-> 700W AC inverter [4AWG]

-> 3.5KW gas generator to 6Amp AC batt charger for extra charging capacity when needed

Current Load:

-> Three [3] 12V x 26W fluorescent fixtures

-> Two [2] 12V x 15W fluorescent fixtures

-> One [1] 12V x 11W fluorescent fixture

-> One [1] 12V x 13W fluorescent fixture

-> Yamaha 2.1 speakers, 25W

-> Dual-port 12V car cig lighter adapter for mobile phone/iPod chargers.

Notes:

Panels are fixed @ slight SW & angle of ~35° from horizontal due to wind concerns, more than output, but very close to local latitude of ~32°. I was at the Baja house when the winds started the raging fires in SoCAL [2007], it was bad.

Voltage reads 20-24+V @ 3.4-3.6 Amps pre-load between 10:00AM & 3:30PM in June. Current load is lightingOFF & ON 3-4 hours per night. Usually only one or two is ON at any given time. Lights work very well, almost like normal house. iPod is self-powererd to Yamaha 25W 2.1 speakers on inverter for 2-6 hours during day. Currently, we must use generator for TV/movies/games.

Expansion:

Another 20W panel for 80W total went in Dec 2008another 80W will conclude a 160W system. Goal is 3 to 4 times per month...lighting, music, & occasional 26" 60W LCD using 15W DVD player & 25W 2.1 speakers for movies when surf is flat. [~700-800 Watt-Hours/day]

Read Best Reviews of 10 Watt Black Frame Mono-crystalline Solar Panel and Battery Charger Here

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Accutire MS-4710B Motorcycle 5-99 PSI Digital Tire Gauge

Accutire MS-4710B Motorcycle 5-99 PSI Digital Tire GaugeThis used to be sold by Sears for $8.95 on sale. Now they only carry the oddly shaped version that is of zero use to many motorcyclists. The only other source that I've found for the real deal, as this is, would be Road Gear and they get about $25-$30 for it. When I found it at Amazon for half that, I did the only sensible thing: I bought TWO of them and placed them in cold storage right away. They are the absolute BEST tool for checking air in standard streetbike rims with the valve stem that points directly at the axle. Can't go wrong, great tool at a great price AND they are available. That may be the biggest plus right there.

Phil

I ordered 2 of these, one for myself and one for a friend. We needed this style of gauge to check the air pressure on our motorcycles with dual front disk brakes. Unfortunaltely both of them have failed. Mine worked for a few times accurately, but suddenly began to read about 40 psi above the actual pressure. I unsuccessfully tried to reset the gauge by removing the battery. The other gauge never worked properly. It shows all '7's every time you try to use it. I have since replaced my gauge with one bought at Wally World. It is marketed by Slime and has a short hose for reaching in tight places, has a back light, and several other useful features and costs less than the Accutire units.

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I read the reviews before purchasing two of these. One for me, one for my brother. We're both motorcyclists and it's a pain to check pressure with a pencil gauge, and you should check your pressure before every ride. One of the two I received leaked air internally immediately and gave false readings. I returned that one and got a replacement. This one stopped working after about 4 uses. I fiddled with the batteries but it was still dead. I smashed it to bits. I'm afraid to ask if my brothers works. The price was great and the unit felt good in my hand but like so many others that bought these they just don't work. Do not buy one !!!

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Using this on a 2005 Roadstar. It is possible to use on the rear only if you bend the (small/stubby, straight) valve stems over a bit. Still hard to get a good seal every time. Gauge reads fine when you get a good seal however. Would like to see a gauge with a 100-110 degree head. Just a bit of a bend to avoid the brake rotors and still fit the stem.

Rating: pretty good gauge, bit bulky and won't fit all bikes. Recommended with reservations.

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Much easier to maneuver around the disk brake rotors and wheel spokes than other digitals made for the automotive industry. Mine did seem to hang up now and then when trying to remove it from the valve stem, but its not that big of a deal. Probably wouldn't do that if the end barrel was polished metal inside. Instead it's two molded plastic pieces as an extension of the handle pieces.

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Saturday, August 23, 2014

Absolute KIT-8PU 1200 Watts 8 Gauge Complete Amplifier Installation Kit (Purple Color)

Absolute KIT-8PU 1200 Watts 8 Gauge Complete Amplifier Installation Kit
  • 17-Feet Amplifier Hookup Kit for Battery
  • Head Unit and Speakers
  • 1200 Watt Max Peak
  • Purple Color

So i bough this product and thought that it should be pretty good. So far the wiring kit was ok but there were some problems. The fuse holder is kind of funky and the fuse itself broke. I should have bought an american made product. I got what i paid for i guess. I would most likely not buy this product again.

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Car Kit, Speakerphone-Bulk Packaged

Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Car Kit, Speakerphone-Bulk PackagedThe product worked as advertised. I was able to set it up in seconds for the blue tooth option. since I don't use the FM radio in my van I did not set up the FM transmitter. I can hear other people just fine and I have not heard anyone say they can't hear me or ask me to repeat myself. Only 1 little glitch after a month of using it. It did disconnect and reconnect once but I think i passed someone else using the same frequency which caused it. The price here was 20% cheaper that Best Buy and it was delivered free. I would recommend this product to all of my friends.

I've been through my share of Bluetooth (BT) headsets so when I found this I was really hoping that the reviews were going to be good and at least 1/2 true. I was and still am blown away with how well this BT Speaker phone works in the car with two different phones. It has an amazing enough battery life the issue ends up being where you put the charger because it doesn't need to be charged very often. Also, the BT connection to my iPhone and then the re-broadcast to the car stereo has been great. A few times when going on a trip or putting the speaker in a rental I've had to switch stations but that was due to local radio stations bleeding through. Only negative that I have on this device is that once it starts talking about a low battery you may as well shut it off because there is no mute, the female voice will say low battery every few minutes until it dies but that is not very often. Great Product, been really happy with it.

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I bought the Jabra Cruiser 2 on the recommendation of my friend who owned this version. I was so impressed by the Jabra Cruiser 1 that I figured they couldn't mess things up by improving on the 2. I was poorly mistaken: there are less functions from a bluetooth audio player (AD2P) that the Cruiser 1 had and the quality of the FM transmitter was terrible. The Cruiser 1, on the other hand, seemed flawless and is a much more compact bluetooth receiver. The call quality and the speaker quality are good (haven't really reported any "can't hear you" responses") but the thing I love about this is that it doubles as an FM transmitter for my iPhone (or any bluetooth AD2P capable device). The quality is better than most dedicated FM transmitters I've used in the past (griffin, belkin, you name it) and being able to listen to your calls through your car speakers is much better than through a receiver, especially when you're driving on the highway with all the road noise your car produces. The music portion (AD2P) is my favorite because it offers a play skip reverse set of buttons on this receiver, so no need to look at your phone/player if you want to skip the song or what-not while driving. It helps that they give you an "auto-search" ability, by pressing the volume up button for 5 seconds. And it even auto-shuts off after a period of inactive use, to preserve battery. I LOVE this device

HIGHLY recommend. It's too bad these devices are hard to come by locally.. I hate the 2nd gen. one but I can't return it because i lost the receipt, otherwise I'd pick up ANOTHER cruiser 1 (i already have 2 in my house hold!)

Read Best Reviews of Jabra Cruiser Bluetooth Car Kit, Speakerphone-Bulk Packaged Here

Was very excited to get this unit. Setup was a breeze, and was simply to use. Sound quality thru the car stereo was surprisingly good. Only drawback with FM transmitter was wouldn't tune below 88.1, which most units I have used can which is where all the unused US frequencies are (in other word clear channels so you aren't constantly retuning the channel).

Unfortunately 3 days into using it, the FM transmitter button wouldn't consistently turn the transmitter on or off which is the reason I bought this unit over others. Returned for refund and am shopping for something else.

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I bought one of these after a co-worker recommended it. It's awesome!! I then bought one for my husbands vehicle. Neither one of your vehicles has an 'aux' plus for our iphone. This let's us listen to the music on our iphones thru our car speakers and it sounds awesome! We love ours!

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Cellet PIPHR Retractable Plug In Car Charger for Apple iPod Classic, iPod Touch 2nd Gen, iPod nano

Cellet PIPHR Retractable Plug In Car Charger for Apple iPod Classic, iPod Touch 2nd Gen, iPod nano 4th GenI was looking for a new charger for my car since my other one got caught and started to shred. I love that it's retractable so it can't get caught and shred anymore.

Interesting design so I tried it. I don't talk much on my cell so having the ability to adjust how much cord is extended to connect the phone is nice. When a call comes in you just pull the phone and cord reels out easily. Also the cord is limp type which I like and takes up little room when retracted.

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Monday, November 11, 2013

Mini Car / Auto Charger for the Rio Karma - half the size but twice the power - uses Gomadic TipExc

Mini Car / Auto Charger for the Rio Karma - half the size but twice the power - uses Gomadic TipExchange Technology
  • 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 Rio Karma) included with additional tips sold separately)
  • Intelligent circuit provides precise output voltage and resistor configuration specific to the Rio Karma. This ensures battery is safely and efficiently charged without affecting battery longevity.
  • Straight, non-coiled cable design allows for easy routing of your charger around vehicle trim for a more professionally installed look. Durable construction is built to last.
  • Backed by the Gomadic Lifetime Warranty. This is a quality product that is built to be the last car charger you ever buy!

Had an issue w/ the item, because I thought the tip on the charger goes into the larger of the two USB slots (see picture). It doesn't, the tip it comes with only charges the Rio; it does not activate the menu. After explaining my issue with customer service, the issue was resolved quickly. I got the new tip in no time flat.

Gomadic is a good company to deal with as they have really good customer service!

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I still love my Rio Karma but with its battery life starting to wane and a long trip coming I needed a car charger to make up the difference. This product is 12 volt cigarette lighter adapter with a universal end and an adapter that matches it to the Rio's DC power inlet.

It may be that my Rio is old and worn, but as delivered the plug would not maintain contact enough to charge or power the Rio without physically holding it in place. Since the provided plug did not appear to be as long as the one on my original AC adapter I went to work with a dremel tool and ground down the plastic casing on the plug to expose about another eighth inch of conductor on the plug. Now it fits perfectly and charges with no problem.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Kensington K39265US Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack for iPhone and iPod, including iPhone 4 an

Kensington K39265US Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack for iPhone and iPod, including iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S
  • Dock simultaneously charges your iPhone (including iPhone 4) or iPod and Mini Battery Pack
  • Included rechargeable Mini Battery Pack adds hours of power when on the go
  • Includes detachable USB charging and syncing cable
  • Compact and convenient for recharging in the home or office
  • Charges your iPhone or iPod even when in a case

My wife, my son and I all bought Verizon iPhones as soon as they became available. I wanted to buy docks for each of us for ease of charging, and when I saw this dock with the mini battery pack I thought it was a great idea. My old Windows Mobile phone had an extended battery and I was a little worried that the iPhone battery life would be less than what I was used to, so I figured that it would be nice to have the mini battery pack for times when I was out of power.

As a charger, this dock is attractive and reliable. It comes with two inserts, one for the iPhone 3 and one for the iPhone 4. I use the iPhone 4 insert, and my Verizon phone fits into the dock nice and snugly. I do need to slip off the bottom part of my Splash Cruiser case to make the phone fit; this is not a problem for me as I find this very easy to do. If I take out the insert, then the phone fits into the dock and charges while still in the case; however, I do not like to do this as it feels as though accidentally knocking the phone while in this position might cause the connector to bend. I have a wooden charging station that has 3 positions on the top for me to place 3 of these Kensington docks, one for each iPhone owner in my family. This allows the black power supplies to be hidden in the body of the charging station and is quite an elegant solution. We quickly got into the habit of placing our phones on the dock to charge each night.

The mini battery pack fits onto the dock behind the phone. As some other reviewers have mentioned, it is a little fiddly to place the battery on the dock, especially with one hand, but I use the battery infrequently enough that this does not concern me. The battery has 3 blue LEDs and one green one; the blue ones illuminate to indicate the state of charge of the battery, and the green one lights when it is fully charged. So normally you will have a green LED permanently glowing on the battery on your dock. I don't mind it as it is not particularly bright and fairly subtle.

I have now owned my iPhone about 2 months and have only needed to use the mini battery pack about 3 times. I have been pleasantly surprised by the life of the iPhone battery. My battery has only ever fully discharged when I have spent hours playing Scrabble on my phone, or using the Kindle reader, or surfing on the web. On these occasions it has been extremely handy to plug the mini battery pack into my phone and continue using it. After fully discharging the phone's main battery, it takes about 5 minutes after plugging in the mini battery pack before the phone can be used. The red battery icon appears, just as though you have plugged the phone into a real charger, as the main iPhone battery starts to recharge. After the 5 minutes or so I find I have at least two or three hours of use from the phone with the mini battery pack attached (I have never exhausted the mini battery pack the times I have used it). I do need to slide off the bottom part of my Splash Cruiser case in order to properly attach the mini battery pack to the phone, which is not a big deal for me.

My teenage son tends to forget to charge his phone more often than I do, and the battery pack has been more useful for him. Also, my daughters have iPod Touches (3G) and the mini battery works fine with these devices too, which is great when my 5 year old daughter wants to play Doodle Jump but her iPod Touch is out of power.

In retrospect buying 3 docks with mini batteries was probably overdoing it, as we have never needed all 3 batteries at the same time. We would certainly have been fine with two of these mini battery docks and one normal dock. But I would definitely recommend having at least one of these docks in your home for iPhone owners.

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i bought this for my bf and have seen what it can do. this product is great for its price. we recently put it to the test last night while waiting 4 hours in line for tron legacy at imax. his cell was down to about 65% and he had brought his fully charged charger, this product i'm reviewing, and while waiting on line, and still using his iphone for downloading updates, playing games, checking emails and such, he was able to get almost an additional 40% charge off this lil charger i got him. that was perfect! so if he was just using it to charge it could well be above 40% charge. the dock holds both the iphone 4 and battery nice and sturdy, it even provides a small connect base so all the weight of the iphone isnt on the prongs of the charger. its very easy to hookup. i'd recommend this item to anyone who uses their iphone all day and find themselves with very lil left by the end of their night, and still are out and about in the city or just away from home for that extra boost of power.

Read Best Reviews of Kensington K39265US Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack for iPhone and iPod, including iPhone 4 an Here

This product does what its supposed to do charges your phone and give you a battery pack. However, I find that placing either the phone or the battery on the dock requires such a precise placement that it can be pretty annoying. I put mine on the nightstand, and there is no way to put the battery back on the charger with using both hands and having a clear view of the full dock and, even then, it can be difficult to line up. The phone is easier, but something about it seems a little tight, such that it can feel like it might break or scratch your phone when placing it on the dock. Also, you have to press down on the phone pretty hard. If you don't, you may find that sometime in the night it decided it wasn't connected well enough and didn't charge your phone. Overall, it is just too picky to be a convenient dock.

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Charges phone conveniently as expected. The extra battery charger is invaluable for those situations when you are low on juice and don't have the time or a place to charge. Quality look and feel. I recommend this product.

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I now own three of these, one for my home office, and two for each side of the bed (my husband and I both have iPhones). I love the way the phone sits in it, tilted slightly up. It's easy to read messages if I'm working at my desk. And the backup battery is a wonderful bonus! I paid over $40 each for the first two, so this price is an amazing bargin.

The negative review states that it's difficult to get the phone in the cradle, even after lots of use. I agree, it does surprise me that I still have to pay attention each time. It doesn't help that the iPhone's connector isn't centered at the bottom. But that's a pretty minor issue for me. It's still a great charger and a great bargin.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Gomadic Intelligent Compact Car / Auto DC Charger for the Archos Gmini 220 - 2A / 10W power at half

Gomadic Intelligent Compact Car / Auto DC Charger for the Archos Gmini 220 - 2A / 10W power at half the size. Uses Gomadic TipExchange Technology
  • Intelligent circuit provides precise output voltage and resistor configuration specific to the Archos Gmini 220. This ensures battery is safely and efficiently charged without affecting battery longevity.
  • 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 Archos Gmini 220) included with additional tips sold separately)
  • Built using high quality capacitors and circuit components to ensure that charging current does not interfere with FM radio transmissions. Rigorous Q&A process.
  • Uses latest state of the art advancements in charging and surge suppression technologies to deliver a unique product in an unbelievably micro-sized form factor.

I thought this thing would actually work, silly me. It is made for my player but the problem is that it makes the player overheat and therefore it kinda stops playing very soon after connecting it. The problem is that there are very few companies that actually make stuff for Archos gminis so there is really no alternative method to trying to find something in the same range as this product. I'm not very impressed with the Archos battery life and thus I tried to accomodate this by buying this travel charger to no avail. I don't use it really.

Also, I don't think I ever got the tip thing.

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Monday, July 8, 2013

12V 5AH Rechargeable Sealed Lead Acid Battery

12V 5AH Rechargeable Sealed Lead Acid BatteryThis battery is exactly what i need for my alarm.

No hassle, arrive, swap and no more warning codes on the alarm panel.

I'm writing this review because when I needed to get a replacement battery for my home alarm system, I was very confused on what batteries were available and what would work in my system. This company shipped very quickly and the battery will last me another 5 years at least. Highly recommended.

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This was such an easy purchase! The battery was delivered in a timely manner and I was pleasantly surprised to receive it before the estimated date of arrival! I had shopped around at other stores for prices on this type of battery and I couldn't find a better deal than this one! I am very happy with my purchase!

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I could not find this battery at a price double of this one. It fits our lawn mower perfectly. thanks

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Much cheaper than factory replacement. The only issue I had were the terminals were slightly smaller than the one that came from the factory installed in the ION amplifier. Initially, this loose connection caused the amplifier not to work at all, and I thought I had a bad battery, but, after replacing the terminal connectors to give it a tighter connection, it works fine. saved 50%

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Taylor Cable 1032 Master Disconnect 2-Post Switch

Taylor Cable 1032 Master Disconnect 2-Post SwitchThis is a high quality disconnect switch, but I returned it for several reasons. First, it's big and heavy which would normally be a plus, but the small mounting area secured by the nut is too small for the same brand aluminum battery box I purchased. Second, it's deep. You need lots of room behind this big switch.

The price was just wonderful. I could have purchased this item in dozens of other places but Amazon had the best price.

Richard Newton

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