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

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Lead Quick Disconnect Battery Terminals

Lead Quick Disconnect Battery TerminalsThe Lead Quick disconnect will probably do the work however, the quality of finishing and look is pretty poor and it extrudes a lot outside the battery area.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Peak PKC0CU 4/12/25 Amp Intelligent Battery Charger

Peak PKC0CU 4/12/25 Amp Intelligent Battery ChargerBought this charger to charge my rv deep cycle batteries. Charger is light weight compared to my other chargers. Convenient storage compartment for cables. Worked just great. Would recommend to anyone.

Like other customers, I experience a stalled charger, exhibiting an F05 error, which means the battery is bad. However . . . there's nothing wrong with this new battery. The problem is the charger. It works fine for a day or two, then gets stuck with an F05 error. People not keeping an eye on the chargers will find themselves with a dead battery at the end of winter. Only way it works is to 1) unplug it, then plug it back in so it starts over, or 2) return it for a different brand that actually works. I'm going with #2.

Buy Peak PKC0CU 4/12/25 Amp Intelligent Battery Charger Now

Thursday, September 18, 2014

ITRONICS ITB-100HD 1080p True HD Car DVR "Black Box" Recorder with GPS

ITRONICS ITB-100HD 1080p True HD Car DVR 'Black Box' Recorder with GPS
  • 2 Megapixel - H.264 Compression - Night Vision - Full HD 1920 x 1080p, 1280 x 720p, 720 x 480p
  • Record Video, Audio, Speed and GPS Location - GPS is built in
  • 8GB Class 10 SD Card Included - Recording Time 3 - 13 hours
  • Parking Mode with Shock and Motion Sensors - Record Incidents Even When Vehicle is Unattended
  • -20 to 70C (158 F) Operating Environment - Does Not Suffer Heat Issues

Just an FYI, I didn't purchase this here, so I won't comment on sellers or prices.

Short review:

+ Full HD! can read license plates and see details clearly in daylight

+ Built-in GPS is surprisingly accurate with both location and speed.

+ Built-in accelometer records any bumps or "shocks" the vehicle receives.

+ Good quality mounting sticker

+ Several configuration options

+ Updateable firmware if you can find it

+ Automatically over-writes oldest files when card is full

+ Small and semi-inconspicuous

+ Automatically saves video when unplugged

+-Parking mode option if camera is powered

+-Default configuration options don't work well, but are changed easily.

+-Included 8GB card is only 4 hours of HD video. Easily upgradeable to 32GB card though.

Not so great at night this is where the 5th star went.

Expect broken English, as this is a Korean product.

Quick start guide only Korean English manual is on the SD card.

Software tends to crash/lock up fairly often

I believe there is no manufacturer warranty for the US.

No button to permanently keep a recording

Built-in mic records quiet and muffled.

Details:

Only 1 button on camera: Microphone toggle on or off.

List of configurable options for the CAMERA from within the SOFTWARE:

* Only one physical button: Microphone on or off.

* Speed toggle in Kilometers/hour (KPH): on or off.

* Recording quality: 1080p@24fps; 1080p@15fps; 720p@30fps; 720p@15fps; 480p@30fps; 480p@15fps.

* Brightness: Standard & Bright. Literally just makes the recording brighter doesn't seem to improve quality at all.

* Shock sensitivity when driving: Off; insensitive; normal; sensitive. Normal picks up every single bump. I keep at insensitive.

* Parking Mode: Off (stops recording); Record for Shock only; Record for Shock or motion.

* Shock sensitivity when parking: Insensitive; normal; sensitive.

* Motion sensitivity when parking: Insensitive; normal; sensitive.

* Shock alarm: On or Off. Camera beeps when it senses a shock.

* File delete method: By time or by file type. Overwrites oldest file first, or lets you set percentage of each type of file to keep.

* Time Zone: For the date/time overlay on recordings.

List of configurable options for the SOFTWARE:

* Speed toggle: Kilometers/hour (KPH) or Miles/hour (MPH)

* Brightness

* Contrast

* Night mode: On or off. Same thing as brightness control, just simpler.

* Rotate recording

* Capture image. Saves current frame as image.

* Play Speed: 0.4x; 0.6x; 0.8x; 1x; 2x

* Volume

Parking mode details:

Parking mode is supposed to be a low-power mode that is activated after the camera is stationary for 5 minutes. Of course, this will only matter if you keep the camera plugged in and if your car provides power when off. The camera stays on the entire time, it just doesn't write the video to the card unless it detects shock or motion, which I assume uses less power. Yes, this could drain your battery anyways, but the camera uses such little power this is not likely unless you rarely/never drive the car.

Note on motion: The manual doesn't clarify this at all, so I had to test for myself. The camera actually does "see" motion not just "feel" it. In other words, if motion is turned on for parking mode it will record someone walking in front of your car/camera, not just pushing on the car.

Other notes:

* You need a windows computer to install the software, change settings, or view GPS data. However, raw video is stored as standard AVI files, so you will still be able to view video with any computer.

* This camera has no night vision whatsoever. There needs to be some source of relatively bright light to see anything clearly.

* I forgot to measure the length of the 12v adapter cord before installing, but I was able to route the cord all the way around my windshield, out and around the dashboard, and to the middle outlet with about a foot to spare. It may have been 10-12ft long.

* The camera saves a video file to the card every 1-2 minutes OR when power is disconnected.

* Camera takes about 30 seconds after power is applied to begin recording, and averages about 1-2 minutes to obtain a GPS signal.

* To reiterate, if speed overlay is enabled, you will only see KPH in the video. MPH is only viewable in the software.

*Update: There is an English version software update available that works for me on Windows 8 x64, so I assume it should work on Windows 7 as well. It is located on the original manufacturer's "mall" site, which is totally in Korean. Link below if it will allow: ipassmall.co.kr/ipassblack/down_proc.asp?filename=PC+Player%28ver+1%2E3%2E2%29%5FITB%2D100HD%2Ezip

Buy ITRONICS ITB-100HD 1080p True HD Car DVR "Black Box" Recorder with GPS Now

This is a great camera, for what it is.

With accelerometers (to sense crashes, jolts or sudden acceleration/braking) and embedded GPS metadata, this is much more than just a souped-up GoPro camera.

The camera records audio and video continuously on the included full-size 8Gb SDHC card, but I would recommend buying a 32Gb card or two. It's a good idea to have a spare on hand in case you need to remove the card to view or preserve its contents.

Most cameras in this price range dont even record audio, the ITB100HD does.

Camera settings are done within the (Windows only) player application, which are then transferred via the SDHC card to the camera. The camera itself has one control: A single push button that toggles the internal microphone on and off, and to format the memory card. Worked fine with 64-bit Windows 7.

Settings include choices of frame-rate and resolution, whether or not the camera records continuously (or simply responds to motion or jolts), whether the camera overwrites older files, and in what order event-associated files are over-written.

You can also choose how sensitive the shock sensing and motion detection is -to a point. I have found there are too few steps of resolution to choose from, and the camera is often sensitive even at its most insensitive settings. There are also presets for brightness, time zone, and the ability to export still frames or whole clips to your computer's hard drive.

When the camera experiences shock or jolt, it tags a clip as an 'event'. Likewise, if it records motion while in 'Parking mode' (when it senses you haven't moved for five minutes), it tags those just as distinctly. This is useful when sorting thru files to distinguish travel time from time parked.

The on-screen speed overlay is in Kilometers/hour, requiring a 3rd-party firmware hack to correct it to mph.

Time-stamp information comes from GPS, so that is not only a convenience but essential if you need to use this video in court.

There is a 'Video Out' connector you can use to assist aiming during installation, and later to provide sound and picture if you want to live-stream your dashcam to UStream, Skype, etc. This is an essential option if you need to preserve your video remotely, to protect evidence from theft or confiscation.

The videos are divided into one or two-minute timestamped clips (depending on the frame-rate you choose) and are standard H.264 video playable on any modern computer.

In the event of a crash or power loss, the camera has enough internal reserve power to do a proper shut-down, preserving the video.

At the highest quality setting, the frame-rate is 24fps (rather than 30fps) but is more than adequate. Even the 15fps option performs well, and may actually be a better choice for night driving and economizing memory.

The 'Parking' setting appears to be more for saving recording space than battery power, so if you have a weak car battery you may not want to leave this operating for days without charging your battery.

The pinhole opening for the microphone can be enlarged to improve audio, which comes from the factory somewhat muffled.

The mounting kit is for adhering the camera to the windshield glass. In my vehicle, however, I get better performance mounting the camera to the rear-view mirror, so you may wish to obtain a hefty piece of Velcro. Mirror-mounting also better conceals the camera from theft, and newer vehicles have continuous power available at the mirror so you dont have visible wires and clutter.

Each time you insert the SDHC card, you need to push the 'format' button to get the camera to recognize it. If you forget, the camera will sound an 'SD card error' (4 beeps that repeat) after the camera has been operating for several minutes.

There is an essentially useless LED that faces the front, and flashes when in the 'Parking mode'. I call it the "steal me" light, and you can cover it with black tape.

The oddest thing about this camera is how it is marketed.

iTronics has apparently had issues with some sellers, and honoring the warranty seems to depend on where you bought it.

The manual is broken English, so it would be worthwhile to consult some online forums dedicated to this camera.

The English portion of iTronics website is completely unintelligible, so firmware and software updates are often found on independent forums like dashcamtalk.com or radardetectorforum.org.

Even with the English-language software version, iTronics seems to assume most users will be in Korea. That's unfortunate, because they are underestimating the value of their own product, and missing bigger markets.

You can find the English manual on-line, search for ITB100HD_English Manual.pdf

You can also download and install the player application, by searching for ITB-100HDE PC Player.zip

There are other versions of this camera from iTronics, some have substituted the GPS module for Wi-Fi (so you dont have to fetch the SDHC card) and even one with a voice module (sadly, only in Korean). The ITB-100HD has the better CMOS imager and performs better at night, so beware if you are considering other models.

If you are a good driver, and are ever in the position where you need to prove it, this under-$200 "black box" is a good investment.

If you would like a rock-steady record of a road trip matched with a GPS map, you are also in luck.

One last thought: Using this camera at night will definitely illustrate the value of keeping your windshield clean.

Read Best Reviews of ITRONICS ITB-100HD 1080p True HD Car DVR "Black Box" Recorder with GPS Here

The only concern I had when buying this product was that I saw that it was km/h only and would only show MPH in the viewing software.

I found a guy on a forum who was selling a converstion for $8.00 and thought that was crazy. Then I did a bit more searching and found a blog post that not only described in detail how to convert the code to work with MPH, but also shared a patched binary for FREE!

has details on how to update the firmware of the camera to use MPH instead of km/h. It took me less than five minutes to convert mine and now I couldn't be happier.

Want ITRONICS ITB-100HD 1080p True HD Car DVR "Black Box" Recorder with GPS Discount?

1080hd for good quality video,

GPS to tell you where and how fast you were going,

shock sensor to tell when you crashed,

Accelerate or Decelerate awareness,

creates separate folders,

So whats missing?

an installation for MAC, are you serious? how did such amazing technology mess this up? i cant even look at the settings, since there is only one button on the device and everything else is handled through the computer when the SD card is inserted, fail...

I did not buy this product from this vendor on amazon, but am giving a review on the itronics ITB-100HD.

over all its a good product that work well and is very easy to use.

PROS: no over heating problems unlike the blackvue

the recording quality is good during the day but is just ok at night

you are only able to read lic plate if the car is not in motion and is within 5 ft in front of you.

CONS: clarity at night is not the greatest. I dont believe this is a true 1080P HD quality more like 720p (yes i have the settings on 1080P)

the IPASS Black program does not always work

if you have a MAC, windows 7 or 8, forget about using the program as it wont even start up with the SD card in the computer. you are still able to play the video on quicktime or windows media player or

VLC

the mic is not the greatest but works decent.

overall its a good product.... this product is mainly only used to record accidents not obtain lic plates while car is in motion.... dispite the cons i am able to express this is still one of the best car dash cams out there.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Soundfly BT Ultimate Bluetooth Car Fm Transmitter WMA/MP3 Player for SD Card, USB Charger, iPhone 5

Soundfly BT Ultimate Bluetooth Car Fm Transmitter WMA/MP3 Player for SD Card, USB Charger, iPhone 5, 4s, 4, 3Gs & 3G, iPod, Zune, Android & Windows Mobile Smartphones
  • Simple plug & play - Bluetooth Ver. 2.0: Hands-free, AVRCP, A2DP - Reads MP3 & WMA files
  • Transmits on all FM frequencies (88.1MHz-107.9MHz) - Memorizes up to 7 FM frequencies
  • RDS (Radio Data System): Caller ID and song information (works with only SD card) on your compatible radio display.
  • Standard USB port for charging(5V 0.5 Amp), SD slot for music playback, external microphone & 2.5mm stereo output & input 3.5mm cable included
  • Remote features: Answer/End calls, Volume Up & Down, Folder Shift, Fast Forward & Rewind, Repeat.

To get a bluetooth hands free device that also plays my music through my car's sound system for only 80 bucks I think is a sweet deal! I've had it for about a week, it's been working great and I love it! The sound quality seems the same as any other radio station. That includes the fact that when people call and I hear them through my speakers, they sound like someone calling into a radio station, which is kind of cool. :) Haven't made many calls using bluetooth yet, but so far the person on the other line says they can't even tell I'm using a hands free device.

Pros:

It's a great idea that works well.

The price is reasonable.

I love being able to play music from a flash drive or an SD card.

It remembers the last song that was playing when I turned the car off and picks back up with that song when I start driving again.

The music pauses automatically when a call comes in and it shows the number of the incoming call on its screen.

You can either clip the mic on to your shirt or seat belt when you want to use it, or it comes with a different clip that attaches to your visor so it's always ready to go. They provide two adhesive clips for the wire to fit into so you can guide the wire along a non-obtrusive path.

Cons:

You need to use your phone to make a call; pressing the call button on the device redials the last number, rather than activating voice command.

When playing from USB/SD card, it only supports 1999 songs and 20 folders. The music also must be in a folder named MP3 or Soundfly. This means that if you sync with Windows Media player, you will need to select the option for it to not create a folder hierarchy (otherwise it creates a folder for each artist) and then copy the songs from the root directory on the drive to the MP3/Soundfly directory.

It can't read songs with any digital rights info (though I think this is pretty common).

The users manual and packaging have a bunch of grammatical mistakes. The English was clearly either translated with some mistakes or written by someone who is not fluent.

Most of the buttons and functionality are through the remote, which must be pointed directly at the device (I don't find it necessary to use it very often, though).

I haven't found any of these cons to be a big deal, though, just minor things that leave some room for improvement. I would say this a great product, which I am recommending to my friends and family.

Buy Soundfly BT Ultimate Bluetooth Car Fm Transmitter WMA/MP3 Player for SD Card, USB Charger, iPhone 5 Now



Through the years I have used several FM modulators and I have used several Bluetooth devices, but the Soundfly BT is the first Bluetooth/FM modulator that is completely integrated. What this means is that you have one device that will allow you to play your iPod/iPhone over your car's speakers and also have the ability to make hands free calls. The Soundfly BT also comes with a handy little remote control that can help you change FM stations on the modulator, answer phone calls, and give you total control over your music.

Before we go into the review some people are not familiar with how a FM modulator works. What it does is that it transmits a signal form a device to a static-filled FM station. What this means is that you find a station that does not have anything broadcasted on it ...say... 87.9 (depending on where you live)... and you set both the FM Modulator and your radio to that station. The FM Modulator then *broadcasts* a signal to the previously static filled station.

A couple of caveats to this review. I am reviewing this exclusively as an accessory to an iPod Touch/iPhone (Gen 4). I did not try using the SD card for playing music...since I really don't have a need since we store all of our music on our iPods.

Features

+Excellent FM Modulator. While no FM modulator is *perfect* this one is the closet that I have come across.

+ The remote control offers a lot of functionality. It allows you to answer calls, change stations on the FM Modulator, change the volume (which is a neat trick), shuffle through folders, advance and skip songs. I am REALLY surprised at how often I use the remote

+ Sound quality for phone calls is very good. Much better than I expected. The person you are talking to knows that they are on speaker phone, but the interference seems to be minimal.

+ Well-designed everything seems to make sense such as the way the Soundfly BT can pivot to fit into almost every 12V power source.

+ It has a USB power source! This allows you to charge/power any device that plugs into your computers USB port.

Areas of Concerns

Don't lose the manual! I looked (briefly) and wasn't able to find a copy of the manual online... it may be there...if so could you leave me a comment?

About 25-50% of the time the Bluetooth does not seem to sync with my iPod. While my iPod shows that it is paired with the Soundfly BT I am unable to get music to play. I am able to solve the problem by powering my iPod off and back on. It is a bit of an annoyance, which is why I am taking off 1/2 star.

Not overly intuitive on how to operate (outside of the remote) or to pair the Soundfly BT with your iPod/iPhone. For reference press the *Green* phone key until you hear an audible beep over your speakers. Once the Soundfly BT is found by your device use the code "0000" to pair the devices.

I wish that the Soundfly BT had an integrated microphone. The wired microphone works well, but I prefer not having extra wires hanging around my dashboard.

Final Verdict While there are a couple of minor issues I am very happy with the Soundfly BT. There are tons of positive features with the Soundfly BT that makes it well worth the purchase price!

4 to 4 1/2 Stars

Read Best Reviews of Soundfly BT Ultimate Bluetooth Car Fm Transmitter WMA/MP3 Player for SD Card, USB Charger, iPhone 5 Here

I bought this product after seeing the review over here. I had VR3 USB-SD transmitter for over 4 years and was looking for new one after it broke.

First and foremost, the Satechi Customer service is excellent, very prompt response and prompt delivery. I Could give 10 stars for their support.

Pros on this product,

i) Bluetooth and MP3 Player with stereo FM transmitter

ii) The remote works for folder froward and track forward (lagged in VR3)

iii) Quality of FM transmission, constant stereo transmission with good signal.

CONS:

i) Limited folder level, Satechi should bring some Firmware to recognise more folders (VR3 has unlimited folder level)

ii) Remote power is weak, should plan to improve on this. works only line of site, maximum 3 feet away (in car it doesnt matter, but you have to have your hand pointed towards the unit, depending on model, could be painful).

iii) Not all the functions available in the unit, if you loose remote you loose,

Save or book mark option

A-B option

Folder switch option

When I received the product, I was surprised with the quality of the sound in FM, it was near CD quality, when I used VR3, I could see a huge difference in the audio quality using SD and USB disks. When I connect external source (cd player or computer and transmit, the volume is much better and the range of reception is about 35 feet with walls in between. I plugged this unit with wall power adapter, and used portable player to transmit, then I could receive signal in basement and second floor without any problems.

After 4 days, using bluetooth in car, the receiver could not hear me clearly and the remote I received I had to hold very close to the unit (literally less than 2 inches). I was little upset due to this considering the price I paid. (may be mine was one of the unlucky one's)

Sent a mail to support in Satechi, less than two hours, received prompt response, with couple of mails, then arranged for replacement unit. for some reason it got delayed, but the Customer serveice repsentative was curteous and helpfull tracking the package and made sure it is picked up on following day. Due to their response, I even kind of forgot on the issue and cooled down. was looking forward the new unit. It arrived two days ago and testing. So far so good, the MP is working really good and remote works about 3 feet from the unit (useful when I connect this at home). On bluetooth connectivity I am still need to test fully, so far it appears to be okay, the receiver is able to hear me okay. have to try during long drive and check. will update my posting soon on this.

Over all great product, if they over come the short falls (directory recognition and increased power on remote,) I would give them 5 Stars.

Compare to Vr3, much better product, there is very low interference and static. I would recommend this product.

As promised, I am updating my experience with Bluetooth

So far so good, when I drive in city the bluetooth quality is good at the receiving end, but when I drive in Highway at 70 to 75 MPH, the receiver complained I am breaking. It appears that mic is too sensitive and picking up the vehicle vibration, I am still trying to get an optimum location for the mic to reduce outside noise. Since within city limit, the quality is good I am not worried much.

Also, the sound quality on my radio in the car is really really good. So Bluetooth works for me. I am not planning to return this product, I recommend this to any one looking for great quality of sound and a versatile product.

On FM transmitter, the power is sufficient enough to suppress a moderate radio signal (88.5 is NPR station in Dayton, I am able to suppress this thru this unit). So as far as static is concerned it is virtually null if use free or moderate station channel.

Return on Cost is good compare to options I explored like Parot and other dealer supplied Bluetooth units.

Over all I will give 4.5 for this, giving room for other improvements suggested earlier.

Satechi, Great product, looking for advanced one in future from you. Your customer service Rocks!!!!!!!! Great and thanks a ton for a good product.

Want Soundfly BT Ultimate Bluetooth Car Fm Transmitter WMA/MP3 Player for SD Card, USB Charger, iPhone 5 Discount?

Manual is horrible. Just says few things about basic operation.

Make two annoying loud bell sound (through your car FM radio) when you start the car (Assuming you left this device in cigarette lighter socket while turning off your car last time). Not sure why this is needed. Manual does not seem to say anything about it.

Bluetooth connects fine with cellphones equipped with bluetooth. Microphone picks up my voice fine. It is a wired microphone(provided) There is no built in microphone on this device. Place it near your speedometer panel (or visor). Do not place it near the car fan vents. You will have to run the wire using some tiny wire clips or glue. Without the microphone you can't use cellphone bluetooth.

DO NOT COUNT ON headphone out when using SD card or USB Port to play music. Headphone out is ONLY FOR THE BLUETOOTH usage from cellphone. I wrote to Satechi/Soundfly tech support to confirm this. It would have made a great device if I could play music from SD card and connect the headphone out to my car's AUX-in port. It WOULD have given me better quality sound than FM.

Customer support: They respond (but slow). They do not understand english well (or your problem well). Simple sentences and examples will get you answer in one or two sentences.

Looks well constructed. Display is complicated and takes time to learn.

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Before I get into the review, just let me say that I am a techie guy. I love gadgets. I love computers. I love cell phones. If this isn't you, you may have a different opinion of this device than I do.

I spent quite a bit of time looking at this (and other) devices to play MP3's in my car. I recently purchased little 2 seater that doesn't have much room and only a single CD player, but was use to having a CD changer in my Cadillac. I knew that I could get more music on an SD card than I could ever have in a CD changer and didn't want to replace the factory stereo in my car. I ran across several MP3 players that plug into the cigarette lighter and began to see who all offered them and what people were saying.

I read the reviews and then ran into this little gizmo that not only played MP3's but also connected to a cell phone via bluetooth. I looked at this and several other products for about two weeks before I purchased. Therefore, I was well aware of the pluses and minuses of this device.

The Good:

It plays MP3's well. I live in a rural area and the reception of the signal on my radio is great ... even if it is walking on a weak radio station signal. The only time I have noticed any additional static is when I am driving by one of those huge radio station antennas. Other than that, the sound is very good for being in a car. But, let's be honest: How good does the sound reproduction have to be in a car? There is road and wind noise most of the time while you are driving! In my case, I don't notice any difference between the MP3 reception and playing a CD.

The bluetooth implimentation has been flawless. The sound is great and the only time I have had difficulties having the person on the other end hear me well is when the my cell phone is flaking out.

The Bad:

It has been well documented in the other reviews that this product can only access 20 directories. However, it can see up to 1999 files. OK ... who really wants to put 100 MP3's in a directory? It would be great if there were more directories available, but I knew this going in. So ... if I want to organize my music by album (as is typical), I can only put 20 albums on an SD card. What CD changer does that? And, if I want to, I can always find space somewhere for a couple more SD cards in my car ... even if it is a 2 seater.

Also ... the battery on the remote was bad when I got it even though there was a plastic protector that had to be pulled out before use. I don't know how it could have been used up at that point, but I got another battery and it works great.

Everything else:

I have yet to try to use an MP3 player of any kind because that wasn't my goal. However, I do intend to try an IPod at some point in the future.

I put a little bit of velcro on the bottom of the remote and mounted it on my center console. It "almost" looks factory and works great there. I never have to search for it. The controls on the remote are much easier to use than to try to use the controls on the SoundFly BT itself.

I used the included sun visor mount for the microphone for the bluetooth, ran the cable behind the panels etc into the center console so the cord for the microphone is not visible except just before it goes into the SoundFly. Again, the sound is great and no one even knows it is there unless I point it out.

I played around with how I had my music organized and have come to a fairly good point with what I have on the card. Overall, I am very happy with the SoundFly BT. If lost it ... I'd buy another.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Universal Adjustable Windshield Mount for Nokia Lumia 820 Windows Phone 8 Smartphone + SumacLife TM

Universal Adjustable Windshield Mount for Nokia Lumia 820 Windows Phone 8 Smartphone + SumacLife TM Wisdom Courage WristbandI received the holder a few days ago, installed it in the car, but have yet to test it under daily use.

Overall, construction quality seems more than reasonable better than I'd expected, given the low price, and as good as items selling for over twice its price.

The gripping arms can be set to a wide range of widths, which allows the holder to accommodate a wide variety of phones. With my phone (Nokia Lumia), the grip is firm to the extent that I believe it won't drop under any reasonable road condition.

The support arm has 3 adjustable joints which makes it easy to get the phone into a convenient position in a wide range of situations. As far as I can tell, the locking mechanism in the joints is sufficiently firm to keep the set orientation from changing even under rough road conditions.

I'm refraining from a 5-star rating as I've just received it and don't know how durable it is, or how well the vacuum/suction grip holds on longer trips, with the phone in it.

So far, I'm happy with this purchase and would recommend it. I'll edit this review in case that changes after I've used it for a while.

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

AmazonBasics Programmable Digital Tire Gauge

AmazonBasics Programmable Digital Tire GaugeBuyer Beware: I wanted to like the Amazon basics product line because I'm an active Amazon Prime consumer, but my first experience with their tire gauge product is very disappointing. The electronics and digital display are fine and worked well for the half dozen times I could use it. But within just a few uses, the hardware that fits on the tire valve broke right off and fell apart. I tried to snap it all back together but the metal fittings actually ripped in half. I'm a very careful user of my gadgets and I did not apply any unnecessary force, it was just very cheaply made with cheap mechanical fittings. I will purchase a name-brand tire gauge next time and try to get my money back on this one.

Update: 7/3/2012

Once again, industry-standard Amazon.com customer satisfaction shines. On 7/3/2012, based upon reading my 1-star review, I was contacted by Amazon Executive Customer Relations who apologized for the faulty device and offered a free replacement or full refund. Since I already purchased a low-tech, traditional analog pressure gauge to replace this one a couple days ago, I accepted the refund. Regardless, Amazon customer service and buyer empathy takes all the risk out of AmazonBasics purchases and I won't hesitate to give another branded gadget a try next time. This is why so many of us are addicted to this incredible consumer retail experience. Greg

This Product: 1-star

Customer Service: 5-stars +

I am a fanatic about maintaining the pressure in my tires. I also follow MY recommended pressures, not the manufacturer's (I run a few psi over spec). Add to that that I live in a temperate zone, as most all of us in North America do... and I get a lot of use from tire pressure gauges.

I have used digital, graduated stick type, and high accuracy dial type over the years. Each has it's advantages (although a stick type's only advantage is that it fits in your pocket easily, as they are not very accurate). But I like the combination of accuracy and ease of use provided by a good digital gauge. Easier to read, and often easier to use.

This gauge is the best I've ever had at far below the price of some I've owned. It takes only seconds to register your pressure, which is displayed in large numbers with an illuminated back screen. It holds the reading for 10 seconds. The angle of the head and size of the unit are well designed, making it easier to make good contact with the valve stem than many others I've used (nothing I hate more than bleeding air while trying to get a good seal with a gauge). There is even a small LED flashlight feature that is useful if you are trying to work in the dark.

You can pre-set the desired pressures for your front and rear tires into the gauge to serve as a reminder. These setting don't actually perform any function (such as telling you how much over/under you are), which would be a nice design upgrade... but it is useful for those who don't easily remember the prescribed pressures.

The bleeder side of the head (used to let air out of the tires) is a little awkward to use, due to the angle. But it is still useful. The case for the gauge is actually very nice and zips closed. It has enough padding to protect the gauge, should it be dropped on the road or garage floor. The feel of the tool is good very ergonomic. I rate this gauge five stars because it excels at everything I need in a tire pressure gauge, and the odd bleeder angle is not enough of a problem to take away a star. I love it!

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This is my first-ever Amazon review, but I had to write one considering how impressed I was with this product.

I've owned an Accutire MS-4000 for over 10 years, and it finally gave out. I liked it and it worked well, but was always a little touchy when sealing up to the valve stem. I looked on Amazon and read all the reviews of gauges, carefully reading the negatives, and then came across this one. Could someone have finally made a well-designed digital gauge? Especially one with all glowing reviews? I decided to take a chance on it, and so far I'm glad I did!

It appears well-made, and right away, the metal swivel head beats the Accutire hands down. It seals perfectly and is much easier to place on the stem. I didn't have any trouble using the bleeder on it either. The display is very easy to read and stays lit long enough for me to go from tire to tire.

As for the memory function, that's not a selling point for me, and I didn't even bother to pre-set them for my tires. I know what pressures I want to run, and this feature doesn't help me. I'm not saying it's a bad feature, just one I'll never use.

I don't know who Amazon partnered with (or contracted out to) to make this gauge, but I'd say it was quite successful. I'll probably be buying a few of these as gifts for family and friends, considering how easy they are to use and how well they work.

Read Best Reviews of AmazonBasics Programmable Digital Tire Gauge Here

This unit is pretty nice and I like it a lot. However, I feel compelled to take two stars off for the following reasons:

1. The unit takes two CR2032 (watch) batteries. After having this for only four months, the batteries died, which I thought was odd. Only having one CR2032 on hand, I decided to test the batteries to make sure it was the batteries and not the gauge itself. To my surprise, one of the batteries was OK and the other was absolutely dead. Points off for sending me a product with an infirm battery.

2. When I went to put the batteries into the gauge, I discovered that there's no indication of any kind what battery polarity should be. I consulted the manual which said "Replace old batteries with two CR2032 batteries ... matching +/polarity as marked." Points off for leaving me in the dark (FYI, positive side up).

3. There's no slip-off battery cover. The manual says "Remove the battery door on the back using a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the black screw." (I have no idea what the black screw is) There are two sets of screw holes, one to the front and the other to the rear. I assumed, given no other information, that both sets needed to be removed. In fact, only the back set requires removal. Now I'm not going to gripe about having to take out and put back two screws unnecessarily. What irritated me was discovering that the two sets, while the same length, were not the same diameter. An obvious difference is size wouldn't have bothered me, but in this case, the front set of screws were 0.2 mm larger. I am not making this up -I checked with a caliper.

I love Amazon and I love their stuff, but in this particular case, they could have done a better job.

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My concerns about accuracy were taken care of when I bought another aneroid gauge to replace one I keep in another car. The new aneroid gauge gave exactly the same readings as the Amazon gauge. Bottom line is that my old aneroid gauge was old and giving low readings. After using the Amazon gauge now for about a year I have not problems with it and prefer its digital readout to looking at an aneroid gauge dial.

A solidly constructed tire gauge that is easy to use. In particular, it seems to grip the valve stem on the tire and does not slide off easily like other tire gauges I have used. My only concern is how accurate this gauge is. My other gauge, which is a standard analog dial gauge has seemed to match up closely with what the tire shop sets my pressure at with new tires. The Amazon digital gauge, however, reads 4.5 psi below what my other gauge reads. This is a pretty big discrepancy at 30 or 35 psi. I'm not sure which gauge has the accurate reading, or if both of them are inaccurate.

Another minor nit to pick is the description of how you can fine tune the pressure with an air bleed function. This function is just a little protrusion on the back of the gauge that you use to depress the valve stem on your tire and let out air. You have to stop taking the pressure, turn around the gauge, let out some air, turn the gauge around again and press it on the tire to read the pressure. On my old analog dial gauge there is a bleed valve that you activate by pressing a button while the gauge is still on the tire. This is easier and faster.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Ford Three Button Keyless Remote

Ford Three Button Keyless RemoteFord wanted twice the price for this remote and my dealer has a charge for programming. This looks and functions exactly like the OEM remote. Simple instructions were provided and it took less than 1 minute to do the programming on the new remote and the old original that I had. I highly recommend this product and seller.

Setup of this remote was SO easy and fast it literally took my husband less than a minute to set it up! We love having a working remote again for our truck!

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Make sure you have the correct type for your car, then order without hesitation. No brainer set-up, works great. Good price (certainly beat the Ford place quote by a mile!)

Read Best Reviews of Ford Three Button Keyless Remote Here

Works just fine. Took less than a minute to program and worked right away. You can also program multiple remotes at once so this is a great buy even if you already have a remote but want a spare or if the part that attaches to the key ring broke off the remote that came with your vehicle like mine did.

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Great product, easy programming, it works ! the ford dealership was charging me $95 for the exact same remote,the guy lied to my face and told me that if I bought it online it was not going to function properly, but it did !!!

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Mobile PowerFlex Travel Power Inverter & Charger w/ USB Port, AC Outlet and 300 Watts of Surge Capa

Mobile PowerFlex Travel Power Inverter & Charger w/ USB Port, AC Outlet and 300 Watts of Surge Capacity for Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets, iPods, Portable DVD Players and more!
  • Equipped with Overload & Short Circuit Preventative measures, the MobilePower Flex features 300 watts of surge capacity, 175 watts peak power, and 150 watts of continuous power. Also comes with a Low Vehicle Battery Auto-Shutdown Function
  • Easy to use: Conveniently inserts into car cigarette lighter, so you can plug AC Power Adapers directly into the MobilePower Flex
  • USB port lets you charge USB-compatible devices in case you don't have an AC adapter
  • Provides on-the-go power for Phones, Tablets, Portable DVD Players, Digital Cameras, iPods, MP3 Players, GPS Units and more!
  • Guaranteed Quality ** 3 Year Manufacturer's Warranty **

Pro:

This product functions just as advertised. Since there is only one AC plug, use a surge protector cord so two items can be plugged in at the same time. During a 400 mile road trip, both my son and I used our laptops at the same time while being powered through the use of this adapter.

Con:

The fan is a little noisy but after a while it became background noise and I forgot about it.

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Pros: Worked for a year

Charged everything I needed

Cons: Fan is loud

Broke after a year and shorted out every cigarette lighter it got plugged into

Overall it lasted pretty long but could have worked better in the long run. Very frustrating when the fuse in it is just fine and you wind up thinking your car is broke when low and behold, it is just your charger that is creating some type of fault.

Read Best Reviews of Mobile PowerFlex Travel Power Inverter & Charger w/ USB Port, AC Outlet and 300 Watts of Surge Capa Here

-UPDATE: As of 6/15/2010, the product appears to have broken. It has blown four car fuses over the past two days. I'm not sure what happened to it, but keep this in mind when getting one. I loved it before, but now I just threw it out. --

Electronic junkies will love this adapter, which you stick into your car's "cigarette lighter" port to gain the ability to charge items that require a regular house outlet.

I always carry it with me whenever I go on a car ride, and it spares me the trouble of panicking over car adapters I don't have. This can save you a lot of money on purchasing car chargers for all of your electronic items.

On long rides, if someone else is driving, I just plug in my laptop and watch movies the whole time, without worrying about the battery. To name a few things, I have also charged my cell phone, camera, iPod, and DSi.

I love the USB port, because I can simultaneously charge my iPod while charging another item.

The adapter's fan is a bit noisy, but as long as you are using the radio or AC, it shouldn't be a problem.

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This was exactly what I needed as I travel long distances daily.

Pros: Surprisingly short time to charge my laptop very pleased on that score. Quick delivery (2 days). Simple to use.

Cons: As mentioned in other reviews, it is a little noisy. I guess it's some sort of fan to keep it cool. It's basically noticeable when the car is turned off, but not really audible when the car is running.

This was my first buy from Accessory Genie. (Now, for the record, I don't have any relationship with them.) But, they sent me an after sale email wanting to know what I liked or didn't like about the product and if I was happy. I think that's a first for me. Seemed like the type of people that would work with you if you ever had to return a product.

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I checked many similar products, because I wanted to make sure that this product would work well for my laptop and flip camera. It is easy to use and supports devices up to 150 Watts continuously. There are some other ones that look alike, but does not suffice to supply power to laptops. Be careful! This product is made for laptops. The USB charger is really useful. I guess to more product will be available to be charged via USB in near future, and this product will be even more useful then. It has a fan to cool off the unit. Before buying it, I read that somebody complained about the "noisy" fan, but I personally disagree. Maybe I can tolerate it easier than most people. However, even if it is noisy, it is a trade I would gladly make in exchange of being able to charge my laptop on the go while at the same time I use it. I think, a fan was necessary for such a unit with this capacity, and for this price, it is a GOOD deal! I would definitely recommend.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

T225 Bluetooth Car Kit

T225 Bluetooth Car KitIn February, I purchased two Motorola T325 Wireless Bluetooth Car Speaker Portable Vehicle Visor Mount with Auto Pairing For All Cell Phones and SmartphonesBLACKNon-Retail Packaging. for my wife's and my vehicles and gave those units a 5-star review.

I requested a review unit of this T225 because the limitation of our T325 per-vehicle solution has been that if my wife and I swap cars, we don't have hands-free calling unless the first person out remembers to also swap the speakerphone units.

This T225 speakerphone pairs with multiple cell phones so that more than one person can use it hands-free. The extra people might be in the vehicle (which would be a little weird, as the microphone would typically be on the driver's sun visor). But, in a multi-driver household, any driver would have hands-free operation.

What's not to like? Well, all of the features of the T325 that this speakerphone does not have which make the T325 more "hands-free" than the T225.

This is a very basic, 'dumb' unit. When a phone rings, it announces that the call is for Phone 1, Phone 2, etc. If two paired phones are in the car, you have to have some idea which phone is 1 or 2 (etc) to know if it is your phone that is ringing or someone else's. Doesn't sound like a huge deal, but...

What about when only one of multiple paired phones is in the car? This phone simply rings and says that there is an incoming call. You have no idea who it is from. The T325 announces the caller by name. If you don't want to answer the call on this T225, you have to somehow press both the volume UP and DOWN buttons at the same time. With the T325, you just press a single button.

How about dialing? Both support voice dialing using your phones own voice-dialing feature. So, the intelligence depends on your phone itself. But, what about calling your 'favorites' or frequently called numbers? The T225 offers nothing. The T325 memorizes a list of favorite contacts and easily lets you scroll through the list with one button, listening to the name being announced and then pressing the dial button when the name comes up.

Entering the car, the T325 announces "Connected to John Smith's iPhone. Battery level is high" (e.g.) while the T225 announces "Connected to Phone 1. Battery level is high." Receiving a call, the T325 announces "Call from David Jackson". The T225 announces "Call for Phone 1".

The T225 is so limited its only real feature is the ability to pair with multiple phones that I just cannot recommend it, when I consider how powerful and useful the T325 is.

I've posted a photo showing both the T225 and T325 clipped to the sun visor to compare their sizes/shapes.

Open it up, turn it on. Pair your phone with it.

That is it. The device is simple, it does one thing, and it does it well. Sound quality is clear, people say they can't tell I'm on a speakerphone (but I use Sprint and their voice quality is not so good.

There are other models that do more, I read the three star review, but I put it to you this way: You want a device that does one thing and does it well, and you want the battery to last as long as it can so that you can use your phone as long as you can. The more features you load on to the device, the more the battery wears down, and the harder it is to use, or the more likely you are to get it into an odd state.

It really is a top quality device, and I have nothing bad to say about it. Voice instructions for hookup, you really do not need the instructions.

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In a different product review, I proclaimed the Supertooth HD as a near-perfect Bluetooth device for hands-free use. I came up with a list of 14 criteria items. I will post that list here and that will show why I rate the Motorola T225 as 2-stars.

What makes the perfect car bluetooth speakerphone?

==============

1. It should have caller-id that speaks the name of the caller

The Motorola T225 does not have caller-id.

2. It should automatically turn on/off as you are away from the car

The T225 is pretty bad in this department. While it seems to have an auto-off, it will never turn itself back on unless you purposely move the micro-power-switch off and back on again. I tested this multiple times and it simply has no way to turn itself back on automatically. It is waaay too inconvenient to have to remember to turn this device off and back on each and every single time you enter your car.

3. It should have ample volume while driving at highway speeds

Volume on the T225 is pretty pathetic. The Supertooth HD is probably 4x louder.

4. You should only have to press a single and easily accessible button to answer or place a call

This is a really bad design on the T225. It has a mute button and an answer call button, both are the same size and you have to remember which button to press or...take your eyes off the road and look up to see which button you are pressing. Sure you will memorize it eventually, but the device is so small, if you're off by 2 inches, you'll press the wrong button.

5. It should make use of your phone's built-in voice recognition system (if your phone has this)

Confirmed, this works.

6. It should be easy to pair and auto-download your phone's contacts

Yes, easy to pair multiple phones, but there's no caller-id name announce, therefore, it does not store contacts. This is a huge deal-breaker why have the fancy technology of bluetooth, if it won't announce who is calling you ?

7. It should reconnect easily when you are in the car

Does not do this at all once it has auto-turned itself off. You must physically move the power switch off and back on.

8. Callers should be able to hear you clearly at highway speeds

Callers seem to hear me fine, but I couldn't hear them because of the low speaker volume, with volume turned all the way up

9. The charging port should not be obstructed when the device is installed on a sunvisor

Not obstructed

10. It should have a long battery life

Seems to be as advertised, but probably because it turns itself completely off, you must manually turn it on each time after it auto-powers off.

11. It should be reliable whether it is -40 degrees in Fargo or the internal car temperature reaches 140 degrees in Texas

Unknown at this time

12. It should have good documentation or manufacturer's website and support

Motorola has always been good about this.

13. It should be usable whether the sun visor is flipped down or up

If you flip your visor, you must remove and reposition the device and visor mount.

14. It should be reasonably priced

Compared to the *feature packed* T325, this T225 is over-priced it simply has no real features. If you're going to spend the same amount of money, get the T325 on Amazon. If you want a bluetooth device that matches the 14 criteria items above closer than any other device out there, for a reasonable price, get the Supertooth HD.

Read Best Reviews of T225 Bluetooth Car Kit Here

I've had this unit for a few months now, and I'm still running off the initial charge! Battery life is amazing, clarity is good, and the bluetooth range is greater than I had anticipated.

Pairing was simple, and re-establishing the connection is as easy as turning it off and on again. Big talk button, easy to hit even with gloves on. No complaints, I wish I'd gotten it sooner!

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This is truly a universal product. I have a 5 years, old fashioned cell phone from Samsung provided to me by Verizon, which was never happy with any other Bluetooth device. It worked with this one like a charm. Very easy to pair and connect, almost like plug-and-play. The product itself has a very beautiful design and speakerphone is very powerful. Even if you drive with your windows open, you can clearly hear the voice from your call. Battery lasts a lot. This is an excellent deal for the price.

I am extremely happy with this product and I recommend it to all users who experienced problems with other Bluetooth devices in the past.

Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this product for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

iBOLT xProDock Kit for HTC

iBOLT xProDock Kit for HTCBeen waiting for this dock ever since I got my DNA... so happy that I can now enjoy it!

Pros:

-VERY sturdy construction. The parts that are plastic are really solid and feel like they will last forever. There are even some metal parts on it (the top spring-clip). I feel like this would survive a bad car crash unscathed (not that I want to find out firsthand)!

-Suction cup well... it sucks! For whatever reason, on most other docks I've used, I have had to clean the windshield and then dampen the suction cup before applying. This one actually worked without me cleaning or getting the cup wet at all.

-Fits many phones, even with thick cases. I would imagine this fitting most of the 4"+ screen phones out there on the market. The USB charging cable it fully adjustable in length, so you could fit it with a phone that has a micro USB port on the end or on the side. Also, the bottom "feet" of the dock move in and out almost an inch (just an estimate), so even those with the really thick hard cases will not have any issues in getting their phone to fit.

-Love the way it is secured in the dock. Instead of having a plastic clip at the top (landscape mode) that flips down on the phone, this has a cushioned, spring loaded "clip" that you simply push up, place your phone in the dock, then let go. It's really easy to put your phone in and take it out, and the clip appears to be made of both metal and really sturdy plastic, so it isn't likely to fail/break on you.

-Extra long cable. Cable is something like 8 feet long. You can put the dock pretty much anywhere you want and you can be sure that the cord will reach. Put it to the left of the steering wheel, put it on the far right (passenger seat), you name it, it will most likely reach.

-Cable management is good. Plenty of little clips on the back of the dock allow you to neatly route the charging cables and/or stereo headphone cable.

The Cons:

-USB Charging cable. For those of you that don't have a USB port/car charger, you are essentially SOL. Though the cable is nice and thick/long, it does not come with a USB to car adapter. I am lucky enough that I have a micro USB car charger with a USB port on it (purchased from Verizon), so my cable fits nicely in it, but those of you without will need to make an additional purchase.

-Dock is somewhat "universal." Though I know there are limitations on the Droid DNA (because of the USB port cover), I would have liked to have seen a more "proprietary" dock port so that you can slide the DNA onto the USB port, which would also hold the phone in better. (For an example of what I am talking about, see the official Car Dock for the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx.) This dock can likely hold most any phone though, so if you have different phones in your family, it may be of benefit to you.

-Lack of cable ties/clips. Since this cord is so long, it would have been cool if they included some cable ties and/or clips so that you can neatly route and store the cable. This is a minor issue as you can find them cheaply at a local hardware store or Radio Shack.

All in all, I love this dock. I always get a car dock for my smartphones and honestly this is my favorite of all of the ones I have previously owned. I decided not to wait for the Qi (wireless) car dock as I am worried that I will use more power than the Qi dock will be able to effectively charge the phone.

Side note: I just wanted to note that as iBOLT suggested somewhere, I use the "Car Home" Android app instead of the stock HTC car app. It's much more feature rich and customizable and this dock will activate that app.

This is exactly what is advertised. The device works with my HTC One, now the older One, from T-Mobile. The Start-up feature is great, literally plug and play when you get in the car. Great quality, everything fits as designed, solid.

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I bought this just after picking up my HTC Droid DNA. The iBOLT xProDock holds my DNA in place perfectly! I used to experience a terrible 'bounce' with past mounts, as well as poor suctioning to the windshield that would eventually crash on to the dashboard. This product is very sturdy, has great aesthetics, and has excellent grip to hold my DNA and any other mid-to-large size smartphone in place. I've recommended it to a few friends and family members. Great buy!

Read Best Reviews of iBOLT xProDock Kit for HTC Here

When my bro told me that he need one for his cell, i saw in amazon page, and i discover it. It was perfect!

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The USB cable it has will cause an 8x to stop playing Bluetooth music. The mount itself is pretty cool, though.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Kicker 09PK4 4AWG ROHS Compliant Amplifier Power Kit

Kicker 09PK4 4AWG ROHS Compliant Amplifier Power Kit
  • Direct-Connect installation components transfer the highest possible current with the fewest connections
  • Included are Power Cable, Ground Cable, Fuse Holder, System Fuses and more

IMPORTANT: although the product I am reviewing is the 4AWG kit, Kicker's fuse box in this kit contains grommets and collars that bring the wiring down to 8AWG. If you don't know that those pieces are in there, your wiring may be getting dropped down to 8AWG at the box. If you're using the supplied 4AWG wire and want a good solid bite on the wire, you should remove these pieces so that the entire 4AWG wire will reach the screw-down clamp on each side (and strip your 4AWG wire accordingly as it will go a bit deeper without the 8AWG fittings).

The Kicker 09PK4 Amp Kit was recommended to me by *cough*another vendor*cough*, but I'm glad I took the leap. The 4AWG is certainly thick enough for a heavy load, but where things win out are in the quality of the various parts. For example, there's a decent amount of protective sleeving on one end of the power cable, protecting it from damage as you feed it through your firewall.

The cable is extremely hard to cut, but rather easy to strip despite heavy amounts of insulation. If you look at a bare end, you see a tightly-woven set of strand clusters intertwined in a way that most likely improves conductivity while reducing interference. We have a fuse kit that's a bit clumsy to handle (the plastic cover came off a lot while I was fumbling with it) but stays tightly clamped once you join both ends. There's a nice assortment of ties so the do-it-yourselfer can make sure they don't leave anything lying on top of something hot, and last we have a small collection of forked and ring clamps for securing everything.

I ran this in my 2007 Subaru STI to my amp installation under the passenger seat and had plenty of slack left over. I used the gray grounding wire right on the seat bolt and got no noise problems. I do have one complaint, and that's that I would have liked to have a simple ring terminal for a seat bolt--this isn't that bizarre of a configuration and the seat bolt isn't exactly easy to spade-connect to. That said, I was glad to have perfectly-sized ring terminals for creating my own ground wire off the battery--factory grounds are typically skinny little affairs, and any audio system can benefit from a good thick-gauge grounding wire for stability.

If you're going to wire your own car amplifier, the Kicker 09PK4 kit is a great tool for the job. It's easy to feed and doesn't look like it'll be easy to nick or rub off the insulation over time. Be sure your amp accepts 4AWG wire (most do) and you'll be good to go.

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Kicker PK4 Wires are excellent quality but one important component is missing that I may have overlooked and/or been misinformed.

Amazon's picture of the kit is exactly what you are getting, but the fuse box does not include a fuse. Kicker fuses have specific amp ratings for each system that you may set up so you would have to check your amplifiers max amp rating before purchasing the fuse separately.

The misinformation is actually on kickers' site, maybe i misinterpreted but this quote is from the kicker site... "Included in the kit are power cable, ground cable, fuse holder, system fuses and more all Direct-Connect engineered to work together." Also, because there are not much pictures with to aid you on the kicker site, you truly are not well informed about the product.

So, this situation has held me up, but i know amazon's amazing shipping times, i'll get the fuses that i had ordered after, in no time. kudos to amazon, bleh to kicker's non-intuitive webpage.

PRODUCT: *****(5 stars)

AMAZON: *****(5 stars)

KICKER SITE: **1/2 (2.5 stars)

Read Best Reviews of Kicker 09PK4 4AWG ROHS Compliant Amplifier Power Kit Here

I love this kit, it has served my car very well in a multiple amount of environments, very very cold to very hot and humid to very dry. Very reliable!

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The best quality that yo can find, and all the things needed to make the best connections. You have to expend more money, but there is a big difference.

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I had some dinky 8 gauge wire going to my amp power a single 10" type R. The old wire ended up melting next to the fuse holder. it was making my entire after market stereo clip, meaning restarting at random times. just cutting out. since i installed this i have had no issues. the only thing id tell you is their are spacers in the fuse holder you have to remove to fit the enormous 4 gauge wire.

Monday, April 21, 2014

HQRP 3 Buttons Key Fob for Toyota RAV4 2006 2007 2008 06 07 08 Remote Uncu Shellt plus HQRP UV Chai

HQRP 3 Buttons Key Fob for Toyota RAV4 2006 2007 2008 06 07 08 Remote Uncu Shellt plus HQRP UV Chain / UV Radiation Health TesterToyota dealer wanted $300 for a new key when all I wanted was a replacement of the fob. The cost of this fob and re-cutting the blank totaled out to less than $10. I highly recommend this seller.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9650 - Curve

Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9650 - Curve 3G 9330 - Curve 8530 Cell Phone - Premium Combo Pack - BestCellBuy BrandI bought the home charger along with the car charger neither of the items i bought charge my phne correctly, they are not in good working condition, I am very unhappy with these products.

DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT.. It will not work. I mean It takes 10 hrs to charge 1 % of my battery...

Not worth buying.

Buy Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9650 - Curve Now

I got this mostly to replace my original wall charger, which I somehow misplaced while staying at a friend's even though I try to keep track of it well. I found the car charger quite useful too, since my Blackberry generally is lucky to carry a charge over 1 day even though I've replaced the battery several times and I do charge it each night. I like the option to charge it quick if I am out and want to make a call but find my phone is low, so I can keep the wall charger at home.

Neither are fancy, but get the job done. I can't complain with how cheap they were.

Read Best Reviews of Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9650 - Curve Here

Friday, November 22, 2013

Griffin 7265-TRIPUNB iTrip Universal Play any MP3 Player On Your Car or Home Stereo

Griffin 7265-TRIPUNB iTrip Universal Play any MP3 Player On Your Car or Home Stereo
  • ¿ Plug and play for any portable audio player
  • ¿ Streams your music to any FM radio
  • ¿ Quick set-up and easy frequency selection
  • ¿ Self-powered by a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Here's my opinion of the Griffin iTrip Universal. I have a 4th Gen iPod Nano, which I love. I looked at the "old" style of the iTrips specifically designed for Nano, but there was not a 4th Gen one out yet. I decided to go ahead and purchase the iTrip Universal, that way if someone was in my car with an MP3 player other than an iPod, it would still be able to be used. I was extremely excited once I received it and thought the charging mechanism (via USB) was brilliant since you wouldn't drain your iPod battery using it. However, the excitement quickly faded when I went to use it the first time. I charged it fully and a few days (4 days tops) later went to use it. It was completely dead. I had assumed I had done something wrong, since I hadn't used it yet. I recharged it later that day and used it the next day. I drive a fairly small car and have used FM transmitters before without issue. With the iTrip universal however, there are 2, maybe 3, places in my vehicle I can set my iPod/transmitter and have it transmit without a ton of static. I tried multiple frequencies and all had the same result. My trip to work is about 20 minutes, by the time I was there, the battery indicator had already dropped from 3 bars to 2. I didn't use it the next day, and when I went to pull it out to use it the following day completely dead again. If I want to use it, I have to make sure I have had it plugged in to charge within the last couple of days or else it is dead and I can't use it. I gave it the benefit of the doubt, that maybe it had to charge and drain a few times in order for it to be able to have the battery operate at full capacity. I have had it coming up on 5 months now and see no improvement whatsoever. I plan to purchase a replacement (most likely the iTrip Auto for iPod). My only problem is that I will have this iTrip Universal that I spent good money on that does not work well, and I don't feel right about selling someone something that I find only works halfway.

I just wanted to let you know my review and tell you that while I love most Griffin products, I was/am highly, highly disappointed in the iTrip Universal. It will work, but not well, and I just can't give it a great recommendation like I had hoped to.

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I've owned and used this product for close to a year now. Bought it as soon as it came out. That was a mistake. It is cute and is good in theory, but not in practice. Here's a quick summary after using it many times in many situations:

* Short shelf life for battery. To charge battery you must connect it to a USB port of computer. Good in theory. But after a charge, if you don't use it soon afterward, when you go to use it, the battery is dead and you need several hours to charge it up again. Who is going to keep it constantly attached to a USB port?

* Signal strength is weak. From back seat of minivan or sedan, static is present while music is playing unless you hold the iTrip just right. Have had several other transmitters that have much greater range. In a house, maximum unobstructed range is 15-20 feet.

* Cord to connect to headphone jack of music player is ridiculously short. Like 4 inches long. Why so short??!!

* Display is monochrome and very tiny. No backlighting. Battery strength indicator is too small.

They need to do a version 2 on this thing. The concept is good. I like how you can tune it to any FM frequency to broadcast, and how it turns on by itself when it detects a device, but it falls way short of the basic functionality of a good FM transmitter.

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I have purchased the iTrip MP3 player basically to play in my stereo the music I have stored in my computer. If you find a clean FM frequency, the device will transmitter properly. However, some interference may remain depending on how the transmitter is placed (beside the computer or on it, for example). For this reason I found that the cord to connect to headphone jack of music player should be much longer. A longer cord may also improve reception.

The battery drops faster than what the seller says (about 4-6 hours). Moreover, it drops even without use.

All these drawbacks may make this device useless for use in your car, but it still worth for use at your home.

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We've had this transmitter for about a month and we really like it. It does have it's faults thought, but they can be overcome.

1. As others have said, you need a longer cord. The one provided with it is much too short. Using a longer cord will improve it's reception significantly.

2. This device does not work though the cigarette adapter. This is a good thing for us because we can give it to my son and he can play his iPod from the back seat. This leaves the cigarette adapter free for when we need to use the GPS. So this turns out to be an advantage for us.

3. The battery doesn't last as long as the manufacturer says it does. I think we've gotten 4 hourse of use out of it at one time. Charging it is easy, but you have to remember to bring it inside the house and attach it to a computer!

4. You can hear a little bit of static with quiet music. This is not an issue with load music. The sound is clear and it wasn't difficult to find an open frequency, even in downtown Boston.

These issues aren't a disadvantage for us, but you want to consider them when purchasing.

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Short cord given is to reduce static. Works with another 1/8th in. cord to reach USB on keyboard with minimal noise. Turn off time is short about 60-90 seconds, so if signal pauses, you may get radio fuzz depending on the stereo. Great for the price. I use it to stream music from my computer to my stereo over FM wireless, so I don't have a cord to trip over between them. Works fine for movies also.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Unique Gomadic FM Transmitter with an integrated DC Auto Charger for the Sony Walkman NWZ-E438F - L

Unique Gomadic FM Transmitter with an integrated DC Auto Charger for the Sony Walkman NWZ-E438F - Listen to music from the Walkman NWZ-E438F on the FM Radio
  • Smart technology circuit architecture provides precision voltage and resistor regulation specific to the Sony Walkman NWZ-E438F. Protects the internal battery longevity by modulating the charge in a safe and efficient manner.
  • Full FM frequency spectrum is available and is user selectable in 0.1MHz increments from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz. Advanced Digital PLL sound coding maintains stable and high quality sound.
  • Transmitters emit a powerful FM signal that is the maximum allowed by FCC regulation. Advanced signal isolation provides crystal clear sound quality.
  • Non-coiled cable design allows for easy routing around your vehicle trim for a more professional look. Durable construction is built to last.
  • Generous LED screen clearly displays current frequency setting. Transmitter frequency continues to be locked in even when vehicle power is cut.

I purchased this for my 93 Toyota Tercel. Did not want to get a stereo system installed and I am glad I did! It works well when the Sony Walkman does not need charging. When I put the walkman to charge is when I get interference. I figured it was the car...but it is awesome!

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Molded Front and Second Seat Floor Liner for Select Hyundai T

Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Molded Front and Second Seat Floor Liner for Select Hyundai Tucson ModelsThe order came in very timely. The mats were a perfect fit for my wife's 2012 Hyundai Tucson. They are very easy to install and easy to clean. Great product. My wife love them.

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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker for 2002 Toyota Prius With Do-It-Yourself Programming

Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker for 2002 Toyota Prius With Do-It-Yourself ProgrammingI lost one, ordered this one to replace it, followed the directions, and now everything's fine. No complaints.

I received this fob very quickly, and the instructions for setting it up were decent (although I'll warn you: Toyota makes it really complicated, with opening and closing your door a couple of times, inserting and removing the key several times, opening and closing the doors again, etc.).

The new fob looks nearly identical to my previous remote, which means it's not taking up any more room in my pocket than the old one did (unlike some after-market remotes that are a lot larger).

The one gripe I've got is that the battery died about 6 months after I received it. Now, I realize that a new battery is just $4 or so, but my original Toyota battery lasted 6 years before I needed to replace it.

Overall, a minor disappointment, but one I can live with.

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I bought a used 2002 Prius that came without the remotes. I hesitantly purchased two remote, and was not sure if they are going to work. The remotes arrived within a few days. The instruction tells you to a website to read the instruction on how to program the remotes. I printed the instructions and wnet ahead with the procedure. It is kind of strange with all inserting the key and turn on turn off, then open door close door but the remotes worked like a charm. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy. I give it two thumbs up for this product and ease of programming.

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Pyle PL12V2US Cigarette Lighter Multiplier with USB Charger

Pyle PL12V2US Cigarette Lighter Multiplier with USB Charger
  • Powers two 12V electronic items
  • 5V USB full size female port
  • 2 front mount female cigarette lighter ports
  • Single corded male cigarette lighter power source
  • Ultra bright LED indicator

I bought this item about a month earlier, and straight out of the box I couldn't fit a USB into the USB slot. It was off center of the hole so I got some pliers and managed to pull it down enough to where the USB would plug into it but it wouldn't charge. I thought maybe since the USB was off center it may have had something to do with it so I gladly returned it to Amazon free of charge and bought another one. Straight out of the box the USB does not work, AGAIN. This one the USB actually went right into the slot though. As far as I know the cigarette sockets work but what's the point of including a USB slot on it if it's unusable? Another slight complaint is that the unit itself has scratches and scuffs on it almost appearing to be used instead of new.

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Because we have older cars but wanted multiple 12 volt powered devices plugged in to the cigarette lighter for trips...I tried this. I do hate having wires and the thing sitting on the car floor....but having an easy way to plug in the GPS and Radar for trips is worth it. I just leave it on the garage counter until we are ready to travel...and then plug it all in. If I wasn't so cheap I would just buy a new car.... but this works great.

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Ultra bright LED indicator does not exist.

DC jacks are too short for some common plugs... they plug in, but pop right out.

USB port was not aligned properly and doesn't seem to work at all, though I suspect the welds on the board were probably damaged by the angling and pushing required to get a usb cord plugged in... so it might have worked if it had been assembled/designed correctly.

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I needed an extra plug in my car and this worked out great. Has a usb connector too to keep my cell phone charged up also.

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I am glad I read the review from Eric. I purchased this to install in the cap in the back of my truck. After reading the review, I decided I better check mine before installing it. I connected an iPod to the USB port, and it did not work. The two other outlets do work. I tried the USB port on my GPS and it worked. I tried another iPod and cable, and it did not work. It seems to work on some and not others. There is no ultra bright LED light as description claims. There is no way to mount or install this unit, so I planned on using stick on velcro to mount it to the carpet in the cap.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Husky Liners Custom Fit Heavy Duty Front Floor Mat (Grey)

Husky Liners Custom Fit Heavy Duty Front Floor MatThese fit perfectly and protect the vehicle's floor against snow and dirt. I had a set of these that lasted nearly 8 years and bought

these as a replacement.

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