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

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

7 inch TFT Color LCD Car Rear View Camera Monitor Support Rotating The Screen and 2 AV Inputs

7 inch TFT Color LCD Car Rear View Camera Monitor Support Rotating The Screen and 2 AV Inputs
  • 7" LED Backlight Color TFT LCD monitor
  • Full color LED backlight display.
  • High-resolution picture.
  • With 2 AV input.
  • Comes with an IR remote controller.

I ordered this monitor to hook up to my BOSS DVD Player in my van so that kids had a screen to see a movie or to see what music track was playing. Hookup is very easy, even though the instructions are basic to say the least. Red wire to +12v, Black wire to -12v, Blue Wire is hooked up to a backup camera sense signal so that when the camera comes on, the monitor will automatically switch to the camera input. I did not use this cable as I do not have a backup camera, I just left it as is. There is no power on this cable so you do not have to worry about it shorting out to anything. The composite video cable gets plugged in from the source. I wired my monitor right to the power harness for the radio so that it turns on and off with the van and ran the cable under the dash out of the back of the radio area, looks clean and allows the monitor to be moved if needed.

The monitor is by no means a high resolution monitor, but it gets the job done and kids really do not care about the resolution so long as they can see the movie and subtitles if enabled, both of which are very usable on this monitor. If you need a cheap monitor for the kids, this will do just fine and it is cheap enough to replace should something happen to it.

Buy 7 inch TFT Color LCD Car Rear View Camera Monitor Support Rotating The Screen and 2 AV Inputs Now

Works for the Raspberry Pi composite cable video out. I cut the wiring harness down because the cable that comes with it is so long that it was out of control. I now run the monitor off of an old 12V wifi router power plug, and both the raspberry pi and the monitor fit into a pelican case for easy transport and usage. The actual area you get to work with on the screen is limited, but what do you expect for under $40 bucks.

Read Best Reviews of 7 inch TFT Color LCD Car Rear View Camera Monitor Support Rotating The Screen and 2 AV Inputs Here

First I should state that this unit is very easy for anyone with basic automotive wiring knowledge to install. What that means is, you should need no instructions, the wiring is self evident. Because of that the instructions that come with the unit are very brief.

I purchased the package consisting of the monitor, the E363 camera and the Koolertron license plate camera. There is no comparison between the cameras, the E363 with 170 degree viewing angle wins. I have a 2007 Honda CRV and I mounted the camera low under the rear bumper and the view from the camera is just amazing. I then ran the wiring into the spare tire well and made my connections in that area. There is an ignition activated power outlet on the left rear wall that I used for the power source running everything all the time while driving. Snaking the single cable which contains the video signal and power wire up to the front was relatively easy, tucking the cable under the trim.

The monitor is very nice, I found the picture quite pleasing. I mounted it with nylon straps via the AC vent over my radio, which I never use. The single cable from the monitor is all that is required, it contains the wiring for the two video inputs and power, snaking it around was quite easy. It plugs into a longer harness that connects to the cable coming from the camera. The monitor has brightness and contrast controls along with the ability to flip the picture left or right, up or down so it accommodates the camera no matter what. As one might expect the monitor is always on, that is, anytime you turn the key it automatically comes on. You do not have to punch the on-off button every time.

Backing up at night is adequate because of the built in vehicle back up lights. The E363 camera has no infrared LED's.

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This works well for Raspberry Pi using the Raspbian linux operating system. Out of box the text and icons are too small and fuzzy. To increase display text and icon sizes you can edit the folder /boot/config.txt. Change the lines

#framebuffer_width=1280

#framebuffer_height=720

for example to

framebuffer_width=480

framebuffer height=300

Don't forget to delete the # at the start of each line. The resolution of the screen is supposed to be 480x240 but putting 240 as the frame buffer height produces a letterbox display. When you open a window on the screen, it will likely be much wider than the display. I haven;t To cure this problem, drag the window to the left to expose the upper right corner of the window and then shrink the window so that is fully within the display. Then click on the square full display button. The window will then expand to fit the display.

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Hooked this up to the svideo output from my direct tv box for a tv monitor next to the computer... works great simple install

Monday, September 22, 2014

Motorola V195 Car Charger (T-Mobile)

Motorola V195 Car Charger
  • COMPATIBILITY: Motorola SLVR L2/L6/L7, Motorola V323/V325, Motorola V360, Motorola Q, Motorola V190/V195, Motorola RIZR Z3, Motorola V3 Razr series, KRZR K1..

I broke my old car charger by slamming it in the glove box door (not on purpose, by accident). At first I just tried to fix it by using electrical tape and so on, but nothing worked so finally I purchased this car charger and another one as well because you never know when you'll slam your glove box door on one of them and break it. I am totally happy with both of the chargers!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Odyssey PC545 Powersports Battery

Odyssey PC545 Powersports BatteryThis battery replaces the same battery purchased back in 2001. Nine years of trouble free abuse isn't too bad. Often would leave the bike for six months or more without riding. Anyway if your a rider that may get a bit too busy to ride for periods of time. Leave your bike unattended this is the battery for you.

As the other review stated that the Odyssey died after a few months, yes just like it says it will in the manual if your bike has too small of an alternator and you ride short trips at low speeds! This is a different AGM battery that will get a very long service life IF you get an approved charger that charges and floats at different levels than all other batteries. These batteries give extreme cranking amp plus the ability to deep cycle which few batteries can do. My HD starts right up now since I have a high torque starter. Get the Battery Minder 12248 WITH the temp monitor for optimal charge and floating. If you don't follow these recommendations then dont waste your money and get a regular AGM that will die sooner!

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I bought this battery to replace the Power-Wheels stock 12V one that was dead in my kids ride-on Tonka truck. To my surprise, it fit in the original battery holder, I just had to use some longer M5 bolts to use the stock battery hold-down. The kids have been using the truck for nearly a month now, i have not recharged it yet! Great battery.

Read Best Reviews of Odyssey PC545 Powersports Battery Here

I bought an Odyssey PC545MJ in April, 2006 for $102 delivered. I have used it for three years in my F440 race cars. It is light weight and powerful and has been subject to heat and vibration in my application and was excellent until it failed recently. Please note that in order to get a metal jacket Odyssey, you must order model #PC545MJ, not PC545. I intend to buy another as a replacement.

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I purchased this for the Cold Cranking Amps to power my big bore Harley. I had it for 3 months before it died, then replaced it with the same model battery and it also lasted 3 months. Every time I started my bike it took to much power out of it and then took to long to recharge until they just wouldn't hold a charge anymore. For stock applications It would most likely work fine but it is billed as a heavy duty battery and it fails. You can actually measure the decrease in cold cranking amps after every start. Once a Week I would measure it and watched the life just tick away

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Friday, April 25, 2014

ScanGauge II Ultra Compact 3-in-1 Automotive Computer with Customizable Real-Time Fuel Economy Digi

ScanGauge II Ultra Compact 3-in-1 Automotive Computer with Customizable Real-Time Fuel Economy Digital GaugesI have had the Scan Gauge II in my Toyota Yaris for about 3 months now, and have tested it's functionality in a wide range of city and freeway driving. Since the car is only a year old, I haven't needed to scan any trouble codes yet, so I am using the SGII primarily as a fuel economy computer.

SGII connects directly to the OBD-2 diagnostic port that is present on most vehicles sold in the US since 1996. The manufacturer, Linear Logic, publishs a list on the company website showing specifically which makes and models of cars and light trucks that the unit will and will not work in.

Features: The SGII reads the data stream from the car's engine control computer, and uses this data to calculate and display, in real time, the engine's fuel consumption, RPM, coolant temperature, throttle loading, and Trip/Tank statistics like how many miles you can go on remaining fuel, and how much $$$ worth of gas has been burned on the current trip. The unit offers something like 40 different functions and guage displays go to the company website for a complete list.

What I like about the product: Adds fuel economy displays, plus some other guages like Water Temp and RPM, that weren't available even as options on my Toyota Yaris. The fuel economy computer feature is something that you usually see only on up-scale cars costing over $30,000 ScanGuage II adds this functionality to almost any OBD-II complient car for only $159. The Yaris fuel guage isn't very accurate, whereas the SG-II tells me to 1/10 of a gallon how much gas I have left. At each fill-up, you can re-calibrate the SGII with the exact amount of gas pumped. This is nice because fuel density changes with the seasons as average daily temperature rise and falls, which results in changes of up to 10% in how many gallons it takes to effect a fill-up.

The SGII is pretty compact, so most owners will be able to find some place on or under the dash to mount it. At night, the display screen is backlit well enough. At night, with the backlight on, the contrast between the display background and the numbers isn't as great as I'd like, but the screen is readable enough. The backlighting is provided by a multi-color LED, and the user can select between about 16 different colors.

The display update/refresh rate is once per second (fast mode), or once per two seconds (regular mode), so the unit's RPM display may not update quickly enough for use as a real-time tachometer in a manual transmission car. However, you could certainly use it to calibrate an analog tach

Ease of use: The SGII is self-powered from the OBD-II connector, and needs no batteries. It only uses a single ethernet-type cable to connect it to the OBD-II port. One 6' cable comes with the unit, and additional cables can be purchased for $20 if you want to use your SGII in more than one car.

The SGII can be used in multiple cars, but moving the unit to a different car probably erases the "current" and "prior day" trip data.

Usefulness: This gadget is really helpful on long trips to let you know when you need to make a gas stop. In mountainous terrain, most cars use a lot more gas than when cruising on the "flats", and SGII immediately updates the tank-remaining-mileage if terrain or driving conditions change substantially. The device is sensitive enough to show even small differences in fuel economy like the difference between air conditioning on or off, headlights on or off, and tailgate up/down. The most obvious difference in fuel economy comes with changes in speed, and SGII shows in hard numbers that 75mph cruising will hurt fuel economy as much as 30% compared to keeping it under 60.

The other primary use for SGII is to scan your car's OBD-II engine control computer and display the actual trouble code when your "check engine" warning light comes on. Assuming you have a listing of the trouble codes for your car, this feature could tell you the difference between minor glitches for which repair can be delayed a few days, and major failures that need to be fixed right away. Once a fault has been repaired, SGII can be used to tell the car's OBD-II computer to reset the trouble code. I haven't used this feature myself yet, but the owner's manual describes the function well enough.

Conclusion: For $159, this is a pretty cool gadget to have in your car, especially as the price or gas is now well above $3.00 (diesel approaching $4.00/gallon in some parts of the US!). And yes, SGII works in most Diesel vehicles made after 1996 (see the list on Linear Logic's website). Highly recommended as a really useful automobile accessory that offers a LOT of "bang-for-the-buck".

UPDATE: September 2010. Have used this gadget for almost three years in my Yaris and in my Dodge diesel truck, and still functioning perfectly, despite being cooked in the hot summer sun on the dashboard several times.

One issue I have noticed when using it in the Dodge: If I run through a tank of fuel while towing a heavy trailer, then another tank of fuel while the truck is unloaded (not towing or hauling anything), the calibration changes substantially. I usually use something like "45%" for unloaded, and "25%" when towing. However, even these numbers are only rough starting points. In general, over level ground at 55mph, I expect to get 20mpg unloaded, and 14mpg towing a 7800# RV trailer. But the Scan Guage is rarely consistant, even when I am careful to set the calibration to the same numbers I calculated the last time I towed the trailer. I guess other factors like average grade, temperature, and elevation must be affecting the fuel consumption/tank return ratio of the truck's fuel injection system, and this is resulting in inconsistent reporting of fuel economy from the ScanGuage. A typical inconsistency: I drove 300 miles at 45 mph, unloaded, and the scan guage reported 35 mpg (completely unrealistic for a 3/4 ton truck, of course). Actual fuel economy was 24. So I re-calibrated, and on the next tank of fuel, the ScanGuage reported only 10 mpg when I was really getting 16 (I was towing the trailer again on this tank). This is ONLY an issue with my diesel truck, when I install the gadget in my gasoline car, it is very consistant from one tank of fuel to another, and I rarely have to change the calibration after the two fill-ups. I still like the ScanGuage and recommend it, just be aware that apparently the way it interprets fuel consumption data from the ECM in a diesel engine vehicle isn't as stable or consistant as you would get in a gasoline vehicle.

This little box is very useful. In my case it already paid for itself. I was able to clear some service codes (misfire of a cylinder). In the past I paid $69 for the mechanic to just look up and clear the code.

I really like the fact that ScanGauge displays all kinds of engine data in real time. Other devices such as the CarChip save it and then need to be connected to a computer in order to access the data.

In my opinion, the ScanGauge is worth every cent.

Buy ScanGauge II Ultra Compact 3-in-1 Automotive Computer with Customizable Real-Time Fuel Economy Digi Now

Being a geek, I bought the ScanGauge II so that I could see more information in real time about my car. The ScanGauge should appeal to anyone who watched Night Rider and was envious of all the cool displays inside Kit. The good news is that this little device does give you so much more cool information about your car as you drive. Rather than guess why your car had bad mileage, you can tell immediately it was because you had the throttle down too much or your average speed was 85 mph. The real value of this gadget is that it gives you hard data to point to when your car acts a little funny.

The first thing you'll have to figure out is where to mount it. I drive a RAV4, and I've found the best place is under the center console. It stays out of the way and gives your passengers something cool to look at while you're driving. I would not recommend putting it in your line of site, like a HUD in an F-16. The numbers will distract you and then you'll have bigger problems than bad gas mileage. Finding a good place to mount is critical. That leads me to my first complaint: the ScanGauge is just heavy enough that Velcro won't hold it for long periods of time. After my car has been in the hot sun, the ScanGauge simply falls. It is a habit now for me to stick the ScanGauge back up every time I get in the car. I've contemplated using superglue to make sure it stays, but I don't want to damage the interior.

The realtime data is very handy, but I wish the screen updated a little faster. There are multiple settings (slow, normal, and fast), but fast isn't quite fast enough. The numbers always lag behind about half a second, making it impossible to drive your car to the data. The trip data is much more interesting and useful. Once I calibrated my speed and fuel mileage, I was surprised to see how accurate it was. Every time I fill up gas, I know how much I have to put in. It is usually accurate within a half gallon. Knowing my fuel mileage has been great for my lead foot too. When I see my mileage lower than normal, I know I have to start taking it easy. There are four trips computed by the ScanGauge: Current, Tank, Today, and Yesterday. These are hardcoded, and you can't change them, so if you go on a long trip, you can't keep one average for the whole thing.

Overall, I would recommend the ScanGauge to any geek who wants to know everything about the car.

Read Best Reviews of ScanGauge II Ultra Compact 3-in-1 Automotive Computer with Customizable Real-Time Fuel Economy Digi Here

The installation of the SG2 is simple: attach the OBD2 connector to the DLC port and attach the RJ-45 jack to the SG2 unit. Routing the cable is really up to the operator. I chose to do it in a crude manner because I don't plan to make it a permanent addition to the car. I zip tied the cable to my HVAC vents and anchored it to the empty traction control hole behind the glove box.

I used 1 of the provided velcro kits to affix the SG2 to the top of my steering column so that it is right below the instrument panel. It actually blocks my view of the shift indicator array, although I can still see it clearly if I lean forward.

The update rate set at FAST is still rather slow and that is to be expected with the outdated OBD-II network. The "fastest" aftermarket scan tool that I have seen is SCT's Live Link for Ford / GM / Chryslers. If you want anything faster, you are going to have to borrow an OEM's scan tool system.

The X-Gauge interface is a bit cumbersome since you are restricted to using 2 buttons to enter alphanumeric characters while if you pause for anything more than 10-15 seconds, the SG2 shuts down. According to Linear Logic, they are working on an updated SG2 with datalogging features so hopefully they incorporate a PC interface to speed up programming and setup times.

I have it set to monitor instantaneous MPG, RPM, Vehicle Speed, and a gauge that I frequently switch depending on my mood. I am monitoring the torque converter slip ratio. Whenever it reads below 1.00, it means the torque converter is "slipping". Above 1.00 means the output side of the converter is spinning faster than the input side and theoretically it could just mean engine braking with some torque converter slip. You can program custom X-Gauges to monitor gross engine horsepower or torque input at the transmission.

I had previously used a Garmin Forerunner 101 to check my GPS vehicle speed and compared it to my speedometer readout (2000 Ford Crown Vic with mechanical speedometer). It revealed that my GPS speed was about 2-3 mph slower than the speedometer indicated speed. The SG2's vehicle speed readout (from the Vehicle Speed Sensor PID in the OBD-2 system) is approximately 2-3 mph slower than the speedometer reading and I am assuming this is the same readout as my GPS (I didn't get a chance to verify this yet).

Some of the gauges I like to monitor are Coolant Temperature, Intake Air Temperature, Transmission Fluid Temperature (XGauge), Torque Converter Slip Ratio (XGauge), Gross Horsepower (XGauge), RPM, Vehicle Speed, and MPG.

I still haven't been able to figure out how to work the trip computer properly to display averaged fuel economy. The instantaneous MPG is more important to me because I want to see if anything is not working right on long cruises. I have often wondered if the torque converter was locking properly when I use cruise control or when cruising on the highway.

The data collection stability is impressive. I never ran into many problems with Car Code or SCT's Live Link, but SG2 is just more convenient and compact. The backlight colors are interesting as they allow you to choose 4 different values of each RGB component (or 64 possible combinations). I have it set to R=3, B=0, G=0 so that it resembles Pontiac's interior lighting (I drive a Ford).

My only real complaint is that there's not a better way of attaching the SG2 to the car. A suction cup mount for the windshield would come in handy since I could mount it near my line of sight without relying on adhesive-backed velcro. The interface is quite intuitive but I would have liked a way to program the X-gauge more easily, like via a PC interface.

Bottom line: The SG2 is a great deal if you are interested in data readouts for your car. There are cheaper ways of pulling DTC codes, so the only real usefulness of SG2 is the "realtime" PID monitoring and the trip computer for cars that do not have such devices. If you know someone who is a bona fide gearhead and drives a car made in 1996 or newer, they may appreciate the SG2 as a gift.

UPDATE:

While the ScanGauge II provided a useful feature for cars without trip computers or onboard monitoring for various PIDs, I have noticed that it began to malfunction more frequently. The gauge readouts began to "flicker" between PIDs. For example, monitoring IGNition, the IGN began to switch rapidly between HPR. Just recently, the entire ScanGauge II shutdown while I was driving. It would refuse to reconnect with the OBD2 network. When it did find a connection, a lot of the text was garbled and it lost all of my trip data except for the total mileage. My car normally maxes out on 300 miles per tank of gasoline, so I was bewildered when the SG2 said I drove over 4000 miles. Other SG2 readers have reported similar quirks, albeit not as serious as the self shutdown and data corruption that I experienced.

Many newer cars already have features built-into the car. The Pontiac G8, and Nissan GT-R are two examples of cars that have very developed "trip computers" while many other modern vehicles like the Pontiac G6, have trip computers that can monitor most of the fuel-related data.

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I've had the scanGuage II for about 3 weeks at the time of this review. I had bought the unit because I was interested in finding out about how my car, a 2002 Toyota Solara was holding up and what the car computer might tell me.

First the cons:

1. The cord is too long. The total run from the ODB II port to where the unit is

mounted is about a 15 inches, top. It would have been nice to have sockets

on both the plug and the SG II. Include a long and short cord, or just have it

so that cat5e network cable could be used.

Why? Because storing the excess cable somewhere is a problem, I ended up

storing in inside the panel protecting the steering column, and may have

created a short in one vehicle lighting circuits.

2. The velcro is too weak to hold the unit in place. I ended up using Radio Shack

LockTite fasteners (the clear ones) instead.

3. The manual leaves a lot to be desired, especially the pictures which are so low

contrast and dark they are useless. I had to go online and download the

manual as a PDF file.

Pros: The ScanGuage works as advertised. To me this is the Holy Grail of

advertising. It barely is worth repeating the items for sale that deliver what

they promise.

1. The display is large and very legible, even at night (or especially at night).

2. The diagnostics (both realtime and stored) are comprehensive

3. The codes are easy to read.

The biggest pro for me is being able to monitor my actual Miles Per Gallon

*mileage* I've changed my driving style from constant foot on the gas

pedal to gas-and-coast. A tank of gas lasts SO much longer now, because I

now know how much a lead foot costs. In fact for any given trip I can tell

how much it costs not only in dollars and cents, but also by engine load and

how far (or further) I got just coasting along.

The unit is (in my black & gray interior) inconspicuous, and the slightly

cheap look to the unit works to it's advantage: no one takes it seriously as

"a thing worth stealing."

If I had any indication that someone would understand what it does, I'd be

recommending it left and right. As it stands, it is something of a specialty

item, except you soon wonder how you ever got along without it.

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

Rapid Car Kit Auto Plug-in Power Charger for Sprint Motorola i335 - ic502 Buzz - ic902 Deluxe - SLV

Rapid Car Kit Auto Plug-in Power Charger for Sprint Motorola i335 - ic502 Buzz - ic902 Deluxe - SLVR L7c Cell Phone - BestCellBuy BrandUnfortunately, these did not work with my phone. The pricing was good, but it cost more to ship than the actual item.

As Motorola does not make this phone any more it seems unlikely that it will be a good seller. But if you need one,it works.

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Husky Liners Classic Style Custom Fit Molded Front Floor Liner for Select Honda Pilot Models (Grey)

Husky Liners Classic Style Custom Fit Molded Front Floor Liner for Select Honda Pilot ModelsI just bought the complete set of Husky floor liner mats (front, passenger, and cargo area) for my 2007 Honda Pilot. They are not bad but for the price I thought that they would be a little better quality. These mats are made out of a semi-rigid plastic NOT rubber and although they seem durable the plastic seems thin and flimsy compared to the premium rubber floormats I've bought in the past. They arrived promptly but the mats were rolled up in their flat boxes and since they are made of plastic they developed crease marks and were slightly deformed when removed from the box. This also caused them to not lay flat when I put them in the car. The good thing is that these mats are custom made to fit your vehicle without the need to trim or shape them. Overall I am happy with the purchase but if given the chance again I would purchase rubber liners from WeatherTech instead of the plastic liners from Husky.

Zak

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Powertraveller Startmonkey 200 Portable Jumpstarter

Powertraveller Startmonkey 200 Portable JumpstarterThis is a really slick and neat device.

Very compact and easy to use and starts your car up no problem.

Don't leave home without it.

Can also be used to charge phones, tablets, and other devices.

Very handy for sure.

As stated I used it twice the first year dident have cause to use it till 2 years later . Well it was dead, could not recharge it. Oh yes, it's out of warranty . So for $100 , $50 per jump its expensive.

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I bought this about a year ago and have found so many uses outside of jumping another vehicle. I use it as a backup battery for several instruments in my work. Highly portable, lightweight, small and keeps most low amp instruments going for hours and/or charges the device battery. It is great if you're a motorcycle rider on long trips...it has saved me and my back country motor riders several times. You'll find many uses for this battery and it jump-starts vehicles!!

Read Best Reviews of Powertraveller Startmonkey 200 Portable Jumpstarter Here

This has been an amazing item. I don't have room for a big jumper unit in my car plus it will be loose in my trunk. This item has it's own case and it's able to jump mt battery that I have in my car. Its a must have for people that don't have jumper cables and need space in thee trunk for other things.

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I won't risk another replacement.

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

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

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

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

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

1-PRICE

2-LCD Display

3-Remote Control

4-Water Resistant

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

6-FULL HD 1080P option

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

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

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

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

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

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

UPDATE:

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

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

Thanks

ROCKY :)

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

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Pioneer DEH-80PRS Mobile CD Receiver with 3-Way Active Crossover Network, Auto EQ and Auto Time Ali

Pioneer DEH-80PRS Mobile CD Receiver with 3-Way Active Crossover Network, Auto EQ and Auto Time Alignment
  • Audiophile grade internal components for the ultimate in sound quality
  • 28-bit binary floating-point DSP and 3-way digital network
  • App Mode
  • Auto EQ (CD-MC20 required)
  • Auto Time Alignment

I had been trying to improve the sound quality in my 2007 Xterra for several months, and I finally got there with this head unit. I could talk about its features, compatibility with iOS devices, aesthetics, menus, etc., but I thought it might be more useful to just describe my setup a bit. Besides, its capabilities have been well-covered here and on other sites.

I'm running the HU in 'Network' mode, which means the standard Front, Rear, and Subwoofer RCA outputs on the rear are switched to send High, Mid, and Low frequencies to separate amplifier channels. I'm using two channels of my 4-channel amplifier for High (tweeters in my dash) and the other two channels for Mid (mid-woofers in my front doors). The Low output is going to separate 2-channel amp (bridged) to feed my subwoofer in the rear cargo area. Once installed, I ran the auto EQ and Time Adjustment process with the included microphone (attached to the driver's seat head rest) and the HU figured out crossover points, relative sound levels, equalization, and the necessary delays to insure the audio from each speaker reaches my head at the same time. Really, really impressive stuff. I made a couple of very minor adjustments to tweak the sound to my liking, but the process got me more than nine-tenths of the way there.

My Full System Specs:

Pioneer DEH-80PRS Head Unit (network mode, internal amplifier disabled)

Alpine MRX-F30 Amplifier (4-channels x 50W, driving the dash and door speakers)

Boston Acoustics SR60 Component Speakers (not using the included passive crossovers, tweeters in dash, mid-woofers in front doors)

Rockford Fosgate R125-2 Amplifier (2-channel, bridged for 125W subwoofer output)

Bazooka BT1014 Subwoofer

I hope this review is helpful.

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I decided to upgrade my factory head unit in my 2010 Kia Soul with this unit and the SWI-RC to retain the steering wheel controls. I am running a set of JL Audio C5 6.5" mid woofers, a set of ScanSpeak Illuminator D3004 tweeters, and a JL 12" W0 sub in a Stealthbox, all being powered from a JL audio XD600/6.

First I will say that this is the best head unit under 1k for running an active 2way system that I know of. The DEX-P99RS is Pioneers Stage 4 head unit that most of the features in this unit trickled down from, the awesome big brother of the 80PRS.

This HU allows you to control all your crossover points as well as the slope for each, a 16 band eq per side, time alignment, phase reverse. This can complicate setup for many though. Although I have installed plenty of car audio over the years, and understand all of the tech inside this unit, getting all the features set right isn't as easy as it may seem. So I would suggest that you read up about how to set up an active Sound Quality system before taking the plunge, and decide if you're willing to put in the effort to maximize it's usefulness, otherwise you'll be wasting money on features you won't use.

It does come with an auto EQ microphone which can set up your system for you, but be careful, you may not like the results when it's done, and may need to configure many of the settings yourself to get the best sound to your ears.

This unit also allows you to bypass/turn off the internal power for better SQ, and when running separate amps you won't need it anyway, which is a nice feature.

I am still calibrating my system, but so far Pioneer has a real great HU here, with features that are hard to find, especially at this price point. The menus aren't really hard to use or figure out, but they are a bit basic compared to something like a touchscreen Double DIN headunit, but cool interactive menus aren't why I purchased this unit, it's all about sound quality, and it delivers.

If you value great control over your sound, and prefer SQ over having a dvd player or gps etc, this has to be one of the best HU's for the price.

If you happen to have a Kia Soul, two things. First, I'd suggest the Scosche dash kit rather than the Metra. The Metra kit is a little nicer looking, but the fold down face hits the plastic, so it's a no go. Second, the 80prs is a very tight fit in the kia's dash, just keep this in mind, as you may need USB/RCA cables with small ends on them to fit. I'm using JL audio patch cables, and the usb cables mentioned below.

It only comes with one USB cord that is about 24" long, so because I have the usb right under the radio coming through a hole in the pocket, it leaves alot of slack inside the dash. I decided I didn't really like having all the extra slack sitting in my dash, so I got 2 shorter, about 20cm long right angle cables. The 20cm length just makes it out to the edge of the pocket. If you need the factory length cable, just stick with the one that comes in the box and order another pioneer cable.

**Update**

After living with this unit for awhile, I can still say it's an awesome unit. Pioneer really went a little cheap on the feel of the controls, as it's a bit plastic and cheap feeling, but for users who value the amount of control and system configuration this unit allows, it's still a no-brainer. Pioneer cut corners in all the right places to keep the cost down and they did a good job.

It has simply been dead quiet for me, other than the annoying little beep with every volume change(what can you do though), the internal components in this unit, what you're really paying for, are worth it! I can have the volume at 75% and in between songs or when on pause, you would never know the unit was even powered. There's a clarity and transparency that I don't remember having in any other head unit I've used before, factory or aftermarket.

I also love having 2 usb ports, and an SD card slot, as I'm able to keep almost all of music and audiobooks ready to go, and not have to take them out unless I'm updating the cards.

Simply put, if you want a system more oriented towards sound quality than features, which this unit has plenty of, but lacks, DD, gps or dvd, this is the only head unit to buy right now. Many brands have just stopped making great SQ head units, because they cost alot more to produce and just don't sell as well as those with all the extra fluff put in. Let's tell Pioneer that we actually care about SQ and we want more units like this and go buy this!

Read Best Reviews of Pioneer DEH-80PRS Mobile CD Receiver with 3-Way Active Crossover Network, Auto EQ and Auto Time Ali Here

Accompanied by an rp4-vw11 canbus adapter for my 2012 golf tdi really made install flawless. I use and alpine mrp-f300 for the speakers and an alpine mrp-m500 for the subwoofer and hifonics zxi-6.5c speakers all the way around with a 10" jvc arsenal subwoofer in a .6 cu foot sealed box (very undersized for the sub specs). Sound quality is flawless. Comes with the auto-eq mic so don't buy one! After the install I setup auto eq and time alignment and the sound was great. I only made a few minor tweaks to adjust to my liking and it turned out great. There are very few buttons to use which to me is good(less components to fail) the 3 brown burr d/a converters really step up the performance compared to a like priced alpine head unit. I used monster low noise cables and everything sounds great. There are words to songs I never knew existed. After the auto eq I could hear the separation in the high hats and cymbles that made me feel like I was in the studio. I listen to a little bit of everything and this unit left no compromise for the variety. Whether it was heavy bass notes from dub step/electronica or the vocals from some Aerosmith tracks the head-unit performed. Leaving no cracking, hissing or ear piercing treble notes. It truly took an entry level system (compared to what you can spend on speakers woofers and amps) and brought it to a high end standard.

I would like to bring up one con that everyone will bring up. The beauty cover that goes around the faceplate is fairly thin. This can lead to breaking it if you are rushing. I didn't need it with my setup because how my double-din to single-din adapter works but it may worry some people that will use it.

Overall I'd say that this has been the best 350 dollars I have spent on the car and am happy to own such a wonderful headunit. This blows away a 500 dollar eclipse headunit I used to have and destroys, literally destroy alpine head units I've used in the past. You are most certainly paying very little compared to what you are getting. And by the way, the adjustments aren't very difficult it just takes a little getting used to (took me about 10 min while enjoying some music). Once you have it tuned in, turn it up. Your ears will be in euphoria and you will get goose bumps from how well it sounds.

I would definitely recommend this head unit to anyone. Whether you are an audiophile and need to adjust absolutely everything (me) or you are looking to upgrade, don't settle for less an you will be happy you didn't.

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I've been a consumer of the Pioneer brand in home entertainment and car audio since the early 90s. While I've always been mostly satisfied with their products for reliability and value, I will say that I've seen the sound quality of their car audio lines wax and wane over the years. I upgraded from the DEH-7900BT which always seemed to fall short of my expectations versus previous experience with Pioneer head units. Enter the 80PRS: All I can say is that I'm very impressed with this head unit. The 80PRS comes with an extra microphone for Auto Time Alignment and Auto Equalization. While this is not new in the car audio world, the fact that it works as well as it does in this model is what is impressive. With minimal manual setting changes, I get wonderful clarity and spatial perception out of my Infinity Reference series 6.5s. My car audio now has an immersive quality it was lacking with the 7900BT and I'm very satisfied with the purchase of the 80PRS. The Time Alignment really sold this unit for me as I drive a compact car and space is at a premium. Time Alignment allows you to set the virtual distance of the speakers from the listener by delaying the sound that comes out of the speakers. This allows you to create a listening space that sounds larger than your vehicle. Combine this with Pioneer's automatic adjustment and you can really get some impressive sound in a restrictive space with minimal guess work. The wonderful part is that I can fine tune every aspect of the sound as all the settings are exposed from the interface. With sound dampening (Damplifier Pro), a 12 inch Infinity Reference subwoofer powered by a 300 watt Infinity Reference amp, and all four 6.5 inch full range speakers being Infinity Reference as well, I can say that I've found my sound for a while.

Tip: I recommend soldering your wiring harness for best results.

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I'm an (home) audiophile for 15years, this is by far the most impressive sounding deck I've listened to under $500.

When set up correctly this deck will sound great, if not then...

CRUCIAL TO the SETUP I found is to place the mic at a 45degree angle, facing front and roof of car with headrest REMOVED. I had it set up according to owners manual taping mic on headrest facing forward previously produced a very inaccurate calibration and imaging was off by a notch.

For accurate time alignment just use a measuring tape.

If you're measuring distance for the sub firing backwards in a station wagon like me measure the distance the sound travels and not the point where sub is located. (eg drivers chair -rear window and rear window to sub.

This is because the rear firing sub reflects sound from the back of the car and hence a slight time delay.

There are cheaper decks and they sound great too with high quality DACs being more affordable today, but nothing compares when you have EQ and time calibration.

Illumination: I don't bother using the dimming function as the color calibrated changes significantly when dimmed.

For reference I drive an 05 impreza wagon, $200 kenwood 4 channel amp, rear channels not ext amplified, 6.5" a/d/s sub (not a great sub but I got it free): my setup is very modest as you can see but with the right setup sounds awesome.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Stinger Shoc-Krome Series GM Battery Terminal (Standard Length)

Stinger Shoc-Krome Series GM Battery Terminal
  • Side post battery tap
  • Fits positive or negative battery post
  • For GM type batteries
  • Genuine Stinger Shoc-Krome finish
  • Lifetime Warranty

This is for only 1 terminal and it will be in Shoc-Krome color, not gold.

It's not perfectly clear how many or what color you're getting so I thought I would elaborate on it.

They are made in China of course but the quality is very nice.

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This is a great product, good quallity and price, delievery was as advertised. I would purchase from this vendor again.

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What can I say about these? They're just screws basically. They're pretty and they screw. Is that too risque for Amazon? LOL

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Solar Power Car Decorative Cute Rabbit - White

Solar Power Car Decorative Cute Rabbit - WhiteIt's sooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!! The only cons is that it can only wave under REAL sun shine.. Even lamp light cannot drive it. When the little rabit waves, I wanna wave with it~ ^_^ Sth you worth to have!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Guardian 12v Charge Controller by Goal Zero

Goal Zero 14002 Guardian Silver 12V Charge ControllerIf you have any of the Goal Zero Solar Panels you will need this controller to charge any 12 Volt batteries that are NOT built by Goal Zero (per the "NONE-Goal Zero Batteries" in the subject title). The 12 Volt Battery list includes: Home/Business Security backup batteries; Basement Watchdog (sump pump) batteries; AGM Batteries; Flooded batteries, etc.

Note that the maximum input wattage (from the banked Solar Panels) to this charger is really 90 Watts and not the 150 watts that is misprinted on some Goal Zero brochures. This means that, for example, the controller can handle three (3) Goal Zero 22003 Escape 30M Solar Panel Briefcase at one time. My review on the Panel Briefcase (and other Goal Zero products) is found elsewhere on these Amazon pages. (As a side note, Before knowing about the printing error, I have successfully charged batteries using four Briefcase Solar Panels without any problems, but do not recommend doing so for an extended period of time.)

This unit is compact enough and self-contained to include in your Go Bag, too. I recently purchased a second unit. REDUNDANCY is important in critical asset management--except for when it comes to a wife.

Blessings,

....Chappy

Since goal zero batteries have built in charge controllers I use the guardian when I park my camper in the shade, and put my boulder 30 panels in the sun with the 30 foot extension cable and the guardian connected directly to camper batteries

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This completely new design works great (from late 2013-early 2013), does what I was looking for, in a nice compact, light unit that is reasonable in cost. They even have two input ports so both sizes of connectors from their solar panels work without having to have another adapter. The unit input and output wire connections are very tight and would seem to protect against moisture at the fittings. I use two of the Goal Zero briefcase solar 30w panels to keep my rugged outdoor support TrueNorth trailer's two 12v batts topped up, while camping in remote areas off the grid and away from regular campgrounds. The 4 stars is only due to the fact that I have not tested it over a long camping trip yet. If all works out, I will come back and upgrade to 5 stars.

Read Best Reviews of Guardian 12v Charge Controller by Goal Zero Here

This is so disappointing because I have given goal zero such praise. Using their products in north and south America for work. This product is deceptive and will not work with my goal zero solar panel or my brunton. They speak of adapters but their ate none. Other than the fact that it's useless to me I like the idea of it and design. Just sucks that I can't use it.

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Its goal zero and they always perform. I leave this in my r1 set and just plug it in if I'm not driving it for a long period of time.

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