- Dual 4 or 8 gauge outputs
- Corrosion Resistant - High Power Delivery
- Improves Cosmetic Appearance - 5/16 Ring Opening
- Very heavy duty. Can be used for audio, marine and any underhood wiring.
- Allen Type Screw Terminal
Friday, July 11, 2014
XScorpion Dual 4 Gauge Pro Ring Terminal
Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Floor Liner for Select Honda Civic Models (Black)
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this liner was the best price I could find for a similar product. it fits nicely in my honda civic and looks good.Tuesday, March 11, 2014
iBall Wireless Trailer Hitch Camera
- Wireless Transmission - Up to 300-foot range using a 2.4 GHZ transmitter/receiver
- Color Monitor - 2.5" LCD plugs into the vehicle's dashboard
- Magnetic Camera Mount - camera mounts anywhere with no hardware!
- NO WIRING - ready to use, unlike inexpensive license plate cameras
- Submersible Camera - 100% waterproof
Buy iBall Wireless Trailer Hitch Camera Now
We are so pleased with this little device. It works just as described. The magnet is very strong. The arm on the monitor is a bit short, but it is very sturdy and bendable for easy viewing. My husband walked behind the truck for almost 40 yards and we still had visual. I'm so happy to have this new tool!! I also love that it has a "rotate" feature on the monitor for viewing at 4 different directions.... a great feature for use inside the horse trailer.Read Best Reviews of iBall Wireless Trailer Hitch Camera Here
Handy little device. A backup camera for my Ford F-150 would cost over $1000 from the dealer. The iBall came as promised, overnight shipping in a box and intact. Hooking my Airstream up was a breeze. Magnet was strong enough to attach anywhere on the truck. I also used it as a backup camera on the trailer. Unfortunately, the trailer is all aluminum, hence no magnetic surface to attach to. Velcro came through. By using sticky velcro pads, I was able to attach it to the rear of the Airstream. Furthermore, the iBall came through again for aligning the trailer wheels up with step-up pads for leveling the trailer. I placed the camera along side the tires, and was able to see the wheels perching themselves on the pads while I pulled the trailer forward. No more double and triple checking to see where the tires were on the pads. No factory installed camera could do all of this. On the downside, the signal from the camera could be a little stronger. Some flickering could be noticed, especially when the camera was mounted on the trailer. Cross-hairs for aligning the hitch might be nice as well. Overall, it is a very handy camera at a reasonable price.Want iBall Wireless Trailer Hitch Camera Discount?
This nifty camera has completely solved my trailer problems. Not only is it easy to hitch up the trailer without help, but I can also move the camera into the trailer and keep an eye on my horse while we drive. It was very simple to set up (watch the video review of this product for tips), and worked perfectly the first time. I like that it needs no advance charging. All you need is a 9 volt battery for the camera, then plug the monitor into your power source (cigarette lighter), turn on your vehicle & you're ready to go.I got this because I need to hook up trailers a lot on my own. It works great andsaves me a lot of time. As always with Amazon, good price and fast shippimg
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Battery Tender 081-0069-8 Female Cigarette Adaptor for Quick Disconnect
Most riders have these Deltran sockets hanging off their batteries, so I ordered an extra socket end and a 12v socket to build one. Genius, I thought. Use what's already wired in to the bike, and create my own charger.
It would solve everyone's issues. Be the hero on your next extended weekend trip with all the guys who need to charge their phone! As I was sharing my project with the group earlier this year, one of them said they saw one at a battery store the previous week.
The parts I bought added up to the price of this item.
The name of this item is a little awkward. The subject; "Your Amazon.com order of "FEMALE POWER PORT" has shipped!" needed a little explaining when it caught the eye of my wife when she glanced at my inbox. I bought this product to power my GPS and Cell Phone on my motorcycle. This product plugged right into my pig tail on my battery. It kept my GPS and Phone charged on my 800 mile road trip well worth the price.
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I wanted to charge me phone while riding so I could use GPS without killing the battery. this is ideal just make sure you get a harness for the battery.If you are looking to charge a phone or any other device that uses a USB charger, check this out in addition:
Scosche Dual USB Car Charger
This is the setup I use on my bike. It works!
Read Best Reviews of Battery Tender 081-0069-8 Female Cigarette Adaptor for Quick Disconnect Here
I bought this unit to put on my Harley to give me a power port for my gps. On the pro side it has a nice long cord of heavy gauge wire and the dust/rain cap is great. The only negative in my opinion would be....I would have liked a little more body length and maybe a couple of reinforced or built up areas to assist in mounting with zip ties. Of course I realize the manufacturer has no idea where or how this product will be used. The product arrived very quickly, was as described, and was of good quality. I am pleased. Once again an Amazon purchase proved to be NO HASSLE.Want Battery Tender 081-0069-8 Female Cigarette Adaptor for Quick Disconnect Discount?
It's OK, it works, the construction looks reasonable.I'm sure it works perfectly if you have the "Battery Tender" system installed but the polarity is bass-ackwards on the SAE connector for anything else.
I used it to get a permanent plug-in straight to the battery for a solar charger and tested it as a power supply line hooked up to the trailer lights harness, not on a motorcycleon my SUV (turn the lights on, plug this into the trailer light socket, have 12v power back there for whatever, in my case a rearward looking camera to provide video testimony that I was legal and xyz cops are wrong/lying).
The polarity is reversed to what it should be. So I cut the connector off the end, switched the wires, soldered and shrink wrapped everything where it should be and off we go.
I don't know why they do this but be advised they do it. That's why I'm dinging it two stars, one for being bass-ackwards from everyone else and the other one for the damage they will potentially do in being contrary like that. I am aware that this is meant to go with the specific Battery Tender system and I don't care, Battery Tender shouldn't be bass-ackwards on polarity anyway for any reason. Most people using that system won't even be aware that this is the case, but for everyone else, HEADS UP on the polarity thing. When in doubt, get your multimeter out and CHECK it before you power it.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Battery Tender 021-0156 Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger True Gel Cell Model
So .. will it work? Yes. Is it recommended by the manufacturer and optimized for other battery types? No.
The above is from my conversation with a representative from Deltran. Please do not flame me if you don't agree with what the manufacturer told me. I suggest you call them if there are disagreements. I just wanted to post this to provide some clarification since I am in the market for the Battery Tender Plus. Deltran's recommendation was to go with model 02-0128 unless I have the appropriate BMW motorcycle.
Thanks.I purchased this product in February of 2011 and it seemed to work fine. It says that this model can be used as a battery charger and it will change from charge mode to float/maintenance charge mode without damaging the battery like trickle chargers. In July of 2011 it just stopped working while it was connected to my classic car battery in float/maintenance charge mode. Of course I bought this model for its 10 year warranty, but now I find out that in addition to having to pay to ship it to the company, I also have to pay $15.95 for them to do Warranty Evaluation, & shipping & handling fees. When you pay $47.00 for an item and it costs you around $30.00 to pay for shipping & return shipping, what is the point of the warranty? This is supposed to be "the best" of battery chargers and they basically want me to pay for anything done to the unit. I am not impressed!
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This little charger works great and takes up very little space. Product dimensions are incorrectly listed as 11x4x11 inches and 2.4 lb it is aproximately 4x3x3 inches, and can't weigh more than a half pound. It also lists the "Battery Tender 081-0069-6 Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug" as a "frequently bought together" item, but mine came with one. You only need more if you are planning to permanently mount them to more than one vehicle.There seems to be some confusion as to what batteries this will charge. It is optimized for gel cells, which require a lower charging voltage than AGM or flooded. However, it is compatible with the latter 2 types. If you do not have true gel cell batteries, this is not the charger you want, but if you have a mix of 12V gel cell and 12V lead acid batteries, it will handle all of them. 021-0123 and 021-0128 are optimized for AGM batteries, compatible with flooded (STD), and not reccomended for gel cells. 021-0069 is optimized for flooded (STD) batteries, compatible with AGM batteries, and and not reccomended for gel cells. The 012-0156 does everything.
The only thing this charger won't do that I need is to charge 6V batteries, but at the price, I can't expect them to include that capability, so I'll buy their 6v model also.After some correspondence with Odyssey Batteries (Enersys), it ends up that the battery tenders don't have a high enough float voltage for their batteries. This is all very confusing of late (gel cell, lead acid, dry cell, etc). Since the float voltage is not high enough, the battery is only about 90% charged max. I measured my BT+ at 13.24V while in float mode. Odyssey says that the float needs to be 13.5V minimum. Here's a quote from their service department:
"There are many great chargers that work well with most batteries on the market that do not fully charge the ODYSSEY battery so if your charger floats at less than 13.5V then it will sulfate the battery and it will fail premature due to consistent undercharging and maintaining the battery in an undercharged condition. Most Battery Tenders float at less than 13.5V"
So, don't plan on using a BT+ on an Odyssey battery. Now I understand why the engine wasn't cranking over as I thought it should. Time to find a better charger. I wish BT would mention this in their product descriptions/website/etc to save the consumer the hassle. I did find a recommended battery chrager list on Odyssey's website. To be fair, my other BT's have worked great on my lead acid batteries.
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Best little electronic item I have bought recently. Little is what it is. The Battery Tender unit is really tiny compared to the old horse of a charger I was used to using. Very effective and very smart little unit. I tried more for a chuckle to see if I could wake up a scooter battery that showed a .5 volt remaining out of 12.4v initial start. It made up over 10v of relative charge in what was a dead battery. I was amazed and very satisfied with the capability of the Tender. Since there is no line voltage output it is a very safe unit to have around. It will hold your battery at full charge for many years. Any vehicle with a battery in it needs a Battery Tender if it is stored for more than a month at a time.Saturday, November 30, 2013
Lelani Dashboard Hula Doll - Flower Placing Pose / Green
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Like the other reviewer said. It's doesn't even resemble the picture at all. Bought as a gift for bf and when we went to put it up. The skirt (yes they were made of strings and not the straw materials)immediately fell apart. I got some super glue and put it back but now the sticker on the base doesn't stick well. I decided not to bother returning it because it seems more like a hassle instead. She now sits in front of his monitor doing nothing.Don't be like me and think I was going to get lucky. And I doubled check, this is the one I ordered from.
Read Best Reviews of Lelani Dashboard Hula Doll - Flower Placing Pose / Green Here
I know this is going to sound crazy and maybe a little insane, but bear with me here. Okay, here goes: this product is exactly what it says it is, and exactly what you think it is. No more, no less.Want Lelani Dashboard Hula Doll - Flower Placing Pose / Green Discount?
I have no idea which sellers the customers who complained about getting the wrong item ordered from, but for what it's worth, I just received the item pictured. The paint could have been a little better, and the skirt glued a little straighter, but on the other hand it isn't supposed to be fine sculpture, so I'm pretty happy overall.Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Instapark SS1203 3Amp Solar Power Charge Controller, 45 Watt at 12V
- Provides voltage status
- Prevents battery over-charging
- Prevents Battery from over-discharge
- Maximum 10 amp under load, compatible with Instapark solar panels and many other manufacturers'
- CE & RoHS Certified with a standard 2-year manufacturer's warranty.
I put together this setup for 108 dollars with free shipping.
The solar charge controller I was worried might be cheap, as soon as I got it (which took a while, everything else arrived Monday and this arrived thursday) I noticed the size was much smaller then how big I thought it would be, it fits inside your palm. I opened it to see what kind of circuitry is inside of it and I have definately seen cheaper made components so decided to give a go and tested the mA before and after the controller, it did seem to cut into the amount of power produced by the solar panel by at least 50 mA if not more, but the peace of mind that this controller gives is DEFINATELY worth the 12 bucks I spent.
Alligator clips are excellent
Would buy it again if I was building a setup like this again.
Buy Instapark SS1203 3Amp Solar Power Charge Controller, 45 Watt at 12V Now
works great, awesome for entry level tinkering with solar panels...i have it hooked to 4 8.5 amp hour batterys with a 6 watt panelRead Best Reviews of Instapark SS1203 3Amp Solar Power Charge Controller, 45 Watt at 12V Here
I wired the into a solar panel to keep mt truck battery charged, it works perfectly! No more dead battery and no overcharge.Want Instapark SS1203 3Amp Solar Power Charge Controller, 45 Watt at 12V Discount?
if you like to build a solar charging system for light or rainwater collect system for pump. this is one of the product you need to get. In addtional, it is very small and save you a lot space to get a huge panel box to install.Purchase this about a month ago and it seems to be working just fine. You can't beat the price and I would not have a problem buying another one, in fact I did.Monday, November 25, 2013
1080P HD 140 Degrees View Angle Car DVR with 270 Degree Rolling Display Panel
- With 2.0 inch LTPS 270 degree optionally rotating high resolution display panel. with full HD 1080 x 1920 HD resolution. With HDMI output line, support HDMI out put.
- With 140 degree wide view angle 5.0 Mega Pixels high definition lens. Besides, something special, the lens can rotated 180 degrees, thus makes the views angle becoming much wider than before.
- Support Motion detection, loop recording, auto recording when start up.support auto night mode.Support Micro SD card Up to 32GB.
- With built-in double LED light, With built-in microphones and speaker.With both English and Russian user manual, a best reselling item.
- Characteristic: Support Video, photograph, loop recording, Auto recording when start up, HDMI output, Photos play back, video playback.
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Wow, I thought this was a cheap device, but to my surprise, this is an awesome recorder. I drive 18 wheelers and this device performs well in the truck. The playback is great. I'm going to buy another.I like this camera. It works fine. I have even downloaded some video on my laptop. I would buy another one for sure.Want 1080P HD 140 Degrees View Angle Car DVR with 270 Degree Rolling Display Panel Discount?
1. There is no useful english manual, the broschure contains only a list of menu options, whose anyhow can be seen on camera.Russion manual is so stupid and ridicoluos that can be used in stand-up show.
2. Write now it records in random intervals, instead of 10 minutes which i choosed in menu. I have no idea how to fix it.
3 .The vacuum holder simply does not work, the camera fails after 2 minutes of being adjusted to window pane. I had to fixed it with glue.
4. The video quality is degenerative. I don't care if it's HD or not, but registration numbers can be seen only in almost perfect light conditions and near-zero distance.
Summary
I didn't return the device, becouse dealing with the return process worth less then 60$, since i'm outside US. I think in a case of accidet it's better than nothing. If considering to by camcorder, choose another oneTrying to figure out how to make it work properly is quite the chore. Works well with a high volume memory card untill its full . Did not format card and keep working. Sent it back !
Monday, September 2, 2013
Sunforce 11240 1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Control
Conclusions:
(1) Powers all loads I've thrown at it without a problem (except see #4# including electronics, 1000W electric heater, fluorescent and incandescent lights, and an electric drill.
#2# Has a real sine wave output.
#3# Causes considerable interference to AM radio when used to power the stereo system, but absolutely no interference on the TV or FM radio or anything else.
Strangely, the TV guide function on the cable box stopped operating, but I can't be sure if the inverter caused this.
But the really bad part:
#4# It has unexplained shutdowns. This usually happens under light loading conditions. The unit shuts down and displays an error code of OST #overload# or 529 #inverter defective#. The unit was not overloaded #not even close) any of the times this has happened. And when it happens, you have to turn it off and wait several hours to turn it back on. I think it has to lose its memory of the error before it will operate again.
I will probably be contacting the manufacturer regarding this problem. The unit is no good to me if it doesn't work reliably.Bought this off Amazon a month or two ago. I was looking for an inexpensive pure sine wave inverter to replace my Duracell (Xantrex) modified sine wave inverter. I was expecting to have issues from the get go (due to the cheap price!) but this inverter is working out quite nicely. I have it hooked up to 4 Trojan T-105 batteries which is charged up with an 85 watt Kyocera solar panel and Xantrex C35 charge controller.
Being pure sine wave, I can run anything now that my old modified sine couldn't. No more annoying buzzing sounds from CFL's or TV's. certain appliances that wouldn't power up on the old inverter now work flawlessly. Some things I run on the Sunforce: Samsung 22" LCD TV, CFL's of all sizes, Playstation 2, battery chargers, laptops, electric cooler.
I haven't tripped the over current protection yet at all, not even when using items that typically surge, such as a large power drill.
No fan issues like the other review mentioned.. in fact I haven't heard it come on at all yet; then again it's winter time here in Missouri so I assume it truly is thermal controlled.
The remote keychain that was provided with the unit works great. Since I'm doing the electrical work on our new cabin, I can turn off and on when working on the electrical. Then turn it off when we leave for the week.
The only issue I've had so far is once I came back on the weekend and the inverter turned itself back on sometime during the week. This normally wouldn't be a big issue except we're limited on battery capacity and can be a nuisance if kept happening. This has only happened the one time so no biggie.
The LCD readout on the front of the inverter is a nice feature, more expensive inverters don't have this by default, though I rarely look at it.
I would like to determine how much power the inverter uses when it's powered on and in idle mode. The documentation doesn't mention this anywhere and would expect that would be a major selling point. (or, disadvantage if it's too much of a power draw). I don't have an amp meter to test what it is, if you find out please post a review.
The only other downsides is:
1) this inverter has no permanent mounting brackets. only rubber feet on the bottom. luckily the thick DC cabling keeps it well secured within the battery box.
2) the DC hookups are HAND TIGHTEN only. This can be an issue if you, like me, use the proper gauge wiring. in my case I'm using 6 gauge, which is actually borderline of being too small but the batteries are close by. I ended up using pliers to tighten the hand lugs. With thicker wiring, I imagine this would be a huge pain.
PROS:
inexpensive! I noticed the price just went up though :(
LCD readout on front panel
Keychain remote, I haven't seen any other inverters include this with the inverter itself
CONS:
no mounting brackets? I'm sure you could finagle some aluminum straps around it, instead.
hand tightened DC connections
no mention of idle power usage.
Buy Sunforce 11240 1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Control Now
I have several 1000W inverters in my service trucks and thought the idea of a RF remote would be nice so I stepped away from my usual brand (Xantrex) Xantrex Technologies 806-1000 Prosine 1,000-Watt Inverter and their newer, more value conscious true sine inverter product line which is within $20 of this sunforce unit but lacks the features. This time I bought the sunforce.First off, testing finished inverter installations, I use a 1050W load (it's a heat gun with 1000W heater and 50w blower). True, this is MORE than 1000W but all inverters have some surge capacity so it's never been a problem before. The sunforce unit's efficiency is within 1% of xantrex, requiring 114-116 AMPS at 12VDC to operate the 1050W load, however the sunforce will shutdown within 3 seconds with an output overload condition, while the xantrex units will drain the battery first.
I stepped the load down to 900W and things were fine, so I'm really going to overlook their slightly over-rated specifications on the inverter because my loads are in the 300-400W range and need clean power. Besides, the value proposition with sunforce's feature set is still there.
Another pro/con to consider is that the Xantrex units are metal cased with mounting holes, while these are plastic that may lead you to some innovative mounting solutions, but it's not a big deal.
Neither Xantrex nor Sunforce has developed a "everything easy to read display" my -806 model xantrex prosine comes close with a remote mountable on/off plate w/ lcd that shows volts, amps, and watts as a bargraph simultaneously. But the Xantrex LCD display is smaller than some digital watches and can't be read across the truck cab, which forces me to remote mount it. Sunforce uses BIG digits that are red LED, but it cycles through output voltage, amps, etc by pushing a button it will only stay on one value for 1 second. The problem is unless you are pressing the button it defaults to AC volts, where battery voltage might be more useful
Sunforce did something really clever. Inverters of this power level are not easy to wire in (4' of #4 wire is about all you get to the battery before wire losses cut into your power conversion). The knobb-ish looking thing in the upper right of the product photo is a rubber cover for a high current 12VDC socket. You did all that wiring to hook this up, might as well get a cig lighter socket that shares the same big wires.
A good source of wiring is available on amazon and I've reviewed them Cobra CPI-A4000BC AC Power Inverter AWG Cables although if you really need 1000W keep a battery within 4 feet a second battery like the Optima Batteries 8052-161 D31M BlueTop Dual Purpose Battery optima deep cycle is a good setup as it can be mounted close to the inverter and charged from the vehicle alternator. Be sure to use a battery isolator so that your inverter can not drain the vehicles' starting battery.
If your use involves ALOT of runtime at 1000W a parallel combination of 2 D31 batteries will run longer without running the engine. For near constant use, use a 124 Amp alternator and you will need to run wires back to the vehicle power system and run the engine to provide power.
The Xantrex series will give you much more surge power to 1500 W if needed for 30 seconds. Sunforce has created a clever product that comes with 3 remote on/off switches in the package. All inverters have some feature you may want here it was the remote, some Xantrax models offer AC cutover to battery when an outside power source disappears. You do get alot in this model for a good price. My unit gets daily use and has not had a problem. Best advice is shop around the old models that were $600-700 have come down to the $200-300 range. Oversize the unit for your use because all AC loads have startup surges, especially lighting loads and motors. I generally double the inverter size.
No matter what brand you end up buying, a TRUE Sinewave inverter like this will give you utility quality power. After nothing but bad experiences with pseudo-sinewave (there are lots of names for it, but NOT real sinewave) units frying expensive equipment over time. Those units are only good for incandescent lights, and even those burn out faster!
Read Best Reviews of Sunforce 11240 1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Control Here
First off. My battery backup flagged this product as "Building Wire Fault".The product showed 119volts at 58hz. My lights flickered like I was in the early 1900s.
After checking all my indoor wiring and power strips, only this inverter remained.
Dismantling this product, the side "Heat-sinks" proved to be plastic. Worthless props.
I discovered the connections from the AC plugs had the "hot" connection soldered into the
ACN (neutral) and the neutral wire soldered into the ACL (load).
I soldered the wires into the proper positions, and after re-installing, still received
the "Building Wire Fault". I took the product apart again, and after discussion with another electrical technician, we concluded this product had no ground included on the neutral side
of the AC. I soldered a wire to the neutral side, and attached a ring terminal to the ground
screw in the back of the device. Reassembled, and re-installed, flipped the switch, and have
a functioning product. It now reads a steady 121 volts at 60.3hz steady. My lights don't flicker.
My power supply shows a properly grounded device. I am writing this review on the power from the
inverter. Bottom Line. VERY dangerous product. Not compliant for USA standards, and I don't feel
the average person on the street wants to have this "Shock Hazard" in their home. Just Saying....
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I've had the Sunforce 1000w inverter for a couple of weeks now. Like a kid with a new toy, I had to try it on a couple things.1. Bass guitar amp First thing I noticed was the static noise was a lot louder than when it was plugged into grid power. I guess the power isn't as clean as it should be for a pure sine wave inverter.
2. Rice cooker It drew around 600 watts according to my Kill-A-Watt. The inverter cooling fan was turning on and off very frequently during cooking. When the rice cooker was done and went to "keep warm" mode, it was only drawing 40 watts but the cooling fan still turns on and off for a while until I unplugged it. I can see the fan turn on for any draw over 500 watts, but 40 watts???
Pros It works. Cheap price. Cool remote power unit. Power information display panel.
Cons Like other reviews, no way to mount it. Fan turns on at really low power consumption. The heatsinks are plastic and serves no real purpose. You would think if they used real heatsinks, it would've provided better passive cooling to minimize cooling fan operations. The big thumb screws for the battery power leads doesn't tighten good enough, better to replace them with nuts and washers from a hardware store.
I give it a 3 1/2 star.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Cobra BT 225 Tag Alarm
- Using Bluetooth Wireless Technology, a 2-way separation alarm is created between your Smartphone and other valuable items.
- Maps to where you lost your phone and other belongings.
- Free App available on the Android Market and the Blackberry App World.
Too bad, I really wanted it to work.
Update Feb 11th. I ordered another as I have several people that want one if the charge will hold on new device. Will update again after a few days.
After two more days: I still like what it does, the dongle seems to have a seven to eight HOUR charge cycle, hardly as advertised as seven DAYS.
After a week. Same results. About seven hours continuous use. If they made the fob with a replaceable battery, THEN it would be worthwhile.
Buy Cobra BT 225 Tag Alarm Now
Frequent online shopper, seldom online reviewer here. I got two of these tags. One for my wallet and one for my keys. I am really happy with the product, and so is my wife. I can't tell you how many times we have been on our way out the door and then we have to take 5 or 10 minutes because I threw my wallet down somewhere and don't know where it is.Really this is two products in one. A locator and a separation alarm. Both of these are applicable to me because I frequently leave my wallet in the car, but hardly ever my phone. I also have occasionally left it in the shopping cart, or on the airplane, or other places when this thing could potentially save me hundreds of dollars.
I have tested it a few times and it has always worked. There are also nice options to turn the alarm off if you are in a situation when you know you are going to leave your keys behind, or turn the ringing off all together.
Two things to be aware of:
1) The tag is fairly thick. I have one in my wallet, but I do not generally keep my wallet in my back pocket. Sitting on this thing would be uncomfortable.
2) I don't have the one day battery drain problem that another reviewer mentioned, but I now have gotten into the habit of charging the two tags I have on alternating nights.
Read Best Reviews of Cobra BT 225 Tag Alarm Here
If you're forgetful like me, especially in new environments like an unfamiliar city or hotel, Cobra Tag is a lifesaver. On a recent business trip the Cobra Tag app on my Android phone went off in the lobby just before I checked out alerting me that yet again my keys had been left behind. (Bonus I'd also left my toiletry bag). I haven't had an issue with battery life but then I added the micro usb charger to my charging station and "plug" my keys in most nights.If you loose your keys habitually, one of the best things about the Cobra Tag is that it helps break old habits and develop new ones. Alerts for lost keys are great. Just as beneficial has been "plugging" my key chain in at night so it sits next to my phone. Now if they only made one small enough for my wallet!Great idea here from Cobra, but the battery only lasts a day, maybe 2 if you are lucky. Charging it every night is real hassle and heaven forbid you actually forget to charge it once and that is the time you lose your keys. Not very reliable or useful until Cobra improves the battery. Also, the app will not work on Blackberry Bold's or Curves, FYIIt was difficult to pair and connect. Had to call Cobra and this device is so new they were confused. 30 feet is not long enough in a larger house if you are trying to find keys or cell phone. Once out of reach you have to walk about clicking and clicking to get a response. Being near a microwave oven makes mine go off when my wife heats her coffee. Batt life seems to be two days, once I stopped playing with it. The tag batt died and once recharged I could not pair. Finally got through to a good tech (I think the head of the dept) and we got it working after fooling with it for two hours. To weeks now and everything is OK. It will go off randomly when the two are just ten feet apart. I think they miss each other. Other bluetooth devices don't seem to be bothered by it (BlueAnt or Plantronics Earbud).
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Dual Electronics XGPS150A Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Portable Devices
I did not encounter any issues with the Bluetooth connection between the iPad2 WiFi and the Dual XGPS150a. The XGPS150a did not exhibit any problems with maintaining continuity of satellite reception or continuity of its knowing its precise location. It was highly accurate. I am particularly pleased with how quickly it figures out its location after having been powered off for a while. It does this within just a few seconds, which is a small fraction of the time that my high-end Garmin Nuvi needs to figure out where it is.
There is a competing device that hangs directly from the docking port, and I just think that this is a very dumb idea. Yeah, there is nothing about the docking port that prevents this sort of thing, but it is suitable only for cables and cradles. Nothing should be attached there in the way that that thing does. It is only a question of when, not whether, you snap it off, ruining the accessory at least and possibly even damaging the port on the iPad or iPhone, which I expect would be a costly repair.
For owners of WiFi-only devices, there are generally two issues that you have to sort through when it comes to applications. The first issue is the issue of off-line maps. As most people quickly figure out, Google Maps on the iPhone/Pod/Pad relies on continual Internet connectivity to download pieces of the map on the fly, as you travel or even as you scroll around the map without moving. The same behavior applies to most of the map apps that you can buy at the app store. This is obviously an issue for mobile use of WiFi-only devices, but it is even an issue for devices enabled with cellular-based data communications (3G, etc.), because in rural areas, loss of data connectivity is even more prevalent than loss of voice service. (And as has been reported elsewhere, it is all too common for 4G services to revert to 3G, in which case the data rate plummets from something remarkably fast to something more like a very slow DSL connection, which could adversely affect the ability for the map application to update the map as you are moving.) When you evaluate specific applications relative to this need, you need to pay close attention to the particulars of how you select the map segments that get stored in the device. And ignore all the misinformation that you find on web forums, telling you about some trick for forcing Google Maps and similar apps to cache maps in the device. Categorically, those tricks do not work.
The other issue is with forced incompatibility. Fundamentally, there is no apparent reason why an application that works with internal GPS receiver would not work with an external GPS receiver. In fact, it might not even be possible for the application to detect the difference. Nevertheless, the provider of the application can flag the application such that you cannot even download the application into the device if the device does not have an internal GPS receiver. In particular, I discovered that this is what MotionX, the supplier of several navigation applications, does. If your device does not have an internal GPS receiver, you cannot buy MotionX GPS applications directly from the device (via the app store application), and if you go the iTunes route, you can buy the app but then during the app synching phase, iTunes will give you a message saying that the app could not be downloaded into the device because the application is not compatible with that device. This is not some sort of oversight or snafu or whatever. It seems counterintuitive, but MotionX's concern is presumably that without this restriction, some people (cheaters) who use external GPS devices would purchase the app and then demand a refund, claiming that the app is not compatible with the device. It remains to be seen whether MotionX and Apple will figure out a better way to address this concern, but for the time being at least, you cannot download MotionX GPS applications into devices that lack internal GPS receivers.
This concern is potentially an issue for GPS applications in general, which is why I recommend that you start by selecting the application that you intend to use, and make certain that there is no compatibility issue of this sort, before you purchase any external GPS receiver. I had hoped to use MotionX GPS HD, mainly because it is so much less expensive than TomTom, which is a very expensive application at around $50. Before buying the TomTom application and then finding out that I had wasted my money, I attempted to get confirmation from TomTom that there were no issues similar to the situation with MotionX. I called their tech support number and then waited on hold for a long time and eventually spoke to someone in Mexico who absolutely assured me that TomTom would work only with either the internal GPS receiver or else their own docking cradle (for the iPod/iPhone not sure if they even have anything for the iPad). Then I sent an email asking for clarification, and I got a response that was confusing but that seemed to corroborate what I was told over the phone. I sent a reply to that email, and a day or two later I got another reply correcting the earlier reply, stating definitively that TomTom GPS app is compatible with all external GPS devices. That second reply even included a link for a page on their web site that indicated the same thing, although not as definitively as I would have liked. I have not decided whether to purchase TomTom, but I am confident at this point that should I choose to do so, I would not encounter an issue similar to the issue with MotionX, and in the unlikely event of such an issue, there should be no difficulty in getting a refund through the app store.
Garmin also makes a car navigation app, but presently it is an iPhone-only app. Presumably it would run on the iPAd, but either using only a small part of the screen or else blown up with lousy resolution.
I only really wanted a good map application anyway, as opposed to full-blown turn-by-turn navigation with route planning and so forth. I found two good applications: PocketEarth, and MapsWithMe. Of the two, I like PocketEarth better, because the graphical representation of the maps was easier to read and interpret, particularly with respect to freeway ramps, which sometimes are incredibly complex. PocketEarth even shows bypasses and roads that are presently under construction but not yet completed. They were indicated using dashed lines to distinguish them from existing roads, but even the ramps were indicated. This was impressive to say the least.
My final observation is for the benefit of anyone who has not purchased an iPad and who is debating whether to get the WiFi-only version or the version enabled with mobile data capability (3G, etc.). I recently had a discussion on this question with a friend who is considering buying an iPad. Notwithstanding the availability of external GPS receivers, and notwithstanding that you can get those little devices that translate 3G (or whatever) to WiFi, and notwithstanding that the offline maps issue is an issue even for devices that are enabled with mobile data communications, we agreed that for anyone wanting to use an iPad for navigation purposes, it is wise to spend the extra money on the iPad with the data capability (3G, etc.) and then purchase service for it on a monthly basis as needed, which is a nice thing that you can do with the iPad.Just wanted to let folks know that this product does indeed work with the newest iPad, the one that came out (in the USA) in March, 2012.
I have a wifi-only iPad version, and the Dual Electronics works great with it.
This device pairs easily and quickly with the iPad. It also has great battery life.
The Dual Electronics device works with my iPad's navigation software. In specific, a Navigon North America navigation application. (Its great having a huge screen to view your map the screen of the iPhone just can't compare and nor can dedicated GPS devices.)
I downloaded the free app "Dual GPS Status Tool" onto my iPad and it gives all sorts of detailed information about the GPS device (e.g., battery life) as well as about the satellites to which its connected.
To test the Dual Electronics device, I drove my 52 mile-roundtrip daily commute in the Washington, DC area. During these drives, the Dual Electronics device had no problems maintaining a connection to the satellites, to my iPad, and as a result the Navigon app on the iPad worked great.
Its great not to have to worry about holding the iPad a certain way in order to get GPS this external GPS always sits on your dash.
I use, in addition to this Dual Electronics device, the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Modem, Refurbished (Verizon Wireless) so that I can connect the iPad to the internet and get the latest traffic reports while using the Navigon app.
Note that in order to test whether this GPS device is truly working properly, I tested without the WiFi connected (because the iPad has a feature where it can determine approximate location if connected to WiFi, even without a GPS connection).
So, in sum, I can report that this external GPS works, as does its software and the software of 3rd parties such as Navigon, with a WiFi-only device such as the iPad.
P.S.: Not to get too technical here, but its adorable a little cute guy with its own form-fitting dashboard mount.
Buy Dual Electronics XGPS150A Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Portable Devices Now
I had a bad elf external gps, which was being used with foreflight. An IPad app that I use daily in my flight training. To my disappointment, the bad elf had a very hard time locking on satellites and further more, while a great idea to run off iPad power it proved not a great design for being in a cockpit, ESP small light planes I fly.A fellow student raved about the xgps150, and let me borrow it. I was shocked at how quick it locked on to satellites, and that it worked in my home as well. Solid as a rock. Battery life is good. My flights never go over 2 hours. The non-slip pad, is excellent and works well on an inflight dashboard. I have the xgps150A, which allows a 12-30V input for aircraft 28vdc systems. My advice for foreflight users, buy it buy buy it! It is on foreflights approved external gps list now. Its light and compact. Free shipping on amazon as usual.Just received the XGPS150A about 21 hours after I ordered it. Can't beat Amazon Prime shipping!
I was concerned, as others were that this unit would operate with my WiFi only iPad and MotionX-GPS HD. I emailed MotionX and received a positive answer in less than an hour. Using my new iPad (3) the following apps work fine, Maps, MotionX-GPS HD, Google Earth, ArcGis, iGIS and EasyTrails GPS. I did not try the Dual GPS with MotionX GPS Drive, because I have it on my iPhone 4s and don't use it much. Also, you can preload maps with GPS Drive, but you need WiFi if you need to recalculate your course.
I downloaded satellite maps of my area into MotionX-GPS on the iPad, and took a short walk and created a track and three waypoints with the Dual/iPad and my iPhone 4s. One of the waypoints was much closer with the Dual unit and the other two were different, but equally off by about 15 feet. The track was much closer with the Dual than with the iPhone. With the Dual, both coming and going pretty much overlapped and were mostly within the path I was walking on. With the iPhone, the coming and going did not overlap at all and were on both sides of the path, sometimes by quite a lot. To be fair to the iPhone, it was in my pants pocket and the Dual GPS was on my arm with the handy but somewhat difficult to use arm strap.
One of my planned uses for the Dual GPS and iPad combo is to map the locations of trees and plants in a GIS database. The ability to download satellite maps into the WiFi only iPad (don't need a WiFi or cell phone connection) and now have GPS is theoretically an improvement over using the iPhone because the iPad screen is much larger. One thing that I did not count on is that the iPad screen is almost impossible to see in sunlight. This diminishes the advantage of using the satellite maps in the background to make sure you have the exact location.
The Dual XGPS150 Status App is pretty cool and gives more information on the satellites than you would get from the iPhone.
I think this is a fantastic product and I am very glad to have it. I have not tried it with my laptop, but assume it will work well with it also.
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If you just got your shiny new iPad or are a bit under impressed with the TomTom car adapter this is for you. This unit is deceptively small and uses your Bluetooth connection to connect to your phone. The battery lasts for 10+ hours of continuous signal acquisition. It is able to see it's position in 3D space so with the arm strap you could use it for geocaching or to capture signal for your sports apps that track your position for speed and distance. I live in the sticks and quite frankly am less than impressed with aGPS signal acquisition.It is a really nifty app that lets you see how many satellites are overhead, and which ones it was able to use to construct your position and then gives a reliability rating for its trustworthiness. Even in a building I was able to get at least 4 satellites. It has a 20 channel signal and up to a 5 Hz refresh rate. Way better than a standalone GPS unit.
I love the fact that where my GPS apps used to grey out or bounce around the map or show my position several yard off, now it is razor accurate.
Its only downside, is that it takes a bit to lock into the satellites, but it is a small price to pay for this level of accuracy.
It is not waterproof, but since it is Bluetooth, putting it in a baggy for protection is simple and effective without stopping its usefulness.
It comes with a rubber sticky square so you can throw it on the dash of your car (even a curved part) and it will mold and hold to the dash give it great line of site to improve your acquisition rate. It also comes with a Velcro strap that can be doubled to fit on your arm or leg (or really big arm) for motorcycle, bike, or running. The strap fits through two small loops on the bottom of the unit so you don't have to worry about losing it in the woods. I love it.

