Showing posts with label car trickle battery charger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car trickle battery charger. Show all posts

Saturday, October 11, 2014

VIAIR 300P Portable Compressor

VIAIR 300P Portable CompressorIdeally I wanted an on board air compressor in my new FJ Cruiser for going off road. But I needed an air compressor now, so I opted for the portable kit thinking I would install it at a latter time. Now that I have it in hand and have used it, I am most likely going to keep it as a kit. It works perfectly on the FJ's 32" tires and on my wifes Honda Civic it fills them within seconds. When putting air in bikes, it puts out so much air you have to watch out not to blow the tires. I showed a friend of mine how well it worked and he ordered one for himself that same day.

Without any knowledge of other air compressors, I would have given this product two stars, maybe three at most. Compared to competitors that I have experienced, this is a four-star product. Deductions are based on the cons below:

* The yellow air hose is too "stiff" (or the air compressor itself is too light) and too short. If you try to pull on the hose, as you would have to do to move from the front tire to the rear tire, the air compressor would move with it and often topple. Well, if the air compressor moves forward, it usually pulls on the power cables, detaching the clamps from the battery terminals. If the air compressor topples, which it usually does, it twists the power cable, also detaching the clamps from the battery.

* The power cable is too short.

* The tire chuck's lever is a bit too hard to squeeze. Its tip is also too short, and I always have a hard time connecting it to the tire valve.

Other reviewers have already listed the pros.

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I have a van that has corroded aluminum wheels, and it is destined to always have a slow leak. The dashboard warning "low tire pressure" light goes off at some inconvenient time, when no service stations are close by, and yet the tire pressure can already be 5-6 pounds low. I hate to drive it a lot when the pressure is this low, so having this relatively inexpensive air compressor on the vehicle comes in handy over and over. I have also used it to service the tires of the trailer I pull with the van while on vacation, and I have been able to help any number of folks in parking lots with their flat tires.

This compressor does not have a reservoir, so the motor must be running to supply air. It cannot be used with air-powered tools. However, it is useful for inflating air mattresses, beach balls, other things like footballs, bicycle tires, etc.

It comes with a zippered canvas bag, with the compressor in one pouch and the coiled air hose in another pouch. It has a fairly long power cord with alligator clips to attach to the vehicle's 12V battery. The motor is powerful enough that plugging it into the aux power socket (aka cigarette lighter socket) is not possible. The cord is long enough that you can position the compressor mid-way on either side of most passenger vehicles. The rest of the distance to the tire(s) is taken up with the coiled air hose. The hose has a quick release fitting so that it can be quickly attached and detached from the compressor. The other end of the hose has a standard Schraeder valve fitting, which can be unscrewed to replace with the other fittings for balls and such, which come with the compressor. The hose also has a valve to release air from the tire, either continuously for deflation, or in small pulses in order to low the pressure by a couple of pounds.

The compressor supplies enough air that filling even a flat tire takes a very short time, perhaps a minute. Adding a few pounds to a low tire takes only a few seconds.

Build quality is decent. The compressor has some sort of muffler inside the carrying handle, so it is quiet. The is also mounted on a vibration damping metal plate.

Complaint: The compressor has a power switch located on the body of the unit, requiring you to run from the tire over to the compressor to stop the air once the tire is full. Some competing units have the switch on a separate cord that allows you to hold the switch in your hand while you monitor the tire.

Read Best Reviews of VIAIR 300P Portable Compressor Here

After burning out two $20 compressors from Harbor Freight, I decided to research online and buy something that really is powerful and works more than one time. The Viair 30033 330P is certainly powerful enough for my little Civic wagon. I don't think it warrants the $170 price tag, but it does seem to be what it claims to be online. There's no way the cords are long enough for a bigger truck or RV. I advise installing a dedicated, hard wired compressor in a big vehicle. The carry case is a cheap nylon bag and the overall quality is high for China: low by my USA standards. You can get it delivered quickly though. Mine arrived next day.

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The Viair 300 air compressor is an excellent product for both airing down and pumping up my 30 inch tires on my Jeep. You can use it anywhere with the 12 volt cable and pumping tires up is quite a bit faster than other 12 volt systems. I highly recommend it.

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Monday, July 21, 2014

Motorola MH230R 22 Channel 23 Mile Two-Way Radios

Motorola MH230R 22 Channel 23 Mile Two-Way Radios
  • Waterproof Rating NONE
  • GPS Enabled NONE
  • Power - Output (Watts) NONE
  • Capacity - Battery (mAH) NONE
  • Channels NONE

I was very please to hear that this two way radio did exactly as it was stated and the distance was very clear.

it was a gift to someone and I was more than happy to see that the description was true.

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These radios have exceeded or expectations.. Most people that uses these radios with use our surprised by the range that they have and the clarity of the radio.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola MH230R 22 Channel 23 Mile Two-Way Radios Here

Not even 5-mile range. This kind of scam should be punished by law. You cannot advertise a product with imaginary features. I am terribly disappointing with this product, and I do not recommend anyone to buy it.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Husky Liners 23181 WeatherBeater Black Cargo Liner

Husky Liners 23181 WeatherBeater Black Cargo LinerThis liner does not fit tight as other ones by this manufacturer for other model automobiles. Dirt can go through the sides down to the cargo carpet.

Bought this for a 2013 Flex. The compatibility matrix on Amazon said it wasn't designed for that model year but I was pretty sure there were no changes from 2012 to 2013. Turns out it fits perfectly and protects the cargo area nicely. Lips on all edges catch dirt or liquid and it's just the right balance between stiff and flexible to make it easy to take out and shake if it collects a lot of debris. I would highly recommend this liner.

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The first thing I noticed unpacking it was that it was thinner than I expected. I thought it would be more heavy duty. While its been okay in how it's held up ( I've used it for 4-5 months ), I since have seen an OEM Ford liner for cheaper. I wish I would've waited!

Read Best Reviews of Husky Liners 23181 WeatherBeater Black Cargo Liner Here

I bought this liner for my sons Ford Flex rear cargo area. It is a perfect fit and the item arrived earlier then promised.

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

S&G Tool Aid 14600 Battery Filler Rubber Bulb

S&G Tool Aid 14600 Battery Filler Rubber BulbMy house runs completely on L-16 lead acid batteries and I have to fill them with water once a month. This thing makes that job a breeze.

this thing works great for blowing dust out of screw holes and out of hand power tools. especially when I do not have the air compressor primed up, or feel like hauling over a vacuum, or just using the old fashioned lung power and getting dust in the face

Buy S&G Tool Aid 14600 Battery Filler Rubber Bulb Now

Did you ever try to pur a little distilled water from a gallon jug into a battery cell filler hole? Then you know what a mess it can be. Save yourself the clean up and get a rubber bulb. When not filling battery cells you can use it as a turkey baster.

Read Best Reviews of S&G Tool Aid 14600 Battery Filler Rubber Bulb Here

This simple tool will solve MANY home shop problems. Overfill your lawn mower oil? Suck some out with this! Need to add distilled water to a battery? Dribble some into each cell with this! Need to change power steering fluid? This device makes it easy! Get two or three and dedicate each one for each fluid and avoid cross contamination.

Good tool cheap.

Bulbs will eventually harden and crack.

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It works. Not sure what else to say. I haven't used it a lot but it should be OK. Before having this tool I was trying to pour distilled water into a funnel to fill batteries. It was very easy to overfill. This tool gives much better control.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

New 2.0-Inch HD Dual Camera Car DVR Vehicle Accident Dash Recorder and 8 IR Night Vision Light

New 2.0-Inch HD Dual Camera Car DVR Vehicle Accident Dash Recorder and 8 IR Night Vision Light
  • LCD?2.0"TFT LCD
  • Lens:120 Wide Angle
  • With nigh vision function
  • Dual lens survailiance the outside and the inside together

It's constant recording :( Thought there's motion detection but I was wrong. The biggest disappointment was with the night vision. In fact IR Led's are not strong at all. You can see image only up to 2" in front of the camera ! HD is photo only, video is VGA. Wasting of money. Regrets, regrets...

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i ordered a "New 2.0-Inch HD Dual Camera Car DVR Vehicle Accident Dash Recorder and 8 IR Night Vision Light". the product sent is the older version without night vision.

Read Best Reviews of New 2.0-Inch HD Dual Camera Car DVR Vehicle Accident Dash Recorder and 8 IR Night Vision Light Here

Love it, no problems at all Used it on a recent trip and it was great to have with us.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Painless Wiring 30204 Remote Master Disc. Kit

Painless Wiring 30204 Remote Master Disc. KitVery Nice. Heavy duty. Easy to install. Everything you need to get the job done. There were plenty of electrical connectors. I opted to purchase a new Battery cable (Battery to bolt-on end) so my cables would be exact length I needed without having them flop around and ground out. Addl cost under $7.00. The solenoid is a little bigger than I expected (because it is so heavy duty) so it was a little difficult to find a mount location in my Jeep, but I don't think most users would find it as difficult to mount in their vehicle. I ran the switch into the driver area so I can switch it on as soon as I open the door and then use electronic controls to unlock the rest. Instruction were clear and accurate.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Tomtom Mkii Bluetooth GPS Receiver for USA Canada Worldwide

Tomtom Mkii Bluetooth GPS Receiver for USA Canada WorldwideThis worked perfect for my Jailbroken Apple iPad and Jailbroken Apple iPod Touch. All you need is BTstack APP located in Cydia for $5. No need to by the 3G version iPad that goes for $100 more than the Wifi version to just have a GPS on your device. The price was right also.

Instructions:

Apple Devices.

Requirements: Any Generation Apple Device Must Be JAILBROKEN.

1. Download BTstack APP located in Cydia.

2. Turn on the TomTom MKii. The light will turn green.

3. Open the BTstack APP and connect it with the TomTom MKii.

4. Wait 5 minutes for the TomTom to warm up and connect to satellites.

5. Start using your favorite navigation APP. (Example, Google Maps, TomTom, Navigon, CoPilot, etc)

Android Devices:

1. Download Bluetooth GPS APP located in Google Play.

2. Turn on the TomTom MKii. The light will turn green.

3. Go into Settings and pair your device in the Bluetooth settings. It will never show connected but it will show paired. TomTom MKII passcode is 0000.

4. Go into the Bluetooth GPS APP and select the TomTom and connect it. Make sure Mock GPS Provider is enabled.

5. Wait 5 minutes for the TomTom MKii to warm up and connect to satellites.

6. Start using your favorite navigation APP. (Example, Google Maps, etc)

HP TouchPad

1. Download MapTool Pro APP located in HP Catalog.

2. Turn on the TomTom MKii. The light will turn green.

3. Open the MapTool Pro APP and connect it with the TomTom MKii.

4. If it asks for a passcode, the code is 0000.

Long battery life, works great with my Samsung laptop and MS Streets 2009. Great deal for a Bluetooth GPS! Used this on several trips and loved it.

Buy Tomtom Mkii Bluetooth GPS Receiver for USA Canada Worldwide Now

UPDATES: 6/17/12

I ran into minor issue with the cheap car power adapter that came with it. The adapter will not work if you have those multiple cig splitter. I guess it requires more juice where you have to plug as a single source. My splitter a AC car adapter and that worked for me so far. The item did not come with instruction. The item is possibly refurbished...booo!!.

Light indicator on the GPS:

yellow: power plugged in

red: power not plugged in

flashing solid green: GPS connection is active to your bluetooth device.

I originally was going to spend $100 on a TOMTOM car kit for my Iphone with the Nav App. I accidently found out that my Ipad 2 can be use as a Navigation and all it was missing was a $20 External Bluetooth GPS. I use TOMTOM and Navigon Apps and they work perfectly with this TomTom Bluetooth External GPS. It works just like a standalone Navigation except you're getting a bigger 10" hi res screen and on top of other things you can use with the Ipad 2. Since the maps were preloaded in the tablet, all the pois and Nav features work without relying on a 3g/4g connection. Having the 3g/4g data service advantage is searching places on google not in the preloaded Pois. With millions of Pois already preloaded in the Navigation App, you really don't need to spent extra money for a data service.

Read Best Reviews of Tomtom Mkii Bluetooth GPS Receiver for USA Canada Worldwide Here

First off I am using this unit to add GPS support to my jail broken WiFi only iPad 3. To use this product, as far as I know, iOS products require a 10 dollar app called BTStack which is available on the Cydia market place. After installing BTStack pairing the unit with my iPad was a snap. Once BTStack had been activated and paired with the MKii every GPS app I tried that required a GPS chip located on the 3G/4G version iPads just worked.

Location services are spot on and I've never had the unit report my location incorrectly. Accuracy is excellent as well and should be sufficient enough to work with most navigation apps but I'm not sure I would want to use this with projects requiring high precision such as surveying jobs. I've activated the unit, performed basic walking tests and the unit would update my changing location accordingly. The battery in the unit lasts awhile, and the unit features an auto shutoff in case you forget to turn the unit off as I do a lot.

I've had this unit for a month or two and have only had to charge it four times with almost daily use.

From my experience I would recommend this product for anyone wanting to add GPS capability to their WiFi only iOS device. It's worth a look considering some of the other add on GPS units are +100 dollars while this one was only 15 through an Amazon market place seller.

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I was looking for a cheap solution for GPS on my HP Touchpad. The Tomtom Mk II is the cheapest I could find. After about one month of using it, all I can say is working as expected. Battery life is OK for my purpose.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Charge-It Concentrated Battery Additive 32 oz.

Charge-It Concentrated Battery Additive 32 oz.Almost four years ago, the battery on my Sienna 2000 would not start the van. It had slightly bulged on one side and would no longer take the charge. It also failed a load test.

I was about to replace the battery when a friend of mine gave me a small 2 oz. bottle of Charge-It. At first I doubted its capability to rejuvenate a dead battery, but I had nothing to lose if I added the stuff to my battery. I poured the liquid into the six cells, and charged the battery overnight. The amazing thing happened. The next morning, the battery's state of charge went up to 75%. I then continued to charge the battery for about 8 hours, and the state of charge moved up to 100%. The van started immediately, and the battery has been going strong ever since, with no more signs of sulfation. I felt good because I not only saved money but also helped protect the environment in a meaningful way.

Since that successful experience, I have been recommending Charge-It to my other friends. They have used it to regenerate dozens of discarded, dead, or weak batteries, many of which were deep cycle ones. As long as the batteries did not have mechanical damages, the results have all been wonderful. My friends all thanked me for recommending this magical product.

Charge-It is the same cadmium formula as VX-6. I wrote a chapter in Vol. 1 about the install procedure for a 6V, H-2 Harley battery.

The reason I suggest getting the 32 and the small 2 or 4oz. bottle is that the small bottle has sections marked on the side for easy installation.

The 32 oz. bottle is to turn your friends on to, when you see how long your battery last.

I have a 11 yr. old new Japan, 6V, H-2 for my Panhead. The battery sat factory sealed in it's original box. Each of the (3) cells in the battery had vacuum-sealed caps.

When I took the battery caps off and looked inside, all (3) cells were packed completely furry with white calcification, from reacting to the humidity in the air (the vacuum had long ago equalized). I installed 1/3 of a small bottle into each cell, then added electrolyte (acid) and stood by as the calcium began rapidly dissolving, and added more electrolyte as I watched the acid level in the cells drop as more calcium continued to dissolve. After the initial full-to-the-top-line acid is installed never use acid again, only distilled water. Charge the battery every time you add more distill water to top off cells.

My 11 yr. old (new) battery came to life and holds a full charge in all (3) cells.

I have a 3 yr. J.C. Whitney 12v battery in my Honda 250 Rebel, purchased from J.C. Whitney and put into service on 12/26/06, that has lasted 5 yrs. and still going. [Note: The date of installation is buzzer-etched into the top of the battery.]

TRUST IN "CHARGE-IT".

**********************************

The 11 yr. old, furry celled, H-2 Harley, 6V, battery is still kicking strong. Like new. ONLY because of CHARGE-IT. The battery retains 6.4 volts when meter-tested after a ride.

The 3 yr. old "3-year" Honda 250 Rebel battery is still going strong as expected.

~ DO NOT CHARGE A MOTORCYCLE BATTERY WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN A (micro-amperage) "BATTERY TENDER" or Schumacher® listed below. An automotive or 1 amp "motorcycle battery" charger will still warp the plates and Charge-It will not straighten warped plates.~

********************************

June 11, 2011 Here with an updated report:

The 12 yr. old H-2, 6v, Harley battery is still going strong! I've installed it on my Panhead, which now has 200 miles on a new pistons and rings. When I put the battery on Battery-Tender trickle charge, the top "charging" lamp will go out in about 20 minutes and change to the lower drip of "Monitoring Charge" lamp below.

The "3-year" Honda 250 Rebel 12v battery is still going strong at (5) yrs.

********************************

"Geritol for your battery, or what?"

*********************************

11/11/11 My 5 yr. old (36. warranty!) 12V Honda Rebel battery and my 12 yr. old, pre-crystalized cells of my Harley-Davidson, Charge-It revived battery are still going strong.

I left my 6V battery uncharged for 3 weeks put the Battery Tender on it and the "storage charging" lamp lit right away, by-passing the "charging" lamp altogether.

Charge-It is mother's milk for your battery.

**********************************

March 24, 2012...... both batteries are still kickin' !

June 24, 2012....... sadly we've taken the 6V, H-2 battery off life-support on approx. May 1, 2012, when the H-2 failed to retain enough voltage to trigger the BatteryTender® into a charging cycle. Once shock-started to life by the Schumacher® micro-power-charger, the H-2 would begin the Tender® chg. cycle, but then would never transition from "charging" to "monitoring". Ol' H-2 led a hard life from the beginning, what with being crystallize in dry-storage and all. H-2... we hardly knew ya'. :(

*************

The now (5) year old (36 month) Honda Battery is still going strong. I have a new 12V on the shelf (vacuum, dry-storage) like a buzzard perched on a fence rail, rocking back and forth waiting for the 12/26/06, 12V battery to expire.

Happy starts all around. :)

***************

9/25/12 Sad to report the 12/26/06 (engraved) 12V Honda battery failed to start the motor this morning. Pushing the horn button received only a "pop" from the horn-speaker. So well.. doing the math...let's see.. that's 6 yrs., 3 months from a Taiwan "Yatch" (3) yr. battery using (obsolete) CADMIUM content Charge-It.

You have my word on all the facts. Thank you.

Buy Charge-It Concentrated Battery Additive 32 oz. Now

I've been using this for about 6 months in several batteries, not long enough to really comment on the lifetime of a battery, but it looks like the real deal. I've not had any trouble with the batteries, all are charging up well.

Read Best Reviews of Charge-It Concentrated Battery Additive 32 oz. Here

Before I start, please note that this post is not intended primarily as a review of the product per se (althogh I do own two bottles of the product, and have played with this product in my research lab), but rather an attempt to correct some myths that were accidentally introduced and perpetuated by earlier reviewers on this Amazon listing page.

(As for the product itself, my feelings are rather neutral; I feel that it may be a useful battery additive at times for certain flooded (aka wet) lead-acid batteries and for certain users, depending upon the exact battery design/construction and dependent upon the condition and history of the battery. I can state firmly that there have been a number of research studies over the past 70 years, and also hundreds of user testimonials from profossional-level users in industry and commerce that indicate that some earlier battery additive products that were very similar in composition to ChargeIt did indeed reduce sulfation, and also increased charge acceptance and charge capacity of treated batteries, and also reduced the volumd of deposits and sludge at the bottom of the cells, and also reduced temperatures within the cells during charge and discharge. So, ChargeIt will likely be a very useful product for treating some batteries that have not aged well.)

Several earlier reviews about this product, and also some notes on other websites as well, claim that the battery addditive product called Charge-It (manufactured by SolderIt, aka Solder-It) contains cadmium sulfate, the same compound that was the active ingredient in the old famed VX-6 battery additive product (which is no longer available in the USA). This claim that Charge-It contains cadmium sulfate is not true, and, according an an engineer at SolderIt with whom I spoke inAugust of 2012, the Charge-it product has never contained cadmium in any form since it became part of SolderIts' product line. Rather, according to the engineer with whom I spoke at SolderIt, the active ingredient in Charge-It is aluminum sulfate dissolved in water, along with a proprietary wetting agent (this wetting agent is used because aluminum sulfate does not dissolve easily in water.)

BTW, since so many commenters and websites claim that the Charge-It product contains cadmium sulfate, and since some folks do wish to purchase cadmium sulfate (aka cadmium sulphate) battery additive products, the only two battery products that are still commercially available today (August 2012) that I am sure contain cadmium sulfate as the active ingredient are Inox MX2 and Battery Equaliser, and I have verified these claims by perusing the MSDS documents for each product, and in one case, by also calling the manufacturer and speaking with their engineers on the phone. I suspect that a few of the other commercially-available battery additives available on the market may also contain cadmium sulfate as well, but the two products that I have mentioned above are the only products for which I have been able to verify this claim with 100% certainty.

There are also several websites and webpage comments that have claimed that Charge-It contains calcium disodium EDTA, a chelating agent, as its active ingredient. Again, this claim is entirely not true, although there are indeed some few battery additives on the market that do contain EDTA as the active ingredient. (I personally would never recommend using an EDTA product as an additive in a flooded lead-acid battery, but to each their own cup of tea!)

To the best of my knowledge, the statments that I have made above are entirely true, and I am a well-known multi-disciplinary consulting scientist/engineer with long experience in the field of flooded (aka wet) lead-acid batteries and their care.

Want Charge-It Concentrated Battery Additive 32 oz. Discount?

I bought this product to (hopefully) extend the life of my 6+ year old batteries in our golf cart. I cleaned the batteries and terminals and then added the suggested amount to each filler cap on the six volt batteries. The batteries took a long time to charge, but each time after that, the time it took to charge has decreased. So far, so good. I knew the batteries had just about had it, so this was a gamble to see if I could extend the life for a year or two. Golf cart batteries only last 4-6 years as it is so I am getting "extra mileage" out of the existing ones. $25.00 versus $600.00 on a bet is a no-brainer, so I thought why not? I would try it on just about any battery. UPDATE 2/22/13: THE GOLF CART IS STILL RUNNING FINE. I THINK THE PRODUCT IS WORTH THE PRICE!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger - Non-Retail Packaging

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger - Non-Retail Packaging - BlackFor the most part, I am comparing this to official Motorola car dock for my Droid 1. This car dock for the MAXX is a GREAT improvement and shows Motorola can actually incorporate some good ideas.

First, I made sure to research docks before getting one. Which can be hard since this one didn't have a ton of user reviews right away. Quickly I did learn that what Verizon was pushing in their stores was not the same as could be ordered from Motorola and elsewhere. My biggest draw was the integrated audio. This is a great idea and, in my opinion, worth the premium over the Verizon (which doesn't have the integrated audio cable). My old Droid dock was just a holder for the phone. I had to supply the charging cord and the aux cable (which went to the 3.5mm jack in the phone). It got cluttered, but hey, that's the way is was 2 years ago.

This dock for the MAXX has the connector that slides in to lock the phone in place, charge it, and place audio. Only one cable that goes into the back of the dock. Very clean. 2nd USB port is also a plus. The "horn" that comes with this dock has the same size ball as my old Droid dock, as well as my old Garmin, so use which ever you like. I like my old Garmin because it is more compact and uses a smaller disk. I haven't had any issue with this dock losing suction, so I'm happy there. Also, just pressing the phone into the dock without inserting the USB/audio connector is easy and seems to keep the phone in there pretty well. It isn't to hard to pull it out, just watch for where the volume buttons are so you don't change them accidentally.

I have one gripe. I use a bluetooth device to [sometimes] talk when I'm driving. This device is also capable of playing music from my phone. With my old setup (Droid,dock), I would have BT broadcast enabled on the device, the music to BT option enabled, and a cable in the headphone jack going to my car stereo. I'm listening to something from my phone and it plays on the car stereo. When I get a call, it pauses the music on the phone, answers the call via BT device, I talk, hang up, music resumes over car stereo. Perfect. With the MAXX and its dock, I no longer need to plug anything into the 3.5mm jack while I'm in the car. The problem is when I have BT function enabled, music to BT option enable, and the integrated USB/audio connect inserted everything is pushed to the BT device. If I turn off the BT device or disable the BT function on the phone, then music plays through the car stereo. If I forego the dock and just use an aux cable going to the 3.5mm jack on the phone, then everything works great (as it did w/ the Droid). This seems like a major oversight and I would think that it is just a software issue (but hey, I didn't design this thing). Now, this is probably more a flaw of the phone than of the dock, but since Motorola makes both the phone and the dock and both of the items work exclusively with each other, I think people need to know about it. There is no reason the integrated USB/audio connector should affect the transfer of functions to the BT any differently than the 3.5mm jack.

I'll gladly edit if I find out anything new on the BT issue or if an update fixes it. Overal, great product at an acceptable price, with one oversight.

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

Edit 6/8/12

I've noticed that over the past month the audio crackles when going over bumps and rough roads. It is the micro USB connection of the cable to the dock that is failing. When I hold the connection rigid or switch to using the 3.5mm jack then there are no issues. After looking at the micro USB side of the cable under magnification I can see that several of the metal prongs are flatter than others.

Now, I first have to admit that I do not drive on the smoothest roads, and even for Wisconsin I think these are some of the worst roads around. I would still expect better performance than lasting 3 months. I have taken the review down from 4 stars to 2 because of this. And to think that I was disappointed with getting only 1 year out of the bad retaining tab on the original Droid.... I expected better from Motorola. I don't think that expecting this to last more than 3 months was too high.

03-12-2012

Dock arrived in "non retail packaging" as described, which means it comes in a plastic bag instead of a box (still includes directions, individually packaged cords, etc.) It works perfect. When I plug my phone in, launches the custom navigation mode. This mode is customizable.

Construction of the mount is solid as well. Cords are quality.

I will be updating after a few uses.

UPDATE 03-31-2012

After using this dock numerous times in the past few weeks, I'm still pleased with it. Motorola also has a car finder app that when you unplug your phone from the dock, it automatically launches to save your location for easy car location. This app must be downloaded separately from the Google Play Android Market.

Dock Plug cord: definitely worth the extra cash. The dock plug integrates an MP3 cable INTO THE USB. It works flawlessly. This makes it so instead of having a cord plugged into the phone's headphone jack as well as a usb cord plugged into the dock, there is only one cord, the usb cord, plugged into the dock. Instead, your headphone/mp3/auxiliary cable plugs into the usb cable at the other end near your cigarette lighter. Very convenient. This allows for easy phone removal with NO CORDS unplugging from phone.

Stability: I have had no app stability problems during the several hours of use. App launches when phone is docked and closes when phone is un-docked.

Features: Features are simple (navigation, podcasts, music, internet radio). Outside of these, not much here. HOWEVER, this makes it easier to use with less complication.

Voice Features: a little lacking here; only allows you to say "read message" when receiving a text or "make call" in response to receiving a message. These features work and both reads and makes calls to voice commands: however, these features are only activated when receiving messages/calls. I wish they would be available outside these situations. Perhaps a future update will provide more.

*More to come

Buy Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger - Non-Retail Packaging Now

I won't reiterate what has already been said about the actual product, but I would like to discuss fit. Please be aware that this navigation dock only fits the Maxx WITHOUT a case. I have a hard plastic case on my Maxx, and it does not fit into the dock unless I remove it. Having to remove the case every time I want to use the dock is quite the nuisance and I wish the dock would've been designed to allow for some adjustments. If anyone has input on alternative docks or a way to manipulate the Maxx dock to fit with a case, please share.

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OK, so I bought this for traveling to use the navigation and it works well. The only thing that doesn't really work for me is the charging. It works to a degree, but not as I had hoped. So to explain a little further, when I use the navigation, and the battery was charged down to say 40 or 50 %, I have it plugged into the lighter socket and the battery doesn't deplete, but it doesn't increase either. I used to to drive about 2.5 hours and it stayed at 50% the whole trip. On the way home, I used the navigation and radio app at the same time, and the battery actually drained as I used it. I was hopeful that the charging would be better. Still haven't decided if I want to keep it or no because of that.

Please note that the audio on mine playing thru the provided jack and into the Aux in of my car works flawlessly. The sound is awesome. Maybe I got a bad charger part and other got a bad audio jack.

The suction works perfectly for me. Didn't fall off once.

Also, sometime when I dock the phone and try to lock in the charger part, it doesn't go in easily. I have to carefully press, release, press, etc, until it goes in.

And, no, for those asking, you cannot use any case when using this. You must remove it from the case. I have a few easy ones to remove, so that isn't a problem for me.

I know that using navigation, especially in junction with i heart radio or Pandora, will use more battery life, but I thought since it was plugged in to charge, and yes the charge icon is showing charging, I figured it would still charge somewhat.

I will try to use the phone by itself without any apps or anything running, to see if this charger does work. But I haven't traveled anywhere since that trip other than a short trip to work and back. Last time I tried this, for about a half an hour, it went from 20% to 21% in 30 minutes. My standalone charger was much quicker than that. Just mentioning this so you know.

I still recommend this, but if it isn't to your satisfaction, you can always return it.

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Unfortunately, the USB cable that was included in the packaging was NOT the USB cable pictured in the description. The CORRECT USB cable has an additional dongle with a 3.5mm audio jack, so only one cable is connected to the dock itself and both audio and 750Ma of charge are carried by it. The cable that was included in the sealed box was the run-of-the-mill motorola USB cable that would only carry charge (and probably was a data cable limited to 500Ma, although I don't know that for sure).

I contacted Amazon Customer Service to see if the correct cable could be exchanged, however the ONLY remedy was to return the entire item and re-order. Customer Service was unable to assure that the next item shipped to me would not have the same issue, so now I play the waiting game to see if this was a simple packaging oversight or a systemic issue. Based upon my reading of recent reviews, it looks like others are receiving the correct USB cable, so here's hoping!

Oh, and the price jumped $12 since I ordered it... Fortunately I noticed while still in live chat with customer service and they issued me a credit to make up the difference.

If the next box arrives with an incorrect cable, I will NOT be a happy camper. However, if the next box arrives with the proper cables, I will revise this review and rate as appropriate, although I will still knock off one star for the hassle.

EDIT 10/09/2012 Received new shipment of this product, the correct cable WAS in the box this time! Will further update once installed.

EDIT 10/14/2012 Installed, works quite well. I have love/hate relationship with Motorola... I dislike how they have handled software issues (Motoblur, Music Player on DroidX2, Bionic/Atrix upgrade fiasco, locked bootloaders, etc.), but I have to say from a hardware perspective their stuff is first rate. The ability to have a single cable to the car dock with audio and charge carried by it is great! Motorola has clearly put a lot of thought into accessories for their phones.

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Husky Liners Classic Style Custom Fit Molded Front Floor Liner for Select Toyota 4Runner Models (Ta

Husky Liners Classic Style Custom Fit Molded Front Floor Liner for Select Toyota 4Runner ModelsGood price-good fit-exactly as advertised and everything I had read and heard about the Husky liners was true. Much better protection than a floor mat-easy to remove and simply shake the dirt off. Fit my 99 4Runner like a glove.

My husband likes them for his 4 Runner. They do fit a little over the edge. They are slippery if your shoes/sandals are wet.

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Quick delivery, as described online and good fit. This was a Christmas present for my grandson and his 10+ year old SUV. He liked it.

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

PulseTech 12V ERV SolarPulse 6-Watt Battery Charger

PulseTech 12V ERV SolarPulse 6-Watt Battery ChargerWhen I first bought this item I connected it to my garden tractor battery after it had sat all winter without being disconnected or charged. I left it on the battery for about 6 weeks. When I first tried to start the tractor it fired up like it was a brand new battery. The battery kept and maintained a new battery function for the next season also. I now have it connected to my RV battery and it is 4 years old and acts like I was brand new. The RV was last used in November and it is now close to the 1st of March and my battery is still fully charged and in good working order.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Car Charger Adapter for Philips Dual Screen Portable DVD Player

Car Charger Adapter for Philips Dual Screen Portable DVD PlayerThis worked well when the original adapter went out. I actually think it worked better than the original that came with the dual dvd player. I would definitely recommend this product.

fast and easy no issues with the it. came in just and it so ok okok ok ok ok ok

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fit just perfect and i searched everywhere for one... a life saver for long car rides with my toddler. so glad i found it

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Driving cross-country with these DVD players is wonderful, because the kids are distracted from fighting, and the parents don't go crazy! These are inexpensive replacements for original parts that were lost, so cheap and durable and do their job! Triple plus!

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I used the vehicle charger adapter less than a week and it broke. Some if the pieces stayed in the truck plug which ended up blowing my truck fuse and by the time my husband was done with his mechanic skills trying to fix it, I had to take it into the dealer to fix. What a mess due to a very cheap product.