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

Sunday, October 5, 2014

High Grade Amazon Kindle Fire 7" HD Tablet Robust 360° Adjustable Car Windshield Swivel Suction Mo

High Grade Amazon Kindle Fire 7' HD Tablet Robust 360° Adjustable Car Windshield Swivel Suction Mount w/ Low Profile Car Kit Holder'This is a great product! I am using it on my exercise bike. I use the suction cup on the device to attach it to a piece of heavy Plexiglas that I affixed to the bike timer and then I can watch movies on my Kindle Fire while I exercise. I also bought one to use in the kitchen for our granite island counter. The kit comes with a disk which has adhesive on one side to attach semi-permanently to a car dashboard then you can mount the cradle's suction cup to the semi-permanent disk. So far, the suction cup alone has work great for me. I also can take the cradle and use it to hold my Kindle Fire for presentations. I mount the cradle to a conference room table and am good to go. The adjustments are plastic and have limits, but none that bothered me yet. Well worth the money.

I use this gaget with my Kindle, at the gym rather than in the car, with a clear plexiglass bookstand, to make seeing the Kindle easier. I often watch uTube tutorial while on the walking machine,

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This was exactly what was looking for, when I decided to fabricate a "Kindle Fire," holder in order to read hands free, (in bed). With a touch screen probe on a short stick, it is the height of comfort, and my arm doesn't get tired holding the Kindle. The construction of the frame to attach it to, has been an interesting exercise.

Read Best Reviews of High Grade Amazon Kindle Fire 7" HD Tablet Robust 360° Adjustable Car Windshield Swivel Suction Mo Here

This is solid. The suction cup works great. I actually use this to mount the Kindle Fire to my Treadmill...

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I bought this to use at the gym at my job which is very no frills...limited machines and no classes of any kind...but plenty of mirrors. I figured I'd suction the Kindle Fire 7 HD to the mirror and do some aerobics.

Well, I suctioned it onto the sliding glass mirrors in my dining room and to my surprise this thing stuck like crazy glue.

I pulled on it as well, trying to get it to come off and nothing! That thing was on pretty good. I will update later if for some reason it stop working...

But, I would suggest using an alcohol pad to whipe the area clean FIRST, then using a dry napkin to whipe it clean. Then use the suction cup. It works fantastic on a clean glass surface.

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Friday, October 3, 2014

TomTom Rider 2 GPS Navigator for Motorcycles and Scooters

TomTom Rider 2 GPS Navigator for Motorcycles and Scooters
  • Tomtom Rider Is One Of The Smartest Navigation Solutions For Motorcycles.
  • Rugged Waterproof Device
  • Anti-Glare Screen
  • Integrated Sun Visor, And Gloves-On Operation
  • Navigation Instructions Are Spoken Via In-Helmet Cardo Scala-Rider

I received this unit for Christmas primarily for my bike, but once I purchase the car mount adapter it will be used in the car as well.

This is an excellent unit, to say the least. One reviewer mentioned that it's too difficult to turn the unit onI say "hogwash". The pushbutton is stiff, yes, but that's done to keep the unit from turning on accidentally while in your jacket pocket or carry bag (and with a touch screen, you can well imagine how much mischief one could accidentally create if it turned on without your knowledge). Ditto with the Scala Rider headsetyou don't want the thing accidentally turning on, running the battery down, do you?

Another reviewer mentioned that it doesn't have a "speedometer" or trip meter functionit most certainly does have a speedometer, and what I assume is the "trip meter"but since TomTom set the unit from the factory to eliminate as much extraneous information as possible, you have to activate it in the menus. Once that has been activated, it'll be there until you turn that feature off. In fact, there are a great number of features you can turn on and off in the menus.

I found the documentation to be adequate, and to the point. The printed documentation is to get you up to speed until you charge the units and turn them onit's easy sailing after that. The unit is very easy to use, and it has tutorials right on the unit, so in my opinion further paper documentation is rather redundantactually, I think it's pretty smart on TomTom's part to include tutorials on the unit itself rather than supply a printed bookthat way I don't have to carry around the book, as all of the information is already on the unit! They really don't say much about the bike power cable, but I can certainly understand whyit's not possible to provide information about every bike out there, and if you aren't familiar enough with your bike, or can't figure out how to install it, it's probably best to get someone who is (like your bike dealer) to do the installation.

I've got a Motorolla Razr phone, and the TomTom easily hooked up to my phone via Bluetooth, and it painlessly downloaded all of my phone numbers I have stored on the phone (thank you for providing this helpful feature!).

I do wish that it gave the street name when it gives you instructions to turn, but I soon got used to how it worksnot only does the display give you very clear instructions on where to turn, it also gives you the street name. Once you get used to it, it's easy. But I would like the option of hearing the street name (my PDA does, but the map display isn't as easy to see as the TomTom). While playing with the unit as my father-in-law drove the car, I discovered one potential issue with having the street name spoken to youwhat happens when the street name is changed, but your maps haven't been updated? If you rely on the spoken street name, you might miss itit's best to take a glance at the screen to make sure you're taking the correct turn (I found one such roadthe name has recently been changed, but the map showed the old name instead). Still, I'd prefer to have it spoken, and visually double-check the map.

Overall, I give the TomTom an A-. TomTom, if you're reading this, I'll give you an A+ if you guys update the software so that it'll give you the street name by voicethen you'll have the best bike GPS available! However, I'd still buy the unit as is. It would just increase the functionality by including this feature.

Buy TomTom Rider 2 GPS Navigator for Motorcycles and Scooters Now

My wife gave me this unit for Christmas. She's a doll and I love her very much, but she was not very versed about what to shop for or expect from a GPS unit. I've now used the unit several hours during trips, utilizing the blue tooth connectivity with my cell phone and the included headset within my helmet. Ive also used it in the car a lot. They said this unit was designed by motorcyclists, but obviously the bikers TomTom consulted knew very little about the minimum expectations for features required in a decent GPS unit...especially one costing this much.

I am going to break-down my review into two parts....what it has that is good...and what it lacks that makes it a non-competitive GPS unit in the US. I've used GPS technology at work and at play for years. Most of my background with consumer-grade GPS units is with the Garmin brand. So it is to that brand that I will make most of my comparisons because Garmin, for the most part, has it right and does it right! (imho)I have no financial or personal relationship with Garmin, whatsoever.

OK..first for the positive...it's water resistant/proof (don't really know about the proof part cause I havent had it in the pouring rain yet)...Fast processor and fast acquisition of the GPS constellation...good screen graphics and brightness...decent battery life...sensitive touch screen technology....blue tooth capable...can download your Outlook contact database....decent internal memory...heavy duty Ram mounting hardware for your bikes handle bars....USB connectivity to your computer for map downloads, etc....and if you are into directions from the unit, it has a few male and female voices from which to choose.

Now for the features it should have but does not:

-Should have a trip computer with trip parameters such as max speed, average moving speed, time moving, time sitting still, odometer, trip odometer, vertical and horizontal elevation, etc. None of this exists on the tomtom rider.

-Should leave a track, or a bread crumb trail, as you ride along. Not available on the TTRider. This is a real disappointment.

-Should have larger fonts for speed, arrival time, etc. Way too small to have to deal with on a motorcycle...even when set to the largest font.

-Should not "snap" to the nearest road to fool you into thinking their base map is accurate...because it is not that accurate in reality.

-Should come with a cig lighter plug for powering, but it does not.

-Does not allow any preference setting while in motion. You must stop before you can do anything with this unit outside of a few limited functions. Excuse: a safety feature

-Cannot make a call while moving. You can only recieve calls while moving. What's that about???? (yea I know, safety)

Has annoying icons on the screen when the phone and headset are not connected and there is no way to get them off the screen!!

-Gives you no options as far as screen orientation relating to your travel direction...always points you up. Thats ok most of the time, but we deserve to have a choice in this price class.

-Can fall off the ball mount and, if not tethered to the bike or mounting base, it will hit the ground and will be lost.

No elevation available...for those of us that ride in mountains and are use to seeing this on gps units, it's certainly an oversight by the TTRider. GPS derived elevation is not that accurate in the first place, but readings are relative and give a pretty good indication of elevation changes as you ride.

Direct sunlight makes the screen totally INVISIBLE.

If I could send it back to Amazon I would. I plan to give it to by wife for her car and purchase a gps unit that more closely fits my needs as a touring motorcyclist and as a consumer that refuses to settle for inadequate and poorly designed products.

Read Best Reviews of TomTom Rider 2 GPS Navigator for Motorcycles and Scooters Here

1. I have owned a Rider for more than 18 months.

2. The first one I had, the dock broke in Texas while I was riding Route 66.

3. I called TomTom from Texas (I live in Calif) and asked them to FedEx a new one.

They said no can do.

4. Once home, TomTom sent me a new Dock, but... it took them 1 month to get it to me.

5. After a while I started to notice that the Rider was not charging while in the dock and on my bike.

6. They asked me to send them my Rider back with all the accessories.

7. Then after 4 weeks, they sent me a new Rider, with no charger and no accessories.

8. The asked me to send it back.

8. After another 4 weeks, they sent me another.... new Rider... with all the accessories.

9. The dock didn't charge.

10. After another week, they sent me a new dock. It works.

There are known issues with the docks and charging, but TomTom won't admit it.

It's manufacturering issue. I'll let you guess where they are made.

The Tom Tom rider is good, easy to use. But if anything goes wrong, you'll be waiting many weeks for a replacement.

Ad of course the wait time on the phone, plan on an hour with each call.

I probably would NOT buy another one.

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I bought this product from Amazon and received it 4-days ago. In the last 4-days, I have been in contact with TomTom by phone and email trying not only to get detailed information about the product, but also trying to get help with it. This is by far the worst motorcycle GPS on the market.

The Pro's: (there is only one)

1) They have upgraded the headset to the Cardo Scala Q2.

The Con's:

1) The screen is unreadable outside either in the sunlight or on overcast days. It looks completely white washed. There are no settings to resolve this on the unit.

2) The documentation included is for the original Rider, not the Rider 2nd Edition.

3) The screen is unreadable outside

4) There is no documentation available from TomTom or from RAM-Mount for the motorcycle mount that is included.

5) The screen is unreadable outside

6) TomTom's 30-day map guarantee only works if you call and harass them about it. Then you must fax or email proof of purchase before they will comply with there own guarantee.

7) The screen is unreadable outside

8) The power button is ridiculously hard to operate

9) The screen is unreadable outside

10) THE SCREEN IS UNREADABLE OUTSIDE!!!!!!!

So, in my opinion I can only believe that people who rate this highly either ride only at dusk, or during the nighttime. Either that, or they want everyone to make the same mistake they did, so they don't feel like they are the only one's that were taken for their money.

Oh, and did you get it yet?

THE SCREEN IS UNREADABLE OUTSIDE!

The whole purpose of the unit is to use it outside on a motorcycle!

I have owned a TomTom GO910 for a few years, and was actually very pleased with it except for the cost. But I will NEVER purchase another TomTom device after dealing with the company over the last 4-days.

My recommendations would be to please do your research online in advance. The TomTom Rider and the TomTom Rider 2nd Edition are pure crap, because there SCREENS ARE NOT READABLE OUTSIDE! Which itself is ridiculous as they were specifically designed for motorcycles!

Do yourself a huge favor, buy the Garmin Nuvi 550 instead! It's waterproof with an 8-hour rechargeable and replaceable lithium battery! Plus, its only half the price of the all too overpriced Zumo model! Wanna save even more money, buy the Garmin Nuvi 500. Again, waterproof with an 8-hour rechargeable and replaceable lithium battery. The only difference between it and the Nuvi 550 are the maps. The lower 48 vs. all of North America.

I bought the Rider 2 GPS last summer, to tour the south of France, from Paris. I'd travelled before with maps, sometimes missing offramps out of confusion (freeway signs here are only really good if you're a local, in which case you don't need them in the first place!!). After having used a TomTom GPS in a rental car to go to Italy, I decided to get one for my Speed Triple, for the pleasure of being guided from "above". The decision was made a week before my departure, so I didn't really have time to investigate the market. I discovered only Garmin & TomTom have bike-specific models, and that both were incredibly expensive compared to car units. Being used to, and pleased with the TomTom interface, I decided to buy TT. The first Rider 2 I bought would not connect to my Motorola Razr V3i, despite the help from the sales reps, and would refuse to turn on, even fully charged. After 3 (THREE!!) trade-ins, I had to leave for my 1 1/2 month vacation with my current unit, picked up the same morning.

My first beef was to find that not only would it start trying connecting to my V3i, then fail, but I'd also have to use the cellular connection to obtain the updates, and 1 month trial of various options I'D PAID FOR!! This is totally stupid. If you're going to have to use a PC to save your SD card, let the PC handle further downloads and updates!!! It doesn't take being a racket science wiz to understand a DSL connection is more reliable than a cellular. Also, the fact you have to pay for updates, and options that should be standard, is preposterous.

My second problem, is the fact that as long as you're moving, you cannot access/change routing information. That's totally stupid too. Even at walking speeds, the unit will accept no change of route, or any other modification. When you're on the freeway, or on city streets with no place to stop, this is really aggravating. I know it's supposedly for security reasons, but changing your destination to a favorite isn't going to put you in danger in most cases, stopping and starting on a road close to heavy traffic will. In any case, you can tap all you want on a car unit, so security obviously isn't a valid reason. In any case, I hate when an appliance is set to restrain my use of it, and not let me decide for myself when/if what I do is safe.

3rd beef: sometimes, maps are obsolete from the start. When driving through Italy, I was directed to turn right on a freeway, in the middle of... fields!!! There was an offramp on my screen, miles from any actual offramps. Only corn fields, which had obviously been there for years, and weren't going to disappear in favor of a new road overnight. Really scary when you're on a schedule..

Maybe I should have listed first the On/Off button. I have very strong arms & fingers, but the time & pressure (and numerous attempts) it takes to turn it on hurts my fingers each time. Needless to even think of asking my girlfriend to do it...

The last unnicety I can think of right now, is the fact, if you're typing an address, the streets that pop up aren't entirely legible on the screen. It appears there's no way to view further past the first letters. This is really a bummer in France, where streets precede their name. Example: if you're looking for an address on Boulevard du General De Gaulle, all that appears on the screen is "Boulevard du Genera", so you have to type each and every letter in the name, or you'll get directed to another general's name, and, as there's no "back" function, you'll have to go through the whole itinerary planning procedure again to try to get it right. Total lack of user-friendliness, for a unit that's supposed to be usable by bikers, with gloves on.

On the upside, missing an exit leads the unit to recalculate another itinerary very quickly, the reason exactly I'd bought a GPS. Arrival times are incredibly accurate, even on long trips. Screen maps are legible. The RAM fixing system is great, and solid, but props there go to RAM, not TomTom. The Scala system works fine, and is reasonably audible, although the choice of a higher pitched female voice, on full volume is a must, if you're going to be riding over 100 mph.

If I'd had more time to choose, I'd have bought the Garmin Zumo instead. The price is too high for a GPS that's so poorly engineered. It does work nicely when it's all set up correctly, but not being able to take phone calls, use paid for updates, or use your PC to download data is unacceptable.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Universal Mini USB Car Charger Adapter, Black

Universal Mini USB Car Charger Adapter, Black
  • NOTE: Needs to pair with a USB charging cable. Additional USB charging cable is available for purchase separately.
  • Use your car to charge any devices (digital cameras, PDAs, mobile phones, USB accessories and more) that can rely on USB for power! This adapter plugs into your car's cigarette lighter jack to become a powered USB port.
  • USB car charger adapter charges your PDA from any standard cigarette lighter in any vehicle. (Use together with USB charging cable.)
  • Patented circuit board designed to protect your valuable gadgets from short circuits. Fit all electronic appliances that use a USB charging cable.
  • Input: 12V-24V, Output: 5V / 1000mA, Color: black. NOTE: NOT compatible with Apple® iPad®

I'll start with the good: It looks good, feels relatively sturdy, and does put out 5 volts over USB. Now for the bad: First off, the red LED that comes on is WAY too bright. I wouldn't want to drive at night with it on, which is annoying. Also, While i was testing it, i noticed that the unit felt warm after only 2-3 minutes of charging. It was emitting a burning electronics smell. thats not good! So, considering that the device cost less than 3 bucks, i just took it apart to see what was up....

The device uses an MC34063a voltage converter chip. This chip is tinymaybe 5mm by 2.5mm. This is the source of the heat!!!! I plugged my Droid X into the charger (which was connected to 12v through an ammeter) and after 5-10 minutes of charging, the surface of the chip was 186 degrees F. Not only is this insane, it's also way past the operating range of the chip (about 150 degrees). At this time the charger was pulling .5 to .6 of an amp from the power source to charge the phone.

While technically it works, i wouldn't rely on it. I doubt it will last long considering how hot it gets.

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The adapter arrived just as it looks in the picture, and it sports a much better form-factor than the clunky alternatives found on Amazon. It's worth noting that the black circle next to the USB input is a blue LED indicator light, letting you know that the device has power. However, the blue light is rather bright. While I like the blue light, some might find it distracting when driving at night; it lights up a good bit of the car.

In my older Infiniti, I have to twist the adapter to find the sweet-spot to get it to hold a charge in the cigarette lighter. I think the problem may lie more with my car than the adapter, though. Once I find the sweet-spot, the adapter works just fine.

When I used the adapter in a 1996 Camry, I had a different result. The adapter worked just fine immediately. I tried twisting the unit to recreate the problem from the first car, but it never lost charge. I actually ran into an unexpected problem. The 1996 Camry has a recessed cigarette lighter, and the nice, small adapter fit into it absolutely flush -so flush that I couldn't pull it out. I ended up having to loop string around the adapter and pull it out that way (worked like a charm).

The adapter seems to work just fine, and I have no problem recommending this for purchase -just make sure your car doesn't have an overly-recessed lighter.

Read Best Reviews of Universal Mini USB Car Charger Adapter, Black Here

Although, these are nice and cheap, I've had two die on me after a month or so. The fuses seems to be okay. They both just stop charging and the light no longer illuminates. The price is not worth the hassle if you end up having to buy something better anyways.

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In one of the product reviews... the person mentioned that the big light on the front is blue, but on the version I recently bought from the Eforcity storefront, it illuminates red (which is fine by me). The light turns on immediately once it is plugged into a running car. I have yet to charge my device fully in the car, so I don't know if the light changes color or not. However, I think the mobile phone has its own control function when the battery is fully charged anyway.

Essentially, this adapter converts your cigarette lighter port into a USB port. The adapter is called "mini" due to its general size as it is much less bulkier than your regular car adapters/chargers. Thus to help with those that may still be confused, the port is not for a mini-USB connector, as it sports a standard USB port. You will need to also purchase a seperate USB cord for charging. For my HTC Evo, I bought a micro USB to standard USB cord which works perfectly so far. Great product and very affordable!

It looks nice and cheap. It fits in my cigarette adapter well. However, it always turns off randomly!!! The light just go out without any reason and my phone stops charging. This situation happens all the time and I got crazy because I depend on it to charge my phone in the car. The other bad thing about this adapter is that it gets very hot after several minutes charging...

The price is not worth the hassle if you end up having to buy something better anyways!!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Battery Disconnect Switch with Key

Battery Disconnect Switch with KeyI wanted a cost-effective way to turn off my battery power to my RV, and this seemed to fit the bill. I especially liked the fact that it has a weather cover when the key is not inserted, and when it was, the boot also kept the weather out.

Well I drilled the necessary holes in the battery box cover and made the installation, hooking up the battery leads last and then installing the cover back onto the battery box. That was it! Works beautifully. I put a keep string to tie the key on to the RV when it is being used, as I don't want to risk losing the key.

Product came in quickly and is doing its job but not without an issue. When I initially installed it, it would not cut the power off to my RV. After breaking the nuts loose to take it out I decided to check one last time and it was working. Re-tightened the nuts was not working again. Apparently, if you "over-tighten the nuts it will cause this to malfunction and not cut the power off as it should. Not sure why but, this was my experience.

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I have a 25 hp outboard that was permitting a small current to drain the battery in a couple of weeks. This switch handled the starting current, and solved the problem.

Read Best Reviews of Battery Disconnect Switch with Key Here

Monday, August 18, 2014

Scosche EWFH Single ANL Fuse Holder

Scosche EWFH Single ANL Fuse Holder
  • Platinum-Plated Wiring Terminals and Accessories
  • Durable Finish and Conductivity
  • 2- and 4-Position Distribution Blocks Along With A Wide Range Of Fuse Sizes
  • Easy Installation Of Multiple Amplifier Combinations

... For a 1000 watt 12VDC system.

Fuses for 12VDC can not have much drop across the fuse because the battery (fully charged) is 12.8 VDC and the battery is considered "drained" at 10.5 VDC. That's only 2.3 V of drop in your entire system including wires, connectors, fuses, and the battery. It's better if you have an alternator and engine running but they'll give you 124A or so while the battery can deliver 1000 amps. At 1000 watts constant power you will pull 115 Amps that leaves you with 0.02 ohms for your entire wiring system to run 1000W with a charged battery and 2.3 V drop. If your battery is running low, consider it more like 0.01 ohms of max system loss. If your engine is on up at 14VDC you get some slack so long as your alternator battery link is good.

You still need a fuse in the system though because the alternatives working with these power levels are arcwelding.

These high current fuses are optimal for such systems. For 1000W consider a minimum of 150 amps or possibly a 200 amp fuse. The clear plastic covers protect the screwdown terminals from stray metal and let you get a visual on the fuse status should it blow (it won't be pretty if it does blow stopping a 115A DC current is going to produce a nasty arc and will also leave smoke inside the cover no problem telling if the fuse blew!

A little secret if you wonder why it is so hard to stop high power (200+ amps) DC and easy with AC it's that with 60Hz AC the voltage is exactly zero 60 times per second and usually stops on its own, so your arc lasts for a maximum of 1/60th second and with a sine wave source it naturally tapers down to zero where it stops. DC will go on forever if the gap isn't large enough.

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I bought this to be a fuse between a set of batteries and my inverter that powers a subpanel at my house for back-up capabilities. The casing and ANL fuse holder worked as intended. I was using 2 guage welder cable with a large 1/2" ring adapter. The fuse holder had no problems closing down over the connector and wire. It is nice beign able to see the fuse indicator as well to see if I had a problem or surge. This device gives me a peace of mind when it comes to saving my very expensive xantex prosine 2.5 from overloading on the DC side.

The cost is low and the feeling of safety is great. The plastic didnt' seem overly cheap and the stainless nuts and washers seemed quality. Very happy with the purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Scosche EWFH Single ANL Fuse Holder Here

I like these better then the other inline fuse because they are well covered and easy to replace and tell if they are blown.

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holds the fuse, plastic cover a little brittle, needs a good amount of force to snap cover on, it is not water tight, looks good

Product as described and fits Raptor RANL2002 200 Amp ANL Fuses perfectly. It is a little bulky, but does it's job. You WILL need something to help insulate or fill in the gap between the wire and case on the ends as shown in the picture. I would also suggest some sealant of some kind to keep the case closed tightly and sealed; especially if not in a waterproof area. And if used correctly, it should be within 3 ft of the battery anyway.

Monday, June 16, 2014

BESTEK Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A 300w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc

BESTEK Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A 300w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc adapter laptop charger notebook adapter dc charger ac adapter usb charger MRI3011BU
  • Converts 12-volt DC power from a vehicle battery to 120-volt AC power. Simply plug the inverter into your vehicle's DC outlet, and connect your device to the inverter's AC outlet or USB port.providing on-the-go household power in the vehicle.
  • Dual 110V AC oulets and Dual USB ports 3.1A totally, one with 1A and the other 2.1A for iPad and other larger devices fast charging
  • Short circuit,overload,overheat,low battery voltage,over battery voltage Protections, Full protection features and Auto-shutdown keep your appliance and car from damage of overheating, over load , low load, short circuit, low voltage and over voltage.
  • High tech achieved: Input & Output Isolation avoid electric shock ! Built-in fuse & cooling fan. Resum working after protections.
  • For DC12V and Car ONLY, not applied for DC24V and airplane use !

Arrived bubble wrapped in a small priority shipping box; not a retail package. This is a 1 piece unit, no accessories and a single half sheet of instructions. No loose parts to worry about, the plug is permanently attached and plugs directly into cig adapter. I like the compact size and feel of this unit. The cord is about the right length for me, there is 22" of wire between the plug and the unit. It'll reach the passenger seat just fine from the console. Mine works and produces modified AC power which runs my gadgets nicely (chargers: both USB and AC wall warts). The included USB ports are a bonus. My biggest disappointment is that the fan remains on continuously. This means I'll only be able to use it in situations where the car is running. I had hoped the fan would only turn on when it needed to cool down.

Due to the inefficiencies of a continuous fan, this unit is not a reasonable choice in an off grid battery situation. It is fine in a running car. I bought this unit hoping I could use it in a camping kit but it would quickly drain my solar charged portable battery system (only 9Ah). I'm going to keep it, but it's less useful than I had hoped. I won't be unable to leave this unit turned on when I'm away from the car or it'll drain the car battery, which is unacceptable.

The sales info says "Temperature controlled cooling fan" which tells me the fan should not be on unless it needs to cool the unit. I've contacted the seller to see how we'll resolve this. Perhaps I have a bad unit? *** Update from seller, this unit is working as designed ***

3 stars for delivering the power and having a USB port, but not more due to the noise and waste of energy a full time cooling fan causes. If the fan only went on as needed this would be a nice 5 star Inverter.

*** Update ***

Contacted seller, after a couple of email exchanges it was determined that this unit will keep the fan on at all times. While the unit differs from how I understood the listing, it's not worth my time to send it back. When I ordered mine, 1/3rd of the price was paid in shipping fees, so I'll keep this unit as an in-car unit and look to find something else that will be more efficient in a solar/battery based system.

If your intended use is in a car, the fan is most likely not a problem. You can also check to see if your Cig adapter shuts off when you turn off your keys, then it's even less of an issue as it won't drain your batteries when you leave your car. I have a Cig adapter in the trunk I use to power/charge things on trips and when traveling, mine turns off with the key so I can use this in the car without worry.

Mine continues to work well and has survived weeks in my trunk in the hot AZ sun.

*** For comparison purposes I have also reviewed the GoPower 175w inverter and compare that unit with this one side by side. You will find that video here:

Go Power! GP-175 175-Watt Modified Sine Wave Inverter

Buy BESTEK Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A 300w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc Now

I purchased this adapter for my cross country road trip and it has been so useful! We frequently camp and the adapter is perfect for charging phones and cameras. I've used it for my hair straightener and we have used it to inflate our inflatable mattress. HIGHLY recommended. The customer service from this company is fantastic as well.

Read Best Reviews of BESTEK Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A 300w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc Here

Product was delivered promptly. Charges my laptop in just over 1 hour. Also used with a multiple outlet power strip to charge 2 Dewalt 18V batteries together. Fan is fairly quiet.

Cons. Cord could be longer.

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Overall I can recommend as long as you understand what you are getting. A nice little inverter for the money. The things that might surprise you is the little cooling fan never turns off. Not a super big deal but it does draw a little under half an amp just to run the units cooling fan. Having two USB ports was why I bought it. Watch the video and you will see more about power draw.

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I was watching the coverage of the aftermath of hurricane Sandy when the reporter showed a line of people waiting to plug in their personal communication devices in a power strip that the mobile reporting van had generously given them access to, and it occured to me that a simple 12 volt power port (cigarette lighter socket) adapter might be handy in the event of a power failure lasting for more than a day or two. Realizing that everyone in my household has different charging adapters, I thought that maybe I should look for a small inverter where we could all recharge our devices from the 120 volt output of such a device. Now I realize that you can drop a lot of money in a hurry when you start getting into higher output true sinewave inverters and I wasn't really looking to bust my budget, so when I came across this one for 26 bucks I ordered one just for emergencies. I also own a ES5000 12 volt jumper pack which has a power port built in, so I plugged in the BESTEK inverter and my Intertek "KILL A WATT" power monitor and tried out a variety of different devices. Unloaded, the output was 112 volts. Loaded, it rose to 116 voltsboth acceptable. The frequency held rock solid at 59 Hz, again acceptable. I powered everything from a small battery charger (Dremal tool) to my laptop, to a radio/ CD player, to a small 50 watt table lamp. Everything worked as advertised. The fan does run continuously and it does make a fan noise but that doesn't affect what I'm going to use it for. You might want to consider buying a power socket that has alligator clips attached so you can power it from a stand alone battery if necessary. Remember, this is only a 300 watt inverter so check out the amperage draw of what you are going to power up first (volts X amps = watts) i.e. a 300 watt bulb @ 115 volts draws 2.61 amps. So limit your device draw to about 2.5 amps and you will do just fine.

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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Saturday, March 1, 2014

Schumacher XC103 SpeedCharge Battery Charger with Engine Start

Schumacher XC103 SpeedCharge Battery Charger with Engine StartThe charger works great at charging up my auto car batteries. For a nearly dead battery (0.9 volts), it did not seem to charge as it should for the initial charge (shut down after a while and said it was at 80% charge). I then charged a 2nd time (actual charge at startup was then 40 %), and it charged it correctly. Most batteries charge within 1.5 hours time for autos. The LED yellow lights are very hard to see in the sunlight (they should change the color of these). My only complaint is that the clamps are low quality (cheap) and they should charge a few more dollars and install heavy duty (stronger) clamps.

I really wanted to like this charger: Schumacher XC103 SpeedCharge Battery Charger with Engine Start. On paper it seems to do everything I need. The big problem is that it keeps generating an F06 error code when charging on the Fast Charge Rate setting. The manual says this means "The charger detected that the battery may be getting too hot (thermal runaway)." and that "The charger automatically shuts the current off if it detects the battery may be getting too hot or the battery may have a shorted cell. Have the battery checked or replaced." This means the charging is stopped before the battery is fully charged.

The charger generates the F06 code on two different brand new batteries. Also, if I use the Slow Charge Rate setting the same batteries charge just fine so I do not believe that the batteries are defective. There must be something wrong in the charging logic for the Fast Charge Rate setting.

I tried several times to get Schumacher customer support to help me resolve the problem. The Schumacher support staff is useless. They kept sending me the section from the manual that describes the F06 error code. I already knew this information; which I carefully explained on my initial e-mail to Schumacher and on all subsequent e-mails to Schumacher. They persisted in not answering any of my questions, but just resent the F06 error code section from the manual. When I finally insisted that the charger must be defective Schumacher finally agreed to replace the charger with a new or refurbished charger. Since I just bought the charger a refurbished charger was not an option in my opinion.

Another annoyance is the poorly designed cord storage system. Both the AC and the charging cables are very stiff making them difficult to coil. I'm not sure why the cables need to be this stiff. My old charger had cables that were much easier to coil and stow. In addition the two posts provided for cable storage on the back of the unit are totally inadequate for the task; they simply cannot hold both sets of cables (they barely hold just the AC cable) and it's way too much trouble to try and coil the wires around these posts. The only solution I found was to not use the cable storage posts at all and simply coil the wires. I then used a piece of twine or a velcro strap to keep them coiled (all in all this is a nuisance).

Based on thes problems and the extremely poor customer service, I regretfully decided to return the charger to amazon.com for a full refund.

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I purchased this due to needing to replace an older unit . I have a very short commute and in the winter My car doesnt get driven enough to

mantain a full charge on it's battery. I Used this for the first time the other day and it brought my dead DieHard Gold battery back to life after having left my lights on overnight. total charging time in the fast mode was 1.5 hours. I have used this in trickle mode and starting mode and all work perfectly .

Highly reccomend this item

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Purchased this for all battery charging on my farm and for the trolling batteries for my boat. This charger is super fast. It automatically tells you what voltage the battery is and what is the percentage of charge on the battery.. Could not ask for a better charger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I needed something that could recharge batteries and i did not want to have to worry about over charging. I also wanted something that was automatic so anybody could use it. This products meets that! I hooked it up plugged it in and an hour later my dead battery was charged. I left it connected for about 5 hours to really get a full charge and the charger went into maintenance mode. Love the product.

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Black & Decker PI100AB Inverter

Black & Decker PI100AB InverterWe bought this to power our laptop and cell chargers while on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. This unit was compact and easily packed in with the laptop. It worked flawlessly and saved our sanity by giving the kids power to "entertain" for some of the less senic drive times. The only minor complaint is the cooling fan, it just added a little white noise noticable at less than cruising speeds. On the plus side it also reminded us that it was sucking power when we would shut down the car. Overall we are very pleased with this purchase.

I got this inverter elsewhere. I'm very happy with it, and I was very amused to see other reviews complaining about how noisy it is. This inverter will power my laptop just fine, as well as charge my blackberry via USB. The noise is acceptable to me. I'm a guy, and I like things that plug into power and make a whirring noise. It makes a whirring noise, so I know it's on, and the green light comes on when it's plugged in to let me know it's providing power to whatever I have plugged into it.

If you have a medium or larger laptop, heed my warning: If you're looking to charge your laptop from a dead battery, this will do it, provided you don't do something stupid like turn the laptop on while it's charging. You have a choice: You can keep the laptop powered by this inverter while your battery is at full power, or you can charge your dead laptop while it's powered off. You will probably ruin the inverter or pop its fuse if you try to charge your dead laptop AND power it at the same time.

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I've had other inverters before and this one isn't louder than any of the other ones i've had. It does it's job and is cheap. It's nice to be able to charge my iphone and laptop at the same time.

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I was planning to buy Car charger for my two cell phones, Ipod, Digital Camera Charger,video camera charger; but cost for each of them was a big factor, then i got to know about black and decker inverter; It solved all of my problem. The price is quite reasonalble.

Charges all of the device quite efficiently.

Advise, it has low hissing sound; so if you are listening to soft music with your ipod connected, it might spoil the mood. Incase of Ipod first charge it

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Warning, the cooling fan inside this inverter is way too noisy to be used in a car. I can't believe Black & Decker can sell something like this without violating a noise safety level regulation, the fan is entirely too loud and the white noise it generates will slowly drive you crazy. It's especially bad if you have a dashboard where the 12V cigarette lighter is close to the steering wheel or heating/AC vents and not far from your ears, like I do. I used it during a 2 hour road trip and my ears were very unhappy by the end of the trip. No amount of music, road noise, or max fan speed setting on the AC could drown it out.

The physical design of the unit is great and the single AC and USB outlets are exactly what I needed. 100W is perfect for laptops, cell phones, and mp3 players, I've had no trouble using any of them with this inverter. I also like the way the neck bends 45 degrees in either direction, that helps get it out of the way somewhat (again, that depends on the placement of the 12V output on your dash).

I guess if your 12V cigarette lighter is near the floorboard this inverter might work for you, but the noise level of the fan is so bad that I would advise everyone to skip this and find something else.

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Garmin Nuvi 1300, 1350, 1350T Car and Wall Charger

Garmin Nuvi 1300, 1350, 1350T Car and Wall Charger
  • Gives you the flexibility to charge your navigation unit at home or on vacation
  • Lightweight unit restores power to your navigation system
  • Safely charges the battery on your GPS while driving
  • IC Chip recognizes a full battery & automatically switches to saver modeing and overheating)

I bought this so I would have another car charger for my Garmin nuvi 1390. My Garmin gets its power from a standard USB Mini which both the car charger and wall AC charger provide.

When I plugged my Garmin into the car charger my Garmin nuvi 1390 thought it was connected to a computer at first. It then figured it out and came on. While that would be a little annoying it's not the real problem.

When I had my Garmin plugged into the car adapter it would run for a few minutes,then it would go off, then come back on for a few minutes, then go off, then come back on ... Anyway you get the picture.

I haven't decided if I'm going to try to return. The shipping cost more than the item did.

I wish I could give it no stars.

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Got what I expected for a good price. When it arrived, I was surprised how light the package was and wondered about the quality. However it all has worked flawlessly. The AC charger is very handy to charge it up before a trip, or for a walking trip. The car charger is a back-up. You should be aware that when you use it, you loose the traffic feedback for the NUVI 1350 since the FM receiver is integrated into the original car charger and it is not included in the one that comes with this package. But the price is right!

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On the plus side, product was received in a very timely manner, and was exaclty as pictured.

Unfortunately, these are NOT Garmin chargers. These are USB chargers. When used with the Garmin Nuvi, all they do is cause the Nuvi to cycle through the computer syncing mode over and over. The battery does not charge, and you cannot use the Nuvi to navigate.

I have contacted the seller but have not heard back from them. If you have a USB phone or other device that does charge using a USB port delivering USB voltage, then these items will have other uses around your home.

But if, like me, you wanted to be able to charge and program your Nuvi at home, and have a spare 12V cord for a second vehicle, DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM.

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I gave my dad the Garmin GPS as a gift and threw this in as almost an afterthought when it popped up on Amazon as one of the "Items most often purchased" list. I thought, for such a cheap price, what's to loose? I guess in this case there was little to gain, because these apparently worked for a while but the home plug in has long since stopped working. I guess that is the gamble you make in buying cheaper, off brand products. I have done it in the past with chargers for cell phones with a lot of success, so maybe this particular type is bad, or I just got the unlucky bad apple. Buy with few hopes!

This power supply did not work to charge our Garmin nuvi 1350T GPS at 120V.

The 12 V was not tried

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Shuriken SK-BT35 35ah Battery

Shuriken SK-BT35 35ah BatteryThe battery came shipped with around 12.2 volts. Hooked it up to my car and now the electrical system runs smoothly. No more dimming at nights. I only have a 500w rms system and I just turn it up 1/2 way most of the time.

After 3 weeks the battery managed to charge up to 12.67 volts (taken to account surface charge).

Monday, December 16, 2013

Drive Recorder Car DVR Mini Camera HD Spy Cam IR LED

Drive Recorder Car DVR Mini Camera HD Spy Cam IR LEDI purchased the car DVR mini camera and there were no directions in the box but a card to go to a website. I went to the website and the DVR mini camera wasn't listed on their site, so I called the company for help; when I finally got a person was told I had to be put on a waiting list to be called back in 1 hour so I didn't as I wasn't going to be near a phone at that time. Since then I haven't been able to get back to them and directions in the box would have been really helpful! As far as the mini camera it doesn't work for the length of time it is supposed to and really not happy with this product, you have to hook it up to your TV to set all the features, so really have to be electronic savy! This product really is useless to me for what I needed it to do....

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Essential Gomadic AC /DC Charge Accessory Bundle for the Garmin StreetPilot C580. Kit includes the

Essential Gomadic AC /DC Charge Accessory Bundle for the Garmin StreetPilot C580. Kit includes the Gomadic Home and Car Chargers at a Money Saving Price. Based on TipExchange Technology
  • Gomadic TipExchange Technology protects your investment by allowing you to change/upgrade either charger by simply swapping the physical charging tip. (Charging tips for Garmin StreetPilot C580 included with additional tips sold separately).
  • Gomadic Wall Charger is built to support worldwide voltage input levels ranging from 100-240vAC /50-60 Hz. High output 10W /2A transformer provides output voltage and resistor configuration specific to the Garmin StreetPilot C580.
  • This Gomadic Car charger has a wide input voltage range of 12-24vDC to support all vehicle charging ports. Works in cars, trucks, planes, boat, RVs and more (both domestic and international). Available output current is an impressive 10W/2A . (Twice most competing products!)
  • Kit includes two essential Garmin StreetPilot C580 accessories in one convenient package.
  • Gomadic Car and Wall chargers employ latest state of the art advancements in charging and surge suppression technologies to deliver products in an unbelievable micro-sized form factors.

I bought a new GPS and wasn't sure that I would need these chargers or not. As it turned out the GPS did come with everything that was needed to charge it, but it's nice to have back up I guess. For someone that is in need of a new charger because they've either lost or broken the original one, these are very good chargers.

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Very Easy on & off usage...!!! Much quicker than Garmin AC Adapters & Plug in Vehicle Adapters. Merely Pull, Click, & it is stored out of sight for would-be thefts...Ingenious Idea...!!! Am sure there are Hundreds of Garmin StreetPilot C550 & C580 Users, who do not know about these inventive ADAPTERS...Like the Little Boy in the Advertisement says, { TRY IT YOU'll LIKE IT...!!!}

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I purchased this same item a couple of years ago and was disappointed by the short cord on the car charger could barely reach from the charger to the dash. This new version has a much longer cord...YAY. Finally I can stop worrying that I'll go around a corner too fast and unplug the charger!!! And it's also great to have a wall charger to fully charge the devise. The car charger doesn't charge well if you're using the devise at the same time. Just used this in a rental car for a trip from SF to LA...got it just in the nick of time.

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The chargers work great and the tipexchange worked great. My only complaint is that this cord is not as long as my original and when you put the Garmin on your windshield, the cord is stretched very tight between the windshield and cigarette lighter and it occasionally pulls the Garmin off the windshield due to so much pressure.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Kenwood DNX5120 6.1-Inch-Wide Double-DIN In-Dash Navigation with USB/iPod Direct Control/DVD Receiv

Kenwood DNX5120 6.1-Inch-Wide Double-DIN In-Dash Navigation with USB/iPod Direct Control/DVD Receiver
  • Garmin navigation system, radio, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA/AAC, MPEG1/MPEG2, iPod, USB, HD/SAT radio-ready, Bluetooth-ready receiver
  • 4 x 50 Watts maximum power with two 2V preamp outputs
  • 6.1-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display with 480 x 234 pixel resolution
  • Includes direct iPod connection, USB music streaming, front panel A/V input; add Kenwood adapters for SAT/HD Radio and Bluetooth
  • One-year limited warranty

I also have this radio and think its great.. very easy to use and looks awesome.. Martins wrote in his review "and all the streets are pre-programmed, any updates come straight from Garmin via satellite, " thats NOT true. Software updates need to be downloaded from Garmins website and burned to a CD and copied over. Map updates are usually done yearly and must be purchased (for $140) from Garmin (or another authorized re-seller) they are NOT free and are NOT sent straight from a satellite.

It doesn't change how good this radio is, but I just wanted to make sure no one was basing their purchase on an incorrect statement.

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The main advantages of this unit over similar units are (i) nav data not DVD-based or hard-disk-based, everything is on flash memory; (ii) name-brand nav (Garmin) and name-brand bluetooth add-on (Parrot), unlike off-brand hardware/firmware on other competing units; (iii) no retractable screen so fewer moving parts to fail.

Basically this is a very good and useful unit. The nav is well-designed and works well. I do have some complaints:

(a) Even though everything is in flash memory, startup is slow. You will be halfway down the block before the nav is ready, and two blocks away before the bluetooth unit has paired with your phone. I have been told that competing units are even slower, so maybe this is an improvement, but technology still has a ways to go. Certainly no reason for pairing to take this long, my old radio paired almost instantly.

(b) Awful interface (except the Garmin part, which is fine):

--The front panel buttons are completely non-intuitive; try figuring out how to turn the whole thing off and on, or how to turn off the radio playing in the background when using the nav. You can get used to it, but it's inelegant to say the least, and if you lend your car to someone, they'll never figure it out.

--The onscreen menus are a complete jumble, and the manual is incomprehensible. (I consider myself to be technically savvy; I installed the system myself.)

--The mp3 menu is awful, for example you can see tracks sorted by album or artist, but you just have to know how to do it because it is far from obvious. You need to push a button mysteriously marked PLIST. You have to do it again each time you start the car.

--The Bluetooth interface is poorly designed, for example you can choose a number by voice commands, but you can't actually voice dial...you have to look at the screen and touch the 'dial' button to complete the dialing process.

(c) If disconnected from the battery, all the settings are lost, and this can cause more problems than just loss of radio presets. I realize that after installation the unit shouldn't normally lose power, but if you take it in for service and they disconnect and reconnect the battery, the backup camera (add-on) stops working!

I thought they cut the cable somehow, but actually the default setting of the Kenwood DNX5120 is to ignore the backup voltage signal. You have to go in and change the setting back. (There is a way to save the settings in nonvolatile memory and restore them, but this has to be done manually every time...why not save all settings in flash memory automatically?)

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Kenwood DNX5120

I June 5, 2008, I purchased and had Platinum Audio in Corona, California install my DNX5120. I have had Sony, Alpine, and Kenwood stereos prior and have experimented with iPod connections to these stereos. The stereo's killed two of my iPods. The DNX5120 broke all the rules and really exceeded my expectations as far as the iPod interface. The integration is clean, easy to understand, and faster to use than the iPod itself. Here is an example. I have countless artists on my iPod. Using the scroll wheel it take time to scroll through the artist until letters come up and to be honest with you, it takes me a least two tries to land on the right letter. Using the DNX5120, I can scroll down by multiple artist and even click on slide bar to go half the way down my list or all the way down. All this at the speed of just pressing button and not waiting for the iPod or the stereo to catch up.

The navigation is dummy proof. I have used the BMW, Toyota, Magellan, Tom Tom, and Honda navigation and the DNX5120 blows them out of the water. It does not get any easier than this. I have read that it takes a long time to start up. I don't see that problem. Once I start my vehicle, the Kenwood screen appears for about 5 seconds and I am off to the races. After all, it is not good for the vehicle if you start and immediately drive.

I don't have any complaints about the stereo. Here are some things I really like;

* Knob for volume. It feel sturdy and I like touching the screen less than I have too

* Clean font, easy to read

* Quick/easy/instant access from user interface to navigation and back

* Easy to understand hierarchy of menu

* Garmin Nav. is easy to use and easy to upgrade

* No need for second DVD box for nav.

* Excellent GPS signal quality

* Ability to watch iPod movies on screen

* USB connection...I like putting my on photo as a background

The bottom line is the shop did an outstanding job the installation and the DNX5120 works better than what I had expected. When you put this stereo in perspective, it is combining a tuner, a DVD player, an audio iPod, a video ipod, XM, and CD/MP3 player together into one unit with none to little glitches. And if you are an Apple fan like myself, this works perfectly with the iPod.

That is my two cents and five out of five stars......

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I came from a Pioneer D3. This unit does some things better and some not. The D3 is also an older unit. Obviously the Garmin Navigation is the way to go. They make the best portable units, same applies here. The audio/video UI is not the greatest I'll admit that. I liked the D3 better. That being said the 5120 has a better Sirius interface and I believe HD Radio is too. It can show much more info at a time instead of hitting buttons to scroll through. That and the flash based navigation is what made me change. Having to put in a disc for navigation is just plain silly. Installation for add-ons was also easier with the 5120. No power required for the bluetooth or satellite boxes. Just plug in the communication cable, pretty simple. I'd have no problems recommending this to a friend. It does everything good enough.

This is a great unit. Overally I am quite happy. I have the KCA-BT200, the GSM10 traffic receiver, the connection cable for Sirius (CA-SR20V) and the SCC1 sirius tuner, the ipod cable, plus boyo VTX420 backup camera. I did the install myself. Looking back was probably more work than I planned but outside of battling with trim pieces the wiring really was quite straightforward.

Now, on to the various bits and pieces of the unit and accessories:

I love the GPS, it's like the suction cup Garmins with a bigger screen. You can even interface it to a computer using the mini-usb plug on the back, just like the standalone garmin units. Using this connector you can swap out the voices, customize it etc. I have read where some people plug in a cable and leave it somewhere accessible so they can reach it easily without pulling it out of the dash. However, this is also where the GTM10 traffic receiver plugs in, so it diminishes the usefulness for me. Nonetheless, this isn't even an advertised feature, so I can't hardly fault them for not making it more convenient to use. The "official" method of updating maps and firmware is to use CD's / DVD's in the unit's drive, and this works well. One thing to note, however, if you receive a unit that has garmin firmware < 2.5, if you are upgrading to 2.5 you have to unplug the GTM10 traffic receiver or it will freeze up during upgrade. I thought I had bricked my unit, but found some hints online and managed to get the thing upgraded by temporarily unplugging the traffic receiver. Ironically, V2.5 actually fixes the problem where it hangs on firmware update when the traffic receiver is plugged in. I would highly recommend the GTM10 unit if you live in the coverage area. It's really cool to be able to have your gps take you home and route you around car wrecks and such. Also, it's easy to add custom POI's using a burned cd (or usb connector in the back).

The bluetooth: I like the way the bluetooth sounds (mic placement is key), it connects reliably. The whole hands-free-to-shift-and-steer-and-talk-yet-not-commit-vehicular-homicide feature is nice too. And it is kind of neat how well integrated it is with the phone. I see the battery strength, the signal strength etc up on my display. My blackberry 8830 (sprint) syncs fine, the phone book syncs fine, everything works the way it's supposed to. (If anyone is having issues with their bluetooth connecting to their blackberry etc, make sure you're on the latest firmware of both the deck and the bt unit itsself.) And now the bad: Voice dialing. My blackberry actually has very competent built-in voice dialing system. When I use my motorola earpiece, I can hit the button on it and say "dial so and so mobile" and it usually gets it right. However, the kenwood / parrot unit completely bypasses this functionality and replaces it with its own subpar system. Subpar is overly generous even. It's truly horrible, to the point where it's unusable. To voice dial, you have to: first record yourself saying the person's name. Then, after you have that person recorded as a voice dial preset, you have to hit the button for voice dialing, say the name, cross your fingers and hope it recognized what you said, then if all goes well it shows you the person's name, then you have to select the number, hit the button again to dial. It's far less accurate than my blackberry and I didn't even train it. It's easier just to use the 6 preset buttons they give you on the main screen . Less button presses overall, too bad they only give you 6. Still though, I like having my bluetooth integrated with my stereo, I like having the volume cut when I take a call automagically, I like not having to drive down the road wearing my earbud, or worse yet forget I have it in my ear and walk into the store and be "that guy".

Sirius: This interface is actually very nice. I will recommend that you switch to the 2 line display so that you can see the song info etc on the same screen with the presets. But this works great, very well integrated.

iPod interface: Poifect. One suggestion though: Make sure you leave the cable to where you can easily pull out the USB connector for use with thumb drives etc.

Sound: The unit sounds very good, much better than my factory deck (though that's not saying much). It even has a parametric EQ! That being said, it might be more usable if it had some low / mid / high knobs somewhere on the front (as someone else pointed out), but hey, if you're truly into tuning your sound, 3 band parametric EQ is nothing if not tunable. Not to mention complete overkill, but I digress... 99% of the population is going to look at "Q" and go "wuuuh?" Also it looks as though it has a built in xover, though I haven't dove into these features since I'm not using external amplification.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Znex CI-3180 18.0 Volt 1/2" (12.7mm) Square Drive Cordless Impact Wrench Kit

Znex CI-3180 18.0 Volt 1/2' Square Drive Cordless Impact Wrench KitI have used Snap On, Ingersoll Rand & Znex cordless impacts for over 10 years. No need to spend the extra money on the Snap On or Ingersoll, these Znex units have the same power (and maybe a little more), and last a long time.

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