Thursday, October 9, 2014
Timken 303CC Alternator Bearing
Friday, September 5, 2014
Stinger Pro Series 8 Gauge Translucent Red Power Wire
- SPW18TR - Stinger 8 GA Red 250 Feet Pro Series Power Cable
- Full Spool 250 ft
- Twisted Pair Contruction = Superior Noise Rejection
- Advanced PVC Jacket equals super flexibilty, and high resistance to heat, oil, chemicals and abrasion
- Ultra flexible for easy installation
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Nice Wire. True 8awg very flexiable and easy to use. A lot better then the cheap stuff advertised as 8 awgRead Best Reviews of Stinger Pro Series 8 Gauge Translucent Red Power Wire Here
Crisp clean power without any interruptions. This wire is easy to work with and is very playable. The wire is not stiff which makes it easy to work with.Want Stinger Pro Series 8 Gauge Translucent Red Power Wire Discount?
Loved the flexibility and quality. Best I've bought in a while. Just buy a couple of feet more than you need just in case.For the money this wire is great.Very very flexible, unlike copper wire.This is very soft metal and easy to trim.Monday, August 25, 2014
Pyle PLMRMP1A 2-Channel Waterproof MP3/iPod Marine Power Amplifier
- Marine amplifier delivers 2 x 100 Watts RMS at 4 Ohms, 2 x 200 Watts Max at 4 Ohms, 2 x 300 Watts RMS at 2 Ohms
- Power protection circuitry with anti-thump turn-on and soft turn-off to protect your speakers
- Accepts RCA line inputs and includes a 3.5mm-to-RCA adaptor so you can plug in your MP3 player or iPod easily
- Also accepts standard high- and low-level inputs from marine head units
- Includes wired remote control for adjusting volume gain
If you want low end or volume look elsewhere.
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Very small (think deck of cards) and easy to install. Wish it had more power, but it works.I paired it with the Dual $30 speakers below. Sounds fine. The amp doesn't push the speakers beyond their limit at all (I hooked them up to my home stereo and they went much louder) so I couldn't see buying any larger speakers for this amp. I put it in my boat, and it is plenty loud enough without the engine running, but I can barely hear it over the engine when running.
Link to speakers below
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A5S926/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
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I installed this AMP in my golf cart and it works great. I purchased the one with the 6.5" speakers. The sound is good for the price. You dont get a lot of base and its not going make you go def but does sound good at normal\high volumes. My cart is open air and we have no problem hearing it at full speed or even if just hanging out near the cart. Very easy to hook up and wired volume control is a great addition. Believe they make a 4 channel if hooking up 4 speakers. If you are looking to THUMP or BLARE this is prob not the best for you but does get loud.Want Pyle PLMRMP1A 2-Channel Waterproof MP3/iPod Marine Power Amplifier Discount?
Gets hot but overall great product , does make music very loud and enjoyable to listen to was amazed how loudafter proper installation the amp wokred great. then after a hour's worth at half volume it overheated and stoped working.Sunday, August 10, 2014
iKross Car Windshield Large Black Mount Holder - IKHD17 + 2-Port USB Car Charger Adapter + Sync USB
Works great with the Lumia 810's off--line maps guidance capabilities--works just like a Garmin.I thought of getting a car mount and got this product because of my NOKIA lumia 920.
Except for the 2-port USB Car Charger none of the products worked. I contacted the seller about the Sync USB DATACABLE and they did send me another one. But I had the same problem it worked for 5 minutes. I don't know whether its the Sync cable's fault or my phone's but when I connect it to wall charger it charges for few seconds and disconnects and charges again for few seconds and disconnects.... this cycle goes on and on.
And finally the WindShield Black Mount Holder. The suction wont work anytime for me. I use my mobile for directions all the time but this holder doesn't hold itself on the windshield.I needed a car charger for my new Nokia Lumia 810, and for the price of most car charges I got this car charger,USB to mini USB cord, AND a windshield mount. The Lumia 810 is a BIG phone and the windshield mount holds it securly, even on these bumpy, frozen Minnesota roads!I thought I was killing three birds with one stone not the case.
The plastic holding the sucker assembly snapped off the very first time I removed it from my windshield (using the "sucker release" lever, no less; nothing rough), and the cable is the only one of my three that will not keep the phone connected to a PC. It also charges at ~1/3 the speed of the wall charger or any of my other cables.
Bleck.I love this product, it's very sturdy even though it very light weight. It has never come loose from my window and it's been there for several months now. It's easy to use. The price was right. For me it's perfect. I'm so glad I got it.
I can't think of anything I would change about it. And I use the accessories that came with it too. Very happy.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Car Power Adapter/Charger for nuvis
- Fits the mini USB port on your GPS
- Excellent quality cable manufactured by MFX2
- For use with any 12V lighter, will not put your GPS in PC sync mode like some other cables
Power up without the cable.
Hold down the battery icon for about 5 seconds to enter Diagnostic mode.
Connect the cable.
Exit Diagnostic mode.
Your Nuvi should be in GPS mode now.
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I purchased this item and while it worked for about 1.5 months after that it developed a short in the cord and would constantly keep trying to turn the gps off. It finally quit working this weekend after 2 and a half months of use. Unfortunately my return period has expired. This is a total waste of money and I do not recommend the product.Read Best Reviews of Car Power Adapter/Charger for nuvis Here
Product was delivered promptly and works; however, it is not the product pictured on Amazon and does not have a fully retractable coiled cord as described in the product description.Do NOT recommend. Charger would only charge half the time and broke after about 10 times using it. It's better to buy the real thing instead of this replacement.I have been using this adapter for about three weeks and it is still fully functional. It fits with my splitter and charges my Garmin unit perfectly. The charger is clearly cheaply constructed, hence the sub-$5 price tag. I'm not sure how one can shell out a whopping $3 for a replacement like this, then come up shocked when it isn't perfect. Anyway, mine works fine, but in time I expect the actual outer "shell" of the charger to fall apart, it just seems poorly constructed. For what it's worth, the Garmin-brand charger that came with my GPS unit showed signs of wear fairly quickly as well.Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Combo Rapid Car Charger + Home Wall Charger + USB Data Charge Sync Cable for Spring HTC EVO 4G Spri
Monday, June 30, 2014
11 Items Accessory Combo Kit for Sony Walkman S Series Video MP3 Player (NWZ S540, NWZ S544 and NWZ
- Both cases are custom made to fit your Sony Walkman. Great for protecting your device from minor scratches and dirt.
- High Quality (Non-OEM) Wall Charger, intelligent IC chip inside that recognizes a fully charged battery and automatically switches to safe mode to prevent overcharging and short circuit.
- High Quality (Non-OEM) Car Charger, this car charger built-in charging circuitry with smart integrated chip that protects your car against back-flow current and your device from excessive electrical load.
- Data Cable: High Quality (Non-OEM) Data Cable, 2 in 1 feature (Hotsysnc & Charging). Fishbone Style Smart Wrap - Perfect for managing earphone cables. Material is soft and washable. Keeps your cables organized when not in use.
- Screen Protector: Lint cleaning cloth included. Clear, ultra thin and durable. Protect your screen from scratches. Speakers: These amplified portable speakers combine sleek style with quality sound. Foldable design makes it the perfect item to take with you when traveling. Supports audio devices with a 3.5mm plug(MP3/CD/DVD players Laptops PDA and more!)
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Battery Cut-Off Switch - Removable Key - Ultimate Theft Deterent!
Waste of $15 for me, but outboard and I/O boat owners will have more space aboard their vessel to properly mount & use this thing, which will be very easy to enable. I have to assume the item aids in avoiding unnecessary battery drain during boat storage.
The product does not come with any explicit directions as to its operation or installation. both should be pretty self-explanatory.This switch helps me save my batteries for when I need them, not my clock.
Ever go to do something on your RV that's been sitting for a month or more and there's no electricity.
Well put this in your battery main line. Shut it off when you don't need power. Turn it back on when your ready to start the refrigerator or put the slider out or anything related to your 12 volt needs.
Works Great. Just what the mechanic ordered.Battery Cut-Off Switch Removable Key Ultimate Theft Deterent!
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This product is a must have for applications like jetskis that will SUCK the life out of your battery. Plus no key = no one taking off with your ski! FYI I have 2 3-seat jetskis, so i have plenty room to mount them in the engine compartment.Read Best Reviews of Battery Cut-Off Switch - Removable Key - Ultimate Theft Deterent! Here
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Motorola T215 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone Sun Visor kit (Bulk Packaging)
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There are higher priced speakerphones out there but this one had been a reliable workhorse. Have purchased 6 of these for the whole family. Been using my original one for a couple of years. Only charge it maybe every two months and talk to my wife every word day all the way home, 15 minutes. To connect I have to make sure and turn on Bluetooth on my Galaxy Skyrocket first then turn on the speakerphone power. Connects every time.Read Best Reviews of Motorola T215 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone Sun Visor kit (Bulk Packaging) Here
I would recommend this product. Only issue is the voice activation. It's not always consistent following instructions/requests. Once dialed up works great.Want Motorola T215 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone Sun Visor kit (Bulk Packaging) Discount?
Works great. Ordered another one. Will order again in the future. Great stuff. Running out of words to compliment on the product.Friday, June 13, 2014
RoadPro RP-203EC 12V 12' Extension Cord with Cigarette Lighter Plug
My cable was marked 0.75MM (squared). A web search showed this to be somewhere in between 20 and 22 AWG.
The wire size should be given in the Amazon listing. This cable would probably be fine to charge an iPhone or iPod, but I would not use it with any tools, larger lights, air compressors, etc. (I could find no fuse.)
The AMP rating is not on the wire, nor on the packaging, so do your own careful research before using.
Other than the low current carrying capacity the quality of construction looks good (made in Taiwan not China).I bought this so I could charge my cordless tool batteries in the cargo area of my van, and keep the clutter out of the cab. It did not work out so good, the wire is too thin to use on a battery charger that only draws 5 amps DC. The batteries would not correctly charge due to a low voltage condition the thin wiring caused. So I am not sure what kind of accessory this thing is good for?
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I had one of these that got daily use for about a year before the socket portion cracked and I had to replace it. Even so, I'd definitely say that I got my money's worth and it worked fine up until that point. I bought it again as a replacement. The cord is pretty long, so you if don't really need 12 feet, you might want to use to twist ties to keep a portion of it wrapped up.Read Best Reviews of RoadPro RP-203EC 12V 12' Extension Cord with Cigarette Lighter Plug Here
I found the product to be poorly made a piece of junk.Cable not secured to plastic barrels
Poorly soldered (cold solder joint)
Poorly designed/cheap parts
This product was useless to me, I finally went to an autoparts store, picked up better quality male and female ends, a hardware store for the cable and made my own.
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This product is too flimsy. I used it in my vehicle for a road trip and one week later it broke. The male plug already broke and after I removed it from it's socket after one week. Not heavy duty.Monday, February 17, 2014
Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger
Based on my prior experience, on November 4, 2010, I bought another Battery Tender Jr. from Amazon for another infrequently driven car. It is now less than 1 year later, and that Battery Tender Jr. got so hot that the plastic case buckled and separated at the seam. So, planning to return it under warranty, I read their terms. Not only do I have to pay to ship that defective unit back to Deltran (which I expected), they also charge a fee for "Warranty Evaluation, Shipping & Handling"! That is OUTRAGEOUS! Since I have my receipt, my fee would be only $7.95 (if no receipt, fee is $11.95). It would cost me $18.90 ($7.95 plus $10.95 USPS Flat Rate medium box) to return it (or $22.90 if I didn't have a receipt which is more than the $21.39 cost of a new one from Amazon delivered!) Why bother with a warranty claim? If that was Deltran's plan from the outset to discourage warranty claims their so-called "warranty" is a fraudulent misrepresentation.
No doubt that my first, 20-year old Battery Tender Jr. was made in the USA. Not so with the second one the label says "Made in China". A piece of Junk!
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The battery Tender Jr. comes with 1 set of permanent mount ring terminals & 1 set of mini jumper cable clamps so you can hardwire 1 car & use the clamps whereever they are needed.The 1-way quick disconnect on the cord makes things very easy to hook up & unhook. And it is maintaining my battery fine, no more dead car.Read Best Reviews of Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger Here
This is an easy to install and use battery tender. If you store your motorcycle during the winter you should use one of these to extend the life of your battery.Want Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger Discount?
Great Product. I needed a way to keep my minivan battery topped off during extended idle time because my electronic rust protection device was draining the battery. This product does the job beautifully! The only trouble that I ran into initially was that the charger would not start charging because my battery voltage had dropped below 3 volts (this is a safety feature built into the unit). Once I got the voltage up above 3 volts (by briefly attaching jumper cables to another vehicle), it charged just fine. It took a few hours initially, but now I keep the battery connected while the vehicle sits in the garage.Husky Liners Classic Style Custom Fit Molded Front Floor Liner for Select Toyota Tundra/Sequoia Mod
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Install Bay Copper Ring Terminal Connector 8 Gauge 1/4 Inch 25 Pack - CUR814
- Copper Ring Terminal
- 8 Gauge #14
- 25 Pack
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This connector is well built, but soft enough to fasten to the wire without regular crimpers if need be. You might want to check the connector after after it has been in service a little while, to make sure the softness doesn't allow for loosening, but they should be fine.Is exactly what it says it is. Some 8 gauge ring terminals are very small and my wire wouldn't fit in, but theses are perfect. My stinger hpm 8 gauge wire fits snugly and no trimming of the wire is necessary with these. I am very happy with this product.Monday, January 20, 2014
Clore CS1000 CarStart Ultra-Portable 900 Peak Amp Jump Starter with 12-Volt Power and Flashlight
Typically, a good rule to follow is that you need about 1 crank amp per cubic inch of motor. So, 225 would be enough for 3.7 liter motors, in theory. Realistically, it's enough for about 3.3 liter motors at a maximum. I tested this jump box on 3 different vehicles. 2 of them with 3.5 liter V6 engines, and 1 with a 3.0 V6. Both had totally dead batteries. It could not start either of the 3.5 motors, but did have enough power for the 3.0, though it struggled. I bought this to replace a jump box I've had for 5 years that had 300 Crank amps and was strong enough to start partially dead V8 motors of 5.6 liter and 5.3 liter sizes, but after time and use, they die out. It's gotten to the point where it can't start my totally dead 3.5, which is why I purchased this one. Bottom line, if you have a 4 cylinder car, this jump box will work fine. If you have a small V6, it will also work fine. If what you typically encounter when you turn the ignition is the sound of the starter bumping, but not turning the engine, your battery isn't totally dead (your radio and other things like windows may still work, if a bit slow) and this jump box should provide the boost required to start your vehicle. If you have a big motor, don't even bother with this item. I give it 3.5 stars, since it's practical, but limited. For the price, it is a great item to own.I have a large motor home with a number of batteries, all of which I foolishly allowed to die in my driveway since I didn't use it for many months. Since I couldn't get my car near the RV to jump it, I thought I might try this charger. Although the charger didn't have enough power to start this large vehicle, I was able to plug it in and trickle charge the batteries for a few hours. I don't know if this is recommended procedure, but it turned out to be a good solution to my problem and got me going with no apparent damage to the charger....guys and gals, the trick to using this gem of a tool is to use it as a trickle charger for the "dead" battery. Clamp this little guy on, and allow 10-15 minutes for it to do its duty (the wait time is trivial-how long would you wait for AAA?). REMOVE the clamps and clear the Clore unit safely from the vehicle, and turn the key in the dead vehicle. This way is safest to recover a disabled vehicle (no sparks, no explosions or fire, no melted or shorted wires or cables, no injuries...), be it a car or a 1-ton pickup-with ANY size battery.
JUST keep it charged; that's all it asks of its owner...
The 12V outlet is nifty (its cover, disguised as a utility light, is a clever idea-use it for small-space illumination); I use it to power my netbook and my tire inflator...
I look forward to sharing many years with this clever tool...I've had mine for at between 5 and 10 years. I know that I've used it maybe 10 times in all. It has worked perfectly 9 out of 10 times. The only time it didn't work we had discharged the battery of our Ford Escape V6 until it was totally dead. Then and only then it didn't work. I have a really heavy Jump & Start portable jumper and that wouldn't jump start the Escape either. So, I have 90% success and the one time it didn't work, I don't think anything else would have worked either. I am not an expert, but I've have nothing but good experiences which has left me very confident in this unit. Yes, it's small. I think that's a good thing.
On several occasions when I've helped people who's batteries are dead, they are amazed at how well it works, particularly because it's so small. I have jumped SUV's, small cars and larger cars. It has been my experience that this unit is just as reliable as my larger, presumably more powerful unit. I charge it up about once a year and that's all i've done for years to maintain it. After reading many of these luke warm reviews I don't know if I would buy this, but the fact is, it's so easy to use and it almost always works! I prefer it over the two other units I have that weigh at least 3 to 4 times as much and are much larger as well. I guess if you have an 18 wheeler then you probably shouldn't rely on this, but if you don't have an 18 wheeler why would you want something that big to jump your normal sized car or SUV? I give this an enthusiastic 5 stars.I have a larger all-purpose jump starter (with inverter and air pump), which I keep at home or tote with when I use one of the trucks or cargo van. But, for my passenger vehicle, I wanted something small, inexpensive, and just powerful enough to start my 4 cylinder Hyundai Sonata. I don't need a ton of crank amps to turn this engine over, so there's no point in paying a lot for big heavy SLA I don't need especially considering how reliable my car has been with its new Optima battery. For my purposes, this is perfect. It's value priced, has enough muscle to start my car up without difficulty (I've done a few tests), recharges quickly, and is a fairly sturdy & compact design. At such a low price, I won't feel guilty if it's lost, stolen, or only survives a few seasons in the trunk. It also makes a modest power source to recharge portable electronics, via the 12V DC socket. I'm quite pleased with this purchase, but I recommend folks evaluate their needs before buying it it's not really suited for bigger engines.
2013 Update: Despite being two years old, this still works well. I was able to successfully start two cars today, in brutal cold weather. One was a I4 Toyota Camry, and it started right up as I expected. I had my doubts it could turn over my clients' V6 Cadillac SLS, though. The Caddy's battery was weak, but not dead, so I figured I'd give it a shot before I went to pull my car up and jump car-to-car. To my surprise, I we got it started on the first shot. Nice! I'd still rather have my bigger jump starter, if I had to jump bigger vehicles, but at least I'm assured this is a quality unit.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Scosche IPCHRGPCA1 Car Charger/Cassette Adapter for iPod
- play your iPod through your car stereo
- charges your iPod through your 12 volt powersocket
- specifications: Input Volts: 12/24V Output Current 250 MA
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Sound quality is poor. Does not always work when inserted into cassette port.Read Best Reviews of Scosche IPCHRGPCA1 Car Charger/Cassette Adapter for iPod Here
I still have a tape player in my car, so I was very happy to get this product, in order to listen to my ipod. Unfortunately, the cassette adapter never worked! The cassette kept getting spit out. We tried over and over, hitting the prog button, turning it on in different order, hitting the rewind button, etc... It never worked, and I was very disappointed.The charger on the other hand did work, but my intention was to use the cassette adapter.
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I've gotta say that this is an EXCELLENT product for the price. I've been a musician for 25 years and I know quality sound, and the sound quality of this product is first rate. For those of you getting poor quality sound try CLEANING your tape deck head unit. I know good sound and the clarity is just a tad bit below my CD player. Both units of which are connected in tandem with the same head unit in my F250 Super Duty. I've got 2 kicker 12" subs, a hyphonics 1000 W amp and alpine tweets and like I said the sound is excellent for the price. For those of you that rate this product as poor, you should seriously look at your audio system and maybe spend a few bucks and get a head cleaner, or a new system all together.After reading all of the reviews for the FM transmitters I decided I would go the cassette adapter way. It worked for about 2 songs then the player kept spitting it out. One of the reasons that I bought it was the power adapter that came with it. Maybe someone will get smart and make one of these things that actually WORKS!!!Monday, November 25, 2013
Black & Decker ASI500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator
I have owned compressors and I have owned high volume inflators. However, I have not owned a unit that includes both functions, and none of my units have ever been cordless.
Mounted on the front of the unit are three connectors for inflatables and balls. The high volume hose has a large connector and there is also a high volume adapter for pushing in the internal flap of some inflatables. On the front is an LED light for working in the dark.
The digital dial is bright and easy to read both in daylight and at night, and it has a sleep mode to save battery life.
Right out of the box, I see nothing but perks.
THE OPERATION
Operating the pump was not intuitive. First, I hooked up the pump to the tire and pushed the power button. That is the logical thing to do, and all my previous compressors have worked that way. Nothing happened.
I read the manual and it said first, I need to press the button to choose the compressor function or high volume function. Then, I need to press the "+" or "-" button until the pressure reading flashed "0," and then press the "+" or "-" button until the pressure reading was what I want.
It was a task to have to keep pushing the "+" button down repeatedly, especially when I need to go from "0" to "80." There was no way to advance the reading by using continuous pressure. It was just push-push-push. Then and only then do I push the power button to start the inflation. Once the desired pressure is reached, the power turns off automatically.
The operation is not difficult once I learned the steps, but it is not intuitive. I recommend storing the manual and the compressor together for others to reference, just in case.
BATTERY LIFE AND CAR ADAPTER
For the first run, I charged the battery as instructed for five hours. With that charge, I was able to inflate 1 truck tire, 4 minivan tires, and 4 children's bike tires over the course of three days before the battery died. (Note that none of these were inflated from a fully deflated state.)
Afterwards, I tried using the car adapter. The cord is conveniently wrapped to the bottom of the unit. It was long enough to reach to the back tires of my minivan.
I tried running the unit of off the charger plugged into the outlet, but the unit would not run. If I am not near my car and the unit is out of batteries, I am out of luck.
HIGH PRESSURE
The manual states that for pressures above 100 PSI, the compressor must not be operated for longer than 10 minutes at a time and with 20 minute breaks between usage. I did not find the maximum capacity listed in the manual or on the box.
I did test the unit up to 84 PSI and it functions well. The only problem is it's difficult sometimes to unhook the nozzle from the valve, so I have air escaping. So much air escapes that when I inflate to 84 PSI, by the time the nozzle is unhooked, there is only about 78 PSI left in the tires. To get 36 PSI in my minivan tires, I need to inflate to 38 PSI. The workaround is to over inflate the tires.
The compressor can be used as a pressure gauge. Just hook up the nozzle and the pressure reads on the digital dial.
HIGH VOLUME
I inflated some of my children's inflatables and found high volume inflation to be quick. The inflator also will deflate the toys.
One thing to note is the auto-off feature will not work with the high volume inflation. There is no pressure gauge function when high volume inflation is selected.
LED LIGHT
This is a simple yet useful feature. It is bright enough to help when working in the dark. Its operation, like other functions of this compressor/inflator, is not intuitive. There is no on/off button. I must first select the compressor or high volume mode and then press the power button and then the "+" or "-" button twice.
PROS:
+ convenience of compressor and high volume inflator in one unit
+ cordless
+ has a car adapter with a long cord
+ auto shut-off compressor
+ 4 nozzle adapters included
+ will deflate inflatables
+ LED light
+ easy to read dial
+ unit has a sleep mode
+ can be used as a pressure gauge
CONS:
unintuitive operation
will not operate off of wall outlet
automatic shut-off does not function with high volume setting
short battery life
must overinflate due to loss of pressure when disconnecting nozzle from tire
SUMMARY
This is a great unit. It looks beautiful and performs well. I did not find it any louder than the other compressors I have owned. The only problem is the (lack of) ease of use. The elderly may be easily confused by it -or any young person without a manual for that matter. If you don't mind reading manuals, this unit is wonderful.
UPDATE: Due to a comment on my review, I went back to retry the air station pressure setting. I was incorrect in one of my initial observations. The pressure settings can indeed be set by pressing and holding the "+" or "-" buttons and I do not need to press-press-press my way up to 36 pounds. UPDATE 3/23/11: Died. Simply won't work anymore. It's been charged, plugged in to the car accessory port, and the thing simply will not turn on. The digital readout just blinks. Very frustrating. So I guess the lesson here is: don't buy! Changed my 3-star review to 1-star to reflect the failure.
Original review 2/2010: For whatever reason, I have amassed several portable air pumps over the years, apparently attempting to get the "best" one. I've decided there simply isn't one. This one is close, but suffers the same problem my other battery-operated pump had: it HAS to be charged for it to work, and for it to be charged, it must be plugged into a wall socket for a number of hours. Adding to this is that the unit comes with a cigarette-adapter plug, which aids in powering the unit while running the unit (the other battery-operated unit need this too.) To fill all four car tires, it's pretty much a necessity to make use of the adapter.
Operation is confused a bit as one must first determine the end pressure, with the unit not connected to whatever you are filling. First you must flip the switch on the right portion of the "U" shape of the unit, push to the right for low pressure items like tires or to the left for high pressure items like soccer balls, etc. Middle is off. Under the digital display in the middle are three buttons, the center one to turn the compressor on, the right one to advance the pressure and the left one to decrease the pressure. I found that once the pressure had been started with either button, holding it down would allow for rapid advancement, making high numbers much faster and easier to reach than pressing the button many times. Once reached, simply let it set a moment, then attach the hose. Only *then* do you hit the power button and it will fill by itself. It seems complicated, but once you've done it a couple times, it's not so bad. (Pro-tip: in dark situations, press one of the pressure buttons and an LED at the front will light up the area a few feet in front of the unit. Handy!)
The unit's biggest downside has been disconnecting the nozzle from tires. I don't know if it's my tires in particular, but the nozzle holds onto the valve stems with a death-grip. It should be simple, just flip the lock up and pull back, but what really happens is you pull the lock up and psssssssshhhhh you've just lost 2-3 pounds of air while fighting with the nozzle. I physically have to brace myself, preparing to flip the lock and pull with all my might to get it off the stem as quickly as possible. Most of the time I find I have to refill my tires a couple of times before I get it off the stem properly. Frustrating, to the say the least.
The digital readout is excellent. The preset pressure is a great way to ensure you get exactly what you want in whatever you're filling. The battery issue is annoying, but livable many other units are just like this. The valve stem problem is just that, however, and it might be a deal breaker if I can't get it worked out. It's really too bad because I like the pump in general.
Buy Black & Decker ASI500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator Now
I have been using Black & Deckers ASI300 Air Station for over a year and can safely say that the ASI500 is a much better product. The one marked area of improvement is that the ASI500 is cordless. No more need to drag an extension cord around the car. After reading through the manual, and using the ASI500's digital pressure gage, I checked the tire pressure on one tire. After some trial and error, I was able to go through setting the recommended shut off pressure on the digital gage and inflated our van's tires. I was able to test the claim Black & Decker make about being able to fill four tires on one charge. Without charging, and using only the out of the box factory charge, this was accomplish leaving very little power to spare. I'm guessing that after a full charge the claim would be easily achieved. The ASI500 air station is very compact and easy to carry around. It has all the accessories for car, truck, bicycle, air mattress and all the sports balls. The unit comes with a charger as well as an attached 10 foot cord with 12 volt plug in adapter. All the accessories are nicely fitted on the unit for ease of use. One very nice feature is the small yet powerful light on the front of the unit that makes for easy night tire checking and inflating. This would make a great gift for anyone to add to the trunk of their car for road side emergencies. There are a few things to keep in mind with the ASI500. The first is that the air hose adapter is made of hard plastic and could break if forced. The second thing is the need to have a separate air pressure gage to check the tire pressure after inflating. I found that the AI500 was around 2 psi over the setting and I needed to release some of the air out of the tires. However these are quite minor issues. It took me around 15 to 20 minutes to fill all four tires to their proper psi. This was a bit faster than my old ASI300. With gas stations charging around a dollar for air, this is highly recommended for the home garage and those camping, biking, or vacation trips.Read Best Reviews of Black & Decker ASI500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator Here
Got my product today, read the instructions, charged it up, unplugged it, and turned it on. LCD displayed ERR. Went to B&D website for support, it told me that division was sold to Baccus Global.. went to their website, only units with jumper cables are listed.. not this unit or anything close to this unit.So, I called Black and Decker. They first asked if I turned it on when it was plugged in. I don't think I did, but it would be a rather simple mistake. She acted like I might have killed with such a simple action. I said 'no'. She said that it can't be fixed and I had to take to the local authorized service center for a replacement. That service center was 25 miles out of my way. I called the service center, they told me they would replace my hours old product with a refurb.. and by they way, they don't stock them so it may take 4-8 weeks.
I fiddled with the compressor and re-read both the paper instructions and the instructions at blackanddecker.com. Note: they were different (whatever that means). The on-line version indicates you can inflate a tire without setting a max pressure whereas the printed manual didn't.
Regardless, I actually managed to get a non 'ERR' screen, and actually managed to get it in PSI instead of KpA. I inflated exactly one motorcycle tire, and it worked flawlessly. However, the battery, which did charge for 4-5 hours, was flashing that it was nearly dead after only one motorcycle tire.
I plugged it in (making sure the unit was turned off first so I didn't destroy it) and walked away. Unplugged it, turned it on to see how it was, etc. I got the infamous 'ERR' on the screen. I turned it off and on several times until finally I did not get the 'ERR' display. Cool... that's not that bad. A little inconvenient, but hey, I can turn it off an on 10 times. I hooked it up to a tire to get a reading and it read something like 700 KpA I Don't deal with metric KpA, so I tried to switch to PSI. No luck. I followed the instructions to the letter and hit the + and keys at the same time. I tried hitting them many times, holding them down for a while.... no luck. Seems stuck in KPA forever.
I disconnected from the tire. Turned the unit off, walked away for a while. Unit is charged up, not plugged in, and not connected to a tire at this point. Turn it back on, and it is taking a pressure reading of my garage of 770 KpA.
Bottom line: This unit seems flaky (at best), and I'm at my wits end. There is a 1 year warranty on the product from B&D, but I have decided to return the product and go with a simpler battery inflator with less bells and whistles. I'd hate to think that if I hit the off/on button (not the compressor run button) while plugged in that I might freak this unit out. I just get the feeling that if I got a new unit, and it worked perfectly, that it would flake out after 13 months.
Thanks to Amazon for treating customers better than the manufacturers do. I have purchased hundreds of items at Amazon, and I believe this is my first return. After dealing with B&D, I don't know if I'll ever buy a B&D product again.
One more thing: If the air hose was 6 inches longer (like my old inflator), it would be much more useable (if you get one that's not flaky). To get to a motorcycle tire over exhaust pipes, I had to hold the inflator in the air as the cord would not allow the unit to sit on the ground.
Sorry for such a long and 'sob story' review. This has got to be my longest review yet.
Want Black & Decker ASI500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator Discount?
I really love this air inflator/high volume pump. It's cordless and very powerful.It can be used to inflate pretty much anything including automobile tires, bike tires, beach balls, rafts and so much more. I own another air inflator that you have to plug into the cigarette adapter in your car and it's a pain and it doesn't have the power to inflate automobile tires unlike this air inflator. This air inflator has plenty of power. It quickly inflated my car tires to 35 PSI and the manual claims that it has the ability to inflate up to 100 PSI, which is much more pressure than I will ever need to utilize.
The air inflator will take about 4 hours to fully charge the first time but then it's so convenient to carry around and not worry about pesky wires. The power cord has a light on it that will be red while charging and will turn green once fully charged. It also has sleep mode that it will go into if it's not used within two minutes. This helps to preserve the life of the rechargeable battery. It also has a built-in 12-volt vehicle charging cord that plugs into the cigarette adapter in your automobile. This allows you to recharge the battery while on the road. There is a blue LCD panel on the top of the inflator. First you set the desired PSI and then begin inflating. It will monitor the PSI and automatically stop when you have reached the chosen level. You lose a small amount of pressure while removing the inflator hose so I normally inflate an extra 1 or 2 PSI due to that fact.
The air inflator also has a built-in LED flashlight that comes in handy when working outside in the dark or in a dark garage. It also has built-in nozzles and hoses that are used to inflate other things
I love this air inflator & I would recommend it to all.
Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Short Cord
It effectively splits a 12v connection into two functional ones, each with a nice handy cap on it. Don't underestimate the usefulness of those two caps, as a stray bit of metal or anything conductive could blow the fuse on this.
Having mentioned the fuse, let me point out that not all splitters are manufactured with a fuse built into them. Without a fuse on the splitter itself a stray bit of metal or conductive material will cause the fuse in your car's electrical box to blow. This adds a little extra security as likely the fuse on the splitter is of a lower rating than that in your electrical box: so it blows first.
An earlier review mentioned electrical interference which made me wary about this product at first. However upon examination, I'm not exactly clear where such interference could be coming from. The splitter is incredibly simple with no real electrical processing being done to the power going through it. It's a fuse gated adapter with two connectors on it. As I have a zune controller and in line adapter running off one of the connectors on this, I was afraid that I would experience some hum or something similar to that mentioned in an earlier review. No issues here.
The wiring doesn't seem to be of high quality, but since I paid so little for it and don't plan on using it for heavy duty applications, that isn't something I will deduct for. The wiring is adequate and likely will not break unless I pull hard on it or abuse it.
Buy Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Short Cord Now
Very nice item, handy and safe. It is fused and saves digging under the dash for auto fuses when you overload it -and ends cover to prevent shorts and keep dust out when not in use. I love it and good value for money.I bought this after reading many of the reviews touting this as a great product. I was very disappointed. I am not certain what those folks were plugging into this splitter, but I just wanted to charge my phone and run my radar detector at the same time.It is very low quality and does not hold a connection very well at all. It has a copper cylinder/sleeve for the side connection and this simply does not have enough grip to hold the center connection down all the time. Hit a bump, move your device, or any jiggling at all, and you are disconnected. I am 100% sure it is not a quality issue with my male ends because they work great in any other connection I have used them in previously.
Great idea, but it needs some sort of tapering or other way to secure the connection and this would be a great product for the price. Until then save your money and look elsewhere.
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The Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter is made. Each outlet socket comes with a plastic cover to prevent objects from an accidental producing a shot circuit. The wiring to each socket uses standard 16awg wire; which is adacquit for most devices using this connection. The built in fuse is a MUST. Do not purchase one without it. If you exceed the maximum allowed current, the fuse in the plug should "blow", not the car fuse. The fuse in the Roadpro in much easier to replace than the one in the car.Note of caution: Make sure that the center pin, on the male plug, will spring in & out as you compress it, with your finger. A "good" connection will not be made unless this is true. If it doesn't, rotate the tightening nut first CCW [loosing it] and then CW [tightening it] and it should free itself. If not, repeat a couple of times. The nut should be finger tight.
This is a passive connection. NO hum or electrical interference can result from using it. If you hear noise or buzzing sounds, they are produced by the device you have plugged into it, NOT the "pig-tail." Cell phone chargers are notorious noise producers as are some other devices as well.
I purchase two and am planning to purchase two additional ones. Great product!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Magnum Energy MS4448PAE 48V Pure Sine Wave Inverter 4400 Watts
- Pure Sine Wave Inverter
- Up to four MS-PAE Series inverters can be connected together
- 48V
- Power Factor Corrected Charger
- 2 year manufacturer warranty
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
NOCO BLSOLAR2 Battery Life+ Black 2.5W Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer
The manufacturer intends it just as a battery maintainer, to counter the gradual loss of charge that batteries experience when sitting unused. So long as you understand that limitation, it appears to be a fine product. The housing seems sturdy, and the wires or cables provided are decent quality. I'm thinking to mount mine somehow on my garage wall to maintain my motorcycle battery since that is something I do not drive every day. Perhaps by maintaining the charge in this fashion I can get away without bringing the battery indoors during the winter, since it is normally only discharged batteries that are in danger of freezing -which can cause internal shorts.
I remember how much tiny solar cells cost at Radio Shack back in the 1970's... although this is too small to provide primary power for more than maybe a single low-drain device, it sure is cool to get something like this to play around with.
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Edited to note that these solar chargers come in 2 sizes, and Amazon is now unwisely mixing the reviews for related but different products together. My review here was regarding the smaller version, which is probably best limited to motorcycle batteries. If you are trying to maintain charge on larger car batteries, the larger 5 watt version would be a much better bet.
Buy NOCO BLSOLAR2 Battery Life+ Black 2.5W Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer Now
I was very pleasantly surprised how high quality this solar panel and all of the included accessories were. I have had a few other solar panels in the past and they don't even come close to comparing to the quality and design of this one. I put this panel in the windshield of my old truck using the included suction cups and it feels very secure. I love how slim the panel is and how the cable runs cleanly out the back. In addition, the quick connect cables are awesome and make attaching the right accessory easy.This panel is the perfect size to keep a standard automotive battery topped off. In the past I have left my truck un-driven for a few months at a time and come back to dead battery. This panel provides enough current to counteract the natural drain of a battery, which is all I really need. I will buying more for some of my other equipment and I highly recommend this solar charger. We found this came in very handy at campgrounds that had no electric hookup and also one that had problems with the power going out. We could keep the battery in the R.V. charged for a long time and just run the generator a little while at night if we needed the air conditioner or fans running. I plan to purchase one for the cars so I can keep this one in the R.V. at all times. Even if you don't plan to 'rustic camp', it is great to have on hand. It was a life saver when hubby had his tractor out in a muddy area of field and it wouldn't start. This made it so much easier to get it started again. I also love the safety features that protect against overheating and over current. These features are very important in my opinion, as well as being weather resistant for rainy days.
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I purchased this device a while back and waited to write a review so I could test this and see how well it works. I have to say that the Noco solar battery charger is the perfect solution for my motorcycle and buddies jet skis. We both don't ride that often but when we actually want to it seems we always have issues with the batteries. Not anymore, since using Noco's solar panel we have yet to have a dead battery. We don't have room to put these in the garage so running an extension cord out to them is a real hassle. That's where the convenience of having this solar panel comes in, not only can you place the panel in a wide arrangement of places but the long extension cord makes it even more portable. No more long extension cords and mess, Noco's solar panel is the answer for anyone looking an easy and portable way to recharge your battery.The clamps and wires of the unit are high quality (much better than expected) as well as the construction of the solar panel itself. I could not have found a more perfect solution to charging my batteries.
I just recently bought the Noco's smaller solar panel for my brother who is an avid camper and has been searching for something to keep his gadgets charged while he is away.

