Showing posts with label cheap car battery prices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheap car battery prices. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Wagan IN9438 12V Heated Seat Cushion with Lumbar Support (Black Velour)

Wagan IN9438 12V Heated Seat Cushion with Lumbar SupportBefore purchasing I read the reviews here, noting several complaining about the frailty of the 12 volt power plug. I purchased this model in November 2011. I also purchased this model: Wagan IN9738-5 12-Volt Heated Seat Cushion for a few dollars less. Each item is installed in a different car and gets routine use here in the chilly state of Michigan. So far, we've experienced no issues with the power plugs on either of the cushions. This model ('velour' material) does feel a bit nicer to the hand, but that's the only difference other than the shape and size of the cushions.

The switch for Off-Low-High is the same for each model and works fine and seems durable. I suppose if it were to get jammed somewhere near the seat rail of the car seat, it could be damaged when sliding the seat back and forth, but that hasn't happened to us. If your car has the type of 12 volt power outlet that automatically goes off when the car is shut off, you don't have to worry about the cushion accidentally draining your battery. One of my cars is like this. In the other car, we must remember to either shut off the seat, or unplug it. Not really a big deal, and the plug seems durable enough to stand up to repeated unplug/plug-in use.

The low setting is all we've used so far, and that's been warm enough. Maybe in January and February we'll need the High setting. With these cushions, we've found we don't need to have the heater blowing on High or even Medium. On long trips, we can take off our heavy coats and be a bit more comfortable.

As for the lumbar support in this model...with the bulky clothing we wear in the cold months, I can't say I notice it. Alternatively, maybe I don't notice it because of the differences between the seats in the two cars.

Neither of our cars came with heated seats and these products are the next best thing to the factory option. I believe they are worth their current prices even if they only last one winter, but I don't foresee that being the case.

Bought it for my wife and she loves it. But there are a couple issues. First and most important is that it does not have an automatic shut off. Twice we went out the next morning and had a dead battery. The other is that our Suburban has a seat mounted seat belt and an arm rest so the back straps don't hold the cushion in place. We have solved this by using upholstery "twist pins"

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These work wonderfully. I bought two for my 3000 mile drive across the country and they keep you warm without ever feeling like you are on fire. And the very best part for absent minded folks like myself is that they automatically turn off when you turn the car off so you can't drain your battery!

Read Best Reviews of Wagan IN9438 12V Heated Seat Cushion with Lumbar Support (Black Velour) Here

I bought 4 of these for family Christmas gifts after we purchased a new car with heated seats. These work the same way and each family member has been VERY pleased with the performance. My next purchase will be 2 more for the back seat in my car. Unless you have cold feet, a heated seat can be more comfortable than having the car heating system on. And for long trips the extra lumbar support with heat is a "back-saver."

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This is a nice seat cushion. It is more comfortable (and fits the contours of a modern bucket seat better) than the other (Wagan IN9738-5) seat cover we have in our cars.

The lumbar support is decent but minimal. It's a soft lumbar pad slightly thicker than the padding on the rest of the cushion. It won't really help much if your seat lacks lumbar support, but it won't hurt, and is nice to have. My car has sufficient lumbar support, and the addition of this pad doesn't make it too much--just an extra, nice cushy feel in the small of my back.

As other reviews have mentioned, the bottom straps are...difficult. There will most likely be no appropriate items for you to fasten the 4 little straps (with clips on the end) to. The little elastic straps are just not long enough. An easy solution is to tie strands of cord or twine to appropriate fixation points on the bottom of your seat, and then tie or clip the pad's little straps to your cords, adjusting cord lengths as necessary. One of the cheap plastic clips broke in half (it was not abused by me) while I was installing it, but it was not needed, as I just tied the cord to the elastic strap instead. The missing star in my rating is for the cheap clips and the poorly designed straps on the bottom cushion.

By the way, if memory serves me correctly, somebody noted that only the back (or bottom?) provided heat. Their cushion must have been defective. In my unit, heat is evenly distributed throughout the back and bottom cushions.

By the way, don't be stupid like I was and plug this into your cheap multi-port 12v adapter without checking to see if the adapter's fuse is robust enough to handle the load. Fried my cheap little sub-$5 2-port adapter instantly. Just gave me an opportunity to upgrade, I guess.

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Saturday, August 9, 2014

Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bass Preamp/EQ/DI

Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bass Preamp/EQ/DI
  • Outputs: Main, XLR main, Tuner/Send
  • Depth control
  • Compressor, 5-band EQ
  • Operates on 9V battery or optional AC adapter

I've owned this unit for about a year and I absolutely love it. First of all, it's built like a tank; MUCH sturdier than I expected, and heavy so it stays in place wherever you put it. This is a very well designed eq. So far I've only used it for a passive electric bass, but it allows me to use only this and a power amp; ANY old power amp (that old stereo, for example, or I use it with my tiny Crate power block), and get a great sound and full function. Most stomp box eq's don't allow for this, because they aren't an actual preamp. But this is, so you can plug it directly into a power amp. This has all the essentials and nothing extra. Excellent compressor, phase switch to cut feedback on an acoustic bass (genius!), pre/post on the xlr out with a ground lift; so it's a direct box too. Great voicing on the eq. This unit is first class in design, function and build quality, and I'm about to buy a spare. Even the battery box is the best design I've ever seen. You don't need an expensive bass amp, just get this and a power amp! Jim Parfitt, Seattle

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This is a great DI box if you are looking for something that complements your bass without coloring the sound. I play a fairly clean sound with NS Design EUB, Warwick Thumb, etc. I use a Demeter HBP-1 when I use an amp, which is warm but clean. I can say that the Fishman Pro-EQ Platinum Bass accurately reproduces my instruments' sound without overly coloring the sound. It is warm, and the compression in the DI box is a great feature. If you are looking for something that will make your bass sound like it is running through an overdriven SVT this is not the box. It is a very well balanced DI with the right controls for getting a bass to sound natural and full through the house. If you want to color your sound or are going for the sound of a particular amp, then go with a Sansamp or one of the other capable boxes built for that purpose. This box seems built with clean bass and upright bass in mind.

Read Best Reviews of Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bass Preamp/EQ/DI Here

I bought one of these Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bas Preamps about three years ago, planning to use the EQ, Compression and "Depth" (high-pass filter) features to improve the sound of my odd acoustic bass. It's an upright guitarrón, very much modified from the Mariachi configuration. It is tuned E1-A1-D2-G2-C3-F3, straight across in fourths, like a double bass. It has three piezo transducers for its six strings. The original guitarrón sound with round-wound strings was kind of a twangy thump. But I now have settled on Rotosound 88 TruBass strings, which are black nylon-wrapped flat wounds that give it a dark, thumpy sound, but with plenty of sustain when I want it. Recognizing that my upright guitarrón will never sound LIKE a double bass, the idea is to get it to sound as much like one as possible. The Fishman preamp is a big help toward that objective.

The Fishman has a warm, even tone that seems to smooth out the rough spots in my instrument, which tended toward having a boomy A1 open string. The setup is easy and sensible. After I had used the Fishman for about a year, I bought a Headway EDB-1, which has even more controls, including a notch filter that I thought would be even more effective on my A1 string. After trying the Headway for another year, I went back to my Fishman. I just could not achieve the evenness of tone with the Headway, despite its more detailed features. And the Headway did not produce the warm tone that I had missed in my Fishman. My instrument through the Fishman sounds better into all my combo-amps, whatever their size and power. And, as others have mentioned, the Fishman has a heavy and sold feel, despite being made of plastic (it feels like heavy, high-impact plastic).

So, I'll be selling the Headway, and I've already bought a second Fishman for backup.

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After several performances I have found the Fishman Platinum Bass pedal to be very effective at controlling feedback. We frequently play fairly loud music with drums banging away; I need gainy, big bass sound from my upright to settle effectively in the mix. With this pedal I can find a good mix of compression and sustain control that really limits the feedback while maintaining a moderately natural sound. The highs still come through, as well. As is usually the case, when I'm too close to my amplifier and I play arco there still tend to be some feedback problems, but this is extremely difficult to curtail. All-in-all a great little box for a reasonable price.

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I was really satisfied with product. Item was better than I thought it would be. Would recommend to anyone interested in a preamp , this item is a good choice.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

iSkin CERULEAN TX + RX - Bluetooth 2.0 Transmitter and Receiver Set for iPod

iSkin CERULEAN TX + RX - Bluetooth 2.0 Transmitter and Receiver Set for iPodI've waited on an iPod till there was something available without wires or earbuds to listen to my music. This iSkin Bluetooth Transmitter prompted me to get an iPod (80 gig Classic). I haven't been sold on docks or secondary remotes nor was I interested in sitting around with ear devices. I like to share my music and pipe it into my home stereo and also my car. This device works well but has a slight pause from time to time. But the best part is the ability to be anywhere within distance (30 feet) and use the iPod as the remote and enjoy whatever your in the mood to listen to. If it came with a USB plug-in adapter to power the Bluetooth receiver and a iPod 30 pin to analog RCA composite cable to hook to the stereo it would be 5 stars. These are items you'll have to run out and buy. Keep in mind if you want all the quality in sound you can get, you'll want this to channel from your iPod dock connector on the Bluetooth receiver and not the mini plug-in on it. So currently I have my Bluetooth receiver hooked up to a 30 pin dock cable with the RCAs on the other end hooked to the stereo. The USB cable is plugged into the plug-in adapter to power the Bluetooth receiver.

Quick tip....

Set your volume up all the way on your iPod before you plug in the transmitter.

You loose the "volume" in your iPod settings once the transmitter is plugged in. You still can control the volume though. After that set the volume a little higher than usual on your stereo and then control how high or low you want your volume from your iPod when playing music.

The performance over all is good and like I've said I notice a pause from time to time. It also looks good like it is actually part of the iPod and not some bulky device attached to it.

Hope this informs those who are interested in this iSkin product.

Well,well...Wireless Bluetooth Transmitter for your iPod. That is already very convincing.

This package includes the both TX(transmitter) and RX(Reciever). All cables are also included in the box.

First of all, their quality is amazing.It delivers sound exactly as if you connected a Monster HDA iPod cable to the iPod, but I repeat...it's wireless!

Second:If you got some good iPod woofers, like BOSE SoundDock System, this is just the best way to give them a very useful remote control, simply because you can change songs or do whatever you like with your iPod in a range of aprox. 12 meters (if there are walls within) and also that the RX has the female dock connector to attach it easily to your speakers.

Third: Here its where the cons. start to be written. The both TX and RX recieve energy through the iPod and iPod dock compatible speakers, but if you want to use them with another device (any with a headphone output) you'll have to plug them with a 5V adapter or connect them to the computer. The good thing about them, is that the TX has got input port and the RX an output port. (again, both headphone-like outputs) They would be perfect if they had some sort of rechargable battery inside.

Fourth:Have you ever seen other Bluetooth transmitter stations? They are very good, but very BIG too. The TX+RX are so small you can take them wherever you want to. They have also a nice design, that won't make your iPod look like a thing with a black extension.

Fifth: Do you just thought this was an audio device-exclusive product? Nope. You can also connect the TX to your PC or Mac with the mini-pin USB cable to send wirelessly all the sound delivered by the computer.

Sixth (and the only bad contra): This marvel is a bit pricey, don't you think?

However, it's worth the price, because on the iSkin Online Store costs more than here. You won't regret it after all. :-)

P.D.:Please, change the title name for the product! It was difficult for me to find it in Amazon. Put something like iPod Bluetooth transmitter or any other thing about the iPod. THANK YOU

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I've used only the receiver portion of this kit to provide a2dp input on my car. (2012 Audi A5 with MMI 3G -requires a modified AMI cable)

The product works as advertised and provides excellent sound quality -much better than other bluetooth devices I've used. I was surprised by the package contents. It includes a number of USB adapter cables, etc. that I was not expecting to ship with the product.

Read Best Reviews of iSkin CERULEAN TX + RX - Bluetooth 2.0 Transmitter and Receiver Set for iPod Here

I wanted to stream music from my phone to 2012 Audi vehicle's stereo system. This product does connect will with the ipod connector but never recognizes as connected on MMI screen. Later learned that these products are not compatible with Audi 3rd generation MMI system. This works fine with 2nd generation MMI system though.

Have to blame Audi for this.

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I see some comments saying it doesn't work with iPhone. Not only it does work, but you only need half the product, since the iPhone has a Bluetooth connect and can connect directly into the RX module. Some people should really read the F*Manual before commenting senselessly...

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Saturday, April 12, 2014

KnuKonceptz Power / Ground Wire Reducer 0 - 4 Gauge 1/0

KnuKonceptz Power / Ground Wire Reducer 0 - 4 Gauge 1/0
  • Reduces 1/0 Gauge wire to a 4 gauge size
  • Nickel Silver Plated - Hardened anodized steel set screw
  • Works with 0 - 2 gauge power/ground wire
  • Sold Individually

Nice finish and wire fits perfectly has a flat spot on the shaft wich worked nicely because my neg. and pos. terminals is next to each other so i had to grind flat spots on the reducers so they would clear each other and this way they won't turn and touch each other.

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I bought 2 and wasn't able to use them on my old amp.. these things are huuuge!! I do have 4ga cable and these are for 0ga but I figured I'd try. I'm sure these will work with newer amps just no luck with mine.

Read Best Reviews of KnuKonceptz Power / Ground Wire Reducer 0 - 4 Gauge 1/0 Here

These things work amazingly well. I had to do some grinding on mine to get them to fit. But thats no big deal. The only thing that id love to see change is them not being sold in pairs. It would make shipping cheaper then buying 2 sets. But its still no biggie.

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A must have product for loud stereos. nothing but the best from KnuKonceptz.

Would recommend product to everyone needing one.

the things are heavy. and greatly made. great for the o-gauge that needs the extera help to get down in wire size. great 5-star seller. AAA+++

Monday, March 17, 2014

Motorola MR350R 35-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair)

Motorola MR350R 35-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio
  • VibraCall vibration alert or 20 different call tones
  • 11 weather channels (7 NOAA) with alert features
  • 22 channels each with 121 privacy codes for superior interference protection
  • Pair of two-way radios with up to 35 mile range
  • iVOX hands-free communication without the need for an audio accessory

First of all, all the distances advertised on any walkie talkie like this is based on mountain top to mountain top communication, where the valley increases the range, and no obstruction. That is where they based the 35 miles. For city use, in malls, house to house and areas with trees will be between .5 to 1 mile at most. Since I have been using Motorola Walkie talkies all my life so I knew what I was buying.

I experimented with 3 different models of Walkie talkies in the mall with my wife. First we tried the 5 mile Motorola. I was on one end of the mall inside Macy's and she was on the other side in Nordstrom. She could not even hear me.

We tried the 10 mile Motorola. This time she could hear me press the talk button and a few garbled words, but that was it. We could not communicate.

We tried these 35 mile ones last. We were able to hear each other just fine. Not bad considering the distance and the number of obstructions.

I have also tried this on the open road for car to car communication and it can reach the horizon. If you want more power, you will need to get a license and buy a 5 watt radio.

This Radio has many nice features you would normally find in Professional Radios 5 times the price of this.

UPDATE SEPT 25, 2009-

This radio has a really nice feature I just discovered. It has the hands free iVOX capability. It will broadcast when it hears a sound. There are 3 levels of sensitivity. I tried it as a baby monitor. I left my wife and baby while they were asleep and turned on the radio to High power on one of the GMRS channels(I have an FCC license by the way, so I can use this channel). I drove about 1 mile to my brother-in-laws house. The Radio worked as a long range baby monitor! It was impressive considering that the radio was indoors and I was not line-of-site, and it reached a mile. Very amusing.

I would advice getting an FCC license so that you can use the High power GMRS channels legally. With these radios, it is about 1.5 to 2 watts. If you use the FRS channels 8 to 14, all walkie talkies including this will only use 0.5 watts. Channels 1 to 7 are GMRS/FRS channels. You cannot legally use the high power PTT button if you do not have an FCC license. Channels 15 to 22 are GMRS channels where you can use the High power mode exclusive to GMRS radios. Go to the FCC website and pay the fee for a GMRS radio license, it is good for your immediate family for 5 years. It is worth it if you use it all the time.

****Update October 26, 2009****

I will now detail what I have found out about my Motorola:

Pros:

1. In door range This is the mall slayer. Go to any mall and give your kids one and you will be able to talke to them pretty much anywhere they are.

2. Audio Quality Very clear and very loud.

3. Outdoor Range It has almost the same range as my Icom professional radio which has 3 times the power. That is basically because outdoor range is more about antenna height rather than power.

4. Flashlight Very useful when you go camping. You dont have to bring an extra flashlight. It is bright. Excellent for emergencies.

5. iVox Hands free operation. Very useful as a 1 mile baby monitor.

6. Call button I can call the other radio so that they know I am trying to call them so they can pick up the radio.

7. Emergency button It will send an alert so that the other person knows you are in trouble.

8. Weather channels I use it to find out the weather, specially before going Kayaking.

9. Privacy Codes it has so many Privacy codes so you will never be disturbed by other radios.

10. QT You can restrict the radios that you hear to only Motorolas.

11. Scan well most other radios have this too.

12. 2 power settings You can either transmit on .5 watts or 1.5 watts, depending on the button you press. Unless you are using FRS channels 8 to 14 which are hardcoded to use .5 watts.

13. Vibrate feature In case you are in a noisy place, this is useful.

14. Ease of use It does not get easier. Instructions are clear and it is intuitive.

CONS:

1. I am still trying to find one.

********UPDATE December 27,2009*********

I conducted another Distance and clarity test:

Equipment:

1. My Icom F21 UHF 4 watt Professional Handheld Radio(same one Police/Sheriff use. $380 for a pair)

2. My Motorola MR350($59 a pair)

Parameters of the Test:

I have a 40 Watt GMRS Base Station at home. My Home is by the Beach Blvd. I will drive North on beach Blvd and at every quarter mile, I will get down from the car, and transmit. I will transmit first with the Icom, then the Motorola. I will also note down if I can hear a reply back and how clear the reply was.

Result of the test:

Distance

1. Icomwas able to transmit and receive clearly up till 3 1/4 miles. It then started to become choppy from that point.

2. Motorola was able to transmit and receive clearly till 2 3/4 miles. It then started to become choppy from that point.

Clarity

1. Icom There were times I had to ask my wife to repeat herself because it sounded a little muffled.

2. Motorola Just like listening to an FM radio. Loud and crystal clear.

Conclusion

Although the extra power of the Icom gave it a slight advantage in range, about 20%, you can buy 8 pairs of these Motorolas for the price of the Icom. Let the result speak for itself.

Note: This test was meant to show that the Professional Radios only have a slight advantage over the Motorola. The distances were that far because I have a base station with a 10 foot mast and an external J-pole GMRS tuned antenna. Hand held to hand held still follows the laws of physics so it is the same as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, .5 to 1 mile in the city. Completely different story if you are on an elevated position. Distance in miles = Square root of the Height(in feet) x 1.4.

*****UPDATE FEB. 04,2010******

I would like to now discuss the Cost savings of this MR350 over Professional Radios.

My Motorola MR350 is still going strong. I have since bought more Professional Icoms and have had to go through the hassle of tweaking them and programming them manually to get them to function the way this Motorola does when you first take it out of the packaging. I had to buy these Icoms because I am a member of a GMRS Radio Group here in Orange County and Los Angeles and I need the repeater functionality and external antenna.

If you buy a professional radio, you will have to pay to have it programmed. It can cost from between $20 to $80 each time you need to have something programmed. I bought the software and equipment to program my Icoms and they were very expensive. Again, this is something you will never have to do with the MR350.

Batteries on my Icoms cost about $60. That is even more than the cost of this MOTOROLA!!! Not to mention that I had to buy an external battery pack for my Icoms costing $45 so that I can use Energizer AA batteries. The Motorola can use the included rechargeable battery, or you can use Energizer.

I have my Motorolas fully charged all the time so if ever the big earthquake hits LA, this will be my primary survival gear together with my Swiss Army Knife.

Conclusion:

In a cost perspective, the Motorola MR350 wins hands down. You will easily spend about $650-700(hardware and software) to equip a pair(2) of Professional Radios to have some(not all) of the features of this Motorola MR350. At the end of the day, cost will always be a factor when we purchase anything.

Hope to talk to you on the air.

******UPDATE APRIL 19,2010*******

I just bought another set of Motorola MR350 radios. I leave a pair in my car for emergencies where I cannot use my car mounted Mobile UHF radio. I still think these are the best deal on any UHF radio.

******UPDATE OCTOBER 26,2010*******

I just wanted to update all of you since it has been 1 year since my original post. The 4 Radios and the batteries are still working great. That being said, one of the nice people to comment, mentioned that one or both of his new units were defective. Unfortunately, that is not unique with Consumer radios. Once you receive your radio, whatever you buy, please test it right away. If you find that something is not right, tell Amazon that the unit is defective, then exchange it for a new set. That is the nice thing about Amazon. And if you have more issues, drop me a comment, and I can point you to other radios that you may like. I collect radios and I have tried most of them already so I can save you the trouble of deciding.

Also, he mentioned that there is a site that you can get a free replacement faceplate for the MR355 which has the Repeater capability and all of the features of the MR350. The catch is the original faceplate of the MR355 is camo. The free replacement faceplate will make the MR355 look much more discreet. Look into that radio as well. From what I hear, they are almost the same price. Oh, and I also have that MR355 radio, but never take it out because I have not replaced the faceplate yet. I will eventually.

******UPDATE FEBRUARY 2, 2012*******

I am so happy to announce that all 4 Motorola MR350 radios are still working. I still take them with me everywhere and have not had any problems with them. I have accidentally dropped them a couple of times so they have some scratches here and there, but they still work fine. I am really happy all 4 radios have lasted this long, almost 3 years for the original pair.

If there are any situations you would like me to test, please let me know and I will do my best to document a proper test for it. Let me know.

******UPDATE AUGUST 27, 2012*******

Again, I am happy to report all 4 radios still work. Now I would like to talk about the best new radio I have seen from Motorola, the MT352R. It is basically very similar to the MR350 except that it has a better rechargeable NiMH battery. It has double the battery life of the MR350. It also has a new method of charging. It does not use a charging station anymore. You just plug a mini USB cable to the bottom.

That is great, except that it is a much larger radio, so you have to consider the bulk of this before buying it. I have only seen it but I am about to buy a pair and see if this provides. I was really hesitant to buy it because it did not look as sleek as the MR350 which has served me well.

Once I get it, I will let you know if it is even worth paying the extra money, for what appears to be the same radio.

Another thing I wanted to discuss is the repair of these consumer radios. If the radio is still under warranty and Motorola will replace your radio as long as it was not due to user error. Once the warranty is over and your radios break, you have to buy a new radio as they do not repair radios out of warranty. Motorola used to do repairs, but no one really availed of it because it costs $50 or more to repair a radio. People just bought new ones. That goes for all handhelds available. So, the moral of the story is, if your radio is still under warranty, bring it to Motorola(or whatever radio you buy) and they will give you a new radio. Do not wait as the warranty could lapse.

I hope that helps you guys.

********UPDATE December 3, 2012*******

All 4 MR350 radios are still ticking. I am happy to report though that I have purchased a pair of Motorola MT352R radios. It will be arriving soon, and I will do a very comprehensive side by side test between my favorite, the MR350 vs the contender, the MT352R. Please give me about a week to get the radios, perform the tests and analyze the results. I should be able to post the findings by December 14, 2012. It should give you enough time to decide whether to buy this for xmas.

********IMPORTANT UPDATE December 4,2012*********

I received the Motorola MT352R this morning and proceeded to perform the comparison testing between the MR350 and the MT352R. Please go to my review of the MT352R so you will be able to see the results of my testing. Motorola MT352R Giant FRS Weatherproof Two-Way 35 Mile Radio Pack Silver

In a nutshell, they have the same features except for the IP-54 weather resistance. The main difference between them is size, distance, battery life and most important of all, price. Is 20-30% more distance worth paying 40-50% more(depending how much the current price is of course)? That is your choice. I still prefer the MR350 because of the very slim form and proven reliability. The MT352R is as big as an ICOM handheld. The MT352R has a better battery, but the MR350 has great battery life to begin with.

Please read my review of the MT352R so you have a better idea. I hope that helps.

********UPDATE April 29, 2013*********

I have had these radios for 4 years now and they still work just fine. I still highly recommend them.

Buy Motorola MR350R 35-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair) Now

Motorola MR350R vs Midland GXT1050--both products received good reviews on Amazon and I had a hard time initially deciding which one to buy since I could not find detailed comparison between the two. So, I will try to be more comprehensive in comparison here hoping to help you make a decision suitable for your purpose.

I bought MR350R two months ago from Costco at $55 (tax included) to monitor my baby sleeping upstairs and to use during road trips. A month later I also bought Midland GXT1050 from Amazon upon good reviews and my dissatisfaction with some silly design issue associated with the MR350 VOX feature (which is critical for monitoring purpose).

Size and weight: MR350 is lighter (6.2oz vs 7.3oz for each handset including rechargeable battery pack and belt clips) and has a noticeably more agronomical grip, especially for kids or someone with smaller hands.

Setup and Change Settings: MR350 has more intuitive LCD display and signs/symbols whereas GXT1050 took me a couple of hours to set up and memorize what each symbol/letter means (It would be tremendously helpful if Midland can add a full list of all symbols/letters and their meanings in a simple table instead of diving this information into chunks and burying it into each individual function/feature section). I think a 10 year old can be taught to change settings on MR350 without a manual but that most likely won't happen with GXT1050 (with or without the manual).

Features: These two share many useful key features like Weather Scan and Alert. GXT1050 has more channels (50 vs 22 for MR350R) which may be useful for using in populated areas although I never run into issues with MR350 on this one. MR350 has a built-in LED light for emergency use, which is nice. GXT1050 can produce a loud SOS siren which maybe useful in certain situations (although I never used it for any real purposes). Overall GXT1050 seems a bit more versatile with features such as direct call.

Range: GXT claimed 36 miles range and MR350 claimed 35 miles--both claims are meaningless since nobody would ever achieve the advertised range unless standing on two mountain peaks with perfect conditions. In actual use, the effective range is more like 1-2 miles in a flat suburban environment and a bit more in open field. Some reviewers here found a slightly better range with GXT1050 although my test twice showed MR350R lasted a slightly longer range while me driving away from home with each model broadcasting from my living room.

PPT Button is the one needing to be pressed down when transmitting. MR350R has the button designed in such way you can press the upper part for high power and lower part for low power--made switch power a much easier task. Using GXT1050's mechanism you will have to pre-configure power level in the settings and is not very easy to change in a hurry. The shape of MR350 PPT button is made in such a way though, you would end up using the high power most of the time since the upper part of the button protrudes further out. Nonetheless, I like the MR350R design on this one.

VOX: This is one of the most critical features if you want to monitor baby sleeping in a different room or just want to talk hand-free. I agree with C. Hayes' review here that MR350R's three sensitivity levels are not sensitive enough (Hayes's wording made me smile, though a bit exaggerated.). GXT1050 has 9 level of sensitivities and the most sensitive setting (level 1) is indeed more sensitive than that of MR350R (level 3), however, the difference it is not day and night--both detected my baby crying after waking up when placed about 1-2 feet away and both failed to detect my normal talk volume from 1-2 feet away unless I yell loudly or put the radio within 2-3 inches to my mouth. When put in front of a PC speaker, I did notice that GXT1050 started getting into the transmitting mode a bit earlier than MR305R as I turned up the volume knob of my speaker. However, if you want to talk to you handset placed on your shoulder (like policeman does) with your normal voice volume without bending your head to get close to the ratio--good luck no matter which set you use. I really think both companies should increase the sensitive level here.

The biggest turn-off of MR350R is that its VOX feature would be automatically cancelled if you press PPT button, intentionally or accidentally, even if when all settings are "locked"--my baby likes to play with radio and sometime the VOX setting is accidentally cancelled because he squeezed the PPT button. I found this a ridiculous under-thinking (or over-thinking) by Motorola's engineers--I understand the need to preserve power if pressing PPT means VOX may no longer be necessary, but auto-cancel even though settings are locked? Does the word "lock" mean anything? GXT has no problem on this one--kudos to their engineers. I would have returned MR350R for this reason alone (thanks to the great Costco return policy.) if not because my GXT1050 set had a quality issue.

The Wishper feature of GXT1050 does give much loud volume which is very useful for baby monitoring if you don't carry your ratio set on you or right next to you.

Battery life: Both are pretty good (for the good unit I have). I followed exact instructions to do the initial charge (important to battery life) and subsequent charges. However, one of my MR350R unit would run out juicy twice faster than the other handset would--this may be due to difference in batteries or the radio circuit parts. Even worse luck with GXT1050 I had-sometimes one unit would lose power during use even though it was newly charged and it would not even charge after being placed on the charger. Swapping batteries solves the problem temporarily but this issue reappears later. This caused me to return the GXT1050 to Amazon (thanks to Amazon's 30 day return policy) after on two occasions my baby woke up and fell off bed but GXT1050 failed to give me any warning in advance because of this very issue.. I don't know whether this was caused by a faulty battery or circuit component but I do think this is probably an isolated quality issue since most reviewers here seems to be quite happy with their purchase. One small thing to comment on the rechargeable battery installation and removal--MR350 got this one right with a ribbon under the battery to help you remove the pack easily. The GXT1050 rechargeable battery pack fit in so tightly and there is no ribbon there to help--it would take a few minutes and possibly a fingernail or two (and believe me, I am not exaggerating here) to remove it, especially if you are in a hurry to put in some alkaline batteries in the field. Midland--please spend a nickel or a dime and put in a removal ribbon here.

Charger: Both models do NOT have smart charger--which means the charge light is still red even when fully charged. IBoth companies should make an improvement on this for better battery power and life.

Compatibility: I checked their frequency charts and found that first 22 channels are on exact frequencies so they are compatible. However, I found this to be true only when privacy code is not used. When both models are set on the same channel using the same privacy code--they were able to scan and found each other SOMETIMES, but not always. What a bummer since I would be happy to have both sets (if without quality issues mentioned earlier) and use them in a group to suit different needs.

Waterproof: GXT1050 is splash-proof (JIS4 as the fine print specified), not really waterproof in the sense you can submerge it in water but this is still better than MR350R.

Price: GXT1050 package costs about $20 more but it also includes two headsets and a car charger adaptor--I would call a tie on this one.

Overall, each model has its own strengths--buy what suits your purpose. I had experience in building electronics and know for a fact that individual difference in parts/components sometime impact significantly in power consumption and transmit/receiving sensitivity. So, each unit may vary somewhat from one another --your mileage may vary when coming down to range, sensitivity, etc. So, celebrate if you get a good pair but don't get too hung up if someone else claims a bit better range or clarity or whatsoever.

I would have given 4 stars to both models given their solid performance before noticing quality issues mentioned above but 3 stars here due to quality/reliability issues happened to the set I received in addition to some much desired improvement in design--I hope the manufacturers read my reviews and take some actions--those are not expensive changes at all but would be much more user friendly. I would buy the improved version of either brand in a heartbeat.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola MR350R 35-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair) Here

After purchasisng the Motorola MR-350 via Amazon, radios were tested in a residential area in my city.

To my surprise and amazement the MR-350 units were able to clearly communicate over a distance of one and one half miles, having to punch the signal clearly through homes, trees, steel, wood and many line of site obstructions.

Clearly, this is an amazing pair of radios, and the claim of an unobstructed range of many miles is highly likely.

Delighted with the Amazon purchase and this is an excellent value, demonstrating a lot of radio muscle power in a tiny package.

Richard Denver.

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I would URGE you to read WILFREDO M VIRAY'S ("Wally") EXCELLENT, THOROUGH and THOUGHTFUL review. There's not much more I can say.

However, a few friends have asked "why would anyone use a two-way radio when cell phones do the 'same' thing?" I live direcly under a bluff in the midwest. Cross country ski, walking and bike trails, and one of our country clubs are there as well. Cell phones don't work very well in these areas.

This can also be true when you're traveling. A two-way radio can put you in touch with a LOT of sources you cannot reach with a cell phone... truckers, for example. Forget the stereotype these guys can be lifesavers on the open road. Two way radios are free of roaming charges, and they'll work ANYWHERE NO cell phone network can make that claim.

We also use these radios (and their "predecessor," the Motorola T9500XLR) EXTENSIVELY at work. (We now have TEN pair.) The building is concrete and steel, and no matter where you are, you can communicate CLEARLY with these radios. (Incidentally, we're talking about a 200,000+ square foot... that's a fairly large building.) Using two-way radios is a VAST time saver compared to paging someone on the intercom, then waiting for the "callee" to find a phone and get back to you!

Another NICE feature: Although these radios are supplied with a comparatively expensive 3.6 volt rechargeable battery, YOU CAN USE (3) AA's INSTEAD.

Again, I refer you to Wilfredo "Wally" Viray's excellent review for some non-biased technical data.

Good job, Motorola!

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I purchased 3 sets of these. They are the most powerful units I was able to find in the "for general public consumption" category. What I mean by that is these are not commercial or military grade units, and so their reception will not be quite as powerful as those, but as far as commercially available, relatively low-cost units go, these are probably the best out there.

The radios are excellent in just about every way. I've owned them now for over 9 months, and my children use them daily to keep in touch with us in the home. The children are 8 and 10 years old, and radios are our way of knowing where they are, and staying in touch with them as they play in the neighborhood. When we need them to come home we can call them home. If there is trouble, or a "stranger" nearby, my children can call home to tell us about it. In such a way, we keep tabs on our kids and we gain enormous peace of mind from knowing they can reach us with the push of a button.

We live in Central Florida (which is basically flat land) and we can get about 1 to 1.5 miles out of them in suburban areas. In one case, I was able to get a signal out to about 2 miles in a clear cut area. The key to remember is these radios are "line of sight", which means if there are trees between you and the receiver, it degrades the signal strength substantially. My neighborhood has many trees, so the reception is limited to 1 to 1.5 miles. In open areas, you can get substantially longer range (for example in a desert area, or from a mountain top. Also, weather plays with the range. Heavy rain will degrade the reception.

My advice is don't look at the published range on the box. I doubt 30 miles (or whatever) will ever be do-able, except on a perfectly clear, calm day on the Bonneville Salt Flats from an elevated platform. We thoroughly tested these radios under all kinds of circumstances. You get 2 miles out in a regular suburban middle class neighborhood, and you hear nothing. If your area is filled with hills, peaks and valleys, then this will also limit reception. When my kids dip down a small hill, and there are land formations between the reciever and the sender, the signal goes to zero. Around houses and trees on otherwise relatively flat terrain, the signal still reaches out to 1.5 miles. In one part of our neighborhood, there is a cul-de-sac that drops down 50 or 80 feet down (a lower part of the neighborhood) and the signal back there is zero. So just keep in mind this is LINE OF SIGHT. If you can draw a straight line between the sender and the reciever without any physical land mass or giant building obstructing your view, you can get several miles range out of it. If there are buildings and trees, the range is inside of 1 mile. Just trees, about 1.5 miles.

The other thing I love about these radios is the NOAA Weather Alert Service. At any time, if there is a weather alert in your area, the radio goes right to the NOAA radio station, and transmits the relevant data, no matter what you are doing, even if you are on a different station. As long as the radio has the power "on", the weather will interrupt and announce the alert. Even while we are at home during our normal routines, on nights when we are expecting bad weather, we keep the radio turned on by our bed, and if a tornado or other alert is being issued, the radio comes to life and wakes us up. Living in Central Florida, we get tornadoes from time to time, and the radio has woken us up to get informed about the situation. We get up turn on the news, and find out where the tornadoes are to see if we need to prepare. This NOAA radio feature is fantastic.

I would have given the radio a "5" star, but we lost a volume cap for one of our radios, and after a phone call to Motorola we discovered NO SPARE PARTS are being sold or shipped out to support these. The staff answering these calls were not professional, and poorly trained, generally disinterested, detached, and obviously bored with their careers as phone attendants/inbound customer service representatives. For such an otherwise respectable company, I was disappointed with the phone support on this product. The good thing is Motorola will replace the radio no questions asked through their warranty program. It is interesting to note the radio is made in China, and the poorly trained phone support people make a point to tell you about it repeatedly when they talk to you.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

BESTEK 150w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc adapter laptop charger notebook adapte

BESTEK 150w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc adapter laptop charger notebook adapter dc charger ac adapter usb charger Dual USB 3.1A 1511CWell made and solid. I am using it to power some small motors like air compressors and electronics while camping. I am not sure if it will power larger equipment as it does run off the battery. Just to be safe I run the engine while I use the lamps and compressor.

Purchased for my 2000 Toyota 4Runner with 3 120W 12V outlets for use on long trips etc., based on positive reviews here. The 120V AC output of the charger works well for my Lenovo t61p and a friend's Toshiba Satellite laptops. I've used it for about 2 hrs since my purchase so far. Construction is of decent quality plastic and the product feels solid.

However, there are a few quirks you should be aware of. Minor, but nuisances nonetheless, and enough to subtract two stars from the rating.

1) The click-angle head of the product is weak. It cannot support the weight of the product outlet head and a plug at an upwards angle -it will creep downwards as you drive with your car's driving vibrations. The click head more or less holds its place when used horizontally.

2) The click-angle head's rotational range is narrow. The range or motion shown on the product picture is its maximum range of motion. Due to the adapter's large size, it may not fit your vehicle if the 12V outlet is right behind your shifter, etc.

3) The cooling fan is loud during operation, even when only using the USB outlets. The noise is bearable on the highway amongst highway vehicle noise (and my truck's on the loud side by today's standards), but the constant whine is unpleasant during street driving. You should purchase a separate adapter for dedicated use with USB devices. I think the noise is about equivalent to a vacuum cleaner behind a thick door or 2.

I would consider a corded inverter instead of this product for space use flexibility and placement muffling -the noise will be far less obnoxious say, under your legs than on the dash console; even if the other product is equivalently loud.

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I purchased this converter to power a uniden video monitor in my car. I'm using it as a baby car seat monitor. Since the monitor doesn't have the best battery life I need to have it plugged in all the time. It only came with an ac outlet charger. This converter worked like a charm. The fan is not loud and it slide right into my cars cig lighter. It's pretty large but not more then I expected. I also loved the fast shipping and feel very satisfied with my purchase. I appreciate a company that cares for their customers. That seems so rare these days.

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My Sony camera requires the use of a separate battery charger. However I needed the camera immediately and since I was leaving on a car trip, my only option was a car charger. That is where this little gem comes in play. I am now able to charge my camera, just as I do my phone, my gps and my mp3 player. When camping I realize that I can also use my air mattress pump. Handy device...and item was shipped immediately and received as advertised.

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I purchased it for my recent travel across the country. It helped me a lot! Works perfectly with Toyota Prius and Toyota Highlander with all my devices (phone, laptop, tablet pc etc..).

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Monday, March 3, 2014

PowerLine 90297 Four Port USB Power Adapter

PowerLine 90297 Four Port USB Power AdapterI purchased this because I was tired have having so many things plugged into one power strip (blocking other plugs). I am using all four of the available USB ports to charge my Motorola Droid, Kindle, Nook Color and iPod. It is working flawlessly with all three but note that your devices will charge at the same rate as they would if hooked up to a computer. If you need fast charges you'll want to stick with your device specific charger(s). For me the charging rate is just fine and if for some reason I need a fast charge I can dig out my original adapters.

This could be my stupidity in not investigating further... but the low output wattage is a big limiter for this. Basically, you're good for charging phones (slowly) and nothing more. If that's your need, then solid.

Alas, it wasn't mine.

But that's just me...

KB

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This product does not put out enough power to charge some of my devices even when only charging a single device.

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I own two of these chargers, one of which I use for travel, the second of which I purchased for my wife. Really like this charger, it is compact, fits easily in a suitcase or computer bag (the prongs fold flat), and it has four USB sockets. I've used it to charge an android phone, IPod, a Garmin unit, and another phone while on the road with no problems.

Only disadvantage, if it stood vertically, it wouldn't hog wall/socket space. But that's the design, and it saves me from carrying lots of other chargers, so it's a decent tradeoff.

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It charges almost everything, I charge my ipads, iPhones, ipos, Samsung G S3, iphone 5, blackberry 9900, Game Pad, plantronix head phone, I bought 2 of these and connect everything on it every night. (you shall use your own cables)

Also it is portable which you can put in your case the power cord can be folded which make it nice in the case.

It worth every penny.

I like this product and I recommended for every one.

Best regards,

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Sunday, March 2, 2014

Peak PKC0JH 12 Volt 6" Clip-on Fan

Peak PKC0JH 12 Volt 6' Clip-on FanLiving in Arizona without back seat AC, the kids in the backseat have to sweat through every car ride in the summer. This fan is perfect. It plugs rights into the car charger, can clip to the headrest post or the coat hanger and blows vigorously enough cool the whole back row. Since we purchased it a few months ago, the fan has been tossed, crushed, and dropped and has withstood all of it. Especially for the price, if you need a fan for your car, this is a bargain.

The only complaint that I had was needing to assemble the clip on assembly when the fan arrived, but this only took a few minutes. Also beware with small children, the space between the wires on the cover are large enough for my one-year-old to slip his fingers in.

This fan really blows the air around. We are using it in our toy hauler (travel trailer). It is also very noisy but that is what we were looking for. We have a baby and needed some kind of white noise to help him sleep through us coming in at night. It has a very consistant hum.

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Bought this to provide cooling for our dog during a herding trial last summer. Ran it off a Black & Decker Electromate power packBlack & Decker VEC026BD Electromate 400 Jump-Starter with Built-In Air Compressor. The fan generated ample air movement, running all day (8+ hours) off the Electromate. I agree with the other reviewer that the clamp is restrictive, but managed to position it so it directed the air where needed.

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If you like fans partially because they are loud (I kind of do) then this is a decent fan. It either oscillates or doesn't and only has one speed. Hooked up to my fluke I measured 1.1A draw (not too bad).

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I bought this for my camper, and it generated good air volume, but it was so loud I had to return it.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Husky Liners Custom Fit Heavy Duty Center Hump Floor Mat (Black)

Husky Liners Custom Fit Heavy Duty Center Hump Floor MatI was disappointed with the mat, i thought it would be longer. The piece only covers the hump in your truck and you need to buy the sides from Husky Liner for it to cover the whole carpet area. I think the mats are way overpriced. I kept the same mats that came with my truck and the hump mat does have gaps on both sides but at least it does cover more of the carpet area than if i had purchased a cheaper hump mat.

I was thinking this was a over the hump floor mat that included the actual driver and passenger mats too. From the picture and description that is what I thought. Really disappointed with the product I got for the price. Would not recommend this to anyone. Find better deals elsewhere.

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PROS:

made in USA

heavy duty

flexible rubber

deep grooves

plenty of length to go over hump and under both mats

CONS:

Amazon never seems to have the correct item number, never use "find parts that fit your vehicle" always go to company website, I used Huskeyliner.com to get my item number.

installed in a 2010 Ford F150 regular cab. at first it seemed to wide but the grooves allow the rubber to relax and lay flat.

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I did not realize that the floor mat is not for the front floor mats but rather for the back seat. I did not understand that when I ordered the mats and therefore I cannot use it.

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i purchased this custom floor mat for my car for the complete front of floor thinking i was getting a fuul mat covering drivers side as well as passenger side with the over the center hump as it is clearly shown in the photo well i got just a piece for just the center hump only WHICH DONT FIT and for the price i got burned SORRYMY BAD

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Rapid Car Kit Auto Plug-in Power Charger for Verizon LG ENV 1 VX9900 - LG Venus VX8800 - LG Voyager

Rapid Car Kit Auto Plug-in Power Charger for Verizon LG ENV 1 VX9900 - LG Venus VX8800 - LG Voyager VX10000 Cell Phone - BestCellBuy BrandI had purchased 3 of these to have as bach ups. Well one out of the 3 works.. The other two fell apart the minute I plugged them into my phone. In fact a piece of the end stuck in my phone and I had to use tweezers to get it out.. JUNK !!!

Product was just as ordered! Received it very quickly! I would order it again, the price was very reasonable and affordable

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This car charger fell apart the second time I used it. The end that plugs into the phone broke in half while trying to disconnect it from the phone. It is truly a piece of junk. I guess you get what you pay for. My mistake.

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Monday, November 25, 2013

JHD1620B Jensen Heavy Duty AM/FM RBDS/WB SIRIUS Satellite & iPOD Ready Radio

JHD1620B Jensen Heavy Duty AM/FM RBDS/WB SIRIUS Satellite & iPOD Ready Radio
  • JENSEN Heavy Duty understands your industry... it's rough, tough, and the working conditions are harsh. That's why the JHD1620B Heavy Duty AM/FM/WB/iPod and SIRIUS Satellite Radio Ready Stereo is designed to be the most rugged stereo available in the industry today. The JHD1620B is built to deliver high quality audio without sacrificing feature content, all while withstanding the conditions commonly encountered in heavy duty environments.

I'm a long haul driver and needed a good radio that could hold up to the beating that my old freightliner can dish out. This unit does great, it's by far the most heavy duty radio I've ever used. The CD player doesn't skip at all even in rough terrain like coal mines etc. It has Aux line-in and USB input in the front for my Ipod and I have sirrus hooked up also. I highly recommed this unit for anyone who finds themselves in any extreme enviroment, Truck drivers, 4x4 etc.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Schumacher SE-520MA 10/2 Fully Automatic Dual-Rate Chrager with LEDs

Schumacher SE-520MA 10/2 Fully Automatic Dual-Rate Chrager with LEDsI bought this little feller to replace an 40 amp converter that expired. I use it to maintain an auxiliary battery in my camping van; the converter was overkill.

The SE is a different shape than the converter but fit. It has been doing its thing for a couple of years with no problems as has the battery. It runs 24/7 except when we are driving. In campsite, it is across the battery that the TV uses and I get no noise from it; the converter gave me a low hum.

Should have bought it the first time.

As soon as we received the charger we found the battery of our CRV dead because we had accidently turned on the cargo light while unloading stuff. It was wonderful to see our battery being recharged and so quickly. Just love Amazon for offering quality merchandise with fast shipping at prices far below the local discount automotive places!

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The build quality is very poor. Can you imagine the nice-looking front panel is actually a piece of PAPER loosely (you can lift it up and see the back) attached to a metal plate, which is also loosely attached to the rest of the box? Worst, the one I got did not charge, and with a multimeter I found the output voltage is only 8.7 volt. I sent it back immediately.

I purchased it because of the previous two five star reviews, so I don't want other people to fall into the same trap. You have been warned.

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Completely satisfied. I always have liked Schumacher products. I highly recommend this product. I like everything about it. I found the best prices right here on Amazon.com.

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I use this for charging my RV batteries when running my generator. I have had poor results using the built-in battery charger for my older model RV. From research it appears the older charging units do not charge the batteries adequately unless charged for a very long time if ever. I have my RV permanently 'way out there' and needed a quicker charger when running my generator. I have had to replace batteries prematurely as a result. I installed this charger by plugging into a receptacle in the RV and semi-permanently hooked it to my batteries and disconnected the old charger. Whenever I start the gererator I get a 10 amp rapid charge and an automatic charge reduction as the battery approaches full charge. My battery does not overcharge and boil off battery fluid because of the automatic feature. I have been very pleased by how quickly the batteries are charged compared to the built-in charger. Three stars because the wires on the charger get very warm with the 10 amp charge and there is no 'on' or 'off' switch, which I dislike as the unit must be unplugged while charging unless the generator is shut down. I can switch to and use the 2 amp feature and quickly disconnect the charger for use on ATV's, motorcycles, trickle charging, etc. I recently started using solar panels and only need to use the 2 amp charging rate and generator to keep the batteries at full charge after excessive use of electricity.

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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Radar Detector Car Dash and Windshield Mount

Radar Detector Car Dash and Windshield MountIn California, it is illegal to have anything mounted to your windshield. GPS, Radar Detectors, etc. If an Officer feels inclined to, he can actually pull you over and ticket you for a windshield mounted device.

I have an Escort Passport 9500ix. I was using the windshield mount it came with. However, I noticed that it was rubbing up against my windshield when I drove and (I'm sure) in part to the dual 12's in the back. It was evident that continual use of the supplied windshield mount would eventually lead to a damaged windshield.

This dash mount is working great. It holds my radar detector perfectly still away from the windshield, while obeying one of CA's many ridiculous laws. Plus, it elevates the radar detector to the perfect spot in order to detect laser without jeopardizing radar detection.

Really regret that I purchased this. I needed to mount a radar detector on my dash, and used the circular mounting plate. Even in just moderate sun, in two days the plate warped severely. When I tried to move it to another spot, the whole thing broke in two! Not surprising for a cheap piece of plastic. This is cheap junk -at least the dash mounting piece. In terms of radar detectors, using this product to mount on a windshield is also useless, as the mounting piece that attaches to your windshield is so large, it will degrade your radar detector -since it will either partially or entirely block it's forward "view". This is going in my trash can. Money wasted.

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Mount won't stay perpendicular to the dash. The platform keeps falling down even after tightening. The velcro sticky looks just plain cheap. If you want a good mount check out Blendmount for the Passport.

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Had to return it. I didn't realize the device sits on a platform and you velcro the two together. May not be too bad if you are doing a dash mount like the picture, but for windshield mounting the suction cup blocks the back of the radar detector facing the road. I need my detector to perform at its best and not risk detection performance from the suction cup.

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I have a Passport 9500 radar detector. The windshield mount that comes with the unit is small and flimsy...keeps falling off the windshield. I purchased this radar detector mount, and use it on my dashboard. It came with everything needed to install. It is great! Not only do I need not worry about the detector falling off the windshield anymore, the use of the mounting plate lets me remove the detector easily when I need to (for example, parking in parking lots, out in the hot sun, or on short car trips). Besides the dash mount, you always have the option to use this mount on the windshield. Windshield mounting with this mount would certainly be better than the factory supplied mount, as it has a much bigger and deeper "cup" so it would probably hold better to the glass.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

12 Volt 7 Amp Hour Sealed Lead Acid Battery (12v7ah , 12v 7ah , 12 V 7 Ah)

12 Volt 7 Amp Hour Sealed Lead Acid BatteryFirst of all, my mother had her alarm system battery replaced a couple of years ago. She had to pay for the battery and a $75. service charge. She asked me, today, to pick up a new battery from the alarm company that installed her system. When I read 'rechargeable' on the side of the battery, I couldn't wait to get to her home and see if the old one was also rechargeable.

Three minutes after I opened the closet door where her distribution panel is, I changed out the batteries. $75 for that?

The replacement battery cost, with tax, $39.06. I couldn't give a five star rating to something I haven't tried yet. But this is what I am going to do. I will buy this battery and a charger, charge the old battery and have a new one for stand by. It won't be a stretch to keep one here for our portable digital television for tornado warnings time.

Amazon, you are incredible. If I want an honest review, I come to your site and not the manufacturers' sites.

Very good, fit the bill of a replacement battery for my Verizon ONT for my FiOS service. A more expensive battery would probably give you the same thing, a charge for a limited amount of time.

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Exact replacement for my old alarm system battery. Same electrical sepcifications, size, terminals and weight. Took a couple of days to fully charge, which was expected. What more could you ask for?

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It looks like this battery will do all it was advertised to do for our portable air compressor. It held it's charge and has run the compressor as well as it ran on day 1.

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I got it on time, and so far it is as expected. What else can I say after such a short time of owning this?

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Schumacher WM-12 Cable Connector for Battery Charger/Maintainer

Schumacher WM-12 Cable Connector for Battery Charger/MaintainerI recently bought several battery charging products to get ready for winter, including a Schumacher SEM-1562A (bought at the local Tractor Supply Co.), the Schumacher EC-25 25' Cable Connector Extension Cord and this extra connector cable.

The charger works great. The extension cable works great. This connector works great as well. But....

I was a bit disappointed in the over all design of this connector, tho. I was expecting it to be the same as the one that came with the charger, but it falls short in at least three ways. It's shorter, the cable is less robust (it may be the same gauge of wire, but it feels flimsy compared to the original and doesn't have as good a plastic sheath around it), and it doesn't have a cover for the plug to keep dirt and grime out. As the point is to leave this attached to the vehicle year round, it seems like the chances to get gunked up are pretty good.

For the price, I think this is a swell product. However, for a couple bucks more (which in this case I grant, is close to 50%) you can get the Battery Tender 081-0069-6 Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug which has none of the drawbacks of this connector that I mentioned above. It's by a different company, but the plugs are identical and it hooks right up fine.

So, in short, this is a fine product that does what it claims but there are better products out there.

Very timely receipt following my order. The Schumacher WM-12 Cable Connector is well made, fits perfectly onto my battery tender, and allows me to maintain the battery on my Harley without having to remove the seat. Thanks a bunch!

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Got this for a lawn tractor, so I could quickly hook up to a charger I use for everything with small batteries (U1 and under). I was stunned when it arrived with a captive plug cover (the illustration doesn't show one), maybe they forgot to mark the present production as "new and improved" or something of the sort. Still, it's a welcome addition to an already extremely useful battery-charging accessory.

Read Best Reviews of Schumacher WM-12 Cable Connector for Battery Charger/Maintainer Here

i have on 4 motorcycles saving charge hook up time. this one was my last purchase and has plug protector as others 5-6 yrs ago did not. long enough to clear batt bx and then zip tie in place.

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Bought the cable to allow me to permanently attach battery pigtails to a second motorcycle's battery. I can now easily share a single charger between two motorcycles. No complaints, the product is exactly the same as what comes stock with the Schumacher SEM-1562A 1.5 Amp Speed Charge Maintainer.