Showing posts with label cost of car battery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cost of car battery. Show all posts

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Kicker 09ZCK8 Z-Series 8AWG Amplifier Kit with 2-Channel Interconnects ROHS Compliant

Kicker 09ZCK8 Z-Series 8AWG Amplifier Kit with 2-Channel Interconnects ROHS Compliant
  • Complete kits with Direct-Control components
  • Comes with Signal cables and 16 AWG Super Twist Speaker Wire
  • Included are Power Cable, Ground Cable, Fuse Holder, System Fuses and more

I went to Best Buy to purchase this kit, it was priced at $100. Using my iPhone I scanned the barcode and found it on Amazon for almost half the price. Needless to say I was very pleased.

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I've actually never used Kicker amps or subs, but these wiring kits sure are impressive. Kicker gives you everything you need, and they don't skimp on quality. Along with that, they even give you speaker wire, which probably isn't in every amp kit out there.

If you're setting up a new amp, regardless of the brand, pick this. It worked great on my Alpine equipment last time, and this time it worked great on my Sony amp.

Read Best Reviews of Kicker 09ZCK8 Z-Series 8AWG Amplifier Kit with 2-Channel Interconnects ROHS Compliant Here

Good product and price arrived on time came with everything I needed to hook up my two channel amp would recommend

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The amp kit works great with the kicker dc122 subs and Kicker dx3002 amp. Only thing is it didn't come with some type of cable or part something RCA I think. Other wise just works great

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The product is worth the money, its wiring so there is not a whole lot to review about, but what i can say is it looks cool next to my battery :P (fuse.) Dont buy the boss "8 gauge" kit.

Monday, September 15, 2014

EZOPower "Apple Certified" 90° Rotatable Rapid Car Charger w/ IC Chip - No Overcharging for Apple

EZOPower 'Apple Certified' 90° Rotatable Rapid Car Charger w/ IC Chip - No Overcharging for Apple iPhone 4 4G 4S 4GS 3G 3GS, iPod Touch Nano Video Classic - Black / Copper Orange
  • EZOPower Car Charger in retail packaging. Model # EZMFI24B
  • Made for iPod iPhone / Licensed by Apple.
  • Keep your phone charged while on the road! Input : DC 10-24V. Output : DC 5 V/1A
  • Cable length: 120cm / 3.9 Feet. 90° rotatable SR design. Stable current with built-in short-circuit and over-current protection.
  • Plugs into car cigarette lighter socket to charge iPod or iPhone. A convenient, travel-ready solution for keeping your iPod or iPhone charged when you are on the road.

Best mobile charger I have ever bought, very well built.

This is the way all products should be made. SOLID

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Purchased this for a iphone 4S and it will not charge the phone at all. Total waste of money:( Will now have to purchase another charger to replace this one.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

iriver AFT 100 Mobile FM Transmitter

iriver AFT 100 Mobile FM Transmitter
  • Mobile FM transmitter for listening to portable audio devices through your car stereo
  • Transmits to all FM frequencies (88.1 to 107.9 MHz)
  • Plugs into standard car power socket--no batteries required
  • Connects to the headphone jack of portable MP3 or CD players; easy-to-read blue LCD display
  • Universal accessory for all digital audio players compatible with a 3.5-mm mini-jack

This little FM modulator actually works well, even in an area with crowded radio spectrum such as San Francisco. Unlike some other modulators by Monster, Belkin, and Griffin, the AFT 100 lets you select ANY frequency, not one of a few factory presets. I simply found an empty frequency on my radio, adjusted the AFT 100 to match, and it sounds great, with no discernable noise or interference. Auto power-off is a nice feature, since I tuck my unit out-of-sight in the armrest.

I use this device with both my iPod Photo and my iRiver IFP-890T. It's convenient and works well. Recommended!

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When I bought the iRiver H10 Music player, and I use Yahoo! Unlimited Music, I can figured I could download an unlimited amount of music. Thats great when I am walking to and fro from school, but when I drive, i also wanted that music as well. So I looked around, and the iRiver AFT-100 was the most expensive model

I drive a 04 Mazda RX-8, and it has no tape player, or an auxillary input. The only choice was to use an FM transmitter.

On a good note, it does its job, and it does it relatively well. The audio clarity was really good, and I am an audio buff myself. The only drawback is that it you still can hear some static beneath the music if its quiet. For example, if you play Alicia Key's "If I Aint Got You", her piano introduction is also accompanied by some slight static, but this is when it is a quiet part of the song.

The bad thing is that, well its FM. It isnt going to be as clear as a CD, but if you have no choice...you have no choice. Another drawback is that you have to fiddle with you mp3 player so you can find a good balance of mp3 volume, and your car's volume. Once you find that balance, you'll never touch it again. But one more thing, the bass isnt all that swell, but its something you can probably live with.

SOME HELPFUL TIPS!

-A LOT of people are moaning about the static (I even touched on it above), but the truth of the matter is that if your driving 70 MPH on the freeway, chances are VERY VERY slim that you'll hear static. The car's noise, on top of the road, on top of the rattling that goes on while your driving will eliminate the static noise...TRUST ME!

-A good way to broadcast the music is that I found that if you choose a station that has slight static, and slight music, set that to your fm tunner. I've gotten better results tunning my iRiver to a station that is half and half

-Another thing is that it DOES shut off by itself. This is a smart feature that iRiver implemented because it wont kill your car's batter if you leave it on accedentally. BUT if you, say, get a phone call, and pause your music and more than 30 seconds passed by, the thing will shut off, and then you hear that station that was half static and half music with your car's volume at like 75%...Then you have to unplug it, and plug it back in...a small drawback but it is okay by my book.

-Place it as close to your antenna as possible. Like for my car, my antenna is built into the rear windsheild. When I plugged the iRiver to my second cigarette adapter which is closer to my rear windshield, I got better reception.

-The mp3 player that it is attatched to is the antenna on the device, again, the closer it is to the antenna, the better the quality of the sound

-I tunned it to one station driving from Los Angeles CA, to Orange County CA (Irvine actually), and it worked very, very well. It was 91.9 FM

Listen, if you have a cassete player, then chances are your better off with a Cassete adapter. This iRiver AFT-100 does a really swell job at being an FM tuner, b/c it does have the power to outpower other stations, but remember it is ONLY FM QUALITY...if not a tad lower.

This was an honest review of the AFT-100 and I hope that I have helped.

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After trying the Belkin Tunecast, both I and II, I laid out the money for this one -Hooray! It works! I live in a suburb just north of Chicago and drive through 3 'burbs on the way to and from work -radio stations come and go. The IRiver lets me set 3 so as I drive I can switch easily between stations. There is a little static (mainly between tracks), but for a FM transmitter, this is probably the best you can do for the money. For those of us out there without a tape deck in our car, this is the best way to go. (If you do have a tape deck, just get a tape adapter).

The price may seem high in comparison to some other transmitters, but the advantage of being plugged directly into your car (no batteries!) is worth it. Plus, the auto on and off is great. Now, when I want to play my Rio Carbon I just turn it on, plug in the IRiver cord and turn on my radio -easy easy easy.

I am so glad I bought this!

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I agree with most reviewers here, that the great features of this device include the ability to have three presets that you can program. Being in Los Angeles, it is easy to switch between the "Valley" or "West LA" as you drive around.

Yet, there is one nagging "feature" of this unit that drives me crazy: The unit turns itself on or off based on the feed from the Line Out of your MP3 device. Now, if you listen to music that has small bits of lower tone (such as a Pink Floyd album or classical pieces) or Vocal recordings, you will find the device will quit temporarily until the volume picks up again and it turns itself back on (which will then spit out evil radio static when a moment of lower tone or "peace" is trying to be accomplished on piece of music or voice. The line connector from the device, which plugs into the MP3 device, also seems of poor quality -sometimes I have to jiggle or twist the cheap connector just to make it engage the device (which has once again turned itself off because it is not receiving a line input). I wish that this automatic turn-on/off based on line feed could be turned on or off -to me, if this feature was not there it would be a great FM transmitting device.

Like all of you, I read the reviews and noted many had problems with poor audio quality.

Some had problems in congested Cities with wall to wall broadcast stations.

I'm a retired Broadcast Engineer so I like to think I have a pretty good ear and my unit works great.

It does have a few quirks worth mentioning and these may contribute to the problems mentioned in the other reviews.

First off, the folks that built this unit opted to use the cord running to the player as the units transmitting antenna. You may find that moving the unit around on the seat of the car can change the strength of the signal being received by your car radio.

This is really a poor arrangement but I'm not sure what can be done about it. I find that I often wrap my MP3 player cord around a compass I have glued to the windshield which is just inches from the FM antenna embedded in the glass. The resulting signal is now strong enough to overcome even some of the very strong local stations.

Very "Rube Goldburg" but effective.

Next is the issue of audio quality.

Seems like these units have no audio limiting or processing.

What you put in is what you get out.

Also it should be noted that most all FM receivers have a maximum bandwidth for each channel.

These little transmitters can exceed the maximum channel width many times over with just a little extra volume on your player.

What makes things complicated is that may of us enjoy a favorite

tone or equalization applied to our tunes.

Internal pre-sets may boost the low and high frequency tones to suit our

tastes but the boosted lows and highs easily pass outside the maximum

bandwidth the receiving radio is equipped to handle.

The result is baaaaadddd distortion.

So, whats the answer?

I set my player for absolute flat audio response. This means that audio going to the I River is the same strength at all tone levels. I've also made sure that I don't color (boost highs and lows) any of my tunes when I record them.

Once the signal gets to my FM radio, however, I can adjust the tone of the unit in the car to suite my tastes.

I also measured the accuracy of the radio signal generated by this little transmitter and found it to be pretty darn close to what was indicated in the window and very stable.

If they wanted to really make this a fabulous device they should install an audio or modulation limiter. I should also mention that too much audio drives the stereo generator a bit nuts and I think they do mention not to run too much signal to the unit.

It would be better if it was automatic, though.

I sure hope this info helps. I tried to loose most of the technical jargon.....I'm still using and enjoying my unit more than a year later.

PP

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker for 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo With Do-It-Yourself Programming

Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker for 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo With Do-It-Yourself ProgrammingI bought this because my remote quit working and wouldn't work after I put a new battery in it. I even tried the programming procedure described in the owner's manual, with no success.

The kit has one spare remote and very easy instructions to reprogram your new remote.

As a matter of fact it is possible that the only thing you really need is the instructions: When I received the kit, I tried the reprogramming procedure on my old remote and it worked! I didn't even need the new one. This is why I suggest you look online for the proper reprogramming procedure before you buy this; you may not need a new remote, just the proper programming instructions.

If you do need a new remote though, buy this. Don't go to a Chevy dealer; They'll charge you probably around $50 to reprogram your remote, and much more if they take you for a ride (like they tell you your car needs a new BCM for instance).

I received my remote yesterday afternoon for my 2003 Chevy Impala. It took me less than 5 minutes to program and be on my way to work. I am thrilled with the service and delivery as well as the ease of how it was programmed. The dealer wanted $55.00 for the remote and $75.00 to program it. Thanks.

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My original key fob was draining through batteries at lightening speed and then finally stopped working all together. I wish I would've searched on amazon sooner to discover that I could buy a universal replacement. Great buy!

Read Best Reviews of Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker for 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo With Do-It-Yourself Programming Here

My son bought a used Chevy Impala and it didn't have a keyless remote. He found this one which is compatible and we ordered it. Even with the help of Dave at Discount Keyless, it would not sync. Dave gave me one other suggestion, which we tried. When that didn't work I called their 800 number and was able to return the remote, hassle-free!

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Item was recieved with Ford instructions when item was bought for a GM product. Called there service line for assistance but was put on hold for 10 minutes then I hung up. Item i'm sure works but as far as it being " Do-It-Yourself Programming " i'm not sure about that.

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Monday, June 23, 2014

eForCity Car Charger Adapter Compatible with Garmin Nuvi 205 255 260 260w GPS

eForCity Car Charger Adapter Compatible with Garmin Nuvi 205 255 260 260w GPSI now have these in both cars and in our travel kit when we plan to rent a car somewhere.

Conector brook when i disconnected it from gps just two times. The original one lasted 3 years. I thought it was a good deal instead it ended up in the trash within 2 weeks.

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Friday, April 25, 2014

Cobra MicroTalk CXT225 20-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio

Cobra MicroTalk CXT225 20-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio
  • 20 Mile Range, 22 Channels & 121 Privacy Codes
  • 10 Channel NOAA radio & Hands-free operation (VOX)
  • 8 Rechargeable AAA batteries, and a 2 port desk charger included
  • Maximum range extender and belt clip included for maximum efficiency and carrying ease
  • Lead-Free Packaging

We purchased these to use on a cruise we were taking. When they first arrived there were several things I was grateful for. They fit very nicely in your hand and are easy for kids and adults to use. The charging plug uses one outlet but charges both devices at the same time (which is huge on a cruise ship with limited outlets).

Trying them out around town and they worked great. I sure wasn't going 20 miles but had no trouble going a couple of miles in the suburbs. On the cruise ship I was surprised at just how well they worked. We were unable to go from the top deck to the very bottom deck but could get pretty close. It made the whole trip much easier with less planning.

They provide lots of functions with a wide variety of channels and we never had an issue. The lock feature was nice so the kids didn't accidentally change channels but you do need to remember to unlock it before you are able to turn it off.

Overall, a great value for the cost, if your looking for long distances you will need to spend more.

Buy Cobra MicroTalk CXT225 20-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio Now

First off, anyone who knows radios knows no radio of this size and output can achieve the range they claim in the city, mountains, or forested areas. If you are on a lake, you can expect very good range. Anywhere else, forget it. So, I didn't expect anything else from these.

These are my third pair of Cobras. I bought my first pair 8 years ago and they are still working well. I keep them for emergency communication for our neighborhood's disaster preparedness committee. In our last mock exercise we used them to coordinate neighbor safety checks up to a range of two miles. They worked quite well.

Cobra is a well made radio. My only dislikes in the 225's are:

#1the volume control button. I prefer the kind with a volume knob on the top to turn the volume up and down with a twist of a knob, like my first and third pair have, and these radios are a little small for my big hands. Other than that, they are as good as any other I have had.

#2Cobra has downsized the batteries from AA to AAA making battery change-outs more frequent than before.

#3The rechargeable batteries are useless, in my opinion, especially in the field where recharging is not an option. First, they take way too long to charge in-radio, and they die quickly. I use alkaline batteries exclusively. I buy a brick of batteries at Costco. Much better in my opinion. If you insist on rechargeables, then buy another set and a charger for them to keep on charge while you wear down the current set in less than 8 hrs (standby time).

#4Unlike some (much) more expensive hand held radios, you cannot use your Cobras while they are on the charger. That's too bad because these radios make excellent VOX operated "baby" monitors. Our ten year old granddaughter recently had back surgery requiring her to stay in bed upstairs for several days. The batteries always died overnight, so she had to wake up and send her little sister downstairs to get her mother or dad. Plugging them in renders them useless, so again we resorted to high quality alkalines.

Read Best Reviews of Cobra MicroTalk CXT225 20-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio Here

I have been using this product for a while, and it is working fine, except for the range is no where near the 20 miles. I would say it works within 1 mile, and that's about it. Otherwise, it is a good product with no other problems.

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I received these only yesterday, and tried them out right away. I'm impressed by their look and feel. They're very compact, the buttons are all rubber, and the screen is clear and easy to read, especially when its' display light is on. This radio is very easy to figure out. The mode/power and channel buttons are used to change almost all of the settings. When broadcasting, a volume setting of about 6 (out of 8 max) is loud enough to hear my broadcasts from other radios very well. The wx band has MUCH higher volume than communication bands. Do yourself a favor, and before switching to the weather band, TURN THE VOLUME DOWN. I almost broke my eardrums by leaving the volume on 8 while switching to wx.

After 10 seconds of no communication, these go into battery saver mode. The manual says they go 8 hrs on a full charge. I read 10 hours on a review posted by an owner. The only thing I don't like about these radios, is the fact that there is no battery life indicator. The only thing it has is a low battery level indicator. So until the included rechargeable AAA batteries hit that low power, you have no idea where they're at. The batteries take 15hrs to fully recharge.

I tested the range of these only slightly. I communicated to someone in my house while i walked approximately .4 of a mile on a winding road down a very steep hill , with tall trees, terrain, and apartment buildings as obstacles. In other words, in no way was it line of sight. My voice was clear for the person all the way on both frs and gmrs channels.

Finally, the length, including the antenna, is about 5.75 inches. The body alone is about 3.90 inches, and the width at its' widest point is 2.50 inches. I would definitely recommend these radios, as they are inexpensive, and surpass my expectations. I plan on using these for shopping trips with family, and while caravanning.

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Edit after 1 week of use: I've upped my rating from 2 stars to 3. Read on for details...

As others have mentioned, these radios, like all other FRS radios, won't communicate further than 2-3 miles in hilly terrain when used in FRS mode (note that these radios do have a more powerful "GMRS" mode that will probably allow communication over greater distances, but which requires an FCC license to use!)

The rechargeable batteries (300 mAh each) included with these radios are pitifully weak they do not last a full day when the radio is used continuously. I have ordered a set of Eneloop Batteries (800 mAh each almost 3 TIMES the capacity of the originals!) to replace them, but suspect the radio's charger probably won't work with the eneloops, due to a sensor contact in the battery compartment to sense only the ORIGINAL batteries. I will update this review once I find out for sure.

Setting these radios up to work with other FRS radios is not as complex as I had originally thought, PROVIDED YOU READ THE MANUAL IN DETAIL! The trick is understanding that there are TWO DIFFERENT TYPES of privacy codes (CTCSS codes and DCS codes)! Setting up channel 11 to use digital code 27 is not enough; you have to be sure the 27 you've selected is the same privacy code TYPE used on your other radios!

The squelch on these units should be adjustable. Granted there's a way to manually disable the squelch, but it's clunky and a squelch adjustment would be much better.

I don't like the fact that the charger plugs into the headphone jack! So you cannot use/listen to these radios while they are charging!

----------

I have two pretty significant gripes with these radios for use on the FRS band that you'll definitely want to consider before you make your purchase. Note that I did NOT use the radios on the more powerful GMRS band.

I bought these radios to use while skiing with my parents and brothers families. We like to be able to ski separate trails, then hook up back at the bottom, and FRS radios are GREAT for this. Both brothers and my Dad already had various other FRS radios, so I bought these assuming they'd be easy to set up to the same channel and code as everyone else's. Bad assumption. The instructions are not super-clear, and there's a single "Mode" button that forces you to cycle through every setting just to make a change to the setting you're interested in. Add to that the fact that the instructions are very brief, and there's nothing explaining how to match these radios to other FRS radios and you can plan for this to take at least an hour and probably more time than that (if you're ever able to get them to talk to the other brand radios)!

After much frustration I finally managed to get them working with everyone else's. I then plugged the radios in and charged them overnight (about 12 hours). In the morning when I left to ski, my radio indicated a full charge. By 3 PM the radio was nearly dead. But not quite dead... I could still receive, but could not transmit; instead of transmitting, the radio double-beeped at me whenever I pressed the transmit key. As a result, I was unable to hook back up with my ride at the end of the day, and had to resort to paying $11 at the base lodge ski shop for 4 AAA Duracels with which I was able to connect back up and get a ride home.

One other annoyance is that when the radios are in "Locked" mode (which prevent accidentally changing the settings) you can't tune to the weather band you have to "unlock" the radio to listen to the weather.

I'm charging these radios again tonight, this time with them turned off (I think they were on while charging last night)... so we'll see if they last any longer... but until I find out for sure, I'm carrying my $11 spare Duracell AAA batteries with me...

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Littelfuse ATD200BP ATD Anti-Theft Battery Master Switch

Littelfuse ATD200BP ATD Anti-Theft Battery Master SwitchIt was not easy to find the space for it in my Mazda RX8, but after a few tries it did fit under the plastic battery box. It is a good solution for saving the battery while its in storage without needing any tools to disconnect the battery. Especially good when you are parked in the long term parking in the airport. Don't have to worry about a dead car battery after a long trip out of town.

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Monday, April 21, 2014

Odyssey 65-PC1750T Automotive and LTV Battery

Odyssey 65-PC1750T Automotive and LTV Batterythe best of the best Better Then a Optama Battery With A 10 Year Services Waranty This The Best BATTERY ON THE MARKET TODAY You Can Disconect Your Battery For Two Years With Charge And It Will Start+ More Cranking POWER A DeepCell And A Regular Battery In One You Got The Best of Two WORLDS

I am running two 1750's in my Chevy silverado. These are by far the best battery I have run yet. I am running over 4000w rms on my stereo for competition and these batteries keep up no problem and they have help up great for over a year in the crazy Arizona heat. Don't waste your money on optima anymore.... These are the new top batteries

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Odyssey batteries are the best battery out there. I have one in my truck, my Jeep, my car, my trailer & my ATV. They have never failed me & since they are sealed, I never have to worry about the dreaded battery acid mess.

Only batteries I buy.

Read Best Reviews of Odyssey 65-PC1750T Automotive and LTV Battery Here

Haven't installed the battery yet but other reviews are good. Boat house batteries are stressed big time and only last 3 years max. I'm hoping this type battery will help. Really wanted a group 27 style but 65 will fit. Only drawback is the up front cost, hope it's worth it.

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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Painless Wiring 30204 Remote Master Disc. Kit

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

Monday, December 9, 2013

BlackVue Wi-Fi New DR500GW-HD, Car Black Box/Car DVR Recorder, Built-in Wi-Fi, Full HD (1080p@30fps

BlackVue Wi-Fi New DR500GW-HD, Car Black Box/Car DVR Recorder, Built-in Wi-Fi, Full HD, G Sensor, GPS Tracking, 16GB SD Card Included
  • New Wi-Fi Feature, Full HD Video: High Definition & High Frame Rate, Extended recording time with a high compression rate
  • 2 megapixel CMOS sensor, Diagonal 120, horizontal 98, Built-in microphone, High-Capacity Meory Card Support (up to 32GB)
  • Various Recording Modes, Motion Dection in Parking Mode Recording, 360 rotation cylinder in sleek design, Full HD label
  • Universal File Format: MP4, Video Playback on various devices, BlackVue App and Software(for PC), MyWay Viewer
  • Built-in GPS and G-sensor, Internal Emergency battery, Voice Guide, 3-color LEDs, Video out, Resolved Heat Issue

youtube.com/watch?v=oITJ2xGBuT8 YouTube compresses video quality is actually much better than shown on YouTube.

I am new to dash cams but not to mobile technology.

Its pretty cool it has WiFi, GPS, 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, shock sensors and ambient light sensor. It records to a MicroSD card or you can download directly via WiFi to your iDevice or Android.

I bought this 500GW-HD about a week ago and I have been fiddling with it via Telnet/SSH/FTP, iPhone 5 & iPad 4 iOS app, Android app (rooted Kindle 2 running Jelly Bean 4.2) and the MicroSD card directly. I am primarily a Mac and Linux user on the desktop, although I loaded Windows 7 on my Macbook Air & iMac to look at the Blackvue Viewer Windows application (which is much better than the Mac version, BTW. More on this later)

My first impressions of the Blackvue DR500GW-HD are, by and large, positive. The 500GW-HD gets warm, but never hot. The camera mount is solid and very adjustable, the angle of view is excellent and the video quality is much better than I expected, even at night. Audio is crystal clear and in-sync. I expect that Firmware updates will fix/mitigate some of the more glaring defects discussed below.

It has some kinks, which is to be expected as this technology is still maturing. In particular, the firmware is not actually updated with any changes you make on the SD card (config.ini), the camera just reads the config.ini and uses that. But not always. Sometimes, after a power down/power up, the SSID and pwd will be forgotten or some of your other settings (timezone etc.) will be ignored. This may be a Blackvue Mac vs. PC application problem rather than a Blackvue firmware bug, although this did happen twice using the Windows app only.

My Firmware is in English and the latest version as of this writing version 1.003; I bought the 500GW-HD along with a Sandisk 32Gb Class 10 MicroSD card from Amazon. I also bought the Power Magic Pro (from eBay) and hardwired the Blackvue. The PMP is set to 12v & 48 hours and has been rock solid so far. A little background for anyone new to hacking the Blackvue 500GW-HD you can Telnet, SSH and FTP to the device via WiFi. The IP address is 192.168.8.1, login as "root", default password is "pt". FTP is ftp://192.168.8.1/Blackvue/Record/ to access all of your videos.

My config.ini is set to Normal, 1080p, Brightness 1, all flashing LEDs off, default LED colours, default sensors, voice on for everything except Events, custom SSID & pwd, custom root pwd, 1 minute record intervals, MPH and TimeZone to 174. I am in Houston, Texas, if that helps with the timezone thing. I tried setting the Blackvue to 802.11n by adding the line "ap_11n=1" to the [WiFi] section of the config.ini, but it didn't work. Fastest connection so far is 802.11g

Let me briefly discuss the Blackvue desktop Viewer applications for Windows and Mac. The Windows apps I am sure most of you are familiar with (and has been discussed many times elsewhere) so I won't spend any time on it other than to state that if you want to make changes that will persist over reboots, use the Windows application. Contrary to what others have stated, the Mac Viewer app does indeed have configuration settings, and they do write out to the config.ini but I would suggest you do not do this. Use the Windows Viewer app or manually modify the config.ini.

The Mac Viewer app looks identical to its Windows counterpart except for the configurations settings and video quality. Yes, you read that correctly; the Windows video quality display is better, on the same hardware. Go figure. I tested this on both a late model 27" iMac and late model Macbook Air, both running Mountain Lion on the Mac side and Windows 7 on the PC side (via BootCamp). Same files, same SD card, the Windows video looks way better.

Below are some screenshots of the Mac Viewer app. You will notice the similarities to the (superior) Windows app all the same functionality (Events, Parking Mode, Normal Mode, date/time, GPS mapping etc.), until you get to the configurations screens. There you encounter extremely limited TimeZone selection and if you save these settings, all bets are off as to what the Blackvue will actually do when it boots up using these settings (not what you expect, that's for sure). My advice; do not use the Mac app to make any configuration changes.

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue4.jpg

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue1.jpg

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue2.jpg

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue3.jpg

Let's move on to the iOS and Android apps, both also pretty rough. Both looked like they were written by a 8 year old, with an extremely poor and confusing interface, insane choices of font colours and sizes (very light, bright green on a white background!) along with confusing options. To get to the Live View, you have to swipe the top menu to the right (seriously?) and you cannot delete any videos on the SD card only copy them to your iOS or Android device. Copying a 1 minute video (about 55Mb) takes a while at 802.11g speeds so get comfy. You can configure the Blackvue via iOS/Android, which simply modifies the config.ini file and then you have to reboot the Blackvue for it to read the new config.ini. But given what I have said above (especially the font colours!), don't bother. There is no dedicated iPad app that will take advantage of the big 10 inch screen, just a iPhone app that you can double the size. It is actually better to do this than use the app on a iPhone as you can see the screen much better. The Android app is phone sized and looks fairly bad on the Kindle 2 but it is usable.

Parking Mode takes a while to both engage and disengage, but that can be tweaked via the motion sensors configuration. Event Mode, likewise can be tweaked.

Reading this review, it may appear as if I have been overtly negative towards the 500GW-HD, but that is not the case. As I started out saying, my impressions are largely positive. The Blackvue does what it was designed to do record video unobtrusively 24/7, and it does that very, very well.

The camera is remarkably configurable and very capable, far beyond my expectations. Video quality is par excellence for a 2mp CMOS.

I recommend the Blackvue 500GW-HD.

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UPDATED 4/12/2013

Upgraded to latest firmware 1.0.5, but didn't notice any new features or improvements. Also switched to using 32GB card and now on a few occasions it wouldn't record. I have to unplug the camera power to start recording again. WiFi feature maybe selling point, but I haven't used it in 2 month. The video feed is choppy and with delay when using live view feature. I covered silver accents with black tape, looks tacky, but at least it doesn't stand out as much now.

Virus issues: There were reports that there is a virus on the sd card from this seller. I have not had this issue because I purchased this from another source, but prior to upgrade my blackvue to 1.0.3 I've actually formatted the card, so I don't know if I had the virus or not.

I've been using different DVRs over the years, mostly Chinese made, this is first Korean DVR and this is the first one that actually I really like and it addressed most of my previous concerns:

THE GOOD

Compact, simple, non distracting design and solid quality feel

No built-in display, it's substituted with WiFi connection to your smartphone which becomes DVR display. Love this feature! Keep in mind there is about 1-2 second delay in the live image. You can also stream live video to a browser without using any apps, simply by entering the following url in the browser (without spaces) h t t p:// 192 .168 .8 .1 / blackvue_live.cgi.

Excellent daylight quality

Low profile mount, but see cons

Parking mode motion sensor, haven't tried yet

Bunch of venting holes for hot climates, I haven't tried it in the hot weather, but it doesn't seem like it would have any issues as previous model

Voice notifications, fun to have at first, but I would rather turn them off

Extra wide angle, you will most likely see the A pillars in your car. If you turn it facing inside the car you will see the sides of the front windows which may be handy, but the image doesn't flip over.

Very easy to view your recordings on a smartphone. (I only tried Android app)

Included wire management clips, nice addon

IR sensor to turn on/off microphone. Interesting feature, but I don't see any practical use to turn off microphone.

THE NOT SO PRETTY

Night quality still has plenty of room for improvement, but overall it's definetely better then most cheap DVRs I've tried

Some minor user interface glitches in the Android app, hopefully will be resolved in the future updates

A bit pricey when there are plenty of HD cameras that cost less

Silver accents are noticeable. Blackboxes should be All-Black-Boxes, but nothing that black tape or marker can't fix.

Design does not allow you to move the camera horizontally

No built in battery, there is however some sort of capacitor that serves purpose of allowing the cam to save the file correctly when there is no power.

Standard bitrate is a bit low at 7000, but with some modding (search forums) you can increase it up to 15000

I've been having mixed feelings with the mount. On one had I understand the stick on clip design, but I prefer non permanent solutions, like suction cups. Also removal of the DVR is a bit cumbersome. You have to first unplug power then click the button to unlock and only then you can remove it from the mount.

It does get warm a bit to the touch, but venting holes help to cool it down fast after powering down.

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I received my purchase which was sent via UPS, 2 day business shipping. The package arrived on time, in great shape and everything inside the same. I had fun installing the camera in my 2012 Tahoe. I mounted it on the windshield, directly in front of my rear-view mirror and ran the cable above the headliner, along the passenger side, down and inside the windshield side support covering, under the dash and to the lighter adapter ( I plan on wiring it directly to the fuse box in the near future).

Before ordering, I had several email conversations with the selling company and they were professional and replied within just a short period of time. They stated that their testing showed the DR500 to run cooler than the DR400 and earlier models (more on that later). They also claimed to be an authorized seller for Pittasoft. I decided to give it a try and placed the order. After I received and set it up, I had a question regarding a setting, so I emailed the manufacturer Pittasoft. Before they would deal with me, they asked for my serial number to verify the product was sold by an authorized dealer. I emailed them the serial number which they indicated was an authorized unit and my questions were answered, however, due to and "only due to" the difference in time between USA and Korea, several back and forth replies took a couple of days.

I have had this in my vehicle for over 2 weeks and the unit runs perfectly. The unit records clear pictures, unfortunately, when I zoom in on a plate of a passing vehicle using the Windows software, most often the plate is unreadable due to the picture's pixels being scattered, and the unit is set at the highest setting, Full HD (1920x1080) @30fps, with no compression; thankfully this is not a deal breaker for me as the rest of the video and sound is exceptional. I did buy a larger 32GB mini SD card which works flawlessly.

The unit has been running 24x7 and goes into the parking mode about 10 minutes after I park in my parking spot. The parking mode records things at by movement, usually locking in on the event 5 seconds before it sees it and then for one minute in length. I'm using the factory settings which seem sufficient for me. One night I had a 1 minute recording at about 2 am. I played the video only to see a small moth walking on the windshield in the vision path of the camera. I liked that, knowing that any passing movement in the middle of the night is recorded.

I want my unit to be as stealth as possible, so in the event that someone were to break in to the vehicle, the recorder would not draw attention, I have all the LED lights settings marked "off" when the unit is operational which still leaves the WI-FI indicator on. I placed a piece of black tape over that LED and now it is totally dark. In addition, I have the voice settings off so an intruder would not be alerted by voice either.

I am currently in Florida and the weather is now in the 80's. With the sun hitting the unit, it does get hot, but then so does everything the sun hits. I have not seen any issues on any of the video, still clear, smooth and good audio. Even out of the sun, the camera is warm to the touch, not hot, and the card, if I pull it out and immediately put it between my lips, it also is warm but does not feel dangerously hot. I'll do an update on the units heat once summer is over or if I have problems sooner, but as of now, I'm very satisfied and don't see a heat issue.

So for now, the following on my likes/dislikes.

Pros:

*Cylinder shape -The unit is horizontal to the window making for a smaller look, so it's not as obviously a recorder is in the vehicle.

*Wi-fi, via an Android App(no screen-again keeping a small inconspicuous footprint) allowing to easily adjust height view, play back and verify everything is working properly. I can view it using my phone or my larger Android tablet, which really is nice. The application also has a settings page where all the camera settings can be adjusted (settings can also can be adjusted using the PC software; I don't have a Mac so I can't say one way or another for that). I have an old unused Droid I have set up with the Android App that is set using only the Wi-fi allowing me to keep it logged into the camera as long as I like.

*Available Settings; normal, event and parking.

-Normal, allows for normal live recording while the vehicle is in motion.

-Event, when an event occurs, such as a sharp corner, fast breaking/acceleration, hard bump, an accident or damage to vehicle, the recorder will ensure that in the case of power loss, the one minute event is saved before the camera can shut down preventing the loss of the data.

-Parked, the camera goes into what I visualize, a none record mode even though the camera sees everything going on in front of it and if and when any movement occurs, it begins recording 5 seconds before the movement and for at least 1 minute or until the movement stops.

*On all the time, so no lag for start up. When I get in the car, the camera has already recorded me approaching from the front and when I start the vehicle, the camera continues on recording.

*Internal clock, minutes are accurate but nonadjustable (this give credibility to the time of the recording), one only needs to adjust the time zone and the clock is right on.

*Long power cord, which should enough for most installations. In addition, unit comes with two 3M window stick-ons (more can be purchased) and 5 or 6 cord hooks that stick to the window or car molding to help direct the power cord.

*GPS system works well and is as accurate as any other GPS system I've used.

*No lag or missed time between video clips

Cons:

*The factory SD card had a Trojan Horse. My antivirus program (Norton) immediately found, quarantined and removed the "autorun.inf" file on the SD card due to it reporting the file infected with W32.Downadup/W32/Conficker. However, if one reads several forum posts about this, it seems this was common on these disks. I formatted the card with the format function built into the camera, all the operational files were automatically reinstalled but W32.Downadup was not. This must have been introduced only to the card when it was made, it is not in the camera software.

*The cost, however, now that it is installed and operational, I feel the cost was reasonable.

*The instruction booklet was translated to English, but it could have been done better, some sentences don't make sense.

*Even though the instruction booklet is in English and touched on most of the options, it did not go into depth about the sensitivity settings, so in the event I need to change them, it will be a bit of trail and error. There is also a "Brightness" setting. I've played with it a little, but I'm not able to see a difference and again, the instructions failed to explain this.

*Most functions of the Android app and Windows software is in English, however, there are a few spots where the English is poor or still in, I believe, Korean.

*The 140 degree view of the camera is nice, however in certain circumstances, mostly with rain or water, the playback view can look like a fish eye. If there were an option of an 120 degree lens, I believe I would opt for that.

Bottom line, I think this is a great unit and I'm glad I opted to buy it. I plan on putting a second camera in my truck, to the rear, however I don't think I will buy another DR500 for this since that unit won't need all the options.

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WARNING: The SD card that came with my Blackvue was infected with Conflicker.B Trojan. Before you plug ANY strange software into your PC make certain autoplay is turned OFF, and scan the new device with a good anti-virus scanner. In my case, Windows Security Essentials (Free) detected the trojan and removed it. After that all seems well.

As for the dashcam itself, it arrived in very nice packaging, everything in English and very professional looking. Setup in the car went flawlessly with plenty of length on the supplied power cord for hiding it under the roof and door trim around to my center console cigarette lighter. Although, since the input pin on the cam is labelled for 12V input, I wish there was an option to buy a cable that fit the power socket on the cam and then could be direct wired into the car's 12V electric system. Even the available BlackBox Pro battery protector has the dashcam going through a lighter plug.

Getting the Cam to connect via WiFi to the android app seems a bit finicky, though I'm starting to suspect that it may just be that I'm too impatient. If I try to connect as soon as the voice notification that normal recording has started is over, I can't get a wifi connection without trying multiple times. If I keep trying, after a few minutes it connects and everything is fine. If I wait 5-10 minutes after turning the camera on, then it connects much quicker.

The video quality is great. The unit does get warm to the touch during operation, but with the vent holes, cools rapidly once powered down. I've been using it for only 2 days now, and we're still in winter, if you can call it that in Texas. I'm very interested to see how it continues to perform through it's first Texas summer in a few months.

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I have both the DR400-HD and the DR500GW-HD

I purchased the DR500GW-HD for it's live view and wifi function. These features are nice but not what I had expected. It's almost a gimmick.

I had imagined the LiveView function to be just that, live view. Unfortunately the live view gives you a video which is delayed, of lower quality and not smooth. It's pretty much only good for adjusting the camera. On both cameras, the "Blackvue" logo can be used to adjust the camera. Align the Blackvue logo horizontally and the camera angle is pretty much set correctly.

Don't expect the wifi connection to be like your home router. If you think you can sit at a cafe and use Live View from across the street you'll be diasppointed. It's only good for a very short distance, less than the stated 10m. Additionally, even with the supplied class 10 microSD card, viewing recorded video through wifi is not a very smooth experience due to a lot of buffering (on multiple iOS and Android devices). On top of that, I occasionally get a "weak signal" error on my android devices when connected so I have to get out of the mobile app and reconnect.

It is 44% bigger (by volume) than the older Blackvue. Not sure why they had to make it so much bigger for the WIFI function but it is noticeably bigger. The camera recording angle is much wider (156 diag/123 hor/90 vert degrees vs 120 diag/98 hor /55 Vert degrees). Although the recording angle much better, it tends to loose some details of license plates.

The biggest problem is the video generated by the DR500GW. It is worse in quality compared to the DR400! In areas with a lot of trees and dark objects, the video quality is horrible with big blocks of pixelation. When viewing the video using the Blackvue windows application (approximately reduced to 30%) the video looks ok but you can still see pixelation. The same video zoomed out to 100% is pretty bad. In other situations the video is comparable to the DR400, just slightly less in quality. The video from the DR400 is also much better at night. The video from the DR500GW at night has too much constrast and looks greenish. The only setting you can change is brightness and mine is set to the lowest level)

Bottom line? Is DR500GW-HD a worthy upgrade? NO! While it has wider recording angle and better cooling, the DR500GW-HD produces lower quality video. Additionally, the Live View and WIFI function doesn't work as expected/implied.

If the bitrate can be increased to improve the video quality (perhaps a low, medium, high instead of just compressed and normal) and the WIFI streaming (both video replay and Live View) works smoothly with longer range, then Pittasoft has a innovative winning product. At the current iteration, it's a down grade from the previous generation.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for ATT Samsung Flight 1 A797 - Samsung

Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for ATT Samsung Flight 1 A797 - Samsung Focus SGH-i916 - Samsung Infuse 4G - Sprint Motorola Photon 4G - ATT Samsung Galaxy S 2 - Samsung Epic 4G Touch D710 - Verizon Motorola DROID BIONIC XT875 - Pantech Breakout - ATT HTC Vivid - Samsung Focus S i937 - Boost Mobile ZTE Warp - Verizon Motorola Droid Razr - Cell Phone - Premium Combo Pack - BestCellBuy Brandthe material was very cheap plastic and after just three months the head connector fell off!Piece of garbage waste of money stay away!

The chargers both work well and seem to be of good quality. The shipment came quickly.

I am pleased with this purchase.

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The item was delivered timely and came as advertised. Added bonus of being able to plug other USBs (cell phone, etc.) into the cord. Good deal.

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Friday, November 15, 2013

Swan Type Battery Cut-Off Switch - Ultimate Theft Deterent!

Swan Type Battery Cut-Off Switch - Ultimate Theft Deterent!Want to save wear and tear and possible shorting of your battery cables when servicing your car? Then install one of these. Most mechanics now disconnect the battery to perform any maintenance on most cars these days to avoid shocks. the constant disconnecting and tugging / bending of the cables can lead to failure and shorts.

This device avoids all that. Long used by owners of collector cars and the like, the disconnect takes seconds to install and cutting battery power is as simple as turning the little wheel. Some switches have a small "lifeline" cable that allows only a trickle of power to keep your engine's computer alive while the main power is shut off.

A handy and inexpensive product.

this product works very well. i have a jeep that the battery was always running down installed this device and no more dead battery..very pleased

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Bought three of these and they work as advertized. The male terminal is not standard size and is quite a bit undersized. I wanted to attach neg battery cable to it but had to squeeze it down too much. The material appears to be a cast metal and the first one broke trying to attach cable. Be careful how you hold it for this operation. Was more careful with the second one and it is attached on my boat and appears to work fine. Perhaps a little fragile for heavy usage.

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JE32H4/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title I bought 4 of these for our cars when we leave town and I don't want the batteries to die. Also a good theft prevention gadget.

The problem is the stem on the device sticks out too far and is impossible to connect to your existing cable. Room in the battery box is usually limited so it needs to be revised accordingly.

Oh, well they weren't very expensive ...

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just what i needed, works great, used it on my old ford tractor to shut the battery off when not in use

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

APPLE IPHONE 3G / iPhone 3Gs 16GB / 32GB, iPod Nano 4th Gen, iPod Touch 2nd Gen usb cable + car cha

APPLE IPHONE 3G / iPhone 3Gs 16GB / 32GB, iPod Nano 4th Gen, iPod Touch 2nd Gen usb cable + car charger + travel charger
  • Llight weight and handy for travel or using at work, IC chip inside recognizes a fully charged battery and automatically switches to a saver mode
  • Compact design and retractable coil cord are made for easy storage
  • Type: generic/aftermarket. Black high-impact plastic. LED power indicator. Fits into any 12V accessory outlet or car lighter jack
  • New generic USB Hotsync + Charging [2-IN-1] Cable Update your iPod at high speed with the latest music and data
  • Compatible With Apple: iPhone 3G / iPhone 3Gs, iPod Nano 4th Gen, iPod Touch 2nd Gen, iPod Nano 5th Gen

I bought this mainly for the car charger. I was worried about a generic charger working with the new iPhone 3GS, as it seems a lot of these aftermarket car chargers that are designed for older models aren't compatible due to the Firewire/USB pin issue, but for the price I couldn't pass up giving it a try. I received my chargers this morning what was received was a bit different than pictured (plugs a little different in appearance) but all three seem to charge the phone just fine. I haven't used the car charger long enough to tell if the charge rate can keep up with the heavy battery usage of the GPS-dependent apps, but I'll be sure to update this review if I find that it doesn't.

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I cannot believe Frys and Best Buy charge so much for iphone chargers. Here's a complete set so you can leave one plugged to the wall, one in your car and one plugged to the computer without having to move around the usb cable -all three for under 7 dollars! And they're black so they match the iphone. Plus the end which you stick on the iphone is easier to grasp than one that came with the phone.

My delivery from Eforcity arrived within a week of placing my order in great condition.

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Received this rather quickly. Nice price for what you get. The car charger did not work with the iPhone 3GS. The power indicator lit up, but would not not charge the phone.

Everything else works great. The usb cable is a retractable type, which is nice because there isn't a long wire laying around on the desk getting in the way.

I would recommend this if you are looking for a wall charger and usb charger to sync with. Maybe the car charger I received was just defective, as other reviewers haven't had a problem with theirs.

These chargers DO work with the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4S running iOS 5

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All three components work well with my iPhone 3gs, and I highly recommend this package as a spare set. For under $10 with shipping, this is a great deal!

Didn't last long, broke quickly. The plastic body was cheap around the attachment. I would not buy one of these again.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Goal Zero 12401 Nomad 13.5M Solar Panel

Goal Zero 12401 Nomad 13.5M Solar PanelSome time ago i felt the urgent need to own one of these foldable solar panels. This panel was meant to be one of my "zombie apocalypse is coming 2012"-gadgets for my "BOB" or "Get Home"-Bag. Better be prepared! To be honest: Neither am i a serious backpacker, nor a real survivalist, but i do collect knives and survival gear to just own it in case of an emergency, "catastrophes" or "terrorist attacks". Funny, huh?

For the review part: For whatever i want to purchase i do A LOT of investigation in advance (Youtube videos, (amazon) reviews, forums, blogs) and always want to spend my money on the ONE best option available. This only works in theory (at least for me...), in practice i nearly always end up in ordering two or more items, because i simply can't decide between them.

The solar panel was supposed to power a Galaxy Tab 7 (battery = 3,7v * 4000mah= 14,8wh), a HTC Desire HD (3,7v * 1230mah = 4,5wh), some portable USB Speakers ( unfolded!

I took my two panels, my USB stuff and a multimeter outside on a semicloudy day (which is pretty much "standard weather" where i live).

Both panels were lying flat on the ground, with no shadows and partly cloudy sky. Both panels delivered about 18V (sunlinq 17 and goal zero higher with 18-19V) with no load. When switching the multimeter to Amp measurement was when my jaw dropped. GZ: 0.04A and Sunlinq: 0,5A (* 12V). Tilting the GZ panel towards the (non visible) sun though increased output to 0,138A. Tilting the sunlinq towards the sun is tough, because its similar to truck canvas and folds together too easy. Did not improve output by much anyhow...

To make it short: Both panels fell short in delivering the necessary power for my needs and my weather conditions. The Sunlinq did perform better on this partly cloudy day, but still i needed the whole day to charge the Anker2! It might work for me, but most likely i will upgrade to a 20+ watt panel with CIGS cells.

What i liked about the nomad:

The formfactor when unfolded (folded it's quite a brick)

The looks (designed in the US)

Quality seemed alright (made in China)

What i disliked:

too bulky when folded (in comparison to the sunload panel)

danger of breaking (Manual says NOT to bend and NOT to walk on the panel because of the non flexible solarcells The sunlinq feels softer, more like a tarpaulin). That's propably why they throw in an empty pack in the commercial video.

I do not want to carry a multimeter all day, only to find the correct angle for this panel to perfom. That might be the reason why mono cells are installed on roofs with special calculated angles. This is where they perform best.

weight in comparison to the sunlinq / in relation to it's performance

4.7mm special connector (SAE on the Sunlinq is motorcycle standard)

Output of the USB out not clearly declared (GZ-Website says 5V and 0,5A, printing on panel says 5Watt bad transformation? or bad translation?). Did not even get the 0,5 out though, when it was cloudy.

The Sunlinq panel is technically identical to the Brunton, Motomaster, Me2 and Sunload panels , as there is only one company which builds/"prints" these CIGS cells ("global solar" in Tucson and Berlin). Differences are only connectorwise.

In a perfect world Goal Zero would use CIGS cells for their future products

Hope this helps (pretty time consuming as i am native german and have to think twice before i write sth. in english, but i benefit a lot from american reviews and thought i'd share a "kind of" objective review).

Update 6/16/12: Got myself 2 higher rated panels for comparison: The P3 with 30wp and the sunlinq 25wp ("sunlinq 5").

First impression:

The P3 is about 2-3 times thicker than the other sunlinqs (12wp and 25wp). Apart from that, there is no big difference (in performance) at all. The only difference technically is a much higher open circuit voltage for the p3 (28V!!!), which does require a (MPPT?) charge controller as an extra investment. So all in all it depends on whether you are willing to pay nearly double the price for a ridiculous amount of extra performance, a 2yr warranty and a military tag, or not.

If you are wondering whether or not to get this, go ahead and try it. This solar panel is one tough little cookie. I have this solar panel as part of the Goal Zero Sherpa 50 adventure kit. The panel folds up nicely and is easy to carry. I took it to Afghanistan with me this year, and it still works good. Sure, it has a few scratches on the panels here and there, but it hasn't affected its performance to date. This panel has fallen over due to wind onto my concrete porch floor and did not break. It even fell from my truck (4 feet) onto the driveway and survived!!

I can charge my Sherpa 50 watt battery in about 1 and 1/2 days with it.

GO ahead and buy it!!

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This is my third Goal Zero purchase and I was pleased and surprised to find that the output measure 20.1 watts when measured (without load) in direct September sunlight in southwest Missouri. I purchased this unit as a more powerful addition to the Nomad 7 which I use when backpacking to charge my cell phone and GPS. This unit has twice the panels of the Nomad 7, is still light weight and folds compactly for storage in my backpack. Like the Nomad 7, the Nomad 13.5M has grommets to attach it to the backpack to allow charging while on the move.

I did not see the connection to directly attach the Guide 10 or Guide 10 Plus battery packs that are the mainstay of the Nomad 7; but in addition to the standard USB port for general electronic device charging it does come with the plug to directly charge the Escape 150, a standard 12 V. auto plug connector, and a connection to chain connect other Goal Zero panels. I plan to contact Goal Zero to see what options are available to connect the Guide 10 battery packs to the Nomad 13.5M or to see if I've simply overlooked the obvious connection.

I haven't taken this panel into the woods yet but I have placed it on the dash and used it to charge my android via the USB and the 12 V car charger connection as I drive home from work. Everything I've looked at so far on this unit suggest that it charges at least twice as fast as the Nomad 7 which was my first Goal Zero purchase. I'm very pleased with all the Goal Zero products I've purchased to date.

I also have to say a good word about the customer support I received when my Escape 150 didn't perform to expectations after the first couple weeks of use. I sent an email to the support line and received a prompt response with some special instructions to reset the battery. The instructions worked great for the next charge but the problem came back a week later. A second email to the company letting them know that the problem had returned was all it took and they sent a replacement battery. No hassle, no arguments, and no waiting for the bad battery to be returned or shipping charges. Even though I was initially uneasy and concerned that I experienced a problem with the Escape 150 immediately after purchase the excellent customer support convinced me that this was a company that stands behind their products and that I could trust. As a result of this customer service I now own the Nomad 13.5 and the Goal Zero Boulder 15 solar panel in addition to my previous purchases.

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I purchased this solar panel because of the size and power output. I was happy when I received it and then upset when it didn't have all the outputs listed. NO SOLAR OUTPUT 6.5

Product was listed as having this output (compatible with goal zero guide 10 plus battery chargers I also purchased) The product technical specs listed are for the Nomad 13, not the Nomad 13.5 (an older model). I contacted Goal Zero (who sells this) and Amazon (who lists this incorrect information) and informed them of the mistake. I had to send mine back and order the Nomad 13. Still waiting on a refund for the Nomad 13.5 I thought they would change the listing for this after I informed them of the mistake, but I see they haven't. Be aware at the time of this review the technical specs are still listed incorrectly. The only outputs on this is 12v and USB .5amp.

The Nomad 13 has:

USB 1 AMP

SOLAR OUTPUT

CHAIN CABLE

12V

The Nomad 13.5 has:

USB .5 AMP

CHAIN CABLE/12V

CHAIN INPUT

When I say chain I mean a cable to connect more than 1 panel together for shared power.

A final thought, I wish the 13.5 had worked, the 13 is only 2 panels and a little larger, the 13.5 is smaller.

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I bought two of these panels as part of a backpacking / camping solar setup to charge my phone, iPod, GPS, laptop, etc. I also integrated these into an emergency power kit to charge a 12v Deep Cycle Marine battery to power my HAM radio.

So far, the panels have performed flawlessly; providing all the power I need to keep my mobile electronics and radio running completely free of the grid.

The panels are very compact and fold up neatly. They can be chained together and Goal-Zero makes a ton of different connectors and adaptors to ensure that you can recharge or power nearly anything you need.

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Monday, August 19, 2013

eForCity LCD Stereo Car FM Transmitter for MP3 Player iPod touch

eForCity LCD Stereo Car FM Transmitter for MP3 Player iPod touch
  • Compatible with Apple: iPad 16GB / 32GB / 64GB iPad 2 16GB / 32GB / 64GB iPhone 1st Gen. 4GB / 8GB / 16GB iPhone 3G 8GB / 16GB iPhone 3GS 16GB / 32GB iPhone 4 - AT&T 16GB / 32GB iPhone 4 - Verizon 16GB / 32GB iPhone 4S
  • Broadcast music from your iPod, PDA, MP3 or CD player, and even portable DVD player with this all channel universal FM transmitter. Transmits stereo quality sound from your portable music player to your car/home FM radio.
  • Plug FM Transmitters into any 3.5 mm output socket and then its done. Powered by vehicle cigarette lighter adapter or 2 x AAA battery. Frequency range: 88.1 - 107.9 MHz For best sound performance, please set your MP3 players volume level to Medium.
  • Then use your car stereos volume control to adjust the output level. Operating Range: up to 16.4 feet / 5 meters. Optimal distance - 10 feet / 3 meters. Easy to read LCD frequency display.
  • Fits standard USB connections. Color: Black. Accessory only MP3 player / cell phone/ battery not included.

My old FM transmitter that was about 8 years old took a dump on me, so I had to get a new one. The result is that I ended up getting this one.

First thing is, I was completely miffed by the fact that all of the FM transmitters on the market advertise extensively how they work with iPhones and iPods. Well, it would be a cold day in August before I would ever buy an Apple product, so I spent quite a bit of time searching and making sure that this one would work with my Droid 2 Global. And it works extremely well at that.

The second thing is, I paid about $60 for my old FM transmitter back in 2004, and the sound quality was a little bit sketchy. That's not the case with this one. In fact, I can now crank the stereo and enjoy crystal clear audio. I honestly didn't know that the stereo in my car was as good as it is. I also like the fact that I can use the entire FM band.

The one recommendation I have for users is to make sure that your mp3 device is on about 80% volume. It will produce some distortion (sounds like static) if on 100%.

The negatives are minimal. First of all, the device didn't come with an instruction book. So I have no idea if there are any bells and whistles I might be missing. Plus, there is no control to adjust the output of the device itself. Other than that, though, I'm happy with my purchase.

EDIT: I feel bad about this review because so many people have marked that they have found it useful. I am keeping my original review in its entirety, but I feel as if I need to do a followup.

Six months later, the cable that plugs into this unit from my car's cigarette lighter has developed a short. The music being played is staticy, and occasionally, it will cut completely out when hitting a bump. I know it's in this plug because when I twist it, the music will cut out completely. I'm disappointed because it worked so well and was so clear when I bought it. Clarity in my music really matters to me, though, so I am finding that I am having to replace it.

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I bought a car with a cd player in it and they player didnt work i searched for somethingto put into my car that will let me play MY music and something cheap so I wouldnt have to spend alot of money fixing the cd player.. I came across this this and thought i should try it being only 8 bucks and i am very pleased. Mine canme with an instruction book and now can listen to my creative zen mp3 player anywhere i go. the only reason i didnt give it all 5 stars was bc they car adapter cord keeps getting loose the in outlet in my car, I dont know if its the plug itself or just the car being that it was used my a smoker before i bought it, i just use batteries to avoid this probelm. otherwise great device!

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Now I can listen to all of my favorite songs from my iPod through my car stereo. Easy to use and install. Perfect sound.

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This transmitter was a piece of crap! I got it and the first week I had it, it sounded great! Then the second week it randomly stopped working. When the cable was barely touched at all or moved the music would stop or it would sound only play the sound and no lyrics. it was just a bad experience. you are better off paying a little more for something better and well known, or getting an auxiliary cable.

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My son wanted one of these for his iPod and bought a similar product at a brick and mortar store for $39.99. I protested and told him to let me search Amazon to see if I could find it cheaper. I was very pleased (but skeptical) to find this product. Was expecting it to fall apart right away because it was so much cheaper, but so far have been quite pleased with the quality and performance. Saved a lot of money with Amazon! Would definitely recommend it!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Temperature Correcting Battery Hydrometer

Temperature Correcting Battery HydrometerI bought this hydrometer to replace one I dropped and broke. I have two others but with the amount of batteries I maintain, one can never have too many hydrometers laying around.

I have used hydrometers for years maintaining deep cycle batteries and have learned the ones with the pointer are a joke. You can test the same cell three different times and get three different readings. If they show anything other that 1.260 (100% charged) they are inaccurate. I simply cannot trust my batteries to a inaccurate tester.

You really MUST use a hydrometer with a floating cylinder like this one. Pointers, floating balls, disks, etc. are just not accurate enough to bet your expensive batteries on!

Now on to this little jewel:

You will not find a hydrometer that is this accurate, in this price range anywhere. I compared the readings from this tool with readings from my much, much more expensive Freas hydrometer and the readings were so close you could not read a difference without a magnifying glass.

The other big feature is this too has a built in thermometer. You MUST know the electrolyte temperature in order to get a valid reading! Instead of simply showing the degrees, this meter has a scale on it telling you how many "points" to add or subtract to your reading. Much more user friendly than using a separate thermometer to read temp.

The thermometer on this unit is dead on.

I am not one who usually writes reviews, but for this tool I had to. It is a great accurate meter for a great price. Not sure where you could go wrong unless you dropped it. In that case order a spare. They are cheap enough!

I will be ordering a couple more to have around and a few to give as gifts.

Bought a plastic battery tester at the local auto parts store and it sucked. I took three readings, back to back, of the same cell and got three different results. Their is a reason glass hydrometers are the standard for commercial battery testing, they work. In Aviation its all we use, and in a pinch I though I could get away with the plastic CHEAPO. This works awesome. Gives great, repeatable, readings of the state of charge of the battery. Price was great, shipping was FAST! I would buy this again in a heartbeat!

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Difficult to use, thermometer does not appear at all accurate. Also purchased the standard model hydrometer. It worked much better.

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The manufacturer should have placed a pull string under the bulb. Trying to get the foam-lined bulb out can cause it to break.

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A glass hydrometer in a glass tube. 'Nuff said. I use this hydrometer to maintain the battery bank in my motorhome, as well as the batteries in the rest of my vehicles. The hydrometer has already identified a bad cell in a vehicle that was cranking over slowly. This saved me from a lot of frustration, and a possible total battery failure while traveling.

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

2002-2007 Buick Rendezvous Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker With Free Do-It-Yourself Programming

2002-2007 Buick Rendezvous Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker With Free Do-It-Yourself ProgrammingTwo thinga. The print was too small to read on the computer screen.

Secondly the instructions were not correct. Went to review and other replies indicated had to switch 2 and 3 instructions. Switch 3 to 2 and 2 to 3. When I did this it took less than a minute to complete the program. Key fab works fantastic. What a savings over dealer cost. They wanted $135 vs the $40 paid including

shipping.

This product seemed identical to the manufacturers remote which sells for twice or more at the dealer. I had it programmed by the dealer, who did it as a courtesy. The instructions weren't intuitive for me, but fortunately I didn't have to hack around with it. It works perfectly.

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More than I expect.....easy to program, no more than 5 minutes. I'm totally happy with my purchase... Thank you so much!

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arrived on time, and in great shape, had trouble programing it called support and they walked me right through the process got it programed by phone in no time

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I'm so excited to save a bundle! The dealer quoted me an OUTRAGEOUS price for key fob + programming and programming alone. I was determined to find another way. And I did!

I'm rating this product 5 stars because it works perfectly (keyless entry, lights, hatch, panic button)! The only downside is the instructions didn't work. But don't fret, go to the internet! My friend went online to eHow, found the instructions, programmed the remote in less than 2 minutes, and "whoop there it is" my key fob is baaaack (smile). It's the little things we take for granted until it's gone and you realize how important such a small piece matters.

I'm in the process of purchasing another for my backup along with the uncut transponder key.