Monday, September 29, 2014
Combo Rapid Car Charger + Home Wall Charger + USB Data Charge Sync Cable for Samsung DoubleTime, Ca
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Floor Liner for Select Chrysler/Dodge Models (Black)
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We bought a new Dodge Van and it came without any floor mats at all. That was a first for me. I shopped around and found these, the reviews were good so I took the plunge. The fit is PERFECT. They stay put and keep the dirt trappen in the mat. I couldn't be happier.No problem getting in and out and I don't even notice the extra lip as it must be flush with trim. I haven't been distracted at all by them while driving and it is clear of the pedals.Well made, this product fit the inside of my van like a glove. It will also cover the dead pedal. Seriously, Dodge, why put a carpet with no protection on a dead pedal. Anyways, the Liner protects the pedal and the rest of the front from salt, sand and other like nothing else.Friday, July 18, 2014
Xantrex Prowatt SW1000 1000W True Sinewave Inverter
- Power - Surge Rating 2000 W
- Power - Output (Watts) 1000 W
- Voltage - Input Range (Volts) 10.5 - 15.5 Vdc
- Waveform Tru
- Waterproof NONE
I also have alot of 1000w loads. In particular is my favorite testload a 1050 w (with motorthe heating element is 1000w exactly but it has a blower that consumes 50w so technically its a tad high).
With this dummy load both of my xantrex inverters will run it all day or until the battery bank dies whichever comes first. They draw about 110-115 amps on the 12vdc lines.
The sunforce 1000w inverter CAN NOT run this load for more than 2 seconds without an output overload shutdown. But I still like the sunforce because it can handle 900W and it has an RF keychain remote on/off switch.
The point is Xantrex products are clean, reliable power, while other knockoffs (compare sunforce's 1K and this one and guess who coppied who) are not up to being a real 1K unit. If anyone wants a demo my email is in my profile i'd be happy to film the two side by side on optima D31 blue top batteries and even give the sunforce the running head start with the fresh charge on the cells 2 seconds and it will shutdown. Yes, i know 1050 watts is over 1000w, but the xantrex will drain the batteries before they complain of anything else runing the heatgun.
This is the leading brand in inverters today. Their new product line offers 3x the value of their older units without sacrificing quality or stability. It's a real value in high power inverters. Unfortunately, xantrex moved their mfg overseas and the quality suffered from more than one report. We no longer use this model, but for an apples to apples comparison against offshore mfg inverters, xantrex still has a better design to begin with = better product to ship back to the usa
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I'm not running much off this device and the thing that strikes me is that the cooling fan only turns on when a certain temperature is reached. So for small loads, it's very quiet because the fan has no need to turn on. Previous experiences with inverter default to the fan being on and they are often very noisy.The sine wave seems to be clean. After trying this, I'll never go back to modified sine waves for devices remotely designed to work with sine waves. Otherwise, I'll just go with the cheap square wave inverters.
I plan on buying another unit in the future.
Read Best Reviews of Xantrex Prowatt SW1000 1000W True Sinewave Inverter Here
So far I returned (3) inverters (1)Power Bright PW400, (2)Tripp Lite PV1000 because the output voltage was to low (89-95volts). Fluorescent light would not be as bright,fan would not come up to speed and I"m sure this was not good for motors. Had this one for (3) days (Xantres Prowatt SW 1000) and am very satisfied with it. Output voltage is 124 volts, lights are bright motors are running up to speed And my running amps are lower. I don't know whether this unit is just made better or if its because its a pure sine wave inverter or both but it puts the other inverters I tried to shame.Want Xantrex Prowatt SW1000 1000W True Sinewave Inverter Discount?
I bought this about two months ago. So far I only use about 250 watts everyday 6-7 hours run time) and have had no issues at all. To test it I plugged in my 32" tube TV, two 60 watt lamps, two 15'6 notebooks, PS3 Playstation and the Frig. Ran it all just fine and took the surge from the Frig very easily. And more I'm sure! Well made product, great directions, easy to intall. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a well made power inverter that performs as advertised.I bought this inverter for long power failures. I wanted a way to keep my fridge running overnight when I can't run my generator (out of consideration for my sleeping neighbors). At first it failed to start the fridge using 8ga jumper cables on a set of golf cart batteries. I ditched the jumpers and hard wired it to the batteries using proper connectors and 2ga wire. After that it ran the fridge fine. The nameplate on the fridge says 1320watts, using a meter I found it to peak around 1200w with an avg continuous load of 250w. I've only run it for about 8hrs so no word on longevity, but it appears to be a well made unit based on fit and form.Saturday, June 28, 2014
HQRP Car Charger DC Adapter Power Cord compatible with Philips Norelco 7737X, 7745X, 7775X, 7800XL,
- HQRP® Car Charger plus HQRP® Coaster;
- Input: 12V DC; Output: DC 15V, 0.36A;
- Safety Features: High Efficiency and Reliability; Automatic Overload cut-off;
- Automatic Thermal cut-off; Short circuit and Over Voltage protection; Low Interference & Noise;
- 200 Days warranty!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Vector VEC043B 750 Watt D/C To A/C Power Inverter With Power Level Meter
TYPES OF OUTPUT
Your AC equipment is designed for a sine wave, but only the very expensive power converters produce a true sine wave output. The cheapest AC power converters produce a square wave output. A mid price AC power converter (like the VEC043) produces a modified wave. Besides the price impact, there are trade-offs of what type of equipment you can use for square wave or modified wave.
Power tools have an AC/DC motor that works with all 3-types of outputs. If you only want to use power tools get the very cheap square wave power converter.
AC motors such as refrigerators need a modified wave. AC motors under heavy load can not start to spin using a square wave and even if it does "spin up," it will probably shorten the life of the AC motor to use a square wave.
The most sensitive AC equipment must use the true sine wave power converters. The worse case equipment is a cheap stereo or TV and their performance with a square wave power converter is completely unacceptable. A modified wave will work with all stereos and TV's, but some of the cheaper units will have a 60 cycle buzz in the sound and snow in the picture.
The VEC043 power converter performs well with most stereos and TV's, but not all of them, especially the cheapest units. It works with your power tools, AC motors, and computers. I personally felt it was the overall best choice, but if you want a true sine wave output, then be prepared to pay the big bucks!
LINKS TO PICTURES OF THE TYPES OF OUTPUT
Sine wave: http://www.energyusernews.com/EUN/FILES/IMAGES/82710.jpg
Square wave: http://users.uma.maine.edu/faculty/rsm/slides/chap4/f4-3b.gif
Modified wave: http://www.baintech.com.au/assets/images/square_wave.jpg
NOISE
All of the manufactures write about the electrical noise of their power converters, but it is the audio noise that is important to me personally. I have a friend who uses a power converter in his car on a daily basis. He just bought a new Black and Decker power converter, and he says it is much quieter than his first power converter was. His Black and Decker power converter makes a whining sound that reminds me of a dentist drill, and I don't like it!
There is a small fan in the VEC043 and it makes a little more noise than my laptop, and about the same noise as my desktop computer or the kitchen refrigerator. Best of all, there is no whining sound.
CAR BATTERY
Everything electrical on your car is specified to work down to a minimum of 10.5 volts. Less than 10.5 and your car may not start. The VEC043 has an audio alarm that sounds at 10.6 volts. Nice feature!!!
Running the battery down below 10 volts is very stressful to the battery and may even damage the battery. The VEC043 shuts off at 10 volts which is another nice feature.
SPECIFICATIONS FROM THE VEC043 MANUAL
Output: 2 AC outlets (110VAC RMS 60 Hz @ 6.8 amps)
Output protection: self-resetting breaker
Output power: 750 watts continuous (1500 watts peak)
Input: 10.5 to 15.5 Volts DC
Input protection: internal fuses
Reverse input polarity protection: none
Connection: battery clips only
Low voltage alarm: sounds at 10.6 volts
Low voltage cut off: occurs at 10.0 volts
Weight: 3 lbs (1.35 kg)
Length: 10.7 in. (27.2 cm)
Width: 6.25 in. (15.9 cm)
Height: 1.75 in. (4.5 cm)
Warranty: 2 year limited
Operating temperature: 30 to 105 degrees F (-1 to 40 degrees C)I have used in my fish house seems to work fine unforthunately the battery life does not last as long as I would like. I might of been better off getting the 400W unit vs the 750W, not sure if I needed this larger unit or not as I'm mostly using it to power a few lights and maybe a small fan. The unit does work, and the alarm feature of the battery getting low is a nice feature or a nuisance as it makes a noise that is un-pleasant to listen to. I tried to send in the warranty information to the address given and it was returned, not sure if the company changed addresses or what, I may go on line and see if I can locate the company and register my purchase that way
Buy Vector VEC043B 750 Watt D/C To A/C Power Inverter With Power Level Meter Now
Works as described on most products. I bought it to charge cordless drill batteries on jobsites. 4 stars because it drains the vehicle battery dry in several minutes unless the vehicle is running. . Had to get the van jumped off the first time I used it after only 5 minutes of using it for battery charging.Read Best Reviews of Vector VEC043B 750 Watt D/C To A/C Power Inverter With Power Level Meter Here
This is the second Vector I have purchased. This newer version worked great. Kept the frig, a few lights and a pellet stove going without a problem for twelve hours plus.Want Vector VEC043B 750 Watt D/C To A/C Power Inverter With Power Level Meter Discount?
Although I'm not impressed with the quality of the materials used in the construction of the product, (they seem to be a bit Light-Weight) I am impressed thath it ran the equipment with no problem for several hours at rated wattage.Sunday, May 25, 2014
Motorola DTR550 Portable Digital Radio
- Allows users to access up to 20 public and 10 private groups
- Allows other DTR radios on same group ID and channel to communicate
- Transmits
- Meets military 810 C, D, E, and F specifications for shock, vibration, water, dust and temperature extremes.
- Stores recent call list up to last 10 transmissions.
The range The range is much more than I need, the extended antennas improve it's capabilities even more. While running an event in a radio dense area of Walt Disney World I was able to effortlessly use them from the main level of the Dolphin hotel to the front gate of the theme park over 1.5 miles away, I was using the extended antenna.
The battery life With standard two-way radios I had 4 to 5 hours of heavy use before I had to change. With these I'm easily able to reach 7 and even passed 9 with the extended battery.
Privacy I'm finishing a computer science degree at UW Madison so the first thing I tried doing was to intercept the signal and see how easily I could listen in, something I can do effortlessly with standard radios. These radios not only use frequency hopping (FHSS) but have a digital encoded signal which makes it very hard to decode in real time. I was able to listen into the Trisquares without much effort because while they use FHSS, they don't digitally encode the signal. Please note this is not encryption and anything is always possible.
Interfearence I haven't experienced any interference with these radios, most likely because they operate on a different frequency than most other radios.
Voice quality Its many steps above a standard radio because it's digital but not quite the quality of a phone call. The great thing is NO STATIC since its digital.
Build Quality military spec....enough said.
Other great features I love that I am notified if the radio I'm try to reach is out of range or turned off. Also the ability to call a single radio works nicely when I need a private conversation. Takes 30 minutes for a full charge. Has an attachable keyboard for easy program. Holder that doesn't feel like a toy. Docking station for desk.
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Our team is fascinated by the reach and clarity of the transmission for these radios. The reach is more than the rated distance and floors by motorola. In open field with rolling hills we have achieved almost a 2 mile reach, with clear communication.Read Best Reviews of Motorola DTR550 Portable Digital Radio Here
The merchandise received was very good quaity, however the merchandise received was not exactly what I ordered. I ordered 2 of the same item and they were not identical in terms of features. One had the vibration mode and a long antenna and the other had a short antenna with no vibration mode.Saturday, April 19, 2014
Optima 8006-006-FFP BlueTop Group 34 Marine Battery
So be aware the money you are thinking you are saving maybe costing you big time. You should also know that for marine batteries Otima is strongly reccomending the use of there $200 charger to keep them charged properly.
Hello John,
Amazon.com is not an authorize online OPTIMA retailer, We do not know where they acquire the OPTIMA batteries nor does Amazon.com honor the OPTIMA warranty.For the price it is NOT durable..these didn't last two seasons with proper maintenance... I would not recommend these batteries in the North where the weather isn't perfect for them...
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I purchased two Optima batteries in the past for a sailboat that had an outboard motor and was pleased with it's performance. My starter battery in my current boat was no longer holding a charge, so I decided to find a replacement. I went with Optima because of it's performance and design. It is currently in storage as I wait for the next boating season. I look forward to installing it in my boat this spring.Read Best Reviews of Optima 8006-006-FFP BlueTop Group 34 Marine Battery Here
Have only had the product a limited time, but was quick and easy to insall new battery. Two weeks before I bought this one I bought one locally in an emergency situation for the boat battery that was dead. Before a trip to Bimini decided to change out the other battery just to be safe and it was simple to install and $70 less than at retail store. So far so good. I don't like to review a product until it's been used for at least 4-6 months but its a battery with very good warranty and reputation so I'm not too worried about it.Want Optima 8006-006-FFP BlueTop Group 34 Marine Battery Discount?
Out standing battery for the price and power. Will buy again when the time comes. love that it is completely sealed, don't have to worry about acid spilling out.Friday, April 11, 2014
New Black Color Pair Headrest With 9" LCD Car Monitors with Region Free Sony DVD player USB SD Inc.
Item comes in one large box containing two boxes: one for each headrest. Packaging was very good. I received everything pictured plus cables. The instruction manual is not very good but that was expected. The two dvd headrests are identical. The headrests are big, remember 9" LCD.
INSTALLATION:
I decided to undertake the installation myself. I have a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The headrest poles positions are adjustable and I was able to fit them easily into my headrest pole inserts. Additional pole sleeves are included, I assume for headrests with thicker poles. The wire runs through the left post (facing the LCD), I ran the wire through the seat back and out through the botton of the seat. Supplied cables are long. It then connects to another supplied cable, which breaks out the wire into 1. power (with a fuse box) PWR and GND and 2. input A/V cables. I decided not to use the input A/V cables because I did not want to run another cable to the other DVD headrest (which would be outside the seat and visible). You would only want to add this cable if you wanted the option to view the same DVD on both LCDs.
After some testing, I found the main connector for the power seats (containing the 12V power wires use a multimeter to test for the 12V wires even if you don't have power seats, the power connector may still be there, my passenger seat is not a power seat but the power cable was still there). I wanted to connect to a continuous 12V power; thus, the DVD player would be on even while the engine was off. I was able to jam the PWR and GND wires into the 12V power connector jacks without splicing the wire.
I do not know the power draw for the DVD players, it may drain your battery if you do not drive your car for an extended time period. You can always unplug the first cable to cut all power to the player.
PLAY:
Once installation was completed, the DVD headrests worked as expected. Overall the quality is very good. Though, I worry about the plastic hinges and locking clips: with some rough play, I am sure you can damage them easily. This DVD player is located on the back of the LCD, as a result everytime you have to change the DVD, you need to lift the player and change the DVD upside down or lift, rotate, and lower the player to forward face the DVD player and then repeat to forward face the LCD. Anyways, thats a lot of wear on the hinge and I hope they built it tough.
I have not figured out how to flip the image so that you can view the LCD if it is set on top of the headrest (as one of images from the description shows). But I cannot picture using this position too often because then the LCD touches the roof of my car.
We have played real DVDs and burned DVDs with no problems. We have not tried any other media types. Nor have we used the USB or memory card slot.
We have tried the games and the kids enjoy them and there are lots of games on the supplied disks. Wired controllers are for the 16-bit games and the wireless controller is for the 32-bit games (better graphics).
You have to remember to set one player to channel A (default) and the other to channel B; in order, to get the wireless headphones to work properly. The only batteries you need to supply are for the headphones, all other batteries are supplied.
The FM transmitter works great, you can set the frequency and match it on your car radio and your kids will enjoy the sound through your car system (but you probably won't).
SUMMARY:
Item is great for the price. The LCD looks great, picture is excellent, though, volume control could be better (more range). Manual is not very good. Wiring is start forward, if you know the basics; if not, ask someone who does. Color (mine was grey) was a bit off but that was to be expected. Build quality is good but I drilled it into my kids to be gentle when handling the DVD player. The zipper covers hides the DVD players. They look great with no visible wires. And though we've only had them for a month, we are very satisfied.Was a bit nervous due to the no-name brand and price.. But so far I've had no problems. It is an amazing package for the $340 I spent. The DVD setup is great, the AV output to the other monitor works awesome. The quality of the screens is great. Haven't tried the controllers or free games yet, but I don't really need those or care, this is a great setup and I have already recommended it to a few friends. For the price, I doubt anything even comes close.Great product lot of bang for your buck, I recommend it, your kids will love em !!!
Great experience I got everything that was promised and delivery came as it was promised also ..We just love the car dvd player! you can watch the same movie at ones, or 2 different!!! you can zoom image!
5 star productone of the games do not work with the dvd player, some movies do not play these are new dvd's not compatible with the player, my grandchildren were disappointed when they could not play their favorite movie. The player is very sensitive.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Scosche motorMOUTH Plug and Play Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit
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If you want to listen to your music via bluetooth streaming, make sure you buy the Scosche motorMouth STEREO with the silver cap. If you do, you will be a very happy camper.Read Best Reviews of Scosche motorMOUTH Plug and Play Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit Here
Great product. Sound is excellent no echoing. Only glitch with my radio, is that it won't automatically switch to Aux and receive incoming calls. I have to change radio to aux and then answer a call. Overall very pleased with this device for the cost. Allows me to not wear the stupid looking bluetooth device in my ear.Want Scosche motorMOUTH Plug and Play Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit Discount?
I bought this on clearance for $12 at wally world a few days ago. I will tell you right now. It is worth it. The only issue i have is that you A. wind up with a ridiculous mess of cables and B. Must switch from radio to AUX Manually. A little cable management solves problem A and I don't listen to much radio these days anyway. I did have to modify this to get it to work to my liking. The casing around the mic is kind of fragile. I noticed the casing nearly splitting away from the mike with every button press to answer calls. I used a tube of super glue to reinforce the plastic tabs holding the housing together. The glue for the mounting base is also too weak. I wound up having to use the screws provided to permanently afix the mic to an optimal audio zone. The audio switching splitter is the key to this device. Without it this thing does not work. Make sure you attach the correct plug to the correct slot in the splitter. RTFM!!! I honestly couldn't be happier with this setup. It saved me from having to buy a new stereo in a junky old car. The price amazon is selling this for currently is kind of off. You could buy a bluetooth enabled stereo for $80 these days. If you do find a good deal like I did though you won't be disappointed. The device works as advertised!Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Cobra CJIC 250 300 Amp Portable Jump-Start/Air Compressor with A/C and D/C Power Outlets
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This is by far the best car jumper I've ever used. We got it for our emergency preparedness and so that we wouldn't have to rely on other people to help us if we needed a jump. Worked great the first few times we used it but within the first year that we got it, it stopped holding a charge and is now completely worthless. I wish Cobra would do a recall on this product and refund us or give us unit that can actually hold a charge.-ChadThis unit may be a good jumpstarter, I did not use any of the functions other than the 12 volt power outlet because, upon finding that this until will only supply 8 amps continuous 12 volt power, I could not run the 12 volt cooler that I wanted this unit to power. This unit may be OK if you just need a little jumpstarter and any 12 volt appliances you want to run are less than 8 amps.I thought I would love this combo. I have a friend who has one. I probably would still like it if the air compressor end wouldn't have broken the first time I tried to use it. So now that part will never work. It is not a replacement part and Amazon.com will not let me return the Item for exchange or refund. If I had known this prior to ordering it I would have bought it elsewhere. I will never order something like this from Amazon.com again.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
RCA RFMT10R FM Transmitter for MP3 Players
- Ideal for MP3 players or audio devices with a 3.5mm audio plug
- 4-selectable channels available
- 26" cord for ease of use and range
- DC powered via standard 12V accessory outlet-does not require batteries
- 1-year limited warranty
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This product does work well in my car. The music plays well, but I do hear static from time to time. I do not hear too much static though only a little bit and only sometimes. The only PROBLEM with this transmitter is that the volume is not loud enough. Other stations play louder than the transmitter station. I don't know if it is due to the transmitter or if the radio station just doesn't offer high sound. But I do know that my radio and mp3 are both turned up to max volume and the music just sounds minimum. This was sort of a problem to me because I like my music loud. All-in-all it works pretty well with a little static. It just isn't loud enough.p.s. I bought this because my car has no cd player and the cassette player is broken and I was sick of listening to the radio.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Goal Zero 12301 Nomad 7M Solar Panel
The Nomad 7 is the only solar panel that has the capability to charge an adequate battery pack, my headlamp AAA's, AND my smartphone/GPS all in the same day in full sunlight. It is the only panel that has reserve capacity to charge my devices in less than full sun (shady/cloudy). No other panel has the output of the Nomad 7. Its closest competitor is the Brunton panel. The Brunton weighs 20% more and is rated to output 30% less than the Nomad 7 (Brunton = 5 watts, Nomad 7 = 7 watts). In my testing the lower output was verified. The off-axis performance of the Nomad 7 is superior. It maintains full output to a greater angle of sun than any other panel I have tested. The Nomad 7 is the only panel, in my knowledge, that uses the more efficient mono-crystalline panels. It does seem to give it an edge in real-world usage. As far as flexibility, that characteristic has nothing to do with panel efficiency. Another of the well-thought out features of the Nomad 7 is the connection options. The Xpal SP-2000 and the Solio both rely on many different tips to connect to different devices. The Nomad 7 has three great options built in: 6.5 volt fast charge for the Guide 10 charger, 5 V USB connector, and a port that the included 12V female car lighter adapter plugs into. Every portable device has the option of an inexpensive car power adapter, and the Nomad 7 nicely offers that ability.
The Guide 10 charger works to its rated specifications, unlike most of the other solar devices I have used. It charges AA and AAA batteries. It charges them faster with the Nomad 7 than any other solar panel/charger combination that I have tested. The Goal 0 batteries that ship with the Guide 10 are the best of their type I have tested. They are low-discharge, like the Eneloops, but much better. The Eneloops are rated at 2000 mAh, but charge only to about 1900 mAh capacity. The Goal 0 are rated at 2000 mAh, but charge to 2200 mAh. The guide 10 has some very well thought out features, including the LED flashlight, the function switch and the built-in hanging loop. These touches all demonstrate that the designers are users, and thought well about how these devices would be used.
All is not perfect, though. The Guide 10 does have an overheating problem, but only in very strong sunlight and under certain conditions. This is a known issue that is being fixed as I write this. This brings me to one of my most important experiences; customer service. Goal 0 has the best customer service by far than any other of the solar panel manufacturers I have tested in this group. Immediate phone contact, responsiveness to questions and warranty service are far and away some of the best I have experienced.
Following is a list of the solar panels I have tested, and short comparison comments on each.
1. Powerfilm USB + AA: This one has a great form factor, is flexible and very durable, and is the lightest weight and most compact of all the solar chargers. Its fatal flaw is that it simply does not put out enough power to be practical in extended backpacking. It does not fully charge the AA batteries when it indicates a full charge, and is not nearly as flexible as the Nomad 7 for connection. The unit was replaced on warranty, but the replacement performed exactly the same. I tested a total of four of these, and all performed the same. Customer service was good, after spending weeks trying to get their attention, and this happened several times.
2. Solio Classic: This one has a nice form factor, but the unit simply does not charge its internal battery nor a connected device at all adequately. Just in case, I had it replaced on warranty and the replacement performed exactly the same.
3. Xpal Power SP-2000: Same as the Solio. Internal battery rated at 2000 mAh, only charges to about 1100-1300. Not enough power overall to be practical. Very good customer service.
4. Brunton Explorer: A good panel, but not enough overall power. Weighs 20% more than the Nomad 7, output is 30% less.Since there isn't a lot of detailed info out there about this product, I'll give the obligatory novel-length review.
I actually purchased this on sale for $60 elsewhere, which was quite the steal (it's gone up in price since). I received it yesterday evening, so have had it less than 24 hours and just tried it today about an hour ago on my lunch break. Got it primarily for use with my iPhone 3Gs when camping and hiking this summer. Frankly, I didn't think it would work out of the box for my iPhone because Goal Zero states on their website that the Nomad 7m may or may not work directly with the iPhone and it's best to just buy a battery pack and charge from there. Their documentation also states you should let the panels warm up in the sun a bit before trying to charge anything.
I decided to try worst case scenario and plugged my iPhone in directly right away and stuck the Nomad in my car's front window on a very cloudy, rainy day in Seattle. Nothing happened. No charging, no messages from the phone. Let it sit with my iPhone plugged in for about 15-20 minutes and still nothing, so I unplugged the phone and let the panels continue to warm up in the car window. About 10-15 minutes later, the lower, darker clouds blew away and it was still quite cloudy but noticeably brighter, so I plugged the phone back in and got an error message that the phone didn't support charging from this device (which made me happy because at least SOMETHING was happening). I tried a few more times, got the same message, then decided to let it stay plugged in while I drove back to work. And, LO! About a minute later, I heard that blessed "buzz buzz" the iPhone gives off when it's been plugged into a charger.
My drive back to work was only about 5-6 minutes long and I'd say the charger was only directed toward the sun (still quite overcast) about 2-3 minutes, but the battery went up 1%, so I'm calling that a win. Every time the panels go out of the direct sun, it's the equivalent of unplugging your wall or USB charger, so I'm thinking that investing in the Guide 10 battery pack to harness power is a good idea if you can stand the extra weight. The battery pack itself is the size of an iPhone and the Nomad 7m is just a bit smaller than an iPad and a little over a 1 lb. in weight, so a backpacker might have a hard time justifying carrying around all of this gear.
One commenter asked if the cells were bendable and the answer is no. There's a slight amount of give so that it's not what I would call fragile, but the panels are, presumably, breakable. The case it comes in is sturdy, so I would think you'd have to be pretty rough with it to break anything. Like other reviewers have noted, the case it comes in is well made and there's lots of little hooks to attach it to whatever. Plus, it comes with a small, light caribiner which is handy.
I obviously haven't had this long enough or tried this in enough conditions to give an accurate star rating, but I'm giving it a tentative 4 because I'm pleasantly surprised that it worked directly with my iPhone in such crappy weather conditions, but wondering if the "warm up" time is a first time issue or a consistent issue. Having to wait almost an hour before it starts charging would be kind of a bummer. I may update my review after I know more. Going to try this with an iPhone 4 as well and will include an update if the experience with that is any different.
UPDATE:
Originally gave this 4 stars, just bumped to 5. Finally got a relatively sunny day yesterday and it charged my older generation iPod in 1 hour. Successfully charged an iPhone 3Gs AND an iPhone 4. Note: You have to take the bumper off, or the connection isn't good enough for the iPhone 4 to even recognize the device. It still took warm up time (about 20-30 minutes), but that was with cloud cover coming in and out on a cool day in Seattle. It's incredibly efficient when the sun is beating right down on it. Love this thing. Going to order the Guide 10 battery pack next.
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I've been using this SOLAR panel for a few years without any problems. There seems to be alot of mixed reviews for the SOLAR panel and I'm not sure why. To clear up a little confusion for the SOLAR charger I've listed the most common complaints and explained them below. As you can see, SOLAR panel will be in caps for the duration of the review for reason...#1 It is a SOLAR panel. Many customers are upset that charging stops when the sun goes away. It is NOT a SOLAR/Cloud charger. While it's possible for the sun to penetrate thinner clouds and continue charging, it's quite possible the speed of such charging will decrease.
#2 Some are upset at the output. It is a small, compact unit designed to take hiking/camping or other places where space is of concern. It is not designed to charge a 12 volt battery. You cannot jump start your car with it. Use common sense when attempting to charge larger items. Which brings us too...
#3 It WILL charge a battery assuming your device is not currently using more power than it can provide. Again, this seems like common sense, however, some underestimate the power draining features of modern phones/tablets such as backlights, screensavers, GPS, WIFI, Bluetooth and networks. Turn your phone off if possible or dissable some or most of those options.
#4 Many people use this on the dashboard of their car. While it is a portable unit, there is a faster and more efficient method. Most vehicles, even old ones have at least 1 12 volt cigarrette lighter output. You can purchase a USB adapter for about $5 to charge your phone, ipad, etc.
#5 It is not durable. I have dropped this off a mountain side, into water and left it in zero degree weather for some time. It shouldn't work....It still does.
Please excuse the sarcastic tone of this review but I believe this product and company deserves some respect and praise for designing such a wonderful SOLAR panel. Thank you!
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I bought a Nomad 7 last year. Love it. It makes great power in all conditions.I liked it so much I decided to pick up a second one to keep in the car. I went through two of them. The first wouldn't make power in full sun (obviously something wrong). The replacement for it, would charge my cell phone (via 12V cigarette lighter adapter) in direct full sun, but not in full sun sitting on my dashboard (something my original Nomad 7 has no problem with). Apparently the glass is reducing the light enough that it cannot get the power high enough to charge.
Needless to say, both were returned and I guess I am not going to get a second one. The first one is great, but the power output of the subsequent ones has been all over the map. A better job of QC needs to be done before the panels ship out to make sure they perform consistently.This is bar none the best portable solar charger I've come across. It charges basically anything smaller than an iPad. I've charged countless toys in little amounts of time during hikes in / or fly fishing. Amazing piece of technology. Secondly, their customer service is polite, know their products, and respond quickly to emails / phone calls. This company and their gear couldn't be more highly recommended. It's the best I've found.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
StreetWires PRS0 1/0 AWG Power Ring Pair Set-Screw Type
- Precision machined from billet high conductivity brass
- Two step termination
- Heavy duty steel socket set screws
Thanks for making a solid product Streetwires!
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These seemed like a good set of ring terminals. But after getting them, they were too big and bulky. I ended up using copper lugs that I could solder wire into and even grind the rings down a little for a better fit. The craftmanship and machining of these is what caught my eye. However, the practical use for them was not very much, at least for my stereo setup. They're stuffed away in my misc. parts drawer with all my other connectors. I'll probably never use them.BESTEK 2012U-1 200w charger dc ac power inverter car dc 12v to 110v
- Converters 12-volt DC power from a vehicle battery into 110-volt AC power. Simply plug the inverter into your vehicle's DC outlet, and connect your device to the inverter's AC outlet or USB port.
- Input & output isolated keep you from the electric shock.
- Protections: Short circuits, overload, over temperature, low battery voltage, over battery voltage.
- Auto-temperature-controlled cooling fan saves the energy and prolong its life span.
- Soft start, surge protection, auto-shutdown protects to your device and the inverter from the overheating, over load , low load, short circuit, low voltage and over voltage
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I needed this product to have a 110v outlet and a USB outlet in the car for my chargers. It works well, I've been using it for about 6 months now. Plugs right in and works! I'd recommend this to anyone who needs the 110v or the USB in your car.Read Best Reviews of BESTEK 2012U-1 200w charger dc ac power inverter car dc 12v to 110v Here
The charger works fine, used it to power my laptop on a road trip I plan on using it for future trips. The power inverter isn't that loud so that is a plus.Want BESTEK 2012U-1 200w charger dc ac power inverter car dc 12v to 110v Discount?
It worked Okay for almost one year. Provided enough power to run a typical laptop as long as the car was running. If the car was only in accessories mode then it would cycle to generate power which caused terrible fluctuations!it is really excellent as it has multifunction ports. it really supported me to charge my iPhone, which saved my $40 for car charger.Monday, October 28, 2013
OEM Car Kit Vehicle Plug in Adapter + Home Wall AC Travel Charger + USB 2.0 Data Cable + Leather Ca
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Supertooth Buddy Bluetooth Cell Car Speaker for Samsung Intensity II 2
- Bluetooth hands-free kit version 2.1
- Quick fixation on sun visor via metal clip
- Headset and hands-free profiles
- Multipoint : 2 phones can be paired simultaneously
- Automatic pairing
- Full Duplex
- DSP
- Operating range : 10 meters
- Frequency : 2.4 GHz
- Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
- Voice recognition dialling (if phone supports)
- Reject incoming call
- Last call redial
- Talk time : 20 hours
- Stand-by time : 1000 hours
- Charging time : 3 hours
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Blue Sea 1011 12V DC Socket
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The product seems to be well made, has ground contact all around instead of a small strip like some. So far I am well pleased.The product is solid, however the watertight cap fit is not tight and is easily opened even sometimes without touching it.Solidly made, has been used many times, no problems yet. Seems worth the money, to me. In use about a year.Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Battery Tender 021-1165 15W Solar Charger
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This is a good product which is compromised by a shortcut in production that probably only saved a dollar or two in cost. Although the frame that supports the glass panel is solid metal, the corner braces are thin plastic. Several potential problems arise from this: First, if the panel is used for car battery charging, it will be repeatedly placed in the windshield and then removed. In a Honda Civic, this is a tight fit, making it easy to stress the panel. Strong frame corners would allow the panel to withstand greater torque. Torque or twisting force is hard to avoid when sliding the panel over the steering wheel.If the panel is going to be mounted to a roof, the screws will be installed through the plastic corners which are too weak to handle the load of all but the lightest wind. I have not returned it because it would be good in an extended emergency, and someday I will improve the frame.
Finally, this 15 watt panel is marginal in power for all but the smallest car batteries. It is good for charging batteries of 32 Amp/hr or less and would be great (electrically) for bikes and electric start lawnmowers. Getting technical, 15 watts is not enough to prevent and reverse sulfation in larger lead acid batteries, the problem that makes this product important.
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Haven't tried using this yet, don't know if it will even fit in the car. My intention was placing it in the car, but it seems to be very big to put in the windshield, luckily its a station wagon and it may do ok on the cargo floor for a few hours a day. Looks like the intention is to use it as a charging station, mounted somewhere external to the vehicle.Currently, Amazon shows the dimensions as 17.8 x 17.8 x 3 inches, but the dimensions of the 15W panel are actually 38" x 16" x 0.875" (from mfg's website).
Also, the mfg says the 5W is for small batteries (lawnmowers, etc.), 10W is for motorcycles, etc. and 15W is for large batteries (auto).
Also, at 60", the attached cord is rather short in my opinion.works great for my RZR 4 in a CONEX storage where i get it out maybe once a month easy to install on my RZR4

