Parrot Accessory - Remote Control for MKi9000, MKi9100, MKi9200. Genuine Replacement Part

I got this replacement remote control several weeks ago.

I am very pleased. The price was right, the remote came with a battery. This remote works better than the one that came with the MKi9200. The clarity of the phone calls is much better and picks up the names to call quite well.

I wish it had come with a battery and the clip to put on the dashboard. Unfortunately, it does not work with my car but that has nothing to do with the product.

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VR3 VRBCS300W Wireless Back-Up Camera with 2.5" LCD Monitor

I just finished installing this product on my 2006 Honda Odyssey. Several points to share...

1. This product does what everyone thinks it should do--provide a basic back-up camera to your vehicle, with wireless transmission between monitor and camera.

2. The marketing slogans on the package is absolutely misleading. "Installls As Easy as 1... 2... 3..." means prepare yourself for a major 6-hour project (see details below) "No Holes to Drill" means 3 steps of the installation procedure addresses drilling holes on your vehicle, (potentially). The picture of the camera mounting on the visor? No way!!!

3. Here is my installation diary--

Monitor installation--Moderately easy

The manual requires you to "see vehicle's owner's manual for fuse box diagram," if you decide not to do use the cigarette lighter. I wanted to leave it for cell phone chargers so fuse box is the approach I took. Thanks to detailed descriptions in the Honda manual, +12V was connected to a slot not used and the original fuse was used to keep the wire in place. Get your radio code ready, Honda owner, since you will need to unplug the cathode of the battery.

Camera installation--slightly hard

The biggest hurdle for me to install the camera is about how to open up the tailgate area of my Odyssey. After some prying of panels and internet searching to no avail, I decided to order a $75 Honda service manual so that I do not damage my wife's van. A week later (today) book arrived and it showed me exactly how to open up the tailgate panels correctly. If I do not have this book there is no way I can install this camera even if I drill a hole. Now for Odyssey I found a niche right behind the license plate that I can pass the camera wire through, by replacing an original fastener clip. Camera wire would be routed from above the plate to this through hole. Odyssey does not have license plate threads at the bottom of the plate otherwise external wire routing would be easier. Anyway the point is that you will have to find the best way to install the camera for your own vehicle. Next which power source should I need to connect? I do not want to use the reverse light since that means during a parallel parking when I drive forward the reverse light and therefore camera would be off. I debated with my wife if the license plate light would be a better one, but eventually decided to use the extra +12 lighter socket in the back of the van. I cut the redundant lighter plug (for the monitor) and crimped the wires. These wires are therefore visible inside the vehicle and held in place by Velcro stickers.

So here is my summary

Pro: the kit does the job well (right after installation). Control is simple, and image quality is fairly resistant to the dust particles on the camera.

Con: You will need to make your own decisions regarding mechanical and electrical integration of this camera with your car. Particularly if you do not how to find your reverse light wires, you should prepare to find this out before you make your purchase. Installation takes hours but it is full of easy decisions.

Bottom line: At the end of the day safety is all about peace of mind. I am glad VR3 can bring a cheap camera to the market so that I can enjoy my peace of mind in the suburb. If they can create a website with users sharing installation experiences it can take a lot of guesswork away.

I would give this product a 5 if it wasn't for the few points I outlined below.

Overall this product does what it is intended to do. Its cheap in price considering that one does not have to deal with making holes in the vehicle.

Pros...

Wireless (almost, just need to hook up the monitor to the 12v socket)

Ease of hookup, no wires to route through the vehicleand no drilling to place the sensor/camera.

Brightness,contrast settings for day and night viewing.

Display views allow real world view (like if you are turning your head to see while backing up),

broad viewing angle.

Price is cheap enough in case one has to replace the unit if it fails.

Unit can be also hard wired to the vehicle's electrical system.

Cons...

Camera is slightly noticable on the rear license plate.

The depth deception makes objects closer than they really are (which in a way is a plus for me since I don't end up hitting anything thinking its closer), but to others it might be an issue.

The unit uses bluetooth 2.4Ghz which other bluetooth devices can interfere with it. Case in point, I parked along side another vehicle which also has the Roadmaster VR3 and my unit showed what their unit was showing.

The unit is suppose to go on only when backing up, but occasionally while driving past any bluetooth device/building that is using the same frequency the monitor will turn on and show that units view.

The monitor is small, 2.5 inches, and one has to get used to looking at it when parking, but it is clear and in color.

Monitor is fragile, like all LCD units, if dropped, it will ruin the monitor.

Placement of the monitor is dependent on the user and their vehicle, on mine I just left it in the coin area under the middle console.

Overall, using the unit for the past few months I am satisfied with it and it has help me avoid hitting anyone/anything in my rear blind spots.

Aside from the occasional interference with other bluetooth devices, I would have given this unit a perfect score.

TS

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These units are a good idea in theory, but in practice this particular implementation is poor: The picture is very unstable, with continual tearing and noise bars. The touted "110 degree view" is way overstated: I measured two different units and both have barely a 57 degree horizontal view; which is not wide angle enough.

However, these units seem to be still in development, and are evolving: I'm awaiting my third version, and each newer version has been a little better than the prior version. Oddly though, the model numbers are all the same, so you need to ask which version you'll be receiving!

The oldest version of the VR3 camera system comes with only two buttons: One button for power and and one for 'view mode'. The newer version has FOUR buttons: The extra buttons are for brightness and contrast, which is a useful addition. It also have slightly better picture quality. The newest version, one which I've not yet received, is said to have what I consider an essential addition: The new models will have an antenna!

I don't know why they didn't all come with an antenna in the first place, because without one they are basically useless, since the picture is a hopeless mess unless the monitor is within 1 foot of the camera! In fact, I don't understand why they didn't use the body of the vehicle as an 'antenna', which would have guaranteed good reception anywhere inside the vehicle. At one point I asked their technical support about this, and they suggested that I "wrap several sheets of aluminum foil around the back to act as an antenna".

So, while I have to give this 'thumbs down' as they exist today, I'm hoping that when I receive my new version I'll discover that these units finally live up to their potential. I'll still have to live with the narrow 57 degree view, but at this point I'll settle for a stable picture. I'll try to remember to update this once I receive the newest unit.

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I bought this camera installed it and experienced interference almost everywhere. I called the company tech support waited twice for 45 minutes and was told that interference is normal. Bluetooth, power lines, 2.4 ghz phones, cell phones, and wi/fi will cause interference. Dah? That's everywhere.

I told them I wanted my money back, they refused. This is junk!! don't buy it.

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I installed a VR3 kit (4 buttons LCD version) into our new Toyota Sienna 2007 with no problem and it works very well. True, when I bench tested the kit it worked fine very stable and clean picture. When installed the reception a bit worse but not as bad as other's mentioned the picture has an occasional flick or two because now there's some sheet metal between the transmitter and the receiver in the LCD. But nothing too bad.

This kit is a great idea and quite good of the implementation. It is completely automatic put the car in the reverse and it's on, the LCD turns up and you see the image in about 3-5 seconds. When you switch to drive, the LCD turns off in about 3 seconds. Great! Also, night time performance is remarkable. The picture is good.

True it's only a CMOS-based camera (not CCD sensor everyone swears by) but it serves the purpose. A CCD camera alone would cost as mush as this whole kit.

The antenna for the transmitter would improve the stability of the system. Also keep in mind that the warranty is only 30 days since the purchase date. So buy and install it promptly. Or buy at Target or Costco or such to have at least 90 days to return it.

I like this kit and can recommend it.

Parrot Minikit Slim Portable Bluetooth Car Kit

After going through several bluetooth ear plugs, I decided to try out one of the bluetooth speaker units on the market. The parrot mini got some great reviews so I decided to give it a try. It was soooooo easy to set up. My 300 contacts were automatically transfered from my phone in a couple of minutes. The quality of sound is great. Although some people have said the volume wasn't loud enough, I've had to lower it. Great product at a great price !!! Already recommended it to many friends.

For the price, this speaker can't be beat. It's low profile and has good volume for such a small unit, yes it has address capabilities, but I have almost 3000 contacts, this is not an important feature to me. I need to hear well and to be heard, that's my only real criteria, this product does both well.

The only down side is when you turn the volume up all the way, the unit can "rattle" a bit, the sound seems mechanical, not static or the speaker itself. Not a major issue, but I have noticed this small flaw from time to time. I can't speak to the battery life as I have it hard wired to switched power.

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I had several issues with this product. The biggest problem is the battery life. It has none! There is obviously something wrong with the auto shut off to save battery life. It is supposed to turn on and off automatically to conserve power but from day one, each day I got into the car it was dead. Secondly, the power cord is so short it doesn't reach the outlet from the visor. This was a total waste of money for me. I would not recommend this product to anyone.

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I was hoping this would make calls easier to handle while driving. I could not hear over road noise on the highway and ended up having to hold the bluetooth device in my hand like a phone. Also, the lack of an off/on indicator was annoying. In town, I felt my eyes were on the road less than just making the call with the phone. My 2009 Scion has an iPhone port(not USB) to control the radio. This device did not work if my phone was plugged into the iPhone port. I was hoping for a simple solution to update my car's capabiliity to be hands free, but it seems I am better off saving my money to have bluetooth installed in the car.

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Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Front and Second Seat Floor Liner Set for Select Cadillac SRX

Purchased these for our vehicle and am very happy with the fit and function of the units. The materials seem to be a high quality and should last the life of the vehicle.

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Schumacher SE-2151MA SportsPower Automatic Battery Charger and Engine Starter

I purchased the item at Auto Supermarket about 8 months ago. After just at few times used, the meter stopped working. I paid about $115 for it. Not happy at all. Manufacturer offers two year warranty, but I have to ship it back to them (IT IS VERY HEAVY) and then they replace it with a refurbised one not a new one. Stinks, after how much I paid for it.

I have had this unit for approximately 9 months. I had the first occasion to use it last week. I attempted to charge a large automotive battery. I left it on the slow 2 amp charge for 2 days. It did not charge the battery. I took the battery to the dealer and he said that most of the water had been BOILED OFF due to incorrect or defective charging. $115.00 down the drain for another brand new battery. The meter is now reading 100 amps and is frozen. I attempted to test it and tried to bring up a VERY slightly low battery that was low due to testing an audio system. The charger got VERY hot and the meter did not move from 100 amps! I knew it was reading incorrectly because I tested it with an ammeter. I called the company that makes this. They ONLY will send me a USED unit. This after I pay for shipping this heavy piece of junk back to them. One more instance where China gets richer. This is truly sad and disappointing. They have my $$$$ and I've wasted $115. for a new battery and the $80. for this "charger". NO MORE SCHUMACHER units for me!!

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Went through two of these within one month. Overcharges batteries and then self-destructs. Poorly made.......

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Bought my first one several years ago and got to use it 4 times before it died. Auto Zone kindly allowed me to exchange it. The new one was used the day I got it and went to use it again about 2 months ago and got it out of its box and guess what, that's right. Not working. Pleased? I don't think so. It is the Schumacher model se-2151MA SPORTS POWER. Where's the power?

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The charger was advertised as near new but had a significant dent in the front of the charger.I was able to receive a discount because of this. The charger works fine.

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Sunforce 11260 2500 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Horrendous customer service and unreliable product

I have had nothing but problems with this inverter. It is completely unreliable. The OST is continually tripping the unit, which causes the AC to turn off and everything attached to it. After months of the unit tripping, it finally permanently failed, error code 529, and almost caught my camper on fire. It took weeks to get the smell out. I'm a seasoned electrical engineer with many years of power supply design experience, so I know the unit was installed correctly with very heavy wires, and located closed to four 125Ahr batteries in a clean, dry and well-ventilated area.

After sending over five emails to customer service, I finally received a response after threatening to write a bad review on the internet. They instructed me to send the unit back to NY, and they would look at it. I know it was delivered through a tracking number, but after numerous emails, I still have not received even an acknowledgment that they received the unit...very frustrating to say the least.

My 2 cents...buy from a more reputable company with customer service. You may need to spend twice the money, but it is worth every penny to get something that you can install, forget and enjoy for many years.

** UPDATE **: The 2nd unit fried as well. Big smoke came out of it, hopefully nothing was hooked to it when this happened. It looks like a very unreliable product.

If you are looking for a 2500W true sine wave power inverter, this is probably the cheapest and it will do a decent job as long as you don't have appliances that require a big peak wattage for starting a motor.

The main annoying feature is that if your input voltage gets too high (>14.5V) or too low (

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Optima 8020-164-FFP RedTop Group 35 Starting Battery

I purchased this battery in March of 2008 and the battery is now dead as of January 2009. I contacted Optima to attempt to arrange a warranty exchange, and they passed the buck by directing me to contact Amazon, to which I was told that they would not honor a warranty exchange, or refund on account of the shipping restriction they have on this item. I am now stuck with a $150 paperweight on my workbench, and have since replaced my battery with an OEM style replacement battery from my local auto store that will actually honor my warranty should I need to use it.

Optima batteries are excellent products that nary have any problems, but I will *NEVER* purchase another Optima product based on the lack of customer support that I received.

This product shipped from Amazon with no padding at all. It was cracked in several places, and some pieces of the plastic casing had broken off completely. It was no longer a sealed battery and was certainly not usable. I can't imagine this battery, which weighs nearly 40 lbs, ever surviving a trip through the mail without padding.

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I refused to accept delivery of this item. It was shipped with absolutely no protection. No padding, no box, nothing but a wrap of plastic to hold the spacer in place. The shipping labels were stuck directly to the bare battery. One entire lower corner was destroyed, broken plastic all the way into the actual cell. Since this is a gel cell type battery, no liquid leaked out, but I certainly was not going to accept a battery with a hole in the actual cell. These may be wonderful batteries, but shipping totally unprotected is idiocy.

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This is a great battery, however the people at Amazon were giving me much trouble for something that was their own fault. Either way, the battery is with me, although it arrived in a broken box!

Also, This battery DOES fit the Subaru WRX, this is the correct battery (8020-164), although all the other information on this page is incorrect (which I found out after talking with Optima themself)

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Battery died after 20 months. After calling Amazon I discovered that Amazon does not honor any warranty on this battery. Optima doesn't either! Local shops don't either! I had to replace the battery locally, but next time I'll at least have a warranty. DON'T BUY THIS BATTERY ON-LINE!!!!!

Battery Tender 021-0134 10-Bank 12V Battery Management System

Have only owned the product for a month, but am completely satisfied.

Does everything I would have expected. I collect motorcycles and never remove the batteries. I'm too lazy to move a charger from bike to bike. I've plugged in most of the bikes plus a car that I seldom use in the winter and leave them on. No worries.

Only negative I've found is the leads from the charger to the battery are only 6 feet long. If you require more, you need to purchase a 25 foot extension. 31 feet is much more than I need. Wish I could purchase leads of 10 to 15 feet long.

I live on a small farm and have many pieces of equipment that have batteries. I was able to remove the batteries and place them on a work bench and charge 10 of them at one time. Plus this unit will keep them at peak level until spring arrives.

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I bought one of these last year and liked it so much, I bought another.

We use these to charge batteries for clay target throwers.

Since we started using them, we do not have the low battry issues we used to have in the middle of a shoot.

The charger even rejuvinated some batteries that were questionable.

I highly recommend it!!!!!!!

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This unit is taking care of all of my equipment batteries saving me hundreds of dollars in replacement costs. My batteries typically cost over $200 so it doesn't take long for this unit to pay for itself. Recommend highly.

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This product delivers as advertsied and then more.

We have many vehicles, and products that require their batteries to be charged. We needed a product that could be left on 24/7,

not over heat nor damage / kill all types of batteries. Additonally we wanted to see status of charge. This unit fits the bill.

Plug and play. Have had many other brands prior. this unit beats them all. "Five stars"

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Keyless Entry Remote Fob Clicker for 2005 Ford Econoline With Do-It-Yourself Programming

I purchased two of these keyless entry remotes for my 2005 Ford Escape. It was very easy to program and the price was great. Much cheaper than buying from a dealer. I purchased the car used and received one very worn remote where the remote lock wasn't even working so it was almost worthless. I was able to use it to unlock the car plus it had been used quite a bit so the pictures were halfway worn off. I really wanted to have one for each key and found these on Amazon. I also was able to match the model number online with the original one that I had to make sure this would work. Both worked so I now have a spare in case I need it. I'm very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend it to everyone. It's a fraction of what the dealer would charge for the key fob and the cost of programming it. No need to pay all that money to someone else. Shipping was also very quick which was a plus.

The remote wrked GREAT . It was very simple to program to my escape. It arrived in just a few days as promised and I will recommend this product to all in need.

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When the buttons on my original key fob wore out I started looking for a replacement. Ford wanted $50 for one, which I thought was rediculous. After getting information from Ford about the exact part number for the replacement fob (they gave me 3 different part numbers), I found this one on Amazon and ordered it. When it arrived, my first attempt at programming my car to accept it failed. I suspected the battery, which turned out to be correct, as a test with a digital voltmeter showed 0.38 volts (it should have been 3 volts). I took the battery out of my old fob (I had recently replaced it), put it in the new one, and tried the programming procedure again. It worked perfectly, and has a range at least equal to the old one if not greater.

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VERY poor range. They work, but I have to literally hold it up to the door window to get it to work, almost easier to just use manual key.

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Accutire MS-4400B Pistol Grip Digital Tire Gauge

I have one of these from the late 1990s and it still works great. I like it so much I bought another recently.

It died after only 2 days -I tried to read a tire with about 8 psi and it showed "-0.0" on the display. After this, all it would do is show the same thing "-0.0".

So I exchanged it for another one. Sure enough, it worked for dozens of readings, until a few days later I again tried to read a tire with about 8 psi in it. Once again, it will only show "-0.0" after that.

My guess is this is a firmware problem with the new units.

It worked fine until the battery died. Then I found out that's designed to be disposable. I actually disassembled the unit and got a battery from Radioshack, but oh surprise, the unit didn't work anymore.

Don't buy disposable units. Pay a little bit more and get something that will work for many years.

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Piece of junk. Won't fasten onto the tire's valve stem just releases the air from the tire and doesn't register the pressure (that used to be there). I've purchased several items via Amazon.com, and this is the only one that's been a big disappointment.

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After buying a lot of inaccurate tire gauges (especially the digital ones), we found a review on Consumer Reports that recommended this one. Bought 3 -all 3 gave the same tire pressure when I tried them out on a tire. Accidentally dropped one on the pavement, then it flipped into the sand/gravel. Blew the sand out of the nozzle and it worked just fine. I don't recommend dropping it into the sand of course, but CR did say it held up well to being dropped and that seems to be true.

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I have had this gauge for a couple of years but had noticed significant differences between it and other gauges. Recently I did a comparison between three gauges including a certified master gauge in a tire shop. My gauge was reading 4 psi too low a significant deviation for a 32 psi nominal pressure.

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