WirthCo 20138 Knife Switch for Top Post Battery

I just installed one of these on my 2008 Hyundai Sonata. It fits fine under the hood. The 20138 is rated for 250 amps continuous and 750 amps surge at 12 volts.

The only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars is that the clamp was a bit tough to deal with. I could not get the clamp sufficiently far down on the negative terminal of my battery until I opened the clamp wider using two pairs of pliers.

Then, after tightening the clamp, I decided to reorient it. I found the clamp has no "springiness" to it, meaning after it was loosened, I had to open up the clamp a bit using a flat-head screwdriver before it would turn easily enough.

The clamp of the 20138 is made of brass (according to a WirthCo representative I asked). Brass is harder than lead, which is what the negative terminal of batteries is made of. So, expect the clamp to dig into your negative battery post somewhat.

No washer is supplied with the 20138 for use with the clamp bolt. This is not a big deal, but I supplied my own, as I prefer doing things that way.

Aside from that, it's great having this switch installed. Whenever I need to do electrical work on the car, disconnecting the battery couldn't be easier.

I saw this at my local RV repair shop for $ plus they wanted $25 bucks to install it. I found it here for about $24 and now it has been even lowered to $21. Easy 10 min. installation. and saves time disconnecting your battery when pulling a vehicle behind your RV.

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Just what we needed to keep our tractor battery from dying a slow, current-leaky death. Good transaction, speedy shipping, very satisfied!

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I searched all the auto parts stores around where I live in San Diego and all they had to offer in the way of an electrical current "on-off" switch was the type with a green plastic knob. Having had these before and inevitably enduring their failure, I was determined to buy a switch that has more to offer than the green plastic knob. I found it at (where else?) Amazon.com of course! This knife switch has a visual confirmation that the current is either "on" or "off". When the green plastic knob type fails there is no visual clue so you have to go through a sequence of disconnecting electrical connections and eliminating possible culprits. A real pain in the you-know-what. If you are in need of this type of switch, do yourself a big favor. Pay a little more and get a LOT more...performance. Four instead of five stars is because it could be made even stronger without much more cost. More than adequate as it is though.

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This poduct is easy to install and provides an easy way to protect a battery whenever a vehicle is parked for long periods

Instapark® Mars20S Portable & Rechargeable Emergency / Survival Solar Power Generator with Built-i

I purchased this primarily to power a small 12 volt cooler, And I wasn't to sure exactly what to expect quality wise. It is very solidly constructed, and feels like it could take a descent amount of abuse. And it performed pretty closely to how they described it. It ran the little cooler for a little over an hour. It also ran a 6 inch fan for about five hours and charged my cell phone an iPod touch form almost dead on one charge. The two negative things I can say about it is 1) I can't seem to get it to charge to 100% (only 97%), and 2) there is no compartment to store the chargers. Otherwise, it's pretty useful and very well constructed.

I'm using this unit as the core power supply for a portable sound system. The build quality is excellent, and it easily sustains 1-2 amps of 12V power all day and night. The multitude of power input and output connections are very convenient, and I honestly feel more comfortable living in an earthquake zone knowing I have this self-contained unit sitting alongside the distilled water and snack bars in case of infrastructure failure.

My only complaint is the apparent amperage regulation on the 12V outputs. For my sound system application I'm using a low-wattage amp that peaks at ~3 amps of draw, and yet still browns out on loud music segments. This won't be an issue for normal charging or emergency use, but if you're looking for an outdoor entertainment, ham radio, or other occasionally high-amp drawing application, consider using a separate solar panel and deep-cycle battery.

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Thus far I have just observed the charging. Unit was delivered at 69% and on Monday (5/27/2013) I was able to complete the charge (display reads 100%) solely by direct sun in Ridge, New York in about 3 hours given the clear sunny day of a southern exposure. In Brooklyn, I seemed to get 1% in 6 minutes. More to come including video. My hope is that these can have applications for electric cars like Tesla.

*********UPDATE (6/1/2013) VIDEO UPLOAD

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GOgroove FlexSMART X3 Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Enhanced Clarity Technology for Wireless Handsf

First of all I know this is a "product" review but I've got to mention the shipping aspect. I chose the free shipping and actually received the item 4 days ahead of schedule. Felt that was well worth mentioning. As far as the actual product, it's amazing. I had the Flexsmart X2 and had the same problem as the first reviewer....it wouldn't play through all my car speakers. But I've had no issues with the X3. The sound is friggin' amazing. I've tried several FM transmitters and this one is by far the best. Music through the Bluetooth connection sounds just like cd quality....crisp and clear with good bass. Just sounds really full. Anyway, I do agree that the thing is ugly, but I drive an '06 Camry so I'm certainly not going to impress the ladies with my FM transmitter. Anyway, the cosmetics aren't enough to throw it out, the performance is too good to do that (hey that line works in a lot of situations). Crap, sorry, back to the review....it's simple to pair with your phone. I have an iPhone 5 and it literally paired in seconds. You don't have to press anything on the unit to make it "ready" to pair. It automatically shows up on your list of Bluetooth devices. It pairs back up to your phone again automatically ever time you turn the transmitter back on. I've used the handsfree calling a couple times...works great. I will say the light color behind the buttons is pretty cool. It's that cool blue futuristic look...like something out of Tron Legacy. Of course as the description reads, it has a USB port to plug your phone in so you can charge it. That right there is a pretty stellar feature (you can pretty much throw your car charger in the glove box). All in all...this thing is well worth the price. Amazing (and I mean absolutely AMAZING) sound quality. You won't be dissapointed....from Lil Wayne to Taylor Swift and from Eminem to someone singing you happy birthday on a handsfree phone call*...all your music will sound awesome.

*Note: the level of awesomeness on the birthday song really depends on who is singing it...don't blame the device if the person singing sounds like Pee-Wee Herman is choking himself.

I recently purchased the this company's FlexSMART X2 and it turned out not to play stereo unless it was at full volume on the device. That was an issue because the sound was very distorted at times. I decided to give the X3 a chance in the hopes that the company made some updates to the design. It was a good decision as this device plays perfectly through my wife's stereo and the voice quality is good too. If there was one nitpick it is the color. I would prefer a black version but I knew that when I bought the device. I would recommend this to anyone with a stereo that doesn't have AUX in. Happy wife, happy life!

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The GOgroove FlexSMART X3 is one great FM/Bluetooth transmitter. I have been using an iPhone 5 from AT&T with this product for about a month now.

Overall Impression:

This is one great product. The Bluetooth integration makes this super convenient. Just start your car up, have your phone in your pocket and the GOgroove starts playing your music and is ready to take incoming calls via the Bluetooth system.

The sound quality is very good. The main reason I bought this was because I had a cassette with a cord to play the music on my iphone. But quite often it made this really annoying interference sound that electronics sometimes have on speakers. With this product there is no crazy beeping or bad noises.

Connecting to a clear radio station is very easy. You just need to hold the middle button for a few seconds and it pics a new station. I live in the bay area so I need to change the station when I travel about every 30 miles. You do need to take some time and "try out" various F.M. stations. One station might be clear, but if you drive 10 minutes, it gets really fuzzy. I found a station that sounds great from my house to my school, about a 8 mile distance. I don't need to keep changing the station to get a clear signal. Though when driving long distances, be prepared to change the station every once in a while to get a clear signal.

You do need to turn up your volume on your car really high when listening to audiobooks or recordings. This in turn sometimes produces a little fuzzy sound in the background, but it doesn't bother me much. If you get a really good station, no fuzzy sound is noticeable. One bummer is this device does not "remember" your volume setting. So when I listen to my audiobooks or recordings, every time I have to manually turn the devices volume up to max to get the best quality of sound. If someone from the company is reading this, please ADD this feature to your next device.

The device looks nice in the car, I got a compliment from my girlfriend. :) She actually was interested in getting one because it "looks good" even-though she has an auxiliary port in her car! The blue accent lighting is quite nice, it adds a special "touch" at night.

Call Quality:

The call quality is good. I can hear the other person through my speakers easily. Also the people I am talking with say they can hear me clearly..no echoing has been found.

Hidden surprises I found using the product:

1. If you are listening to your ipod or even PANDORA, then the next time you start your car up, the device starts playing automatically. This is really nice because it saves time going through your device and starting up your music or audiobooks. It also pauses what you are listening to when you turn off the device or turn off your car.

2. You don't need to plug the cable from the phone to the GOgroove, it works via Bluetooth! Maybe it says this in the description, but it was a pleasant surprise to me. I thought the Bluetooth was only for the calling aspect.

3. The Pause/Play button and skip forward or backward buttons on the GOgroove device work with my ipod (through my iphone) and on PANDORA via Bluetooth. This is great because now I just keep my phone in my pocket when I get in and out of my car. No more spending time fumbling around to connect my device (especially nice in the cold mornings) or forgetting my phone in the car.

4. I won't lose this thing! I keep it in my car, and vuala! I say this because I have owned Bluetooth headsets and I have either lost them or broke them because they are so small and delicate. Also when I did have my headset, I would wear it into the house from my car and forget it next time I drove my car and NEEDED to use it. Now I just turn on my car and I am "Bluetooth ready" to take calls.

Overall this is a great alternative if you don't have an auxiliary port or are looking for an alternative Bluetooth device to take calls in your car. You can message me with any questions you may have.

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Just purchased and recieved the Gogroove Flexsmart X3 for use in my 2002 Honda Accord, with my iPhone5. My Accord has the factory radio and up until now I had been using an FM transmitter that required me to plug a cable into the earphone jack on the iPhone. I was worried that the continued plugging and unplugging would wear out/damage the earphone jack. I felt that a bluetooth link from the phone to the transmitter was what I needed.

After reading various reviews online I ordered the X3. Pairing was very easy and it feels like a solid, well built device, however the X3 has it own internal volume control that needed to be turned up all the way to give me good sound in the car (while the car radio and the iPhone were set at approx 1/2-3/4 volume level each). OK, so I don't mind adjusting the volume on the X3 ONCE, but the problem is everytime that the car is turned off and the X3 loses power the internal volume level on the X3 reverts to a much lower setting. So now everytime I get into my car I have to press the volume up button on the X3 several times to get it back to where I need itWhat a pain!! It doesn't matter if I'm listening with the key in the "acc" position and then I start the car, the momentary loss of power to the X3 resets the volume level to a much lower setting than I need.

For Pete's sake, They designed this thing so that it retains the radio station preset internally to broadcast to my car stereo, why can't it also retain my last volume level when it powers down??? Like most people, I am using it day after day in the exact same car with the exact same phone. They dropped the ball on this aspect of the design.

I thought maybe this Gogroove Flexsmart X3 was going to solve my problems. Turns out it created new ones.

The call is yours, if you don't mind having to fiddle around with this thing everytime you get into your car buy it. For me it is likely going to be returned.

One last gripe: Offer a color choice other than white. Having to put my fingers on it so often to get it to work properly is only going to show dirt. Does everyone have to copy Apple's design?

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I would've rated this a 5 if it came with an AUX cable with a noise filter.

If you have an iPhone and an AUX input in your car, this is the way to go, if you don't wanna spend the time and money on a full out in-dash Bluetooth head unit. It's one of the few units that have both "AUX In" and "AUX out" ports.

To put it simply, if you hate FM transmitters, and have an AUX/Headphone port in your car, this thing gives your car Bluetooth capability over the car's audio system.

Pros:

Auto-connect: no manual pairing needed. As soon as you turn on car, it pairs with iPhone and plays your podcasts or playlists over the car's speaker system (unlike the Motorola Roadster 2's crappy mono speaker output), pausing automatically for phone calls and GPS queues, and then auto resuming after ended call without any button pushing, manual pair, etc.

Flexible neck makes it super ergonomic for all cars

Great sound. Once again, it uses car's speakers, making it better than Jabra and Motorola's output systems. Though you will need an AUX cable with a digital noise filter. Kensington makes one for like $12, sold on Amazon.

Price

Cons/Suggestions for Improvement:

Galaxy s3 doesn't pair for some crazy reason

Please include a digital AUX cable with a noise filter. Seriously, with the supplied cable, there's so much static that it's almost unusable without one.

Make a way to turn off the FM transmitter. I use the AUX/Bluetooth solution. I don't need my phone calls broadcast on FM

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GPS Rapid 12v Car Charger for Magellan Roadmate 1400 1412 1430 1440 1470 1475T

• IC Chip recognizes full battery & automatically switches to saver mode
• LED charging indicator
• Fast charge for your GPS while on the road
• Can be used with input voltages for car and truck
• Made of high quality vinyl

I ordered a power supply for the Magellan 1470 and received a power supply with a mini-USB port that doesn't fit. The type of connector should be mentioned in the product description.

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This is a cell phone charger and will not power my Magellan RoadMate 1470 GPS. When I used it to power the RoadMate it turn on for an few seconds then turned back off. Clearly not able to deliver the power needed to run the GPS. It may be able to trickle charge the GPS battery when the GPS is off, but this does not help me since the outlets in my civic are not active unless the keys are in the ignition. Plus on a long trip, the charging will not be able to keep up with the battery drain.

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Did NOT work with my Magellan 1470 GPS. Packaging listed only cell phone applications. It did work with other more generic devices, so the charger doesn't appear to be defective, just not compatible with Magellan 1470.

Quick shipping, response and refund from seller (Bastexwireless) and from Amazon, but the product applications have not been changed and they should be.

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I had previously borrowed my sister's adapter for my navigation system, and it worked just fine... but after attempting to use the adapter my navigation system to freeze.

My wife broke our Magellan car charger when she adjusted her seat forward when the cord was caught in the railing. We had a car adapter for a cellphone that fit (i.e. both mini USB), but the charger didn't have the proper power output, which meant that the GPS had to "charge up" for a few minutes before it would turn on, and it would run out of power while we were using it.

My wife was getting mad, and thought that the GPS was broken and wanted me to buy a new one. However after some research I learned that I simply needed a new car charger, which led me to this product.

This car charger does exactly what it's supposed to do. It keeps the GPS charged, and there is no longer any "charge time" or random shut downs during operation because my GPS is now getting all the power it needs.

My only complaint (and this is why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5) is that it gets pretty hot when it's being used, and I'm worried that it'll burn out in a few months. However, for the time being at least, it works great.

HELLA HLA-H83140171 H4 12V 100/80W Halogen Bulb Off Road Use

Update: June 2009 I sold my bmw as it was getting on in years. Not one problem with this bulb!

Please check the comments I might post either pictures or a video of the bike with the bulb installed.

This review focuses on using the Hella H4 bulb in my motorcycle. Basically most of the information in this review applies to any brand of bulb. However, the price on amazon is good and the opportunity to read and write product reviews is probably second to none. The shipping was kind of high in my opinion so I recommend you consider buying two bulbs in different wattages (stay with white uncolored bulbs if your goal is to light up the road at night).

Here's my situation, I have a 1992 BMW K75S with almost 60K miles on it. The alternator was rebuilt a few years ago and upgraded to 600W (Watt) / 46 Amp max output. This is important because many cruiser typ motorcycles only produce 280W max and may not have enough power to run a 100W bulb and add on fog or driving lights.

Recently I had performed a major mechanical renovation including installing some aftermarket products to improve the motorcycle.

Headlight was never very good at night. Especially on Southern California's 4 lane highways where speeds can reach 70 to 80mph at night. I don't like to go that fast but I like to move with the general flow of traffic.

Focus not just power: a few years ago I added incredibly powerful generic "driving lights" from the autostore. These lights were 110W each! The light seemed to go everywhere except the road in front of me. If you buy driving / fog lights take one and run wires from your car's battery to the light at night and hold the light at the height it will mount at on your bike and see if you like the beam pattern. I had the same experience with the last fog? light kit light I bought for my honda shadow. This is why this bulb is such a nice / cheap easy upgrade. Your head light enclousure is designed to focus light in two places near/far low/high. The wattage between hi and low is only 5w's on stock bulbs it is the focus that lets you see farther (at the expense of seeing closer if you have only one bulb / head light and not a dedicated hi only and low only like some cars and motorcycles provide.

First, I bought a sylvania Silver star 60/55W bulb for $20 at autozone. It was virtually no better than stock and so I returned it. Keep in mind there are "plus" bulbs that can be brighter or whiter while using the same wattage but they are expensive ~ 40 to 60 for one bulb! But if they really work and you have a motorcycle that has little or no surplus power to run a more powerful bulb then I recommend it. For everyone else it is much cheaper and easier to throw more power at the road.

I bought two bulbs:

1. "Hella HLA-H83140161: H4 12V 80/70W Yellow Star Bulb Off Road Use"

2. "Hella HLA-H83140171 H4 12V 100/80W Halogen Bulb Off Road Use"

The first bulb 80/70W "Yellow" was aweful it was noticibly dimmer then the stock 60/55W bulb! I could barely see the road a night as though my head light was off! Not sure what the purpose of that bulb is. I ordered it accidently because I was focused on the wattage and didn't pay attention to the color. If you want to see better order "white" or "clear" etc not yellow, and maybe not even blue.

Next, I installed this bulb and I really liked it. I don't give it 5 stars because it lights better but I still feel I need to add powerful "Driving lights" to see farther. Don't confuse that with "Fog lights" which brighten the low beam area on the pavement and add nothing to distance viewing.

I think the 100/80W is an excellent first step to improving motorcycle lighting. As a bonus I meant to order 100/55W figuring I would use the lower power and heat during the day (motorcycle lights are come on when the ignition is turned on and can't be shut off). But I noticed the biggest improvement in the low beam at night. Super bright beam pattern and that is the advantage of using 80 watts on low.

Also, I have only one light. Other motorcycles have two bulbs so both high and low are on at the same time and this provides much better lighting over single bulb setups like mine.

For motorcycles like a yamaha virago 1100 with weak alternators they should use 100/55W and only use the 100 on the highway when the motor is spinning fast and is closer to its maximum electrical output vs idling at lights which could easily drain the battery. Finally, wires should be in good condition and dielectric grease should be applied to contacts to avoid melting wires from too much power and / or resistance from corroded connections.

Glass vs plastic: my motorcycle and my friend, Joe Monzo's 1993 virago 1100 have glase head lights. If yours is plastic (car or motorcycle) it could melt! So find out from others that own the same thing what is safe to use.

Note: if your headlight is off and someone shines a flash light at the bulb while it is mounted in the headlight and looks at the base the words "off road use only" and 100/55W will be visible. So if questions were to arise don't say how do you know my bulb isn't stock prepare to honestly explain the upgrade and why. So far no one has flashed high beams at me and I pointed my headlight down as much as possible to avoid blinding people and concentrate the light on the road. It is still not nearly as bright or clear as HID.

Compared to cars with stock oem bulbs on the highway at night and at red lights etc my bulb provides as much and usually more light than most or all cars except those running HID. I would say the HID are lit about 30% or 40% better.

I considered HID but those bulbs use a special ballast to generate 20,000 volts to start the bulb then 85v to run but consume only 35 watts. They take 1 minute to reach full power. The claim to have 3X the light of regular bulbs which is quite possible. And the quality / usability of the lights is much better than hallogen which was first used in europe in the 1970's.

Bulb Life: longetivity is shortned if the bulb gets too hot because the enclosure does not accomadate the extra heat well. Seems to be no problem on my bmw but some riders using other high power bulbs need a new one every year! My friends virago probably has only half the interior volume for the bulb to cool in and might need a "plus" bulb solution. If you monitor your wiring and the switch it costs very little to try the 100/xx W solution and gives you something to compare the "plus" or any other solution(s) too.

I ordered a pair of Hella FF50 "driving lights" from amazon with a concentrated beam pattern of ~ 25 degrees ( not quite "pencil beam" like the fameous but discontinued PIAA 910 driving lights). The enclosures are plastic which won't rust but would probably melt if higher wattage bulbs were used.

I rated 4 not 5 stars NOT because of any failing on part of the product but rather to emphasis that high power bulbs help alot but still may need to be suplemented with driving lights. My goal is to see farther so I still plan to install driving lights. I am fine with stock lights on my car but my life depends on seeing objects at night in the road. I prefere to ride in the day but this time of year it is hard to avoid night riding.

The Future: HID and LED lights. Both use less power. HID driving light kits are probably better for motorcycles and cars rather than trying to retrofit the stock bulbs. HID's have only one filament so they can't provide Hi and low from the same bulb like H4 bulbs do. There are gimics to simulate hi/low but I read that they don't work well. Currently, an HID driving / fog light kits runs about $400 (2007 prices).

Conclusion:

Before buying check your charging systems output (motorcycles only, cars have plenty), wiring & Hi/Low switch, relay(s), glass? head light enclosure (heat). Internet forums for your brand of motorcycle will give you results of other owners. Finally, buy with confidence that this product will deliver much better light at night for your motorcycle.

My TAGS: bmw, k75, k75rt, k75s, H4, 9003, HID, motorcycle, watts, alternator, stator, wires, melt, heat beam, pattern

REGARDLESS of color, HELLA bulbs are a choice that wil make your life safer.

Want more light with a factory harnesses, buy HELLA CLEAR bulbs.

HELLA makes the most reliable and brightest bulbs available. I prefer the HELLA CLEAR 100/80w over the 130/90w (power needs), some friends like the 100/55w for city use (DOT/POLICE issues). They last longer than bulbs costing much more and have saved my life many times due to seeing life-threatening obstacles before it was to late.

30 years of experimenting with bulbs, many burned wiring harnesses, colored bulbs, PIAA, Sylvania, JDM, etc. HELLA is MY choice and PORSCHE applications add to my arguement.

If you want BLUE bulbs buy the HELLA OPTILUX or XENON SERIES. I prefer the CLEAR due to the increased light over factory standards and SEEING better in the dark.

Buy HELLA HLA-H83140171 H4 12V 100/80W Halogen Bulb Off Road Use Now

I've upgraded headlights on most of the vehicles I've owned.

This was on my BMW R1100R motorcycle, which uses one H4 bulb in a separate headlight shell.

Stock (55/60W) was poor. I added a relay harness (I usually do this first), this brought the light from the stock bulb up to 'adequate'. But it'd still only one bulb unlike a car's two, and I need to see just as much or more on a bike as on a car. So I went looking for an uprated H4 bulb...

Man, some people want crazy prices for a bulb that cost no more to make! I've seen $40 and up. I found a Hella 80/100W for a sensible pricw, and a Hella 100/130W for about the same price. I happen to know that 100/130W can melt the stock connectors sometimes. So I got the 80/100W. This now provides about the same light output as a decent pair of car headlights, does not exceed the connector's rating, and attracts no undue attention (it's technically illegal), and I can see just fine now. :) Hella make excellent quality bulbs.

Still going strong well over a year later, with daily use....

Update: Low beam finally went out in January 2011... Still with daily use.

I just ordered another. :)

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Looks like management at Hella is drinking American outsourcing Cool-Aid! Received a pair of Hella 100/80W bulbs (still putting harness together). To my surprise the box says that bulbs were made India. Aghh So what happened to parts made in WG?? Disappointing.

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I have been using these bulbs for decades, and love them. Trouble is, they are difficult to find, and often very expensive. Here, they are cheap, easy to find, easy to get, and while they don't last as long as regular halogen H4 bulbs, they are so much better at illuminating the road that I believe they add a huge safety margin.

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Fonus Universal Rotatable Car Mount Lighter Socket Holder Dock with USB Charging Port for Verizon S

Purchased this mount for my GS2. Fits the GS2 without an issue, could even fit a slightly wider phone. Retention mechanism is sturdy and holds phone securely. Rotates 360°. Flexible stalk offers lots of orientation choices.

ISSUES

Ball hinge joint at the end of the stalk does not hold my phone upright. Even after cranking down on the adjustment, the phone droops under its own weight. Solution was to introduce additional bend into the stalk such that the ball adjustment rests on its stop (cant drop any farther at that point). For those with larger (heavier) phones, this may be an issue. Another option might be to insert something like a small piece of paper into the ball retention cavity to act as a friction surface (haven't tried this yet).

The mount will slide from side to side in the cigarette lighter receptacle over time and with road vibration. There is a rubberized piece on the end of the part which inserts into the lighter receptacle which is intended to stabilize the orientation of the mount, but in my Nissan Armada this has minimal effectiveness. The mount also tends to slide out of the lighter receptacle over time, to the point where the charging connection fails. It is likely that the retention performance of the mount will vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the construction of the lighter receptacle.

Also note, if your car has a cigarette lighter socket which is powered when the ignition is off, the blue power indicator LED will remain lit until the mount is removed from the socket. This could cause battery drain over time.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Not a bad product, could have better performance. Construction, materials, and build quality are good and the product should last. Allows for a hands free view of Google Maps when driving, and holds the phone while the kids are watching Netflix. Would be better if it didn't require adjustment every 30 miles or until you find the perfect balance point. If you have an ideally oriented lighter socket like my truck does, this is a decent option for a smartphone mount.

I was looking for a simple, adjustable cigarette lighter mount for my iPhone 5. Although this mounts says it is for a Samsung Galaxy S3, it will work fine with any smartphone. The only thing here that might be S3 specific is the micro-usb charging cord included. Of course, that will work with any device that accepts a standard micro-usb connector. (I have a micro-usb to Lightning adapter so it works fine with my iPhone 5 as well or just use a USB to Lightning cable)

The clamping mechanism holds tight and the flexible arm is fairly adjustable. The rubber reinforced cigaratte lighter plug is a bit loose but not too bad. There is a blue LED light just above the USB port that is pretty bright at night but a small piece of electrical tape took care of that...

All in all, works as advertised and I am happy with it...

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Works perfect for a Galaxy S3. We're uisng it vertically, it stays perfect in the position you leave it and it's tought enough to support each time you touch the screen without moving.

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This thing plugs into the lighter socket, and gradually wiggles itself free, so you constantly have to readjust it to seat it back into the socket.

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Kinetik KHC800 800-Watt 12-Vault Power Cell

• AGM Technology
• Sealed Non-Spillable Design
• Mount In Any Position
• Ultra Low ESR
• Superior Heat & Vibration Resistance

I added two more of the HC800 to the already existing one and they work phoenoninally. My lights don't dim anymore and I noticed a definite gain in power with my subs. Shipping was very fast and the batteries were fully charged. Thanks for supplying such a great product

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PAC PAC-200 200 Amp Power Relay

So far I have 4 of these in 4 ea. 1 year old trucks running optima D31 batteries and inverters inside, along with this isloator model to prevent load on the truck's starting battery. One truck is equipped with dual D31's for extended inverter runtime.

With 48 truck-months of usage we've had no failures or trouble of any kind, if you are interested we also wired two trucks with the ability to jumpstart themselves using this (it's rated for 300A surge). It does mean an extra wire and switch inside the cab but beats bringing the jumper cart out in the weather.

During the year of use, there have been no more emergency jump starts, no more dead trucks on monday, and the inverter systems have run fine. With the extra current from the alternator we can run the inverters (I'll admit a hodgepodge of models purchased at different times) for extended periods of time as needed to support heavy power tools to cell phone chargers.

Drivers do appreciate the "clunk" this isolator makes when engaged. The audible noise lets you know the two electrical systems are tied.

I would recommend a shunt style ampmeter if room permits.

Install as described, No worries...Koool to hear switch clunk when you turn on accessory! Solid sounding, well made...

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You need one of these for that second battery install. Easy to install, no worries...

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Ive had this on my sc300 because a alternator cost 230 and a battery is 160 for the car so i want to avoid paying that out AGAIN! i bought a kinetik 600 battery and this and niether one of them has went dead yet. now its not going to eliminate power lost after about 40mins at night my lights still start to dim.but as long as my car still starts up this rely is doing its job

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Huge fan of the relay. Not only does it save the battery up front from dying out on me, but if the battery up front ever dies, it's a flip of a switch and boom! Jump start with no cables. Little extra wiring, but so worth it. I use it to isolate three commercial grade batteries from my optima red top up front, and it works wonders!

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New 4 Buttons Key Case Shell for Honda Accord Civic CR-V Insight Remote Key No Chips Inside (FCC ID

This key shell is the bomb. Instead of paying $90 for a new key made up at the dealership I paid $6 per key and did my own surgery to transfer the buttons and transponder. Once the key is cut, it works well and because the key blade itself is integrated into the shell instead of being held in by one lousy screw as the original is, I expect it to last a long time. The only drawback to this key is that you cannot simply transfer the already cut blade to the new shell. Because the key blade is integral to the shell you must have a new one cut and only a Honda or Acura Dealer can or will cut it for you. The good news is that the ones I talked to don't charge for the service. It takes about twenty minutes once you are at the dealer to cut two of them.

A quick tutorial for those who don't know what a transponder is (which I did not), or how to get it out and move it to the new key:

In the shell there is a small (roughly 1/8" X 1/4" X 3/16") rectangular piece off to one side of the key shaft in the part of the key toward the blade (the front). That rectangular piece is a hollow that contains a small computer chip. That chip is an electronic device that tells the ignition system of the car that it is OK to allow the car to start. If it is not in the new key shell the car starter will turn, but the ignition will not energize and you will run your battery down trying to start the car.

This surgery requires the following tools:

Razor knife with a _new_ blade, small Phillips screwdriver, small flat screwdriver or something flat to pry with, glue (silicone tub glue works well), a toothpick or paper clip and a small clamp of some kind (a clothes pin would work).

Take the screw out of the old shell and pry it open (if it doesn't simply fall apart like mine did).

Remove the button set and lay it aside.

Using a new blade (this is important, more people have been accidentally cut with dull knifes than sharp ones) make two cuts on the short ends of the inside part of the plastic rectangle holding the transponder. That frees the long side of the rectangle closest to the center of the key.

Pry the resulting long side away from the transponder.

Now cut the plastic of the short side on either end of the outside part of the rectangle.

Pry those two ends away from the transponder.

Using the flat screwdriver, pry the transponder out of its holder.

(TAKE NOTE, I made sure that the end of the transponder that was toward the key blade in the original shell was toward the key blade when I put the transponder into the new key head. I don't know if this makes a difference or not, but it can't hurt and the key might not allow the car to start if the transponder is pointed the "wrong way". Both of my keys worked first time after I did it this way.)

Put a blob of silicone on the toothpick and force the blob into the new key head's transponder holder.

Push the transponder into the new key head. (If you want to get really fancy, trim down the little rectangle of plastic that was on top of the transponder in the old key head with a pair of needle nose pliers holding it so you don't cut your fingers and glue it on top.)

Put the clothes pin/clamp/weight on the transponder to hold it in place.

Leave the transponder glue dry for a half hour or so.

Put the buttons back in the shell.

Screw it shut and try it out.

The doing is a lot simpler than the telling.

Did not fit the 2009 Honda accord key chip. There was a piece of plastic inside which prevented key chip from fitting.

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I was looking for a replacement key where the metal area could be removed since that is what I needed to replace on my broken key. The metal key area was attached to the plastic outer casing and could not be removed. I returned the item & was given my refund without a problem.

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Pefect to my needs it saved me over 180 usd of having to buy a bran new key at dealer just for plastic brakage on my old key, perfomr well, looks nice and is solid.

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The alternative was to get a complete new key. The dealer wanted $250. My locksmith retro fitted the electronics in my old key and cut this one for $7. For under $20 I have what Honda wanted to charge me $250 for.

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Schumacher SP-400 4.8W Solar Battery Charger / Maintainer

This item works well and puts out quite a good amount of electricity even in non ideal lighting. You'll want the charge controller with this one if you intend to use it as a constant 12V battery trickle charger. I think this large one has the ability to overcharge, especially on very sunny days. The charge controller will prevent overcharge.

This item has been multi purpose. I use this was a battery maintainer of my motorcycle and my lawn mower, charger and set up as emergency charging unit. I have configured this pannel charging for cell phones, charging the battery for a Ham radio(s). This unit also works well in vehicles, just place on dash, plug into the lighter plug and power the car radio with the key on and or use to charge the battery.......

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Can't say more than that, it does what it is suppose to do and keeps the battery charged. No more worries about dead battery after long periods of storage. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend, but get the controller to avoid batter burn out.

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Had this solar panel for a month now. Using it with Schumacher SPC-7A Solar Charge Controller to help keep my riding Lawn mower battery topped off. Have the Panel just sitting on a window with the blinds holding it in place. So far very good.

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This device did not provide a battery charge used with a Schumacher Solar charge controller. There is no real good way to test or check the unit for proper operation. A fully charged dual battery on a Silverado truck still discharged as before using this solar charger

Python 580 Responder Remote Start/Keyless Entry System

• Long-range 2-way remote start system with keyless entry
• Confirms commands and system triggers with the Responder LE remote's Ghostlight indicators and tones
• Multiple time and temperature remote start modes
• Includes one Responder LE 2-way remote and one companion 1-way remote
• OEM Security Alert input
• Multiple time and temperature remote start modes Includes one Responder LE 2-way remote and one companion 1-way remote

I installed a one-way version of this on my 2000 Monte Carlo last fall. Installed the 580 on my wife's 2009 Vue this fall. The installation can be done yourself if you can read diagrams and use a volt meter. You must buy the proper interface module loaded with software to make it work in your car. I found one on that auction site that starts with an E. Using the DB-All interface, I only had to hook up 7 wires. Took about two days, but i am extremely obsessive about making things look stock. This unit has excellent range. It tells you if the vehicle received the signal, no hoping and guessing if it started. I am very satisfied! The setup would cost around $500 installed at a retail store, and you never know who is hacking into the wires under your dash.

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Installed the Python 580 myself in my '06 Honda Ridgeline about 1 month ago. So far, the system works great; even at -20F in North Dakota. The install took around 8 to 10 hours, but much of that time was spent researching the installation since only a wiring diagram is provided; no install instructions. Actually wiring it up was pretty easy. If you're not familiar with electronics or electrical systems I would advise having it installed for you. Be sure to order an immobilizer bypass module if you're installing this in a modern car. I used the DBALL from XpressKit (also made by Directed Electronics). I connected it to the Python 580 using the D2D connection, and it works perfectly. I can control all the same functions as the factory key fob with the Python fob. No extra key is need for the DBALL either, which is nice. Range is plenty far for what I need to start my truck from across the office and parking lot. The 2 way functions take a little memorizing, but are easy to use (cabin temp, lock status, run time remaining, etc...). All in all, I'm very satisfied with this remote starter.

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The system works great, a lot of features, be careful, is not a securiy system, is just a keyless entry system. The remotes are a little low quality plastic. But everything else is great.

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This unit works well, however the battery door on both remotes has broken, and I am having a tough time finding replacement parts

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This remote start is reliable but the battery cover broke easily. I can't find a replacement anywhere. I have to use tape to hold the cover.

Lilliput 7-inch LCD monitor with HDMI, YPbPr interface, dedicated high-definition video camera by K

I read a positive review on this monitor for use with DSLRs, and since it is priced so well, I had to try it. First of all, the company ships (at least my monitor) form Southern California, which is where I live. So I ordered the monitor on a Wednesday and it arrived the next day! I've been playing with it non stop since I got it. I think this monitor is perfect for anyone looking to expand their video production capabilities. I had a hard time keeping focus during a lot of movement/live events with the little 3" monitor on the 7d, and I've never been a viewfinder type of shooter. This 7" is the cure for that. My immediate reaction was "Marshall who?" There is virtually no reason to spend as much as $1600 on a field monitor when you can get this for $200. I messed with the settings a little to get the brightness to match the canon lcd, but I really didn't even need to do that. I am simply using this to better compose and focus shots. I'll update if I find any negative issues, but for now, I'mm still in new purchase afterglow, so it gets all 5 stars from me.

Do not make the mistake that I did by buying a separate hot shoe mount. I purchased the Marshall V-LCD-MT Monitor Adapter and it was a waste. The mount that comes with the Lilliput monitor is the EXACT same mount as the Marshall; there are no differences whatsoever. I purchased the separate mount because some of the reviews said that the mount that comes with the lilliput was no good. However, it is made out of metal, and once tightened down, it is very sturdy; no wobbles, etc. If anything, purchase the spare battery for just a couple bucks more than what the marshall mount costs.

The monitor itself is crystal clear and very easy to use/setup. It comes with a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable which allowed me to be up and running with my 7D in about 5 minutes. There is virtually no latency from what the lens of the camera sees and what you see on the monitor. If you look hard enough, there might be about a nano second of latency, but nowhere near enough to impede usage. This monitor has helped me so much in maintaining focus on my subjects. With the little LCD built into the camera, I thought I had shots in focus, only to come home and review on my computer and realize things were blurry/out of focus. This monitor definitely helps to prevent that; perfect for people like me with bad eyesight!

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The 3 inch screen on my Canon T2I is not all that big to get a clear image of what I am going to get. It helps having a bigger screen to see whats happening, especially one that can be adjusted. I don't use the stand that it came with as it is mounted to my dslr rig I have from indisystem. The addition to the rig makes it look really professional now. I haven't had any issues with it and works just fine for my needs. It came with a protective shade that snaps on and off which helps in the sun. It also came with the hdmi cable that connected just fine to my Canon T2I and works great.

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Used it twice before white screen of death. Waiting to hear from lilliput or seller about replacement. Not Good at all.

UPDATE

Viviteq replaced the faulty unit quickly and professionally very, very happy with their customer service.

Lilliput never bothered to get back to me.

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I was excited by this product, small, battery operated. And resolution and sound is great.

BUT:

It has a fantastically annoying glitch in that if your HDMI source ever changes modes or drops in or out (for example if you are connected to a computer that reboots or changes video modes/resolution), it will put a large annoying NO INPUT graphic right in the middle of the screen that will not go away even though you can see your screen perfectly right behind it.

The only way to get rid of the NO INPUT is to cycle through all your source selects on the LILLIPUT or turn the LILLIPUT off and on. Sadly, for me, this makes it unworkable since my purpose is to use it to connect quickly to HDMI devices and troubleshoot them. I spend all my time scrolling through the source select to get rid of that dialog/message that pops up for whatever unknown reason right in the middle of the screen.

Such a silly thing and useless graphic/message that only serves to get in the way.

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