Showing posts with label varta car batteries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label varta car batteries. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Motorola Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger for DROID BIONIC - Car Kit - Retail Pac

Motorola Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger for DROID BIONIC - Car Kit - Retail Packaging - BlackI'm in love with my bionic, maybe because I've had a BB Tour for the past nearly 3 years. But I like this dock, turns your phone into a gps basically... if you can't figure out how to use it, simply hit the voice recognition button (make sure its set to google voice search and not that verizon piece of crap voice search) and say "Navigate to New York, NY" and if you speak relatively clearly it will pop up a confirmation box, making sure thats what you want to do... Hit "go" and it will go into navigate mode, where it will act like a GPS... but its better because you can access street view (press the green area at the top where tthe directions are and click the little yellow guy that appears on the bottom right) and live traffic info. You can choose alternate routes and set preferences to avoid tolls / highways.

When I get in my car I tell my car where to take me and pop on pandora. I have it hooked up to my car stereo through an auxilary connection. When GPS instructions need to be given, it pauses pandora. Also, it acts as a speakerphone, which I love. Again, pauses your music with an incoming call. ROutes the callers voice into your speakers and still allows you to use the phones mic to speak. Everybody says they can hear me well! Maybe this doesnt amaze you, but my BB tour used to disable my mic when i hooked up any kind of 3.5mm audio to it, so I was super stoked when this phone worked the way I hoped! Although if you have Bluetooth in your car already, none of this matters.... lol

I had the original "OG" Droid by Motorola, and got very used to having the car dock up by the rear view mirror. Loved the automatic car-mode feature, which was ground-breaking for its time. There were one or two things that I thought could be better... which brings us to this one.

They fixed them all. This thing is GREAT!!

Pros:

A. Nice deep suction cup with a positive lock that holds *really* well!

B. Post-to-mount is a ball joint with a threaded collar to lock it totally adjustable.

C. Camera is unobstructed!! Create a "Camcorder" shortcut on the second screen and you've got driving videos/photos!

D. The BIONIC fits in this without taking it out of the case! (the standard Moto belt case w/kickstand) But, if you're a no-case/pocket kinda guy/gal there's an adapter included FTW.

Cons:

A. Zip

B. Zilch

C. Nada

Buy it. It's perfect. Everyone complaining about it is really complaining about the phone's dock software. There's not one thing wrong with this device.

Buy Motorola Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger for DROID BIONIC - Car Kit - Retail Pac Now

This item works as described and the navigation works far better than my Garmin Nuvi! The voice command and bluetooth also work well. The only problem I have had is with the music player for some reason I cannot access my full library from the custom home screen music option although I haven't ruled out user error as of yet. I haven't had a problem with the window mount coming detached and the collar to keep the swivel in place works fine on mine as well. Bionic also fits snug while bionic is in the case. If I find that the music library is just a setting in the phone I will add another star but overall I am happy with it and feel it was worth the forty bucks or so I paid for it. Oh btw it also reads text messages aloud if you receive text while driving or gives you an option to call the sender via voice command so you can keep your eyes on the road. I like to see a generic dock do either of those!.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger for DROID BIONIC - Car Kit - Retail Pac Here

This is the version that comes with the charger and the USB cable. That is very important to pay attention to, because there is also a version that is just the dock (the Verizon one). Anyway, that USB cable is the only connection needed to the dock, cleaning up the look. No need to also plug in an audio cable, as the USB cable carries the audio and you plug the audio cable into that. The docking software has a few well-documented quirks (inability to rotate out of landscape view, phones volume control doesn't work through USB, etc.), but this is not pertinent to a review of the dock itself. The dock itself is very sturdy, the phone slips in and out smoothly, it DOES accomodate the extra capacity battery (I have this), and there is a sleeve that you can remove to accomodate a protective case (I don't have this). Very pleased with the dock so far!

Want Motorola Vehicle Navigation Dock with Rapid Vehicle Charger for DROID BIONIC - Car Kit - Retail Pac Discount?

This is an OEM Motorola made for Bionic car mount/cradle . It includes a unique charger set up as well which is not very well described or barely mentioned , ANYWHERE ! So let me start there . The car charger is a dual USB style port which plugs typically into your car's cigarette lighter/12V power outlet just like any other ordinary auto charger . Only this one includes a special cable which is actually 2 cables in 1 ! The 1st is the USB to micro USB used for power / charging of the phone but it actually says to NOT use with other chargers or household outlet style chargers don't ask me why , thats just what it says . It plugs large side into the plug going into your cars power outlet and the other (micro) into the cradle assembly . The 2nd cable is a mini phono style cable which connects to the plug in your cars power outlet and leads out approximatley 12-15 inches and then leads to your vehicles auxillary input jack assuming you have one , if you do great , this is simple neat and easy for you but if you don't , no worries , the cable section is removable and the external phone speaker works fantastically ! Or if your vehicles radio is BT compatible then you could use that method ;) All this bundles up nice and neat with an included velcro wrap up which is a nice lil' bonus too . As for the cradle , it's far nicer than the Motorola cradle for the orignal Droid which i also had and liked , this one will accept the phone out of the box stock or with the extended factory battery or with a variety of silicone sleeve/covers and even the extended battery with factory VERIZON shell/holster what i currently use and it works with them all securely and firmly and allows for full access to all features of your phone as well as buttons and controls and when docked in this cradle unlocks and opens a new auto/navi feature i've never seen or heard of anywhere else and i won't even go into just how awesome and sweet this added perk is . The cradle can be mounted to your windshield via the included suction cup mount which is what i use and prefer or inverted with the included plate which can be adhered anywhere in your vehicle . There are a variety of booklets , instructions and pamphlets also included with this kit one of which was a 15% off on your next VZW in store purchase which worked out nicely for me since i wanted that extended battery and of course an apprpriate cover/sleeve for said extended battery pack equipped phone . Bottom line , if your going to use your phone in your vehicle and you have a BIONIC , GET THIS KIT !!! YOU WON'T BE SORRY !

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Friday, September 19, 2014

Accutire MS-4441GB Talking Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

Accutire MS-4441GB Talking Digital Tire Pressure GaugeI purchased this for my significant other who is visually impaired, and I am not able to help because my vision is even worse. He is no longer able to use a standard tire gauge. This tire gauge appears to be a quality, well-built product that is comfortable to hold in the hand and speaks in a clear, loud voice. For only $9.45 and free shipping with Amazon Prime you can't go wrong. We would recommend this product to anyone. Thank you Amazon!

I bought it almost 5 years ago at Chistmas for myself at Target. It was a special "stocking stuffer" gift for $10.

It has been terrific. I've not seen it again, and my wife said she wants one just like it.

I really didn't think I'd find it again. Even the battery has remained charged all this time.

Heck, I think I'll buy 2 and keep one for a spare.

Buy Accutire MS-4441GB Talking Digital Tire Pressure Gauge Now

kids love to hear the number when i check their little bike tires!

very accurate compared to stick models

substantial handle/construction

works well right out of box

Read Best Reviews of Accutire MS-4441GB Talking Digital Tire Pressure Gauge Here

I've compared this gauge to two others; a similar digital gauge and one I bought from Pepboys for $5. It appears this is the more accurate of the three gauges; the other digital gauge shows a higher psi than what it actually is. I'm glad I bought this gauge or else I wouldn't have known my other digital gauge was off.

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No bells, whistles or confusing settings. Just plain PSI pressure, shown on the display and spoken in either English or Spanish. Language is the only selection you can make, with a simple slider switch. The battery is easily replaceable. No worries about being greeted by a pressure display in Pascals, Bar, or anything other than PSI (though I do wish we lived in an all-metric world).

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

AmazonBasics Programmable Digital Tire Gauge

AmazonBasics Programmable Digital Tire GaugeBuyer Beware: I wanted to like the Amazon basics product line because I'm an active Amazon Prime consumer, but my first experience with their tire gauge product is very disappointing. The electronics and digital display are fine and worked well for the half dozen times I could use it. But within just a few uses, the hardware that fits on the tire valve broke right off and fell apart. I tried to snap it all back together but the metal fittings actually ripped in half. I'm a very careful user of my gadgets and I did not apply any unnecessary force, it was just very cheaply made with cheap mechanical fittings. I will purchase a name-brand tire gauge next time and try to get my money back on this one.

Update: 7/3/2012

Once again, industry-standard Amazon.com customer satisfaction shines. On 7/3/2012, based upon reading my 1-star review, I was contacted by Amazon Executive Customer Relations who apologized for the faulty device and offered a free replacement or full refund. Since I already purchased a low-tech, traditional analog pressure gauge to replace this one a couple days ago, I accepted the refund. Regardless, Amazon customer service and buyer empathy takes all the risk out of AmazonBasics purchases and I won't hesitate to give another branded gadget a try next time. This is why so many of us are addicted to this incredible consumer retail experience. Greg

This Product: 1-star

Customer Service: 5-stars +

I am a fanatic about maintaining the pressure in my tires. I also follow MY recommended pressures, not the manufacturer's (I run a few psi over spec). Add to that that I live in a temperate zone, as most all of us in North America do... and I get a lot of use from tire pressure gauges.

I have used digital, graduated stick type, and high accuracy dial type over the years. Each has it's advantages (although a stick type's only advantage is that it fits in your pocket easily, as they are not very accurate). But I like the combination of accuracy and ease of use provided by a good digital gauge. Easier to read, and often easier to use.

This gauge is the best I've ever had at far below the price of some I've owned. It takes only seconds to register your pressure, which is displayed in large numbers with an illuminated back screen. It holds the reading for 10 seconds. The angle of the head and size of the unit are well designed, making it easier to make good contact with the valve stem than many others I've used (nothing I hate more than bleeding air while trying to get a good seal with a gauge). There is even a small LED flashlight feature that is useful if you are trying to work in the dark.

You can pre-set the desired pressures for your front and rear tires into the gauge to serve as a reminder. These setting don't actually perform any function (such as telling you how much over/under you are), which would be a nice design upgrade... but it is useful for those who don't easily remember the prescribed pressures.

The bleeder side of the head (used to let air out of the tires) is a little awkward to use, due to the angle. But it is still useful. The case for the gauge is actually very nice and zips closed. It has enough padding to protect the gauge, should it be dropped on the road or garage floor. The feel of the tool is good very ergonomic. I rate this gauge five stars because it excels at everything I need in a tire pressure gauge, and the odd bleeder angle is not enough of a problem to take away a star. I love it!

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This is my first-ever Amazon review, but I had to write one considering how impressed I was with this product.

I've owned an Accutire MS-4000 for over 10 years, and it finally gave out. I liked it and it worked well, but was always a little touchy when sealing up to the valve stem. I looked on Amazon and read all the reviews of gauges, carefully reading the negatives, and then came across this one. Could someone have finally made a well-designed digital gauge? Especially one with all glowing reviews? I decided to take a chance on it, and so far I'm glad I did!

It appears well-made, and right away, the metal swivel head beats the Accutire hands down. It seals perfectly and is much easier to place on the stem. I didn't have any trouble using the bleeder on it either. The display is very easy to read and stays lit long enough for me to go from tire to tire.

As for the memory function, that's not a selling point for me, and I didn't even bother to pre-set them for my tires. I know what pressures I want to run, and this feature doesn't help me. I'm not saying it's a bad feature, just one I'll never use.

I don't know who Amazon partnered with (or contracted out to) to make this gauge, but I'd say it was quite successful. I'll probably be buying a few of these as gifts for family and friends, considering how easy they are to use and how well they work.

Read Best Reviews of AmazonBasics Programmable Digital Tire Gauge Here

This unit is pretty nice and I like it a lot. However, I feel compelled to take two stars off for the following reasons:

1. The unit takes two CR2032 (watch) batteries. After having this for only four months, the batteries died, which I thought was odd. Only having one CR2032 on hand, I decided to test the batteries to make sure it was the batteries and not the gauge itself. To my surprise, one of the batteries was OK and the other was absolutely dead. Points off for sending me a product with an infirm battery.

2. When I went to put the batteries into the gauge, I discovered that there's no indication of any kind what battery polarity should be. I consulted the manual which said "Replace old batteries with two CR2032 batteries ... matching +/polarity as marked." Points off for leaving me in the dark (FYI, positive side up).

3. There's no slip-off battery cover. The manual says "Remove the battery door on the back using a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the black screw." (I have no idea what the black screw is) There are two sets of screw holes, one to the front and the other to the rear. I assumed, given no other information, that both sets needed to be removed. In fact, only the back set requires removal. Now I'm not going to gripe about having to take out and put back two screws unnecessarily. What irritated me was discovering that the two sets, while the same length, were not the same diameter. An obvious difference is size wouldn't have bothered me, but in this case, the front set of screws were 0.2 mm larger. I am not making this up -I checked with a caliper.

I love Amazon and I love their stuff, but in this particular case, they could have done a better job.

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My concerns about accuracy were taken care of when I bought another aneroid gauge to replace one I keep in another car. The new aneroid gauge gave exactly the same readings as the Amazon gauge. Bottom line is that my old aneroid gauge was old and giving low readings. After using the Amazon gauge now for about a year I have not problems with it and prefer its digital readout to looking at an aneroid gauge dial.

A solidly constructed tire gauge that is easy to use. In particular, it seems to grip the valve stem on the tire and does not slide off easily like other tire gauges I have used. My only concern is how accurate this gauge is. My other gauge, which is a standard analog dial gauge has seemed to match up closely with what the tire shop sets my pressure at with new tires. The Amazon digital gauge, however, reads 4.5 psi below what my other gauge reads. This is a pretty big discrepancy at 30 or 35 psi. I'm not sure which gauge has the accurate reading, or if both of them are inaccurate.

Another minor nit to pick is the description of how you can fine tune the pressure with an air bleed function. This function is just a little protrusion on the back of the gauge that you use to depress the valve stem on your tire and let out air. You have to stop taking the pressure, turn around the gauge, let out some air, turn the gauge around again and press it on the tire to read the pressure. On my old analog dial gauge there is a bleed valve that you activate by pressing a button while the gauge is still on the tire. This is easier and faster.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Floor Liner for Select Chrysler/Dodge Models (Black)

Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Floor Liner for Select Chrysler/Dodge ModelsExcellent fit for our 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan. Tough durable material. Rigid enough to hold its shape, soft enough for driving comfort. No need to look further for top-of-the-line floor mats at a great price ($85.95).

First, we bought all 4 sets of these Husky liners and are very happy. I gave this an Abecause the edges that face the doors don't necessarily lay flush leaving an edge to get tripped on entering the van. Minor inconvenience and something we will just have to get used to. Also, these leave a strip of carpet between the seat and the door. Other than those 2 issues, they do fit great and we're grateful to have all our floors covered.

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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.

Read Best Reviews of Husky Liners Custom Fit WeatherBeater Floor Liner for Select Chrysler/Dodge Models (Black) Here

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.

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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.

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Monday, April 21, 2014

HQRP 3 Buttons Key Fob for Toyota RAV4 2006 2007 2008 06 07 08 Remote Uncu Shellt plus HQRP UV Chai

HQRP 3 Buttons Key Fob for Toyota RAV4 2006 2007 2008 06 07 08 Remote Uncu Shellt plus HQRP UV Chain / UV Radiation Health TesterToyota dealer wanted $300 for a new key when all I wanted was a replacement of the fob. The cost of this fob and re-cutting the blank totaled out to less than $10. I highly recommend this seller.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Kicker 09XI26 X-Series 2-Channel 6.0 Meter ROHS Compliant Twisted Pair Audio Interconnect Cable

Kicker 09XI26 X-Series 2-Channel 6.0 Meter ROHS Compliant Twisted Pair Audio Interconnect Cable
  • Dual Twisted Twisted Pair Conducters to eliminate inducted noise and interference
  • Hyper-flex technolgy allows the wire to bend, twist or contort in any way possible
  • Gold-cut collars, dual-split center pin and black protective-mesh, wire-loom jacket

excellent rcas by kicker just what i need it a pair of rca double twist technology to eliminate engine noise these did definitely eliminate the problem and im very happy with this purshase KICKER you cant go wrong and its like half cheaper here than in BESTBUY I RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT

THE PICTURE IS NOT THE ACTUAL ITEM BUT ITS THE KICKER 09XI26.

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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Viper 5901 Full Feature Car Alarm With Remote Start And 2-Way Pager

Viper 5901 Full Feature Car Alarm With Remote Start And 2-Way Pager
  • In remote start mode, if Active Temp Check is selected, Responder LC3 will display Temperature
  • Now you can see the actual temperature inside the vehicle, before walking through the weather to get to it
  • If anything happens to your vehicle, Responder LC3 notifies you right away if you are within range
  • D2D Serial Data Port - Gives installers plug-and-play connection to all the other XPRESSKIT interfaces

I don't know where to start with this it has so many cool features! I love that this can open and close power windows. You can walk away from car car with the windows down click the arm button and it rolls the windows up as well! The remote start is simply amazing I'm an xray tech and work in a room with all lead walls in the back of a building. My truck is parked in the front of the building and I can start it from my desk behind lead walls and several other concrete walls! I would recommend that you find a knowledgeable installer with a viper bitwriter. Best buy had no idea that this unit could roll the windows up and down so talk to your installer about what you want to do with it. Amazing product and I highly recommend it!

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True story, I live in the DC slums. Well all of DC is a slum but I live in the slummiest part of the DC slums.

Up until recently, I drove a beat up car that looked crappy but ran great. When I moved to the DC slums (secure parking spot FTW!), I really didn't believe anyone would actually break into my car thinking I had anything of value in there. Alas, they did.

Lucky for me, around the same time hoodrats plundered my hooptie ride, the factory alarm on said hooptie ride had long since crapped out and one morning, was stuck in armed mode. I had to tow my car to a mechanic to disable the alarm (which killed the engine, meaning I couldn't start my car and it howled the entire way to the mechanic from the back of the tow truck) and there happened to be a guy who specializes in these alarms in the same strip as the mechanic. I set up an appointment to have the alarm installed within days.

I knew I wanted the "pager Viper" as I'd read about it somewhere but the alarm guy specifically ordered this one and I'm glad he did. He is familiar with hoodrats so he knew exactly which model I needed. I did not get remote start installed at that time but have since bought a new car the system was easy for him to remove from my old car but will be SUPER complicated for him to install in my new one (a 2011) so PLEASE go to someone who is familiar with Viper alarms to install yours and will be getting it put in that one. You can also wire this thing to open the trunk (I never go in mine so that's not a feature I require) apparently.

As others have said, I sleep well at night seeing this system's soothing blue light blinking from inside my car in the parking lot from my apartment window. A few times, I've been in the store and the pager has alerted me to some kind of nonsense going on near my car. It also alerted me to the fact that this trashy chick who always parks next to me was hitting my car with her door every time she opened it; I didn't mind as much on the old car but now that I have a new one with a fat car note, I'm not about to sit here and let trashy broads hit my car with theirs. The Viper 5901 scares the crap out of reckless hoodrats and helps me feel better about my decision to live in the worst part of one of America's worst cities. That kind of confidence is priceless. Plus it looks cool and I feel like a bad mofo sliding out to the parking lot getting chirped at by my vehicle. Come on, it's sexy.

Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Viper 5901 Full Feature Car Alarm With Remote Start And 2-Way Pager Here

Purchased this online and had it installed at best buy and payed $570 for both the unit and install. Had I purchased the unit at the store it would have cost $740. Love the product. Amazing range, and no one can beat this price!!!

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this security system has given me a lot of restful nights. I dont have to worry about my vehicle getting broken into anymore. I highly recommend this system and amazon has the best price anywhere.

You can't go wrong with viper. I got this put in after they stole my rims off of my car. I purchased the 5901 along with the 508d(proximity sensor), tilt sensor, and the back up rechargeable siren. It works excellent.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Hd 2.0" Ir Night Vision 720p Vehicle Car Camera DVR Recorder

Hd 2.0' Ir Night Vision 720p Vehicle Car Camera DVR Recorder
  • IR day and night vision for recording:8 Infared LED,can take image even in dark
  • The lens can be turned with 270 degrees, can be selected to record out or in car
  • Mode: Video Recorder / Camera
  • Cycled recording
  • 720PHD Car camera is another "EYE" in you car. It can capture high definition(1280 x 720P) pictures and display it on its 2.0 inch TFT LCD Screen
  • this DVR car camera will record automatically and save the video files in the micro SD memory card(The card NOT included in this package)
  • With the camera holder/ mount, you can fix it on the car dashboard or car windshield very easily
  • Viewing angle of lens:Wide-angle 150 # IR day and night vision for recording
  • Infared LED,can take image even in dark # The lens can be turned with 270 degrees
  • Can be selected to record out or in car, Mode: Video Recorder / Camera
  • Support Web Camera when connecting with computer Microphone included
  • Support Real Time & Date display on video Cycled recording

I just received the camera two days ago and have noted the following:

1. The recording is continuous but in two-minute increments. In other words, the recording stops automatically after each two-minute segment and resumes to record another two-minute segment. By checking the time stamp on each clip, there appears to be a one or two second lapse between two consecutive clips.

2. The VGA format means each clip will be about 70 mb. The HD format, on the other hand, results in much larger files that take forever to download onto my computer. I use a Kingston 2GB card that I had in my cellphone and it works fine. The camera will create a new directory on the card to store the clips. The clips are named sequentially by default.

3. The device is similar in size to a Starbucks Double-Shot, but much lighter. The overall construction is solid, though I feel it could have been made more compact. You have to power on the device and press the recording button to start recording. If you power it on but do not press the recording button, the device will shut off itself after a minute or two. Once recording started, then it will only stop when the button is pressed again. The LCD screen cannot be turned off when recording.

4. The time that appears on the machine has to be manually configured only once. The instruction that came with the device was far from clear. The way to do it is to create a text file with the following text: 2011.05.06 10:37:00 (it's 22:37:00 for 10 pm) Copy the text onto the micro SD card's root directory (ex: E:/), shut the camera off and turn it back on. The clock will begin to run from the time you put in the file. To get an accurate time stamp, enter the time that is about 15 seconds ahead so that by the time you restart the camera, the time stamp will be just right.

5. The attached VGA clip shows what was recorded in the evening at 9. It was actually brighter outside than what appeared on the video. I am not sure how the IR works to enhance visibility at night. The device may have captured the license plate number of the vehicle ahead of me, but I was not able to discern from the clip what the number was. In the case of an accident, the other vehicle in all likelihood will not be positioned so close to mine, so if it is a hit and run, the device won't help you identify the offender. Perhaps a digital imaging specialist will be able to work magic on the clip and make out useful information of the other vehicle.

==> A new clip was uploaded as of 12/22/2011 to show daytime recording.

6. The device came with its own drivers, but I have found that my PCs (one Vista one Win 7) were able to install a generic USB driver to access the files. There is no program or application for you to fine-tune any setting, at least I have not found one. This may be disappointing for people who are used to fine-tuning their devices. I plan to treat it as a straight-forward recording and storage device, like Flip.

7. The device has a total of 6 buttons to press: power on, snapshot, play, recording, VGA/HD, reset. It is not half as smart as our digital cameras, but then again, I don't want to have to work with a complicated device that is attached to my windshield while I drive.

8. I do not feel that the device will be particularly useful in capturing potential accidents. I drive defensively and have a very good grasp of what is within my viewing range. If I ever end up in an accident, it would have to be coming from the sides or the rear, which would be out of the camera's range. I might try to mount the camera on the moonroof, or point the camera backward to see if it will capture the side and rear areas around my car. --> Can't mount it on the moonroof because the neck of the mount is too short.

10. Battery life. So far I have not had to use the car charger yet. I take the device home to download the clips and recharge via the USB data cable, and one full charge was enough for a 90 minute road trip. It probably will last longer but I have to test it on my next road trip.

11. I think this device would be great in capturing the road condition. I forgot to bring this with me on my recent trip, where I had to cover miles after miles of winding road with numerous hairpin turns. If I had the recorder on, I would be able to post the video clips and brag about the experience. :)

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I ordered this off Amazon for around $100. Didn't realize it was coming from China so it took about a month to come in. This was summertime and I put the camera on my dash and started to record some video. Went around the block. Came back to my computer and popped the card out and into the computer and all the video was blurry, so blurry you can even see what kind of car is right in front of you.

Went through the return process with Amazon and all they did was take down some info and forward it to China. The company in China asked me to send them a sample video which I tried to do, but Amazon's email forwarder kept deleting the attachments. Finally had to get the company's email address and send them a sample directly.

They told me to ship it back to them and they would send me a replacement. It cost me $20 to ship it back to China bringing my cost of this item up to $120. I then waited another month for the replacement to come in.

Got the replacement yesterday morning. Put it on the dash and drove around. As soon as the sun heated up the camera the picture went from crisp to totally as blurry as the first camera. I took the camera and put it in my freezer for a few minutes and the picture returned to normal.

Unless you live in the Arctic, I doubt this camera will work for you. I have been through two of them now and am out $120.

Total junk.

Read Best Reviews of Hd 2.0" Ir Night Vision 720p Vehicle Car Camera DVR Recorder Here

I chose this particular DVR for it's wide angle lens after doing some research. The videos online are plentiful to evaluate the quality of the picture which satisfied me. With one caveat, though. Most of them have orange color text line where date and time are displayed. In addition, I found comments in those videos that some people get very low quality output, and coincidentally, their product has green color text line with date and time. Apparently, the Chinese are counterfeiting their own products. Strange winds of time, ha? Therefore, I elected to buy this DVR from Amazon seller in U.S.A. instead from that auction site, thinking I have more chance to get the right one. Got the package, opened up, switched on, and to my great dismay found the green text line at the bottom. Further testing confirmed the video quality was terrible, much like as from some kid camera from 90'ties. After some nuisance with the seller (appears it was a guy in China with some sort of warehouse in States), had to send him a captured shot from the video stream, and paying 8 dollars for the return shipping, week later the refund was credited back to me. Be forewarned, and do some research before buying this product.

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Not a fancy dash cam, and you get what you pay for, but I am very happy with my purchase. Video quality is surprisingly good and will do the job if in an accident. Not great at night, its alright. Arrived pretty fast, about a week.

Camera works okay, but video 'hiccups' or 'stutters' every few seconds on playback. I'm not paranoid, but I could foresee it skipping in a critical moment like when trying to view a license plate or someone's face. Keep in mind this is a cheap, Made-in-China product and you get what you pay for. But, it may just capture an important moment when someone is doing something stupid near you on the road.

Update 1/3/2013: It is also a little bit of a hassle when it changes from daylight to dark and I want to use the night vision. Because the night vision camera doesn't face the same way as the other camera, I have to flip the whole unit around on the mount, remove the vid card from the one side and insert it into the night vision side, flip the camera switch to selected it, and plug it back in. So, this is the routine twice a day depending on the amount of light available.

Also, now the cheap rubber suction cup is starting to fail and falling off during my 25 minute drive home. It may be because of the cold (I'm in the Mid-Atlantic).

Monday, January 13, 2014

1.5" LCD Full HD 1920x1080p Vehicle Dash Board Camera Video Recorder Car DVR (30FPS 5.0MP, H.264 Co

1.5' LCD Full HD 1920x1080p Vehicle Dash Board Camera Video Recorder Car DVR
  • High-speed high definition 1920¡Á1080P full HD camera, can watching while shooting, advanced H.264 video compression technology.
  • Build in GPS logger, record traffic speed£¬driving track(Optional), 5M CMOS-sensor and Google map, Maximum 32GB or even bigger SD high capacity storage device.
  • 1.5" LTPS TFT LCD; 120 degree ultra wide angle lens, focus range from 10cm to infinity; 4X digital Zoom, ranges from 12 cm to limitless distance.
  • Auto/Manual LED on/off, Automatically start recording when ignition start-up, Cycle recording and section recording, Motion detect recording functions.
  • Equipped with special auto suction cup holder, conveniently fix and use, support HDMI/USB2.0/TV output, 5 resolution forms can be changed for video flow

I paid a lower price for mine and feel it was a good buy, so shop around for best price. This is definitely the dash cam you have been looking for. Most car DVR's have really bad video quality. This one is pretty good. There are plenty of sample video of this DVR on you tube before you buy. The video quality is similar to a Droid Eris phone, which is not great, but definitely ok and perfect for a car cam. The specs on this thing are amazing. Aperture of F2.0. That is a very bright lens. You will need a micro SDHC card, I got a 16GB, but wish I went for a 32GB. I only get 1 hour 50 min set on 720p. You also need class 6 if you want to use full 1080p HD. My class 4 will not work for the highest resolution.

My guess is, lens and sensor are more important and the difference between 720p and 1080p will be minor, and you will just be using up more memory for no reason.

Cons: needs a longer cable for some car installation.

If there was more competition out there for car cams, I would give this 3 or 4 stars, but there are few choices and most of the other ones are not that good. So I give it 5 stars.

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waste of money this item dint work from the time the box. dint hold a charge after overnight. computer wouldnt recognize device. and cd with device drivers was blank

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Bought this " 120 degrees 1080P Car dash Vehicle HD DVR cam recorder with 1.5 inch colour TFT LCD screen" from Amazon and can't make it work. No CD or instructions was provided with this device. I feel I bought a "pig in the poke". Waste of time. Be warned.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Power Acoustik PC1.0F 1.5 Farad Digital Power Capacitor

Power Acoustik PC1.0F  1.5 Farad Digital Power Capacitor
  • Digital Power Capacitor
  • 2 Dc
  • Digital Display
  • Brilliant Silver Aluminized
  • Mounting Brackets

I just can't get over the capacitor trend. I thought 1 F was enough now they are making 50F caps that resemble car batteries. Do you need it well, maybe if you are seriously into car audio competition, but this 1.0 (actually the product that shipped was 1.5 Farads) cap is rated for amps to 1000W.

Why use a cap? A capacitor stores a tremendous amount of energy that can be delivered very quickly to your amplifier. Capacitors are also the opposite of inductors. A good example of inductors are LONG WIRES like the one that carries power from your car battery to your amplifier (and if you are a good installer you have a second wire that returns back to the negative battery terminal and don't use the chassis ground where you pick up noise from turn signals, etc into your audio system)

You see, when a loud "thump" comes down the audio signal cable to the amplifier, it may demand 100-200 amps of power from the battery + alternator for a fraction of a second and send that power into your subwoofer. If your power cable is inductive (a natural property of ALL cables, no matter how big or how fancy or how expensive), then it will resist a sudden change in current that is the DEFINITION of inductance. By placing a capacitor across the positive and negative terminals of the amplifier in very close physical proximity, it negates the effects of that wire that feeds power to your amp and makes for a more constant voltage. As a result, your bass is cleaner and more defined, your amp does not distort and damage your speakers, and yes, it is louder. Do you need 5, 10, or 50 Farads? No. 1-1.5 Farads is more than enough unless you are going for more than 1000 watts.

This unit also has a 3 digit LED display of the voltage (i.e. 13.8 ) in RED LEDs about 1/2 " tall and comes with some acrylic mounting brackets to hold it so you can read the voltage at your amplifier. If you see it bouncing around as your music plays, then you should use a larger capacitor.

Be aware that you can not just "plug it in" if you do so, the sudden inrush of power into the capacitor will damage it. Follow the instructions on the package to charge the capacitor with a light bulb in series for a few seconds until it reaches 13.8 VDC then remove the bulb. Also NEVER short circuit the capacitor as this can also damage the insides. Use a light bulb or the LED display to drain the power out of it. If you obey these rules, then sparks won't fly.

Finally, the LED display draws 50 mA ALL THE TIME, so in one day it draws 1.2 Amp-Hours from your car's battery if left sitting (there is no "power on" terminal for the display it is always on). In a month of sitting it will drain your car battery. You may wish to install a relay or battery switch to turn off your stereo (or just remove the fuse) when not using it at the airport parking lot so you can start your car when you get back.

All together I am impressed with this 1.5 Farad cap I received which is not the one shown in the picture. I am using it with a power inverter to produce 120 VAC at 1000 Watts and it works fine, but I have also used them in car stereo installs before when the customer wanted louder, tighter bass from their subwoofer package or was getting distortion or having their amp cut out when the bass was cranked up. The cap will fix the problem for you.

Enjoy in clean health and post some pictures of your install!

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using this on a 1000 watt kicker amp and it really helps out with the power. Has a digital read out screen in it so you know its doing its job. If your Amp is 1000 watt or less then this is perfect. And if you have a head/dome/gauge light dimming problem this is a great fix unless its your alternator or old battery. when I upgrade my amp and subs I will be getting a bigger power acoustik brand cap.

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It is pretty easy to measure how much energy is stored in a capacitior. Use the following equiation V=I*T/C. Since my PowerAcustik capacitor draws about .1A to run the display, all you need to do to check the capacitance is see how long it takes the voltage to drop once you disconnect it from the source of power. For example, in my case it took about 4 seconds for the voltage to drop from 13.5 down to 12.5. Rearranging the equation and solving for C....I come up with about .4F. Fortunaetly, .4F is still probably good enough to ride out one thump of the car stereo...so it propably doesn't matter at the end of the day...but I still want to get what I am paying for. F. H. (Rick) Smith

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The product in the picture is a 1.2, however the actual product has a red lable and is a 1.5. the posts are a bit hard to use dont overtighten them. i used a pack 8 ga ring connects (autozone) that i cut and opened to attach it to the posts and crimp my wires too. wiring this item is confusing... http://www.caraudiohelp.com/car_audio_capacitor_installation/car_audio_capacitor_installation.htm That helped a lot! i used a bolt for a rear seat belt to ground it under the back seat. good luck.

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great product , easy to install , very happy with the purchase , works great

Friday, November 1, 2013

Pyle PMP3G2 Mobile SD/USB/AUX/MP3 Compatible Player with Built-In FM Transmitter -Green

Pyle PMP3G2 Mobile SD/USB/AUX/MP3 Compatible Player with Built-In FM Transmitter -Green
  • LCD Display Screen - Fully Adjustable Arm for Multi Angle Viewing
  • Built-In wireless FM Transmitter with 206 Channel - Wireless Full Function Remote Control
  • Frequency Capable (87.5-108MHz) - DC 12Volt Compatible
  • USB/SD Card Compatible - Green color Cigarette Lighter
  • 3.5 AUX Input Adaptor

For a basic device, this is a great unit. Even in the city you're going to get a good station and decent reception. It's not going to charge your iPod or other MP3 player, but if you want to load your music or audiobooks on a USB flash drive or SD card, this is going to work great for you.

Pros: FM frequencies all up and down the dial (VERY important if you live in the city); works off cigarette lighter (nothing to keep charged); works with SD card, USB flash drive, or input from portable player (one of these options will work for you); will start on the track you last left off with; allows folders for making playlists.

Cons: Line of sight for remote operations (in other words, this thing is going to stick out somewhere in your car); no fast forward and rewind (if you're listening to an audiobook, better make sure you're at the end of a chapter before you stop or turn off power); SD card or flash drive sticks out.

If you're looking for a unit to work with an older car stereo or even a newer one without a direct input for your digital music player, this is great. And because it will play your flash drive or SD card, there's no need to make a bunch of MP3 CDs and store them in your car. Place your files in folders to make a pseudo-playlist, and you're good to go. Even works with the adapters for a microSD card. This was a great purchase to put days' worth of music in my car without needing an elaborate setup, a dozen CDs, or something that needs constant charging.

Only thing was that my unit is NOT green, but red. Doesn't really matter, since I prefer the red, but I thought green would have been a cool color too.

****May 2011 Addition****

I've now had this unit for just shy of 2 months and the display has completely stopped working. I cannot see ANYTHING on it. Since I have all my songs in folders (pseudo-playlists), it's not a real problem, but if I had to tune this thing again I'd be in real trouble. If you keep this in your car (as I do), I highly recommend storing it in your glove compartment or somewhere else to keep it out of sunlight when not in use. And park your car in the shade!

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This player is pretty amazing. It plays most any mp3 files I feed it. However you have to keep trying until you get a good one. I wanted 2 and went through 4 to get them. One display was barely discernible in total darkness. Actually all four displays were different. Two were adequate but you can't read any of them in sunlight. I have an old USB player that sounds like $&1+ so I plugged it in direct. Bingo, the Pyle played it's files fine. Well 2 of the Pyles did, 2 didn't. That's not a deal breaker but weird.

It broadcasts in .1 MHz steps, 87.5 108.0, which is good. One car radio matches up while the other one tunes better .1 off. Your results may vary. When you get close to a radio broadcast tower changing freqs is a button push away.

The sound is very good at 14 out of max 16 on the volume (as long as you have good files). The signal to noise ratio over FM is fairly low but not noticeable at reasonable volumes with a gas engine. If you crank it you will hear some FM noise at stop lights between tracks, etc. In a car where the 12V socket powers off with the ignition, it starts up playing the last song from it's beginning. With full time power I just hit the pause button (no noticeable power drain for days.) When I restart the car it starts up the same as above (from the power surge?)

As far as play, there are only four modes: single, folder, all and random. I can't figure them out. If you have multiple folders it doesn't seem possible to play only one of them in random mode. When you try it will grab tracks out of another folder. When you want to play all folders random it will hang up in one folder until you goose it. Whatever you want, it ain't gonna give you. So I just put one folder per card or stick and then I can choose either "in order" or random. If I want to change "folders" I just change the memory. This is actually doable driving while changing folders isn't practical since you can't see what you're doing. As I can put 25 to 62 hours of audio on a $6 (4Gb) stick in 2010, that's the only way to go for me.

A bonus is that you don't have to "register" the files with the player like a Latte or a Blackberry. Just plug and play.

You only need the remote to change folders or EQ, both unnecessary to me.

You can plug your iPod headphone jack to it if you like. Using the resulting 3 amplifying stages (at least 2 of them being cheap) on your audio seem nuts to me.

BTW, both red ones were bad. I kept a green and a blue one.

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It was great first 2-3 months, nice & clear, loud enough, etc... The 1st thing to go was the last station memory, no big deal, but then the USB & SD inputs stopped outputting anything shortly after, though it appeared to play very faintly from the media the line-in worked for another month or so b4 it crapped out... The screen still lights up but w/ no display info kinda sucked at the 4-5mo level...

Now, Less than a month since then it won't lock a station (not that I can see or hear like it useta do) for about 6mos of use for less than $20... I'm guessing they used some cheap parts & tiny wires that either caused 2 much resistance or melted internal parts possibly the sun?

I'm not sure it's even charging my phone much on the USB, takes longer than the wall charger that is, but it is better'n using it 4 nothin' since no more sound!

I'd say 2 stars cuz it would be great if it still worked, but I went w/ the cheapest one for $6 (incl S/H) last week & it is simple but works just as good or better than this one... Not as nice looking tho!

AlOhAz, Chris

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I just received this on Oct. 1 and used it for a trip over the weekend. I plugged a 2Gb flash drive to it and it played all of my files. It produces a very clean sound once it is tuned to a usable FM frequency, just don't turn up the volume (gain) up too high or you will hear considerable distortion.. The remote isn't all that powerful, but as long as you're in the front seat all is good. Overall, a good product for people that do not have MP3/Ipod connectivity in their car. At this price, they will make good stocking stuffers for the holidays.

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Bought 2, one for myself one for my friend, both of the player stopped working in 2 months. mines didnt work with USB 1st, then I keep using SD card on it. after 1 week, the screen dosent work as well. Then it totally died. My friends just stopped working without any reason. Really bad quality

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Optima Batteries 8004-003 34/78 RedTop Starting Battery

Optima Batteries 8004-003 34/78 RedTop Starting BatteryI'll try to get this right, but some of the background info regarding Optima history may be off by a year or two.

First: 4 star rather than a 5 star rating. The warranty would need to match the longer warranties offered by others, and quality control tightened to earn five stars. Performance is normally excellent, so why not offer a longer warranty?

Gates Tire and Rubber invented/ designed/ developed the Optima and Genesis AGM batteries in the '80's/ early '90's. As I understand things, the Optima was intended for rugged/ abusive applications requiring the highest starting current, while the Genesis was intended for more sedentary uses and maximized charge/ volume by using flat plates. Both minimized venting and maintenance requirements.

The Optima brand was spun off to a Swedish company but the batteries continued to be manufactured in Aurora, CO. Johnson Controls purchased the Optima brand in ~2000 and continues to own the brand. All mfg was moved from Aurora to a suburb of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, around late 2007. Genesis was spun off to Enersys, which used YAUSA to mfg these in China, Mexico and who knows where; I believe their premium Genesis EP series are made in Warrensburg, MO.

Optima Red Top battery design changed sometime in 2007. Apparently the glass mat was often pinched/ crimped leading to premature shorting and failure. Ratings of the 34/78 Red Top was reduced from 55 Ah to 50 Ah, the CCA rating remained at 800, and curiously, the warranty was reduced from 3 yr free replacement + 3 yr prorated, to 3 yr free replacement + 0 yr prorated. This roughly corresponded with moving the production to the Monterrey suburb, although a number of the newer style batteries were still made in Aurora in 2007. From my experience with a number of both batteries, the older Red Top 34/78, 55 Ah batteries were either the very best or very worst depending on the luck of the draw. All seem to lose Voltage faster than the newer design, but they were still much better than conventional flooded lead acid batteries, and generally tested above 10.5 V 2.5 years after mfg. If allowed to run down while on the pallet and then charged, these frequently would experience thermal runaway unless charged at a low rate, and if that problem was not incurred, they would frequently charge up only to fail open after, say 15 seconds at a 400 or 500 A draw. Optima apparently was aware of the problem yet did not tell customers. Optima sold a number of these for military applications, too, but it seems did nothing to correct the problem; nice to know when someone is shooting at you. But those that sat on the pallet for a long time of the older-design and that passed the high current load test seemed to surpass the performance of the newer design. Some batteries that failed early or lost Voltage quickly were found to be missing a vent cap. (Missing caps are rare, but they sometimes aren't there and are not noticed unless the cover is pried off. Optima may not even believe this.) Great quality control for a premium product.

All but about 5 or 50 batteries of the newer design left on the pallet for 4 years tested at 11.0 V or higher, so those claiming leakage should look for a electric system parasitic draw rather than blaming the battery; newer design charged Optimas just don't normally lose Voltage in a couple of months.

Because of their lower internal resistance, Optimas can accept a higher rate of charge and require less energy to fully charge.

Normal operation

Keep the battery at or above 12.5 V as much as possible to minimize sulfation. Spiral wound AGM batteries, while more resistant to sulfation, will sulfate and reversing it is tougher than with flooded lead acid batteries. NEVER allow the battery to fall below 10.5 V; recovery will be tough if below that and irreversible damage may result if left below that Voltage for long. Red Tops are not meant for deep cycling, which means these are intended to be charged soon after starting the engine.

A major cause of warranty claims for AGM batteries, not just Optimas, is early sulfation due to failure to fully charge the battery, which many charging system in late model vehicles fail to due in order to improve fuel economy so ever little. GM vehicles may be more likely to fully charge AGM batteries because their charging systems are reportedly set to a Voltage higher than other vehicle manufacturers; their OEM Delco batteries have larger spacing requiring higher Voltage to fully charge. Many battery chargers also fail to adequately overcharge the battery whereby the battery undergoes the full recombinant reactions restoring full performance. But it is also important not to overcharge the battery such that loss of electrolyte and overheating occur.

Best non-commercial battery charger for Optimas I have used so far: Interacter Inc. (and mfg in the USA), seems to give better end performance than CTEK 7002's. Both gave better results than Vector chargers, which performed okay on Optimas 11.5 V or higher, but the Interacter and CTEK would charge Optimas that had fallen to just a few Volts without having to resort to wiring the Optima battery in parallel with a battery already at 12+ Volts to fool the charger into charging, (Optima's recommended procedure for charging a depleted battery). Also, Interacter seemed to give about the right amount of overcharging. (Many smart chargers see the low Voltage/ low internal resistance as a failed battery and thus refuse to start charging.) Please do not try charging a battery less than 12 V below freezing; warm the battery to above freezing first, and do not forget a discharged battery allowed to freeze will likely suffer irreparable damage. If hot spots develop or venting occurs while charging, stop charging. Resume at a low rate after the battery has cooled. A battery that has been left setting for a long time at a low Voltage should be charged at a very low rate for the majority of charging. This can be followed by a high rate charge, say 50 A, for several minutes while ensuring no over heating or venting, to help restore performance. High-rate charging may open additional surface area that had been heavily sulfated and reduce grid point discharging (?).

All Optimas are not created equal. When performing high current load tests to evaluate the CCA ratings, I have seen 5 of 7 fully charged batteries from the same layer on a pallet fail open within seconds, and 13 of 44 on that pallet fail open, only to see none fail from other pallets of the same lot. Some batteries left uncharged on the pallet for several years perform as well as a factory fresh battery, and batteries left on the pallet for less than a year fail open during testing. Why? Do not expect an answer from Optima.

Charging Yellow Top(deep cycle/ starting) Optima batteries

Surprisingly, the Yellow Top batteries seem to lose Voltage a little more quickly than Red Top, but still both are less than flooded lead acid batteries. Now for charging, it is assumed the Voltage is at or above 10.5 V and that the battery has been in recent use. (Remember, never allow the Voltage to drop below this or expect the worst.) For a 50 Ah Yellow Top, charging can be fast, say 30 to 50 A, until reaching the Zero dV/dt, (Zereo Delta), point, at which reduce charging to 1 to 5 A and continue, charging an additional 3 to 5 Ah after reaching Zero Delta. New batteries may take 30 minutes for this last stage, while older batteries, 2 or 3 hours. This may extend battery life from 200 deep cycles to deep 500 cycles. NOTE: This is a general charging guideline and it is the responsibility of the reader/ user to ensure safe operation at all times. If using this charging technique, first review research articles found by Googling "national renewable energy lab, Optima battery, charging".

I hope this will help those who already have an Optima battery or thinking about purchasing one. Please share your experience if you have some better ideas and techniques.

I bought this battery from a local Optima dealer on January 2008. It died on August 2009.

Since it comes with a three year warranty, I tried to get it serviced under the warranty by calling the Optima 1-800 number. Customer service agent was very rude and kept telling me I'd have to pay a fee in order to get my battery serviced.

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Perhaps I just haven't had a new battery in a while and I've forgotten how they all work when new, but this battery seems to throw a LOT more power than I expected to the engine to start it up on even the coldest days so far this year. If this battery can perform at this level for a couple years, it'll have been the best battery I've ever bought. At this point though, expensive compared to the "el cheapo" brands you may find at walmart, but worth it knowing it's got the juice to get it done.

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I bought this battery in May 2009. It just suddenly failed Dec 2010. Just over 1 1/2 years. I originally bought the battery for my Mustang because of the early reviews and the 800 amp capacity. Perfect for my car. Now, researching why the battery died so suddenly and quickly I read on another site that it really is a good, powerful battery just you have to disconnect it when you're not driving so the trickle doesn't drain the battery. The stock battery that was with my car when I bought it lasted over 3 years (plugged in the whole time.) I read enough about Optima's poor customer service and not honoring their warranty that I'm not even going to bother trying to get warranty service thru them. I checked with the local Ford dealership, a mechanic friend and a rep at Advanced Auto Parts and they all agreed that it sounded like the battery was the issue ("a short inside the battery.") In fact, after I described what happened to the Advanced Auto Parts rep and he recommended getting a new battery, I told him the problem battery was an Optima and he called across the store to another worker, "Hey, Carl! I got another customer here with your favorite battery!"

I highly recommend that anyone avoid the Optima batteries. They will give you great starting power in your car, but they appear to have a habit of dying suddenly and without warning about 18 months in. Mine was great the last time I drove, then after not driving for 2 days, I got in the car and the battery was totally dead. (And I'd gotten back at night the last time, so I'm sure the lights were off they shine right on my garage door.)

I'd only recommend this battery to someone who just needed a battery to connect to as needed. The rest of the time, it could just sit there. Or if you live in a cold climate and are okay with changing car batteries out every year.

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I bought my first Optima battery for my '96 GMC C1500 with a vortec 5700 in 1998. This battery has been through all kinds of weather from New Mexico to 4 years in Germany, a couple years in Seattle, and the last 4 years in TX. I have drained this battery dead at least 4 times and it recovered/recharged every time except for this last weekend. My truck has been parked for most of the last month since the a/c is out and the temps her in TX have been 100+ for the last 2 months. I finally killed it for good... after 13 "short" years of life. I have replaced the batteries in all 3 of my vehicles with Optima's since then and will be buying another Optima for my truck. I'm sure this battery will outlast the truck this time. I'm SOLD!!!!

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Monday, August 26, 2013

HD 720P 2.5-inch LCD Monitor CAR Dash Dashboard CAMERA Cam VEHICLE VIDEO Accident RECORDER DVR Supp

HD 720P 2.5-inch LCD Monitor CAR Dash Dashboard CAMERA Cam VEHICLE VIDEO Accident RECORDER DVR Support SD/MMC Memory Card : Up to 64GB
  • HD 720P 2.5" LCD Monitor CAR Dash Dashboard CAMERA Cam VEHICLE VIDEO Accident RECORDER DVR Support SD/MMC Memory Card : Up to 64GB
  • HD720P Portable DVR-007 Car Camera is another "eye" in you car.
  • It can capture high definition(1280 x 720P) pictures & display it on its 2.5 inch TFT LCD Screen
  • WXGA: 1280 x 720 Pixels, 30fps ( can set 1280*960,but it is not Full HD.Recommend 640*480)
  • Support SD/MMC Cards: Up to 64GB (Note: SD Card is not included in the package !)
  • At the same time, this DVR007 car camera will record automatically &save the video files in the SD/MMC memory card.(memory card not included).
  • Files can be saved per 2 minutes/ 10 minutes/ 15minutes- with recyle recording.
  • With the camera holde/ mount, you can fix it on the car dashboard or car windshield very easily.

Night video leaving a gas station. Not too great quality wise but I guess if you were involved in an accident, I guess it would be better than nothing. As you can see in the video, unless you're close to light sources or other cars, you'll just get blobs of light, can't really tell what's what.

Pros:

*Suction cup mount for windshield holds pretty tight (better than my GPS mount, which would fall often), even tugging at it wouldn't budge it.

*The actual camera screws into the mount, like a digital camera does onto a mount.

*Once memory is full, it overwrites older data.

*Car charger cord is pretty long; I can probably run it through my headliner into the dash so its not in the way.

*3 recording options: 2 minutes/5 minutes/15 minutes

Cons:

*Not true HD on highest setting.

*Highest setting results in choppy recording\playback.

*Night time recording not very good, unless you're close to other cars or in well lit areas.

*Not too many options (Just video size, light frequency, audio record, timestamp).

*All video resolutions can't record little details such as license plate number, car make\model badging.

Overall, the camera is decent. Daytime is alright. You can't really see license plate numbers or signs during the day, even on the highest quality setting. Those little details get blurred out. Even when behind a vehicle at a stoplight, I found it hard to make out the license plate number from the LCD and video. Zooming in would further worsen the quality and made the license plate impossible to read.

The highest setting isn't true HD (everything is still blurred\pixelated, just a bigger picture size), and playback is slow while on the setting which makes it pretty useless. Every other second, you see the lag while it records, and it shows when you play it back.

Another issue is the lens; there is too much fisheye effect at times. It might be my placement, but I will try different configurations and edit the review as necessary. But in a nutshell, cars\bikes that have been dangerously close look like they're much farther away.

The microphone is a bit sensitive; it catches many noises as you can hear in the video. The video is with the windows up, and with the A/C on low setting. Much worse with the windows down. I don't think it can record a conversation without being obscured by background noises very well.

The seller I got the camera from included an SD card reader with my order. It did not work very well on my laptop (Windows 7) but it worked better on my XP. I instead, plugged in the camera through the USB to my Windows 7 laptop and was able to view\upload videos from the SD card that way without hassling with the SD card reader.

Overall, its a neat little gadget. Its not the best, but the quality for daytime recording is acceptable. I plan to keep it and use it daily until I can find a suitable replacement.

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I watch a lot of video on similar products before purchase, most of the video are good, but I can not find any video of camera facing sun, so here is the one for you.

The video is acceptable for the price, but I don't think is in real HD mode. the 2 minutes video clip is about 80 MB, 4 GB SD card can do the job.

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i took a chance on this camera, both based on the reviews and the fact that i have other chinese security cameras that work well. first let me say, all of these chinese cameras have horrible directions. they are often wrong and hard to read, so you basically have to figure it out yourself. however, after i got the camera set up, the video is pretty good. it gets a little choppy at times but i like the camera and may buy another. you can also set the mode to be a camera, up to 15 mega pixels and it will take still photos. the camera says it has audio with a built in microphone, i tinkered with this only a few minutes then decided to turn off the audio. i couldnt hear anything in my test videos, so the audio may or may not work. i have only had the camera a day so i will update my review if i find any issues. here are some helpful tips for you to set up the camera:

1) first, change the language to english, it is in chinese by default. hit the buttons in this order:

menu > mode > down > down > menu > then up/down to find english. hit the menu to save.

2) the mode button switches between video, picture and playback.

3) also, the resolution in the manual is wrong. the camera lets you pick vga, qvga and sxga resolution, in that order. one would think that vga is the best or least, and then qvga is the middle. however, upon my testing, here is how i believe the order is, and their resolutions:

qvga 320x240, smallest and less choppy

vga 640x480, medium and more choppy

sxga 1280x1024, highest and very choppy

i have my camera set to qvga and the videos seem small but very watchable to me.

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Video & Audio Quality is pretty decent. However, the unit stopped working after 4 months. One day, I noticed smoke coming out of the case, touched the camera and it was very hot, that was the end of the camera. Cheap electronics.

I got my camera today, i was very excided, but when i open the box, i knew this was a return item, some of the cables were not inside the plastic bag, the suction cup was dirty and the camera had some marks outside. When i turn on the camera the menu was in chinese, Them i try to go thru the menu and see if i could change it to english but the rec/snap button didn't work and the down button either. Of course i can't say this is a crappy product 100% because the image on the screen look good, and the accessories looks good too, but the camera itself is crappy. The price said it all, but it does what it supposed to do. Maybe if the product were brand new i wouldn't have any problem. I already print a return label to send it back, i don't if i would get the same camera again.

Monday, August 12, 2013

C. Crane FM2 Digital Full Spectrum FM Transmitter for MP3 Players, Stereo Systems, Radios, Laptops

C. Crane FM2 Digital Full Spectrum FM Transmitter for MP3 Players, Stereo Systems, Radios, Laptops and Any Audio Source
  • Wireless broadcast of any audio to any FM radio anywhere in your home, car or office.
  • The FM Transmitter 2 uses FM radio waves to send sound from any device you choose to any nearby radio or stereo system
  • AC adapter included, or use 2 optional AA batteries. FCC compliant

Out of box the CCrane fm2 transmitter will be dissappointing. I had a hard time getting 20 feet out of it.

I decided to do the mod after finding instructions online. It was very easy. The VR2 needs to be turned

counter-clock wise on the FM2 as compared to clockwise on the original. After the mod the range is fantastic!!!

I can stream satellite music at work and send it to nearby rooms that I will be working in. Very satisfied

with this product.

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I purchased this in order to broadcast music throughout my apartment. I live near Milwaukee, so I knew the radio spectrum is pretty congested, but helped me find open channels.

Let me say, out of the box, this product was very disappointing. I tried multiple open channels, but I could only get reception on 1 or 2 of my radios at a time, not all of them. No matter what channel I chose, my broadcast was being swamped by other hardly audible broadcasts, even on open channels. So I did the following mod: . However, on this model I had to rotate VR2 counter-clockwise to get boosted transmission. Now it works beautifully and I have reception throughout my apartment.

One last thing worth mentioning: the Crane transmitter allows tuning the broadcast to half channels. I highly recommend using this. I found one of my radios picked up 101.5 best when I was transmitting at 101.5.5. The transmitter isn't going to be perfect, so it's worth toying with those to get the best sound quality.

---Alex

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There are two excellent reviews on the web covering this newest model. Just do a web search for Radio Jay Allen C.Crane Fm Transmitter 2. For a second review search for HobbyBroadcaster C.Crane FM Transmitter 2.

Jay Allen works in the broadcast industry and explains why the FM Transmitter 2 sounds so much better than other FM transmitters. The other review by Hobby Broadcaster agrees with Jay Allen but mentions that their first review unit had a problem with a faulty soldering job on the antenna. This caused poor FM broadcasting range. They returned the first unit and received a replacement unit. Hobby Broadcaster gave the replacement FM Transmitter 2 a glowing review.

I agree with Allen and Hobby Broadcaster that this product has good range and sounds fantastic. I plug my iPod Touch into it and can receive the FM signal throughout my house. The sound quality is equal to or better than a regular FM broadcast station. The reason the FM Transmitter 2 sounds better than regular broadcast FM stations in some cases is because many broadcasters artificially boost the bass of the FM broadcast signal making it sound horrible on some radios this artificial bass boost makes male announcers voices sound "boomy".

I would give this product a 5 star rating if it weren't for the somewhat flimsy feeling construction. For example: the jack where you plug the power cord into the unit wobbles a little. (at first I thought I had a defective unit because the power was cutting out every time the unit was moved. The problem as that I didn't have the jack pushed all the way in. It is deceptive because there is sort of a "detent" which gives you the feeling that the jack is pushed all the way in when it really is not.) I've heard that the power usage is pretty low so I will try using the transmitter two AA batteries for a while.

PS. One other thing; as with all radio transmitters you may have trouble sending signals through walls with metal in them such as aluminum siding, steel siding, stucco walls with wire mesh, or insulation with foil backing. I've heard that you can modify these to increase the power output by turning a screw on the circuit board. I haven't tried this because the signal is strong enough for me. Just realize that your warranty is voided if you open the case up. If you don't want to open the case you may want to try an antenna extender. The one I have is manufactured by Tecsun. I will post in the comment section later if it increases the range.

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Good product for the money. I would have given it 5 stars if the mod wasn't required. Once the mod was made it worked great in my whole house. Transmitter is located on the third floor of the house close to stereo equipment. I have no problems with a strong signal in the basement or outside on the deck. (Even gets a signal in the car out in the driveway.) Mod is real easy. Remove 3 screws and turn VR2 counterclockwise. Without the mod I could hardly get a signal 10 feet away in the next room. I think the product is designed to have the mod done. (Maybe an FCC limitation???) I would highly recommend the product if you plan on making the mod. I you do not want to make the modification I would not waste your time or money.

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The C.Crane FM Transmitter 2 works splendidly. One misconception I had in setting up the transmitter was the notion that all digital transmitters and receivers mean what they say about the actual frequency. They don't. For example I had to set the reciever for 106.3 and the transmitter to 106.25 to give the best results for my application. When both trnasmitter and receiver were set to the 106.3, there was static and limited range. Yes, you may need to "tune" the transmitter to match your digital reciever. I suspect that this was the problem that other reviewers had with limited range. Also a good antenna on the reciever was a msut to get the best range in my application.

To find the best FM frequency to broadcast you need to find a place between existing FM stations in your area. I found the website which will list the radio station frequencies and their signal strength in a particular zip code. You simply put in your zipcode and all the AM and FM stations in your area will be shown in a table. To select an appropriate FM brodcasting frequency for your area cut and paste the list from the web site into a spreadsheet and sort by FM Frequency. Look for the largest gaps between FM station frequencies for the weakest signal strength stations and set your transmitter exactly halfway between those frequencies. This will assure the least interference from the big boys.

My application was to get music from the front of a dance hall to a receiver driving large speakers in the back of the dance hall some 70 feet away, which is just at the limit of the device according to the manufacturer.

Good luck.

Dave

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Braille Battery B2015 Lightweight Racing Battery

Braille Battery B2015 Lightweight Racing BatteryThis battery is a bargain in the "racing battery" space. 15 pounds and I use it in my occasional use street car. Starts a supercharged V8 with lots of electronics even after sitting for 3-4 days. A+

I've crammed a bigger engine into the back of my MR2 Spyder, so space is at a premium and the battery needed to be relocated. This fits the bill. I had another make of battery before this, but the two ECU's in the car would drain it if not kept on a battery tender after three days. This one can go a week, easy.

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I put this battery in my Honda VTX 1800 motorcycle, which requires a serious battery to start, replacing the ailing one I had. So far zero complaints. The true test will be longevity, however, I would be willing at this point to recommend it.

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This. battery was a replacement for my weekend car. It weights only 15 lbs compared to the 25 lbs the original weighted. It dropped in minutes and i only had to modify the mounting bracket since it is only 2/3 the size of the original. I will never go back to a OEM battery again

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I use this in my 2004 Swift Chopper with a high performance S&S 113ci. motor. It is the only battery that will cold start my motorcycle. I have tryed every other battery and killed them all. I bought this to replace a 3 year old Braille battery that was starting to show signs of weakness. I recommend this battery to all motorcycle riders.

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