Sirius One SV1 Satellite Radio with Car Kit

Sirius One SV1 Satellite Radio with Car Kit
  • Plug-and-play Sirius satellite radio receiver with car kit for easy vehicle installation
  • Offers access to more than 130 digital-quality music, sports, entertainment, and talk streams
  • Built-in FM transmitter; alternate suction cup mount and dash/visor mount
  • 1-line, 12-character dot matrix display with 180-degree inversion option
  • Measures 2.75 x 0.94 x 4.5 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

A friend of mine gave me an Amazon Gift Certificate for Christmas and I used it to buy this little Sirius radio. Though other radios have more bells and whistles I am very happy with this one.

First of all, price-wise it cannot be beat. It includes everything you need to use it in your car (mounting bracket, power cable that plugs into the car lighter, antenna, remote control). At this time there doesn't seem to be a home kit for it. That was not a deal breaker for me since I was planning to really only listen to it in the car anyway. Plus, when you joing Sirius you can listen to all the music channels online.

Though this is a simple unit, it does include some nice features. There are presets that work great. You can set the display to show the channel you are on or have it scroll to tell you the artist and title of the song that is playing.

It has a built-in transmitter that transmits over the car's FM radio on an unused channel. This has worked great for me and I think the sound is very good. I did need to change the FM channel it was transmitting to (easy to change and you can have up to five presets for this as well) once or twice but once I found a truly open station it was crystal clear. It should be noted that I live in LA which is a very crowded radio market. Still I was able to find a clear FM slot to tune the Sirius radio's transmitter to. If you are not in a major market that should not be a problem at all, and really wasn't that big of a deal for me here in LA.

I think it is a sharp little unit and very solid. I am happy with it and if you are looking for a nice, low price unit this is a great choice. I am also very happy with the Sirius service. The music channels are great and I enjoy the sports and talk radio.

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First off, this thing is $30 right off the rack. It's not like you buying a Marantz here, so stay real in your expectations. I have it in my car and it works fine. I had many of the same station bleeding problems others have, but they tell you right in the packaging that just using the FM transmitter is the worst way to use it. What I think everyone who has problems with it needs is a part sold through Sirius called an FM Direct adapter. I got one at Circuit City for $20. Since I'm not too mechanically inclined, I went ahead and let Circuit City install it, too, for $59. It now works perfectly. They mounted it on the windshield of my car (where you might have a parking sticker)and it has maybe an inch or two of wiring exposed. I'm not shilling for Circuit City. Go where you like or do it yourself, but the installers there suggested this simple solution and it now works great. And yeah, okay, I paid for the install so technically it was more than 20 bucks, but you get the idea. Oh, by the way, it can be hard to read on a bright day....I'll agree with that.

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Nice and small (about the size of a pack of cigarettes) and comes with everything you need to install yourself. Sound quality via the FM transmitter is decent, though far from being outstanding. The unit does get quite warm which I've heard is normal. Reception (in Los Angeles)has been excellent. Price is right as well, a welcome compromise from having to shell out well over a hundred bucks for an in-dash unit. The best part: being able to once again listen to Howard in the morning.

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Great little thing can't really beat the price. Yes, on some of the units the presets are not kept when you turn it off and it reverts back to 184 when you turn it back on. Before going thru with the return & exchange hassle please try this: Unplug and put back all cables going to the unit; go in your account at the Sirius website and in the "Services" section click on your ESN. Once you are in "Service Details" click "Re-Send Activation Signal". Make sure the unit reads "Updating". When it is finished you should be able to keep your presets and the last station before turn off. It really did work for me, hopefully it will for you too :) Good luck!

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I bought this with low expectations. Others had said it was hard to read, and that the FM transmitter was no good. Well, the thing works great and the FM transmitter worked like a charm in my VW, but the screen is REALLY hard to read. Blue is just not a good color to try to see during the day.. At night it is great -doesn't match the VW blue guages exactly but looks good.

The satellite radio itself and the FM transmitter sounded great. The unit does get a little hot, but I had it in a very enclosed area.

I didn't think I'd care than it was a one line display, but it really does hinder you from "channel surfing" -you have to repeatedly switch between showing CHANNEL NAME, ARTIST, and SONG or you can have it scroll.

Overall, I still like this radio best out of Sirius' lineup -it is small, fits great it my little cubby below the radio, and works well. I just wish it was easier to read during the day. Setting presets for FM, and setting your favorite stations makes it easy to still use it during the day, just realize the limitations!

Motorola HF820 Easy-Install Bluetooth Car Kit

Motorola HF820 Easy-Install Bluetooth Car KitWorks very well, I haven't had any problems with connectivity, voice dialing, volume, sensitivity, etc. I've used it in rush-hour driving, and it's quite usable despite the background noise. (Quite useful if you need to have a conference call from your car!) Battery life is fine as well.

On the downside, the sound is a bit tinny (metallic, thin, and harsh). But perhaps that's what you get for the price. And I do find it annoying that it takes a different kind of charger tip from my Razr, and Moto includes only the car charger with this package.

(Perhaps some day the manufacturers will figure out that they don't really gain anything by having all these variant charger interfaces, and will standardize on one? Nah.)

Update Sep18, 2007:

I've occasionally experienced some problems with this item in the time I've had it, thought this info might be useful if you're considering buying this.

One problem is an occasional "hang" when dialing -you make a voice dial call, the phone says the name so you know it got the right number, but then nothing happens. Usually you give it a puzzled look after a few seconds, disconnect and try again, and everything works fine.

Sometimes however it's a real hang -the phone's waiting for the device, the device is waiting for the phone (probably some piece of the bluetooth protocol got dropped on the floor), and you can't disconnect, you can't power the device down, nothing. You have to get your phone out and disconnect the device from the bluetooth menu, then recycle the power on the device, then you can proceed again. I haven't figured out why this happens, or a surefire way to prevent it. Doesn't happen a lot, but it shouldn't happen at all, right?

It works well, I can hear people really well, and that they seem to not have a problem either, as along as the HF820 is on my visor and not too far away. Before I has it on my console between the two seats, but that wasn't working. But when I put it on the Visor (the side away from the side window to avoid car noise) it was easier for me and for others to communicate. The battery life is great, and it linked to my V555 Motorola phone with no problems. Before, I had a full hands free kit that had to be installed in my other car. but after having to pay $140 for the kit, $100 to install it, and $100 to get it taken out of the car. I figured it would be better to try another Hands free alterative. I hate ear pieces mainly because I just don't get enough calls to justify having a thing strapped around my ear for hours on end, but this was a good median between the two. It's also nice because I can use it in any car, without a hefty $100 installation fee.

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I had a Jabra SP100 and it was so bad I almost gave up on this type of device. This Motorola is SO MUCH BETTER it's amazing. The performance is adequate; that in itself is a real breakthrough for these things. Don't expect miracles; if you're at highway speed in something other than a Rolls or Lexus you're going to have to speak up, but it works OK. It's smaller and more versatile than the Jabra, too, which is nice, and its little clip dealie can double as a stand for desktop use.

Folks, if you're in the market for a bluetooth speaker, don't cheap out because if you think about what you're asking a bluetooth speakerphone thing to do it's amazing they work at all for this kind of money. You can probably do better if you spend a lot more, but this is a good value and really is the cheapest you're going to find that will actually work. In fact, this one is probably the best you're going to get without having to really shell out for one that will need to be professionally installed in the car.

My only gripe is, that as much as I was disappointed by the little Jabra, it at least came with an A/C wall charger, which this does not...and with its prorietary tip I'm prepared for having to shell out another 20 bucks for a wall charger. Motorola, if you're not going to include a wall charger at least give it a generic tip (I LOVE NOKIA FOR THIS, BTW) so it isn't a double-whammy expense.

Good piece. I recommend it.

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I have tried multiple wired headsets and the HS820 Moto Bluetooth ear piece for my Blackberry. They have all been either not loud enough or in the case of the HS820, bad sound quality. I decided to try the HF820 and it works really well. The volume is quiet good and the noise cancellation seems be quiet good as well as people I spoke to during my drive on the highway in my car, with windows up, didn't notice I was on the speaker unit.

I didn't give it a 5 stars cause I wish there was someway to control the tone or adjust it. If it did, it would get my last star! ;-)

So, I would definitely recommend it!

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I got this a week ago, and it is pretty good. I use it for my car. When you turn on the unit, your phone (mine is a Motorola V3) says "connected to Motorola HF820" and whatever sound comes from your phone now comes from the unit. So I press buttons on the phone and the speaker plays the same tones. It is loud enough for highway driving with the windows up, but not down. You have to turn off your music to hear people on it or to use the voice dialing. The voice dial is nice, I just press the main button on the unit and say a name and it dials. It uses whatever voice commands you already have in your phone. The 850 version requires install which you might be able to do. The advantages with that unit is that the music mutes when you get a call, and you don't have to charge it. It's also louder because it has a dedicated speakerbox or you can have it wired to the car sound system. But then again, that's more $. I like this for about $100 because I hate headsets and I almost got a ticket the other day.

Booster PAC ES2500 900 Peak Amp 12V Jump Starter

Booster PAC ES2500 900 Peak Amp 12V Jump Starter
  • 900 peak amperes/300 cranking amperes
  • 21" #4 gauge cables, Automatic recharging
  • Industrial grade, Hot Jaw clamps
  • This item cannot be returned and has additional shipping restrictions
  • This item is not for sale in Catalina Island

This charger is awsome. I keep in the trunk of my car, and man it comes in handy. I have only had to re-charge this item 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years. I keep it in my trunk, and even with 1 bar left on the battery gauge it still has no problem jumping off a car. When ever I jump a car off, i just leave it pluged up to the car for an additional 5 or 6 minutes and it replenishes the charge. Its also slim and not too bulky like alot of the other brands I've used in the past. It doesn't have alot of complicated items on it either, it just simply does what its supposed to do, and that means alot in a jam.

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Purchased in November and have used 4x since then (its now mid-february). Used to start my own vehicle with dead battery when there was noone around who could have jumped me (so it was a real life saver), used to help a stranded motorist who was parked in a such away that using typical jumper cables would have been near impossible, used to start a vehicle I was looking at purchasing, and then used to power my cell phone at my desk when the power was out at our office (the 12 volt cigarette adapter is a nice feature). After all of these uses and being kept in the cold car for over 3 months it still didn't even drop a bar!

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I have bought alot of bad boxes in my days of road service, but this one gets my highest grade. I can crank an old 70's clunker until i give up, not the box(excellent cold cranking amps). This power pack will finish the day out with jumping 6 to 8 cars(completly dead batteries or some with no battery) without needing to be recharged for the next days activities. I only charge this unit maybe once a week.

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Do not hesitate ... if you're looking for a portable jump starter that will start a dead battery -Look no further. Single mom certified! One Monday car dead as doornail. I thought I'd left a light on or something, but research revealed this vehicle to have a history of draining batteries rather unexpectedly. After reading that, I knew I would need a portable jump starter that would not rely on a second vehicle (I drive rural roads). I'm the OCD type that researches every purchase to the hilt. I looked at a LOT of jumpers. I finally took the plunge with the ES2500 and it's a winner! I charged it up at work (upon delivery there) and continued charging overnight at home. In the morning one attempt was all I needed to start my vehicle right up. It's small enough that it sits right in the shallow "storage" area in the "way back." So many of the jumpers on the market are so bulky! That was one of the important features of the ES2500 that convinced me to buy it. That storage area is only about 4.5 5 inches deep. I had no problem fitting the petite (but heavy) ES2500 back there. I didn't want it out in the viewable cargo area, sliding around with every turn. While the +100 dollar price made me hesitate, I am convinced it is worth every penny. I can drive fully confident that a dead battery is not ever going to strand me and my daughter in the middle of nowhere. That peace of mind is a priceless blessing. Oh one last thing... It hadn't even been 24 whole hours from the time I ordered the ES2500 before Amazon had it in my hands. I did not pay for overnight. You Rock Amazon!

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I have used this to start a multitude of vehicles from a Cat D9(for the ladies that is a big bulldozer) to my bass boat. The one thing I really like about this is it holds its charge for months. This is a very nice piece of equipment all should have in their trunk. And at a hundred dollars, quite a bargain when you need it.

Sony NV-U70 NAV-U 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Sony NV-U70 NAV-U 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
  • Powerful vehicle navigation with proprietary Sony GPS receiver for extreme speed and accuracy
  • High-brightness, 3.5-inch touch-screen display
  • Intelligent brightness control system adapts to vehicle lighting conditions
  • 1 GB of internal memory contains maps of the entire continental USA and Hawaii
  • Intelligent rerouting instantaneously recalculates your route when you take a wrong turn

Received my Sony NV-U70 after waiting for it to be released. I have played with other GPS units in the past and was excited to get my newly designed Sony. Well after playing with it for about 3 hours i packed it up and returned it. The positives it aquired and locked very fast, routing function was very fast (although really took me to the gym in an around about way that no other GPS has ever taken me). Was quick to re-route after a wrong turn.

I have purchased the Garmin Nuvi350 instead. Reasons:

1. I like the fact that it "speaks" street names (sony does not) After using the Nuvi for a few weeks it is clear to me that this is a very valuable feature. Without this feature there are times when you are told to take a right hand turn only to find there are two right turns coming up. The Nuvi will actually tell you the street name to turn on so you dont have to look over to the unit.

2. I like that it also has an SD slot very nice if you plan to use this unit out of country you can have additional maps located on an SD card also good for MP3s.

3. I like 8 hour battery life vs. Sony 4 hour i usually dont even use the 12 volt charger nice not having the wire hanging down the dash.

4. I like the smaller size Sony wont fit in pocket The Nuvi is about the size of a Treo Cell phone.

5. I like the headphone jack to allow MP3 listening

6. Sony had about 1/5 the POI's built in not sure why.

7. After spending time with the Sony and the Nuvi I totally perfer the interface on the Nuvi.

I am by no means an expert on GPS navigators (although i dont appreciate being told i dont know what i am talking about by other posts)I travel throughout the US and Canada for my job so having a GPS is a life saver for me. I have rented Hertz cars with neverlost and that is my baseline (Although not a very good one) Battery operation was a key factor in my decision making along with size since i travel via Airplane and take my GSP with me.

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This is the first GPS system that I have used and I can only find 2 positives about it. The price is right and it is fast to recalculate a new route when you take a different turn.

However, the database must be old as a 2 year old entrance on the Ohio turnpike is not recognized. It also failed to pick up US30 between Mansfield and Bucyrus whcih has been constructed for at least 4 years. It will also not recognize certain streets if you don't call them the same as they are labelled in the system. A case in point was using a postal address the NV-U70 couldn't find it, but when I arrived it had it shown as a county road #!

Don't leave home without having a very good idea of the route you are taking. I use Microsoft Streets and Maps which is far more accurate than the NV-U70.

I regret my purchase and am considering a Garmin product, which effectively says the price is not really right.

AC

Amherst, OH

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I just purchased this Sony GPS and compared it with others. The sony unit has the best visual display of any. The graphics are sharp and clear. That was the primary reason I bought this unit. I don't drive in Europe and I have a car stereo that already plays MP3's so I don't need those extras.

I looked at several units and found the graphics to be blocky and jagged. They offered a lot of extras I did not need. The Sony unit does not speak the street names, but that is not a big issue. The Sony aquires a satelite signal fast, very fast. Much faster than the Magellan and TomTom units I tested. The unit does not have all the points of interest that others have. That is not a big deal for me. It does have all the major name hotels in the areas where I travel. That works fine for me. The recharging input is on the side. I can place the unit flat on my dashboard facing me. I could not do that with the Magellan as the input was on the bottom of the unit.

Some areas where Sony lacks: 1. You cannot choose to use only major highways or exclude freeways. That would be nice in the next unit.

2. The interface really needed some getting used to. It is not intuitive in the least. The manual does not help at all. Confusing? Yeah.

3. It needs longer battery life. However, the battery recharges faster than I thought possible.

4. It is a little bulky. Slim it down and reduce the weight.

If you look around real hard, you can find this unit for $299. I did at Fry's. Circuit City and Best Buy wanted $400 and up for it. For the price, it does everything I want it to do.

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I had a Garmin Ique 3600 Palm OS PDA GPS which unfortunately decided to stop working with the car cradle before our move to CA. I bought this Sony GPS as a replacement. The Garmin had a much better interface. The Sony interface is extremely poor and takes an excessive amount of time to find things. For example, if you want to look for a certain store you have to search by city, not by nearest one (unless you have a GPS feed, which hinders you before you leave your house). Also, the map data is suspect as it lead me to the wrong location a couple of times. The only thing I like about it over my Garmin is it acquires the GPS signal much faster. I wouldn't recommend this device to anyone. Stick to a company which just does GPS and mapping such as Garmin or Magellan. Whomever Sony subcontracted to do the software for this device is obviously new to car navgiation.

Positives:

Nice and small size with a quality feel (although the back bulges outward, it is round and fits into your hands). Map database is fairly up to date, probably around late 2004. Sony's graphics are very sharp and make great use of a small 3.5" screen -this is the unit's best feature. The unit will automatically zoom in/out based on your speed; for example, at freeway speeds, the unit will zoom out so that more of the surrounding area can be seen, and then when you exit into city streets and slow down, the unit will zoom in so that more street names are visible on screen. Calculations and menu inputs are all very fast. Easily establishes multiple GPS satellites, even inside of my car with 5 metallic tinted windows and a heat rejecting front glass window. Auto brightness dimmer is convenient and normally sets the appropriate level. Sound is clear and loud with a nice "boink" for feedback everytime you touch the screen. It has a decent POI database, but allows you to input any address and save it as a Favorite. Also noteworthy is that the voice guidance prompts alert you at the right times so that you do not miss a turn or exit -many systems have trouble with this.

Negatives:

Does not have a gyro sensor and relies only on GPS satellites so that the system has a little bit of trouble determining the car's orientation at the beginning of navigation. This also means it will not guide you when it has lost a GPS signal. Also, voice guidance prompts should sound more natural (its tone/pitch). Does not say the street name you need to turn at (but actually, it does not matter that much to me because most text-to-speech systems do not sound natural and clear anyway). Does not offer added MP3, picture viewer, bluetooth, etc. features that other system have. 3D view mode does not display street names, which limits its usefulness (although 2D view mode does show street names clearly). Finding POI's are more difficult that other systems since it makes you enter a City instead of just recognizing where you are first (although if you choose "Find Nearby" then that makes it easier).

For my basis of comparison, I have only used navigation systems that have come as built in options. We have an Acura and a Lexus system that are excellent. The Sony NAV-U compares well with them, it just lacks the large screen size and the gyro sensor and has far fewer Points of Interest since it only has 1GB of memory. But it is a great quality product that is sold for a great price.

YTX14-BS ATV Battery for HONDA TRX650 FourTrax Rincon (Std.) 650CC 03-'05

YTX14-BS ATV Battery for HONDA TRX650 FourTrax Rincon 650CC 03-'05
  • Chrome Battery YTX14-BS Mainenance Free and Fully Charged
  • 5.91in (length), 3.43in (width), 5.71in (height); 9.70lbs
  • 18-Month Warranty, 60-Day Money Back Guarantee
  • High Cranking Amps & Low Self-Discharge Rate
  • Heavy Duty Terminals

Worked great out of the box and continuse to today. Has not let me down in the least. Would recomend to anyone.

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Only had this battery for about 2 weeks now, but it seems to be good. Powers my 4-wheeler properly and doesn't seem to be lacking any power in the output.

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Item was recieved quickly. Its a good battery holding a charge and starting in cold weather. Need I say more.

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Battery arrived stone dead with battery acid present inside shipping package. Although there is no visable breech of the battery itself?? Charged it and used it anyway (it was an emergency) now it won't hold a charge. I guess you get what you pay for. No wonder it was only 40 bucks.

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Bought two of these batteries. One is good and the other was bad. When contacted about the bad battery the vendor just asked me questions.

They asked me if the battery was really bad and delayed the process. They never would give me authorization to return even though they were initially contacted in the warranty period. This store will not honor the warranty so you are taking your chances buying from this store. I recommend buying a better battery. It will cost more, but my last 2 Yuasas lasted 12 years.

Update 3/30/2013 I hung in there for 6 months and finally got a replacement battery. They promised me a 15% credit due to my extended wait, but I have never seen it and don't expect to. These people do poorly in the follow through and I just don't have the energy to keep bugging them for 6 months to get the credit like I had to to get the replacement battery.

Hitachi WR18DL 18-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Impact Wrench

Hitachi WR18DL 18-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Impact Wrench
  • Two 3.0 Ah HXP Lithium Ion batteries for three times the life at half the weight of NiCd or NiMH batteries
  • Lithium Ion batteries can be used-Inch Hitachi 18-volts DMR and DVF3 tools for even more value
  • Class leading torque- 1,950-Inch/lbs to power through the toughest jobs with ease; 1/2-Inch square drive
  • Hitachi-foots unique Cool Flow system provides a steady stream of air to the motor, allowing the impact to run harder and longer, minimizing the risk of burnout
  • Compact and lightweight at only 6-5/8-Inches-Inch length and 3.5-pounds for maneuverability
  • 1,950-inches per pound of driving torque to power through the toughest jobs
  • Comes with Hitachi's lifetime Lithium-Ion tool warranty
  • Cool Flow system allows the impact to run harder and longer, minimizing the risk of burnout
  • Industrial grade, two-piece motor with heavy gauge copper coils for added power and durability
  • Unique 2-step speed switch provides (2) speed settings for ultimate control

I install garage doors, and my impact wrench is my number one weapon. I have owned a 14.4 Milwaukee, 14.4 DeWalt, 18v DeWalt, and now this one. I had to send the Milwaukee back numerous times because of it's poor build quality. I have had motors die on the DeWalt due to its poor cooling design. There are small plastic fins in the motor which move air and keep the motor cool, and they have broken of on every DeWalt impact I have owned. I have been using the Hitachi for more than 4 months without a problem. I look actually look forward to using it. The battery stays secured to the drill, even after a four five foot fall. I laughed at the little light it comes with at first, but it has come in handy in dark garages. The torque is strong enough to pull the lug nuts of a wheel hub, and the battery life is stellar. One battery will get me through multiple double sized garage door installs. The DeWalt would kill at least too full batteries in only one install. It's safe to say that one Hitachi lithium-ion batter = 3+ DeWalt NiCads.

Another reviewer has mentioned a bad smell from the motor. All my impacts, drills, saws, and other power tools have gave off burning odor during the break-in of the tool. This is normal.

One other component of the impact which I enjoy is the pin. Unlike the DeWalt, the pin is designed to keep the socket secure when the pin of the impact is in line with the hole of the socket. The socket WILL come off of the impact with a little force unlike the DeWalt. With the DeWalt, the pin had to be compressed with a nail or screw in order to remove the socket.

To sum this review up... Buy the Hitachi.

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Whoa....size does matter! Small, compact, lightweight size in this instance. If you want a cordless impact wrench...you've gotta try this baby! I can hardly believe the power it has for such a small tool! I work at a wrecking yard driving fork lift, and pull and park an average of 30-40 vehicles a day. I have had my Hitachi impact for almost a year now and I use it 5 days a week to remove wheels from many of these cars and trucks among other tasks. Then I bring it home on weekends in case I have any tasks at home that I might want use it for....it's a tool I just don't like to be without in case I have a wrenching job! I am a mechanical guy and work on cars, appliances, and about anything else that I can fix myself.

I have owned several impact wrenches. I've had a few cheap ones that I won't bother to talk about. Previous to my Hitachi, I had a Goodyear Racing impact wrench. I liked it and it did a good job, but it was heavy, clumsy, and pretty much designed just for using on lug nuts. The batteries also didn't last a long time on a charge and deteriorated a little each time they were recharged requiring replacement after about 6 months. Finally, my charger went belly up as it fried my last battery, so, I went shopping for a new impact wrench as I really need to have a cordless impact on my job.

First I bought a Makita impact wrench thinking that would be the answer. It was lithium-ion, so that solved the battery problem to a great degree, but what a monster. Again, big and heavy and clumsy, and I don't think it was as powerful as my Goodyear Racing impact gun....I quickly returned this puppy.

Then I tried the Hitachi WR18DL....and let me tell you.....this baby smokes! Very light and small and easy to handle but has lots of power and 2 speed settings and was about the same price as the Makita. It is super fast for removing or installing bolts and nuts of all kinds and sizes. It won't do like 1 ton trucks and once in a while at work I will get a lug nut that is so tight that it won't break it loose and I have to break the nut with a fourway by hand. That said, she goes thru 95% of the lug nuts and anything else I have tried without breakin' a sweat.

This little Hitachi impact makes every job that involves wrenching fast and easy and a pleasure to do. As another reviewer said, and I concur, "I actually look forward to using this tool". I have two 3.0 amp hour batteries that I use and they do a great job and last a long time on a charge.

In conclusion....yeah....you can buy a more powerful impact (just double the price and weight), but when you consider size....weight....power and price combined....I don't think you can beat this little impact wrench with anything else on the market! Just a note, if you're shopping for an impact wrench, make sure its an impact wrench your looking at and not an impact driver.....totally different tools.

I am a satisified customer of this impact from Hitachi and was happy to do a review of this tool.

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I am a Hitachi fan converted over from Makita. I use this Hitachi WR18DL 18-volt Cordless Impact Wrench to change flat tires on my 2 construction trailers. This Hitachi takes the drudgery out of changing flat tires.

Now I am also using it instead of my air impact wrench around my shop, etc. etc. NO AIR HOSES NEEDED.

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Got the WR18DL today and it promptly took a lug nut that was torqued to 80ft/lb off my Maxima in about 5 seconds. I plan on keeping this lightweight bulldog in my trunk at all times for just that purpose.

One thing about Hitachi Li-Ion tools that gets overlooked is their battery technology. All Li-Ion batteries are not alike! Hitachi uses the same nano-phosphate formula that DeWalt uses. This technology allows the cycle-life of these batteries to be tripled over the standard manganese (Milwaukee and pretty much everyone else uses this) to 1000-1500 cycles. Manganese Li-Ion only lasts 300-500 cycles same as NiCd and NiMH. You will need new batteries a lot less often with Hitachi and DeWalt as a result.

I really wish that Ryobi would adapt their One+ impact driver to a wrench because I have their 18V Li-Ion battery, but they didn't yet. Since Ryobi uses manganese Li-Ion, this is no great hardship. Hitachi sells many bare tools that can use these batteries, so while it's not as versatile as the One+ system, it's the next best thing with better batteries!

If you're taking big rig tires off, go for the Snap-On CT4850, but anything shy of that can be done at half the price and half the weight by the WR18DL (again) with better batteries!

Lovin' it.

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Have had impact wrench for few weeks. It is very light and the battery's hold charge very well. The work light is a nice option.

Works well to disassemble engine parts etc.

The only possible negative is it has a tough time with wheel nuts. However it really is not rated as high a tork range as a air impact.

Overall meets all my expectations.

Easy Instant Car Battery & Alternator Tester - Test Battery Condition & Alternator Charging

Easy Instant Car Battery & Alternator Tester - Test Battery Condition & Alternator Charging
  • Get an instant reading on your car's battery & alternator condition
  • Tests alternator performance for over & under charging
  • Plus measures battery condition; great electrical diagnostic tool to help prevent stalled vehicle
  • Easy to use with clear LED indicators to eliminate guesswork
  • No batteries or wiring needed - runs off car's electrical system; compact 4" size fits in glove box

This little unit tests your battery and alternator without disconnecting or removing them from your vehicle. Having some 15 vehicles belonging to myself and family members that turn to me to oversee and do repairs on, I suspect this is something that will get a lot of use from.

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Works ok, but instructions are misleading. Would still recommend. The clip on the negative lead is a plus and gives you a free hand.

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EXCELENTE VENDEDOR LO RECOMIENDO AMPLIAMENTE YO NO TENIA IDEA DE QUE EXSISTIERA ALGO ASI ME SIRVE DE MUCHO PARA SABER COMO ANDA EL ALTERNADOR

Solar Panel Charge Controller - 5 Amp / 12 Volt

Solar Panel Charge Controller - 5 Amp / 12 Volt
  • Illuminated multiple status indicators
  • Prevents battery over-charging
  • Prevents Battery from over-discharge
  • Prevents power reflow to solar panels

I have built a solar buggy (1974 golf cart) that has 3 15 watt panels that I am using this regulator to control one of the panels to a 12 volt battery (one of 4 in series for 48 volts). This regulator is working very well for this application and is a reasonable price compared to others.

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It seems to be working just fine. Built tough enough to work with and it keeps the solar cell from boiling my battery out. I use it on an electrically-controlled gate in a remote area, in the summer, I was killing my batteries with too much volts from the solar cells. So far, my batteries seem in great shape.

NOCO BLSOLAR2 Battery Life+ Black 2.5W Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer

NOCO BLSOLAR2 Battery Life+ Black 2.5W Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer
  • Rated at 2.5 Watt (180 milliampere); for 12 Volt lead-acid batteries
  • Waterproof; weather resistant solar charger for outdoor rated at IP65
  • Thin film technology; works well in low-light, cloudy and overcast conditions
  • Designed for safety; short circuit, open circuit, overheat and overcurrent
  • Multiple battery chemistries; safely charges wet, Gel, MF and AGM batteries

I have been looking for a cheap and easy way to keep a charge in my Jeep Cherokee's battery since it is a secondary vehicle and not driven very often. The NOCO 5W Solar Battery charger seems to have fit that bill. The battery charger seems to keep the battery charged even on these cloudy wintery days in Michigan. The instructions for use were pretty straight forward. So far the charger seems to be doing a very good job.

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Reading some of the other reviews, I'm not sure if people realize how little power this solar charger puts out. If you look at a standard plug-in battery charger, they typically have a "high" setting of 8 or 10 amps, often a "trickle charge" setting of 2 amps, and sometimes a short-term "boost" setting of 50 amps. This solar panel is claimed to put out 180 milliamps, which is 0.18 amps, or about 1/6th of one amp. You are not going to be jump-starting your car on the spot, or lighting your cabin all night off this solar charger.

The manufacturer intends it just as a battery maintainer, to counter the gradual loss of charge that batteries experience when sitting unused. So long as you understand that limitation, it appears to be a fine product. The housing seems sturdy, and the wires or cables provided are decent quality. I'm thinking to mount mine somehow on my garage wall to maintain my motorcycle battery since that is something I do not drive every day. Perhaps by maintaining the charge in this fashion I can get away without bringing the battery indoors during the winter, since it is normally only discharged batteries that are in danger of freezing -which can cause internal shorts.

I remember how much tiny solar cells cost at Radio Shack back in the 1970's... although this is too small to provide primary power for more than maybe a single low-drain device, it sure is cool to get something like this to play around with.

Read Best Reviews of NOCO BLSOLAR2 Battery Life+ Black 2.5W Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer Here

I was very pleasantly surprised how high quality this solar panel and all of the included accessories were. I have had a few other solar panels in the past and they don't even come close to comparing to the quality and design of this one. I put this panel in the windshield of my old truck using the included suction cups and it feels very secure. I love how slim the panel is and how the cable runs cleanly out the back. In addition, the quick connect cables are awesome and make attaching the right accessory easy.

This panel is the perfect size to keep a standard automotive battery topped off. In the past I have left my truck un-driven for a few months at a time and come back to dead battery. This panel provides enough current to counteract the natural drain of a battery, which is all I really need. I will buying more for some of my other equipment and I highly recommend this solar charger.

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I purchased this device a while back and waited to write a review so I could test this and see how well it works. I have to say that the Noco solar battery charger is the perfect solution for my motorcycle and buddies jet skis. We both don't ride that often but when we actually want to it seems we always have issues with the batteries. Not anymore, since using Noco's solar panel we have yet to have a dead battery. We don't have room to put these in the garage so running an extension cord out to them is a real hassle. That's where the convenience of having this solar panel comes in, not only can you place the panel in a wide arrangement of places but the long extension cord makes it even more portable. No more long extension cords and mess, Noco's solar panel is the answer for anyone looking an easy and portable way to recharge your battery.

The clamps and wires of the unit are high quality (much better than expected) as well as the construction of the solar panel itself. I could not have found a more perfect solution to charging my batteries.

I just recently bought the Noco's smaller solar panel for my brother who is an avid camper and has been searching for something to keep his gadgets charged while he is away.

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I've been using this for a couple weeks now in conjunction with my bikes. I don't always get to ride them and one of them has a battery that is trying to quit on me and I don't want to replace it just yet as it's not bad enough to need complete replacing. This has been my solution in the mean time.

If I leave that bike alone the batter wants to go out after 2 weeks of no use. This has solved that problem. I keep that bike in the shed next to house as there isn't enough room in the garage so after mounting a simple 12v socket to the battery all I have to do is plug this device in and let it do it's think. Luckily I have a window on the roof of the shed to get light in there during the day and after a good cleaning of it I just placed this panel right up against it and mounted it to a piece of 1x1 to hold it in place. So far it's worked perfect. Hooking my meter to it I've come up with about 1.5W output early in the day and it climbs to 2.3-4 in the high sun angle portions of the day.

This really is making life easier for me and the easy cable system that it comes with is awesome. I can quickly swap cables around for whatever application I want to use it for.

Certainly a must if you have 12 devices that you don't get to use that often and don't want to add another plug in device that will just sit there and such power all the time. This eliminates that problem and keeps the battery topped off for when you really need it to be ready to go.

Hopkins 20001 Break Away Kit (Box, Battery, Charger, 7" Switch, Hardware)

Hopkins 20001 Break Away Kit
  • Activates trailer brakes upon separation from tow vehicle
  • Break-away systems are legally required in most states
  • Kit includes 24" wires, 2 U-bolts, 4 screws, 4 nuts, 4 washers and battery charger
  • Built-in battery charger that charges battery while plugged into the vehicle
  • Hopkins Towing Solutions is the brand engineered for ease of use and built to last

The product description states there is a built-in meter and LEDs to indicate the charge-level of the battery. They are advertising the more expensive product and shipping the cheaper version. Do not buy, this is a scam. I received the product and it does not match the picture or description none of the features listed are included.

Here are the features as they have listed at my time of purchase (and now I just doublechecked):

Built-in battery meter with LED test lights there is no meter to be found on this model.

LED's indicate: fully charged, re-charge, or charging there is not a single LED on it.

Convenient test button verifies battery charge there is no test button.

Built-in battery charger that charges battery while plugged into the vehicle i didn't open it up, but i doubt its in there.

DO NOT BUY, if you are expecting the features listed.

Hopkins The Engager 20001 Break Away System (Box, Battery, Charger, 7" Switch, Hardware)

Buy Hopkins 20001 Break Away Kit (Box, Battery, Charger, 7" Switch, Hardware) Now

this model does NOT come with "LED's indicate: fully charged, re-charge, or charging"

nor does it come with "Convenient test button verifies battery charge"

Read Best Reviews of Hopkins 20001 Break Away Kit (Box, Battery, Charger, 7" Switch, Hardware) Here

The product was a very good price and free shipment. The actual product was exacty what I was looking for, it was easy to install with good instructions and works great.

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Good price on a solid unit. I mounted it next to the old battery box (empty) and used it as a junction box for all of the wire connections.

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clear easy instructions on how to install the charger. comes with everything i needed. have not had any issues with this product would recommend

GOgroove FlexSMART X2 Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Charging, Music Control, and Han

GOgroove FlexSMART X2 Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Charging, Music Control, and Hands-Free Calling for Android, iPhone, Blackberry, & Windows Smartphones
  • On-board volume, play settings, and phone controls|Built-in microphone with enhanced voice detection
  • FM tuner with an Auto-seek feature to help find the clearest FM station
  • Universal USB port lets you charge your Smartphone or MP3 Player while streaming
  • Includes "line in" port and 3.5 aux. cable for connecting non-Bluetooth enabled devices

When I got the HTC Evo back at the beginning of June I just went to Wal Mart and picked up an FM transmitter there for 50 dollars, but it would only transmit to the radio but not charge the phone. For anyone who has an Evo, you know that the battery life is not good. Plus it had a so much excess wiring. I returned it and bought this off of amazon and it is amazing. It paired within 10 seconds and transmits with barely noticeable no static, transmits far better than the 50 dollar thing I got from Wal-Mart or the FM transmitter I had for my iphone. I put my phone onto pandora, plug in the charger and set it down and if a song comes up I want to skip, I can just hit the forward button on the flexSmart unit which can be easily adjusted to any position for your hand.

I love this thing, its not obtrusive, theres not a ton of excess wiring, just the gooseneck and if you want to charge it simultaneously you can just plug it into the usb port with the included 6 inch wire or use your own. The calls come in clear and great too, just as good as any bluetooth headset.

I highly recommend this if you dont have an auxiliary port in your car stereo, I was considering getting the gomadic one which is only 5 dollars cheapers, but has so much more wiring and the typical inconvenient control module built into the wiring. I'm really glad I got this one, I'm about to drive from DC to Portland and this thing will make the trip much more bearable and its not an eye sore in the car.

Buy GOgroove FlexSMART X2 Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Charging, Music Control, and Han Now

I have been using this with an iPhone 4. The set up was very easy to connect via bluetooth. I made a phone call and the sound was fine. The person on the other end could hear me no problem. However, then I tried to play music. The sound quality is lacking HUGE when you play the music wirelessly through bluetooth. I am big into music and a musician so I know what sounds good, at least to some extent. There is almost no low end whatsoever playing through bluetooth. And the volume has to be very high on both my phone and car to hear it well. I thought I was going to have to return the product until I tried connecting my phone to the device with the audio cable. BIG difference in sound quality. Now the low end is there and the music is full. The sound quality is very high for a bluetooth device when using this method. However, in order to achieve this I had to disconnect my phone's bluetooth. Otherwise the device overrides the audio wire connection and plays the music wirelessly. The product is still new to me, so maybe I just haven't figured it out yet. But this means I can only listen to music or make and answer calls separately. Meaning, I have to manually connect and disconnect my phone's bluetooth to switch back and forth between music and making phone calls. This is definitely an inconvenience. However, my main purpose for purchasing this product was to listen to music in my car from my phone. Since my car does not have an audio jack this device gets the job done. There is minimal interference in the sound quality that only is heard in between songs, and the volume has to be pretty high. Also note that with the iPhone 4 the music controls on the device (play/pause, next/previous song) do not work. The answer and hang up buttons worked fine for making phone calls. So just be careful when purchasing this product. Make sure you know why you are buying it. I hope this helps you make the right decision for you.

Read Best Reviews of GOgroove FlexSMART X2 Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Charging, Music Control, and Han Here

This product is an FM transmitter that connects to your Phone via bluetooth, and then transmits the audio to your car stereo through an FM signal. Just the same as other FM transmitters, but using bluetooth connection to your phone rather than a cord.

Setup:

I take a lot of trips up to Santa Barbara on the weekends and it's about 90 miles away. I use this with my Motorola Droid usually, but also with my friends' phones too. First you just plug the FLEXSMART X2 into the cigarette outlet in your car, and then press the power button. You see the LCD light up and you can adjust the FM station with the twisting knob. Just match the FM station on the FLEXSMART X2 and your car FM radio. To find the best station you can just hold down the twisting knob for a few seconds and it automatically finds a clear station for you. All you have to do to put the FLEXSMART X2 into pairing mode is hold the blue call button for a couple seconds, and then the lights start to flash. Then you go into your bluetooth settings on whatever phone you have and search for FLEXSMART X2 from the list. It usually connects in about 5 seconds. You here two beeps. One thing to notice is that when you want to disconnect one phone and connect a friend's, you have to unpair the 1st phone before connecting the 2nd one.

Sound for Music and Calls:

The sound quality for music seems to be very good. It's way less interference than other FM transmitters, I think it's possibly because there are no wires connecting the phone to the transmitter. Bluetooth music seems to be superior. One thing I did notice was a difference in my sound levels with the bass and treble. I just tweaked the bass and treble levels and got it sounding the way I like. Call quality is different. I can't figure it out...sometimes when I make or receive calls everything is perfect.. then sometimes the person I'm talking to says they can hear their voice echo in the background, BUT they sound fine to me??? It only happens maybe 1 out of 10 times.. but I can't figure out what causes it... maybe a bad cell phone signal I'm not sure. BUt for the most part calls sound good and I like how I can answer and end calls without ever toughing my phone

Controls:

You can answer and end calls by the controls on FLEXSMART X2, and you can even hold down the call button to call the same person you last talked to. The twisting knob is used for fm station tuning. Twsting it will change the FM station by 0.1 with each click. One cool feature is this Auto-Seek that finds clear stations for you. You just hold down the twisting knob and it zooms into a clear station...very cool. Also, the knob controls volume if you click it down just once. It seems like the best sound comes when you turn the FLEXMSART X2 volume up to 30, and then your car radio at about mid level(depending on how loud you like your music). I've noticed by turning up the volume on FLEXSMART X2 first the sound quality is really great. The play, forward and back buttons control your music. These controls worked great on most phones I've tried, but only the play and pause control worked on the iPhone 3GS we used.

Other cool things.....

I noticed that when you leave your phoen bluetooth on, FLEXSMART X2 automatically re-pairs it when you turn your car on. Thats pretty cool. It also comes with 3 usb cables which can charge iPods and almost any cell phone. It has a USB port on the side of it that you connect these cables to, so you could charge your phone or your friend's phone even though your cigarette outlet is being taken up.

The lights are also really cool at night. They go nice with my 2002 Volkswagen console lights. ALSO, you can use this just like any other FM transmitter if you have an iPod or something without bluetooth capability. It has a 3.5mm headphone cord jack and a two-way cable. It's cool that you can use it even with things(mp3 players / laptops) that don't have bluetooth capability.

What a cool product... for sure one of the coolest car audio products I've ever used...hahha and my friends like it too.

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Okay, so maybe everybody knows this, but this isn't just for the Android phone-it's compatible with the iPhone 4 as well. I wasn't sure of this (I've never really messed with bluetooth before) as they list the FlexSmart on here for the iPhone and the Android phone as separate products. The one listed for the iPhone is actually more money and is not Prime eligible, so I took a chance and just ordered this one. Success, it worked! So if there's anyone out there that's as silly as me wondering hey, will it work for both? The answer is YES. I have an iPhone 4 and my husband has the Samsung Galaxy (an Android phone), and we both connect to it with NO problems whatsoever.

The sound is super crisp. I've had an FM transmitter for my iPod before and not been impressed-it was static-y and wouldn't hold the signal. But this little gadget really knocked my socks off! Pairing it with 2 different phones was super easy, and the sound quality is terrific. My husband wants one for his truck now. :)

In the item pictures, it only shows the mini & micro USB and audio cords, but this comes with a little package of all the USB cords you'd need for charging if you're a multi-phone family like us (including iPhone/iPod cord). That is REALLY awesome because now I've got ONE device for bluetooth, charging and music! I can get rid of all those other cords! The cord plugs into the USB port and keeps my iPhone charged on long drives. :)

I also plugged my mom's iPhone 3G and my sister's iPhone 3GS into it, paired it using Bluetooth, and it worked flawlessly with those models as well.

I highly recommend this!!

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This my quick review, I'll use the given standardized attributes -

Call Quality (4)

The quality is actually pretty good, but it wasn't 5 stars primarily because the voice volume is considerably lower than the music volume and this is with them set to be even on the phone, it's a big discrepancy in the two volume levels.

Compatibility (5)

Gave it a 5 for this because I tried it with a bunch of devices and it connected and worked NO PROBLEM! It re-pairs and reconnects effortlessly. It supports all the different pairing modes as advertised and paired with my Android phone I can control the music I play with the easy-to-use buttons.

Setup (5)

You don't have to be a Techie AT ALL to set this up in under 10 mins (and keep it setup). Pairing was easy, using was easy and intuitive. There is one little issue that I will mention at the end. What Is great is that they provide you ALL the cables you would ever need.

Sound Quality (4)

The sound quality is pretty okay, but not great.

Music Quality (4)

I gave this a 4 because the sound quality over bluetooth is noticeably less than when it is connected via cable (not too much of a surprise there). There's almost no bottom-end in the music over Bluetooth.

SUGGESTION to the manufacturers:

I really luv this product. There are two quick suggestions I have -

(1) Improve the quality of the music over Bluetooth (it needs to be able to carry bass).

(2) This next one is concerning the knob. It is very nice in every way, EXCEPT... I suggest to reverse the volume and tuning operations. When you turn the knob it changes the FM frequency (which is not something that you have to do much if at all)... HOWEVER, to adjust the volume (more frequently done) you have to first press the knob and then turn it to adjust. These need to be switched around.

If I discover anything else I will add more.

Solar 2 Go ISB-RL01 10 Watt Portable Solar Power Kit

Solar 2 Go ISB-RL01 10 Watt Portable Solar Power KitI ordered this product from Amazon and received it the day before Hurricane Irene arrived at my summer home in CT (well, TS Irene, by the time she crossed Long Island Sound). We were without power for 5 days, and I used this product to keep my DSL modem & laptop powered so I could work (yes, the landphone and DSL kept on working, even as cell service was disrupted for 2 days).

The supplied battery took about 10 hours of full sunlight to charge, and was depleted in about 7 hours, so I called the company also in CT, I was surprised to learn and found it can be used to charge a larger deep-cycle battery although of course the charging time would be much longer. So I bought a fully-charged marine deep cycle battery and ran the computer & network off that, while recharging the smaller battery to use in the evening to run my TV and satellite box. Between that and my stock of batteries and lanterns, battery fans, wind-up radio etc., I was able to relax while my neighbors drove miles looking for open gas stations to replenish their thirsty generators.

After we got power back, I used the solar panel to charge the marine battery back up over the course of a couple of days. I love this convenient little kit, and will look into buying a spare battery like the supplied one, which would enable continuous portable use.

I purchased this portable power kit recently from another site and happy to now see it here on Amazon! The kit comes with everything you need including a Charge Controller, Inverter and battery! I run my laptop off the 300 watt Inverter and am able to be outdoors and have my portable power kit with me. We can even run our new LED T.V. off of it, This is awesome! A great feature is the LED lighting strip that we use at night on the deck. Everyone that comes over loves it, it's quite the conversation piece. I will let family and friends know they can purchase them here----great product!

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I hooked it up and charged the battery, the day I received it. I live in the desert and our power has been know to go out at the most un-opportune moments. this will run my portable swamp cooler, and have some power to spare.

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This was the most expensive thing I purchased at amazon. I was a little worried at first. I received my package,there was one missing item. I called the company and they shipped it right out. So far everything works. I hadn't tried charging the panel yet.

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Essential Gomadic AC /DC Charge Accessory Bundle for the Garmin StreetPilot C530. Kit includes the G

Essential Gomadic AC /DC Charge Accessory Bundle for the Garmin StreetPilot C530. Kit includes the Gomadic Home and Car Chargers at a Money Saving Price. Based on TipExchange Technology
  • This Gomadic Car charger has a wide input voltage range of 12-24vDC to support all vehicle charging ports. Works in cars, trucks, planes, boat, RVs and more (both domestic and international). Available output current is an impressive 10W/2A . (Twice most competing products!)
  • Gomadic TipExchange Technology protects your investment by allowing you to change/upgrade either charger by simply swapping the physical charging tip. (Charging tips for Garmin StreetPilot C530 included with additional tips sold separately).
  • Gomadic Wall Charger is built to support worldwide voltage input levels ranging from 100-240vAC /50-60 Hz. High output 10W /2A transformer provides output voltage and resistor configuration specific to the Garmin StreetPilot C530.
  • Both Gomadic car and wall chargers employ state of the art, advanced internal circuitry to protect Garmin StreetPilot C530 from power surges, overcharging and short-circuiting.
  • The Gomadic "Power Sleep" feature limits power consumption when chargers are not in use. Both car and wall chargers will draw less than 0.1W of power when in "ready state" (e.g. not connected to the Garmin StreetPilot C530).

I use it a lot, but when the time changed (spring to fall) I am not able to change it myself on the device. It did not change automatically. which is sad. The time always still show more time than it is needed.

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Duracell DRPP600 Powerpack 600 Jump Starter and Emergency Power Source

Duracell DRPP600 Powerpack 600 Jump Starter and Emergency Power Source
  • 3 AC and 1 DC outlets
  • Built-in 2 x 2100 microampere USB outlet for charging iPad, iPhone, digital cameras and cell phones
  • Includes jumper cables
  • LED flashlight

I purchased this to have as an emergency power source in the event of extended power outages. Living in Oregon, I am primarily concerned with the possibility of a large earthquake (see Cascadia Subduction Zone), which could mean we would be without mains electrical power for a period of days or weeks. I would like to be able to keep small electrical gadgets like smart phones charged, as I have heard that the wireless cell network is often brought back up before the rest of the electrical grid. I would not be using this with high-draw appliances, I just want to be able to keep the small stuff charged up over a longer period of time. Although I am somewhat technical (a computer programmer), I came into this not knowing much at all about batteries and the like. So with that in mind, here are my initial impressions, along with some ideas for a more modular alternative setup.

Duracell has replaced the radio which earlier reviews talked about in the back of the unit with two USB charging ports. Some of the video reviews I saw online prior to purchase mentioned these ports, but didn't actually show them, so it was a relief to actually find them given my desire for charging small devices. I'm glad that Duracell apparently decided to get rid of the little radio and clock those are things that I would much rather just keep separately.

The unit is quite heavy, but the handle is comfortable and this makes it easy to move around at least within a house. The build quality is only so-so the main panel consists of a plastic sheet that is stuck down with glue, and my panel is already coming unstuck in places. I pressed it back down and it seemed to stay. Minor cosmetic issue.

When charging for the first time, the manual says to do it for at least 35 hours. During charging, the green light on the front panel blinks. This light changes to solid green when charged; it did this for me after about 6 hours, but I still left it charging for the full 35 hours just to be on the safe side I didn't want to ruin the battery by trying to use it prematurely, especially if it had been sitting around in a warehouse for a while.

When you use the unit for power, you have to be sure to first unplug the charging lead, otherwise this can apparently cause damage to the transformer. Just to see how long it would last, I tried plugging in a 100W incandescent light while we were watching TV in the evening (the light was the only thing plugged into the Duracell). Unfortunately I didn't note the exact run time before the alarm sounded, but it was somewhere between 1 and 2 hours, I think. I immediately unplugged the light and put the unit back on the charger. This was around 9pm; this time it didn't stop flashing until mid-afternoon the next day. So that gives you some idea of how long it can run a simple light, and how long it takes to recover afterwards. To be honest, I wasn't overly impressed I know 100 watts is a bright bulb, but somehow I've never thought of light bulbs as actually taking up that much power (I am no electrical engineer, so my opinion doesn't mean all that much I'm just talking about perception here). I also would have hoped that the thing would have recharged faster than it did, but it is what it is.

After a little more research, I noticed that people were saying that the battery inside the Duracell is not "deep cycle", which means it's not made for being repeatedly discharged using most of its capacity. Apparently if you discharge this Duracell too much then it can permanently damage the battery. Also, the internal battery is not that easy to replace perhaps it can be, but it's not clear how. So, this got me thinking about a more modular approach. I like modular, because it allows you more flexibility in choosing parts, and also you can replace each part if it should go bad. So I started looking at deep cycle batteries, and inverters (for getting power out of the 12V battery at 120V or for USB charging). I was looking for the highest capacity batteries, i.e. which have the highest aH number (I believe this is "amp hours"). I eventually settled on the Optima Yellowtop batteries, since they are deep cycle (as opposed to the Red Top, which are starter batteries, not made for extended discharge). Specifically this one: Optima Batteries 8051-160 D31A YellowTop Dual Purpose Battery, seems to have the highest aH rating amongst the Optima range. at 75 aH (vs 26 aH for the Duracell), and it's deep cycle, and made for vehicles which have a lot of extra electronics.

Then there's the issue of how to charge the battery. This one is a no-brainer, Optima also makes a charger: Optima 150-34178 Digital 1200 Battery Charger. I have this now and it seems to be very nice I'll post a separate review, but suffice to say I like it so far.

Next is getting power out of the battery in the voltages that are needed for everyday appliances. I did this in two stages: First, a 12V adaptor socket with clamps for attaching to the battery posts: Roadpro 12V Battery Clip-On and Cigarette Lighter Adapter (this lets you plug in anything that you could plug into the "cigarette lighter" socket in a car e.g. a car USB charger would be able to charge smartphones etc). Next, an inverter (to convert the 12V DC to 120V AC power) e.g. Samlex America PST30S12A 300W Pure Sine Wave Inverter. These things are obviously also useful everyday in the car for charging gadgets, laptops and so on. Incidentally, you might want to do some research on, or at least be aware of the difference between modified sine wave (MSW) and pure sine wave (PSW) inverters this affects the quality of the AC current being produced by the 120V outlets. The inverter in this Duracell is, I'm pretty sure, MSW. I also have the Samlex PST30 that I linked to above, which is PSW, and just out of curiosity I tried running a Wahl shaver first through the regular AC socket on the Duracell, and then through the Samlex, which was plugged directly into the 12V socket on the Duracell (so, both tests are using the same battery, just different inverters). There was a noticeable difference in the sound of the shaver between the two sources. It sounded more subdued and quieter on the Duracell's MSW inverter, and much stronger and maybe faster on the Samlex. Apparently many devices don't mind what they are plugged into, or at least they can tolerate the non-optimal AC produced by MSW inverters, but some devices may be affected by it (e.g. you might experience heating up of transformers, or buzzing, or different performance as in the case of my shaver). Just something to be aware of PSW is definitely more expensive, but as the name suggests, the sine wave produced is more, well, pure. So if you have sensitive equipment then you should look at the PSW possibilities. Note that you can use the PSW in combination with the Duracell, just as I did here simply plug it into the 12V socket and you are using the battery directly.

I have built a small wooden enclosure to put around the Optima YellowTop battery while it is being charged, so that I can keep it inside the house (we have cats and I don't want them to be able to mess with it). I choose to keep it inside the house, rather than out in the garage, for two reasons: First, it seems that batteries are quite sensitive to getting too cold or too hot, so I want to maximize its useful life. Second, these AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries are sealed, and so there isn't any danger of harmful fumes coming into the room. I wouldn't do this with regular lead acid batteries you need to be careful! I think it's ok with the AGM, though after all, this Duracell unit which is the main subject of this review uses an AGM battery, and it's clearly meant for use inside the house.

So anyway there you have it a much more modular, and probably much higher capacity alternative. The downside is that it is more expensive (at least initially), due to having to purchase the separate battery, charger, adaptor and inverter. But then you can replace the battery whenever you need to, or even have multiple batteries standing by. It's just much more flexible. Also, I have to say that I get a lot more confidence from the Optima 1200 charger than I do from the Duracell, due to the fact that it seems to be much more advanced in terms of multistage/maintenance charging. The Optima 1200 also does an automatic 3 hour maintenance cycle on the battery every 30 days, which apparently helps keep it desulfated (an issue with these batteries, apparently).

I would say that the Duracell 600 is still worthwhile if what you want/need is an all-in-one package that works out of the box and can be easily transported. My modular solution is definitely not so portable, but remember that I got this primarily for use in the home, not taking on the road. I am still glad I got the Duracell, because I think its transportability will no doubt come in useful in ways I can't imagine right now e.g. on car journeys, camping or whatever. It's a very handy little thing to have around. I will leave it inside the house, not in the trunk of the car, though (again extreme heat and cold kills these things), and I leave it constantly plugged in so it can trickle charge the battery.

I'll also mention some other options which I have been learning about since I first wrote this review: As I said initially, I was primarily interested in keeping small gadgets charged up in the event of a power outage. There are alternatives that may be more appropriate for that specific purpose than either this Duracell or the Optima battery setup I outlined above. For example, the Anker Astro3E 10000mAh Dual 5V 3A USB Output External Battery Pack Charger for Smart Phones, Android Phones is a very nice battery pack that is about the same size as my Samsung Galaxy S3, and it will keep it topped off for a few days at least. One thing worth noting here: The 10,000 mAh of the Anker is equivalent to 10 Ah, and the Duracell's battery is 26 Ah, so three of the Anker battery packs would theoretically have more total capacity than the Duracell... and at about $40 for the Anker vs $150 for the Duracell, even three Ankers would both cost less, and take up less space. So if you're primarily interested in keeping USB devices going during outages, then it would seem there are better options out there than this Duracell. However obviously if you need the inverter (to run devices with regular electrical plugs) then the Anker can't do that.

Then there are new, small, efficient solar chargers that have recently come on the market which are much more effective that the previous generation. For example, the Solar Joos Orange Portable Solar Charger is really nice (I have it), and the Instapark 10 Watt Solar Panel Portable Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports for iPhone, iPad & all other USB Compatible Devices is another one that I am trying out. You can also of course get a larger solar panel for charging up the Optima battery, e.g. Instapark® NEW All Black 50W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel (you also need a charge controller, e.g. Sunforce 60031 10 Amp Digital Charge Controller to hook it up to your battery). The point is, if you think about what it is you actually want to keep charged up, then there may well be better, more compact solutions than this Duracell. I also like the idea that the little solar chargers can be used indefinitely even in the event of a power outage that lasts for an extended period as long as the sun is shining, you'll be able to charge. Just something to think about.

Hope this will be useful to somebody, I think it's a very interesting problem to think about how you might be able to keep all your little gadgets charged up in the event of a big disaster. Knowing how all the parts fit together (battery, charger, inverter etc) can be helpful in knowing what you're looking at when evaluating products like this Duracell.

Buy Duracell DRPP600 Powerpack 600 Jump Starter and Emergency Power Source Now

I bought this powerpack over five years ago and it still works fine. I have used it several times a year during short power

outages to run my laptop, internet modem, portable 9 inch TV and a small lamp with a low wattage bulb. I used it once to jump

start my car. I felt like I needed to have three hands, because I needed one to plug in the jumper cable to the powerpack and

two hands to keep the red and black wires seporated so they wouldn't spark. It made me nervous. I like that it is expandable by connecting another 12 volt battery. There is also an option to charge via solar panel, all though I don't want to spend $250 for a solar panel when I only use the power pack for short periods of time. If you want to go camping, it might make sense to get the solar panel.

One time when there was a power outage, I turned on the built in lantern and put the pack next to the bathroom door so I

could see to take a shower. I guess the steam from the shower got into the AC outlets and that part stopped working for

several days. Eventually the outlets dried out enough and they started working again.

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I bought this as a power failure backup for my CPAP. I found it was good for 2 nights of use (without using the humidifier).

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After 1 year the pack quit charging, no green light. The AC charger (transformer) is the problem. A 12V charger is an ok replacement with the correct connector. Mine has two pins and doesn't work one way. A 10.5V 13.5V charger can be used to replace the transformer. Leave it plugged in to a AC outlet or it does discharge quickly. FYI just in case.

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I use this unit to run my c-pap while camping. Works great and ran my c-pap minus the humidifier for two nights with no problem. It refused to charge the second time I used it. It was the charging cord. I ordered a replacement and it has worked fine since.

Parrot Minikit Slim Portable Bluetooth Car Kit

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

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

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

Buy Parrot Minikit Slim Portable Bluetooth Car Kit Now

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

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

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BlackBerry Torch 9800 Rapid Home Travel Wall Charger + Rapid Car Charger + USB Data Charge Sync Cabl

BlackBerry Torch 9800 Rapid Home Travel Wall Charger + Rapid Car Charger + USB Data Charge Sync Cable for BlackBerry Torch 9800This is a great value for the three typical ways to charge your BB Torch. If you bought these at your smartphone dealer or blackberry you would pay 5 to 10 times as much. And they do the job nicely!

Three pieces of equipment in this purchase -

#1 USB cable to connect Blackberry to Computer. Didn't work.

Sent email in and got a replacement it Didn't work either.

#2 Car Charger for Blackberry lasted two weeks doesn't work anymore.

#3 Home charger for Blackberry still works.

Buy BlackBerry Torch 9800 Rapid Home Travel Wall Charger + Rapid Car Charger + USB Data Charge Sync Cabl Now

this little package covers all my needs for charging and transferring data on my Black Berry. great price, quick delivery. I'm a happy camper.

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Do not even think about buying this product ( BB torch 9800 charger )

It don't work ... Not good it won't charge the phone

Like they said " it's too cheap to be true ..dont waste your money on this ..you will be very upset

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I wish I could give this negative stars! I have the charger I received w/my phone but wanted to purchase one for work so that I could just leave there in case my battery was low. HUGE MISTAKE. It appeared to charge my phone, however the second I touched any key my battery would immediately drop to 3 or 4%. I tried to charge it w/my other charger and it wouldn't hold its charge either. I ended up having to purchase a new battery. The cheap comes out expensive sometimes, def learned my lesson w/this one.

GTMax White USB Home Travel Charger + White USB Car Charger for Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation

GTMax White USB Home Travel Charger + White USB Car Charger for Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation
  • GTMax the Exclusive Brand of Bargaincell. Only in the United States.

I received two items like I was supposed to but they were not the items pictured. The car charger did work fine, but the wall charger was not compatible with an iPod touch so its useless to me. I'm trying to contact the seller that amazon sells through to get a wall charger that works.

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i have bought this TWICE!!! and BOTH times the wall charger like blew a fuse or something....it does not smell good at all (one lasted a LONG TIME and broke and the other lasted a few days or weeks and broke) i am not satisfied, or happy with purchase:(

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After one month my ten-year-old son pulled the home travel charger out of the wall after charging his i-pod touch. Unfortunately the charger pulled away leaving the pins behind in the socket. Fortunately, he did not try to remove the pins...

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Both of the products are working great. Considering the tiny price I paid I am very happy with the purchase. The car charger is working the way it's supposed to and the travel charger also works like a charm.

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I have not used the car charger yet, but the home charger works as expected! It is a good value and I would recommend this item to my family and friends!

In-Vehicle Charging Dock for S Galaxy S III

In-Vehicle Charging Dock for S Galaxy S IIIAt first I was quite satisfied with the product. The S3 has an absolutely horrible interface that pops up when the "car dock" mode starts, but that is no fault of the iBolt.

However, after several weeks I started noticing during long trips that my phone was draining battery and not charging as it should have been. When I started paying closer attention I noticed that the connection from the dock to the phone via the USB cable would intermittently terminate. If I bypassed the built-in cable and plugged an external cable into the phone while it's in the dock, I do not see this problem. I only see the problem when the phone is connected directly to the dock.

And then finally, the phone would no longer recognize the connection to the dock at all. This has been a rapid degrading in functionality of the iBolt dock. I still use it as a physical holder of the phone, but for the price charged for this item, I need more value.

(Edited 12/3/2012: I'm happy to say that iBolt is standing by their product and sending me a replacement, free of charge. I am bumping them up a star for standing by their product.)

Works with those cases:

Works well with my Seidio Active case (ASIN: B008FYFVNE)

Works well with Case-Mate POP! 2 (ASIN: B007ZL0QVA)

Reportedly works with Otterbox commuter (ASIN: B0085JRQQE)

Does NOT work with those case (Use with Ibolt ProDock instead)

Reportedly the Otterbox defender is too big

My wife's Amzer AMZ94215 Double Layer Hybrid Case with Kickstand (ASIN: B008AU20Q4)

A couple of things I learned in setting up this car dock:

the "car mode" on the phone is just that "a mode".

We generally associate "car mode" with a special car user interface.

This is really just a car dashboard app that gets started when you enter car mode.

The one that comes with the S3 is miserable (it just starts S-voice asking you what you want to do)

But the Android Play / Market easily comes to the rescue. Just search for "car home" and you will

be presented with a few good options. I use one called "Car Home Ultra" and it's PERFECT!

Some of those apps can trigger the car mode on/off for you based on a combination of bluetooth, usb and

audio connection which can be useful if you use a different dock that doesn't trigger it for you

(the Ibolt ProDock and Prodock Plus come to mind as they can accommodate ANY size of case).

Other tidbits:

This dock can accomodate cases up to 2.5mm thick (from the instruction sheet)

Do read the instruction sheet: To configure audio coming out of the dock's connector go

to Settings --> Dock --> Audio output mode and enable it.

That's it. GREAT dock, go buy one and drive safely!

Buy In-Vehicle Charging Dock for S Galaxy S III Now

What can I say? This is a great car dock. Very sturdy, fits the phone nicely with or without case, and plugging in the phone activates 'car mode' (do yourself a favor and get the Car Dock Ultra app to replace S-Voice).

Coming from a former Droid X user who was used to having a phone-specific plug-and-play dock that 'just worked', I had high expectations for car docks. I wanted one that would do the same thing for my GS3 that the old Motorola dock did for the Droid X. This dock does it.

One cool thing to note / minor complaint: the dock leaves the camera exposed so you it can theoretically work as a dash cam. However when the USB cable is plugged in, the picture will be upside-down. This is not iBolt's fault. Apparently when the phone is in car mode it 'locks' the horizontal orientation for reasons known only to Samsung. And the iBolt is holding the phone the 'wrong way'. Of course, if the cradle held the phone the 'right way' the volume controls would be inaccessible.

Anyway, there are a couple work-arounds: flip the cradle upside down, temporarily unplug the USB jack, or just deal with the upside down picture and flip it later with an editor.

Again, I don't fault iBolt for this issue, but you should know about it if you plan to use this as a 'dash cam'.

Other than that, five stars and worth every penny.

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After seeing the youtube video, I pre-ordered this from smartphonepedia since Samsung didn't have a dedicated GSIII charging car dock. It replaced the Infuse 4G dock I was using for my GSIII.

I have to disagree John's review. First off, the directions are clear on how the supplied pads are to be used. The power button never gets pressed. The dock allows for a very good fit with or without a case thanks to the removable insert (nice design). The same is true of the, I think, brilliantly simplistic charging solution, which again allows for use with or without a case. The other benefit of this design decision is that if the cord gets tugged on it doesn't pull on the handset's micro usb socket.

The flip latch is much easier to use than locking the handset into the Infuse 4G dock. The single cable which terminates in both a USB plug and aux audio plug reduces clutter. I use the spigen Kuel P12Q/C car charger because my car doesn't have a USB socket.

My only gripe is that when the phone is in the dock the volume rocker is partially covered by the latch, so I can increase but not decrease the volume without using the software UI controls.

It's not a perfect solution, but grading on a curve it's a 5 based on my experience with numerous other docks. Highly Recommended.

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I'd like to update this review considering the fact that I placed the foam pads correctly where they should go, and now the on/off button is NOT an issue anymore. This car dock is great and performs flawlessly.

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