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Showing posts with label 12 v battery charger. Show all posts

Komperdell Walker Antishock - Single

I am shifting plans, and have not used it yet, but like what I see. I had borrowed a carbon Komperdell set from a friend, and this is lighter and collapses shorter than those hiking poles. I love the cork handle as well and expect it to be very comfortable for a longer hike. I will have this with me on my travels from here on. Should I notice any problems, I will update this review.

Solar Portable Charger

Keeps your cell phone, iPhone, iPod, PDA, music player, digital camera, and GPS tracking unit charged
Equipped with battery charge level status indicator.
Battery full discharge prevention circuit maintains minimum of 5% charge level.
Equipped with SUN POWERED ENERGY source keeping internal battery fully charged
The unit battery can also be charged through AC home charger, DC car charger and and USB Port

I bought this solar charger primarily to recharge my iPhone and camera when I'm camping. When I first bought it (and I mean the first day), I tested it out, and it seemed to work fine. However, the next time I used it, it didn't provide enough current to recharge my iPhone 3GS. I also tried it on an iPhone 4, and no dice. The older it got, the less it worked. I'd say it lasted maybe a couple of months before it became mostly useless. I gave it an extra star only because it did work for a month or so. But I do consider this to be a colossal waste of money.

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I received this as a gift and I have to say this is prob the best gift I ever received. I bought a used car a year ago and after I bought it I realized that where they installed the cd player they had to take out the cigarette lighter/car charging station. You wouldn't think you'd need this for so much. I couldn't use my GPS for long trips, if my cell died I had to wait till I got home, and my MP3 player was a big no-no since it used a lot of battery life. This little thing charges all of that plus my childrens 3ds and PSP. I even use it in my house to save on the electric bill. It might not be a big money saver but it does help and I figure if I'm ever lost or stuck on a deserted island my MP3 player will always be charged.

Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump Starter

600 Peak Battery Amps / 300 Amp Instant Starting Power
270° Pivoting high powered LED emergency light
Built-in 120V AC charger, recharges unit with standard household extension cord
Tough durable housing with heavy duty metal clamps
Reverse connection warning provides audible and visual alarm
Desulfation Technology
Etl Listed Product
300 Amp Instant Starting Power
12V Usb Light
Item is nonreturnable

Awesome! Plenty of jump start power. Purchased 1 from Amazon & another from my local hardware store(same model). Used 4 times in the last few days on our fleet vehicles. Cars/trucks/vans...no problems. Charging is easy on this model, just plug it in with an ordinary household AC extension cord or use the DC adapter supplied. Also, this unit has an on/off switch. My old one didn't so the terminals were 'HOT' all the time. Life saver device, well worth the bucks!

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I bought this jumper to jump my motorcycle. The battery goes dead every winter and I am not in an area where I would be able to keep the battery charged over the winter (I am forced to park the thing out on the street). Anyway, this jumper works great I plugged it in, let it charge for a day (although I don't think it requires a full day to charge) and jumped my bike right up the battery on my bike was completely dead prior to the jump. Very easy, no problems.

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Nice features, well constructed. I plug it in to charge it up once a month. (more often than suggested) I let it charge for two full days when I charge it, indicators read full charge.

I needed to use it today because my car battery finally died (6 years old). I plugged the Stanley in to top up the charge, let it top up for two hours. Indicator showed full charge. Tried to start the car. Nothing. I could see sparks when I attached the battery, so I know there was juice, but just not enough to turn over the 6 cylinder engine.

The Stanley unit has a battery level indicator, before the attempt it read full charge. After, the indicator was in the middle. Back inside, I hook it up to charge it again, it reads low.

GM road side assistance showed up with a much beefier version of a portable battery source, and the car started up immediately.

This unit is one year old, so I am guessing that the internal battery just does not last, or can not actually supply the starting current that it claims.

Just a big beautiful paper weight. Go for a much beefier unit, or perhaps one with lithium ion batteries. Better yet, just subscribe to a road side assistance plan.

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My battery wouldn't hold a charge and I used this every day for 4 months to start my car and it exceeded my expectations. I never expected it to last that long, but with charging once every 3 weeks or so it worked fine. Small, portable, and much easier than jumper cables. Highly recommended.

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I use it to start my lawn mower and cars if necessary. So far, it has been working well. It is much better off for me to have this battery pack than buying a dedicated battery for my lawn mower. A great product!

Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter

Dual voltage converter for use with 50 watt and 1600 watt devices
Converts foreign voltage (220-240V AC) to USA voltage (110-120V AC)
For use with hair dryers, irons, coffee makers, clothes steamers, hair stylers, radios, CD players, camcorder chargers, etc.

This item offered here (Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter) is actually two different converters built into one package. At LOW setting (up to 50W), it uses a small AC transformer to convert 220V sinusoidal waveform into a 110V sinusoidal waveform. This is the preferred approach which works well for any low power appliance.

To handle higher power, however, the AC transformer must be made bulkier and heavier (around 20 pounds just for 1000W). This makes it impractical as a travel voltage converter for large-wattage appliance. Therefore another method is used by this converter...

At HIGH setting (50-1600W), this convert simply uses a solid-state switch inside to chop off part of the 220V sinusoidal waveform. The resulted waveform, as seen by the appliance, is highly distorted and is far from an 110V sinusoidal AC voltage.

For a purely resistive appliance (such as travel iron or water heater) it works just fine irregardless of different voltage waveform. But if you ever try to power an electronic appliance (such as TV, computer or battery charger) with this distorted 220V waveform, it will probably be fried in an instant!

The product manual did warn against using the HIGH setting for any electronic appliance exceeding 50W. So legally the company is covered. My advice is to stay away from this potentially destructive product unless you are really, REALLY careful about what to plug in. Chances are, sooner or later somebody will forget about this warning and plug a Xbox into this "converter" only to get a big BOOM!

If you must bring electronic appliances with your oversea trips, make sure they are rated for universal voltage of 100-240V AC. That way, you can safely use them in other countries without the need for a volatge converter. Power supplies for most portable electronics (laptop, camcorder, cell-phone, electric shavers, etc.) are already designed for universal voltage, although some of them may require you to physically flip a switch.

But don't forget, even if you don't need a voltage converter, you still must bring a set of plug adapters for foreign countries. For example, consider the Travel Smart Polarized Adapter Plug 5 Piece Set for this purpose.

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This kit is well made, contains all the plug adapters you'll need to travel to 6 continents, and unlike some, has switchable wattage to allow the use of both low voltage (eg. battery rechargers) and high voltage (eg. hair dryers) appliances.

Read Best Reviews of Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter Here

I bought this converter for a trip to Spain. Each time I used it, I smelled a plastic burning odor and the unit was too hot to handle. I had to unplug whatever device was connected to it and wait about 10 minutes before removing it from the wall outlet. When I took it to Peru four months later, I had the same experience, only this time it "exploded" while using my electric shaver. I immediately unplugged the shaver and grabbed a towel to remove the converter from the outlet. The room smelled strongly of burning plastic. Unfortunately, I burned out the motor of the shaver. I also noticed that the cell phone I had tried to charge earlier in the day had not charged. The charger was burned out and obviously no longer works back home in the states.

To add insult to injury, I've been bounced around from service rep to service rep trying to contact the company. I've been issued four "case numbers" each time I call in. Now they've got me waiting for a call from the legal department. Do they smell a lawsuit?

My recommendation is to NOT buy this device. Another review talks of how heavy the unit is and how the user had to prop it up. That's definitely been my experience. In Spain, I had to use the two prong accessory to plug it into the recessed outlet in the bathroom. I actually had to hold the unit to keep it from falling out. (Yes, I know, not smart, holding an electrical device while in the bathroom!)

Spend a few extra bucks and get a better converter.

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I took this converter to a very long European trip. It worked just fine. My family members were using it for both high-wattage and low-wattage appliances. It was very handy to have a single converter for all cases. What can I say it worked as supposed and didn't break. The set of 5 different adapters (all types used on the planet) was very handy too.

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I purchased two of the Recoton ADF 1650 sets for a recent trip to Italy. They worked flawlessly, with both high and low-voltage devices. We tried them with hair dryers, digital camera battery rechargers, etc. and no problems. They are quite large and heavy, though, and we ditched the carrying case, etc., and just threw the converter into our suitcases..

One important thing to remember is that you only need a voltage CONVERTER if the devices you wish to power are incapable of operating at the voltage being provided in the country you're visting. I found that my cell phone charger AND my Nikon digital camera battery recharger were both designed for BOTH 110 and 220 Volt operation (read the fine print stamped on the charger) so all I needed was the "plug adaptor" (and NOT a voltage converter) for these two chargers... The plug adaptors are about $2-$3 each...

Stanley BC1509 15 Amp Automatic Battery Charger

15 Amp Automatic Battery Charger/Maintainer
Automatically selects charge rate from 0 to 15 AMPS to maximize battery life, charge speed and maintenance
3-Stage high-frequency automatic rapid charge with Float Mode Monitoring
Quick Start Timer(TM): Automatically counts down to show when vehicle is ready to start
Spark resistant reverse hook up protection

Not too much to review here. It works! It charged my marine battery fast from almost dead in less than 30 minutes. Lightweight, easy to carry, nice long leads and easy to read LED.

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Lightweight and easy to use! This is an excellent little charger for home use. Best one I've had, and I've been through several over the years. I especially like the battery reconditioning cycle. Worth every penny!

Read Best Reviews of Stanley BC1509 15 Amp Automatic Battery Charger Here

This is how a charger should work, why should I have to manually select amperage? I know some people say constant low amps charges better, but that doesn't apply to new automatic smart chargers. They step down the amperage automatically as the battery charges. They also keep it from over charging and boiling the battery. With these new chargers you won't get any more charge from a long 2 amp charge then a quick 15 amp multi stage one. I use it for deep cycle batteries. Just hook up the battery and press charge, that's it, no guess work, no selecting charge speed and amperage. It optimizes everything and is completely automatic. It auto detects the type and condition of the battery, even compensating for the ambient temperature so it doesn't effect charging. It also can recondition old sulfated batteries with some pulse mode. The fan seems quiet enough and shuts off automatically in float mode after unit is cooled down from charging. The unit seems very durable. Back lit LCD screen is convenient. It displays current voltage, amps charging, mode, etc... It also has a alternator check I have never used, and a quick charge mode to start a dead car battery I have never used. When I charged my deep cycles on my old charger my trolling motor usually drained my deep cycle battery to almost 50% by the end of the day. With the new charger and the same amount of use it's only drained 30% when I get home. My batteries seem to get a better charge with this charger, and lasting longer. Another review said "wires get warm". I charge batteries on the full 15 amps for hours and don't notice the wires or battery being noticeably warm at all, maybe a little above room temperature at most. Nothing you would even notice unless you were specifically looking for it. Overall, by far the best charger I have ever owned.

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Bought this charger for its reconditioning feature. However, on charging my battery's, the charging wire got warm. I don't think it would have added very much to the cost of the unit to make it with a larger size wire...BF

Uniden GMR 1635-2 Two-Way Radios

Pair of FRS/GMRS family radios with 22 channels (15 GMRS, 7 FRS) and up to 16 mile range
Auto-squelch for reducing interference; channel scan/monitor for easily finding available channels
Power with three AAA batteries--automatic power saving feature extends battery life
Call tone and selectable roger beep; keypad lock feature to avoid changing settings
Bundle includes two radios, batteries, reference guide, and pair of belt clips
22 channels, including 7 FRS and 15 GMRS channels
Call tone will sound when calling each other
Scan helps you find others in your area
Roger beep lets others know when you finish speaking
Packaging is 100% recyclable and is printed with non-toxic inks. The Uniden manufacturing standards restrict the use of hazardous chemicals.

These walkie talkies were purchased for my 8 year old son for his birthday. They are replacing an exact set he had previously but misplaced. They really do work great. I can't speak to the mile range because he just uses them here around the house and in the yard but they work excellently for that.

The sound is clear and pretty much static free. They use 3 AAA batteries, which were included. I know from the other set we had that the battery life on these is pretty impressive.

If you are considering buying some toy walkie talkies for a child, I would avoid those. They are incredibly staticky and really no fun for kids at all due to the static and crappy reception. Spend the 5 more bucks and get these instead!

For the adults, I think these would be great to use while shopping or doing outdoor activities.

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These are AWSOME in all aspects except the fact that they chew thru batteries within 5-15 minutes of being turned on! The range is great! The clarity on nearly all channels is as well, great! The only problem I have is I cannot afford to use them as it gets incredibly expensive changing six batteries, (3 per unit) every 10 min... I believe this is a manufacture defect, but so far have not had any luck getting a response from the seller. Humm...

Read Best Reviews of Uniden GMR 1635-2 Two-Way Radios Here

These are very handy devices, and I especially like that I can use standard AAA batteries in them instead of depending on the charger. With most devices of this nature, you have to recharge them using a 110 volt charger, and this takes time for the recharge and a requires a place to plug it in as well.

They promote these as having a signal that will travel for miles. That is nonsense. There is not enough wattage in any device of this type to broadcast for miles FCC would not allow it. They are good for use up to perhaps 1/2 mile at the most, which is all most people would need. If you need a longer distance, get a radio and a license, or just use your cell phone.

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I bought these for my wife to better find me in the house or garden. No matter what channel we've tried, we cannot communicate. We've easily picked up other people's signals --once in the middle of the night. The call (ring) feature doesn't work at all. These indeed are very cheap --and you get what you pay for! Avoid these at any cost!

says 16 miles, wont do more than 400 yards! worthless!!! this does not work wont buy uniden ever again. got at target and will order better brand online.

Battery Charger for (4) AA or AAA Ni-MH/Ni-CD Batteries by ATC

Battery Charger for AA or AAA Ni-MH/Ni-CD Batteries by ATC

Input: 110 V / 220 V AC, 50/60 Hz 50 mA
Output: 2.4 VDC * 2 150 mA, 9 VDC * 2 20 mA
Carrying power consumption: 3.5 W MAX
No-load power consumption: 1.5 W MAX
Battery full rate: 80% frequency

It works, its made cheap. The little plastic door broke off on the first use, but that doesn't affect the ability to use it. If I bought again, I would probably opt for a slightly better model, but this one does work.

Schumacher PST-500 DSR ProSeries 500 Amp Carbon Pile Battery Load Tester

500 ampere Carbon Pile Charging System Analyzer for 12 Volt Battery Systems
Variable load carbon pile tester offers maximum accuracy when performing battery load tests
Separate voltmeter and ammeter allow easy viewing and understanding of battery test results
Color coded, temperature compensation pass/fail bands on volt meter
Tests batteries up to 1000 CCA

FOR THOSE BRAND NAME TOOL TECHNICIANS THE UNIT COMES WITH A BIG DSR LABEL ON IT STANDING FOR (DON SCHUMACHER RACING). NOT SCHUMACHER LIKE THE PICTURE SHOWS. THE NEEDLE IS A BIT UNSTABLE BEING THAT IT KEEPS CLIMBING WHEN APPLIED 1/2 THE CCA'S. I HAVE TO KEEP ADJUSTING NEEDLE. OVERALL LOOKS OF IT. IT LOOKS WELL MADE AND HAS A PROFESSIONAL LOOK ABOUT IT. HOPEFULLY IT PERFORMS AND STANDS UP TO IT'S NAME AND PRICE. THANKS. ADRIAN,

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Schumacher SE-1072 Multi-Battery Charger

Can charge six 12-volt or twelve 6-volt batteries
Includes charger and 5 jumpers for connecting batteries in series
Fuse protects against overload and short-circuits
Ideal for low-rider cars or fleet and industrial operations
Charger dimensions measure 13 1/2"w x 11"h with a 13" diameter

I have bought this charger and each of the three times I received and subsequently returned it, it was received defective, i.e. would not charge my 72v bank of golf cart batteries. Why does the manufacturer continually send defective product out to customers?

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We use this item in our R & D lab to keep multiple batteries topped up for use on our Marine Control test bench. We have had one of these for more than a year, and when my secondary charger from another brand, failed we bought another of these to replace it. Well protected circuitry and very flexible in how it can be connected to multiple units.

Update August 2012

Both units have now died they are not up to any sort of frequent / continuous use OK for intermittent use only

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If you are charging lots of batteries with different voltage this is a must, it has saved me several hours already.

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The product seems like a new one.I did choose it for its quality.I would recomend it to my customers because the price and the presentation.

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Great product.used to charge batteries in my hydraulic setup on my caddy.charged 6 batteries overnight.ready to cruise the next day with no problems.have since sold the car.but when I purchace my next one will definitely by this charger again.a must if you cruise a lowrider with hydros.

DLO AutoPod Car Charger for iPod (Black)

Color-coded, intelligent car charger designed for dock-connecting iPods
Glows red when power's on, amber while charging, and green when finished
Velcro tabs for convenient dashboard placement; replaceable safety fuse
Plugs into vehicle's cigarette lighter or other 12-volt power outlet
24-inch coiled cable with 5 foot total length; 1-year warranty

The charger works great. It charges quickly and when it's done it changes to green. The only problem with it is that if you play the unit while charging you get a buzz in the background. With the twenty hour battery life of the Nano It's not that big a deal. I just plug the Ipod in while I am away from the car, and unplug it for playback

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I purchased this charger with the TuneStick so I could play my ipod in the car and keep it charged up for long trips. When I drive it is often at least 2-3 hours away. This charger has worked perfectly for 2 years using it at least every other week for 2-3 hours at a time. Finally died last weekend so now I'm back for another. I feel I got my money's worth.

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I needed a car charger for my iPods. The choice seemed to be between cheap and untrustworthy, and overpriced. This DLO model was the best compromise I could find. With just enough features to justify the $15 price.

I have been using it for about a month now, including one 900 mile car trip, and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. The LED feature is actually helpful, and I am glad I chose this charger.

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I seem to have the opposite experience as the previous reviewer. This "charger" does not seem to charge my iPod Mini much at all. No matter how low the battery is, the indicator light on the charger almost always glows green when it is connected. I rarely ever see the amber color that indicates charging. The iPod will often lose power soon after removing it from this charger. This does not happen when I use the wall adapter to charge it.

But as for playing the iPod while it is plugged in the car, I have had no problems at all. The main reason I own this is to play the iPod in the car, and it works just fine for that.

iBOLT xProDock Active Car Dock/Holder/Mount for Samsung Galaxy S 3, S4 & Note 2. Works with all case

I purchased the iBolt xPro dock. Overall works well, the xProDoc is a high quality unit that holds my Note II well in place, and after researching all available docks/holders for the Note II, The iBolt is the winner. The Note II stays in place with little or no vibration when driving.

*The features are fantastic, but I would like to to see an added update where you as the owner can have the option to turn off the features that runs automatically: *the speed of your vehicle (MPH) and the *ongoing map location (live updating). I prefer a clean look on my cellular screen with not so much objects to read as you drive.

I also have the Galaxy SIII and purchased the iBolt Dock made specifcally for the cellular. Those simple and clean features that works for the Samsung GII cell, I would like to see-it duplicated on the xProDock as optional. Again, this XProDock is a nice quality made unit and works well.

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Schumacher SE-125A Automatic / Manual Battery Charger with Engine Start

For use with 6 and 12 Volt Batteries
Functions Include - 2 amp trickle charge, 15 amp fast charge and 125 amp engine start
This high output, portable starter/charger has both manual operation and fully automatic
2 LED lights signal fully charged and reverse hookup
The fully automatic function will not overcharge batteries

I've owned this charger for 5 years. It has a "manual" function, meaning that you can charge a battery past the normal 80% that the automatic chargers will. It means you can also charge one more quickly because the automatic function (also on this unit) of most chargers tapers off the amperage sent to the charger as it reaches 80% of charge. (15 amps also goes faster than ten.) Manual means you can also "condition" a battery to get the sulfites off of the plates, by carefully charging and watching to the point where the battery plates begin to gas off. Means a battery will take and maintain a better charge and last longer. I use it on the RV cabin battery for this, but also use it regularly just for car stuff.

All this and it does what other chargers do. 2 amp trickle charge, high powered capacitor starting function.

I DROVE OVER THIS CHARGER WITH A 5000 POUND 1986 LTD CROWN VICTORIA TODAY! FLAT as a pancake. Ahem, well. First plugged it in and promptly blew the garage circuit breaker. Immediately started hunting for other Schumacher chargers on the net. After spending two hours and seeing this particular unit is now over $100 new, thought "Well, let's see if I somehow tear it apart and look." No sooner got the mangled housing off, and (uuuhhh!!) bent the back upright (which had a circuit board on it), plugged it in, and it works!! And, in the course of bending back the heavy steel housing, NO paint flaked off. Must be baked-on enamel. These babies are built tough. As another reviewer for Schumacher chargers said, "No repackaged imported junk".

I take my hat off to this company: features, durability (!), quality........ wow.

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This is, IMHO, a well made battery charger. Works well! (Even with the quirks noted below).

The Good:

1) Has manual and auto modes and therefore will charge a completely dead battery. (Some , if not most, automatic only chargers need a couple volts to prove correct hookup and will not begin charging on a fully dead battery).

2) Heavy duty metal case.

3) Plenty of charging options including 6 volt for, perhaps, charging a single golf cart battery as found in RV and scooter apps as well.

4) Has "OFF" setting on rotary dial. Useful if using the 125 Amp start setting which has recommended max 5 sec duration per instructions.

5) Charges 12 volt batteries very, very well. (Have not tested on 6 volt)

The BAD:

1) Has poor rotary switch layout. Requires (most of the time) when switching to off or from 2A to 15A setting to cycle through the 125amp setting. This causes unnecessary stress on the battery and the charger. To avoid this one must unplug when changing setting.

2) Poorly written instructions regarding the use of the rotary switch vs the slide switch. Inst manual is generic for many of their chargers and not specific for this model.

3) Amp gauge on front of charger does not read in amps, but % of battery charge. Great for girls and girly guys, but not for the guys who have lawn tractors, boats, ATV's, etc. and really want to know what is going on at a glance.

4) Feet are molded from the metal case and do not have protective rubber pads to prevent marring and skiding.

The "who cares":

1) Has green LED which lights when battery is fully charged in 15 amp automatic mode. Does not work in 2 amp mode where it might actually be useful.

Read Best Reviews of Schumacher SE-125A Automatic / Manual Battery Charger with Engine Start Here

I had an older Schumacher that only had a 50 amp emergency boost, which was inadequate for most emergencies, so when that disappeared, I bought this SE-125A. I left it on the 2 amp charger setting for awhile on my Porsche's 12v battery while it was still connected in the car. It fully charged it and as stated in the owner's manual, when set on the 2 amp charge, the green light will not light when the battery is fully charged. The 15 amp, 12v automatic setting will turn on the green light when the battery is charged, but I wouldn't leave it like this for too long. I looked at the meter and the green light was lit, then the charger would stop charging with the meter falling off to the right. At the same time the green light would shut off, but then the meter would swing back to the left (charging again) and the green light would go on. This cycle took about 5 seconds to complete. After watching this happen many times over a period of 2 minutes, I unplugged it, feeling that can't be good for the Schumacher's longevity. It does the job and the price is right. The cord attached to the unit is relatively short, so you'll need a high quality 3-pronged extension cord if you want to use this charger while the battery is still connected in your vehicle.

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I've owned this about two years and its worked flawlessly. Its been used to keep three vehicles, three tractors, and two lawn mowers going through all the Minnesota seasons. I like the fact that it has an "off" setting. Its been very versatile and holds up well to fairly rough treatment. Would definitely buy again.

EDIT 5/27/11:

Very shortly after writing this glowing review, my unit seems to have died. I needed to jump a battery and pulled out the charger and let it charge for the normal amount of time. But battery was still dead. Repeated this process a few times and decided it wasn't the battery, must be something wrong with the truck, which is admittedly fairly old. Then noticed I wasn't getting a decent spark when i touched the positive and negative connectors together. Pulled out very old and frail charger that was nearly junked when I bought this Schumacher and it charged up the battery just fine. Upon further review, it appears that my Schumacher charger works only when in Manual setting, and does nothing when in automatic. I expect this sort of product to last more than two years.

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The first one I barrowed. The guy moved away and then came back across three States to get it back. The seconded was stollen. Now I have another. They are well built and dependable. I no longer lend it out without going with it..

Wizbang Battery Desulfator Solar Wind EV Marine Storage

US Priority Mail shipping on all orders (typical arrival in 2-3 days)
FREE shipping to all United States zipcodes, including Guam and US Virgin Islands
Automatic voltage detection for use with 6 or 12 volt batteries
Works with all types of lead based batteries, Sealed(SLA)/Gel/Deep Cycle Marine
Our product is 100% made in the USA

we have an old truck that sits most of the time, the battery was too weak to start, we tried to charge it but it would not take, so i decided to try this unit out. i hooked it up and let it sit for about a week, then with out even putting a charger on it i went out to start and it cranked over, after the unit has been on for three months the battery is starting great. i will be buying one of these for my rv battery, my car battery, and my motorcycle battery. thank you!

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Resurrected a very dead (5.7V) 12 V battery after 2 weeks on the desufator. The battery was relatively new but had been short circuited (ignition on) and left for a few months.

Read Best Reviews of Wizbang Battery Desulfator Solar Wind EV Marine Storage Here

I bought a number of these units and installed them on numerous vehicles in order to develop a better opinion of its operation. After a number of months of use, all the units created a battery drain that outweighed the benefits of desulfation. The batteries began with a full charge as verified by a CCA digital tester. For a low usage recreational vehicle, after 2 weeks of non-daily use, the battery required an external charger before starting the vehicle. Battery recovery did not occur as tested by the CCA digital tester on any vehicle installed. One of these units completely failed as the green LED does not light and the high pitched audible from the unit ceases to be present. For this vehicle, a 120V powered external desulfator was used for CCA recovery. When contacting the vendor, they commented that there was a very small drainage from the battery to run this unit, but not enough to drain it to a point where the battery would be significantly affected. As observed, this statement is false. The company refused to support their units because they claimed it was outside their 30 day warranty. My recommendation is to stay away from this unit. Rather, purchase a unit that shuts off when the vehicle is not running and only runs while the vehicle's alternator runs. Also, look for a company that stands behind their unit no less than 5 years, preferably lifetime guarantee. I hope this review helps the average consumer.

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This desulfator revived my truck battery after the abuse of not driving the truck enough. After the first recharge the battery almost did not turn the truck motor over. After a few weeks with the desulfator it looks like I have no need of a new battery.

Uniden Bearcat 500 Channel Alpha Numeric Hand Held Radio Scanner with CTCSS & DCS

Each of 500ch Can be Assigned an AlphaNumeric Name!
Includes Both Civil & Military Aircraft Bands!
Close-Call RF Frequency Counter capture mode, CTCSS & DCS ( PL & DPL)!
10 Banks, Optional PC Programming w/ Included USB Cable & Free Software Available OnLine!
Built-In Auto Service Searches - Police, Fire, Ham, Marine, Air, RailRoads, & more!

I have a GRE PSR-310 scanner that I like, a lot. However this Bearcat came with a programming cable and free programming software is available from Uniden, Sure it's missing the 800MHZ band, trunking and stores fewer channels, but for the price this thing can't be beat, sensitivity is on par with the GRE and volume and sound quality is ALMOST as good, however this Uniden is less than half the size, and much, much lighter, yet feels a tad more solid than the GRE.

I know I'm comparing apples and oranges here, but again, for the price, you'll be hard pressed to find a better scanner. I slightly prefer GRE's "Object Oriented Scanning" due to the flexibility it affords frequency setups, but I'll find myself using this Uniden a lot more because of the form factor and the included programming software/cable.

Now I have to go spend another $60 on a cable and software on the GRE so I can program the thing via my PC.

Uniden, you have spoiled me.

Buy Uniden Bearcat 500 Channel Alpha Numeric Hand Held Radio Scanner with CTCSS & DCS Now

I'm a little stunned by the bad reviews. I couldn't disagree more. This is a great scanner. For the roughly 100 bucks, you really get a lot.

It's handheld, which means it travels nicely. It's great for road trips and can keep you in the loop on weather, accidents, and umm, "other" police activities. It scans CB, FRS/GMRS/MURS and HAM bands which covers pretty much all of the individual use bands. The first two (CB, FRS/GMRS/MURS) are pretty useful on trips too.

It's rechargeable, and uses standard AA Ni-MH batteries (included) and you can recharge the batteries right in the scanner from a USB port. You can charge while it's on. Also, just in case it matters, you can run it directly from the USB port without any batteries installed at all! Of course, in a pinch you can always use regular non-rechargeable AA batteries which are pretty much the most common batteries in America. There's a switch inside the battery compartment to tell the scanner what kind of batteries you have so that it won't try to recharge regular batteries. (I know, too much time on batteries but I can't help it. A scanner's no good if you can't turn it on!)

There are some nice storage features for storing "found" stations and you can program them in manually too, if you know the frequency. You can name all the stations as well. Additionally, there's are banks of per-programmed frequencies for different uses (fire, police, CB, etc.) to allow you to get started right away. (If you're looking for frequencies just google "scanner frequencies" and the city or area you live in. Pretty simple...)

But really, it's connecting to the PC that has me won over. *All* of the settings can be accessed through the PC software available from the website. (The website also includes the *manual* , drivers, and firmware updates. The software isn't all that sexy to be sure, but it's plenty functional! It's a lot easier to use than typing into the scanner itself. It allows you to save different configurations in separate files so you can have, for instance, a file for Topeka, and another one for Miami. Again, a really nice feature if you're on the road and have a laptop.

Cons:

You can't actually control the scanning itself from the computer. Not a big deal but the function might be kinda cool. My biggest complaint is that there is not a standing battery indicator. You only get notification when the batteries get low, but you have no idea when that might be. It's just a minor annoyance... maybe it'll get fixed in a firmware update?

Overall, totally useful.

Read Best Reviews of Uniden Bearcat 500 Channel Alpha Numeric Hand Held Radio Scanner with CTCSS & DCS Here

Well so far so good! this is my first scanner and i think it's going well. I read the instructions jumped on radio reference and loaded it up. It seems to work great and i'm having alot of fun being nosy. Very easy to program and the scanner is picking up towns that are about 17 miles away. thanks!

Want Uniden Bearcat 500 Channel Alpha Numeric Hand Held Radio Scanner with CTCSS & DCS Discount?

this is a very nice scanner good sound quality ctcss and dcs and alpha numeric display what's not to like

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This is my first radio scanner and I'm very satisfied. Living at about 80 meters above sea level near the South Coast of the island of Curacao I'm receiving loud and clear communication from the North coast (Punto Fijo and Coro and enviroment)of Venezuela. Distance is approximately 120 km.

The only thing I have is that I would be very glad if someone would be so kind to send me the unzipped files of BC125AT_USB_driver.zip so that I will be able to install the drivers and update my scanner. I've been trying for hours but did not succeed and I have nobody who can help me with this problem. I'll send my email address to the one who can help me really. Thanks in advance.

This morning I was receiving air traffic communication from the airport of Caracas (Maiquetia). Distance to Maiquetia is about 300 km.!!

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