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V7 NAV740 NAV720 NAV730 GPS CAR Charger Power Adapter (6 FEET LONG STRAIGHT CABLE FOR LONGER REACH {

6 FEET LONG STRAIGHT CABLE FOR LONGER REACH ( NOT coiled curly )
ALL METAL TIP CAR PLUG HEAVY DUTY will not break fall off easy WITH LED POWER LIGHT
SUPER FAST SHIPPING ++ITEMS ARE 100% FULLY TEST 100% FULL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
12 MONTHS WARRANTY EXCHANGE

Either this thing is not as universal as proposed or it just doesn't make full contact on one of the ends. It takes for ever to charge up my gps with this item.

Fibre Glass Evercoat 108020 Aluminox Epoxy Stick - 4 oz.

FIBRE-GLASS EVERCOAT 108020, FIB108020

Used this product after I drilled 1/2 holes in the top of the nose cones of my pontoon boat to siphon water out.

Did not have access to a welder so I used this product to plug the holes after removing the water.

The product worked great with no leakage even in the hot 120 degree plus Arizona summer in and out of the cool water.

I also used it over existing "cracked" welds in other areas of my pontoon logs where I had water leaks with good results.

I pumped 5lbs of air in the logs and sprayed soapy water on the fix with no bubbling whatsoever.

The only place it came off was on the bottom front weld but I believe that was from repeated "beaching" it on shore.

All in all very good product and I did recommend to other pontoon owners with the same problem.

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It worked great when I tried it on a leak in one of my pontoons (on a very old pontoon boat). It sealed it up nicely, we boated 2 hours later and were out for 7 hours.. and the float was dry when we came in. Great product. Buying a few more for boat tool box.

Go Power! GP-SW1000-12 1000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

1000 watt continuous pure sine wave inverter 12 volt input
2000 watt surge
2 GFCI protected outlets to plug into
Over voltage, under voltage and overload protections
2 Year warranty

The go power inverter is a mid price true sine wave inverter. It's fuses can't be replaced. They so far have had a high failure rate.

They have replaced them under warranty but it's a slow process.

Do yourself a favor and put some more money with the purchase price and get a Xantrax true sine 1000 inverter.

It's more money but it's a WAY better inverter.

Buy Go Power! GP-SW1000-12 1000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter Now

This inverter has worked very well for me. I saw th negative review saying that it needs to have changeable fuses but I have no idea why you would need them. I have accidently overloaded this inverter a few times and the inverter simply goes into an overload protection and then resets. The reason I went with this inverter is because I have a friend with a fleet of 30 vehicles using the same GPSW-1000-12 inverter. They use the inverter for charging cordless tools and running a laptop and I have not heard of a single issue with any of his inverters.

Read Best Reviews of Go Power! GP-SW1000-12 1000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter Here

We ordered one of these to replace a twenty-year old Trace 800-watt modified sine wave inverter, mainly so we could use the new LED dimmer bulbs, which won't operate correctly with modified sine wave current. We've had nothing but problems with this Go Power unit, which has already had to be returned twice, and now out of warranty it all of a sudden stopped working for no discernible reason. A skilled electronics technician confirmed that the internal fuses are fine and said that any number of other parts could have failed and recommended that we "cut our losses" and buy something else. Because the company is in Canada, sending the unit back (as we discovered) is more complicated for U.S. customers, due to customs and shipping regulations. Meanwhile our sturdy little Trace inverter just keeps going. WE WISH WE'D TAKEN THE ADVICE OF OTHER CUSTOMER-REVIEWERS and bought the Xantrex Prowatt SW1000 1000W True Sinewave Inverter instead. Xantrex Prowatt SW1000 1000W True Sinewave Inverter I think of what my dad used to say about "false economy" when choosing something because it appears to be cheaper.

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.

Read Best Reviews of Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump Starter Here

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!

3 Piece Value Combo Accessory Bundle Kit: USB Car Charger + USB Travel Charger + USB Data Sync Cable

Zune 4GB
USB port
Charger Sets ( usb car + usb wall + usb retractable)
High Capacity
New design

The data sync cable does not workthe pins are simply not there to sync data at all; if you are looking for a replacement for your Zune cable do not use this. the pins are there for power, so if you're just looking for a wall charger, this'd probably work. I guess you get what you pay fornow I have to go and get an actual data sync cable. woot.

Also, apparently this company sucks as far as returning products if you look at their ratingsI'm in the process of trying to get a refund, I'll edit if/when I get a response.

Edit: see my comments on this post, but I just got a refund processed, decent response time-

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THIS PRODUCT DOEST WORK THE ZUNE DOSENT CHARGE AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICES AINT WORTH A DAMN SO I DONT KNOW WHAt I going to do but i going to pay 30 dollars at walmart so my damn zune will work

Read Best Reviews of 3 Piece Value Combo Accessory Bundle Kit: USB Car Charger + USB Travel Charger + USB Data Sync Cable Here

This is a great product for a charge, but unfortunately the actual plug in wire backed out on me only a couple weeks in. I would recommend getting a quality fire wire for your Zune device.

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I was originally stoked about this purchase, but I find that that has come to an end. The charger for the house first stopped locking once you pulled the cord and then it stopped charging my Zune entirely. Have not even had it long enough for it to mess up, but unfortunately it has.

The car charger is too big for my 120GB Zune. Ripoff. If you want your cable to fit, buy from Zune, as bad as I hate to say it. I was toodling along in my car, went to charge, and the cable doesn't fit.

Audiovox 1222CH 5-Mile 22-Chanel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair)

TWIN PACK - 22 x 38 Channels - 8 GMRS / 14 FRS
Dual Desktop Charger & Rechargeable NiMH Batteries
5-Mile Range, Hands Free (VOX) Capable
Swivel Belt Clip with Quick Release
FCC License Required

These radios have excellent range, good battery life and included the charger. I paid over TWICE as much for just the radios themselves WITHOUT batteries or the charger at a retail store one year ago.

Buy Audiovox 1222CH 5-Mile 22-Chanel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair) Now

I bought these radios intending to use them only occasionally and in an urban setting. Here is how it went:

The units themselves are very nice looking and have many useful features such as voice activated transmission, a backlit display and roger beep tone. You get 8 rechargeable batteries and swivel-belt clips along with the radios themselves and the dual desk-top charger. The range is about 2 miles although the manufacturer claims 5 miles. But most companies make these claims based on the range you might get under absolutely perfect conditions.

I was very happy with these radios but after only 2 months of very light use one of the radios failed. One of the radios is stuck in "busy" mode and thus it is basically useless (these units are manufactured in China).

My experience with Audiovox in the past has been good so I thought I was just unlucky so I went ahead and bought the "Audiovox GMRS6000-2PK 6-Mile GMRS 2-Way Radio Twin Pack with Bonus Package" which I have also reviewed so head over to that review to read the conclusion of my ordeal.

Read Best Reviews of Audiovox 1222CH 5-Mile 22-Chanel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair) Here

Uhg! What junk! When I was a kid 40 years ago, the walkie-talkies we played with were better than this junk. My son got this as a gift from the g-parents if I recall right, some 4 years ago. The charger is poor to say the least, and the unit is very difficult for a kid to understand how to use it properly. When you can get it to charge, it always takes awhile to figure the thing out again. Do not buy this junk.

Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for T-Mobile Samsung Gravity T T669 - Sam

Great. I have been looking for a set like this for quite a while. Once I saw the set it was great. Then I saw the price. I couldn't resist.

Worked fine. Looks a bit sturdier than the one that came with our phone. We'll see if it holds up.

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Goal Zero 19003 Silver/Black Small Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit

Sherpa 120 explorer kit includes the Sherpa 120 power pack, Sherpa UI (AC inverter), and Nomad 27 watt solar panel
Store 120 watt-hours of power with the Sherpa 120 power pack
Charge the Sherpa 120 with the Nomad 27 solar panel in 6-10 sun hours
Sherpa universal inverter is included - plug in your devices like you would a wall outlet
Nomad 27 is made from powerful monocrystalline solar panels

This review is for the Goal Zero Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit New Goal 0 ELITE Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit Delivers Power To Charge AC And Handheld Devices Portable, which includes the Sherpa 120 battery Goal0 11102 Sherpa 120 Battery the Nomad 27 solar panels Goal0 12201 Nomad 27M Solar Panel, and the Sherpa Universal Inverter Goal0 13002 Sherpa Universal Inverter.

I bought this system to use on an extended backwoods trip to run a CPAP machine while I sleep. Since this would be running a medical device, I felt it was important to know I could trust the system.

I carefully measured (using a Kill-a-Watt) P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor the power my CPAP was consuming and knew that in good conditions the battery alone should last nearly 3 nights, so the solar panels wouldn't need to fully charge the system in a single day. I have also measured the CPAP using (using a Watts-Up) "Watt's Up" RC Watt Meter & Power Analyzer WU100 Version 2 --SALE! when running directly from 12v and it consumes about 30 watts a night (vs 37watts a night on 120v).

In field testing and subsequent follow up this is how I would rate the system and some important suggestions for using it to maximize your results.

The battery holds as much power as advertised, I've measured it several times and it continues to perform well. The solar panels likewise perform as expected and charge the battery well. When solar charging the battery it takes longer than it does to charge it from Grid power. To get the most from your soloar panels, you'll need to adjust the panels to face the sun 2-3 times in a day. This was especially important for me when we were in a forest and the sun moving through the day changes where you need to be to get them in the sunlight. I was able to nearly fully charge the system in a full day of Arizona sun using the solar panels.

The system connects and works well. The only plug that seems slightly loose is the output plug on the battery. The other connectors are nice and sufficient. The output one should snap to give you extra security that your device will remain powered. The cables on the solar setup are nice and give you length to move things around. If a wind is possible where you set it up, use a stake through the grommet holes to keep the solar panels from blowing over.

Clearly the weak link in the system is the inverter. The Inverter is inefficient on smaller loads. My CPAP averages only ~5 watts to run at night but consumed nearly 8 watts of power through the inverter. This really consumed my battery capacity. I was shocked to measure and realize that 30% of my consumed power was due to inverter inefficiencies. By running the CPAP directly from 12v, I was able to not only remove the inverter load, but also eliminate the need of the unit to transform from 120v to 12v, providing additional savings. Running the CPAP through the inverter at 120v, it won't quite make 2 nights without a small bump. Running the CPAP directly at 12v, I am able to squeak out 4 nights from a single charge. Of course this will all depend on your CPAP and pressure settings; I use a lower pressure of 6 and an efficient Resmed Elite system.

The system is nicely rugged and in my case even blew over and down some rocks with no damage. I bought the available silicone sleeve for the battery which is a nice way to protect your investment.

Focus on using 12v loads directly and make sure you are running your necessary equipment as efficiently as possible to maximize your run times. Hopefully Goal Zero can tweak the inverter to improve its performance since it's the weak link in an otherwise impressive system.

One thing to note, if you leave the battery unattended for a long time (a few weeks) it goes into a deep sleep even shutting down the display (to conserve power). When you turn it back on it'll appear discharged but it really is holding the charge well. If you plug it into the solar or wall charger for a bit (~20 min) it'll snap back and realize that it's actually fully charged. It appears that after a deep sleep it takes time to realize it's fully charged.

Buy Goal Zero 19003 Silver/Black Small Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit Now

Some of my major gripes:

1. Battery unit doesn't hold a charge. I charge the unit with the Ac adaptor to a full charge. a week later and the battery level indicator is on 1/10 bars. ie dead. I bought this kit hoping to have stored power for future power outages and don't expect miracles (don't expect unit to hold a charge for 6 months w/o a re-charge) but cmon.

2. When Solar panel is connected to battery to charge battery, when the sun is out, the panel charges the battery. When its cloudy or at night, the panel seems to drain the battery. Again, if there's a power failure, I'd want this kit to always be hooked up and have the solar panel always charging the battery and if its cloudy and I;m away I don't feel I should babysit this unit and unplug the panel.

3. On full charge, battery seems to fully charge an iPhone 2-3 times. That's it. Now that's amazing if you really need a charge. But for $500 I'd want a little more juice.

On a positive note, I feel these units are designed well, look great, feel good in the hands, have great input and output ports... nicely labeled... etc etc. But perhaps this technology isn't quite there yet. I feel I spent a a LOT of money to do what a $34.99 Incipio battery can do.

Sorry.

Read Best Reviews of Goal Zero 19003 Silver/Black Small Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit Here

This set up really comes in handy. Use it for lighting to recharging my cordless power tools. Works great for camping. Would buy it again in a heart beat.

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I liked this setup, very versatile that's even saved me from a recent power outtage. This is a great way to explore solar and at the same time get extra power for your equipment. I like the robust and rugged design, and the non toxic aspects of the battery .Overall well made.

OEM Sprint Micro USB Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger + Home Wall Travel Charger for S

This is exactly what I wanted I did order it during the holidays so it took a lot longer than it normally would have taken but I knew it would take longer. I'm just hoping that since its refurbished it will last just as long as a new one. It was worth the price.

all the chargers broke in 1 week horrible dealhey ended up having to buy 1 from Sprint even tho it's overpriced least it works

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Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator (CARB Compliant

This is a very high quality unit, nicely designed. I chose it over the Honda Eu2000i because it has a fuel gage and is a hair lighter (2 pounds), and liked the styling better. Specs are so close it's a tie... the Yamaha unit specs a bit quieter in "eco" throttle but the Honda specs a bit quieter at full power. Prior to this purchase I had bought a Honeywell inverter generator (a much less expensive Chinese-made knock-off) from Costco which I returned, because I was unimpressed with the Honeywell unit's quality and noise level. While the price difference is major, you get what you pay for in this case. Anyone looking at the cheaper knock-offs should really consider that a 5db increase in noise level is a major difference, the way humans perceive it.

The most impressive thing about this unit is how quiet it is. Even at full engine speed you can stand about 6 feet away and have a normal conversation without raising your voice, or talk on a cell phone without undue distraction. It features an "eco" setting which tapers down the engine throttle and noise when full load isn't required. At half-throttle or less, from about 6 feet away it is about half as loud and amazingly quiet. I used it to run a 50-amp 12v battery charger and at full charge level the charger only required the generator to operate at about half-speed, and when the charger tapered down the charge level to under 30-amps the generator became so quiet I literally forgot about it. It is MUCH quieter than my boat's inboard diesel engine, and more efficient than running the main engine just to top off the batteries. I also used it to power a heavy duty 120v grinder and it had no problems supplying the needed power, even on electric motor start-up.

I got this mainly for charging our boat's batteries at anchor but I also wanted the ability to run power tools. The lighter 1000-watt inverter generators could easily handle the charging application but not the more power-hungry tools. Having the extra power also means the eco-throttle will likely kick in earlier and the unit will operate quieter. The number-1 purchase criteria was "quiet" because I don't want to be distracted by incessant noise or be a bad neighbor in anchorages. The Honeywell was not quiet enough in my opinion.

If generators are abused it will lead to regulations banning them, so an appeal to other boaters and to campers: Please don't settle for "cheap". Get a better quality inverter-generator unit that's quieter so you minimize noise pollution in get-away places. (Leave your "contractors generator" at home!!!) Also, please be considerate of neighbors and limit running it to times/places you aren't as likely to disturb others... and don't leave your boat or campsite while it runs and runs. We all like our electric conveniences, but if you really need 120v power more or less constantly you should either stay home or get a dock/parking space where you can plug into "the grid". It's rude to disturb others who are trying to get away to find some peace and quiet.

Negative: The unit ships without engine oil, so you need to buy a quart of standard 4-stroke engine oil and fill it. You will also need a funnel, and a pan to catch excess oil. There is no dipstick; you need to fill to the level of the bottom of the filler hole until any more runs out. It uses less than 3/4 quart. I think they should have included the required amount of oil, and a plastic filler container with a spout, marked to show the proper amount of oil to use.

Update 2/22/2012: In general still very happy with the unit, but checking oil level is inconvenient (you need to open the case with several screws) and changing the oil is a messy operation involving rags and clean-up because there is no neat way to capture the waste oil or overflow directly into a container. I think the next generation of this product should improve on that design issue and provide a dip stick or oil level indicator that's either externally accessible or located behind a quick-access panel.

Update 8/29/11:

Having owned this for almost 2 years now I would add the following:

1) I have found that it has enough power to run the charger AND the hot water heater's 120v heating element at the same time. It is near-max (running full speed) but doesn't light the overload light when doing that and the charger is in bulk phase. Nice when you're in an anchorage for a few days and haven't run the engine. Why run a 57hp diesel just to heat water and charge the house bank?

2) If I shut off the fuel and let the carburetor run dry before putting it away, it does not smell of gas with the fuel vent and fuel valve both closed. The maker advocates storing in a well ventilated area or garage, but odor from fumes is not a problem.

3) It's also useful at home during power outages. I have a larger much louder 5500w contractors generator that plugs into a 12-circuit transfer switch wired by an electrician, but as a courtesy to neighbors I shut that off overnight. I can use this Yamaha unit with an extension cord to keep just the refrigerator running overnight and it stays in 'eco mode' so it practically purrs. Also the fuel burn rate is extremely low so it uses a fraction of what the larger generator would use.

Have had zero problems with this unit so far.

This generator is super quiet and the engine runs really smoothly. It instantly changes it's operating speed just as fast as I can move the speed switch on a 1850 watt hair dryer I used to test it. It doesn't include oil and the angle of the oil fill hole is nearly horizontal, making it a little difficult to fill even with a funnel, but they did put a nice little drip tray right below the opening so it doesn't go everywhere. The gas gauge is really nice. Made in Japan. Their competitor (Honda) has some nice videos on their website demonstrating the sound level of actual generators running and the equivalent size Honda generator is very close in noise level to this one. Yamaha should do the same but until then, check out the Honda website.

Yamaha says this is CARB compliant on their website so I'm not sure why Amazon says it isn't. The label on the generator says it is a 3 on the 10 point California emission scale. Yamaha simply isn't making a big deal of it like some others do I suppose. This is a new model as of summer 2009. The starter cord is really easy to pull unlike any other engine I've ever started by hand.

Buy Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator (CARB Compliant Now

I purchased the EF2000iS 2,000 watt inverter-generator for extended fishing trips for charging 12 volt marine batteries and for running corded power tools in remote areas. At first I wasn't sure if the 2,000 watt model would be enough power to meet my needs, but I decieded to take a chance with it because of the price, and boy am I glad I did.

It easily powers drills, grinders, skill saws, table saws, sawzalls, and portable cement mixers pretty much anything that draws under 16.7 Amps. Most power tools draw up to and under 15 Amps. My industrial right-angle concrete drill only draws 8 Amps, and that thing is rugged. It's more than enough for my needs for working in the woods where I can't just "Plug In."

Another thing that's slick about it is it also charges marine batteries and has its own special DC receptical and comes with the included cable. You just fire it up, hook up the terminals to your battery, then plug in the cord. It doesn't have a charge meter built in, so I purchased a hand held battery tester and check the charge level once an hour. I think the battery tester was under $30 (a good investment).

With that in mind, I used it last Memorial Day weekend during our Men's Family Fishing Trip out at Johnston Pond camp here in Maine, out in the woods roughing it with tents. The area is surrounded with small-ish ponds, so my dad and I brought our little skiff and trolling motor with us (too small ponds for our larger, 2-stroke boat). We brought two 12 volt marine batteries with us to make sure we could spend the whole day out each day, then that evening charge one or the other up so it was ready for the next day. It worked great, we didn't have to worry about running our batteries low and having to paddle all the way back to the landing. Peace of mind is nice.

This unit really is really quiet. There were five of us on the fishing trip, two younin's my friend and I, and three old farts my dad, uncle, and elderly cousin. They complain about everything (old people tend to do that, haha). I figured someone was going to say something about the generator being noisey and I'd catch hell for it or something, but actually, everyone did nothing but praise how quiet it was. After it's been running for 15 minutes or so, you kind of forget that it's even there. Unlike our neighbors at a site a ways away from us, who had an old style generator that they ran at night, we could hear them having to hollar at each other in order to talk.

On top of all that goodness, since it's an Inverter as well, you can also safely power computers, charge cell phones and iPods, run a tv and DVD player, and plenty of other things, if that's what you're into while camping, or in an emergency situation.

It starts up really easy. Mine started first pull right out of the box (make sure to put oil in it first, it's not included), and still does every time. If you run it on Eco Mode (tv's, appliances, ect.) I'm not sure how long the tank will last you hour-wise, I haven't used it for that application yet, but in full power mode, meaning you're constantly getting the amped up rpms for more amperage, the one gallon tank lasts for about 6 hours or so. I'd figure that it'd almost double that in Eco mode, and it's twice as quiet. You can stand right next to it and it's like a little humm.

I give the Yamaha EF2000iS five stars hands down for the price and performance. I'm really happy I didn't go ahead and go with a knock off lesser brand. It was well worth the extra money for something that's going to be reliable and dependable. There's no sense in paying $500 or less for something that's just going to be junk in a few months.

If you need a medium duty Inverter-Generator, I highly recomend it. You will enjoy it. It's also very light and compact. Transporting it isn't a problem at all.

Read Best Reviews of Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator (CARB Compliant Here

This little gem arrived to me in perfect condition. Kudos to Amazon for their quick delivery time. The genny itself is bigger than the pictures let on, but for 2000watts, this isn't bad at all. THESE UNITS DO NOT COME WITH OIL IN THEM. Go buy some 4 stroke 10w30 oil at home depot or lowes. Follow the instructions to put the oil in, fill it gas, and turn it on. The pull cord is very easy. Just practice a couple of times. You will love this generator, I promise. I will use it for my travel trailer for camping/fishing during the colder months.

Edit: I've had two EFYamaha 2000is generators since the beginning of Sept, 2010 and have mainly used them for camping. The first workout for both of these units was tailgating. I also have a cord that connects the 2 of them to make 4000 watts, more than enough to power your camper A/C (13,000-15,000btu) and everything else in the RV. However, it was colder on this outing and I didn't need to use both hooked together yet. I did bring both of them though and I'm glad I didhere's why:

The guy next to me brought his 6000watt Champion generator, which is construction grade, and told me he was sorry, but would be running it in the mornings. We were about 15 feet away from him. I said no problem, it couldn't be that loud. He then turned it on for me so I could see. WOW! That thing was LOUD. I told him I brought a spare Yamaha inverter and he was welcome to use mine because I told him it would be much quieter. He came over and heard mine running and couldn't believe it. The next morning we were both sleeping soundly, both of us running these awesome Yamaha units.

Here are some tips for those considering this generator:

1) Get some fuel stabilizer. This is not needed, but is nice because it stabilizes stagnant fuel that sits around during the winter monthsor just longer periods where the generator is not in use. I use Stabil, and its sold here on Amazon. Put some in your gas can(s).

2) If a generator has been sitting around awhile, you need to run it periodically ( I will run mine about once a month for at least 10 minutes) to 'exercise' the unit. This will ensure that when you REALLY need it, it will start no problem.

3) Tie these units down when in transport. They tip over easy and if they do, when you start them up you will be greeted with a mess of white smoke (oil burn) until it burns off. Buy some ratchet tie downs. Bungee cords won't cut it.

4) Realize the limitations of a 2000 watt generator. I don't know how this got started, but someone somewhere said his 2000 watt genny was powering everything they needed without being specific. Then folks just assumed that they would get the same results. You HAVE to do a power audit for YOUR specific needs. What will you be powering? What is the main purpose of the unit? If you have an RV with a 15k A/C, one 2000watt will NOT power it on. Remember, air conditioners, microwaves, etc take pull a lot of AMPS to cycle on. Once they are on, the AMPS are reduced during the rest of the run time. The trick is, what will power these appliances THROUGH the higher amperage cycle? Thats why I bought 2 of them.

5) Buy a cable lock! Generators tend to grow legs and walk away when they are not locked down. This is more true when you camp with them or tailgate. A lock is not totally foolproof, but will deter the 'honest' thief enough to make it not worth it.

Yep, they are pricey. I paid about 2K for both of them. Inverters are always going to cost more money for several critical reasons.

A) They are labor-intensively constructed. That is, they are built to insulate and are very tightly arranged in their cases. The insulation provides a lot of the lower decibels you will be hearing. Good things just take time to make, and part of the cost is wrapped up in that.

B) Portability: This goes back to the tightly constructed package they come in. The 2000is model weighs about 45 pounds minus the gas. Try going to a Home Depot and lifting a construction grade generator. Not fun.

Want Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator (CARB Compliant Discount?

Received this product and filled with oil and gas and it started on the third pull. All subsequent times it has started on the first pull of the starter cord. More money than a comparable Honda 2000 but it has a number of advantages.

1. All controls are on one side on an integrated simple control panel including the starter pull. Honda controls are scattered on both sides.

Much easier operation in confined spaces.

2. Has a very visible fuel gage. Not supplied on the Honda

3. Has a carb fuel shut-off which allow you run the fuel system dry for storage. No such system on the Honda

4. The carb bowl has a drain screw and drain tube to remove all remaining fuel-if any. No easy carb drain on Honda.

5. Unit weighs over 50 lbs with a full fuel tank and oil but lighter than a Honda and every pound is important when carrying this weight.

6. Overall service and maintenance is very easy.

7. Low pollution total operating hours are twice the Honda

8. Larger carry handle.

9. Very quiet at all speeds extremely quiet at the eco throttle or low speeds/low loads.

Researched the low cost Chinese knock-offs and there really is no comparison from a noise and weight factor. The comparable Honeywell and Kipor etc are about ten pounds heavier for comparable output specs. Ten pounds additional is about 60 lbs wet and 20% difference but a huge amount when carrying any distance.

Overall well worth the money for an extremely well designed quality product that is Yamaha's reputation. Amazon service and delivery was spot on as usual.

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Power Bright PW400-12 Power Inverter 400 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC

I manage a field team and have to have my office in the truck. I used to try to have 12 volt adapters for all my gadgets. 12 volt chargers are not usually smart chargers so if you leave your device plugged in beyond the battery's capacity it begins to cook and destroy its ability to hold a charge. Mobile device batteries are expensive, so you don't want to be replacing them unnecessarily. The 110 volt chargers are called smart chargers because they sense when the battery is at peak capacity and dials back to a maintenance level of input. At first I thought a converter would be too bulky but they can rest under a seat nicely or in my case under the drink tray. So there they are, all my adapters all plugged into two power strips with just the device end of the cords sticking up ready for easy access. The printer and laptop plugged into one power strip and everything else plugged into the other power strip. This way I can flip the rocker switch on the power strip not in use disconnecting it and its resident adapters while the other adapters are happily doing their jobs and avoid scuffling around on the floor of the truck trying to plug in the charger I need at the moment. (If you are going to be powering multiple adapters at once, you'll need to pay attention to the total wattage being used.) The added convenience of being able to plug in any transportable household appliance is just icing on the cake. Coffee anyone? (Don't be trying to power a 1000 watt microwave oven. Its an alternative power source for MOBILE battery powered products.) That said, it handles my printer and laptop simultaneously without stressing its capacity. With the Panasonic Toughbook CF29 laptop plugged in alone, the cooling fan doesn't even kick on in the inverter.

Note: The instruction book (yes I actually read them) said you shouldn't leave the converter plugged into your power port unattended as it can drain the car's battery even when the converter is turned off. From experience, I can tell you it only takes about an hour or a little more to deplete my truck's battery if the engine isn't running while this unit is powering my laptop, so...

I originally bought this item to power my laptop or any cellphones on long trips. i could have bought the 200w version or a cheaper power inverter, but i got the 400w as i always like to prepare for the unexpected, and it turns out i can watch a dvd on a nice TV in the trunk of my suv when i go BBQ.

Pros:the blue aluminum outer case provides a great heat dispersion medium, you can tell, touch it after its been running for 5-10 mins

-it isnt too loud with the fan on

it HAS a fan

shuts off when car battery is too low

and the most important: provides alot of power for most application needs.

Cons: -a bit bulky, however, i was able to stash it under the trunk storage

a little more expensive too but you get what you pay for.

ALSO!!! becareful when using with your cig adpater, as it will probably burn your fuse. If you are hooking high amp appliances, connect directly to the battery.

_____

update: Oct. 9, 2010

After a while of using this, i still continue to like it more and more, it has yet to fail me, and provides energy to quite the array of power draining devices i have. You will NOT regret this, i come up with new ways to utilize this all the time, ever play mini portable air hockey on a camping trip?

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I have multiple inverters to power laptops, camera and other electronic equipment. This PowerBright PW400-12 was purchased at the same time as the Stanley PC509 500W.

The PW400-12 looks good and is quite heavy. The weight is a good thing, generally, as it usually indicates some higher quality components. Under load (i.e., driving two dual-core laptops) it performed well. The unit got quite warm, but the fan was not audible over the sound of the engine.

Though I am very pleased with the unit overall, there are a few wishlist items though:

1) The spacing of the sockets is just a hair closer than I need to insert two 'wall wart' power supplies or a charging unit for a Canon DSLR camera. I carry a power strip with me as a workaround.

2) No USB charger is available. Many cameras and other electronic equipment can be charged via USB. I carry around a USB hub that conveniently charges multiple devices when powered from my laptop. A built in USB plug would be very useful.

Also note that the full 400W capability of this unit cannot be driven by the cigarette lighter. These plugs are typically 100W-120W. Cables are provided for attaching directly to the battery terminals. I did not need the higher wattage and did not test. If you don't anticipate needing the full 400W (800W peak) then you can save some money by going to a lower rated unit.

Read Best Reviews of Power Bright PW400-12 Power Inverter 400 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Here

I have 3 different brands of 400w inverters and this is the best one I have. Unlike the other two brands (shhh...no names please), the cooling fan only runs when the unit needs to cool itself off. That is a major selling point to me. I don't like to hear my inverters and those with the fans continuously running usually vibrate and 'buzz' their cases.

I have 3 PB inverters (two 400 and an 1100) and all have performed flawlessly their entire lives. My first 400 is 4 years old now and going camping a dozen times a year. I use it to power a 23watt compact florescent light in camp as well as charge my cell phone, laptop from a deep-cycle battery.

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It does what it should do. I charged my laptop on my car. The temperature is cool because the rating of this power supply is 400w and my laptop is less than 100W. But I can not listen audio from my laptop while charging. The switching noise is pretty strong. You can hear the coupled noise from the power supply in the car speakers, and you can not just bear with it. So I had to switch of my laptop while charging, and listen the audio only with the battery on the laptop.

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Whistler XTR-140 Laser/Radar Detector with Exclusive Twin Alert Periscopes

Complete band coverage of all Laser, Radar, VG-2, and Safety Radar bands
Exclusive Twin Alert Periscope provides an added attention-getting visual alert
Easy-to-read icon display indicates power, city mode, band identification, and signal strength
Three unique city modes and highway mode to reduce false alarms
Patented VG-2 cloaking technology for undetectability

I was extremely skeptical about the performance of a $40 detector, but after a few recent road trips, I am convinced this is actually a well functioning product. Although it does not have exceptional filtering ability for false signals, it can still give you enough X/K/Ka warning for you to slow down in time.

The two blue LED's are a great innovation, because you can easily see them out of the corner of your eye. This is extremely useful when your radio drowns out the audible signals, or when the sun washes out the primary letter warning lights.

You simply can't go wrong with the price. It does not have the features of the top of the line detectors (coiled power cord, voice alert, text readout, settings save, compass, etc), yet it has at its core the most important feature: the basic detection ability to provide enough warning for the driver.

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i purchased the xtr 140 and it has been great so far, from what ive read the 330 has voice alerts and thats the only main difference. higher end radars have alot more features (compass, volt meter, aarows, pop detection etc) but none of that matters to me, i just wanted a radar detector that works. usually i find myself drifting 12 or so mph over the posted limit in the city and it gives me plenty of time to stop. besides a blip of ka when i pass a walgreens or cvs (if you are pointed at the doors its a full alert) the city 2 mode is pretty quiet. then again i can barely hear the radar when it goes off with the radio on so the lights come in handy to get my attention

i bought the 140 model because it was cheap but still accurate. i really dont care about a 3-4 mile range of detection because with instant off and instant on even a v1 cant save you if you are alone on the road. no one uses POP radar and im not going to pay another $50 for a feature im not going to use, and in the city there are so many cars on the road that i can pick up a trap in more than enough time to react.

************update 10/2/09***************

i have had this detector for about two years now and it has yet to disappoint me. however after owning it for about a year i felt the need to splurge and purchase a higher end unit, the whistler pro 78 rev c. i thought that my top tier purchase would blow my old xtr140 out of the water, but suprisingly the performance was nearly identical. however with the pro 78 you get to select what functions you want enabled or disabled.

in short i have to stick to my original review

pros:

i have gotten over a mile detection of a K band speed trap

i have also gotten slightly over a mile detection on k/a band

very clear display

VERY cheap

cons:

lacks internal memory. doesnt save settings

"chatty" on k and specifically x band. it will pick up your cvs walgreens everytime. its best to run city II mode if you do heavy city driving

i still recommend this product to anyone when they talk about speeding tickets. always gives me plenty of time for radar alerts

the whistler also has that signal strength meter, where as i believe the cobra does not. i have a cobra esd6060 and this whistler destroys it in detection distance

Read Best Reviews of Whistler XTR-140 Laser/Radar Detector with Exclusive Twin Alert Periscopes Here

Nice quality. No nonsense.

Picks up some stray X from industrial parks or commercial buildings occasionally in Highway mode if buildings are adjacent to interstate, BUT these signals easily discerned giving only one bar on strength meter, and a couple warning only chirps.

However, first night out, I had my unit reach three bars, light up the entire display like a Christmas tree, blip the periscopes constantly, basically seemed like the thing was going to implode ("scary"), and then I saw the cop! He was about 3/4 mile away, opposite side of interstate facing me with a victim pulled over, lights flashing.

Caught him a second time while exiting an off ramp in a hotel parking lot perpendicular to me prior to that with another victim! "Big, bad, Dodge Hemi" cruiser, all painted up with intimidating graphics. "Big bad", muscle car, chase car with undoubtedly the latest radar.

All I know is that this little $38 Whistler "smells" his butt a mile away like a geiger counter detecting radiation! He hangs in the same geographic area around my workplace constantly busting people (a real worka"ho"lic), but now I can "smell" him a mile away for $38!

Me like!

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I recently bought this detector for my wife since she racked up a few tickets lately, and it has blown me away! I have an older Whistler 1545 detector that is pushing 10 years old now, and this one destroys it (even though the old one cost twice as much). The blue lights are a real attention-getter and the volume dial is a treat (something my old one doesn't have one). This baby picks up waaay farther than my old unit. It picked up a county Sheriff last night over half a mile away, over a HILL! It also caught the splash back from one of the automated radar warning signs they park on the highway (the "Your Speed Is__" things). We were coming up to it, it was 100 yards ahead of us facing oncoming traffic (away from us), and the detector caught the reflected radar waves bouncing off the oncoming trucks. Unbelievable. You would expect his level of performance in the $100-$200 detectors, but not from one that was under 40 bucks. This baby is a real gem.

Needless to say, I am buying another one to replace my old Whislter! Highly recommended.

Pros: Inexpensive, easy set-up, user friendly, exceptional performance.

Cons: None yet.

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It's almost exactly the same as my old Whistler 1732 radar detector.The only pluses are the blue lights stand out at night,but you can't even see them in the daytime.Also, the 3rd city mode lets you get rid of the X band which almost no police use anymore anyway so it cuts down the false alerts by at least 80%.Worth it, although everything resets everytime so that sucks almost enough to want to buy the next model up.But for now it will work.Also it's way bigger than my old one.Not bad though for 40 bucks.

Motorola Motonav TN565T 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

4.3 Display
2 Watt Hands-free speakerphone with noise cancellation technology
Live traffic with re-routing options
3 months free MotoExtras service package (Google Search, Weather, Fuel Prices, Flight Status)
Voice Recognition

It's going to be a long review.

For starters, I've used in-car OEM GPS for the past 2 cars, and I've seen how they have evolved and technology has really improved over the years.

I really enjoy the GPS/bluetooth/audio integration (in my Honda Civic Hybrid) but since this is a hand held unit, I won't complain. Besides, it's fractions of the cost 1/10 of the OEM GPS Navigation units).

The screen size is just right. Even though I've enjoyed the OEM 7" GPS, but this one packs lots of information in the 4.3" very nicely. Even when you are driving at a location with 7 lanes, it highlights exactly which lane you should be driving. It is very updated (there's a location nearby my house finished construction 2 years ago but my new 2009 Civic didn't have an updated map of that Freeway interchange. But this one did. And it is a very confusing interchange, but this one executed the command and routing beautifully.

The speed in pulling up a destination is a bit slow when compared to my in-dash unit. And the GPS signal sensitivity is a bit low (since it has no external antenna. when I am in a car port or under a highway overpass too long, it may lose GPS signal.

The routing announcement is tooooo frequent. I guess if you are in a new area and are stressed out trying to find your destination, it's good to be constantly reminded. But if you are just driving around in an area you are fairly familiar with but just making a detour or need to make sure you are making the right turns, the announcements are too frequent. And there's no way to reduce it too. (You can only choose the types of command to on/off.)

No media player (good or bad? you decide. Some people want it, but I'd like it simple.)

It has great bluetooth/hand free phone integration. As soon as you start the engine, and if the charger is plugged in, the unit turns on and immediately links to your cell phone.

The call display is great too. Clearly displaying who is calling and not distracting your drive. The sound is loud enough and the mic is right at the front right hand corner to capture all of your voices. I don't know whether it has noise cancellation build in, so I don't know if the caller on the other side can hear me well or not.

The traffic update is great. I usually use my iPhone to check traffic condition before I drive home or go to work. With this, it tell me if there's traffic with advance voice warning and red lane indicator.

The screen can be a bit too sensitive when you are trying to enter destination info when driving. So I strongly recommend you stop completely to enter the destination before you even change gear to drive.

The command to turn is the only major complain I have. Many times you are already at the corner and the voice command prompt you to turn. So, do look at the screen if you know you need to turn soon, or it will be too late.

The battery doesn't last that long if you are not plugged in--only 2.5 hours.

The cradle attachment is very well designed and sticks to the windshield like spiderman would do. I wish it came with a pouch to store the GPS unit so you can carry it out side your car. It is another prime target for car break in to steal the GPS.

I tried connecting the GPS to my computer using the USB, but it doesn't do anything to check software update. I can not find any information on software/map update in the user manual or online at motorolla site. I don't know if they plan to support this unit with new firmware or new map updates, etc.

So that's what I could think of so far after one day of usage. I haven't used the call feature to Bing or other services. (It uses your phone via bluetooth to make a call to a 408 area code number to check on everything (weather, point of interest, stocks, etc.) So it's not a 3G or edge network subscription. The traffic update, however, doesn't require your phone.

For a fraction of the cost of an in-dash OEM GPS navigation unit, I'd strongly recommend getting this unit (the lifetime traffic update is a dream come true.)

For most cars, a factory installed bluetooth hand free integration is about $500. Why buy that when you can have a GPS and bluetooth hand free for under $300? Do your math.

To be fair, I've only used a Garmin unit once when I went out of town trip with a friend. So I borrowed a Garmin GPS (don't even remember the model number).

That unit was very nice too, very intuitive in usage. But this one, has much more features built-in and at a lower price.

The only thing missing now is a speed radar built-in. They could make a receiver unit in the cradle and the software in the GPS unit. So when driving it will you know if there's a police with a radar gun ahead. Oh btw, this one tells you if there's photo radar enforcement ahead too.

It really packs a lot of feature in there with a reasonable price tag.

Highly recommended buy.

***Update***

After using it for a week, I want to update additional worth mention features.

1. I've lowered it to 4 stars. Reason for dropping one star? The mix of the following reasons:

a. unable to add previous destinations to favorites; it only shows 10 previous destinations. no choice on selecting one of them and add it to favorite or contact list so you have a quick list.

b. the phone call to BING is a drag. It takes up the phone line to do data stuff like an old modem. I can't believe Motorolla would use this old technology on this device.

c. it's impossible to handle the unit without accidently hitting some buttons (volume + -, mute, etc.)

2. A good feature: I drove with this GPS unit on but without a destination entered. It is still doing it's job even without a destination: a. still warning you of any photo radar spots, b. still has active bluetooth sync to your phone. c. still shows traffic data; d. still shows your driving speed if you are over the speed limit.

Still a recommended buy.

Buy Motorola Motonav TN565T 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Now

Whats is in the box is a nice, sleek, apparently well made GPS, a window mount, a car charging cradle (that attaches to the window mount), a mini USB cable and a 12V power cable for the car. The quality of the mount is top notch with both up and down positioning and a pivoting head where the car charging cradle attaches. The GPS itself is heavy and has a substantial feel. It can be charged via the included computer USB cable or the automobile 12v accessory jack charger. However, if you want a 110 volt charger for the home, that is extra.

After charging the unit up and proceeding through the basic setup, which is very straight forward, I tested out the devices features. This is a feature rich GPS. Setting up the bluetooth and syncing my phones contacts was a snap (although the syncing part took several minutes). The voice prompts were clear and the voice recognition was both effective and convenient. I was able to retrieve contacts and dial them without ever touching the device. The sound quality of the speaker phone was good, but not great, for both sender and receiver. I didn't get a chance to really check out the noise canceling feature of the hands free operation, but more on that later. Finding gas prices and getting a stock quote was cool and easy. Just keep in mind that it needs a connection to your phone to do this. I was jazzed about this GPS and it's many capabilities. My mind was thinking of ways to make the most of its features. So I decided to take it for a real test drive, so to speak, and that is where the infatuation fell apart.

When I mounted the GPS on it's car charging cradle, it quit speaking and responding to voice commands. So I removed it from the cradle and it resumed listening and speaking. Tried it again with the same result. I unplugged the power, tried a reset, checked the settings...still wouldn't talk to or listen to me when it was in the charging cradle. Next, I visited the Motorola Motonav website and downloaded and installed the software required for updating the GPS. The software is easy to install and use and it informed me that there were three updates available for the device and it's maps. Thinking this would solve my problems, I updated the device (and made backups for the GPS a cool feature of the program). Yet, the issue persisted so I gave in to calling the Motonav support number. The helpful person on the other end sent me an RMA via email. Therein lies my issues with customer support. First, the RMA did not include a shipping label. I would need to pay for shipping a brand new item back for service. Second, I would need to send proof of purchase which was not included with this product because it was sent to me by Motorola to try out and review (with a very nice letter from the Motonav team I might add) via the Amazon Vine program. When I contacted customer service about the issue the response was simple, I pay to ship it back and they may or may not fix it since I do not have proof of purchase. In their words, "that will be up to the service department." Hmmm. I guess I'll be sticking to my Garmin. At least it still speaks to me and I won't have to deal with all of my rejection issues, but that is another story.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola Motonav TN565T 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Here

After spending some time with it, I'm finding the Motorola TN565T easy to operate, feature-rich and generally cool all around. The unit is rugged and obviously high quality with a legible 4.3" LCD screen, accurate touch screen and clear speakers. It runs about 2-3 hours on the internal rechargeable batteries, or it can be powered using a micro-USB adapter (included) in the car. The kit also includes a very rugged car mount and a USB cable for connecting the Motonav to your PC.

One of the unique features is that the unit can pair with a Bluetooth phone, enabling the GPS to access various information services such as live traffic, search (Google and Bing) and added services like stock quotes, weather, flight status, messaging and even up-to-the-minute fuel prices. You can also use the GPS as a "front end" to your phone, letting you place calls and so on directly from the GPS. For those of you having small, conventional (but Bluetooth-enabled) phones, this is a big plus while driving as you can use the big LCD screen on the GPS to work your phone, and it gives you hands-free capabilities. Being Bluetooth, there are no wires or anything.

If left on, the GPS will pair with your phone and periodically make calls to keep its information in sync. On a typical day, this seems to add up to about five minutes worth of airtime...not sure how I feel about that, given that I might be paying for the calls. Since I have wireless broadband and a data plan, I'd probably prefer if there was a way to use either an 802.11 or 3G connection, rather than dialing what to me are long distance calls to get this information.

The traffic information seems reliable, and it doesn't require an additional subscription (the unit in my car requires an XM subscription in order to receive traffic data). Still, I question how accurate it is, and coverage is far from universal. This isn't a gripe about the Motonav just seems to be the nature of the beast at this point in time. To its credit, the Motonav does support automatic redirection around congested areas, so if you drive into an area known to have traffic, the unit will automatically pick the least congested route for you.

The Motonav has a very good database of Points of Interest, making it easy to find many of the nearby locations I might want to search for. When entering destinations, it also supports voice navigation and direct entry using the touch screen. I found the voice navigation fairly good, so long as there's not a lot of ambient noise. The touch screen works fairly well since the screen itself is large, but of course, with lengthy searches, it can be annoying I much prefer the voice recognition. A nice touch is that once you find your destination, the phone number is shown right on the display.

At the moment, I happen to have access to four completely different GPS devices: the built-in unit in my car, the GPS that comes with my Droid phone (mostly based on Google Maps), a Garmin Nuvi and now the Motonav. This made it easy to compare the features and capabilities of each. One difference is the startup time. The unit in my car seems always ready and the Droid is nearly always-on as well. The Motonav, on the other hand, seems to take about a minute to acquire enough GPS satellites to be useful.

I'd have to say that the large display in my car was the most readable, but the Motonav isn't far behind. The Droid screen seems "sexier" somehow, but it's just small enough that I need to have it right in front of my face for it to be truly readable, where I can see the Motonav from several feet away. Accuracy seemed about the same across these three units. The Motonav offered better guidance in my opinion, warning me ahead of time for upcoming turns in a way that seemed to be more understandable. I also found the Motonav to be a bit more accurate in terms of ETA and other time calculations. Compared to the Garmin, I'd have to say that the Motonav is more up to date in terms of features thanks to it's more sophisticated software and Bluetooth connection.

I was surprised to see the screen compared to my Motorola Droid phone. My phone uses a very sleek and glossy mineral glass that I've come to really love. It's very vibrant and although small, displays a wonderful range of colors and high contrast images. By comparison, the Motonav screen isn't at all glossy, Motorola opting instead for a matte finish that probably works out to be a bit easier to read in direct sunlight. The images aren't nearly as impressive but I suppose they don't need to be...all the basics are there, and maps and so forth are certainly legible it just surprises me how different the technology is versus what Motorola is using in phones today. Not necessarily "worse", just "different".

Only thing I really find to complain about is the location of the buttons on the Motonav. If you use it handheld, it's hard to pick up the unit and not hit one of the buttons on the back of the unit. It's possible to lock out these buttons, but in the beginning, you'll probably be inadvertently adjusting the volume up or down quite a bit. Of course, mounted in the car, this isn't a problem.

Overall, I found the unit to be easy and intuitive to operate and to work about as well as anything else out there. If you need a GPS, this would be one of my top choices...definitely recommended.

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I currently have an older generation and newer generation Garmin Nuvi, a Magellan Xplorist, an iPhone, and now the MotoNav TN565T. I also have a Whistler red light camera detector, similar in functionality to the built-in red-light camera database in the MotoNav.

What I Like about it:

-The interface, although very complicated-feeling at first, is very intuitive after you spend a few minutes playing around with it. The map fills the whole screen, unless you choose to bring up the left-side panel where you can view traffic information, see a list of nearby POI's, see a "dashboard" (speed, direction, altitude, etc.), or other useful information. Want to enter a destination? Just tap anywhere on the map, and it brings up a menu.

-It is fully customizable. You can change what the hardware buttons on the sides do, you can change the order of the menu buttons, and you can change the types of POIs that appear on the map, among other things.

-voice commands work very well. The unit has never had any trouble understanding what I say.

-Traffic information has been up-to-date and accurate in my experience. The unit can be set to re-route you automatically if the delay is longer than 5 minutes and a faster route is available. You can also set which types of traffic incidents to always avoid or ignore, such as construction, accidents, congestion, weather-related problems, etc.

-Even with all the customization this device is capable of, it still works great right out of the box. Motorola did a great job of catering to both the tech-savvy and the not-so-tech-savvy.

-Fast startup (startup for the first time takes a minute, but it's very quick each time after that)

-Faster than average GPS processor

-Traffic light camera warnings work just as well as my Whistler stand-alone unit, so I don't need to use the Whistler unit anymore. The service on the Motorola requires a subscription after 45 days, though, and the Whistler is free.

What I don't like about it:

-I wish the MotoExtras service utilized the cell phone's data plan instead of making a voice phone call to retrieve data similar to an old dial-up computer modem. It seems silly to me that I have to wait for the GPS to dial a number, listen to the "bleeps and bloops" on the other end, and then hang up, when my cell phone has an unlimited internet data package. As such, it only updates the MotoExtras information on-demand, so if you want gas prices in your area, you have to have the GPS dial out to the data center and download new information. If you drive 20 miles down the road, you have to tell it to dial out and get new information again. It would be nice if it was automated in any way.

-If you set your GPS to auto-sync information with your phone, you have to deal with a popup that covers the whole screen and says "auto-syncing, this may take a few minutes", which you have to press OK to close out of. Very annoying after a while! They should make it disappear after a couple seconds, like the "bluetooth connected" message that pops up when your phone connects to the GPS successfully.

-Bing VoiceSearch is really not as useful as they make it sound. It is not something that is integrated with the GPS; rather, it's more of a shortcut to dial Bing's "411" service. When you use Bing VoiceSearch to, for example, search for a business in your area, it just reads off the address and phone number to you. It does not send the address to the GPS, so unless you have a pencil and paper handy, it's virtually pointless. All in all, it is EXACTLY as useful as calling 411 from your cell phone.

-It would be nice if you could use voice commands to enter a destination. The 700 series allows you to do that, but not the 500 series. You can, however, use voice commands to dial contacts and other phone numbers.

-The buttons on the back are VERY easy to accidentally press when you're holding the GPS in your hands. Motorola does give you the option to turn them off, however. Also, there is a "lock" switch that allows you to carry the GPS in your pocket without pushing any buttons.

Some nice features but this GPS also has some very weak points.

1. The bluetooth and handsfree work better than my Garmins (Nuvi and Streetpilot) but it can not dial the number of your destination. The GPS is not "smart" enough to add a "1" prior to the area code. I called customer support and they agreed it was not fixable. No problem using the contacts on my phone since I already have a "1" as part of the number. When I tap on the number on the GPS, I get a recording that says "Your call can not be completed as dialed." FYI, I am a Verizon wireless customer.

2. I primarily bought this GPS for the traffic since the Garmin does a poor job of rerouting me. The Garmin will tell me to get off the freeway for one exit and get back on. It says 1 minute delay when it should say 20. It will re-route you for a minor time savings. It will take me off the freeway onto city streets and grossly mis-estimate the time. The Motorola GPS is a little better but also grossly misstates the arrival time in traffic. It will also describe a 30 minute delay as 1 minute.

3. What's up with the half inch black border around the screen? Garmin does not have it. This annoying border reduces the size of the display.

4. Motorola should have an option to diable the ads. They are not money saving coupons and I am not interested in Red Lobster's Festival of Shrimp.

5. Would rather have stock quotes as an option instead of weather. Why not both like Garmin has.

6. It is impossible to avoid hitting the side and top buttons accidentally. They are too big and sensitive.

7. I would like more language options besides English. I like the scary Halloween voice available on Garmin as well as the multiple icons (firetruck, airplance and hundreds of other choices).

8. It kept replaying a demo screen and I could not figure how to diable it. It eventually stopped by itself. Seems the unit automatically shows help for every function the first time you use it. After loading the updates from the Motorola web site, it reset itself and assumed it was a new unit and did a demo for every feature.

9. Does not show the street I am on when driving. It assumes I know and only shows me the names of the upcoming intersection.

10. Customer service on the phone was excellent. I called twice and got thru right away both times. Agents were friendly and helpful.

11. Icons on screen are hard to figure out. I looked at the manual and there is no legend.

12. Speed trap warning is excellent. It shows a surface street trap near my home very accurately. It is too expensive to renew subscription, however, after the free trial is over. Much better than Garmin.

13. I miss the recent destinations folder. Correction: I found it but it is in an unusual place.

14. I liked the Garmin Nuvi ability to lead you back to your car if you were in an outdoor parking lot. Correction: Its not mentioned in the manual but it does have a last location and when you disconnect the power, there is an option to switch to pedestrian mode.

15. Bing is worthless. There are too many menus to go thru and the voice recognition is awful. It is also talking and you have to wait until its finished or it gets confused when you try to shout instructions which is the only way to interupt it. Not a big deal because I will not pay to continue Bing once the free trial is over.

16. Entering destinations is 100 times better than Garmin. It is very easy to add a partial name and change the city. This one aspect of the Motonav makes me like it over Garmin.

17. Updating software and maps is ok except the first time I did it, the web site said there was not enough free space on the GPS. I hit every help button I could find and there were no instructions about what to do. I decided on my own to copy Canada onto my computer hard drive and this did the trick and I was able to update everything.

Here are my current GPS devices however these are older products and newer models are available.

Garmin StreetPilot c580 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with MSN Direct

Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Magellan RoadMate 1412 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

BMW USB Charger

USB charging device offers a convenient way to provide power to a wide array of portable and mobile devices. The charger converts your vehicle's conventional 12V power outlet to a fixed 5V high-current USB charging port. Simply insert the BMW USB charger into your vehicles power outlet.
The green LED indicator provides visual identification that the device is active, and can then be connected to all USB-supported charging cables.
The high-loading current of 1,200 mA allows charging for smartphones, MP3 players, all Apple iPods, iPhones and iPad's as well as most other portable devices.

Let me just say one thing: this will charge your iPhone 4S and iPad! The other product have not enough power (mA) to charge iPads. This looks good and functions well. It fits into outlet next to ashtray in 3-series but you won't be able to close the lid. I use it in the outlet in the armrest.

Buy it you will be happy.

Buy BMW USB Charger Now

If you own a BMW then you cannot go wrong in ordering this item. It is small, semi flat and not in the way as most chargers on the market. Some thought was put into the construction of this tiny very cool device. The letters BMW are on it ( FYI) and it has a green indicator light that comes on and stays on as long as the device is inserted. The light as stated stays on unless you remove itIt will stay lit even when your car is off. I have no issues with this, just a mental note:-) . I am pleased with my purchase and the seller. Thank You.

Read Best Reviews of BMW USB Charger Here

While this charger will cost you a little more than a Belkin or similar, it's worth the extra cost. Looks good in my car and is low-profile enough to fit in the socket next to my ashtray and still be able to close the compartment door! Charges my phone and other devices perfectly! Added plus is the flip-up handle for easy removal.

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Great build quality with one big flaw. The bright green LED is constantly on with or without anything plugged in. It's on when you exit the car, it never shuts off. Annoying but if you can live with it, this product is for you.

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I purchased this charger from "Auto Good Parts". While I don't think being an official BMW accessory will make this any more reliable than a good name brand charger, my hope was that it would fit properly in my car (a 2001 BMW 5-series). My car's 12v power outlet pops up and folds down into the center console. With most chargers, I am unable to close the power port without first removing the charger. This BMW charger fits perfectly and I am able to close the power port without removing the adapter.

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