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

• On-board volume, play settings, and phone controls|Built-in microphone with enhanced voice detection
• FM tuner with an Auto-seek feature to help find the clearest FM station
• Universal USB port lets you charge your Smartphone or MP3 Player while streaming
• Includes "line in" port and 3.5 aux. cable for connecting non-Bluetooth enabled devices

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

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

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

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

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

Setup:

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

Sound for Music and Calls:

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

Controls:

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

Other cool things.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I highly recommend this!!

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

Call Quality (4)

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

Compatibility (5)

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

Setup (5)

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

Sound Quality (4)

The sound quality is pretty okay, but not great.

Music Quality (4)

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

SUGGESTION to the manufacturers:

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

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

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

If I discover anything else I will add more.

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Verbatim AA Power Bank Charger 97928

It's what you'd expect. It takes your choice of 4 AA batteries (rechargeable/not included of course) and has a female USB jack to charge your stuff. Has a nice on/off switch that glows blue when on. The + battery labeling could be better but whatever, you'll figure it out. Works great with my iphone 4 when I'm camping without mains for a few days. I'd give it 5 stars if were $9.99 but it's not so, 4 stars.

I bought the AA battery powered version of this charger after having had to rely on the generosity of a neighbor with a generator to keep my phone charged during the 4 days I was without power after hurricane Sandy. I had a single AA-powered charger that I had picked up as an impulse purchase at TJ Maxx that was pretty much totally useless, but I liked the idea of a battery-powered charger and figured that capacity (number of batteries) was the real issue.

The tricky part of using this device is getting the battery cover back on after you install the batteries. Other reviewers have already mentioned that it's very difficult to determine the correct battery orientation the markings inside the battery compartment are virtually unreadable under any lighting conditions due to reflections from the glossy black plastic case. But what is worse is trying to slide the cover back on, getting it set correctly in its grooves, while keeping the batteries compressed down on their spring connections. It took me so many tries that I almost gave up on ever being able to try out the charging capability the cover either just slid off, or went on crooked, or didn't snap into place completely. I was afraid I was going to break it before I would ever get it put back on correctly.

The picky part is that the unit seems to only work with the newest, freshest batteries you can possibly find. I put in a set of Duracell alkalines that were guaranteed fresh until 2017 and only got a 5% test recharge out of them before the unit's LED turned red indicating that the battery charges were too low to be used then the LED refused to light at all implying that the batteries were drained. However, all of them subsequently tested fine on a battery charge tester and worked fine in a flashlight. I tried another set with the same 2017 date and this time the LED lit up blue, indicating that they were good, but as soon as I plugged in my phone to charge, the LED changed immediately to red and shortly thereafter turned off and charging stopped. However, the batteries again tested fine and worked fine in a flashlight. I finally tried a set of batteries with a fresh through 2022 date and they actually worked I was able to charge my HTCThunderbolt from 46% to 97% over the course of an hour or so (sorry I didn't pay attention to the time). After that, the charger indicated that the batteries were drained but once again, they tested just fine with a battery tester and worked fine in a flashlight.

Bottom line, this charger does actually work and will re-charge a phone, but only if you have super fresh AA batteries to put into it and even then it won't drain them completely, so they'll be usable for other purposes afterwards, but just not to keep charging your phone like you'd want or expect.

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So, I thought it would be nice to have something like this. i.e., a device that takes 2 or 4 high capacity AA batteries, and, with the help of a simple circuit board to boost and regulate the voltage, to provide a nice charging current for my smart phone. I noticed there were three price points for this type of device: There's one that's only like $3 or $4, then there's one that's around $10-$12 that I saw on another site, then there's this one by well-respected Verbatim on the top end. It was clear from reviews that the cheap one needed some slight mods to be useful, and the mid priced one seemed to have some reviews saying it was "cheaply constructed". So, I said, WTH, I'll just buy the "good" one.

My thinking on buying a device like this: I play a lot of long poker tournaments, and it's just not really possible to get a charge in on the phone in the middle of the Venetian or other casinos. It would be helpful if I had a backup to charge my phone.

I think if I could do it over, I'd buy the one that costs about half as much as the Verbatim one. The device is all plastic, I sort of expected maybe I would have something a little more sturdy if I got the Verbatim one, but I didn't. It does have a pretty pimp blue and red LED light around the port (indicating a "good" charge remaining, versus a "nearly dead" charge), so maybe I paid an $8 premium for pimp LED.

A lot of people complained that the cheaper devices got hot under load. This one does not--it barely warmed up at all whilst charging. Clearly, the output is steady voltage, even as the batteries discharge, and I popped her up on an oscilloscope under load, and they've clearly made a decent circuit here. I put four 1600 mAh tenergy premium NiMH batteries in here, and I got just about one solid charge on my Samsung Epic. Maybe a little more.

The device is about exactly the shape of a lipstick tube, plus 50% in all dimensions. It comes with a very short (4 inches maybe) microUSB to USB cable, which apparently has the data pins shorted out (this is normal and necessary for high speed charging). I don't know if the device USB jack has the pins shorted, or if the cable did, I didn't check it; if it is the latter, then the cable that comes with this should not be used in a computer USB jack since it will draw more than 500 mA rating.

All in all, I'm happy with it, it does what I expected...I think though that I would have been 90% as happy with the devices out there that cost half as much.

There is an admonition in the instructions that says NOT to use it on an iPad. I am not sure why--maybe you can't get a full charge. But, it will definitely charge your smart phone. The other guy that dropped a 1-star rating on this because of the iPad thing, that's really out of line, since the device otherwise appears well enough constructed, and does its job.

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To use this, load in 4 AA batteries, I prefer Sanyo Eneloop NiMH cells. They seem to last longer, hold a charge longer, and also charge quicker than the equivalent cells from Energize, Rayovac, or Duracell. The battery cover is one of those that slides in from the side, but it is tricky because one has to push the cells in fully against their spring contacts before this can be done. Many times, I will put the cover on, and find that it only engaged on one side.

There is a switch on the side to activate the output. When this is switched on, the translucent plastic around the jack glows either blue (fully charged cells) or red. (getting worn down) If it doesn't glow, then it means the cells haven't got enough juice to help charge.

One thing I like about this in favor of the fancier, higher capacity, more expensive models is that it takes AAs instead of a proprietary lithium pack. AAs = it will never be obsolete, as long as there is something that can be charged by USB.

I keep this in my bag that accompanies me to work all the time; it is perfect to charge my phone on the train commute home when my phone has run itself down by looking for a signal when in my pocket.

Even with the cheap battery door design, it is worth the money. Just don't be too shy to invest in a set of Sanyo Eneloop batteries for it, and you'll get the most this little guy has to offer.

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I use my iPhone 5 continuously through out the day, and was really hoping this would extend my battery life a reasonable amount, when coupled with a total of 8 new 2700mah rechargeable batteries. Both sets of batteries in the power pack gave me ~20 minutes of charge time, (~20% battery gain). To see if it was the batteries, I bought a pack of Duracell batteries, same result. After testing the batteries, I found that all the batteries were at 80-85% of full power. Needless to say, I'm returning this.

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Braille Battery B2317 Lightweight Racing Battery

• 17 pounds/7.7 kilograms
• 6.8 inches x 4.0 inches x 6.1 inches
• 1191 pulse cranking amperes
• 23 amperes/hour reserve
• Left side positive (+)

"How can such a tiny battery do the same thing a much larger battery does?" That was the question my dad, Mr. Skeptical, posed when I showed him this thing. I have no idea. I'm not a physicist or chemist or any other type of science professional. What I can tell you is that years ago I got tired of the turbo in my Saab melting batteries so I relocated mine a decade ago to the trunk using an Optima Red Top. Well, Optima's quality started falling off (my opinion based on experience), newer technologies emerged that Optima didn't integrate, and I got tired of a big ol' expensive Red Top taking up trunk space without actually providing a function I was especially happy with. Enter this Braille, which not only starts the car as well as the Red Top ever did, but also fits under the rear seat, thus restoring my trunk floor to full cargo carrying capacity.

I chose the B2317 because it's also available in an "R" (reversed terminal) version. I wasn't initially sure the single Braille would do the job, and I wanted the option of a clean multi-battery solution. I believe the 2317 is the biggest "lightweight racing battery" Braille makes, so it seemed a good starting point. Amazon did *not* have the best price on this battery, but if you've got Prime (HIGHLY recommended) and include the cost of shipping, Amazon's price was unbeatable.

I've had the battery for a month and it's never once failed to start the car, or give any indication it's not 100% up to the challenge. Ye Olde Saab 2.0l is not a small motor, is relatively high compression (9:1) and the starter is not a model of efficiency, so I'd say this battery shouldn't have problems starting any normal-engined passenger car. I only drive this car once a week or so, so sitting for a few days clearly isn't a problem either. But I'm not the type to sit around listening to music in my car, leave the lights on, or anything like that so I can't comment on what the battery's ability to run stuff and *then* start the car is, but I gotta believe there's a sacrifice somewhere, and that might be it. I can't say one way or another.

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This is one beast of a battery ! Serious muscle in compact frame . I run a big in high compression shovelhead , I run 245lbs and can stand on the kick pedal to give give you an idea what my starting system and batteries have had to deal with . I've been through several high end high dollar recommended ones and no good all crapped within a year and limited when they did work .

Enter Braille , high capacity , extremely well made and it works . Usually I'd hit the button the starter would strain and it would turn maybe 5 to 7 timkes and stalled . With this one it spun it like the spark plugs where out and did it repeatedly right out of the box and no precharge on my side . To give you ides it come with auto terminal adapters for cars . Can't be happier , and at 475 CCA for $170 verse the other extreme batteries that rate 350 CCA and cost up to $125 more you can't beat this one

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Arrived in timely fashion. Good packaging. Strong power from smaller battery size. Fit nicely in battery box on oil tank.

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Powerfilm 3.6V 100mA Flexible Solar Panel MPT3.6-150

This panel came without wire leads attached even though it was part of the product description. Ratings under full sun are approximately 4.5V 22mA (no load), rather than the 3.6V 100mA stated output. Since it also came without a packing slip, I thought I received a different panel, but in checking the configuration with photos of other units, it is the correct panel, just not as robust an output as claimed.

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Gomadic Portable AA Battery Pack for the Magellan Roadmate 1700 1700LM - Powered by 4 X AA Batteries

• Built using the unique Gomadic TipExchange Technology that protects your investment by providing the ability to upgrade charging ports by simply swapping physical connectors.
• Integrated circuitry regulates output voltage specific to the Magellan Roadmate 1700 1700LM. Advanced logic maximizes overall charger efficiency.
• Specification: Input Voltage (4 X AA Batteries), Cable length (6 inches), Dimensions (5.0 X 1.5 X 0.75 inches), Circuit Design (Magellan Roadmate 1700 1700LM specific), TipExchange enabled (Yes)
• A must have accessory for the frequent traveler, camper or heavy Magellan Roadmate 1700 1700LM user.
• This Gomadic Battery Pack is uniquely designed to work with both standard (e.g. alkaline) and/or rechargeable AA batteries.

Since Magellan 1700 has very limited battery capacity this device comes in quite handy if you want to move around. However, it seems to be quite overpriced for what it is.

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YTZ7S AGM Maintenance Free Battery

• 12 Volt 6 Ah @10h rate AGM
• Replaces: 44200, CTZ7S, GT6B-3, GTZ7S, LTZ-73, LTZ7-3, M727ZS, PTZ7S, YTZ7S

Battery arrived in a few days as promised. I put it on a small, initial (low)amp hour charge as recommended. When installing, only minor issue was mounting hole alignment for Positive lead, it is just a "smidgin" low for the hole on the lead or terminal end wire when I tried to insert the bolt through it into the nut that sits in the terminal opening. Two or three swipes with a small round file on the bottom of the opening on the brass lead (simply "ovaling" the hole very slightly)allowed the mounting screw to line up perfectly.

After owning this non-spill for a year or so, I may add to this eval. So far, so good.

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This battery was used to replace a stock battery in a Yamaha TW200 motorcycle. It's considerably smaller (which I knew before purchasing), and the terminals are placed/oriented differently, which I kind of suspected. However, the small nuts which fit inside the terminals are difficult to get into position, and it takes three hands to attach the cables to the terminals. Once secured, they are fine it's just a pain to get them into place. A larger nut would make the task much easier, but I didn't have anything that would work.

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I purchased this for my Honda TRX450ER and it was the perfect fit. Battery shipped earlier than expected. I would recommend this to a friend.

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I am using this on my 1973 Honda CB350 and it is working great. It is very convenient not having to manage the whole battery acid levels and what not.

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If you are buying to replace OEM, I suggest checking the dimensions. In theory this should have fit nicely in my Honda CRF 250X but it is actually 1/8th inch taller than the OEM battery that it is supposedly a replacement for and does not fit.

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Schumacher SE-1-12S Fully Automatic Onboard Battery Charger - 1.5 Amps

• 1.5-amp charger
• Has reverse polarity protection
• Molded with plastic weather proof case
• Plugs into an electrical wall outlet
• Can install next to the battery on automobiles, boats, tractors, golf carts, and other equipment

I am fortunate enough to maintain two houses one in the mid-West for the summer and a second one in the Palm Springs area for the winter. Rather than drive 1500 miles each way I have a couple of cars in each location so each set will sit idle for six months of the year which means I usually have two dead batteries when I arrive for the season. I tried a cheaper brand of trickle charger in the desert last year and it worked but I was afraid that if it burned out I would still return to dead batteries. I really like the quality of the Schumacher products having two of their multifunction battery chargers that have worked well for over 10 years. When I saw that they offered high quality trickle chargers I bought two of them to make the switch to worry free charging. The chargers are well built and heavy for their size and the build quality is typical Schumacher. The chargers are intended to be installed in the engine compartment with battery connections that are permanently connected to the charger and for power a short plug comes out of the side of the unit and is easily connected to a grounded extension cord. I really didn't want to install these under the hood even though they supply the mounting brackets and screws required but I did like the idea of the permanent connection to the battery as opposed to a clamp which could fall off in the middle of the season and leave me with a dead battery. Remembering how the chargers connected in the Power Wheels toys my sons had several years ago, I was able to find polarity keyed plug connectors in the trailer wiring section of the local auto parts store and now have a short pigtail permanently connected to the battery and the ability to plug and unplug it into the charger when I want. Now I have the best of all worlds, the security of a solid connection to the battery and the flexibility of being able to plug and unplug the charger with ease. I like this a lot.

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I installed this in one of my SUV's that is not driven for weeks at a time.

The Schumacher unit keeps a perfect charge and does not overheat or dry out the battery. The clock, radio, and GPS settings are all preserved and the charger does not seem to draw much power when the battery is charged. I am very satisfied with the operation of the unit.

The installation was a breeze with the included hardware and the instructions were clear and easy.

I do have two small complaints, however:

(1) The battery lugs were way too big for my vehicle and all other cars that I checked.

(2) The AC plug is too short to run anywhere. I wanted the plug to reach to just outside the vehicle's grill, so that the unit could be plugged in without opening the hood. I had to install an extra extension cord for that purpose.

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Good product. 4 stars b/c the manual is misleading. There is a table that tells you what the lights mean, but it is hard to understand. I'll translate: If top light is green and bottom if off, the battery is charging. If the top light is green and the bottom light is red, you battery is charged. If the top light is off, then the unit isn't getting power from the wall. Funny how this crucial info is so messed up in the instructions. Happy charging!

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I had a problem. A very bad car accident left me partially disabled. So these days I do very little driving. Just getting to and from the store and that's about it.

The problem I had is that I seldom drove long enough or far enough to fully charge my car battery, and on more than one occasion I'd get in it to go somewhere and the battery would be dead.

I've used a number of trickle chargers in the past. But there's the problem of digging them out and unhooking them when the battery is ready.

This charger, however, has been perfect for me and my situation. It's mounted permanently under the hood so I always know where it is. It charges the battery fully then shuts itself off. I can leave it plugged in for weeks and it shuts itself off automatically. When I'm ready to use the car, I unplug it and go. When I park the car in the garage for what always turns out to be extended periods, I plug it in and on my next trip the battery has a full charge. My days of getting into the car only to discover the battery died are over.

If your situation is similar, or if you own a vehicle that only gets occasional use, like a truck for errands or an RV, this could be the thing for you.

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Works great to keep your battery topped off on cold winter nights, and for days of long storage. Instead of dragging out your conventional charger and cables, then putting everything away when finished! Just mount this small unit under your hood, plug in a small AC extension cord, and close the hood. (not affecting alarm operation). It can charge a dead battery (not recommended) but it can take 24 to 36 hours.

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Mini Car / Auto Charger for the TomTom Go 910 - half the size but twice the power - uses Gomadic Tip

• Intelligent circuit provides precise output voltage and resistor configuration specific to the TomTom Go 910. This ensures battery is safely and efficiently charged without affecting battery longevity.
• Gomadic TipExchange Technology protects your investment by providing a means to change/upgrade your charger by simply swapping the physical charging tip. (Charging tip for TomTom Go 910) included with additional tips sold separately)
• Charger provides a full 10W (2,000mAh) of available current in a small form factor a little over 1 inch long. Flexible, straight cable measure 50 inches in total length.
• Uses latest state of the art advancements in charging and surge suppression technologies to deliver a unique product in an unbelievably micro-sized form factor.
• Straight, non-coiled cable design allows for easy routing of your charger around vehicle trim for a more professionally installed look. Durable construction is built to last.

Have emailed maker twice about returning the item & have had no response. Styarting to piss me off.

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I thought this would include a interface to connect directly to my old TomTom 910. The mount I have for that TomTom will not charge it. Turns out it was just a plug in to a car lighter and a plug into the mount that I already have that does not work. It is not worth my time to send it back so it will be thrown into the drawer with all the other useless power cords I have that serve no purpose.

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Goal Zero 29005 Escape 150 Adventure Kit

• The Escape 150 stores 150 Watt Hours of power
• Built-in temperature control and fuse systems to ensure safety and long-term performance
• Conveniently use the stored power through the AC, 12V DC or USB outputs
• Kit includes the GOAL ZERO Escape 150 Power Pack and Boulder 15 Solar Panel
• Solar panels can be linked to other panels for maximum energy

The Boulder 15 Solar Panel is most often sold with the Escape 150 battery pack (the Coffee Maker looking battery), such as in this "kit". The advertisement above says to expect to fully charge the Escape 150 battery from empty charge in about 15 hours using the panel. When I bought the two together I charged the battery to full and then ran it down to empty. The next morning at sun up (I live in the California desert mountains . . so I'm high above the haze layer and have 100% crystal blue sky and sun) so I faced the panel directly at the sun for 11 hours solid. At the end of that time I was knocking on the door of 80% power (75%??) according to the battery charge indicator, and took the next day for another 3 hours (total of 14ish hours) to get the Escape 150 fully charged. Recommendation: if you're going to run the Escape 150 down to empty during the day/night (for laptops, etc.) then you'll need two (2) Boulder 15 solar panels (daisy-chained) to fully recharge the battery the next day. NOTE: Also, I did run the battery to empty off 3 of their LED lights (which are outstanding at 207 illumens 3-watt, "Light-a-life" as they're called). Manufacturer states to expect getting 16 hours of light (with 3 lights daisy chained). I got 17 hours 10 minutes with the Escape 150 battery.

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Absolutely love Goal0 and recommend it to my friends that hike, bike, ride, and boat.

Brought this out while primitive camping out in Joshua Tree National Park for 8 days. We had 2 DSLR cameras, 2 iPhones, 1 ipad, 1 laptop, 1 GoPro camera and never ran out of power. We charged the Pack up with the Boulder 15 Solar Panels during the day while we were out climbing and would charge all of our electronics at night and would still have 20% charge left over.

Obviously when hiking in several miles to set up a base-camp every ounce counts. The panels and battery pack fit perfectly and easily into my pack with my clothing and honestly, I forgot I was even carrying it.

I don't mean to sound dramatic but having portable power has become life changing. I planned on only spending 4 days of my vacation in the woods doing video and night photography and with the constant power available I was able to constantly dump and edit photos and charge batteries and edit time-lapse videos with out worry.

I highly recommend this for anyone that enjoys time away from the grid, but still enjoys the convenience of electronics.

I also bought the Nomad 7 and charge that right on my backpack, or on my car dashboard depending where and what I'm doing.

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We took the battery to England to use for my husband's CPAP machine during the night. We were on a canal boat and the power was turned off during the night. Therefore, we charged the battery during the day. It worked really good though the battery lasted for only 5 1/2 hours before needing to be re-charged. We were concerned about taking the battery on the airplane but had no problemd taking it through security as a carryon piece.

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I purchased this little power pack locally. Included the LED lamp and solar panel. This thing is SO useful. Not just for camping, but for an out of juice camera battery just grab it and go and charge whatever you need while you drive. It's small and not nearly as heavy as my marine battery with converter. I just love this thing. I never lug around my marine battery anymore when camping. You can plug stuff into it via a regular 2 prong outlet, 12 volt outlet, and usb. I have yet to have to recharge during a weekend. It's perfect for keeping air circulating in a tent or camper via a 12 volt fan. AWESOME. I'm going to test the limits in terms of how long it will run til it quits and test various appliances ...

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Fully charged, the power pack can supply : 1 netbook (asus), 1 kindle, 1 cell phone in one go.

With exposure to direct tropical sun for part of the day (shade thereafter), I am able to get a mostly full charge in 1 week. If I had exposure all day, or got additonal panels, I could probably cut it to a few days.

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Shorai Charge and Store Battery Management System for Lithium Iron Extreme-Rate Battery SHO-BMS01

• Store Mode - For Maximum Battery Life During long-term storage
• Charge Mode, Charges, Balances, and performs cell diagnostics
• Battery cable: connects permanently to battery, and ties off at a convenient external location
• 2A max charge rate
• Retractable hook

This definitely isn't a Battery Tender in terms of build quality. It looks more like an indoor lab instrument than something you'll want to keep in a damp garage. The connectors are definitely not ruggedized, so after you connect the short one to the Shorai battery's special plug, you end up with a very raw-looking electronic connector end hanging out of the bike that you use to connect the opposite end from the charger. It's not like the typical SAE type connector used for a Battery Tender type charger.

So for dual-sport bikes, you'll end up with a connector on the bike that will get wet and muddy really quick. Best figure out somewhere to hide it or a way to wrap it in plastic or something for protection.

Also, the connector that goes to the battery is pretty short and it plugs into the charger. So you can't really set the charger on the floor and connect it to the short connector attached to the battery in the bike. You have to put a chair or box next to the bike to hold the charger.

Bottom line is that Shorai needs to look at the common Battery Tender to get a better idea of how a garage-ruggedized charging system should be built. Not that Battery Tender is the dog's bollocks, just that the Shorai system seems a bit fragile for motorcycles and garage use.

Otherwise, it charges and maintains the Shorai battery ok. It's a bit confusing; when you turn on the charger, you can choose maintenance or charge and you press the buttons but aren't really sure about what's happening.

It's also pretty expensive for what it is and I'm not really sure it's needed because the Li-Fe battery seems to last forever and reads full voltage all the time, no matter how long the bike sits -which is the advantage of buying a Li-Fe battery in the first place. So if your bike's charging system works correctly, you probably will not need a Shorai charger for your Shorai Li-Fe battery -save your money.

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I bought this to go with the Shorai battery to discover that a normal tender will do the job... Cables are rerally short meaning the maintener has to hand on the side of the bike... expensive too!

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I already own Li-on/Li-Po chargers for my RC stuff, but I got this because it's plug and play and if you've already invested the over $100 in the Shorai or a similar A123 type battery, you might as well take care of it properly. I live in the Northeast, so it's necessary to keep it topped of for the winter. I have heated gear so I ride when most people don't.

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Very light and useful charger it is needed for the Shorai battery to keep all the cells balanced highly recommended.

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This review is just to comment on the scarcity of the advertised information,

not about the item itself (which I have not purchased yet).

I'm interested in how much power is consumed by the battery charger

in its various modes, but I do not see that information anywhere

(not even on the shoraipower.com website, which currently seems

to not yet have a page for the battery charger).

I ask because I have a battery charger for another manufacturer's

device, and I found that it consumes 10 Watts when idle, which

I thought was a bit wasteful.

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Save A Battery 2365 12-Volt Battery Charger and Maintainer

• 12-Volt, 50-Watt unit charges and maintains batteries with fast-acting pulsing technology
• Extends battery life the longer it is plugged in
• Safe to use, with over-current, over-voltage, short-circuit and reverse polarity protection
• Unique modular cable design offers a variety of connectors and lengths, and can be changed quickly and easily
• Lightweight, compact and easy to transport

I purchased a few cheap versions of a battery tender and they worked for a brief while. Spent a few extra bucks for this one and it has been reliably perfoming for three years. Whenever you store a car, a tractor or any battery starting mechanism after storage if you hook your battery up to this one you can count that the battery will perform.

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Whistler XTR-445 Laser/Radar Detector Battery Operated with Built-In Battery Charger with OLED Red T

• Battery-powered radar/laser detector provides up to 15 hours operation on a single charge (power cord and rechargeable batteries provided).
• Provides 360-degree alerts for selectable radar and laser signals, POP mode alerts, and Safety Warning System alerts.
• New and improved red OLED text display provides distinct visual confirmation of signals detected, signal strength, and indicates engaged modes of operation.
• VG-2 cloaking technology makes you invisible to radar detector detectors; 3 City Modes and Highway Mode for reducing false alerts; dim/dark mode
• One-year warranty

Like the different filters to tune out traffic sensing radar. Seems pretty sensitive to real radar from cop cars. The vg2 went off a few times already. You have to keep in mind that when vg2 is detected the local oscillator In the detector shuts down for 30 seconds to avoid detection by the cops. So even though it shuts down of corse u know there are cops around. It's a keeper.

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Who's the joker who gave this a 1 star review? My experience with this item is a 5 star one. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:

Scans for so many types of detection K, X, Ka, VG2, Laser... I've seen them all go off in just a few days. I had no idea there were so many cops around!

alerts you in order so the most advanced speed detection system is prioritized over the lower ones.

Detects signals from cops I can't even see and I'm on a motorcycle, so I'm taller than cars and can look in all directions. So, basically it's picking up signals from a few blocks away.

gives you signal strength of radar etc from 1 to 9 so you know if they're right up your ass or a few blocks away AMAZING!

legal :)

fits to my screen easily with the enclosed suction attachment. Was a bit nervous about it falling off but I've been over some major bumps and so far all good.

-contrary to the 1-star fool the batteries that come with it last a good amount of time, as do my other rechargeable batteries that I use with it. Don't know what he's on about.

display is bright and easy to see

flashes an 'all-clear' when the signal goes away.

Cons:

errrmmm... racking my brain to think of one... my only addition would be a headphone socket so I didn't have to rely on glancing at the display (bit loud on a motorcycle to always hear the voice forget it on freeway).

Case-study

I was a little dubious before I bought this that it would work, but it really does. I tested this on day one by flying past a stationary cop in traffic. Sure enough he starts to follow me. I cruise at the speed limit and within 10 seconds I am alerted the exact moment he switches on his radar gun to track my speed. I ride on. Since I did nothing but obey the the law and speed limits, after a mile or so he gets bored and peels off. System gives the 'all-clear', and away we go. I couldn't ask for more for what I feel is a very reasonable price a just under at hundred bucks. Get one! :)

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I have owned two other Whistler radar detectors and the XTR-445 is much more sensitive than the others and the ability to use it without the power cord is the main reason that I bought this model.

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Seemed to work great, would detect radar with more than enough time to slow down, about the same range as my old Passport. Didn't seem to have any more false alarms than my Passport, in fact there were a couple spots on my daily commute where the Passport would false, but the Whistler would remain silent. This was using the Highway mode on both. They don't use Laser around here luckily, so I can't comment on that.

Batteries seemed to be good for about 5 hours before they would read 25% left. That was good enough to last the week for my dailt commute to work, but if it sat unused for 2 days after re-charging, it would drop to 75% without ever being turned on, dropping the life to about 3 hours. Not great for any trips, don't forget the cord, or some spare batteries. I had planned to replace the cheap chinese batteries with better quality rechargeables to see if that would extend battery life.

Got in the car yesterday and turned it on, it goes through the entire test sequence, and then says "NO BATT" and shuts itself off. How can it turn on if there are no batteries? I tried charging it overnight, even tried a different set of batteries. Same results.

JR is paying return shipping to exchange it, so I will try another. Hopefully it has a longer life span. I can highly recommend JR music world, great service.

UPDATE 9/11/2012: I received the replacement from J&R a couple of days ago. The batteries that came with this one are garbage, and will only run the unit for about an hour before the charge runs out. I have tried regular alkalines (DO NOT charge these!) and it shows 50% battery life after 8 hours. I have some Eneloops on order to fix the low battery life. Just a warning that if you do buy this unit, plan on replacing the batteries right out of the box.

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It constantly powers off for no reason and it doesn't matter if it is on battery power or plugged into the cigarette lighter. It is a waste of money.

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Pair COBRA CXT237 MicroTalk 20 Mile FRS/GMRS 22 Channel Walkie Talkie 2-Way Radios

• UHF/FM: Ultra-clear long distance reception with Up to a 20 mile range (depends on terrain & conditions)
• 2662 Channel Combinations: Available when the 22 channels are combined with the 142 privacy codes (38 CTCSS/104 DCS), these combinations prevent interference from other radios.
• VOX: The user's voice is detected and the radio transmits without the need to press any buttons, freeing hands for other tasks. 5 VOX sensitivity levels allow the user to select at which point the radio will detect their voice.
• Scan Feature: Allows the user to scan either channels or privacy codes within a channel to locate conversations in progress.
• Maximum Range Extender: overrides auto squelch to provide extended range reception

Must be in a totally unobstructed area to get up to the 22 mile range. I got a few blocks away from the house and that was it. However I bought them for a upcoming cruise. I borrowed the same ones from a friend last year and they worked perfectly on the cruise ship so now I have my own.

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got these for my two sons, and two of the neighbor kids for Christmas. We bought two sets because needed four. They think it's awesome to be able to go in the woods and run around talking to each other. They range in age from 5 to 7. The only problem we have is that you have to press the talk button down and wait a second before talking or the first word or two gets cut out. Also, we can't get the feature where you can talk without pressing the button to work. Read the manual and tried several times but no luck. We also took these on a 5 hour road trip, and my sister and I used them to talk to each other in different vehicles, mostly just for fun and so that we could come up with code names and make the static sound before you say "over" :-) Had to change channels a few times because of interference or static, but overall they worked great.

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She has had a wonderful time talking with her friends on the walkie talkie. She called to thank me for this gift two times

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My son loves them, I must say I used them to do some outside cable work while we hooked up another TV inside, worked great no static, so far we have gotten reception at about 1.5 miles over very hill terrain.

I thought they would be of better quality, they are very light cheap plastic

Work most of the time but not as easy to navigate for chdren

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Velleman Universal Battery Charger : K7302

Have a few minutes? Need something to do and need a battery charger? This kit is great for a beginner and a more experienced kit buitler as well. And, the price is right.

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