Schumacher SC-600A SpeedCharge High Frequency Battery Charger

• Fully automatic
• 6 amp medium charge monitors battery condition and adjusts charge rate downward to prevent battery damage, for car, truck, motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, lawn tractor lead acid
• 4 amp medium charge has self-adjusting charge rate ideal for everyday charging needs and keeping your battery in peak condition
• 2 amp slow charge for charging small batteries and maintaining large ones, charges motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, and lawn tractor batteries
• 50 amp clamps for top and side-mounted battery posts

I purchased the product from Walmart for about $30.00. I purchased it as a compliment to a more powerful but not automatic charger I already have. My main purpose is to keep boat batteries charged during the off season. After reading the instructions and hooking it up it went through the charging and stopping cycles as indicated in the user's manual. All of the indicator lights worked as stated in the manual. So far I have charged two batteries. I hooked them up in the evening, the indicator light showed they were at about 75% charge. By morning they were fully charged and the charging cycle had stopped. According to the user's manual once the charging stops it goes into a maintainance mode where it monitors the battery and when it falls below a pre-set charge, it begins a recharge cycle again. The automatic function is nice because you dont have to worry about over charging. The 6 ft power cord and 6 ft charging cables are convenient because I could charge my boat battery in the garage without having to use an extension chord. I have only charged two batteries but so far, so good.

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Schumacher's basic charger 6V or 12V, 2A, 4A & 6A charge rate. Automatic charger that charges, then goes to maintenance mode. Their more expensive chargers have higher charge rates (10A & higher) and additional built-in metering like voltmeter to test state of charge, etc.

I am using it exclusive for my 2 cars in the winter. Went on vacation and returned 6 days later to find the car wouldn't start when the trunk lid (truck light) was left open. With regular below 32 degree weather in the winter in Wash DC, bought this to maintain the 2 car batteries. After jump starting my wife's car, decided to buy this to charge the battery and monitor battery condition (can't leave her stranded or home alone with a dead car battery).

Instructions were simple, but use caution anyway. Charger had approx 6 feet alligator clip cables to connect to battery and keep away from battery (acids, fumes, etc.). With negative-grounded car, attach red clip to positive battery terminal, then black clip to ground (charger must be unplugged from AC). Then plug into AC. Charger has "connection" indicator tyo show a battery is recognized. Then select 6V/12V, then select charge rate (2A or more). When charging, has "charge" indicator light and 3 lights (25%, 50%, 75%) to show progress. When fully charged, 3 progress lights go off and green "charged" indicator lights up and it goes into maitenance mode. Unplug the charger, then disconnect the 2 clips from the battery.

The unit has a five (5) year warranty; very few electrical/electronic devices now have a warranty beyond 1 year. Even the big appliances like washers, dryers, dish washers now come with just 1 year - the manufacturer effectively increased the price by 10% which is about the repair rate for the 3rd to 5th years.

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This little charger works equally well when charging and maintaining both 6 and 12 volt automotive batteries. It's a good choice for maintaining batteries in cars which are driven only on special occasions.

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I tried to start my lawn tractor recently and found that the battery was very severely DEAD!!. I went online and purchased this Schumacher SC-600A speed charger. I hooked it up overnight and that battery was fully charged and quite able to start my tractor the next morning. Great performance, and very easy to use. Next, we're going to top off the car batteries before the really cold weather sets in.

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This charger works perfectly. I have had other chargers over the years and have borrowed chargers from friends and family. The last one I used was from a neighbor and, although it said that the two batteries I tried were charged, they would not crank the car or lawn tractor at all. I put both batteries through a full charge with the Schumacher and both came up trumps. Both the car and lawn tractor fired up immediately. I returned the neighbors charger and have not looked back. It was well worth the price as I would have had to replace both batteries. Highly recommended.

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Kenwood KDC-MP242 WMA/MP3 CD Receiver with Satellite/HD Radio/Bluetooth Ready Front Panel AUX Input

• AM/FM radio, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA, iPod-ready, Bluetooth-ready, HD/satellite radio-ready receiver
• 4 x 50 Watts maximum power with two 2V pre-amp outputs
• 14-segment FL display with 8 digits and scroll on/off; blue key illumination with manual dimmer
• Includes front auxiliary input for use with external devices; add Kenwood adapters for Bluetooth, HD/satellite radio, iPod
• One-year limited warranty

I replaced the dying, lackluster factory radio in my 2005 Hyundai Elantra with this Kenwood. For the less than $100 price, I am duly impressed. The unit sounds as good as it looks. Even with the factory speakers, the improvement is amazing over the factory radio. It has plenty of power and with dual pre-amp outputs (rare on lower priced radios), it is ready for an amp and sub, not that I see myself adding one, but it's there.

It plays your MP3 and WMA CD's with ease. Loading time is quick, and it also has a feature which will improve frequency response on low bit-rate MP3 files. The remote control is a nice touch, againnot too common on lower end radios. What I really like is the VFD display. You can read this BRIGHT and CLEAR text in any light, and unlike LCD's, VFD's don't "dark out" in extreme heat, nor "lag" in extreme cold. I love the retro look of VFD, but really appreciate the clear bold text which makes reading it easy. The front mounted 1/8 line in is a plus, and the blue backlight makes it easy to spot at night for plugging in my MD walkman.

What really impressed me is the quality of the tuner. FM front end is one of the best I've ever used. I can hear stations the factory radio was deaf to, excellent selectivity. Even driving in downtown Atlanta amongst the dozen nearby 100Kw FM's, this Kenwood never gets overloaded. I was listening to a station from Macon over 70 miles away with ease, the factory radio couldn't handle this and would get overloaded from the nearby transmitters. The quality of the FM is superb, excellent frequency response and S/N ratio. AM is pretty hot as well. This is a good choice for FM DX'ing.

The built-in MOSFET amplifier has plenty of power at 22w x 4, and will drive most speakers with ease though you should be careful if using factory speakers as this amount of power could easily overload them. Installation is easy as is with any 1/2 DIN radio. In my Hyundai I did have to use a simple kit so there wasn't any gap in the dash fascia. Most Toyota, Nissan, and Honda installs should take less than 30 minutes if you have the correct wiring harness adapter.

Hats off to Kenwood, for the price I am more than satisfied. Bring back more VFD's!

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The Kenwood MP-242 is simply fantastic! Real clean, crystal clear sound and bass boost plus proper EQ will make any existing stereo speakers sound great. Easy to navigate controls, looks real nice with the blue backlighting. Perfect for an iPod and a really decent price for such high quality. You can dim the display for night driving and there's no annoying beeping like so many other modern car stereos. I love it!

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I was looking for a basic CD player to replace an old Blaupunkt cassette player that had lasted an incredible 14 years. This unit has features I'll never use, but the high output amp was the best feature. As with most modern electronics, the controls are far from intuitive, but I figured it out eventually and it works great.

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the player is perfect for the price and i installed the hd radio to it and it works just fine, and sounds great!!!

The stereo is good for the price but it has nothing out of the ordinary. It is nice and user friendly, it has good functionality and the sound is good.

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Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator

Well. I'll have to do this feedback in segments.

12/27/12

This kit comes with the:

Yeti 1250 Generator

2 Boulder 30 Solar Panels to charge the Yeti, each come with a charge cord

1 AC adapter to charge the Yeti

1 Carrying case for the Solar Panels

1 Cart (requires assembly-attaches to the Yeti)

I live in the Mid-Atlantic where the sun is unpredictable, but wanted a green generator. I purchased two additional Boulder 30's to maximize charge potential. However, the most I've got out of the four panels in one partly cloudy day is 40 watts of charge, which is scary as the panels are supposed to be 30 watts a-piece. I'll have to wait until a non-cloudy day to see what I can max out at and let you know...

Other than the small issues I've tested so far, this thing is pretty cool and self-explanatory, convenient load plugs and the top easily disassembles to test and/or replace the internal battery. The Goal Zero website said the battery has a 20 year life cycle, but that does depend on the amount of use it gets.

12/29-I did a run-down test with my refrigerator from full charge (average 110w draw). I got 16-18hrs (and I say that because I fell asleep and it was on, 3 hrs later it was off). So here's the rub, no alarm to let you know its drawing down like a UPS does. But the back up time was more than what I hoped for. The idea was to run the refrigerator and re-charge the Yeti with solar panels to keep it running as much as possible. I couldn't charge as we had a storm roll in with no sun, lucky I have electricity to use the power cord...

Pro's:

-Great for emergency use but not for overly extended periods of time where you can't guarantee having the sun for recharge. (Ideal for fair weather camping or occasional home use/outdoor parties).

-No need for gas, clean and quiet.

-Can be put outdoors while charging from the sun and kept indoors all other times. (I've even charged it indoors in my foyer that catches the sun in the morning)

-Convenient plug-n-play design.

-While the Yeti is very heavy, the handles and optional cart are a must! I can move it around by myself with the cart. Lifting is another story.

-The solar panels are made well and have mounting holes built in.

Con's:

-The display occasionally goes to zero output and the battery indicator doesn't update (but the output power is still on). The product card says to shut the output off and wait 60 seconds then it will correct itself, but if you just wait, it will come back, eventually. So they already know there's a problem with monitoring.

-No alarm for when the battery is about to die. It just shuts off, kind of like a gas generator, just dies.

-The USB section does not charge my Blackberry. I have to use the 120v plug to charge it. Otherwise, it does charge other USB devices fine (like iPhone).

-The Goal Zero array for the solar panels is not rated well. I didn't purchase it and need to make my own or wait for an alternative.

The black laminate backing to the panels attracts heat, it absorbs heat which reduces the Wattage output to Physical Test Conditions of these panels. Heat decreases amp output. So these panels on average will perform to the average PTC of a standard 20watt panel with a white laminate backing.

Generator is way over priced for the 100 Amp hour battery capacity offered for this generator. 100 amp hour battery at most costs $250 so do the math when you couple it with a inverter and controller which could all be had for under $1000.00 as a package.

The greater the Depth of Discharge the less life expectancy of the generator.

Goal Zero loosely bases a statement that you will get 100's of charge cycles, and wont accept accountability or back the statistics that a full depth of discharge reduces the life of the battery by 50%.

Thats alot of money to throw away, consumers need to do their home work for what they pay for or a consumer may get burned in the process.

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I purchased this as an emergency backup. I've had it for 5 months and its been plugged in since purchased as recommended when not in use. Well I tried it for the first time using a space heater. The draw rate was 1000w. Almost immediately the battery status was on 20% and was completely drained in 12 minutes. I'm sure it would be ok for just usb products but beyond that I don't see it being useful. I absolutely feel it was a waste of $1700.

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Easy to set up. Easy to charge. Good alternative/back up to gas powered generator which could run out of fuel.

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I bought this as a backup, so I really won't know until it's needed, but so far I am very happy with it.

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HQRP 10A Waterproof Solar Panel Power Battery Charge Controller / Regulator 12V / 24V 10 Amp 150W wi

Ive been running this charge controller for about 6 months on a single 120 watt solar panel to a small battery bank and it has worked flawlessly.

The unit is solidly built and has a quality feel. Ive checked the voltage reading on all charge stages and they are spot on accurate.

The load out is designed for running lights after the panels stop producing power.

One nice feature is it will handle 12 or 24 volt systems and does so automatically.

So if you have a system that is running 150 watts at 12 volts or 300 watts at 24 volts give this controller consideration.

I would definitely recommend this product for small or portable installations.

This unit has worked flawlessly under all weather conditions. The timer function for turning on and off 12 v DC landscape lighting has been amazing. The unit senses and remembers the sunrise and sunset and adjusts accordingly. Just hooked it up and forget and it does its thing. Hookup is a breeze.

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Fasteners Unlimited 89-100A Amber Lens for Porch Light

• Lights Command Amber Lens 89-100A Fasteners Unlimited

Don't be fooled like me. Despite the picture showing the light and the lens, this is for the LENS ONLY. My bad...I didn't read the description thoroughly enough.

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Schumacher XCS15 SpeedCharge Ship 'n Shore Battery Charger

• Charger monitors battery condition and adjusts charge rate to prevent battery damage
• For car, truck, marine, RV, farm equipment, AGM, gel cell and deep-cycle batteries
• The 10 ampere charge has a self-adjusting charge rate for everyday charging needs and keeping your battery in peak condition
• 2 amp slow charge is great for charging small and maintaining large batteries
• The charger automatically determines whether the connected battery is a 6 volt battery or a 12 volt battery

This is a great little charger. I am using a large 460AH bank of batteries in my van dwelling and purchased this as an emergency charger after my expensive unit died. Once I hooked it up, it was astonishingly simple is to use. Now I want to keep it as a backup.

This unit has a cool percentage charged indicator. It was easy to hookup and turn on. The icons are a little confusing but all you need to know is your battery type and how to turn it on. It will do the rest for you. Most impressive!

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I purchased this unit at a large chain department store nearby not through Amazon because I needed it immediately to charge my dead car battery. The unit is easy to use but, you should read the instructions first otherwise you could damage your battery if it's not set up properly. The buttons on the unit have icons that indicate fast, slow, and maintenance charging modes. You should know under what circumstances to use those modes. There are also buttons for battery type selection that are important as well.

Note that the unit is actually rated at 15amp not 10amp as indicated in the Amazon description at this writing which is a good thing.

The only issue that I have with the unit is that there is a cooling fan that is very loud. I can understand the necessity to cool the charger's components when charging a battery at high currents. The problem is that the fan is always on even when the battery becomes fully charged and is being trickle charged at low current levels when entering maintenance mode. I would have preferred that the fan be thermostatically controlled so that the fan comes on only when the charger's components heat up during fast charging. The fan should shut off during maintenance mode. Since the unit is microprocessor controlled, it would be a very simple matter to control the fan thermostatically for the price of a thermistor about a 50 cents in cost. As an electrical engineer and professional software developer, I can attest that the additional software development time to implement such a feature would be about 15 minutes.

Of course, if the manufacturer designed the unit with inadequate heat sinking on the critical electronic components to save costs, then the fan could be a requirement even at trickle charging rates. But, that would be a design flaw that would manifest itself in early life failure of the electronic components which would be even more problematic.

So, if you are looking for a charger to maintain a battery in full charge condition using a trickle charge mode (sans fan cacophony), then you may want to pass this one by.

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I spoke to Schumacher 4 times and got 4 different responses as to why it wasn't working properly and what settings I should use. It was turning itself on and off and setting itself to Gel when it came back on, when I had set it to AGM for my Marine battery before it went off. I did not lose power. At one point the charger read 15.7 and I could hear the acid bubbling. Of course I unplugged it, called Schumacher for the 4th and final time. The guy said no way it would charge that high. Well it did and I do know how to read! Since it was going on and off, resetting the settings and overcharging, I decided to return it as it was definitely defective and unsafe, but apparently Schumacher wouldn't stand behind it. Be careful! Overcharging any battery is DANGEROUS! Too bad, but I didn't feel safe leaving this unattended which is why I bought this "smart charger" in the first place.

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I purchased this unit to charge and/or maintain several different types of batteries including a bank of large 125 AH deep cycle batteries. Everything worked fine but the information during charging is not totally useful. In the charging mode, the new feature of automatically switching between % charge and voltage every 15 seconds was a good idea. However, it is only half a good idea. The voltage displayed is not the actual charging voltage at the battery. It is the mode voltage (6V or 12V) which is useless information that does not need to be repeated every 15 seconds. I returned this charger in hopes of finding a better unit.

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I bought two of these off of Ebay.

They seem to work great, but an external volt meter showed 16.1 volts, and the charge percentage was at 100%. I'm not sure why this was, but I was using an amateur radio (Motorola Spectra 45 watt VHF) at the same time. That could have easily thrown off the charger. It does say in the manual not to do that, lol.

Initially (they showed up in the mail tonight) I like them. It's easy to use and simple to operate. Plug it in, select the charging current (2, 10 or 15 amps), battery type if you know it and off it goes. Even if you don't know the battery type, just put it on standard and your all set.

It does give a battery charge percentage while it's charging kinda cool...but it does not show the amperes going into the battery. Even if you select the 15 amp charge rate, once the battery is close to being fully charged, the current (or amperes / amperage) will lower.

There are two lines about the desulfator in the manual I posted a picture of it for you to read. I Googled if there is a way to make the charger manually go into desulfation mode, but I didn't see anything.

On (Schumacher's website) there is a link on this chargers for two manuals. The second manual listed says this:

Desulfation Mode

If the battery is left discharged for an extended period of time, it could become sulfated and not accept a normal charge. If the charger detects a sulfated battery, the charger will switch to a special mode of operation designed for such batteries. The display will start counting up from 1, increasing every hour. If successful, normal charging will resume after the battery is desulfated. Desulfation could take up to 8 hours. If desulfation fails, charging will abort. See Aborted Charge section.

Here is the link for that manual: It's on page 8. The above is a direct cut & paste.

All in all it seem to be great and I'll finish my review hopefully tonight or tomorrow about the 16.1 battery voltage.

**Update**

This is from This is from their page and all the credit goes to them.

"Equalization

Equalization is essentially a controlled over charge. Some charger manufacturers call the peak voltage the charger attains at the end of the BULK mode (absorption voltage) an equalization voltage, but technically it's not. Higher capacity wet (flooded) batteries sometimes benefit from this procedure, particularly the physically tall batteries. The electrolyte in a wet battery can stratify over time, if not cycled occasionally. In equalization, the voltage is brought up above typical peak charging voltage (to 15 to 16 volts in a 12 volt system) well into the gassing stage, and held for a fixed (but limited) period. This stirs up the chemistry in the entire battery, "equalizing" the strength of the electrolyte, and knocking off any loose sulphation that may be on the battery plates.

The construction of AGM and Gel batteries all but eliminates any stratification, and most all manufacturers of this type do not recommend it (advising against it). Some manufacturers (notably Concorde) list a procedure, but voltage and time are critical to avoid battery damage."

This explains the 16-16.1 volts and why it's necessary. With an amp meter, the current output is ~2.2A, at 16 volts. The percentage display showed the battery at 97-98%. So it would not be sitting at 16v for long.

Just make sure that if you do charge a marine, deep cycle battery, change the battery type.

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Schumacher PSJ-3612 DSR ProSeries 3600 Peak Amps Jump Starter and Portable Power Unit

• 3600 peak amps, 470 cranking amps and 385 cold cranking amps
• Two 18 Ah professional-grade, high output AGM batteries
• 12 Volt DC power outlet
• 3 amp built-in, automatic charger
• Heavy duty clamps have replaceable copper jaws

This is a lifesaver. I used to have some piddly little jump starter, which would occasionally work, but often just fail.

This unit is different.

This just works. Always. It has a useful display, indicating volts and charge capacity, lets you jump a car many times before recharging, and will work for literally months between charges. I've jumped dozens of cars using this unit and never had a problem.

You're going to have to buy an extension cord to charge it from the wall. $2 at Home Depot. Two prongs, non-polarised.

If you have to buy a portable jump starter, whether to keep in your truck, the back of your car, or just your garage, think about whether you're willing to tolerate it failing right when you need it to work. Buy once, and buy right. You'll save money and grief if you just get the best up front.

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I have used this product twice. Both times it performed flawlessly. I jump started a car with a only 4% power level and it started the car with no problem. Great product and I would recommend it to anyone

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I received this item last week, plugged it in the AC for 36 hours per the "Warning Tag" attached to the handle (but contrary to the 8-hour recommended in the instruction pamphlet enclosed). I guess the reason they put it on a RED tag on the handle was probably due to the instructional pamphlet being in error, so that's what I saw first and complied with. I used it to start my 2004 Kia which had a battery completely run down to nothing, and it cranked it right over. I only used the car for a short trip to the store that day, however I had to use it again this morning again. Well, it had just sat in my back seat for the last few days, and I wondered if that single charge up would have been sufficient or whether I'd have to hook it back up to the AC again first. Nope! It cranked the car right over and it felt like there was plenty of reserve power left over to do it a few more times with no problem.

I'm very satisfied with this product, and would not hesitate recommending it without reservation to anyone who needs a life-saver for their car's battery. It sure beats calling a two company to jump-start me in the morning, or try to impose on a neighbor or stranger for assistance.

Bottom line, I don't just like it, I LOVE IT!! I also want to add that I am in no way affiliated with the manufacturer or seller, and this review comes unsolicited from a simple consumer like yourself.

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MONEY WELL SPENT.

I left my car at my dad's for six months. The battery was a five year battery which was four years and eleven months old. When I went back the battery measured 0 volts. I had just received the Scvhumacher 3600, but had not unpacked it. I tried my 400 peak amp; 900 peak amp jump starter. No dice! I unpacked the Schumacher, plugged it in and let it charge overnight, although the digital readout showed 100% charge. Next morning, hooked it up, turned it on, let it sit for about five minutes. The car started immediately. I had to run on the alternator to the parts house for a new battery. I can't say enough good about this product.

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Over the years I have had several 12V jump starters. None of them seem to last too long. I think it's a combination of the heat in my truck and not charging the unit properly. I asked around to many tow truck drivers and owners. They all recommended The Schumacher Pro Series Line of jump starters.

This thing is a monster. It ways a ton (battery) and the charging is simple. The fan runs when plugged in and it's not quiet. I have used the unit several times on completley dead batteries and no problems at all.

I found that it is top heavy so it won't stay upright so I lay it on it's side. It is a sealed AGM so that is no problem.

I also use it as a 12v power source for my emergency radios. I think it would last for many days of transmitting at 5 watts.

I hope the heat will not shorten it's life. We will see.

I now have had this for almost a year and have used it several times on diesel engines that have two large batteries. Turns over with no problem. This charger was the best idea.

It is not cheap but it's worth it for sure.

When you charge the unit, charge for 24 hours.

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B&R Plastics 101-6AS-ASST EZ Foldz Step Stool - Pack of 6

• Convenient carrying handle
• Skid resistant top
• Assorted pack of six (black, white, blue, green and yellow) colors vary

I purchased the stepstool for my daughter's home. It is compact and sturdy and it gives her just enough height to reach the hard to reach places in her home. The added advantage is that it folds very easily and is easily stored.

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This step-stool is exactly what I needed. Very sturdy with a reliable locking mechanism.

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What a great invention! Simple to use, sturdy, space-saving, affordable---these stools are fantastic. I have one at work and two at home. My grandchildren each have one as well as my mother! We use them every day. You get just enough of a boost to reach those unreachable places. Makes a wonderful practical gift!

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I bought this a couple of years ago and love it. It's lightweight and compact, folds into an easily stored size, but when you flip it open it'll hold an average adult just fine. Solid. It'll store easily in a cabinet or under the sink or you could hang it on a wall or door. Great for reaching the top shelf in the kitchen, or would be terrific for little kids to reach the sink, etc. Every home could use at least one.

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This stool is a safety hazard, and I would not recommend it. The problem is that the stool is unstable. My 77-year old mother was standing on the stool, and it broke completely. She weighs 105 pounds, and so it was definitely not a problem of her weight. She was standing at the kitchen sink, and the stool just collapsed and cracked in half. She fell on the floor and was fortunate not to break a bone. This stool should be taken off the market because it is not safe.

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Mini Portable Car Dashboard DVR Camcorder Camera F500L HD Full 1080P with LED Light

• Mini full HD 1920 x 1080P@30fps portable DVR car camcorder. 2.0" LTPS TFT LCD display. Recording resolution: 1920 x 1080 (30fps); 1440 x 1080 (30fps); 1280 x 720 (30fps); 848 x 480 (60fps).
• Video reverses recording 180 degree (Menu setting). Loop recording, time and date stamp. Still Image (jpeg) Resolution 2592 x 1944 JPEG 3200 x 2400, 4000 x 3000.
• Video Codec MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. Video output: HDMI: CTS1.2 Compliant. Audio Mic and Speaker (Mono) Equipped. Port USB 2.0/HDMI/TV OUT. Shutter Button Electronic shutter.
• Recording format: Mov. 4X digital zoom (Full HD resolution non), Sensor: 5 Mega pixels CMOS, Lens: 7.0mm (4.5mm optional), Focus: 10cm - infinity.
• Supports 1080i/720p output mode, Composite: NTSC/PAL. Connection ports: USB 2.0 / HDMI / TV. External SDHC/MMC card (Max 32G SDHC Card). Battery: 3.7V 1000mAh Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery.

UPDATE: After five weeks of constant use with this product, I've had no problems. The thing doesn't miss a beat. I record an average of 29 gigs per day, looping constantly.

...This is a long review because I believe potential buyers need to know all of this...

This product is exactly what I expected -a true HD looping dashcam (1920x1080) that I can (and do) run continually while I'm driving, for a very low price. I have been using the f500l every day in my car, even when I'm parked, for a few weeks now and have had no problems. I've captured a lot of fun video so far, though no accidents or anything really exciting.

Pros:

1. Real HD at 1920x1080. Fantastic quality videos.

2. Numerous options to tailor the camera to your needs.

3. Comes with a lot of accessories, except SD card.

4. The included windshield mount produces no vibrations or other degradation of video, even though it's cheaply made.

5. Good quality audio recording, which can be disabled.

6. Date/time stamp optional.

Cons:

1. Cheaply made. It seems quite fragile and light weight, so I have been treating it very carefully to prevent mishaps. So far so good. I picked up a small case at a local Radio Shack to protect it when transferring between cars or bringing inside the house. Cheap build quality is not a deal killer, especially for the price they're charging.

2. Menus are in Russian out of the box. Three minutes of fiddling (and laughing) fixed it. Not a deal killer.

3. Night shooting is grainy. This is to be expected for a $100 camera. The videos are fairly good at night, though. They're still HD and capture plenty of detail to enjoy watching the clips. This is not a deal killer -it's plenty good.

4. Battery seems to last 5 minutes. This might be a menu setting for battery conservation. I really haven't dug into this because I have mine plugged in at all times. Not a deal killer.

General Info:

I highly recommend this camera if you want something to continually record in your car (looping / recirculating) for the purposes of catching insurance fraudsters and liars, or just want to capture interesting driving incidents. I've transferred many of the clips to my Windows PC and edited them without too much trouble (see below for details). They look really, really good.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BUY

1. Because the videos are .mov natively, Windows Movie Makers need to do the following to edit the clips: download Freemake Video Converter from download.com and convert the .mov files to .wmv. To view the clips, without editing, download Apple Quicktime for PC. Warning: use Freemake to convert to .wmv or be prepared to have Windows Movie Maker choke on the files, causing hours of frustration. Trust me.

If you have a Mac or use Adobe Premiere or some other quality video editor for the PC, you can probably skip the conversion steps.

2. The camera is cheap, even though its specs are impressive and the quality of the video is high. If you buy, I recommend being very careful. Cover it with some kind of scratch-free, lint-free cloth and keep store it in a rigid case when transporting. Buttons are cheap, so set the camera the way you want, then resist the urge to fiddle.

3. Buy the fastest SD card you can afford. I bought a Class 10, 32 GB card and it is flawless. Card below class 10 cause large gaps between videos. Don't be cheap on the SD card or you'll miss a driving event.

4. The menu button stops working when the camera is plugged into the cig lighter. I almost returned the camera because I couldn't access the menus, until I discovered that the menu button works fine under battery power. Very strange. I can picture an engineer named Igor or Zheng shrugging and saying, "Good enough."

5. I found it useful to change my cig lighter socket so it's always powered, even with the engine off and key out. I wanted it to record while I'm shopping, at work, or parked on the street. Never know when somebody parallel parks, crashes your car, then speeds off. You can nail them if you're always recording, even away from the car. Licenses plates are clearly readable up close.

CONCLUSION

Don't hesitate to buy this camera if you want really great looking driving videos at a very low price *AND* you're willing to be gentle with a cheaply made product. This camera is very unique because the videos are fantastic, and the price is so low. Honestly, if you get unlucky and yours breaks, you can get another for $100. It's an easy sell, really. Seller / vendor was good and reliable and no problems.

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I am not professional driver. Luckily I had not accidents until now unlike my friends. I paid attention that the biggest problem is to prove that it was not your fault. The camcorder is always an unbiased witness of an accident which will save lots of your time with police. As a bonus, you may use it to record your recent trip and share most interesting moments with your friends :)

I should admit that camera by itself is very light weighted and can be easily cared in the pocket. Unlike other camcorders which are difficult to setup/remove, this one uses special locks, which allows you to setup/remove it in seconds. The lens is pure wide angle and because of that, some videos may look unusual or even funny :) Camera uses regular Nokia phone battery, so it can be easily replaces if needed. It can make high resolution photos (I noticed that photos are NOT wide angled and looks as normal ones). The only thing it is really missing caring bag, to protect lens from scratches (if it could be scratched of course).

I will give 5 stars to day time recorded video quality. There is a little bit more white color but you can easily fix that via settings. Gadget has option to rotate video upside down, so that allows you to setup camera on top or bottom of window. There were not delays, jumps or even waves (which usually can be found on cheap camcorders). The video looks Full HD 1920x1080 pixels.

Camcorder also records the sound but I personally did not test it. It has nice option to start recording automatically (when camera is powered) but I personally prefer to have feature to start recording once it notices voice inside the car.

UPDATE: I just found a motion detecting feature, so now the camera starts recording automatically, when it detects motion!!! AWESOME!!!

BTW camera comes without SD card, so do not forget to order it separately. I personally will suggest buying min class 7 SD card or SanDisk with 30 or 45 MB/s writing speed. This is needed to prevent any time gaps between video chunks (videos are recorded in small chunks, which allows circle recording).

As an overall this is really stable gadget. I forgot to say that camera has option to mark any chunk as 'interesting' and in that case, it will not be overwritten automatically. That's useful if you recorded something really interesting and you prefer to keep it on camera.

Read Best Reviews of Mini Portable Car Dashboard DVR Camcorder Camera F500L HD Full 1080P with LED Light Here

Unlike other reviewers, everything was already in english. It was really easy to setup and I am really surprised at how well everything works. I was expecting a lot of bugs but the thing is solid. I have it recording non-stop and it gets really, really hot in my truck and it doesn't skip a beat. 3 or 4 days after I bought it, an accident happened right in front of me. Got the whole thing on dashcam. Take a look. Quality is much better before youtube compression of course.I will probably ending up buying 1 more for my boat.

UPDATE: The camera stopped working after a week. I just sent it back to them. Sucks because now I'm out an extra 10 bucks to ship it back :( I'm rating it 2 stars until I get a unit that lasts more than a week!

UPDATE 2: Got the camera back and have had it for a while. It's been working great. The only issue is that it shuts down on it's own sometimes. It seems to shut off when it's really hot and that might be a on purpose so the unit does not get damaged. I leave it on 24 hours a day so when I get in the car, I just check to make sure it's running and if not, just turn it on. Overall satisfied.

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Camera bought from seller "Loftek" is a fake. The version on the manual is HDC-500. The settings in the menu are also different from the real F500LHD.

The real F500LHD has a firmware that ends in "T2L-KH" that can be updated. The company has released about 10 updates total for this camera model, the newest being V8.9 T2L-KH.

The F500LHD is a good camera, maybe the knock off version is also good. But with the price point of the knock off the same as the original, I rather just get the original version. Would recommend trying another seller on Amazon other than Loftek and maybe you'll get lucky.

Ordered from BrainyTrade since other reviewer warned against ordering from Loftek. The one that came was HDC-500. After a quick search on the Internet (dashcamtalk dot com/dod-f500lhd/), I found out that it's a fake! Sorry Amazon, I'm returning it.

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Progressive Dynamics PD 9200 Series Pendant

Simply tells you what state of charge the converter/charger is in.I chose to put it in the cabinet where my converter is so the green light isn't a bother at night.

The item has no digital read-out, but the flashing indication helps. This is only the only way to force the charger into another status mode.

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Received as expected. Mounted and works. Has a light that stays on all the time, even when not charging, telling you what the charger will do when plugged in. So it works as a monitor for you battery level as well as what your charger is doing when plugged in.

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This review pertains to the pendant as well as the PD9200 series Power Converter that was purchased along with it. This is a qualified rating since there has been no long term testing yet. However, the product installed with no difficulty and appears to work correctly. The multiple charge modes is an excellent feature and should help to prolong battery life. The pendant allows you to see what mode the converter is in and to force it to another mode if you wish.

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Plugs right into the Progressive Dynamics 9200 series Converter / Chargers. It displays what charge mode the Charger is in and allows you to change that mode if necessary. It'd be nice if it was included with the converter.

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BAL 28015 Pad Lock

• Padlock

Bought these for our 5th wheel and my husband said they work SO WELL and is very happy with the purchase.

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These are the best wheel chocks ever. I have two of them for my 35 foot fifth wheel. With the proper lock, it is easy to secure the chock. I'd recommend this to anyone with a multiple axle trailer.

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ESI 706 Digital Battery Load Tester

• Digital Display - "Ok", "Weak" or "Bad"
• Automatic test, audible beep when test is complete
• Unit indicates "CHG" if the pre-test state of charge is not sufficient for proper battery testing
• 2 year warranty; unique design; longer warranty
• 2 year warranty

been using for a couple of months, good quality. I use it on many types of batteries, seems to be accurate.

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This unit has a digital read-out which makes it more accurate for testing batteries. It has good clamps and works every time.

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This battery/charging system/starter tester is a very well made piece of equipment and I recommend it to anyone! This company has many nice products.

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Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for ATT LG GU295 - LG INCITE CT810 - LG N

cheap, convenient. now i can plug in anywhere. way cheaper than buying one at an electronics store or phone outlet.

Works perfectly!! And so cheap! I was skeptical because of the price, but I have had zero problems with the chargers.

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We live in the country and will not leave the house without our cellphone. The car charger gives us the assurance of having cell phone coverage on the road.

Read Best Reviews of Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for ATT LG GU295 - LG INCITE CT810 - LG N Here

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TecMate TM-85 OptiMate 1 12V Maintainer/Charger

• 3-Step charging program which ensures
• Totally safe for prolonged connection

Very happy. I actually bought this product as a replacement from a recent storm. Love it. Have been using about a year should save my $ motorcycle battery.

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Great charger! Works as anticipated! Not the fanciest charger on the market, but does what I need it to do!

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Due to a safety feature it WILL NOT CHARGE A BATTERY WHICH HAS LESS THAN 8 VOLTS. This means it will not charge a dead battery. The case is also very bulky and heavy, feeling like it will fall out of the outlet any minute. I am very disappointed.

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Makita BTW253 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 3/8-Inch Impact Wrench Kit

• Makita-built 4-pole variable speed motor provides superior fastening power with 155 ft.lbs. of Max Torque, 0-2,100 RPM and 0-3,200 IPM
• Compact, ergonomic design at 6-1/8-inches long; weighs only 3.4 lbs. for reduced operator fatigue
• Designed with convenient features such as a built-in L.E.D. light that illuminates the work area, and lbs. and a rugged tool belt clip
• Makita LXT Lithium-Ion battery and Energy Star rated 30-Minute Rapid Optimum Charger produces 430% total lifetime work with 2.5X more cycles
• 3-year warranty on tool; 1-year warranty on batteries and charger.

As a professional automotive technician I depend on my tools for my livelyhood, and this Makita impact wrench excedes my expectations. I finally wore out my 9.6 volt Makita gun after 17 years, and wouldn't even consider another brand as it had been so good. This 18 volt gun is extremely powerful, the batteries are light, yet last FAR longer before needing a charge. If you are thinking of stepping up to the LTX, do it. You won't be sorry. I couldn't be happier.

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I've been rebuilding transmissions for over 30 years and have been through my share of tools, this Makita BTW253 is the BEST impact gun I've ever used. Powerful, light, and does the job. I'm very satisfied and I'm sure you will be too. The Snap on gun doesn't compare and is more money. This ones a keeper.

Read Best Reviews of Makita BTW253 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 3/8-Inch Impact Wrench Kit Here

Had this Makita for a month and use it everyday in the Armored vehicle shop I work at. Batteries last a long time, unit does what i ask it to and isn't heavy to have with you all day.

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This impact wrench is extremely strong! Bought this on sale a few weeks before Christmas for a gift and it is amazing how much power is in this wrench. When my Dad opened it up on Christmas day all we wanted to do was see how powerful it actually was so we went out to the garage and tested it on some of the lugs on my car. This thing had no problem buzzing them right out, and they were torqued to 81 ft/lbs. The batteries also last a VERY long time. We've been using it quite a bit on my race car engine and gearbox since Christmas, and we still haven't had to recharge or change the battery since the first charge.

My Dad also bought a very short 3/8" extension to keep on the wrench so the small ring on the end of it doesn't get worn out, and I would recommend this also.

I like the portability of this tool. Recently set up two irrigation wheel lines in my pasture(which is what I purchased it for) and with hundreds of bolt fasteners per line, it was a snap.

Can't believe it runs as long as it does on one charge. So far so good.

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Yuasa YUA1201501 Smart Shot Battery Charger

• Fully automatic 5 stage cycle for efficient charging
• 28-day charge recycle re-evaluates battery condition for long-term battery storage
• Up to 16 Volts for recovery of sulfated batteries
• Charges both 6 Volt and 12 Volt batteries
• 3-year limited warranty

I bought this battery charger to replace a Deltran Battery Tender that cooked the motorcycle battery it was hooked up to. The Yuasa unit works as advertised. The "float" function appears to work as it should, i.e., the battery's voltage is maintained without over-charging. And my bike starts up more readily than ever.

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Works as advertised. I use it on my motorcycle and riding lawn tractor. I will be buying a second unit for the winter to use on my lawn tractor since this one will be dedicated to my motorcycle.

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Works as advertised. I use it on my son's ATV and works very well. It has even taken a few big drops and still works perfectly. The 1.5 Amp output is better than other lower end chargers for charging new batteries. This unit also has better technology to handle new gel batteries. Will by a second one for my motorcycle.

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Warning: Although these battery chargers have only a 1.5 ampere output and will not begin charging unless they are connected correctly, you are connecting them to a battery which can provide up to 900 amps of current! Shorting the terminals of an automotive battery can cause a conductor as heavy as a screwdriver to explode! Furthermore, overcharging a battery with a fault not detected by a charger can cause the battery to explode! Sulphuric acid will burn your skin instantly and will blind you if you get it in your eyes! If you don't intend to read the several pages of safety instructions at the beginning of the manuals which come with all of these chargers then also buy the cigar lighter attachment listed on Amazon. All three chargers now use the same quick disconnect; I'm not sure about cigar lighter wiring.

Choosing a battery charger is a matter of personal preference and intended use. A 45 AH battery that has been run dead will take over 30 hours with a 1.5 amp charger at best and more likely twice that to fully charge that battery... if it can be charged at all; for that you will need a big charger. Note: Charging lead acid batteries at high charge rates (over 1.5 amp) is not recommended. This review only addresses small chargers designed to keep a battery from becoming discharged while it is in long term (10 days or more) storage. At least one manual says that a large capacity battery may have its life reduced by charging with the low current these chargers supply; that pertains to all small chargers [Storage Battery Maintenance & Principles, US DOT 1998 pp 3 & 10].

Schumacher 1.5 amp battery `maintainers' will restore a discharged battery (not a completely dead battery) at a relatively high rate (almost as fast as a 5 amp unregulated charger because the charge rate of all high current chargers fall off quickly as the battery voltage rises), hence the name "SpeedCharger". After charging the battery to approximately 14.8 volts the Schumacher turns off and monitors the voltage. (A fully charged battery will measure 12.6 volts after an hour of `rest'; a fully discharged battery (not a completely dead battery) will read 11.4 volts.) Once the Schumacher detects that the battery voltage has fallen below 12.6 volts it reverts to maintenance mode until the battery is fully charged. Note: 12.2 volts is about 50% discharged and 11.4 volts is just about dead (there isn't much difference in the voltage reading between a fully charged and fully discharged battery). Since all lead acid batteries `self-discharge' over time, periodic low current maintenance charging has been an accepted way to maintain storage batteries in optimum condition for 100 years [Witte pp 66 & 287, Filiquarian 2012]. The Schumacher automatically detects whether it is connected to a 6 or 12 volt battery. Our Schumacher restored a battery that only measured 12.2 volts after two days charging with a 10 amp charger to 12.7 volts.

Deltran 1.5 amp (not the .75 amp Jr which we just bought) battery `tenders' will restore discharged batteries in the same length of time as the Schumacher and faster than all trickle chargers (we have all types of chargers in use, some for over 40 years). Deltran (including the Jr) uses Yuasa's philosophy for maintaining the battery after it is fully charged, lowering the charging rate to 10 milliamps (almost nothing). At that low rate the battery will not lose electrolyte [Witte pp 151, Filiquarian 2012]. Deltran lists 3 modes: bulk (charging), absorbtion (probably refers to desulphation) and float (green LED solid). The red LED flashes briefly while it is testing the battery. The Deltran Jr is nice for maintaining batteries in vehicles which are used once a week it is a large power `cube' with a very long DC cord. I used cable ties for both sides of the quick disconnect in case I forget to unplug it... it just pops off as I back out of the garage. I really like the red flashing light when the Deltran Jr. is plugged in but not connected to the car.

The Yuasa 1.5 amp SmartShot has a metal case. A switch selects 6 or 12 volt and, like the other chargers, it will not work if connected backwards or set to the wrong voltage. Note: None of these chargers will work with rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries; I'm not sure about any other rechargeable batteries. Yuasa (mine says Interstate Batteries) has 5 stage charging technology: testing flashing yellow LED (I like that), charging solid yellow, desulphation stage (I'm guessing), completed/float mode green LED. I guess the 5th stage is if the battery fails the testing stage flashing red. That's where Yuasa gets the name SmartShot. I've used two of these for 8 10 years.

Sulphation is an issue that might come up when buying a small charger. The Deltran, Schumacher and Yuasa 1.5 amp chargers will keep sulphation to a minimum. `Soft' sulphation always occurs normally in automotive batteries. A low current charge rate is known to control normal sulphation [Witte pp 49 & 53, Filiquarian 2012]. Hard sulphation cannot be corrected without extreme measures; trade in the battery.

Wattage of the The Schumacher, Deltran and Yuasa 1.5 amp chargers is less than 20 watts when charging and 3 5 watts connected but not charging. (Don't be confused by the 10 milliamp output of the Deltran device; that is on the DC side not the input.) Connecting a timer with a 6 watt clock motor to turn the charger off and on doesn't make sense; it uses more electricity than an idling chargers.

Trickle Chargers like our 1 amp Goodyear draw 12.5 watts continuously while connected to an old battery; so we usually use that one on a night-light timer. It had been charging a used backhoe battery (to keep it from dying in case the new one fails) for two months and though it wasn't apparently boiling off the electrolyte when the top of the battery was damp I disconnected it. FYI only water evaporates from batteries; sulphuric acid in a fully charged battery is almost all bound to the plates; plus the boiling point is above 600 F. The specific gravity (the only way to know for sure) of that 8 year old battery measures 12.5; so even though the voltage measures 12.6 volts it isn't taking a full charge. (A fully charged lead acid has a specific gravity 12.65 when fully charged.) Don't use trickle chargers on good batteries without daily monitoring.

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As usual, prompt delivery, exactly as ordered.

Easy to assemble, just plug in the proper connectors. It comes with ring lug connectors as well as the big clamps, which aren't all that big.

I bought it to maintain the battery in small two seat convertable that I don't drive as often as I should. Alas, to get to the battery, I have to open the trunk which turns on the trunk light, using up much of the charger's output. Haven't figured out an easy way to keep the light off. So it doesn't charge much, should have bought a bigger unit. My bad. I could charge through the 12 volt accessory outlet (cigarette lighter) except that turns off when the key is removed.

I did contact Yuasa with a question by email, they got right back to me with an answer. If the battery to be charged is very low (mine was) the charger won't do anything. Needed to use a big brute force charger to get the battery up near 12 volts before this unit would activate. Manual doesn't mention that. And the unit gave no indication other than the charge LED being off.

So, not perfect but still useful.

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