Nature Power 40014 6-Watt Solar Powered 12-Volt Battery Trickle Charger

I've tried smaller and less expensive solar panels, but they were all junk. This one works as promised. I have a 2000 lb. winch mounted on my 16 foot trailer and use this panel to keep the 12 volt battery charged. Now my battery is always hot when I need it.

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Wagan EL2546 Solar e Cube 1500

After extensive research, I purchased my Wagan eCube 1500 on Amazon and put it through some testing.

Here are my conclusions:

Pros:

1) The unit IS very competitively priced.

The two primary considerations for a "solar generator" are how many WATTS of solar power does it generate, and how many Amp-Hours of battery storage does it store. This unit is 80W/55Ah. I found products that had MORE and cost MORE and products that had LESS and cost LESS. I did not find any product that had more and cost less.

2) The specifications are accurate

The specifications are written pretty much exactly like all of the competitors specifications. Watts, Amp-hours, inverter watts, etc. I saw a review that implied the specifications were deceptive or difficult to understand not true.

3) The unit comes in a very slick and portable enclosure.

You might save some money if you went out and bought separate solar panel(s), battery, charge controller, high-power inverter, various plugs/switches/connectors, and a portable enclosure. However, that would take some time, technical expertise, and in the end it would not look as slick or be as portable. I can't imagine that would be worth it for too many people.

4) Expandable: Allows an additional solar panel and battery.

I plan to add an external panel

Cons:

1) My unit came missing one of the (many) screws in the cover. Not a big deal (it's redundant) but annoying.

2) I sent a few emails with questions I had to technical support with no response. Finally, I called and got a live person that was very helpful.

3) You can AIM the solar panels, but it's clumsy.

If you want a little faster charge, you can simply tilt the entire unit towards the sun. I did this and it works fine, but is clumsy. You do this by wedging a block of wood, stick, or something under a corner.

My Application:

I bought this unit to provide AC power in the event of an emergency situation, or for camping or bugging-out. I like solar generators compared to gas-powered generators, because they obviously don't require gas, and don't make noise.

This unit has a monster inverter (1500+ watts) capable of operating any plug-in device all the way up to a hair dryer or microwave. Of course, a hairdryer would run down the battery in less than 10 minutes not a great use of backup power.

I see my primary application being to operate radios, TVs, computers, cell-phones, battery chargers, and perhaps some low-wattage lighting. For these types of devices, you can get many hours of use.

The unit could take up to 2-3 days to fully charge the battery via solar alone (note: you can also charge it via AC or car battery). If you were using the unit every day to it's full capacity, with only solar power, you might never get more than 1/2 to 1/3 of it's full battery charge capacity which just means less run-time for whatever you have plugged into this. That's pretty much how all solar generators work. You would need 1000's of watts of solar power to really operate a home and all of your electrical goodies. Anything less than 1000's of watts is really just for less demanding backup applications and these all come down to how many WATTS and Amp-Hours the solar generator provides.

I'm planning on adding a 150W solar panel (about $300 on Amazon) on my roof and leaving that connected to the eCube 1500, while it's stored in my storage closet, with it's built-in panels closed. This will keep the unit permanently charged and ready to go. That way, if I lose power, I can still have backup power continuously in the home for my small appliances, and I can still unplug the roof panel and take the eCube (including it's own built-in panels) with me if I leave the home. Because the external panel is about 2x the wattage of the built-in panels, it will charge the unit's battery in about 1/2 the time.

Personally, I feel pretty well prepared for any sort of short-term or long-term power outage with this little unit. It's not as nice as having a $25,000+ solar plant, but it's just about perfect for having some back-up power when and where you need it.

I ordered the Wagan Cube 1500 from a big box store and paid more for it about 10 months ago. I have used it in power outages, charging it from regular household current, and it worked exactly as described. I keep it plugged in and tucked away in a corner for emergencies. I love the portability and would not hesitate to take it camping or to outside gatherings. It wheels nicely with a collapsing handle and is compact. I'm happy to not have to try and remember several different components. I have powered a 13" TV, low watt light, charged my cell phone and IPad, ran a fan, and ran my CPAP with it so far. It's nice to have some creature comforts during outages. It tells you how much power you have remaining so you don't get caught on empty. Recharging is flexible with many options: household, car, or solar panels. I liked that I could purchase it now for emergencies and add more solar panels and battery as budget allowed. I already bought another solar panel and will be ordering additional battery power this week. This item wasn't being offered on Amazon when I purchased, or I would have ordered it here at the better price; although I'm glad that I've had the security of a back up power source to my gas generator for the last 10 months. It's so much easier to use this for shorter outages instead of firing up the gas gene, and with fuel prices rising, I'm certain that I will be getting more creative in my uses for this gem and cutting down to using my gas beast for short periods to run the frig and freezer.

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Heads up: Five 16 watt panels is a MAXIMUM production (peak energy produced under ideal conditions) of 80 watts. Since most of them can't be aimed, that's at high noon, on the equator. So, substantially less than 80 watts available to charge its 55AH battery.

Not 1500 watts. That's what the inverter can deliver, not the solar panels OR the battery behind the inverter can sustain.

The battery is 55 amp-hour, and judging from the size, I'll assume that's 12 volt. Roughly 660 watt hours (new), which will degrade over time. Which means at the '1500 Watt' power output, you will have far less than 20 minutes of runtime, and a full 24 hours (of peak daylight), meaning 2~3 days of recharge in ideal conditions, not using this box at all during that entire time, to recharge with its built-in solar, alone. Heavy draws drain batteries faster, and destroy batteries far more quickly, too.

This is probably OK for charging cell phones and running very small loads, up to a smallish LCD TV, but a cheaper, plain 12 volt solar panel with various accessories will charge gadgets just as well, or attached to more sanely priced battery packs with more realistic inverter capabilities, will run the same loads.

What you really need to ask yourself is, how much would an 80 watt (or even larger) solar panel (100% of which can point AT the sun), deep cycle battery, 1500 watt inverter and interconnects cost?

When you add it together, that's an awfully expensive plastic box that you have there. I'm sure Amazon sells big plastic tool boxes or hard-sided luggage with built-in hand trucks pretty cheap. They have better folding solar panels pretty cheap, too. Plus deep cycle batteries, and inverters.

Also keep in mind that lead-acid batteries need to stay charged, or they self-discharge and get ruined very quickly. You can't buy this thing and just keep it in a closet, unless you have an outlet to plug it into, full-time. You will not be able to leave this outside all the time to charge it every day, either. All those nooks and crannies will let the weather (and bugs and rodents) in. All those big ventilation holes mean it's not even remotely weather resistant. A true 'fair weather friend'. What good is a 'solar generator' that you have to keep covered?

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After repeated power failures lasting several hours and even days after hurricanes and thunderstorms, I decided its time for a power backup source.

Initially I was thinking about a gasoline run generator (like most people), but I remembered looking at distressed people holding red gasoline containers, in very long lines, at the only operational gas station in our area with power and gasoline. Gasoline was rationed to 1 or 2 gallons per person and people waited in very long lines for many hours for their turn to get it. Local police had to be present at these gas stations because fights broke out between people waiting in long lines. So getting gas for automobiles or generators is a nightmarish situation during disasters. Even if a person does manage to get a gallon of gasoline, it will only last for an average eight hours in a gas generator. So eight hours of generator power after such hellish struggle is not enough, not to mention having the need to keep the gas generator outdoors because of it's smoke air pollution and the constant loud engine noise.

I was hoping to find any other type of battery based generator which could be powered by a renewable resource such as solar. I found another solar generator on Amazon but it was much more expensive than this "Wagan Solar e Power Cube". After seven months of searching for an ideal system, I finally found this amazing system at the local Costco warehouse. This is the perfect solar generator which I was hoping to find in my budget.

It is incredible to be able to recharge it from sunlight, or automobile, or electric-grid. Although sunlight charging may be limited to a certain percentage of total battery capacity per day, it is still better than nothing. I am sure that the average 33% of charge from sunlight per day is still enough to run low drain devices such as: 2-4 watt LED light bulbs, radio for news and information, recharging walkie-talkies, cell-phones, tablets, and on hot summer days/nights even my tower fan on "Eco" mode which consumes less power.

The only problem I have with this Solar e Power Cube is its weight. It is HEAVY and since I live on a second floor apartment, taking it up and down the stairs, to recharge it in sunlight, is going to be a work out. BTW: Manufacturer recommends at least two people to lift this system. I appreciate the inbuilt extended handlebar and wheels to roll the system, otherwise it would have been a back breaking e power boulder to carry. On a positive note: The huge weight is a reminder of the large heavy duty battery that this system comes with. I am certain that I will rarely be in a situation to charge it with solar panels as most power failures last for a few hours or at the most a couple of days. By the time power is restored, the system can be recharged from the grid itself. Its good to have the option to charge from the inbuilt solar panels, but that is a worst case scenario for me due to the fact that I live on the second floor with no elevator access.

As instructed, I let the first charge go on for 24 hours. I monitored the amount of wattage used by the AC charger. It started with 54 watts and slowly stabilized to 34 watts. When I checked the AC charger's LED light after about 16 hours, the unit was already charged. (This is about the amount of electricity used to charge the system from the wall outlet, for the first time). After that it automatically switched to trickle charge mode. This advanced automatic AC charger compliments this system. I like the Green/Red LED light on the charger itself that indicates battery charge status.

Another thing I noticed is that as soon as the inverter is turned on, the system's cooling fans also turn on. They make the system a bit noisy but this is much more bearable than the loud engine noise of gas generators.

I have tried using my tower fan and other devices with this machine and they run just fine, for several hours. I am really satisfied with this system and relieved to have finally found the exact type of system I was looking for.

Materials used to build this system appear expensive, solid, and heavy duty. The system is well designed and built to last.

Due to obvious changes in climates around the world, and storms becoming increasingly more severe and more frequent (just as predicted by a wise leader many years ago), I recommend this system to everyone, including people with gas generators, as a second source of power for smaller load devices. I also recommend this system to people living in apartments and condos as the best power back up source especially because the system can work indoors as there is no air pollution from gas generator smoke or loud gas generator noise.

Now I have peace of mind knowing that in case of power failure, I have some decent household power for my devices and appliances.

Most people overlook the fact that this system is a one time expense and it will never require fuel to power it ever. Just a few cents per month will keep it charged up, or, free energy from the sun. Due to the fact that I am a conservative power user, I do not feel the need to add an additional battery at this time, as I feel the internal battery is sufficient for my requirements.

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WindyNation 60 Watt 60W Monocrystalline 12V 12 Volt Solar Panel Off-Grid Battery Charger - Boat RV

Just received two 60 watt panels. The construction is top quality. It was packed securely and came with mc4 connectors. I am very impressed with these panels. I've ordered two more and after looking at their quality, I'm definitely going to buy four more when my next pay check comes in. I've seen 30 watt panels go for more than these, in poor quality to boot. I would highly recommend these panels to any one looking to go solar. Once again, Amazon has come through with fast shipping and low prices on quality products. Thanks for saving me money. Keep up the good work on promoting top quality products at great prices.

Car Charger for BlackBerry Bold 9930 9900

Bought this for my Bold 9900 to charge my phone during long trips or on my way to work for a little extra charge. Works awesome and has an LED light on the front indicating that it's charging.

I have had this charger less than one month and it already burnt out. I may have used it 3 or 4 times.

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Piece of junk. I purchased this car charger which worked nicely at first. Then began to become very hot when charging. Around the two week mark stopped working entirely. I guess you get what you pay for.

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i got a blackberry 9900 two month ago, and i found out that about the poor battery life it has, so bought this car charger for my blackberry 9900. it works perfectly; however, they must mixed my order because it does not fit my blackberry 9900's charger input. it is not worth to send it back so i just threw it away(sad) :(

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I bought this charger for the price however you get what you pay for unfortunately in most cases. The charger worked fine for about a month and just died on me. I tried it in other car outlets just to verify that the outlet was not the problem and sure enough it does not work no more. The green light is on when it is plugged in but it does not charge the phone. I guess I have to purchase a higher priced charger for it to last.

Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair

• Up To 25-Mile Range
• 22 Channels
• 121 Privacy Codes For 2662 Combinations
• 27 Hours
• 3 AA Alkaline Or 9-Hour Nimh Estimated Talk Time

The T9500 radios are great radios and are the best I have used in the GMRS/FRS consumer family of radios for under $100. These radios have a great quick release belt clip and seem to be well built. The weather channels are a plus and sound clear through the T9500's speaker. I like the way the transmit button works. It has two switches built in. Press the button on the bottom and your radio transmits on low power (.5 watt). Press it on the top and your radio will transmit high power (2 watts on GMRS frequencies only).

Ok power, yes the T9500 transmits at 2 watts max power. It was hard for me to find this little known fact as this site and Motorola's own site conveniently neglect this info. I had to search the web and finally found it advertised on REI's web site. I am assuming the Motorola marketing folks thought this was a smart move as most consumers falsely believe more watts equates to longer transmission range.

I used to think watts were like horse power, the more the better. If you took two identical handheld radios one radio putting out 2 watts and the other radio putting out 5 watts you would get about a ¼ mile increase in transmission range under real world conditions with the 5 watt unit, all things being equal. But things are not equal from brand to brand and thank goodness for Motorola that this fact holds true. I have discovered over the years after using many different handhelds that what matters more is the quality of the electronic components, good circuit design, antenna elevation and electromagnetic conditions. Mostly what people will find with those other company's 5 watt units is they will use their battery up faster. If you think by getting an FCC license ($85) and a nice fancy new 2 5 watt high power GMRS radio you are going to see some massive improvement over your old .5 watt FRS radios think again. You will be lucky to get double the range of a FRS radio all other conditions being equal. I had the 5 watt Midland radios and took them back to get these and could not be happier with my decision. I don't see any difference in transmission range between the two sets and the Motorola's sound better and have better features.

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I own both the TriSquare and Motorola Talkabout radios Those of you who like to take your kids outdoors or skiing, may find this of interest.

Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio

======================================

This is a typical walkie talkie. It 22 channels in the 462 MHz range and has 2 watts of power using GMRS/FRS protocols. The "25-mile" range is the theoretical max (i.e. on the lunar surface).

The main problem with this technology is, well, other people. Imagine 1,000 people sharing 22 channels at Disney World. Motorola goes through great lengths to filter out other people. This is achieved by

(1) A special filter that blocks non-Motorola radios. A nice idea, but unfortunately 90% of walkie talkies are made by Motorola.

(2) A special privacy code which is assigned to each channel. Thus, all your Motorola radios have to be configured to the same privacy code in order to work with each other. Codes range from 1 to 121.

Nonetheless, even with filters and privacy encryption, if someone else is transmitting on your channel, there will be significant interference.

TriSquare TSX-300 eXRS 900MHz FHSS 2-Way Radio

================================================

These use a completely different technology. They transmit on 900 MHz in a 100% digital protocol. They sort of work like cell phones, without the service provider. Each radio is assigned a unique 10-digit number. No matter how crowded the ski resort, you'll always have a private channel for your family. These radios use 1 watt of power. The manufacturer does not provide distance performace, but claim that the radios have a range equal to or better than the Motorola Talkabouts.

Comparison

==========

I took both brands with me and drove around town a typical suburban setting with residential and commercial areas. I rated voice quality on a scale of 0 to 3 as follows:

0 no reception

1 unintelligible

2 intelligible but noisy or garbled

3 intelligible and clear

I then plotted the average rating as a function of distance. The digital eXRS technology was superior to the GMRS/FRS model. The eXRS average rating was 25% better than the Motorola Talkabout. The max distance I could get in my area (having lots of trees and buildings) was .45 miles with either radio. The Motorola box claims "2 miles in an urban setting", which is just not true in my case.

The Motorol wins in overall voice quality. When the signal is strong, the voice quality of the Motorola was quite clear, whereas the eXRS unit always had a some background white noise.

Conclusion

===========

The TriSquare eXRS radios lack a bit in overall voice quality. However, having great voice quality in a Motorola radio is worthless if you can't get through on a crowded channel. The benefits of the eXRS radios out way the one or two shortcomings, in my opinion. I tried the TriSquare units at a ski resort. They work just as advertised. No interference from other people whatsoever.

The TriSquare comes with two vox headsets, which work fairly well. The Motorola talkabout did not come with headsets, which cost $20 a piece at Radio Shack.

Niether the Motorola Talkabout nor the TriSquare eXRS seem particularly rugged or weather resistant, so I'd rate them the same in that regard.

The NOAA weather reception on the TriSquare was pretty bad. I have two other NOAA radios, which work just fine in my area. The Talkabout had very good NOAA reception.

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I buy a pair of FRS radios pr. year, on the average. Radios like these are great to tack on to the kids when they run around the neighbourhood. I bought my first pair in 1999 I feel I have some experience, this pair of radios beeing my 8th pair or so.

The radios looked cool, although bigger than expected. The charging stand is practical, the kids use batteries like I owned a battery factory, so I can appreciate anything rechargeable. The range is better than I am used to, I guess it is mostly due to the fairly long antennas.

Now to my main two gripes:

The audio is beyond awful. I am a ham radio operator with a comprehensive understanding of radio electronics, also professionally. And I fail to understand what they have done to make the audio so incredibly bad. It sounds like someone is talking through a very long plastic tube. It's garbled, distorted and metallic sounding. This -mustbe a design flaw, I cannot think that this passed basic Q/A testing. My 10-year old, after trying to talk to me many times, finally broke down and called me on the phone from his friends house. I have had Unidens, Cobras and Midlands, but these are my first Motorolas.

My second gripe is just as serious when you try to make 10-year olds call home for dinner the radios do not start to transmit audio until maybe half a second after you push the PTT. This translates into much difficulty when you are used to an instant reaction when you key. Even my old tube HF set is faster than this. Again, this must be a design flaw. All my old, beat-up Unidens are instant (as well as smaller and with crystal clear audio, I might add).

Sorry, Motorola-guys, you need a second look at this design. I will make sure to field-test your FRS radios before considering another purchase.

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I had seen the claim of 25 miles on these radios and hoped that they would be a good replacement for my bigger and bulkier Talkabout Distance DPS units that we had paid over $200 each for a few years ago. I had figured if the old radios only claimed a 5 mile range, and these claimed 25, that hopefully they would be similar. We use these radios when hunting in the mountains of Colorado and it's important to stay in touch with the members of the group.

After getting the units, I read the manual and played around with them for a while. The NOAA feature is nice, just a little static... I figured that would have warned us about that blizzard that came in last year.

When first trying to use the radios, their true quality became clear... like a tin can and a string. Within sight of one of my friends who was out in a boat, we could not make out what each other was saying. Either the quality of the microphones or the quality of the speakers was so poor that conversation was impossible at any distance. I do hold out some hope that the earbud and PTT microphone might solve some of the sound quality issues, but am not too optimistic at this point.

WARNING! DO NOT BUY THESE RADIOS!!!

I have alot of experience with two way radios. I live and work in the mountains of Montana and I know the limits and quirks of most types and brands of 2-way radios. I've had no less than a dozen or so models going all the way back to when Uniden had the top of the line with the 5 mile rangers. Anyway, I feel pretty confident that these radios have a serious design flaw whith the symptom of a sporadic cutout of the voice while talking. Its slight but very noticable with regular use. I feel personally that it may be a frequency thing but can't be certain. In addition, the sound of the audio is HORRIBLE! I was willing to overlook the sound quality in exchange for range but it simply isn't worth it. The sound is so bad that it strikes me that maybe Motorola should recall this product. It a serious dissapointment from a company who's name typically means quality. These may be the worst radio's I have ever owned. Sorry folks, this pair of radios are not worth the box they're shipped in.

Retractable Car Charger for T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide

Charges my MyTouch 3G Slide very well, and the retractable cable keeps my glovebox a little cleaner when I'm storing it.

Been using this for a few days during my commute to/from work. Charges well, and the retractable cord definitely helps decrease clutter. The cord length is adjustable, and a push button will retract the whole thing. One con: the cigarette lighter end gets much hotter than previous car chargers I've used for other phones. I have no idea if this is normal, but well, so far it's not caused problems. Great price too.

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It gets hot, smokes and I took it out of the car because I was afraid it would start a fire. I am planning to return it and ask for a refund. I plugged it in twice to be sure that I was not mistaken. The second time, as was the first time, it got hot, started smoking and I pulled it out.

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Charger will not charge phone unless it is powered off & even then it is EXTREMELY slow to charge. This item is not recommended AT ALL. Customer service was outstanding though & was happy to fix the issue for me (i.e. refund).

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the product gets stuck at times and has to be twisted for it to work. bouight it for the mytouch 4g. no recommendation at all.

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Nature Power 40158 18-Watt Solar Powered 12-Volt Battery Charger Kit with 8-Amp Charge Controller

We bought this to mount on our rv to keep the battery topped off. The mounting hardware is inadequate and there are no instructions for mounting. If you want to mount it to your RV, you will want to buy additional mounting hardware. The cord is not 11 feet long. It is only 7 feet long -not long enough to run from the roof to the battery bank in most rv's! If you need more length, guess you have to buy more parts if there are cords available or make one yourself. The panel arrived in flimsy packaging that was torn and crushed on two ends. Cost to return it to Amazon is about $29. We purchased it for $105 one day and then Amazon reduced the price by $15. Very disappointed in the product. Wish we had purchased a panel from a different manufacturer. Not happy with product and not very happy with Amazon today.

I puchased of two these kits and one additional panel to maintain my deep cycle batteries on my trailer. One came in a damaged box but was still usable. The 3 in 1 connector to enable hooking multiple panels together is almost impossible to locate from any source, including Nature Power, so I made up my own. The included charge controllers were inconsistant at best. one "kicks in" at 11.6 volts and off at 13.1 v. Another is on at 12.6 off at 13.4.Neither would begin charging at 13v and off at 14.2 as advertised. They don't provide the optimum charge rate for the my batteries but, they help.

The panels are small enough to allow mounting in confined roof areas with the included mounting kits.

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Item was received on time and works great for our purpose. Easy to purchase and set up. Used for charging batteries while camping.

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I think this is a great device for when camping, keeping battery charged when you need to leave your vehicle unattended for a length of time like storage. It will allow you to keep the alarm set for security.

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I bought 2 units, an 18W panel and a 2Watt panel. One to use with a motorcycle and one to use with a camper. The 18W arrived damaged due to very poor packaging and the 2W had very little output. I am not pleased with these purchases at all

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Rapid Car Charger With IC Chip for LG Xenon GR500

I thought the price was too good to be true, but bought this charger anyway. Well, it works! Charges both my wife's and my LG phones perfectly. Only had it a month, but couldn't be happier.

Prompt shipment. No problems at all w/product! Would definately buy from again! Thank you!

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The Car Charger works great! It is a lot sturdier than other car chargers I've had in the past.

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Brought two, one for Buick and Jeep.

The Buick worked just fine.

The Jeep seemed not to work until I pushed it in with more force, then worked fine.

I guess the the hole for the cigarette lighter is slightly smaller on the Jeep.

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Item was shipped promptly, arrived in good condition, and is a handy little charger, which was the correct one for my LG Xenon phone.

Amzer Desktop Charging Cradle with Battery Charging Slot for Palm Pre

I really needed something to charge a second battery for my Pre and this looked like just the thing. While it does do the job it is the most obnoxious phone accessory I've ever purchased. Although the picture makes it look nice, don't be fooled. The only detachable cable is the power cable. So the when it is not in use, there are two fixed cables that just hang off of it and a third going to your power source. I rarely use the usb function so that cable just lies there. And when i'm using my phone, the other cable just lies there. It's like an octopus on my desk.

You should also know that there is a powerful blue light that serves no purpose other than to tell you it's on. There is a second light that is either red or green to tell you if your second battery is charged this light stays on all the time too, defeating the purpose of the blue one. I took this with me to my hotel room while attending a conference and I had to cover it up at night because the blue light was so incredibly bright.

Oh it comes with a clear, plastic stylus that can fit in the slot where the blue light is. It's oh-so-pretty but oh-so-useless. My Palm Pre doesn't need a stylus.

But on a utilitarian note, it does what it says. It charges the battery and the phone simultaneously which is why I gave it the one star.

I rarely use the battery charge part on this, but it is convenient to have that along with a regular charger for the pre itself.

the regular charger part needs to be moved around a little in order for it to connect with the pre and charge, once you find the right place it works fine.

It's a little annoying to use, but it does the job and is great to have around as a spare or in a second location like at your office.

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I had this device about a week before the insulation/coupling from the ac wire to the connecter pulled apart. Roughly one week after that, the unit stopped providing juice via the connector altogether (though the spare battery still gets charged). I charge the phone about once a day, so this was not due to any sort of rough and tumble handling or overuse. The cradle itself is cheap feeling, and the spare battery compartment is very difficult to extract the battery from due to non ergonomic design.

All around it's a fairly useless item at any price, apart from the fact that it does charge a spare battery (though I'm wondering if the reason my two OEM batteries ((one of which I purchased with this item a few months ago) are both on their last legs is because it does not properly handle the charging requirements. To be fair, I keep my phone on and with me daily, but I don't use it for many phone calls, don't use bluetooth, and rarely if ever turn on the WiFi, mostly just cellular services...it doesn't seem logical that this should punish not one but TWO batteries in such a short timespan.

It's basically a glorified upright holster on my headboard now that as a bonus charges a battery with a frayed cord that I can't do anything with.

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I just got this spare battery charger and on my mac when I put in the USB cable, it turns off my keyboard and external hard drive.

I'll use it with a plug, but that's a drag, I liked the idea of putting it on the mac. After these problems I didn't even try it on my PC.

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This is a nice cradle for your Palm Pre. The way the phone is constructed causes you to have to plug it in, rather than having the cradle work directly. Not a big problem. You can charge an extra battery and keep the phone on hand. I'd recommend the cradle.

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Battery Tender 081-0069-6 Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug

Makes charging your battery very easy with the quick disconnect. just connect it to your battery and it is there when you need to connect your

charger! the fused link is also a great idea in case of a miss connection

or a surge to the battery.

I have ready some reviews from others about this not fitting on a battery for an automobile. So they were disappointed in this product. This is because it is made for a MOTORCYCLE BATTERY PEOPLE! It hooked up to the MOTORCYCLE battery like a glove. Works like a charm. Get this if you own a MOTORCYCLE not a car!

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These are great units but if you are going to attach the quick disconnect to a modern automotive battery installed in an auto, think twice. Newer battery cables do NOT allow these rings to attach to the battery at the battery posts. You'll have to connect the 'Rings' to another positive and negative terminal location.

If using on an auto, a better option is the cigarette lighter/power plug unit. (...)

Quality of the unit is very good. 4 stars because they don't say, will not work on all battery's. Also, the rings are not large enough to accomodate an automotive battery cable post attachment. The holes must be enlarger unless you are attached to other than the atcual battery

10/2/2011 Update: Three years later and the unit has run 24/7 all that time and still going great. Change to 5 stars +

3/3/2013 Update: The unit has been running constantly for 4 years plus. Still working just fine.

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This is exactly what you get in the box with the battery tender itself. EXACTLY. Good product, well made, does what it's supposed to. Can't beat that.

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No issues with this product and I like the weather resistant fuse cover and connector cover. Use on my motorcycle and it is the perfect length for that application.

Schumacher INC-2405 Automatic Microprocessor Charger

I bought this charger to charge my new Earthwise 24v Lawnmower I bought here on Amazon. I sold the charger that came with the lawnmower on e-bay. I bought 5 Amp instead of 2 Amp so I don't have to wait forever for the battery to charge. You can read my review for the lawnmower on how to connect to the battery. It charged the battery in 8 hours (compared to 24 hours and not fully charged with supplied charger). It has monitoring system, which is great if you do not want to disconnect the batter every time it is charged. I watched some videos on youtube and it is highly recommended.

I'm really happy with this smart charger and I strongly recommend it.

I bought this charger on the recommendation of M. Shatila to avoid damaging the battery on my Earthwise model 60120 lawn mower with the OEM charger that overcharges the battery if it is connected too long. I later bought an Earthwise model 60214 lawn mower, which also has a 24 volt battery, and used this charger for it as well. It worked great for the first 9 months I had it, but then suddenly something failed that caused it to continue charging the battery until it was completely destroyed. I've uploaded some photos to show the end result, which shows that the battery cells got so hot that they literally expanded and the plastic casing melted. There was also a lot of acid spillage, since these batteries are not the dry AGM type. This occurred while the battery was being charged inside the house, and created a mess. So, I can no longer recommend this product, which failed to safely switch to a low trickle charge state after the battery was charged, which is precisely what I bought it for in the first place.

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I use this 24 volt charger on my Flow boat lift. I fasten it to the frame under the canopy and recharge the lift batteries over night about once a month. It is small enough to leave attached to the lift all summer while also being strong enough to charge the batteries over night.

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After more than 36 hours connected to my 24-volt battery on my lawnmower, the indicator light that is supposed to turn green when the battery is charged is STILL red. I may have to splice the connector into my original, 'dumb' 24-volt charger which required just under 24 hours to charge the battery fully.

I checked the voltage being provided by the charger, about 0.02 volt although it was 36 volts previously.

Boo-hiss.

UPDATE: I just finished reviewing my splicing and the polarity of my connector. It absolutely is correct according to continuity and after re-reviewing the diagram in the manual, as well as the polarity of the plug as indicated on the device. Maybe I will have to have the charger replaced due to a faulty part, and maybe I'll have them replace my lawnmower battery if it cannot be charged.

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I got this item to charge my daughters 24v Polaris car. I mounted it on the car and just plug it in to charge two 24v 24mAh battery. I like that it will not over charge it and gives a green light when fully charged. It is also not as big as i thought so that is a plus.

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UB12120 Sealed Lead Acid Battery

I have a Sonic Scooter that I picked up second hand and it needed both batteries replaced... I thought I would be up the creek without a paddle because I figured they would be out of my price range.

Amazon to my rescue ! I had to check my part number and recheck the webpage over and over because I could not believe the base price... then I remebered I would probably have to pay shipping and these are really heavy... I have Amazon Prime (which is a wonderful deal that I save with almost 98% of the items I buy each month) but this item is not covered by Prime...

Well to my surprise the Vendor doesn't charge for Shipping ! ! ! ! Plus it was super fast; It only took 5 days from the vendor on the West Coast to my East Coast home.

Great Deal ! Low cost, Free Fast Shipping

Thank You !!!

my n w s g i c b i d d f d f d f b n m n this sucks i didnt want to spend alll night f'ing around with this damn rating

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Equus 3320 Auto-Ranging Digital Multimeter

This is a good little meter.

Thumb uppers: Small overall size, large LCD display, auto-ranging, uses 2 AA batteries, uses standard sized banana plugs so is compatible with several 3rd party or customized probes/connectors.

Thumb downers: probe clips are such weak, soft rubber that they don't grip the probes securely. And it would be nice for a little more $$ to include a case. So instead buy a $3 camera case to solve both deficiencies. Too bad the over-sized instruction booklet isn't the same size as the meter so it can be stored in the same case.

This is a meter of above average quality for the price. A great meter to have for the do it your-selfer for around the house, car or boat. However, one function that is lacking is high range AC current (amps) the description says it measures AC current but doesn't say that the max AC amps it can test is 200mA or .2 amps, not really practical for ANY AC current measurments. You can measure the current of say a 20 watt AC light bulb with this meter. The PC you are using to read this draws about 3.5-4 AMPS or about 3500-4000 milli amps, this meter maxes out at 200 ma.

I bought it for AC amps but can't use it for that. I'll keep it as a back up meter but I have to buy a better meter for AC amps. I guess that's what I get for being a cheap skate... time to buy a Fluke!

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I use expensive fluke DMMs all of the time at work and was going to buy one for home use when my Sears DMM (that was pretty much a piece of junk, couldn't auto range, and eventually wouldn't shutoff) started annoying me. So, I chose a $129 Fluke meter then happened upon this meter. I figured what the heck for $25 and decided to order it. If you need a home meter that AUTORANGES (this is a big deal) and works, you really can't go wrong with this product. The autoranging is great, VDC, VAC, & continuity have tested fine thus far and I think the leads are like any other DMM I have used. This is a killer deal for $25.00.

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Excellent unit, better than any prosumer meter available at Radio Shack. The built-in stand is great. Display size great. Meter leads with included protective removable tip covers great. Battery condition indicator LED great. Do not pass on this unit!

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I received the Equus multimeter about a month ago. I've used it very frequently at home checking batteries, home appliances etc.. My conclusion is that the Equus Multimeter is worth every penny I paid for it. It is shock resistant, (I dropped it from a 4' stand and nothing happened to it). Is accurate, the auto power off feature is very useful. You don't need any more for home use.

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Duracell D2A 2 Amp 12 Volt Battery Maintainer/Charger

I have owned 5 different brands of Battery Maintainers and find myself using this Duracell one FIRST over the others. The others only put out 1.5 amps and just don't do a good job. This Duracell unit puts out 2 amps and keeps the battery fresh all winter long. Here's a great TIP for you......if your cigarette lighter works all the time, not just when you turn the key to ON.....then you can just plug this maintainer into your cigarette lighter and it will feed electricity to your battery. So, you don't even have to open your hood. An easy way to find out if your lighter socket is always on......just turn the vehicle off and remove the key.....next, plug in a cell phone charger to see if power is there. If your cellphone charger is working (you will see your phone charging....or hopefully your charger has an indicator light showing that it is on) then you will know that your lighter socket is hard-wired to your battery. What I do is leave the charger on the floor somewhere where I can see the 'charging' light on it. I us a cheap extension cord and leave 4 inches of it hanging out under the passengers door and close the door on it. So, when I get home for the night, I simply plug that short cord to a long cord that is already plugged into the house. BE CAREFUL because you need to make sure to rig the cord in such a way that if you ever (and trust me....it will happen) when you are in a hurry you will jump in the car and leave......and the car cord will unplug itself from the house cord because you totally forgot about it ! ! ! ! ! My battery stays fresh all winter !

RAPID CAR CHARGER for HTC XV6800 MOGUL PPC6800 P4000

I got this as a replacement and it works just fine. Typically these items do go out after about 6 months, I have replaced them about 4 times over 2 years, but still a great deal at the price!

Retractable Car Charger for T-Mobile myTouch 4G

The best charger I have ever used. I ordered it for my husband but someone stole it and now he asked me for another one like this charger because he has been buying different chargers and they don't work.

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PowerFilm 10 Watt Foldable Solar Panel Charger

I have been trying out Solar Chargers for the past 6 plus months. Interest in solar charges grew from wanting to be prepared for emergencies. The electronic devices that I have are powered through AA, AAA, and USB sources. Therefore, my focus was on finding a solar charger that can power one or any combination of the three. This is the review of the PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger.

Starting with some basic information for this charger, the product comes with the PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger, one PowerFilm's RA-2 12 Volt Female Cigarette Lighter Adapter, a very basic instruction foldout, and everything is contained in a cardboard box. I appreciate the cardboard box as it does not waste space and is perfect size for efficient storage. It fits snugly around the charger which when folded, is approximately 10 1/2 inches long and 4 inches wide. The solar charger itself appears very durable and its build quality is excellent. It has a thin and flexible solar film encased in a UV protection layer, and it is stitched into durable nylon material. The manual instructs that if the solar charger becomes wet or submerged, it should continue to work after given some time to dry.

The solar charger was able to successfully charge my iPhone 3GS with different car adapters. With the iGo car charger and different levels of sunlight (direct-indirect, peak-off peak, etc.), I was able to charge the iPhone at a rate of 10% charge for every 14 minutes. This is fast when compared to different chargers that have been tested, especially among other solar and portable chargers. I never drain my iPhone completely, so actual trial times for a complete charge is not available.

Another great positive to this charger is that I am able to utilize my Sanyo Eneloop USB AA/AAA Charger attached to a Scosche USB car adapter. This provides the ability to charge AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. The Sanyo Eneloop USB Charger instructions states that it would require two hours to charge AAA batteries and four hours to charge AA batteries. The charge time was consistent whether it was connected to my MacBook or the Solar Charger.

Being rated at producing 15.4 volts with 0.6 amps, the PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger is not likely to charge a power hungry item, such as a laptop computer, on its own. However, these panels can be connected in parallel with combined output of up to 20 amps. PowerFilm also makes similar foldable solar panels that are rated at 20, 30, and 60-Watts.

Overall, I rate this PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger a 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. This solar charger meets all of my needs with great success. I am now able to power my AA and AAA rechargeable batteries, USB devices, and other devices using car adapters. Plus the build quality is excellent, the necessary female adapter is included, and the packaging is great. I finally found the dependable, durable, compact, and lightweight source of solar power that I have been searching for in case of emergencies.

I took this item into the woods for 2 weeks, and was able to charge my smartphone enough to keep up with facebook and sms for a few minutes in the evenings. Never got a full charge. What's up with the 5 star rating for something that only charged enough for 20 minutes of data usage? How is that possible?

Easy. No direct sunlight. The best sunlight I could find was dappled. Constant haze in the sky (humid east coast forest), with lots of clouds some days. In other words, horrible conditions for solar panels.

It still worked.

Fantastic product, puts up with a lot of abuse. You can drape it over a bush, or hang it from a tree, or off the side of your tent. It's light, folds up small, and doesn't care about getting damp.

I would recommend getting a charge controller, though. I didn't, and I think my results would have been much better with a decent charge controller. I don't think the blocking diode blocks 100% of the current flow, because the panel would (slowly!) drain the phone's battery if it was in the evening shade for too long.

A 10W panel is WAY OVER CAPACITY for a smart phone (I have the HTC G1, Google's first Android phone). I would NEVER hook this panel directly up to my phone in full, direct, clear sunlight without a charge controller! However, considering the conditions, I just used the car charger for my phone and plugged it directly into the panel and it worked great.

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I bought this panel as a convenient way to keep gadgets charged while away from civilization. The unit is smaller than I imagined, and seems very rugged. The solar panels themselves are a heavy duty flexible plastic film and are glued and stitched to the nylon fabric. The whole assembly has four grommets in the corners which I'm sure will come in very handy. In the package is a cable with the panel connector on one end and a female 12v cigarette lighter socket on the other; if you have gadget chargers that plug into your vehicle's 12v power socket you're good to go. I only wish PowerFilm offered a dual 5V USB port charger cable with integrated charge controller, for the increasing number of gadgets that charge via USB. Instead, I picked up a Griffin PowerJolt Dual at the local Wally-world, which works great.

So far I've only been able to test it in the back yard, but I'm very happy with it. In full sun (2:00pm, September 24, Northern California, 86 degrees F) my meter initially read 19+ volts. Voltage seemed to drop slowly as the panel heated up. In complete shade, under the porch, the panel still put out 12.2 volts.

I had a very good experience with PowerFilm support via email. I would definitely recommend this product, and will probably buy another in the future.

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Surprise #1: I bought my F16-600 10W solar panel charger from Amazon for a steal at 109 dollars on sale (Powerfilm was the seller).

Surprise #2: The item pictured in the description was the black one but I ended up getting a military grade version (camouflage canvas). NICE!

Surprise #3: It came with a female cigarette lighter adapter! Despite the description failing to mention this bonus I'm lucky I didn't almost spring for Amazon's "buy together with RA-2 cigarette lighter adapter for..."

Now for a quick review of the product itself. IT ROCKS! The end.

Seriously, I used this last weekend over a camping trip for 4 days. The first day was mostly cloudy and the solar panel barely produced enough current to charge my Samsung Focus Windows Phone. The second day was partly cloudy and with Seattle area sunbreaks it managed to charge my smartphone in 5 hours. The next day full sun and it charged it in 2 hours. Remember, the charging time depends on the charger itself.

Let's talk numbers now. I measured the voltage and it was as advertised coming in higher than 15.4 volts. On an overcast day it measured 50 milliamps. That's not enough to charge a smartphone. When the sun comes out it produces a strong 600+ milliamps.

Just for kicks I connected a 12 volt fan and you can tell that it runs full speed in the sun. When a cloud passes or a shadow blocks the solar charger then the fan dies.

One challenge with cloudy days is that depending on the device and the charger you might have an issue with these frequent disruptions of electricity. For example, on a smartphone when it gets power the screen turns on. This frequent disruption actually causes the device screen to turn on often and drains more from the battery each time causing the opposite effect.

I'd really like to charge some AA or AAA batteries but I can't seem to find a good battery charger that also provides USB power to devices.

The durability seems good so far. I'm a little concerned on the hottest day when the sun beat down hard on those cells and it looks like one of them might be coming off the stitching. I'll report back for sure if there is a quality issue. I have to admit, it's too soon for me to review this product.

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Used this during the electrical grid failure we had after the April tornados in Huntsville Alabama. Used it to charge cell phones, kindle, portable tv, and a bunch of enloop AA bateries over a period of 5 days. Folds up to a small and very lightweight package, small enough to fit inside a mens shaving kit I use to store it and 12-batteries, 2-headlamps, 1-AA flashlight, a 4-cell battery charger and assorted 12v and USB adapters cables. Great product well worth the money.

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PowerFilm 5W F15-300 Foldable Solar Charger

I took the product on a 1,000 bike tour and it worked great charging the electronics I brought with me. I made a little regulator circuit and attached a USB plug to the output so I could charge directly USB-rechargable devices.

If I had more time, I think I would have cobbled a battery pack charger, but I didn't want the weight on this tour.

Despite being packed in bicycle panniers, the device held up well and functioned perfectly.

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Bare-Tool Makita BTW251Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench (Tool Only, No Bat

I don't know if I got a bad tool, but it was not very impressive at all. I also have a BTD144Z impact driver so I have something to compare it with. Side by side, the BTD144Z won by a landslide.

My BTD144Z only has 1,420 in.lbs (about 118 ft.lbs) of torque compared with this model BTW251Z which is supposed to deliver 170 ft.lbs. However, the BTW251Z would not easily remove my lugnuts which were freshly torqued to 80 ft.lbs, while my BTD144Z easily removed them. To do this test, I put a 1/4" to 1/2" adapter on my BTD144Z impact driver and then a 1/2 drive impact socket could be used on it. The BTW251Z will remove the lugnuts, but it takes about twice as long (or longer). I expected it to be the other way around where my BTD144Z should take longer because it has less torque ratings.

Next test I did was to see if the BTW251Z can remove lugnuts torqued to 150 ft.lbs (by the way, I always use my torque wrench to torque the lugnuts so I know exactly how tight they are). I didn't expect my BTD144Z to be able to do it because it only has 118 ft.lbs rating but the BTW251Z obviously should be able to do so. The results: the BTD144Z was STILL able to remove the 150 ft.lb torqued lugnut (that in itself was amazing given the said torque rating would make me assume it was not supposed to be able to handle it). The BTW251Z could also do it. The difference? The BTW251Z would have to hammer on the lugnut for a few seconds before the lugnut finally came off. My BTD144Z removed it maybe about half the time or better.

But again, I don't know if I simply got a defective tool and maybe others out there don't notice the same performance issue I found. I expected the BTW251Z to easily remove the nuts compared with my BTD144Z, but that just wasn't the case. The only thing I have to say is it's better to use an impact gun with the built-in 1/2 anvil rather than using the 1/4" to 1/2" adapter like I did on my BTD144Z because I can feel a lot more vibration on the BTD144Z as it pulls off the lugnuts. I don't think it's good for the tool's longevity. I will have to say, the BTW251Z has a more solid feel when removing lugnuts off as there is much less vibration, so I know the tool is better fit for such applications. Also, there is no complaints about the build quality as it feels and looks exceptional. However, I will probably stick to screws and lagbolts for the BTD144Z and find another solution for my lugnuts as this BTW251Z was no improvement to what I already have.

Important note: a fresh battery makes a big difference!

I wanted to try out my new tool the moment it arrived, so I pulled the battery out of my hammer-drill, slapped it in and tried to remove a lug nut (that was tightened by Sears tire dept using air tools.) As it hammered for several seconds I thought what the hell?

Then I replaced the battery with one fresh off the charger, tried again and bam, it was off the lug and spinning freely faster than I could think about it. I went all the way around the car and effortlessly took 2 nuts off of each tire.

The moral to the story is, battery matters! Just because the tool will still turn doesn't mean you'll get max torque. If it has difficulty with a fastener, replace the battery, it could change things substantially.

As for side-by-side tests against lesser-rated Makita impact tools, those can be considered valid *only* if the same battery was used in both tools, otherwise there is no way to know whether an equal amount of power was provided for each tool.

In short, this is a very impressive tool, it's small and light enough to use in a lot of places, and every bit as powerful as Makita claims, with a fresh battery.

Buy Bare-Tool Makita BTW251Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench (Tool Only, No Bat Now

Very powerful, easily removes 100 lb-ft torqued lugnuts. Also, very compact. Another super product from Makita.

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I am extremely happy with this impact wrench. I searched for a while to find an impact wrench that is reliable and quality product and at the same time provides enough power to loosen the lug nuts. Most of the impact wrenches I found in the market are too heavy and run out of battery very quickly. However, this one holds the battery for a long time. Unlike most of Impact wrenches which are made in China, this impact wrench was made in JAPAN.

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Powerful enough to almost all the nuts/bolts on my 1965 ford falcon suspension and engine bay came loose. Light enough that I didn't even get tired compared to my wheel nut buster Makita.

Goal Zero 19004 Nomad 7 / Rockout Combo

I bought this guy as a nice emergency item and also for camping. I connected the panel to my HTC G2 Android phone while it was playing the radio out of the included Goal0 speakers. I had the panels positioned in a not-so-optimal way with only moderate sunlight and it charged my phone about 12% in an hour WHILE the radio was draining the battery and connected to the external speakers. That battery is rated at 1500mah for anyone who cares about the specifics. The other piece that I purchased alongside this kit was the Goal0 battery charging pod. You can place 4 AA size NIMH batteries in the pod for charging with the solar panel. When there is no sunlight around, you can use your available AA batteries to charge your USB devices. I used the charging pod to recharge my smartphone again at night as well as my Kindle. Honestly, if you have a lot of good quality low self discharge batteries around (Like Eneloops) you can pretty much get away with not buying the solar panel at all, the charging pod will pretty much do the job in the short term.

As far as the speaker goes, the sound is AWFUL out of the box. As others have mentioned in their reviews of these speakers, the cones are covered by a heavy cardboard material. I simply took a flathead screwdriver and used it to break the glue seal around the edge of speaker that adheres it to the case. After that, I used the flathead to pry out the speaker from the case. From there you can see the inside of the casing is lined with cardboard, and on that cardboard, there's a fine indentation where the speakers are. I used a boxcutter to cut circles out where the speaker cones are. Place the speakers back in the casing and you're good to go. One note about this modification is that obviously the speakers are more than likely no longer "water resistant" as originally advertised.

All in all, very happy with the purchase. I docked one star for the speakers being horrible as they were out of the box.

I purchased the Nomad 7 / Rockout Combo from Amazon about one month ago and wanted to test it before commenting. It weighed 370 gms / 13.1 oz. on the kitchen scale without any cables. Just like the other Goal Zero products it is well designed and well made using quality materials. If taken care of should last decades (do not throw on the floor or drive the truck over it, like the You Tube videos). It is nice to see the solar panel can take the abuse if an accident happens.

The solar panels are mounted to a heavy plastic sheet which gives the rigidity needed to protect the thin brittle solar cells (think a thin potato chip strength). The fronts of the solar panels are covered with an unknown clear plastic reminiscent of Tedlar. The outer shell is covered in a material that looks and feels like Cordura, so it should wear very well, most quality backpacks are made of this material. The built-in pouch is a perfect size for the Guide 10 and all but the 12 volt car lighter adapter (which could be carried if you plug it in the regulator / converter and place the large end between the pouch and regulator. I find it is best to carry it externally if you need it. I fold the flap with the regulator / charger behind the solar panel when charging to keep the electronics in the shade. Eight loops (not bungee cord loops) all around the Nomad 7 allow many ways to attach the unit to a pack or sticks for charging. It was easy to attach to my Maxpedition pack with Paracord 550 and charge while I was walking.

How does it work? Surprisingly well! I did a lot tests in the Arizona sun in July and August it held up well to sun intensity and heat. This is our monsoon season which means clouds and rain once in a while (intermittent sunlight). The Nomad 7 charged 50 NiMH batteries in the Guide 10 very well under all kinds of sky conditions. Even an overcast sky where the panel did not cast a shadow it still recharged low NiMH batteries in about 6 hours. Using the USB adaptor charged low tech LG cellphone in an hour in normal sunlight (it also charged cellphone using 12V 4W lighter adaptor). So far I have been able to charge a digital camera, Kaito Voyager radio, VHF / UHF transceiver and the Guide 10 in reasonable times. It allows you to use your equipment more since you can now recharge in the field and not be so concerned with conserving battery power.

As far as the Rockout Speaker goes, for the size they sound very good with my player. They charge up in an hour with the Nomad 7 Solar Panel. If weight and volume are considerations in a backpack, then you might leave them behind and use earbuds. Otherwise, they are great to have along as a luxury item. If you are car camping, then they are a great asset to the camping experience, nice to listen to music without the earbuds.

I am delighted with the Nomad 7 / Rockout Speaker Combo. They are well engineered and perform very well. The Nomad 7 Solar Panel is perfect for light weight backpacking.

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Love this unit and the fact it cost the same even with speakers made it even sweeter. Easy to use, incredibly flexible, and worked great on all my apple products I travel with. Key to best use is direct sun. Worked fantastic by pool and when camping, on the windshield of the car. Charges quick in direct sun. Even charges my iPad, albeit a little slower. Love the speakers. Great sound from a small package and last forever.

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I was a bit nervous buying this thing due to the reviews but once I got It I'm extremely excited about it. I bought the rock out combo.. Nomad 7 and speaker kit.

Some of the people say the nomad 7 won't work with the iPhone 4, they must be re-traded or technology ignorant. I plugged in my phone and it's charging.. Simple as that. It seems very durable and well put together. I'm a rockclimber/ backpacker so in the summer of 2012 I'll put it to usefeild test it and write up a more in depth review. So far, I would recommend that everyone gets one or many for the 2012 zombie apocalypse!!

The speaks are very well put together as well, I plugged in my iphone and they actually are very loud.

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Although I purchased this on sale in a big box store, I wanted to write a review of it because I'm so impressed. I purchased this to charge my iPhone and iPod Touch. After purchasing several competing products which didn't quite work, this one has the best design, utility, and solar panel size of any I saw. Admittedly I don't really use the speaker very often, and when I do it's just for my own listening, so I don't have any complaints about it; the speaker is solidly designed also and volume is not my key criteria in judging it. One tip is to get a long USB charging cable, so that the USB device you are powering is not also sitting in the sun. You can't simply set your smart phone in the sun without overheating it. In the case of the iPhone, it will auto-shutoff until it cools down. Been there, done that.

Pros:

--Providing a powered USB port was pure genius that few other makers seem to understand

--Great folding design with 2 solar panels

--Sturdy canvas and velcro shell

--Utility pocket that fits an iPhone or other smart phone

--Great ease-of-use; nothing to setup, just place it in the sun and plug in your USB-powered device

Cons:

--USB port should be deeper; cables plugged into the USB port feel like they are hanging out too far, although the connection is solid

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