Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle Kit for Use With BlackBerry Tour 9630 - Black

These are fantastic products, while they last. I've now had six of these for my BlackBerry Tour 9630 and Bold 9650 over the past year. I keep one at work, and one at home. For four to five months, they work perfectly, pairing nicely with the Seidio Innocase I use to protect my device. But then, one day, they just stop charging the device. The green light glows on the back and the charger cable works when plugged in directly to the BlackBerry. But the cradle contacts seem to no longer "touch" the BlackBerry contacts properly, and then this otherwise-excellent charging cradle is toast, and it's time to order another one. NOTE TO SEIDIO -time for some quality control at the factory in China where these are made for you?

I use a Seidio Innocase 360 case on my Tour so the OEM "charging pod" won't work for me.

The beauty about this Seidio charging cradle is that it works either WITH or WITHOUT my case on.

I bought 2 of them (one for home and one for the office) and I can simply drop the phone into the cradle to charge it. No wear-and-tear on the USB connector. It also holds the phone at a nice angle for viewing while it charges.

It also has a nice rubberized texture, just like the Seidio cases.

Overall, a great product for a reasonable price.

Also, see my video review of the Seidio Innocase 360 for BlackBerry Tour 9630 (Black) ... this charger makes a guest appearance in the video.

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This is the letter I sent Seidio in response to my experience with their products:

DEAR SEIDIO:

Unfortunately, I am sorry to inform you that you have lost a once-enthusiastic customer. I have been a loyal customer of Seidio ever since purchasing my first smartphone a year ago. I have bought holsters, replacement batteries, docks, travel kits. I have raved about the products and referred my friends. Unfortunately, the quality of the merchandise is horrible. I purchased two docks for my phone, and they have consistently failed to function within a few months. I comforted myself with the knowledge the inevitable failure within 6 months would at least be greeted with a willingness on the part of Seidio to exchange the defective merchandise, but apparently that does not apply to replacement merchandise. Therefore when the replacement fails, which it certainly does, Seidio only gives me the "option" to purchase a new one, despite my experience that the item will most certainly fail in a few months.

I should have realized that a 6 month warranty, rather than the standard industry 1-year warranty for technological merchandise, was a warning sign that these products would fall into the "junk" category, but I was hopeful. A warranty should be a safeguard to the consumer's money, to encourage the consumer to be confident in his purchase, and to help establish a loyal consumer base for the manufacturer. If it is however a clear indication that the product will most certainly last no longer than a 6 month time frame, this neither inspires consumer confidence nor does it create a good name for the manufacturer, which would in turn lead to a a loyal base of consumer support.

Please note that I will, with the same enthusiasm that I once lauded Seidio products, make sure that as few others as possible make the same mistake I did in trusting Seidio products. Besides word of mouth, I will make sure to post my experience on all online review sites.

Regretfully, a former customer,

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The Seidio cases are GREAT. I bought them for my Blackberry and my Android cell phone and love them. The belt clip holsters are also very nice. Very thin and very sturdy. The charging base for the Blackberry is also great at night I can drop the Blackberry in the charger and don't have to take it out of the case.

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Love the design and works very well. I have the extended battery and Seido case on my Tour and it fits perfectly in this charging cradle (sits lightly and easily in the cradle).

Highly recommended if you're looking for a quality desktop charging option for your Berry.

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The Multi-Media Desktop Charger will charge your battery and conveniently display your phone.

The LG Ally I have is WOEFULLY short of battery life: it runs down in partial day increments. The only way to fight this is to have a docking station that allows you to keep the charge and use it. This does a good job, and, as a bonus, can attach to your computer to backup those files that everything accumulates and which are more pricey than any repacement phone: numbers, addresses, and notes. I have one for the car (I take long trips weekly, and navigation wears down the battery fast) and one for the office. Really think about getting two.

I bought this for my LG Ally so I could dock it while working on my computer, and have a nice place to update it. Unfortunately, its dimensions do not have any give to allow for a case for the phone. I have a soft/hard plastic case and with it, the phone is too big to use the docking station. I honestly have been meaning to use this docking station, but because of the inconvenience of having to take the cover off, I just haven't really used it.

Bottom line: works great with LG Ally without a cover.

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Works well. I bought a second one for the office. Keeps my phone charged and use it for an alarm clock.

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I bought this in order to put on my nightstand for charging my phone at night. IF I didn't have a cover on my phone it would have worked just fine BUT because I do it now won't fit. I'm not going to take the cover off every time I want to use the stand so it goes into the pile of this could have been a good idea. That is why I only gave it 4 stars. So many people these days do put covers on their phones and I think that should be taken into consideration by the manufacturer. They would have only had to make it just a bit bigger to accommodate the phone with a cover.

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Verizon OEM Original Power Car Charger for LG Chocolate VX8500

Works fine. Previously I bought a generic car charger for another phone it didn't work, was missing a special chip. This one works fine, and seems to be OEM.

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BikeMaster ChargeMaster 365TD - --

I recently purchased a Moto Guzzi California. The dealer installed a pig tail for easy recharging, without removing the seat. He recommended a charger. After a bit of on-line research, I focused on the Bikemaster Chargemaster. It has extra cables, just in case, and it worked first time, every time. My Guzzi is happy, I'm happy, and my battery is always charged and ready. Great product, good service....

Works Great I hooked it up and everything is working great, the lines that hook to the batt. are fused. would buy again!

easy to use and setup.

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This bikemaster product is a very slick piece of gadget. It worked exactly as specified and took me

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2nd Generation Audio FM Transmitter and Car Vehicle Charger for the HTC EVO 4G - Uses Gomadic TipEx

• Transmitters emit a powerful FM signal that is the maximum allowed by FCC regulation. Advanced signal isolation provides crystal clear sound quality.
• Smart technology circuit architecture provides precision voltage and resistor regulation specific to the HTC EVO 4G. Protects the internal battery longevity by modulating the charge in a safe and efficient manner.
• Full FM frequency spectrum is available and is user selectable in 0.1MHz increments from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz. Advanced Digital PLL sound coding maintains stable and high quality sound.
• Sophisticated power protection mechanisms keep your EVO 4G safe from power surges, overcharging and short-circuiting.
• Product is designed to last and is backed by our Gomadic Lifetime Warranty. Buy with confidence!

This is a return review. I have used this charger/fm transmitter for my htc evo for five months. It served its purpose for the five months. however, it is not working and not charging now, i just wanted to mention that to users

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i got this product because it doesn't take batteries. it works just fine. there is one problem. if the device and my stereo are on i can here a low ticking noise. not noticeable with music on though.

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I have had this product for some time now and it still works as expected. No complains so far. I would recommend.

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it's been a year since I had this and it still works well and still love it, also got 1 for my wife and she loves hers

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Exactly what I was looking for. My truck doesn't have a MP3 jack to listen to my music on my phone. Love this product!

VELLEMAN K7300 UNIVERSAL BATTERY CHARGER/DISCHARGER KIT

Bottom Line: Skip it and buy a far superior ready-made "smart charger" for half the price.

First, the charger is good for single cell NiCad batteries, because it will discharge the battery before charging, thereby overcoming the memory effect. (NiCads tend to develop reduced capacity if they are recharged before being fully discharged repeatedly.) But for a battery (2 or more cells), doing this runs the risk of one cell discharging a little before the others, in which case their discharge ends up reverse charging the early discharger, which ruins the cell and hence drops the battery voltage (by 1.2 volts for every dead cell). So this function is of limited value, applying only to single-cell NiCad batteries.

But there isn't much call for NiCad single cells anymore; they have given way to NiMH cells, which are superior for nearly all applications (and are much kinder as well) to the environment, as they don't spread toxic cadmium when tossed in the trash). Moreover, NiMH cells don't have the memory effect problem, and in fact unnecessary discharge tends to shorten their life. Only a few stores still carry NiCad cells.

So is the charger good for NiMH cells? Alas, it lacks the sophistication of off-the-shelf "smart chargers" that sell for half the price, often with 2 or 4 of the newer pre-charged NiMH cells. (The older NIMH cells self-discharged at a rate of about 1% a day, which meant that even if they topped them off at the factory, there was a good chance they would be dead by the time they ended up in your radio at home. The new ones don't have this problem.)

What is special about the smart chargers is they use a microprocessor and sensors that monitor the battery temperature and voltage in order to avoid overcharging them. Charging too fast and too long are (after letting them discharge completely), the major causes of early loss of cell capacity. The program looks for the "reverse delta" in the cell voltage (after steadily rising while charging, it briefly drops back a wee bit), which is the endpoint for healthy charging. They generally monitor the charging time as well, shutting down even without the reverse delta if it goes on too long.

The Velleman unit does use a timer, but it is the only method of stopping the charge. It is better than nothing, but cannot take into account the amount of charge actually needed; it's like going to the gas station to fill up your tank, and pumping gas for 4 minutes and 32 seconds because that's the average time it takes to fill a tank. You are likely to end up with gas on the ground or with a tank that is empty again too soon. One more thing: if the power to the charger is interrupted, the timer starts all over again.

SiriusXM SXi1 Lynx Wi-Fi Enabled Portable Radio Kit

• Listen to SiriusXM Internet Radio anywhere there's Wi-Fi Or enjoy the coast to coast coverage of Satellite Radio using accessory home and vehicle docking kits
• Enjoy new SiriusXM Xtra Channels-20+ channels of additional music, sports, entertainment and SiriusXM Latino, a collection of 12 Spanish language channels
• Pause, rewind and replay what you're listening to on live SiriusXM Satellite and Internet Radio, using the Replay feature
• Easily access every powerful, flexible feature using the high-definition, touch-screen display
• Using the new Spectrum Tuning mode, you can quickly tune to any channel

Update to original. After working with a very nice person at Sirius I am beginning to like the unit. They have fixed most of the software bugs and it is very dependable. Boot up is much faster and only takes about 30 seconds at most to here music. I wish there was a way to keep the power running while you are stopping and starting, that way it would work like a real radio.

My faith has been restored in Sirius, mainly from the person who has been working with me. Great customer service.

First the Good. It is small and can fit in your pocket

The battery seems good and plays for hours

Screen is nice and easy to read and use

Like the ability to store favorite stations.

Like storing your songs on it also so you can use it as a MP3 player.

Now the bad

The only way you can listen to Live stations is either

A have it docked in your car or home

B Through your home network but then only through the speakers of the Lynx or through headphones.

Having to use the dock is somewhat annoying.

I bought a car kit for $69.00 which is a jip for what you get.

the car kit comes with a antenna (Which if you have an old system your antenna will work with this which was nice seeing I didn't have to run it through my car again.

A power DC cord for a cigarette lighter. The plugin to the car kit is completely different than on the base of the unit which doesn't make any sense.

I have a Taurus with the sync system and this radio will not work with it at. Bluetooth, Nope, USB line in Nada, doesn't even charge the unit for whatever reason. I am hoping that there will be a software update to correct this in the future.

The vent clips are average at best. I like the suction cup window mount on my old star-mate much better. If you touch the unit the wrong way the clips fall off and it drops to the floor.

The option tape or screw mount is useless seeing that you have to install it with 4 screws to the back of the unit. so if you want to move it from one car to another you have to disassemble the thing which is pointless. It would have been nice to get another mount and then transfer from one car to another rather than buying another $69 car kit.

I now jut sit it on the console of each car that I have and run the music stream through my line in Aux port on my radios. Thank god I have it. Using a cassette adapter is terrible sound.

I decided to not get a home kit and I paid the extra money for Internet access through my wireless network. I have an I PAD and their app works great going through my home stereo system. I also had an star-mate boombox which will work with this lynx through the Aux port. The downside is the Bluetooth range. It sucks. Maybe 10 feet at best. My I pad, I phone, and Kindle fire all work on my backyard porch of my home but the Lynx loses the signal long before I get to my Kitchen. Not sure why they lowered the signal strength of Bluetooth.

It takes at least 2-3 minutes to boot the unit up so if you are making start and stops during the day you spend a lot of time with dead signals. They need the ability to leave the power on when you turn your car off or if you can set your power plug to on always.

About half the time it doesn't boot up properly and it just sits there with the Sirius screen. You have to open it up, pull the battery and restart it which is a pain. Again I am hoping for a software solution in the future.

In order to get your own music on the lynx the easiest way is to open up WMP and it will recognize the unit and you can sync it. The downside is for play lists it uses MU4 playlist which is not supported by WMP, only apple so you have to then go to I tunes and save your playlist on your desktop and then copy it the lynx. What a pain. Why can't these technology companies get along.

Bottom line I am going to keep the unit because I am committed but I really like my old star mate better.

The old rule holds true on this unit. Never buy the first new product until they work all the bugs out. If you are not tech savvy you will be frustrated with this unit.

Buy SiriusXM SXi1 Lynx Wi-Fi Enabled Portable Radio Kit Now

I bought a SiriusXM Lynx radio right when it came out. It sounded like a device that would finally be everything I had hoped from satellite radio. While this is a very good radio, it has several shortcomings that just leave you scratching your head.

THE GOOD:

The screen. Text is crisp and clear. The menus are easy to read. Buttons are large enough to press easily.

The device gets all channels that SiriusXM has to offer on both satellite and internet.

The last firmware update included a basic web browser.

It varies depending on your mode, but a DVR of some sort is available on both satellite and internet modes.

THE CONFUSING AND BAD:

The differences between satellite mode and internet mode are downright confusing. Your presets are shared between satellite mode and internet mode. However, SiriusXM sometimes has different channel numbers. Example: during the holiday season, Christmas music is found on the "Holly" channel. On satellite, that's channel 17. On internet, that's channel 756. I need two presets for one channel. It works, it's just confusing.

The device is capable of recording channels and has DVR functionality. But only in satellite mode. And you can't set the time to record. That's fine for recording music channels. I don't care if it records some music for me at 2pm or 2am. But say I want to record Opie & Anthony's morning show each day so I can listen later on? I can't do that. However, SiriusXM offers a lot of programs on demand in internet mode. So while I can't record the show myself, I can stream it later. It works, it's just confusing.

Although system updates have made it better, the device is downright sluggish at times. It reminds me of an old Windows computer. After using it long enough, it just needs to be formatted and reset. I've had to do that twice. Granted all I'm really losing are my presets so it's not a terrible loss. But at the same time, there's no reason I should have to do this on a radio.

I own the home dock. When the device is docked, I can listen to both satellite and internet streams. The radio communicates with the dock through Bluetooth. From there, I have a standard 3.5mm speaker cable plugged into a stereo. There have been a couple times that the Bluetooth just doesn't work. A reboot of the device later, it'll start working again. Confusing to most users who wouldn't understand why their music isn't working.

SiriusXM mentions that you can take the radio with you while it wireless communicates with the dock. "Sit on the couch and control your radio!" Yes this works. But only in internet mode. The radio must be docked for satellite mode.

Internet streaming allows you to replay any of the last 5 hours of most channels. This feature works very well and it's great to have. There's also a feature called TuneStart. We've all turned to a radio channel only to hear the end of a song we like. The Lynx will use that buffer and always start songs at the beginning. The bad side is this is a lot like Pandora or Spotify. You can only skip so many times an hour. So if you turn on a channel, rewind to 5 hours ago, and think you can skip over songs you don't like...think again. You only get so many skips per hour. A great feature that falls short.

Internet streaming costs an additional fee on top of your satellite radio subscription. To get the best of this radio, you must be subscribed to both.

When listening to music in satellite mode, you get a background picture for the channel but no album art. When listening in internet mode, you get album art, but no background picture. It's odd that the internet mode doesn't include both.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

In spite of its split identity crisis between satellite and internet mode, I like this radio. But I think its appeal is very limited. I wouldn't recommend this radio for somebody to put in their car. The wifi/internet features wouldn't be available and without that, the feature set is limited. You'd be better spending your money on a simpler radio.

The only audience that would get the full benefit out of this radio is a SiriusXM subscriber who plans to put this radio in the home dock on a desk or shelf where wifi is available. It can be confusing at times to navigate back and forth between satellite and internet mode. I wouldn't give this to somebody that isn't already experienced with electronics in general like my Mom. "Oh Mom, you're in internet mode where the channel you want is 756, not 17 which is satellite mode." She'd look back at me completely confused.

If you're able to look past all the odd issues and understand its quirks, it's not a bad radio. If you're paying for both satellite and internet, you get *every* channel that SiriusXM offers. I don't know of any other radios on the market at this time (December 2012) that can say that.

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I upgraded to the Lynx after my Stiletto 10 finally died. The device itself is nice, and it has some pretty cool features. I particularly like how it will attempt to start at the beginning of the song when you change to a new station. Of course one of the other perks is that it is one of the few radios that can get the extra channels (i.e. Tiesto's Club Life; might I add that I'm a bit annoyed with feeling forced into upgrading to access new content). The UI is also nicely done, but it feels a bit laggy at times. I find it hard to change stations while driving, and I'm often hitting the same button repeatedly because it can take a few seconds to respond.

My biggest complaint which may be more an issue with XM vs Sirius rather than the radio itself is that the sound quality is borderline unbearable. It sounds like a 32k internet stream. Percussion and "s" sounds in songs sound muffled and distorted. It's frustrating to say the least when you pay this kind of cash in addition to the monthly access charges. I'm hoping I can just ignore it since Sirius has seemingly stopped creating new radios. Speaking of which Sirius tried to sell me a USED (and quite dated) Stiletto 2 for $160ish, which is a complete ripoff but still tempting with the prospect of better sound quality. Maybe I'm too critical (my fiancee could not tell a difference), but try listening to a CD and then turn this bad boy on...

At the end of the day, if you're looking to upgrade this seems to be the best option in terms of being the latest and greatest. If you're a previous Sirius subscriber start listening to crap quality internet radio to prepare your ears for the disappointment they face.

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I ordered two units, one for my wife and one for my car. The first unit I opened was dead on arrival. It simply would not boot up. I returned it to Amazon. I used my wifes unit to try to install and it skips or cuts out even though there is a strong signal. It happens every 30 seconds or so, so if you are listening to jokes you miss the punch line. If you are listening to music it is simply very maddening! A major problem is that with XM or Sirius there is a charge every time you have them initialize a new radio even if the reason is because of a defective product. In my case my subscription is an annual one so it is $15 every time you switch radios.

My wife has a lifetime subscription. The problem there is that you can only change radios 3 times and each swap cost $75.00. After the third switch if the hardware fails your lifetime account is expired as you cannot switch to a fourth device [a gotcha I wasn't aware of when I paid the lifetime

charge as I would not have considered that policy 'lifetime'...]

Now I am past the 30-day point on one radio and both car installation kits. The other radio has been returned once and I am not sure Amazon will let me return it since I already returned the original unit. In other words I am out about $600 for the two units.

It is difficult for me to believe that two of the three units don't work, and I am reluctant to spend another $15 in XM fees to attempt to install the third unit. Hopefully, the manufacturer will see this review and contact me to make things right. If they do I will edit this post to let you know the problem was fixed.

As it stands now, I cannot recommend this unit to anyone!

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Let's start with the unit is retailing for $150 now, and I found a store that had a $50 rebate so it is $100 afterwards.

I did some research, especially reading on here, so I wanted to clear some things up with a recent purchase of the unit. (Late Dec. 2012)

1: It does take a while to boot-up "out of the box." Once you get to install the updates, it doesn't take that long at all. To do the updates, you just need a WiFi connection. Relax, you don't need to change your subscription to do the updates.

2: Battery life is pretty dang good. I'd have thought it'd die quickly. I have had it, between the car and the apartment, a few days before it finally died at work.

3: I have no idea what the overseas customer support has to do with the device. I called and it was up and running within 10 minutes while driving down the highway.

4: This unit is standalone, you have to purchase a home or vehicle dock to use the satellite option. Otherwise, with WiFi you can use it if you have the internet radio subscription.

I added the internet radio to test it out, and I'm VERY happy with the option. I'm streaming XM via my Android Phone, which you can do with the internet radio subscription, and it's working great!! The desktop version is inconsistent and was jumping back every 20 minutes. Weird, but the Lynx has no issues with WiFi play.

It's not hard to figure out how the two modes work; even the instructions explain it with pictures. Satellite = docking station, Internet = WiFi.

5: I'm not sure how the DVR feature works, other than it randomly records a minute or two of certain station. It's nice, but I'm use to not having that so it's fairly new to me.

6: The unit DOES have a built in speaker. This isn't a Bose speaker, but it does a great job considering.

I upgraded from a SkyFi2 and this is LIGHT YEARS ahead. Only feature I am missing is having the unit alert me when a preselected artist is playing. Other than that, I love this lil guy! It was a xmas gift, bought from a retail store, and I got the vehicle dock as well.

Not knowing how to use all the features is a lil intimidating, but I did read through the instructions and it's not very hard to use. If you are a longtime subscriber like myself you will LOVE this device. I just need to not let me dad play with it or he'll want one.

Progressive Dynamics PD9105V Lead Acid Battery Charge Wizard

This wizard works great and is absolutely easy to install provided you know how to use a small screwdriver and plug it in.

I love how it conditions my RV batteries and will help extend their live. I couldn't be happier with this product and my only complaint is that it should have been stock with my RV charger ;-)

Great product . . .does exactly what it says it will do. Saved the cost of purchasing a new (and more advanced) charger/converter. For the price, I can't understand why Progressive Dynamics does not just build it into their 9100 series chargres/converters. EASY to install . . . just remove 1 screw, plug it in, and replace the screw.

Buy Progressive Dynamics PD9105V Lead Acid Battery Charge Wizard Now

Like so many others, our 2004 motorhome came equipped with the "dumb" (set voltage) charging program built into their standard converter, which provides 12-volt DC current to the coach when plugged into shore power as well as charging for the house battery bank.

When I had to replace the house batteries recently I decided to go for Trojan T-105's, and wanted to provide a better charging profile to help them work better and last longer. Our camping experience to-date had not supported a need for an inverter (which typically come with an advanced multi-stage charging program), so I was curious about an alternative to just buying a new "smart" charger.

Progressive Dynamics offers this line of "Wizard" plug-ins as an after-market application to enhance the charging capability of their popular converters (why, for such a relatively small expense they don't just make it part of the OEM package, I have no idea...I guess the RV builders just prefer to trim the few extra bucks from their building costs). Plugging it into a port in the converter changes it from a single stage charger to a three stage, with a "float" mode and a "boost" and "desulfation" mode (the last kicks in for 15 minutes every 21 hours).

The charging profile does not exactly match Trojan's recommendations, but it's a lot closer than the stock converter. Hook-up is plug-and-play, but the plug is fairly large, so, like in my case, because I wanted to mount the Wizard inside the coach, I had to cut the plug off and then splice it back on to prevent having to drill overly large holes in my cabinetry (and the cord is only about 36" long). But with the device inside, I can monitor the tell-tale diode that blinks at different rates to let you know which mode the charger is using, and if I feel I need to manually change to a different charge rate, I can do that with the button on the face of the Wizard.

Again, not perfect, but a pretty convenient (albeit compromise) solution for a little bit of cost.

As a footnote, over the winter I left the motorhome at a campsite in Florida, where it sat plugged in but unattended for a couple of periods of 3 and 4 weeks at a stretch, and when I got back the batteries were fully charged and had not lost a measurable amount of water. That's not too bad, in my opinion.

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Keeps my two parallel connected batteries at full charge and ready. Works as described, results with faster battery charges and longer battery life. Can't beat that!

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This thing should be standard equipment! After losing too many deep cycle batteries in my RV and looking at replacing my charger, I saw that this was available as an add-on. This works great, I don't know why it wasn't standard equipment all along. Now my batteries go into a float mode on the built in charger. The float mode keeps the over-charging from happening which "boils" off the electrolyte and kills batteries.

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Schumacher SS-120A-PE 12 Amp Ship 'N' Shore Battery Charger

I purchased this for my trolling motor as my brother kept on me about getting a battery charger marine type. Anyway, it works just great and from my perspective, no second guessing, just simple hook it up and forget it! I now have the confidence that I am not overcharging, that I won't get stuck out in the middle of our lake with a drained battery and that my brother is now a happy fisherman as he comes up to the lake and uses MY pontoon and trolling motor which now always has a fully charged battery!!!! Hooray for simplicity and excellence in quality!

I ordered this charger thinking that with the Schumacher name it would last another 25 years like my old Schumacher charger. Nope. It charged one battery then died. I initiated a return with Amazon and got it replaced. Well the replacement charger would not even come on when I got it! Now I am sending 2 of these chargers back to Amazon and will look at another brand for my replacement charger. Wow how quality has changed when the items are made in Mexico instead of the USA where my old one was made. Says a lot about the shape of the country and the world in general.

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its slow and methodical.. when the green light comes on the battery is truly topped off to the brim. I have a sears fast charger that does the job quicker ,but the battery gets hot and doesnt seem to go as long on the trolling motor as when i use the schumacker. I have a feeling my battery will last more years using this one.

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I thought it was pricey but after using it for several weak batteries, I would not sell it for any amount. I reactivated a dead maintenance free battery that had not been used in over 5 years. Took 48 hours but it de-sulphated and revived at least one dead cell. Battery voltage is now 12.9 VDC and will operate the starter for a 15 hp generator engine. Battery envolved is a CP 12180 12volt 18 Amphour sealed lead acid.

I also use it on my trolling motor batteries and get a superior charge.

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I purchased this item to replace on older one that went bad. I really like this one better -awesome guages!

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Dc Car Power Adapter for Axion Lmd3428r Axn 6050 Axn 6072 Axn 6070a Axn 6075 Axn 6079 Axn 6090a Axn

• After market replacement car adapter
• save money on batteries
• 100% compatible to orginal manufacturer equipment

A year ago I purchased this item and clearly I was not good at figuring out technology and I ordered the wrong one. I sent a picture to this supplier of my broken power adapter and he immediatly sent me a new one in exchange. A year later when my power adapter to my other son's dvd player went I emailed him and he immediatly sent me the Amazon link to the product I needed. Shipments are super fast and he has amazing customer service!

Buy Dc Car Power Adapter for Axion Lmd3428r Axn 6050 Axn 6072 Axn 6070a Axn 6075 Axn 6079 Axn 6090a Axn Now

I had been shopping around for a replacement car adapter for my Axion dual screen protable DVD player. Many products that were more expensive said they were compatible; however, they did not work properly and had to be returned. Once I decided to search on-line for the adapter, the detailed description gave the exact item required for my model DVD player. I was able to order with confidence that I was getting the right adapter. My grandkids are once again watching cartoons as we travel.

Rapid Car Charger with IC Chip for Verizon LG VX8360

Product arrived ahead of promised time in excellent shape ready to use. Put in service immediately and its performance is above reproach.

The charger works but the phone displays a warning that the cable is not compatible with the phone. Not sure why the message comes up. It does charge the phone

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I was very pleased with the product initially, but as I've been using it, the charger head has started separating from the cord. It's still in one piece but must be handled very carefully.

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Insten CELL PHONE CAR CHARGER FOR MOTOROLA RAZOR RAZR V3

The product did exactly as promised and at a great price! Saved me from having to get a new phone sooner than i wanted to!

My husbands charger that he has had for almost 5 years quit working. I am glad I found this replacement. It works great.

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Cobra CJIC 250 300 Amp Portable Jump-Start/Air Compressor with A/C and D/C Power Outlets

Purchased this unit for our security program and have not been impressed. We only get one jumpstart out of it before it must be charged for 23 hours. If you need a jumpstarter, try a different unit.

Got this for a Christmas present and am extremely disappointed. Two days ago I charged the battery and it indicated fully charged. Today the battery is almost dead without it being used and storing it in a warm (approx 55 degree) location. Buy something else.

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This is by far the best car jumper I've ever used. We got it for our emergency preparedness and so that we wouldn't have to rely on other people to help us if we needed a jump. Worked great the first few times we used it but within the first year that we got it, it stopped holding a charge and is now completely worthless. I wish Cobra would do a recall on this product and refund us or give us unit that can actually hold a charge.

-Chad

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This unit may be a good jumpstarter, I did not use any of the functions other than the 12 volt power outlet because, upon finding that this until will only supply 8 amps continuous 12 volt power, I could not run the 12 volt cooler that I wanted this unit to power. This unit may be OK if you just need a little jumpstarter and any 12 volt appliances you want to run are less than 8 amps.

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I thought I would love this combo. I have a friend who has one. I probably would still like it if the air compressor end wouldn't have broken the first time I tried to use it. So now that part will never work. It is not a replacement part and Amazon.com will not let me return the Item for exchange or refund. If I had known this prior to ordering it I would have bought it elsewhere. I will never order something like this from Amazon.com again.

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Mazda MIATA Battery

I have a 92 Miata and the old Westco died after only 4 years of service. Since this battery is so much cheaper than Westco's now $133 pricetag for something that's made overseas, I figure I'd get this item which is reported to be the same exact unit as the old Westco made by EastPenn Deka with the exact same dimensions. Since mine was the first generation Miata with round vent tubes, the venting outlets should also fit perfectly.

I ordered the item straight from BatteryMart, which uses Google checkout. They also shipped out the package the same day they received my order in the morning. As I need the battery to start my car, it was much appreciated.

However, UPS delivery had a problem since the address was missing my apartment number. I called Batterymart since I was sure I entered the apartment number in the original order (shown in email confirmation), batterymart rep claimed that I would have to pay a $10 fee to correct this error, which I found outrageous (regardless of whose error, since it's really just a simple call to UPS to change the information).

After explaining and verifying that it was something amiss between Batterymart and Google Checkout that they used, the manager was able to "waive" the address-change fee. A bit cynical, I asked for a discount, which the manager named Anthony was nicely able to get (probably through Google) a day later by waiving my shipping charge.

Then the package finally arrived, even though it was delivered to the wrong building (again fault of UPS). The carton looked worryingly small, barely bigger than the battery. Opening it, the suspected problem unraveled: The package was padded by 1/2" of spacer at the top and two longer sides (not four), but the bottom was only padded by a single layer of thin corrugated board with a few crushed shipping foam peanuts. Two corners of the battery was thus damaged, obviously pushed in with creases in the plastic and outer box.

I called UPS to file a damage report, but also contacted BatteryMart via email. I think the damage is as much attributable to UPS as it may be to the woefully inadequate packaging. The battery had been tested to have the proper voltage and appeared functional, though I was not sure if these damages would have repercussions in the long term. I will update if I get a follow-up from the vendor (or not) on replacements or compensation.

Also notable is that the top of the battery doesn't really look like the one in the Amazon photo, which looks exactly the same as the old Deka/Westco battery. The one I received has a slightly different design, arguably looks a bit cheaper with plastic layers instead of an entire block with grooves as the hold-down bar guides; although it's a minor quibble. I also cannot verify from any of the markings that it is indeed made by East Penn (except the shared 81MU1R model number which is also shared with an Autozone wet cell miata battery among others, telling nothing of its true origins).

Nonetheless, it is an AGM as there are no watery slushing noises, or this sort of damage with the package obviously been rolled around would probably have caused a leak already. The hold down clamp in the Miata also fits perfectly over the plastic top pieces. The battery is the exact same size as the old Westco, fitting nicely into the battery tray as well, with some room left over (as Westco is a bit smaller than the original Panasonic AGMs).

I have searched various sources for the proper AGM battery, and most are either much more expensive, or have been replaced by Wet-cell types that are serviceable yet undesirable due to Miata's peculiar battery location in the trunk. It's a pity that if not for the damages, I would have declared this my new source of replacement Miata batteries.

8/20/10

Batterymart responded to my email, less than a day after I dispatched my request. A product specialist named Brad kindly offered to ship me a replacement at no cost, and noted that UPS will probably pick up the damaged package. He also instructed the shipping department to pay extra attention to packaging to avoid damages. I also received a UPS shipment notification, suggesting the package is going out today.

Initially I almost did not expect a reply, much less a positive one, due to the aggressive pricing of the battery itself and that "$10 address-change surcharge" incident. Therefore this level of painless customer service had taken me a bit by surprise. I hope this wraps up nicely, and will update once the replacement arrives.

8/24/10

The replacement battery arrived today. The package is almost 3 times as big as the original that got damaged, suggesting ample padding material. Opening it up, I had to chuckle: the battery was packed to make a point! There was at least 2" of thick corrugated boards protecting the top and bottom, and between 3" and 4" of similar padding by the four sides (see photo). I imagine even the most anal-retentive (e.g. yours truly) would be put at ease with this kind of packing. It would probably survive a drop from a UPS truck while moving!

Needless to say, the battery arrived in perfect condition and tested to be in expected working order. The customer service at Batterymart proved to be responsive and thorough, and promptly righted what could be a messy problem. It's probably a quality most valued from any online vendor, and I appreciated it.

Bought this to replace a 7 year old Mazda battery in my 96 Miata. Battery was the same size and poles are correct. The only minor issue is the Battery vents are round and smaller than the Mazda battery. I had to cut the square ends off of the vent hoses and they fit into the round holes on the Marathon replacement battery. Other than that was a quick replacement and has been working well.

Good replacemnet and cheaper than the dealer.

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According to a number of threads on Miata.net, as well as manufacturer data on other sites, the Marathon MAR-8AM-U1R battery is in fact an Absorption Glass Mat (AGM) battery, NOT a lead-acid type as stated in the description here on Amazon. This also appears to be the same unit sold elsewhere under the Deka brand name, item number 8AMU1R. In any case you can buy with confidence, this is the right battery for your Miata.

Read Best Reviews of Mazda MIATA Battery Here

BatteryMart replacement battery (made by Marathon Batery) was easy to install and took only about 10 minutes.

I cut the original two "rubber" vent tubes at the top of the round tubing where it met the rectangular section which fitted over the rectangular battery vent (I was replacing a Jhonson Control's battery).

The new battery (Marathon) had circular vent holes so the round "rubber" tubes fit perfectly over the battery's vents.

The new battery had the same terminal orientation as the old battery so the cables fit perfectly.

So for $101.95 (including shipping) and 10 minutes installation timeI was very satified with this purchase. The local Miata dealer had quoted me almost $200.00 for replacing the battery on my Miata.

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This battery is a great sub for the Gen 1 (Classic) Prius battery.

It costs less, has vents required for trunk mount and is jell cell.

Length and width are the same, height needs to be shimmed 2 inches.

I used pieces of pressure treated wood pickets for that.

The battery terminals need to be changed to standard auto terminals.

Less than 10 dollars at Auto zone.

A good deal

SOLAR BA5 100-1200 Cold Cranking Amps Electronic Battery Tester

I am a professional auto technician for a german auto dealer. I was looking for a battery tester to keep within reach to quickly test customer batteries during scheduled services. I was close to purchasing a $400 Snap On battery tester, but when held in hand felt very cheaply built in comparison to the price tag. I found this battery tester for a fraction of the price and decided to give it a try. The tester came as pictured, with an included orange silicone bumper cover around the device (edges). The quality of this product is great, the feel of the buttons and build is very nice. The unit is very small which is an added bonus, fits easily in any drawer of your tool box. Testing of batteries literally takes 1 second. And it tests DIN rating!! It is very accurate. Another great feature, the tester remembers the last options you chose (ex: type of battery tested, test rating CCA, DIN, etc). For the price this product is amazing. The LED read out display does have an orange plastic cover over it which can make it a little harder to read in sunlight. But, a razor blade can easily take care of this issue. ;) Two words: Do It!

It does seem to do the test I want, reserve capacity, which is harder to test than a basic load test or state of charge. A car battery can be fully charged, pass the load test, and still be old and sulfated enough to have very little reserve capacity.

One major verification I got was when I tested some smaller lead acid batteries I use in my uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The new battery passed with a reading of over 100 cranking amps. The bad ones showed a reading of about 5 amps, even though a voltmeter showed nearly 13v (full charge) on one of them. The 13v bad one passed the test that the UPS does when you turn it on (!), but it failed to keep a computer going at all when I cut the power to it. So this Solar tester beats the UPS's own test.

I'm also planning to use this to see if my desulfating battery charger can revive some old or junked car batteries.

**See Comments below for an update the Solar BA5 got "fooled" by a failed car battery with low capacity.

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I am a power supply technician for a local cable company and test up to 75 batteries a day. This unit makes my job much easier without having to lug a cumbersome load tester to all my units every day. The digital readout is easy to read and tests are quick. I recommend this to anyone who has any type batteries to test.

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We had a 3 year old battery die in the middle of the summer on one of our cars. The dealer warned me that the battery was weak when it was in for service. I assume they tested it with some kind of meter like this, so I started looking for a way to test the batteries in the other cars before winter. One of our foreign cars has a battery that is 5 years old that costs $320 installed, so I really wanted to avoid replacing it unless necessary.

I used the tester to check the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) on all of the cars. The new battery tested above the rated CCA and the most of the others were also close to the rated CCA. But the 5 year old foreign car battery tested at 50% of the rated CCA, so according to the meter, I SHOULD have replaced it. But I didn't, because the car needed new rotors and pads on all 4 wheels for around $1400, so the battery got put on hold.

So every cold morning, I go out and start it and hold my breath. The car with battery with 50% of the rated CCA has started with minimal cranking at temperatures down to 0 deg F, which is as cold as it gets around here. So I am a little suspect about the validity of this meter. I probably should replace a 5 year old battery, but I suspect this battery meter would have caused me to replace it earlier than I needed to. The problem is I don't know of any other place to have the battery tested that I really trust. Seems like they all want to sell you a battery. So the jury is still out on whether or not you can use this meter to decide if you should replace your battery.

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This digital battery analyzer is well made, easy to use and is impressive. I like it and the current price is very reasonable.

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Portable Solar Power USB Battery Charger for MP3 Phone Black

• Solar converts energy, compact and lightweight
• Compatible with iPhone, iPod most digital devices
• 0.5W Panel, 1250mAh battery
• USB cord included
• Battery type: Lithium-polymer

Purchased this product and followed the instructions, it takes 4 hours to charge and only charges my iphone 40%. The worst part is the solar powered part does not seem to even be powerful enough to charge the battery let alone my phone so its almost useless.

Blackberry 8310 Curve Car Charger / Vehicle Charger

First off, let me state that even if this was a subpar charger, the price would probably make it worth it.

Good thing that's not true then this charger is fantastic.

I don't really know what quantifies a great charger, but it hasn't blown up on me and my blackberry 8330 Curve has not died on me yet with this thing in my car.

Great buy, especially because it costs next-to-nothing.

Yep. You read it correctly, this item is real cheap, but, it's worth its weight in gold. It's actually a high quality item and I use it all the time. Same item costs $28,88 at AT&T which goes to show you how much profit is made. Don't miss this deal.

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You cannot beat the price for this item. Quick shipping and a wonderful all around deal.

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I've bought this a couple of months ago. So far, so good. No complaints and the price is ridiculously low!

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Bought this for my girlfriends car.....the plastic around the tip shattered the very first time she used it. You get what you pay for. This has a low price and an even lower quality.

Keisound Bluetooth 3.0 Hands Free Car Kit for Apple iPhone,Android Smart Phone(A2DP) DSP Echo Noice

• Latest bluetooth 3.0 + EDR Class II technology and advanced DSP echo and noise cancelling technolgy
• Compatible with any Bluetooth smartphone, all iPhone, Android smart phone
• Multi-point which means you can connect 2 cell phones at once and it automatically remembers the last 8 devices paired.
• Compatible with Nokia BL-5B style battery, UP to 40days standby, 16hours talking time
• Freely switch between the Hand Free Car Kit and your Cell Phone by pressing MUTE button

I sent it as a gift for a friend that calls me on his way to and from work to pass the time, he was under the impression that you had to pay a fortune to get one of these that works well. He is happy as a clam with this one now, so am I cause I don't have to worry about him getting a ticket. He is happy and I hear him quite well.

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Seems to work as advertised. Especially liked the voice notifications. The clip could be a little larger for some visors. The battery compartment lid is loose and tends to fall off.

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It Works will sound Great And clear Voice At both Ends Last Me All Day just turn It on And Away I Goo

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I have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about. This Bluetooth device is a piece of junk. The device turns off after a few minutes, so if someone calls you after a few minutes, the device is no longer active. You could leave it plugged in, but the cable that comes with the device is about 6 inches long. Sound quality is horrible and the voice recognition works 1/10 times. I will try another hands free set and hopefully it works better than this.

TomTom START 45TM 4.3-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and Roadside Assistance

• 4.3-Inch Touchscreen
• Lifetime Traffic and Map Updates - Outsmart traffic and road changes
• Fuel Prices - Find the lowest gas by location and price
• TomTom Roadside Assistance - Reliable roadside assistance you can trust 24/7
• Advanced Lane Guidance - highlights the correct lane

I am very familiar with GPS units, though most of my experience with them is with hand-held sport units. I gave my wife a Garmin Nuvi for Christmas and it has been a great navigator so I was excited to work with the TomTom and compare it to the Nuvi. So far, while I cannot say one is better than the other, they are both different in the features they provide and they both navigate well. I do prefer the TomTom though that is a matter of personal preference at this stage.

The TomTom Start is a very solid unit and feels very well made. I am very pleased with the construction of the TomTom. It is built to handle a little jostling and a few bumps though I would make very effort not to drop it regardless. One thing I do not like, though, is the mounting cup. Yes, it does hold the TomTom in place very well and it is unlikely that it will "let go", but it is a little awkward to attach to the glass and the swivel is very stiff. Also, while trying to adjust the angle the mounting cup popped right off the TomTom and I had to reattach it.

Though I am no fan of the mounting cup, it does remove easily and this particular TomTom is no too big to fit in a third-party window mount. I have such a mount so I can work with that and be happy.

On power-on the TomTom comes up very quickly and is ready to go, a lot faster than I expected as the Nuvi is a little slower at acquiring satellites before it's ready.

The menu system on the TomTom is very simple and easy to use. The large, colorful touch buttons on the screen make finding the desired function straightforward. The first screen offered (after the welcome screen) gives just two choices: Plan Route and Browse Map. I especially like the Browse Map feature when in an unfamiliar area it quickly shows proximity to gas stations, restaurants and other point of interest (which is very configurable). However, the points of interest list is not necessarily complete there are at least two chain restaurants within a mile of the house that do not show at all on the browse map.

When not actually navigating, most of the time a user will spend is with the Plan Route function. There are a lot of options here. There is a selection for navigating Home, regardless of where you are, and since entering your home location is part of the start-up process this feature is at the ready almost immediately. Entering an address is likely going to be the normal method of selecting an endpoint, though there are other choices such as navigating to points of interest, a point on the map or even a latitude/longitude location. There is even the functionality to save a location in a Favorites list.

There are six choices for voices, though only three speak the street names and of those, only one is in English (one of the others is Canadian French and the other is Latin-American Spanish). If you don't care about street names and you speak English you have choices. If you do care but do not like the built-in voices then you can go online and get more though there are associated fees.

I ran into some difficulty when I attached my TomTom to my computer, a Windows 7-based laptop. After messing with it I finally connected it to a 32-bit Vista machine and had no issues at all. I am not sure why it fought me on the Windows 7 machine but I am relatively sure that it has to do with my configuration, not the TomTom itself. (UPDATE: It was definitely on the Windows 7 side as I have had similar issues with other devices.)

Getting updates is easy. Once connected, TomTom Home (the application that interfaces to the TomTom) goes out and finds the updates, then with a minimum of interaction takes care of making said updates. Updating the map takes a while, which should be a given.

So, all this is great, but how does it navigate?

Voice aside, the navigation is good. The TomTom does a fine job of getting you from point A to point B using the conditions you stipulate: fastest route, shortest route, no highways, etc. The screen is acceptable in size to allow clear viewing of the map and the voice augments the visuals. I have not yet used it in the car to go to work; I am eager to see if it selects a better route for me than the one I have been using for the last 2-3 years.

The Tom Tom Start is my first exposure to TomTom's line of navigators and so far I am pleased with it. It's a little different than my wife's Garmin Nuvi, in ways I like. It's perfectly fine for navigation and finding points of interest, and the map updates on this model make this a device I will use for a long, long time.

UPDATE 03/20/2013: I recently had a good reason to use my TomTom in North Carolina a family gathering in a neighboring town that was 10-12 miles away from the starting point. I was not at all familiar with the area so this would be a good test. All had printed directions, but we chose to allow the TomTom to take us there instead. The result was that we arrived sooner than others that left before us; we were guided on a very straightforward path that seemed more logical than the printed route (which came with a map). Going home that night, we again configured the TomTom to take us on the fastest route and it did so without a hitch we knew that route very well already and the directions we were given were spot on.

And, I did use it to track to work to see if I could improve my route. With the exception of the first couple of miles (my commute is roughly 65 miles one-way), the route lined up almost exactly with the route I have been taking for years.

My opinion of the TomTom remains unchanged. It's a good navigator at a good price point and it has served me very well. My experience with TomTom has been very positive and I would not hesitate to recommend one.

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This is a pretty good GPS unit, there are some things to be aware of.

First, the positives:

The unit feels sturdy which I like. It's also quite simple to use and the interface is easy to understand and it has a large easy to read screen (larger than smartphones). It also comes with free lifetime traffic alerts and map updates as well as user-generated map updates.

It tells you the speed limit as well as recommended lane to be in in many circumstances.

There are TONS of voices you can download via the TomTom app on your computer however many of them cost $12.95. There are many free user-submitted ones however not many of them are good. Also, only the built-in computer voice can speak street names (although your next turn does display on the screen with the name of the street). The downloaded character voices (which include characters such as Homer or Marge Simpson, Yoda, Darth Vader, etc) will not speak the street names and only tell you things like "prepare to turn right in 200 yards". This makes sense if you think about it because it would not be possible for TomTom to synthesize each voice actors voice such that it could pronounce all the street names. They are only able to record a limited number of directions.

The built-in suction cup mount works quite well and is a nice design that seems to stick to the windshield quite well though I'm not sure how long it will hold up over time.

Now the negatives:

-If you are on a Mac, the TomTom software that comes preloaded on this unit does not work under OSX Lion (the current OS). Further, it took me a very long time to locate where on the TomTom website I could download the latest sync application. I finally found it, but using their website to locate it was almost like pulling teeth! I ended up doing a search on their homepage for the word 'Home' and was able to get the download link there.

-The gas station fuel prices service is only free for one year, then it turns into a paid service. But I could not for the life of me figure out how to get this feature to work. Even after downloading and installing it I could not find it on the unit whatsoever.

-There is only one included voice that can read the street names. TomTom should include several different voices that can read the street names so we can have more options.

-The downloaded voices seem much quieter in volume than the built-in voices.

-It comes with no case nor even a cloth bag! How am I supposed to store this when I'm not using it? The answer is you have to buy a separate case/bag for it or just store it loose, as is. It really should come with a case or at the very least, a cloth bag.

-The roadside assistance costs anywhere from $30. and up each time you use it. It may be okay for emergencies but if you already have an AAA card or equivalent that you pay annually for, you would be better off using that since that does not charge you per incident. This is not made clear in the product description nor on the TomTom website.

In all this is a good unit in this price range but if you have an iPhone you could purchase a software GPS app instead which maybe likely be fairly equivalent. You could even use a free GPS app such as Waze.

The competition with smartphone GPS apps is increasing and dedicated GPS units are going to have to be a lot more competitive in terms of included features and usability to remain relevant.

Read Best Reviews of TomTom START 45TM 4.3-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and Roadside Assistance Here

Latest Update:

Finally got my RMA and replacement after 5 weeks

**********************

Update:

Audio completely died after two weeks. Spent twenty minutes on the phone with a Tom Tom CS and determined that it was hardware failure. I received an email that they are processing it. after three weeks, despite sending follow up emails to Tom Tom, the issue is still hanging..

***********************

This is my fourth GPS unit, the other three are Garmins which are still working except two have outdated maps. Only one of my old GPS has a lifetime maps updates. This is my first Tom Tom and one of the first things I needed to do is get used to the interface. I still miss the physical volume knob control on my two oldest Garmins. This unit and my newer Garmin require you to go through the touch screen to adjust the volume, not very convenient when you are on the wheel.

My first task is to make sure it has an updated map. I plugged the USB (by the way it came with a USB cable, car adapter and dash/windshield mount) to the back of my iMac with Lion OS. It seemed to start the process but stalled. I then went to Tom Tom website and downloaded their software for Mac. This time it worked. Just make sure to set your computer not to sleep or it will result into an error. You will need to register first with your email and create a password. At first it looks like you would need to pay for the update, but click the PromoCode button and enter the code number from one of the insert papers that came with the unit. It was an hour download.

The quickest way to download the software is to type "Home" in their search button. The Top 5 questions and Answers will show no. 1 as "How to install HOME", click that and you will be given choices for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac. For Lion you would need TomTom HOME 2.8.2

I bought one celebrity voice as I like a little fun when on long drives. One thing I noticed is that it cost more than my Garmin when I bought Dora and SpongeBob (that was three years ago though, price may have changed). I chose Homer for $12.95 and installation is quite easy. One caveat, Homer is stupid and doesn't know the names of the streets, he just tells you to, "Turn right ahead!" But it is not Homer alone, most celebrity voices are like that. If you want the name of the streets to be announced, there are three built-in voices that do that, but only one in the English language. The other two are Soledad (Spanish) and Charlotte (French-Canadian). You also have the choice between male and female voices.

Pros:

+ Fast satellite connection on boot

+ You can select to put the current time on the screen so you can have comparison with the arrival time. The difference (time left before arrival) is also displayed.

+ It tells you the speed limit on the road where you are. The part of the screen that tells you the speed turns RED to warn you if you are over the speed limit. It happens when you reached 5 miles over the limit. Just watch out for roads under construction where the speed limit is lower than the regular speed limit.

+ When you are about to turn, it will show you the number of lanes at the bottom-middle of the screen. Some are grayed out and one (or a few) in white. It tells you to take the lanes that are shown in white.

+ Lifetime maps and traffic

+ The price is right.

Cons:

No physical volume control

The gas feature is only free for the first year

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I have had a Garmin for nearly 6 years. I decided to try this Tom-Tom because it was available on the Vine and I was looking for a lifetime map and traffic GPS device. After a couple of weeks, I can say that it is quite underwhelming.

The first trip was to a State Park and we ended up on some dirt road miles from the Park roads. I then switched to the Garmin and it immediately redirected me from my current dirt road position to the front entrance of the park.

The second trip was from the South suburbs of Pittsburgh to my home in the East Surburbs. On this trip it never got settled and was forever directing me to turn into the Monongahela River. This was taking an Interstate highway the whole way. I'm not sure what screwed it up, but it never got on track.

The third trip was from the Eastern hinterlands to the near the airport. The timing immediately told me that I would arrive at 11:37am. I looked at the route and didn't like it, so I drove my own route. After 10 minutes of driving with the GPS constantly trying to re-route me to the original route, we got to a point where the device said I was going to arrive at 11:50am. Then suddenly we arrived at the PA Turnpike entrance and the route changed to my own route and the time of arrival changed to 11:27am. This was after driving 10 minutes in the "supposedly" wrong direction.

The fourth trip was from a park to my house. I programmed the Garmin and the Tom Tom and both gave the exact same routes, but the Tom Tom said that it would take an additional 8 minutes than the Garmin. The Tom Tom then kept changing slowly until it finally matched the Garmin's time of arrival. The original time of the Garmin was correct.

The fifth trip was of short distance into a crowded area of shopping centers. It was good until the near the end of the trip and then it sent me in the wrong direction and even after the building that I wanted was on my left, the GPS was still giving me directions to another road that would take me around in a circle and back to where I currently was.

So my analysis is this: Tom Tom has bugs in their routing formulae. Its time calculations are also not consistent. The voice is excellent and the directions are stated in a very clear and organized manner. The driver is warned well in advance of the upcoming turns. However, it seems to get lost easily without warning.

I'm somewhat torn as some of this might be corrected with a software upgrade or map upgrade. I'll re-post in a couple of months with an update on this device. Right now, I'll take the 6 year old Garmin without upgraded maps over this Tom Tom. I rated it a 2.5 and graded up because I like some of the way it was designed.

UPDATE: After continued use, I now only use this device for grins. It hasn't selected the correct (fastest) route around Pittsburgh in another 5 outings. It is outrageous how poor the mapping software is in this product.

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If you buy this, when you TRY and download TOMTOM Home, which is needed to update your device and use all of those FREE lifetime maps you just bought, you may get an error 1152 when trying to download their file. If you do, your done. TOMTOM has no clue what to do and nothing I found on the internet helped. There are plenty of questions about it but NO useful answers. Believe me, I tried them all.

Also, I have a TOMTOM that is about 6 years old. When using that device, my HOME is perfect on the device. Now I program HOME and it tells me I have to drive another 1/4 mile up the street to be home. Good thing I know where I live. Garmin, was no better. I guess I'll try a Magellen.

Magellan Meridian External Power Cable with Cigarette Lighter Adapter

• Use with the Meridian family of GPS devices
• Power your GPS through your car cigarette lighter
• Navigate with your Meridian GPS without worrying about failing batteries
• For use in your car, boat, or truck

This power adapter does the job. It's neat because it can handle a wide range of voltage inputs. It has a small in-line power box that adjusts the input to fit the needs of the Meridian. The problem I had is that I bought it before realizing the power and the computer connection both use the same strange I/O connector. So if you use this adapter, you can't connect to your laptop. The solution is to buy the more expensive dual cable version that has both battery cord and serial cable attached.

-P-

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I bought this with a Magellan sportrak pro GPS unit. I already knew about the connector being shared with the data port, but since I don't have a laptop, I didn't want to waste the extra money to get the dual cable.

This item does exactly what it is supposed to. It works great on long drives when I don't have to worry about draining the batteries down to a point where I can't use the GPS unit at the destination. Attaching and detaching the connector using the D-rings is a little more involved than something that can just be plugged into the GPS, but obviously, making the GPS submersible involved compromises like this. I can live with that.

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I'm also a Geocacher, and I have to say this is a great product! I've been wasting money on rechargable batteries, but now I don't even have to worry about batteries at all. Good for long trips, too; because you don't even have to have batteries at all. A must-have for anyone owning a Meridian GPSr!

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The den of horrors that is the Magellan car bracket requires you to have this power cord. If you don't then you will be fighting to change batteries and remount your GPS and that is no fun at all.

I have used mine for over six months and it works without a hitch. A nice improvement would be a retractable cord facility so that you don't have excess cordage lying around your dashboard. Right now I loop the excess around the steering wheel but then again I never change the adjustment on the steering wheel so no problem with the wire getting caught up in the adjusting mechanism. Others may run into this problem. The alternative is a shorter wire but then it would make the power unit useless for some vehicles. A minor hitch but not earthshaking.

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A God send for me! Thank goodness I bought this before I almost got lost in the ocean in the fog. (Without AA batteries!!)

A totally necessary purchase for anyone who boats at night in unfamiliar territory. Easy to attach to unit and works great!