Showing posts with label smart battery chargers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smart battery chargers. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2014

OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon LG Spectrum Revolution 2 VS

OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon LG Spectrum Revolution 2 VS920 - Cell PhoneThe charger sent was for older phones with smaller batteries. It might work as others have said but it requires comparison. The original charger is 4.8 volts at 1 amp and this is 5 volts at 0.7 amp so this charger is likely to fail sooner.

I was having a hard time finding an actual LG car charger for my new phone and this is exactly what I needed! Great price too!

Buy OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon LG Spectrum Revolution 2 VS Now

I bought it because it was cheap. I bought several in case they broke easily. They were well liked so much that they disappeared. Guess I will have to buy more!!

Read Best Reviews of OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon LG Spectrum Revolution 2 VS Here

Sunday, September 21, 2014

SKQUE Rapid Home Travel Charger + Car Adapter + USD Data Cable For Motorola i890

SKQUE Rapid Home Travel Charger + Car Adapter + USD Data Cable For Motorola i890Car charger loose. Not impressed with this package what so ever. Would not order or recommend this to future customers.

Ordered this package 3-4 days ago and it's here already. High end cell phone connector(s) and charger. Just what I need to complete my set! Thank you for a superior product and your PROMPT service. A satisfied customer

Buy SKQUE Rapid Home Travel Charger + Car Adapter + USD Data Cable For Motorola i890 Now

All three charger components are of great quality and for the price this is an even better deal. Shipping was cheap and arrived timely as well. Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of SKQUE Rapid Home Travel Charger + Car Adapter + USD Data Cable For Motorola i890 Here

Saturday, September 20, 2014

PowerDuo Reserve

PowerDuo Reserve
  • The industry's most trusted AC and 12 volt chargers
  • Charges iPhone, iPod, MP3 players, other USB-chargeable devices
  • Removable backup battery provides hours of additional use for iPhone and iPod
  • Battery is interchangeable between PowerJolt Reserve and PowerBlock Reserve chargers (chargers and Reserve battery packs are also sold separately)

The good: The battery is small and light. The less then optimal: The battery pack does not provide much extra power. Reviews for this product (on Amazon and elsewhere) report it provides about 70-75% additional battery life. In 2 uses of this with my iPhone 4S, it only provided 15%-20% increase in battery power. The 15% was after the battery pack had sat about a week after being charged. The 20% was after the battery pack had been just removed from the charger and said it was fully charged. While I like Griffin products and generally find them to be of better than average quality, I think this product is a bit too expensive for the additional power it provides.

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Ok, I got this for our 4 hour flight and it came in handy when my daughter had 7 percent battery life and when she used this it gave her 37 percent more. Works fast and keeps it's charge even if it's not plugged in for a couple days.

Read Best Reviews of PowerDuo Reserve Here

This is the second griffin charger I have purchased. The first one was for my teenage daughter, who loves this device and carries it with her wherever her phone goes. The second was for my wife, who like my daughter, would find herself in an awkward place with a phone about to die. The backup battery charges from the car charger and is fairly small so it fits in a pocket or purse easily. It provides about a 40% charge, so don't expect a full charge. The 40% charge gives them both about 2 hours of phone service, so so far it fits the need very well without being bulky. Now my grown son wants one.

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Have this product for over one year and liked it enough to send it as a gift for a friend!

This battery has been charged for hours and only provided me with 20% boost. Seems useful for trips and plus it comes with wall and car charger. Didn't pay much for it but $29.99 seems overpriced for me.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Xantrex PH-1800-GFP PowerHub

Xantrex PH-1800-GFP PowerHubI purchased this unit a little over three years ago. I have been using it for back up power, just keeping it plugged in, to keep the batteries charged. I had had no problems. About one month ago I hooked up two 135 watt solar panels to the unit. I was hoping to go partly "off grid" in my home. All was working fine, batteries were charging nicely. Before I could hook up any AC load to the unit it started to flash an error code E3. That means to much AC load. The problem was and is, I had not run anything off it yet. I called Xantrex. They told me that it is a common problem with these units after 3 to 4 years and that it can not be repaired. It had a two year warranty. Here is what they sent me via e-mail:

Dear Sir,

Unfortunately the unit is not repairable .We do have Loyal customer

program

which means 30% off from the List price ($999.99 ) so means $699.99

plus

shipping and tax .

If you are interested please give us a call .

Thank you

Best Regards

I paid 483.61 plus 39.00 shipping for my unit new. You can see there Loyal customer program is not much of a deal. I realize that the warranty had expired and I was willing to pay a fair price for repair. That is not an option with this unit. Had I known this unit would stop working correctly and not be able to be repaired I would have never bought it. I have since contacted Xantrex again requesting a full refund, they have not responded. I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau regarding this matter.

5/10/12

Here is an update.

Bad new....bottom line should anything happen to this item, it can not be repaired.

Good new....Since my last review the problem I had with this item seemed to fix itself. It has been running well for the past few months

Bottom line. I had given this item only one star before, because it appeared to be unable to fix and not working correctly. I changed my review to three stars now because it seems to be working well, but I know that when it breaks game over.

I'm not sure where the previous reviewer ran into a problem? I bought one of these Powerhubs from Amazon two years ago for our "off grid" cabin. I also purchased: 3x60 watt solar panels from a local supplier ($400); 2x100 amp-hour deep cycle batteries from Canadian Tire which are designed for this system ($400 on sale); 100 ft. of #10 wire ($100); a couple of 12" #4 jumper cables and a 20 amp charge controller ($75). The panels were installed on our roof. The wire from the panels was run down an old conduit standpipe to the basement and up through the floor to the Xantrex PH-1800 box. The included manual was very detailed and illustrated all the connection steps. There is also a very nice installation video at this site

The system has been up and running and powering all our table and floor lights for two years without a hitch. We keep at least 4x13 watt compact fluorescent lights on most evenings for 4 hours or more and a laptop or two and a small stereo system. No TV but what would a TV be doing at someone's cabin anyway? We've never come close to running the batteries below 80% charge and the batteries are normally recharged up to capacity before noon every day. I'm hoping to add a 400 watt wind turbine next spring which should just plug into the unit with one connection, along with two more batteries that fit into an add-on battery box made specifically for the main box. I can't imagine a simpler and more elegant solution and at a final cost of less than $1800 for everything. This really is a "plug'n'play" solar solution for small off-grid situations.

Buy Xantrex PH-1800-GFP PowerHub Now

It will not run a lot of wattage very long. But if your power go off in the middle of the night, it will let you run a few things until you get up in the morning and crank up a generator. I am pleased with it.

Read Best Reviews of Xantrex PH-1800-GFP PowerHub Here

I bought the Xantrex Powerhub 1800. It worked, mostly, for a year. Then it started to give me E03 errors (overloaded circuit) even when there was no load. I called Xantrex, they said that they can not fix it, and that they have no qualified service technicians within 300 miles of Chicago, IL. From a previous review it seems like this is a common problem. It's junk (literally, I just threw it out). Don't buy this product.

Xantrex PH-1800-GFP PowerHub

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Delivered on time, easy to set up, worked great, provides emergency power; it is both sophisticated and simple. Well documented installation and operators manual. I had a friend come by and help me hook it up; it took about 15 minutes. The most difficult part was lifting the batteries and sliding the unit into place.

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Friday, August 8, 2014

CTEK 56-263 Comfort Connect Cig Plug

CTEK 56-263 Comfort Connect Cig PlugLike all components of the CTEK system the cig socket charger is quality built with o-ring seals in the electrical portion to keep it dry and a firm grip on the socket. That being said, there are some things to consider.

Keep in mind not all cigarette lighter sockets on cars are live 24/7 most imports tend to kill all outlets when the key is removed while american cars tend to leave the sockets live all the time. This makes it difficult to use this with EVERY car without leaving the key in the ignition which can in many cases draw more power from the battery than the charger puts in, thus depleating the battery charge. It's not a win-win scenario.

One alternative is to install a second always on cigarette lighter jack for this plug. If you are going that route I would suggest an alternative which works well with asian and german imports, again from ctek: CTEK 56-380 Comfort Indicator Panel this is an alternative if your jack is not live without the key turned. It occupies a blank spot on the dash and performs 2 functions red/yellow/green blinking leds 24/7 to indicate the battery's state of charge and a ctek input jack to acccept any of their chargers where normally there would be a set of clips, rings, or the -263 cig socket. Installed properly it looks like a factory install, provides an indication plainly visable, and a rubber covered location for inserting the ctek charger end. If you can't use this 56-263 easy connect cig socket plug, then the 56-380 is the optimal solution which fits perfectly into a din switch array on imports.

Both solutions get you the same result you have an inside car convenient way to charge your battery from 117 VAC without opening the hood [or the trunk/rear seat/ all the oddball places some cars (ahem bimmer) put their batteries]

Both methods are convenient, professional, well made, and part of a system that works well together to keep your car ready to start no matter what battery you use to start it. The -380 version adds the battery state indicator wihch is a nice bonus at the end of the day to be able to glance at the dash with the key removed and determine the immediate charge status while the -263 (this item) can be used with most any vehicle even riding mowers!

I ordered the CTEK US 3300 for my Porsche 911. It's the same charger that Porsche gets $115 for because it says Porsche on it. I didn't know the CTEK US 3300 didn't come with a cigarette lighter adapter so I had to order this accessory but still saved approx. 50% over the Porsche brand charger. Both the CTEK 3300 charger and this CTEK Comfort Connect worked great and charged my vehicle's battery.

Buy CTEK 56-263 Comfort Connect Cig Plug Now

This unit is one of the best made add-on connectors you will run into. It fits perfectely and the wire is strong enough to be rolled up in my window with out breaking. Also this along woth the CTEK charger is 1/2 the price of the Porsche charger. It is a trouble free piece of equipment that keeps your car alive and well during the cold winter.

Read Best Reviews of CTEK 56-263 Comfort Connect Cig Plug Here

With this adapter and the CTEK 3300 battery charger maintaining my Porsche's battery during the winter is as easy as plugging it in. Just plug the CTEK 56-263 comfort connect cig socket adapter into the cars cigarette lighter or accessory power receptacle, then plug the charger into the wall outlet. No need to connect directly to the battery. The wires are thin enough that I can close my door totally and not have to worry about damaging them or leaving a window or door slightly open. A must have for battery maintenance if you store your car for an extended period of time.

Want CTEK 56-263 Comfort Connect Cig Plug Discount?

High quality construction. Works as advertised. I highly recommend this product to anyone contemplating the purchase of the CTEK Battery Charger/Maintainer. It avoids having to access the car's battery.

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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Retractable Car Charger for HTC HD2 (Includes OrionGadgets Cleaning Cloth)

Retractable Car Charger for HTC HD2I've found cell phone accessories to be extremely hit-or-miss when it comes to quality. I figured this charger was worth a shot since it was only a few bucks. I'm actually pleasantly surprised at it's quality. It's not as nice as those sold directly from a cell phone carrier, but at less than 10% of the cost, I can afford for it to not last quite as long. The retractable mechanism works well enough--time will tell if it stays reliable, but after a month or so of steady use it's still functional. The overall quality of the charger is average. The plastic it's made from feels a bit cheap, but then you do get what you pay for. In this case, the charger is so inexpensive it's not that big a deal to me if doesn't become a family heirloom.

I bought cheap car charger from another shop a while ago for my htc hd2 and it didn't work at all but this one is working very very good and design is just one word PERFECT! I recommend this to all htc hd2 users.

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I ordered this for long road trips so I would have a full battery upon my arrival. I have used the GPS while charging and had no problem at all. I highly recommend this product to anyone that has the HTC HD2.

Read Best Reviews of Retractable Car Charger for HTC HD2 (Includes OrionGadgets Cleaning Cloth) Here

Purchased a second retractable Car Charger for my HTC HD2.

The first retractable that was misplaced worked without

an issue so I decided to repurchase. You have to realize

that this item if purchased from HTC would cost over $30.

So at $2.00 you can expect the life of the item to

be minimum. The retractable idea is wonderful but

has always retracted if slightly touched. Not that much

room around adapter in any vehicle.

This second retractable stopped working on the third week

of use. So it isn't even worth the shipping and handling

to return the item. But if you are able to get one that

works you will enjoy the purchase. It is a hit and miss.

Anyone expecting to miracles from a $2.00 purchase has

issues.

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This product works perfect for my HTC HD2 and blackberry phones, and the retractable cable is great so you won't have too much wires all over the place.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

CAR CHARGER FOR Apple Ipod / Iphone 3G Series

CAR CHARGER FOR Apple Ipod / Iphone 3G SeriesLast night my new iPhone 3GS touch screen started acting up. Couldn't get sliding working and I couldn't hit any keys or buttons like attempting to hit "A" would cause "G" to be pushed. Couldn't power off, because I couldn't get the slide to work! Then realized I had the new power charge plugged in. I unplugged, and voila: everything back to normal. Obviousy the charger is running to high voltage or current

This charger is not coming close to my iPhone again!

Car charger and cable appears to work OK, but that is not much of consolidation if the regular charger blows up your iPhone.

The price on this item seemed to good to be true. Three different chargers for the 3G iPhone for ten bucks? Happily, all of the cables work as advertised, and I love not having had to pay $30 for ONE official Apple charger.

Buy CAR CHARGER FOR Apple Ipod / Iphone 3G Series Now

I have always been worried about buying inexpensive cables for the 3g iphone. You never know who you can trust. Well, I have used all of the cables that this comes with now and they all are working great on my phone. My only complaint is the bright light that is always on on the wall charger. I would say it would not make a good changer for the bedroom unless you were also looking to buy a night light.

Read Best Reviews of CAR CHARGER FOR Apple Ipod / Iphone 3G Series Here

I lost my OEM iPhone charger and needed a replacement. This not only replaced it but I also gained two more chargers for a very affordable price. Everything works great.

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I ordered this product. I only got a wall charger and a car charger. The wall charger only works sometimes. The car charger appears to work. However, I've not spent enough time using the car charger to say it works as advertised confidently.

Dissapointed in product and cannot reccomend. Should have purchased a higher quality product.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Importer520 Black Micro-USB Micro USB Car Charger for Samsung GALAXY Ace S5830 - Samsung GALAXY Fit

Importer520 Black Micro-USB Micro USB Car Charger for Samsung GALAXY Ace S5830 - Samsung GALAXY Fit S5670The product looks very cheap!

However, the total of the order was US$3.48, but I expected it would work for at least a few months or weeks....

By the 2nd or 3rd day you would have to move it around to make it work, but then not even that would work.

I cannot return the item since the shipment would probably cost me more or the same...

Would definitely not recommend it!

I guess it would be luck if one of those would work....

My over all review about the Micro USB Car Charger for the Samsung Galaxay Ace is I find it to be very good and the price was right. I will recommand it to other buyers.

Buy Importer520 Black Micro-USB Micro USB Car Charger for Samsung GALAXY Ace S5830 - Samsung GALAXY Fit Now

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Car Charger for Treo 650, Treo 680, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 750, Treo 750v, Treo 755

Car Charger for Treo 650, Treo 680, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 750, Treo 750v, Treo 755p, Palm Centro
  • Charging indicator
  • Overcharging prevention I/C
  • Short Circuit Protection
  • Charges phones that have both standard and extended batteries

I had this charger for not even a week and a half and it stopped working. I tried everything; placing it in my other cigarette lighter, even in another car and it still didn't work. This was the worst purchase ever!!!

Buy Car Charger for Treo 650, Treo 680, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 750, Treo 750v, Treo 755 Now

The product is super cheap. After using the product for less than 1 week, I ended up having to purchase another one. First the plastic connector broke and then the wires broke from the connector.

Read Best Reviews of Car Charger for Treo 650, Treo 680, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 750, Treo 750v, Treo 755 Here

Try to get a brand name. I bought this a while back, and I remember that it stopped working shortly after purchase.

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Worked great for a while but stopped working after about 3 months. I think a connection came loose. I do move it from car to car though.

Although this item is relatively inexpensive, still not worth it. The very first time I used it, it got so hot, I couldn't touch it. Seems unsafe.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Rapid Retractable Car Charger (CLA) for Samsung Captivate i897

Rapid Retractable Car Charger for Samsung Captivate i897I love this car charger! I can adjust the cord to just the length I need, and then retract it when I'm not in the car for easier storage. The tip will fit most smartphones, as I purchased this for my old Samsung Captivate and it works on my new Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

It worked great until.....

It has a powerful spring and when you push the retract button the cord shoots in at near light speed. One day I lost control over the cord and when it retracted it jumped the spool and wouldn't re-deploy. I took it apart and got the cord fixed but broke a wire trying to put it together due to needing at least 3 hands to hold everything in place. Needless to say its cheap price quickly made it a candidate for the round file.

Pros: its a cheap car charger

Cons: its a cheap car charger

Buy Rapid Retractable Car Charger (CLA) for Samsung Captivate i897 Now

**Update** (7 Sep 10) Reported defect to supplier and they sent a replacement charger for free. New charger works perfect. Very happy with product. Thank you Amazon.

Bought this version due to the retractable aspect. Fast delivery time. But this product is flawed. The charger works fine, it's the input end to the phone, input is not a solid connection, falls out, the input is fatter than the standard Samsung wall charger. (WHY?) Returning this charger.

Read Best Reviews of Rapid Retractable Car Charger (CLA) for Samsung Captivate i897 Here

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

NEW OEM MOTOROLA NNTN4963B WALL CHARGER FOR i450 i875 i920 i570 i580 i670 i365 885 880 205 730 305

NEW OEM MOTOROLA NNTN4963B WALL CHARGER FOR i450 i875 i920 i570 i580 i670 i365 885 880 205 730 305this was the wrong item so i returned it with no issues and got my money back and went to another place and got right item

The product was in great condition and arrived earlier than expected, which is always a plus. My last charger broke, so i needed a new one immediately and without the over-the-top price the store wants to sell it for. So, I found and purchased this one for $5 after shipping which was exactly what I was looking for.

The only bad thing is that I didn't get much use out of it because I purchase a new phone within a week. Amazon is great and I advise anyone to definitely look here before going to the store.

Thanks!

Buy NEW OEM MOTOROLA NNTN4963B WALL CHARGER FOR i450 i875 i920 i570 i580 i670 i365 885 880 205 730 305 Now

nextel charger. it works. buy a few if you need to charge your nextel phone while it's powered on.

Read Best Reviews of NEW OEM MOTOROLA NNTN4963B WALL CHARGER FOR i450 i875 i920 i570 i580 i670 i365 885 880 205 730 305 Here

Monday, December 16, 2013

Parrot MINIKIT Smart Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit with Holder for Smartphone

Parrot MINIKIT Smart Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit with Holder for SmartphoneFrom start to finish, I completed set-up within 45 minutes. It was not the easiest system to use, but if you're slightly technologically minded or stubborn, you'll be able to do it without too much problem. Setting up so it recognized my contacts via voice command was the longest part of the process. Overall, it's great in the car (voice recognition works well, the caller can hear well, decent call projection); it's helpful for using the phone navigation (mounted on dash instead of in my hand or precariously placed on dashboard), and it projects the voice directions; and it charges your phone while driving, so you don't have to worry about running out of battery on long calls or for a long navigational drive.

I tested with two HTC Touch phones and an iPhone. All worked equally well with the exception of an inability to automatically export contacts from the older HTC Touch.

You'll want to keep their main website handy in order to address questions. The manual is all but useless. In fact, I found that using the page and clicking on your phone will give you hints in how to correctly set it up if you are having difficulty.

Summary:

Pros:

* Relatively fast charge (1.5 hours from my computer USB port, while I was playing with the system).

* Adhered to my windshield better than any of the GPS tools

* If your phone automatically exports contacts, the set-up is super easy (iPhone). See "cons" if your phone does not.

* Bluetooth works well callers were able to hear me.

* Background noise reduction works pretty well. You can tell that you're in the car, but it doesn't have the same level of road noise that my Motorola in-ear bluetooth does, or the wired connection.

* Voice recognition was good. It correctly dialed 93% of the the numbers I tested. The voice that repeats who the phone is calling is a little odd, though very mechanised.

* You can pair up to 10 phones with this system. I tested 3 with no problem.

* Includes regular and mini-USB connectors.

* If worried about extensive exposure to radiation, keeps the phone and bluetooth away from your head.

* Includes a car charger with a USB connection useful for more devices than just this one!

Cons:

* The enclosed manual really stinks. It basically only covers set-up, but not the functionality. You have to want to play with with the system to see all the bells and whistles. That also means that you can't say, "How do I do 'x'?" and look it up. They attribute it to being "green" and send you online, but that manual isn't much better. It also requires being somewhere you can access the internet in order to properly set it up (e.g. if you purchase from a b&m store, and try to set it up in your car, good luck!)

* They refer you to the website to see if your smart phone is compatible. However, there is no "compatible" option from their menu I was unable to locate one from their main page or using the smart function. I needed to Google "parrot phone compatibility" to get the page:

* Occasionally, it does dial incorrectly using the voice function. However, it is easy and fast to cancel *if* you are paying attention to the number that is being dialed.

* If your phone is older and not set up to automatically sync contacts, you may need to export them one at a time. I had to do that with an older HTC phone I tested.

* It allows you to scroll through your phonebook in alphabetical order, saying the name of the contact in case you're not sure how you named them.

* Comes with a detachable microphone and a clip that you can pin to the visor for better sound.

* Really needs a case to keep it all together. The online manual suggests that if the swivel that holds the phone feels loose to use the attached Allen wrench to tighten it. It's a small wrench and could easily be lost. While we have many size Allen wrenches in our house (thanks Ikea!), I've never used one that has such a small diameter and wouldn't have anything that would replace it.

Best for those:

* driving cars without bluetooth ability allows hands-free calling.

* who want to use their GPS functions without having to hold the phone in their hand and keep their phone charged

I received the Parrot Minikit for free via the Vine program. It's a device I would not have purchased on my own, but now that I've used it, I love it and think it's brilliant. I still knock it down a star for the unhelpful manual and difficulty in navigating their main site. I'll certainly be continuing to use this nifty device and am likely to purchase one for my parents to use.

I'm still looking for the right solution for me, having recently moved to a state with a hands-free law. I don't think this will ultimately be the one for me, though. The speaker is good, even if it could have been a bit louder for me. I drive an SUV, and the sound level in the cockpit isn't as low as in most sedans.

There is no manual other than a quick-start guide, which isn't nearly clear enough in my opinion. It reminds me of a cross between Ikea instructions and the set-up brochure you get with most computer games. The detachable microphone is a great idea, but it was confusing for me personally. The guide just shows a picture of drawing of the microphone already several inches from the base and attached by a wire. It took me several minutes of searching the box to realize that no microphone was with all the cables they included. I then took several more minutes to realize that the microphone is attached to the base already by a retractable wire. You have to pull the mic (which is on the side of the base across from the power connections) and pull it to unwind the cable.

For me, the biggest drawback is partly my own fault, though. I'm rough on phones, so I bought the OtterBox Defender Case iPhone 4 (Blue/Black, Fits AT&T iPhone 4). Unfortunately, that adds a good deal to the dimensions of my phone. The clip they use to adjust the fit for phones is a great idea, but it isn't quite expandable enough. to get my phone in, it's an extremely tight fit, and I have to drag it hard against the bottom layer of padding to do so. This foam padding isn't going to hold up to that kind of abuse for long, I'm afraid.

So, If you're tech savvy, have a phone smaller than the Otterbox Defender, and drive a quieter car than an SUV, this should be a great solution. For me, I'll keep looking.

Buy Parrot MINIKIT Smart Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit with Holder for Smartphone Now

It looks like a good idea, if you don't like headsets and/or can't pony up for one of Parrot's completely integrated systems. The kit comes with almost everything you need, the missing part based on which phone you have. My Sprint Samsung Epic was good to go, but iPhone owners and any others with a phone that doesn't use a standard mini/micro USB connector will have to bring their own charging cable. The mount is sturdy and allows the cradle to detach so you can store it away when not in use. The cradle itself holds my phone nice and tightly, with no worries of it falling out and hitting the floor while driving. The mic on a string design leaves something to be desired, and could potentially be an easy point of failure, (mount loses its grip and falls, retractor breaks, object gets snagged on the cable, etc).

It's advertised as working with any smartphone, but the manual clearly states that if it doesn't work with your phone that you should check the compatibility list. On my phone though everything went fine, Pairing it with my phone and syncing the contacts was no problem. Using the voice commands to make calls was hit and miss, requiring some retraining of the Minikit to get it to work more consistently. The little green and red LED lights that denote which button is which don't stay on while the unit is powered on, which can make hitting the right button and knowing if it is on or off confusing. I found myself just leaving it plugged in and on all the time, not relying on the battery power whatsoever.

Finding a spot in my minivan to install the Minikit that was within reach, did not break the law, and was convenient for GPS use took a little time, but I eventually found one. The mic was installed along the top of the instrument cluster, directly in front of the driver's seat. According to the User's Guide, this was the ideal area. During road trials, I found it a bit difficult to hear the Minikit at highway speeds (windows rolled up, no music, no fan blowing), but around town it was just fine. As an alternate, I may try plugging my phone's audio into the car stereo and see how that goes. Results from the people I was calling were hit and miss, some saying that they could hear me fine, which others I had to shout at.

When it's all said and done, I am not sure the Parrot Minikit Smart was the best option, compared with Parrot's integrated products that can be had in the same price range (CK3100, CK3000, and CK3200). It does fulfill a need though, and works well enough. Using with my phone for charging and navigation is a sure plus, and would be more so if it were louder. I'd just prefer the cleaner look of the integrated parts and their ability to tap directly into my van's sound system.

Read Best Reviews of Parrot MINIKIT Smart Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit with Holder for Smartphone Here

I LOVE THIS MACHINE. The sound quality is pure and clear. This is the ONLY device I have ever used that doesn't bother my callers. (Didn't that sound romantic and old fashioned? It's also 90% untrue, as I make most of my phone calls while I am in the car.) I have some devices that some of my more picky friends (Reg!) don't like and others that no one likes. Since my neck injury a couple of years ago, I find it almost impossible to use a cell phone holding it next to my ear. I can't capture it in my shoulder very well either. It kind of leaves me in an awkward position.

Another benefit of this machine in this time of not including anything extra in packages, (I once received an iPod without any kind of power cord), is that it comes with a bunch of cords for every possible use. It was like finding the jackpot of connections. I can charge this with devices I don't even own!

The problem? I find that I don't carry it anywhere. It's too heavy. It's like putting a brick in your purse.

On the other hand, you always know if you remembered your phone and speaker phone or not. And it turns a purse into a great weapon.

Want Parrot MINIKIT Smart Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit with Holder for Smartphone Discount?

I was pretty excited to finally get bluetooth in my car. The unit feels pretty solid and has a quality feel to it.

The included instruction manual is a complete joke. It barely covers basic functionality of the unit, but nothing in any great detail. Which button do I hit? What does the red and green mean? How do I connect? None of these questions were answered with any detail in the manual. I eventually had to google a manual in more detail to learn how to use this kit. And I'm already a tech savvy person can't imagine how the average user will figure this out!

Once I got my phone synced (that took more time looking on their website to see if my phone was compatible), it worked well for the most part. I still accidentally call and hang up on people, mainly because there's only one main button that controls everything. If you press a long while, it does one thing if you press briefly, it does something else. Frustrating to use, especially while driving!

The sound quality was mediocre. At low speeds, I could hear the caller pretty well. On the highway, however, at max volumes I was still constantly saying "what'd you say?". It just doesn't get very loud, so if you do a lot of highway driving, stay away from this unit.

Callers said my voice sounded good, however, and had no complaints about the sound quality. It is SO nice not to have to fumble with a phone while driving!

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Saturday, December 14, 2013

Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump Starter

Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump StarterAwesome! Plenty of jump start power. Purchased 1 from Amazon & another from my local hardware store(same model). Used 4 times in the last few days on our fleet vehicles. Cars/trucks/vans...no problems. Charging is easy on this model, just plug it in with an ordinary household AC extension cord or use the DC adapter supplied. Also, this unit has an on/off switch. My old one didn't so the terminals were 'HOT' all the time. Life saver device, well worth the bucks!

I bought this jumper to jump my motorcycle. The battery goes dead every winter and I am not in an area where I would be able to keep the battery charged over the winter (I am forced to park the thing out on the street). Anyway, this jumper works great I plugged it in, let it charge for a day (although I don't think it requires a full day to charge) and jumped my bike right up the battery on my bike was completely dead prior to the jump. Very easy, no problems.

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Nice features, well constructed. I plug it in to charge it up once a month. (more often than suggested) I let it charge for two full days when I charge it, indicators read full charge.

I needed to use it today because my car battery finally died (6 years old). I plugged the Stanley in to top up the charge, let it top up for two hours. Indicator showed full charge. Tried to start the car. Nothing. I could see sparks when I attached the battery, so I know there was juice, but just not enough to turn over the 6 cylinder engine.

The Stanley unit has a battery level indicator, before the attempt it read full charge. After, the indicator was in the middle. Back inside, I hook it up to charge it again, it reads low.

GM road side assistance showed up with a much beefier version of a portable battery source, and the car started up immediately.

This unit is one year old, so I am guessing that the internal battery just does not last, or can not actually supply the starting current that it claims.

Just a big beautiful paper weight. Go for a much beefier unit, or perhaps one with lithium ion batteries. Better yet, just subscribe to a road side assistance plan.

Read Best Reviews of Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump Starter Here

My battery wouldn't hold a charge and I used this every day for 4 months to start my car and it exceeded my expectations. I never expected it to last that long, but with charging once every 3 weeks or so it worked fine. Small, portable, and much easier than jumper cables. Highly recommended.

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I shopped eBay and major retailers, and Amazon had the lowest price for this item. I had previously read online reviews of similar products and decided that Stanley offered the best, along with a trusted brand name.

Shopping at Amazon is so easy, I do it often.

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A 15w Travel Wall Charger with Swivel plug for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, iPhon

PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A 15w Travel Wall Charger with Swivel plug for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, iPhone 5 4s 4 3 3Gs, Amazon Kindle Fire HD DX KeyBoard, Samsung Galaxy Tab - BLACK
  • PowerGen Dual Port 15W / 3.1A USB Wall Charger charges your iPad, iPhone, iPod, HTC, Blackberry, MP3 Players, Digital Cameras, PDAs, Mobile Phones.
  • Use your existing USB charging cables to charge most USB powered devices / Easy-to-see LED confirms whether USB charger is properly connected
  • Dual Port Design, one Apple Devices and one port for Non-Apple Mobile phones or other devices. With Dimming Blue LED indicator, not obnoxious at night.
  • Input: AC 100-250V 150mA; Output:DC 5V 3.1A or 15W (Shared by two ports)
  • Sophisticated circuit design with over-heated, over-current, over-charging protection. Charging will be automatically stop when battery is full.

(#1 REVIEWER)I tested PowerGen Dual Port 15W / 3.1A USB Wall Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone, and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player.

I received PowerGen wall charger for testing from the manufacturer to write an honest and unbiased review and you will find both pluses and minuses of my experience in this review.

Note that some early versions of this plug had quality control issues. My plugs did not have any issues, but some of the early testers reported problems. PowerGen notified all testers and made the plugs unavailable until the problem has been resolved. I received a notification that the problem has been resolved, and the new stock does not have the issue. Symptoms of the problem: Due to a poor connection inside the plug, the status light goes on when the plug is plugged in, but then goes out a few seconds later.

I am attaching two collages with 8 photos (each collage has 4) labelled with numbers 1-1 through 1-4 and 2-1 through 2-4 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review.

The first thing I noticed that the charger has re-tractable prongs which is very handy for travel. Photo #1-1 shows the black plug with prongs retracted, and the white plug with progs extended.

Photos #1-3 and #1-4 show this plug on a power strip. This is where the only negative thing I have to say about this plug comes in. The position of the prongs is such that this plug takes up two slots and a bit of third slot. As you see not only does each plug cover two outlets, I also could put two of these plugs next to each even on the short side. The prongs are not polarized as you can see on photo #1-1. The plug itself is very slim, if the prongs could have been oriented differently, the plug would only take 1 slot.

The plug has two ports labelled "A" and "NA" which stands for Apple and Non-Apple devices (see photo 1-2). I own all Android devices but I tested both ports to see their behavior with my devices. The charger comes without a USB cord, so tested it with the USB cords that came with my devices.

I used Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.

The key findings:

(1) Excellent results on both ports for Nexus Phone and Nexus 7 Tablet

(2) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 can be charged on NA port

The table below summarizes my findings:

Nexus 7 Tablet (photo #2-2, note the port is labeled "A" is closer to the edge of the plug and the port labeled "NA" is the one that is further away from the edge of the plug)

(Shown in Photo 2-2)

--------------

A port -AC

NA port -AC

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

(Shown in Photo 2-1)

--------------------------

A port -AC

NA port -AC

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

(Shown in Photos 2-3 and 2-4)

--------------------------

A port -discharging when screen is on, charged slowly with screen off

NA port -AC

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player

------------------------------

A port -charged at AC rate

NA port -charged at AC rate

Charging times for Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

-------------------------------------------------

NA: from 90% to 100% ---> 33 minutes

A: from 90% to 100% -> 1h 37 min charged when screen was off despite saying discharging (powering the screen was enough to turn from slow charge to discharge)

Samsung plug that came with the 7.7 Tablet: from 90% to 100% ---> 1 hour

Charging times for Nexus Tablet

-------------------------------------------------

NA: from 94% to 99% ---> 17 minutes

A: from 94% to99% ---> 19 minutes

The behavior of both Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus plugged in at the same time was the same as when they were plugged in individually. This means if you can charge them both together at the same time. If you need to charge Samsung Galaxy tablet and one of the Nexus devices you would need to put the Galaxy tab on the NA port.

The MP3 player worked in both ports. I was able to charge and listen to the MP3 player at the same time.

To summarize:

I liked:

---------

1. Excellent behavior on both ports even when you have two Android devices

2. Samsung tablet 7.7 charged twice as fast as with the plug that it came with

2. Solution for MP3 player with built-in battery

3. Can charge two Android devices at once at AC rate

I did not like:

--------------

1. Position of the prongs that makes the plug take 2+ slots on the strip

I compared this plug to PowerGen Dual Port USB 2.1A 10W AC. And before I upgraded my Nexus devices to JellyBean 4.21 this plug gave a better performance on A port. However, when I recently retested 10W plug with Android's Jelly Bean 4.21 the difference became less significant. Nexus 7 shows the same behavior on both plug (both ports charge at AC rate), Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone still does better with this plug on A port (AC rate vs USB rate).

Here is a link to my review of 10W plug if you are interested in seeing the details http://www.amazon.com/review/R1WWWT839MIV8E/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_alt_8

Overall, This plug has given me the best performance of any dual plug I have tried. I recommend it.

Ali Julia review

Buy PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A 15w Travel Wall Charger with Swivel plug for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, iPhon Now

I received two of these chargers from the company to test and review. Of them one worked perfectly, but the other unit was finicky and had to be jiggled to maintain power, which was a little disconcerting.

The charger that worked did a great job charging an iPhone 4, an iPhone 4S, an iPhone 5, and a Sony CyberShot TX10 digital camera. One of the two USB ports, one is supposed to be tailored to Apple devices and offer a faster charge time, but I didn't notice a difference. While charging the unit emits a slight humming noise.

The charger is decently constructed and finished in a rubberized texture. The power prongs fold up into the charger for portability, and seem well made. There is a blue LED power indicator light on the front of the unit.

All in all...if you get one that works well, you'll be very pleased.

01/03/2013 Update: I let my co-worker charge her Blackberry Torch on this charger from time to time and she says it takes longer than the Blackberry charger, and the battery seems to drain more quickly as well.

Read Best Reviews of PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A 15w Travel Wall Charger with Swivel plug for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, iPhon Here

I was tired of having multiple USB wall charges for my many mobile devices. I want one charger that can charge them all and so far this items is doing just that. It works on my new Google Nexus 10 tablet, my old Samsung Alas 2 phone, and Plantronics Voyager BT Headset.

I love the hard rubbery feels of this black version as it feels very sturdy and rugged compared to the white one where it's smooth and glossy.

I will updated this review later on if I encounter any other problems.

*****Update 11/20/2012*****

I noticed something odd in the design of this charger. The metal prongs that plug into the wall outlet is a separate piece that can be disconnect from the body. I'm assuming it's designed like this is because they also sell international plugs for this charger. It takes very little effort to disconnect the plug from the body as all you do is push upward and it slides right out. With the way it's designed one would plug it into a wall outlet in the upward position however, that would force it's own weight downward along with gravity so there might be a chance for the plug to separate from the body. I have yet to have it separate on me while using it, but I just find it rather oddly designed.

*****Update 12/02/2012*****

The Apple product USB slot can charge my Samsung Alias 2 phone and also my Voyager headset, but it does charge at a slower rated compared to the non Apple product slot. I have yet to try my other non Apple products on the Apple USB slot. This is really nice as I can possibly charge multiple things at once even though its slower.

*****Update 02/02/2013*****

Well I accident broke my charger when I accidentally stepped on it when I dropped it. Oops! I found the weakest link on the charger and it's the detachable wall outlet plug as the entire casing cracked cleanly off the plug itself. The whole thing was just hanging on to each other by the two power wires, but luckily since it was a very clean crack of the casing I was able to use some super glue to put it back together without much scaring to the casings finished look. It still works after 2 days when I glued it back together.

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With all of the various family portable electronic devices (2 Kindle Fires, 2 iPhones, 2 iTouch, Crackberrys, iPods, iPad 4, etc) I needed to have a charger that could handle all the power requirements. This charger did it! ALL the devices are charged from this charger including the iPad 4s. Then when I bought a battery pack EasyAcc 4 x USB Output Port 12000mAh External battery pack (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YRG5JQ/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) it charged it perfectly. Best price and best charger to replace all those OEM chargers at a fraction of the price and more power so they charger faster. Without a doubt this is the one of the top five accessories I have purchased for electronics. You cannot go wrong! I now have 3 of them. All work as promised.

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.

It's a lot like Apple's iPad charger, but more versatile. Each port is optimized for Apple or non-Apple devices. It will charge your tablets and smartphones at full speed (like the ones that came with your devices). (See Note 1.)

However, it is 62% more bulk than iPad's charger.

If you want a charger that's a little smaller and never blocks other outlets, consider PowerGen's 2.1 Amp dual port wall charger.

PROs:

* Designed for Apple and non-Apple devices

Full speed charging for a wide variety of devices

3.1 Amps available. Charge 2 devices at once

Fit and finish are good. Feels like quality.

LED power-on indicator

Nice price when $10 or less

OKs:

Bulkier than some chargers (2.6" x 2.0" x 1.1")

1 year warranty

CONs:

Blocks other outlets in some situations (see Note 2)

Some nit picks (see Note 3)

Alternatives -

PowerGen's 2.1 Amp dual port wall charger

The white version is glossy (this black version has a rubbery coating).

Leave a comment if you know of other good alternatives

Disclosure -

The manufacturer gave me this product for review. I believe my review is impartial. I usually list competing products in my reviews, but right now I don't see any great alternatives.

Notes -

Note 1: Sometimes you need to charge in a hurry. Even if a charger "works with your device" it may be painfully slow. Get one that will charge your devices at full speed (like the one that came with your device). This is not so simple. Product info is often unclear. Reviewers are often unclear.

For starters, the "Amps" need to be high enough. That's usually 1 Amp for smartphones, about 2 Amps for tablets. (A higher amp charger is always OK.)

The messy part is, Apple devices use their own rules to decide charging speed. A designed-for-Apple charger may be slow to charge non-Apple devices, and vice versa, even if its Amp rating is high enough. This PowerGen model has one port of each type.

Note 2: Blocking other outlets. Seems like small thing, but it can be a hassle. Unplugging lamps, alarm clocks, etc. when traveling. This one may annoy once in a while...if the end outlets of a power strip are not available, for example. The non-polarized plugs do provide some flexibility.

Note 3: Nit Picks: If you're spoiled by Apple-perfect design, you might notice... 1. The port labels are a little hard to read. 2. The ports are "upside down" (When the charger is "right side up" you insert your USB plug logo-side down. A lot of devices work this way...not a big deal.)

~~~ Comments & questions welcome ~~~

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Motorola Micro-USB Car Charger for Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, Vivaz and Vivaz Pro

Motorola Micro-USB Car Charger for Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, Vivaz and Vivaz ProThis charger worked for my Sony Xperia X10, my husband's Samsung Captivate, friend's HTC, my new Galaxy Note, and hubby's new Galaxy SIII. Was very happy that it is so versitile. Good buy!

Monday, September 16, 2013

GTMax White USB Flip Home Wall Travel AC Charger Power Adapter for Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation

GTMax White USB Flip Home Wall Travel AC Charger Power Adapter for Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation
  • USB Home Wall Travel AC Charger Power Adapter
  • Input: 100V - 240V (U.S. & World Standard)
  • Best replacement for original MP3 player travel charger.
  • Intelligent IC chip inside recognizes a fully charged battery and automatically switches to a saver mode to prevent overcharging and short circuit.
  • The USB travel charger is lightweight and easy to carry while traveling.

Great product! works perfectly on my ipod touch 4th generation. This is a must have. you can charge your ipod/iphone wherever you are and charging is fast.

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Not much to say other than it works great with my gen 4 ipod touch. Haven't had a single issue.

Read Best Reviews of GTMax White USB Flip Home Wall Travel AC Charger Power Adapter for Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation Here

Do not buy this product!!!!! Just received it today and plugged it in to charge my Ipod Touch. After about 10 minutes there was a loud pop and a spark came out of the charger. VERY DANGEROUS, don't know what would have happened if I was not in the room at the time. I guess I got what I paid for!!!

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I have been frustrated by the fact that it is difficult to find which plugs/cords work with which apple products.

Fortunately this one works and it has an indicator light to let you know it is on and I like that it has a power saver mode when it is fully charged.

I don't know what other products this works with but I do know it works with my ipod touch 4th generation.

I bought two of these chargers for my ipod touch and ipad. One worked just fine and the other didn't work at all.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Quansheng TG-UV2 Dual Band Handheld Portable Radio

Quansheng TG-UV2 Dual Band Handheld Portable RadioI bought the Quansheng TG-UV2 Dual Band handheld about 3 months ago and find it to operate flawless and

is very feature rich. The radio is for licensed operation (transmitting) as it covers many different bands (including the

2 meter ham band and the 440Mhz ham band as well as some commercial frequencies). The dual VFO and many memory

positions allow for scanning of either the dual VFO (on LCD display) or memory stores. Multiple power levels

of Low, Medium, High (1w, 2.5w, 5w) and the receiver is capable of not only the 136Mhz-174Mhz, 400-470Mhz bands

but also commercial FM broadcast band 88 108Mhz. Hidden features (thru blogs allow unlocking other bands including

aircraft and 350Mhz band) The receiver is a respectible -122dbm sensitivity on the narrow FM bands (not 88-108)

It can be programmed via USB port with the drivers and cable (option). Learning the programming (manually) is by far

the hardest part of this radio and may take quite sometime as there is alot of combo key strokes and you must have knowledge

of what you need to program like (bandwidth, tone, offset, etc) .. the average listener would be way better off

(in operation ease) by using a scanner radio. Its also against the law to transmit in any of the bands covered by this

radio without a license. Many hams will report unlawful operation to the FCC as well as many commercial users.

The value is here and the radio seems solidly built. As a licensed Ham I find it has many features and solid audio equivalent

to many handhelds costing 3 times as much.

D.Blake K4DSB

There are two reasons why I am writing this review:

1. This radio is THAT amazing (especially when consider its under $100)

2. The seller made an effort to contact me personally and see if I was satisfied. This shows that they actually care about their customers and follow up on them.

There are plenty of reviews on the net telling how awesome this radio is. i will leave the exact specs. of this radio out of the review since you can just look at the specs on the spec page.

i did a lot of research before i bought my first HAM radio, and everything drew me to this radio.

PROS:

-the manual programing is easy and straight forward once you get use to it and understand wtf the manual is trying to say.

-great range on each wattage setting -feels very high quality

-clear and easy to read visibility of the display -battery last DAYS. i have RX a radio station for 12hrs straight and it only lost 1 bar of battery (1 our of 3 bars)

-very small, lightweight and compact

-audio both RX/TX comes in very clear.

-charger STOPS charging when full (unlike many other ni-mh/ni-cd batteries). ending votage is 8.4v (runs 2 3.7v in a series).

-able to be programed for REPEATERS

CONS:

-its kinda ugly (but thats subjective)

-the programing is a bit confusing (at first). the manual does an OK job at explaining.

-does not come with programing cable (none of them do, but they should. its not that expensive. I bought a programing cable for about $7 shipped).

-audio is good...but not as good as my vertex-standard or icom...but that is expected because those radio are 2x and 3x more expensive than this TG-UV2. however, the quality difference is NEGLIGIBLE. You wont hear the difference unless you have two radio side by side and listen very very very carefully. I do recognize it could have been just a mental thing for me because i only spent less than $100 on this radio where as i spent 2x on my VX or icom.

-docking station could be improved for easier docking. it has guide rails for the radio to fall into. you have to get the radio in the rails for it to go into the charger. if you just drop it in without looking, you will most likely not get it in the rails and it wont charge/dock properly

Other thoughts:

about the battery. it says it uses a 7.2v li-ion battery just about everywhere (in its manual, box, etc) however, it is actually a 7.4v li-poly (still in the lithium family). it runs two 3.7v batteries in a series and so the maximum fully charged voltage is 8.4v (4.2v * 2). i have confirm this with my multimeter.

bottom line it's a great radio. i love it and will buy another one. it works with repeaters (big bonus) and has so many functions that make it compete with radio 2x-4x more expensive. it has a very very solid feel and works great.

OH YEA, the seller is in the US and this radio is a PRIME item. that means you dont have to wait 3+ weeks to get it. many vendors that sell these radios ship it from china...which takes 3+ weeks to get here.

James Vo, California.

Buy Quansheng TG-UV2 Dual Band Handheld Portable Radio Now

Our emergency communications group uses many of these radios, and have always been very happy with them. Notice I didn't say we were happy with the users manual. Like many imported products the translation from Chinese to English leaves the reader wondering what it is that they are trying to say. But once you get past the manual, you'll love the radio. I have managed to "hit" repeaters over 30 miles away while sitting in my home. Yes, the repeater is on a mountain top, but this is still great coverage from a great radio.

Read Best Reviews of Quansheng TG-UV2 Dual Band Handheld Portable Radio Here

The vendor figured out they sent the wrong (220V) power supply after the radio had shipped and before I'd received it. The correct AC plug arrived the day after the radio. It arrived with a partial charge so I was able to begin using it.

The only real complaints I have are the lack of a menuing system to change settings. Functions are available via a number of somewhat arcane key combos so you'll need to keep the manual handy. Also the charging base is not designed well and it's possible to insert the radio for charging yet it won't make contact with the studs. You'll know you have it right if the charging light turns on.

Despite these minor issues it's a fantastic HT and an incredible value. Recommended.

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This Is A Great Radio And A Great Buy. Seller Conducted A Fast Easy Transaction. I Am A HAM Operator But I Also Use Them For Two Way Communications On My Jobs. They Work Wonderfully For Both.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Short Cord

Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Short CordThis isn't a very complicated device so this review will be brief.

It effectively splits a 12v connection into two functional ones, each with a nice handy cap on it. Don't underestimate the usefulness of those two caps, as a stray bit of metal or anything conductive could blow the fuse on this.

Having mentioned the fuse, let me point out that not all splitters are manufactured with a fuse built into them. Without a fuse on the splitter itself a stray bit of metal or conductive material will cause the fuse in your car's electrical box to blow. This adds a little extra security as likely the fuse on the splitter is of a lower rating than that in your electrical box: so it blows first.

An earlier review mentioned electrical interference which made me wary about this product at first. However upon examination, I'm not exactly clear where such interference could be coming from. The splitter is incredibly simple with no real electrical processing being done to the power going through it. It's a fuse gated adapter with two connectors on it. As I have a zune controller and in line adapter running off one of the connectors on this, I was afraid that I would experience some hum or something similar to that mentioned in an earlier review. No issues here.

The wiring doesn't seem to be of high quality, but since I paid so little for it and don't plan on using it for heavy duty applications, that isn't something I will deduct for. The wiring is adequate and likely will not break unless I pull hard on it or abuse it.



Hi. I thought a video of this interesting 12 volt splitter was the only way to review the product. I hope it helps you with your shopping.

Buy Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Short Cord Now

Very nice item, handy and safe. It is fused and saves digging under the dash for auto fuses when you overload it -and ends cover to prevent shorts and keep dust out when not in use. I love it and good value for money.

Read Best Reviews of Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Short Cord Here

I bought this after reading many of the reviews touting this as a great product. I was very disappointed. I am not certain what those folks were plugging into this splitter, but I just wanted to charge my phone and run my radar detector at the same time.

It is very low quality and does not hold a connection very well at all. It has a copper cylinder/sleeve for the side connection and this simply does not have enough grip to hold the center connection down all the time. Hit a bump, move your device, or any jiggling at all, and you are disconnected. I am 100% sure it is not a quality issue with my male ends because they work great in any other connection I have used them in previously.

Great idea, but it needs some sort of tapering or other way to secure the connection and this would be a great product for the price. Until then save your money and look elsewhere.

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The Roadpro 12V, 2 Outlet Platinum Series Fused Cigarette Lighter Adapter is made. Each outlet socket comes with a plastic cover to prevent objects from an accidental producing a shot circuit. The wiring to each socket uses standard 16awg wire; which is adacquit for most devices using this connection. The built in fuse is a MUST. Do not purchase one without it. If you exceed the maximum allowed current, the fuse in the plug should "blow", not the car fuse. The fuse in the Roadpro in much easier to replace than the one in the car.

Note of caution: Make sure that the center pin, on the male plug, will spring in & out as you compress it, with your finger. A "good" connection will not be made unless this is true. If it doesn't, rotate the tightening nut first CCW [loosing it] and then CW [tightening it] and it should free itself. If not, repeat a couple of times. The nut should be finger tight.

This is a passive connection. NO hum or electrical interference can result from using it. If you hear noise or buzzing sounds, they are produced by the device you have plugged into it, NOT the "pig-tail." Cell phone chargers are notorious noise producers as are some other devices as well.

I purchase two and am planning to purchase two additional ones. Great product!

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Monday, August 12, 2013

Bosch BC130 9-3/5-to-24-Volt Stick and Pod Style 30-Minute Battery Charger

Bosch BC130 9-3/5-to-24-Volt Stick and Pod Style 30-Minute Battery ChargerIf you're reading this review chances are it's because the BC130 charger that came with your Bosch cordless power tool no longer works and you're shopping for a new one. That's what happened when I went to charge the batteries for my cordless drill in preparation for a weekend project, plugged it in and it was dead. Needless to say, I didn't get much done that weekend.

An Internet search suggests that the Bosch BC130 has a ridiculously short lifespan and those of us that have braved opening the case discovered that R3 was burnt to a crisp and the color codes unreadable. Some of the reviews here on Amazon might also suggest that Bosch has made no attempt to correct an obvious design flaw because the new chargers fail just as fast; and good luck finding a schematic on their web site! This tells me Bosch is not taking care of their customers, shame on them!

Having a background in electronics is a pretty handy skill to have and one that has carried me well throughout the years. Fortunately, you don't need to be a electronics wiz to attempt to repair this charger, just a little patience, soldering tools (iron, solder, wick), and a new 180k Ohm resistor. Hence the title of this review: R3 = Brown Gray Yellow Silver = 180k Ohms +/10%.

Since this is supposed to be a review I won't go into detail on how to repair the charger since I've already given enough information for those that know what to do with it. I also can't guarantee that replacing R3 will fix it since I haven't tried yet. I have two possible theories as to why R3 burns up, either it's undersized (R3 appears to be 1/2 watt, I recommend buying a 1-watt +/5%), or something else went wrong in the circuitry such as a voltage regulator. Whatever the case, I have a lot of home projects to do this Summer and won't get around to fixing my old charger for some time. If someone uses this information to successfully repair their charger it is my hope that they leave a comment so that others can benefit.

Btw, R3 sits between two very large electrolytic caps. You WILL want to SAFELY DISCHARGE them before doing any work on the unit because they can give you quite a jolt. You have been warned!

As for the quality of the BC130 I can honestly say that my original lasted less than three years and I am disappointed about that. In contrast, the Bosch replaced a Craftsman cordless drill that served me well for over 12-years. The BC130's construction, the quality of the circuit board and components appears to be very high, it's just too bad they don't last.

I own several Bosch power tools most of them corded and they are absolutely outstanding products! However, based on my experience with the BC130 I will look elsewhere for my cordless tools from this point forward.

Works great and charges fast that was one of my biggest concern ,my old charger worked for about 5yrs and took one hour to charge this one does in 30 min

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This works just like the original charger and came quickly and was just as it was described by the product description and works great for his drill.

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Same as the original charger, the replacement charger died after 18 months. Totally dead. The replacement was plugged into a brand new outlet, with nothing else on the circuit. Very disappointed

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I can charge my battery quikly with this Bosh BC 130 9-3/5 to 24 volt ,, verygood automatic charge .

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