Cobra Walkie-Talkie microTalk CXT425 22-Channel Two-Way Radio

• 25 Mile Range, 22 Channels & 121 Privacy Codes
• 10 Channel NOAA radio & Hands-free operation (VOX)
• 8 Rechargeable AAA batteries, and a 2 port desk charger included
• Maximum range extender and belt clip included for maximum efficiency and carrying ease
• Lead-Free Packaging
• 10 Channel NOAA radio and Hands-free operation (VOX)
• 25 Mile Range, 22 Channels and 121 Privacy Codes

I am writing this in the hope that it will help some other buyer's of this product.

There is a place on the belt clip to place a wrist strap. However, no wrist straps come with this model. I had wrist straps that came with my older Cobra 950DX model and transferred them to this model.

The reason I bought this model is that it had the longest advertised range that still used AAA rechargeable batteries. It does say in the manual to "Use only the supplied rechargeable batteries and charger for recharging your Cobra microTALK radio." Now I know why! I tried to use my duracell AAA rechargeable batteries that were fully charged. No lights came on the charger and the batteries would not charge. AAA rechargeable batteries should be interchangeable-right? The Duracell batteries are 800mah 1.2 volts and the supplied rechargeables are 600mah 1.2 volts. If you look at the batteries in the illustration, you will note that the bottom 3/8" of the battery is silver in color. This is a continuous wrap from the bottom negative terminal. On the lower left inside the battery compartment of the radios is a contact that makes contact with that lower 3/8" of the battery. Without making that contact the charger lights and charger will not work. You can wrap some aluminum foil around the one duracell or generic AAA rechargeable battery that makes that contact and everything works. I can only figure that Cobra tried to make everyone buy their OEM batteries for replacement. Personally, I think this is stupid. The advantage of the AAA rechargeable batteries is that they can be easily found and purchased if needed.

The radios work although I have not done any distance range tests. I also wish they had the vibration alert on this model. I can live without it, but I did like that feature on my old 950DX model.

The AAA battery problem has been overcome. The reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is the omission of the wrist straps. It just seems like all of the manufacturers are cutting every corner they can to save pennies.

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I have owned this product for 2 years. It is built solid and has several nice features. I like that it is small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket and the antenna is not big. I have used the units on road trips to keep in contact with other vehicles and used it in theme parks. I have used the VOX (voice activated features) to know when my baby woke up (sleeping in a cabin), and I have used the US weather alert reports. I am pleased with the range and clarity. In the city its range is superior to 5 mile talk units which is not suprising as this is a 25 mile unit. This unit has given me fairly reliable reception at about 2 miles in residential areas. I tested it at 26 miles across Salt Lake Valley from one high point in Salt Lake City to another high point at the other end of the valley in Herriman, Utah. The reception was good, so the farthest distance claim is accurate as long as there are no intervening buildings and hills, etc.

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Bought these as a Christmas present and after three weeks of light use, noticed that the radios would not recharge. Contacted Amazon who sent a replacement and e-mailed return shipping to me. Got the new ones and plugged them into the charger and these would not charge. "Wiggled" the power cord a little and the charger started working, but this only lasted a couple of days before it crapped out completely. I suspect the chargers cord is made from very cheap and brittle wire. While the radios appear to work well, they are useless if they cannot be charged. Amazon promptly refunded me for this item.

As far as Amazon.com goes: Their customer service has been outstanding. They sent the first replacements and they appeared on my doorstep the very same day I shipped off the defective ones. The refund on the second set came very quickly, too. They have been Johnny-on-the-spot. No questions asked. Thank you Amazon.

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I lead workshops and I give each participant a radio to be able to keep in touch with them. I attached a wrist strap lanyard with a carabiner to each radio through the spot on the clip for this attachment, but this doesn't attach the lanyard to the radio, but rather the clip itself. And it doesn't take much for the clip to be bumped and slid off the radio. When that happens, your lanyard kept the clip nice and secure, but the radio is lost. Bad design, and there is no spot on the radio to attach a lanyard.

Range is excellent on these radios, with a good set of adjustment options. These are an upgrade from older Cobra radios I used, and these are much, much better.

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These radios performed exactly as I expected when purchasing them. We just took them hunting in very mountainous terrain in Utah and they did great. I read reviews for weeks before purchasing this model, and I'm glad I spent the time on research. My husband and I were able to maintain contact up in the mountains with a couple miles and hills between us. We rarely had line of sight, but the signal was crystal clear. We even got fairly decent reception from the in-laws hunting camp several miles and a couple mountain tops away from us. We did lose contact one time when I was down in a gully and my husband was a couple of ridgelines away from me, but it didn't last long. Overall, I think they performed as well as, if not better than expected. Good radios are hard to find for the type of terrain and distances I'm talking about here.

We'll be investing in Rinos over the next few years, but for now these radios are just fine. I recommend taking some time to get familiar with the instruction manual. I ended up using more of the features than I ever have before on a radio, and really liked them. I even used the VOX feature as a baby monitor so I could hang out in camp with my baby napping in our tent.

GTMax Black USB Mini Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter for AT&T Samsung i997 Infuse 4G

This thing is garbage! I couldnt even use it without worrying my car would catch fire! I had it plugged in for about 5 minutes to charge my phone, and it got so hot I had to use a clothe to remove it. needless to say, after one use, it went where it belonged. The trash.

It's small easy to travel with and loved the fact that it came in pink! I even got one for my husband!

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This item is too cheaply made and failed almost immediately.

Easy to install and use too bad it does not work.

The shopping experience was fine with a fast delivery.

Save your money buy something else.

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After I plug in the USB cable, the LED turns off and need to tweak the cable towards one side to make it work.

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Product was better than i thought! I definately recommend it!! Worked for my galaxy note! And my brothers motorola cliq. And dads htc lol pick one up!

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Gizmo Dorks Hard Slim Cover Case (Black) with Carabiner Key Chain for the Garmin Nuvi 2555 LMT, 259

• The extremely durable EVA hard shell case provides protection for your device.
• The handy Gizmo Dorks key chain provides a quick and efficient way to hook and unhook keys quickly.
• Interior lined mesh pocket for storage of accessories such as memory cards, batteries, cables, chargers, etc.
• The elastic strap ensures that your device is secured in place while on the go.
• This purchase includes a Case, and a Carabiner Key Chain.

The case was very big for my 5 inch Garmin 2555LMT. The material is not very hard and sturdy. Very cheap feel to it. I would advice to spend a couple of more bucks and buy the one that Amazon sells. Its a perfect fit and the material on the outside is nice quality. I had to send this product back and lost almost $6 on shipping money!! Hate it! Take my advice and do not buy this product.

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Purchased this case to house my GPS. Great price and it arrived quickly. It's a great case! rugged and durable!

CellularFactory: 3-in-1 Micro USB/Travel/Car Charger Kit (White) for Samsung cell phone

These work great and the price was unbeatable however EVERYTHING was made in China and it is apparent. All three items look cheap, but so far so good.

Car Kit Vehicle Charger + Home Wall Travel Battery Charger for AT&T ZTE F160 - ZTE R225 - Nice Cell

The cell phone chargers (car and home) work great and cost way less than what the retail stores charge. I received in the items in just a few days and am satisfied with my purchase

Works just as expected. Great price! Makes travel by car a lot less stressful. Arrived on time and well packaged.

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I think this is one product you never have a enough of. If you are like me you leave this product somewhere by mistake. The car kit is terrific because you have indoor as well as car use. I have a Blackberry and my battery is constantly needing charging. I spend alot of time in my car as well as at the house and these chargers are extremely convenient. By the way these items arrived on time and are well needed!. Great seller!

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iShoppingdeals - Bundle Accessories for Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip (SDMX22) MP3 Player, Black/Pink Soft

• This Bundle Includes 9 Items (Non OEM): Rechargeable Speaker, Auto Charger, Home AC Charger, USB Data Cable, 3.5mm Audio Cable, Headphone, Black/Pink Soft Skins, and Smart Headphone Wrap
• Charger: Input: 100V - 240V (U.S. & World Standard), USB Data cable: 2-In-1 Features: Hot Sync & Charging
• Speaker: Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries (Power Cable Included), takes approx. 4 hours to fully charge, just connect to your PC USB Port
• Plug and Play! Enable AUX in your Car (Automobile with "AUX-IN" input)
• Compatible With Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB 8GB ONLY (MP3 Player Not Included)

Skins fit good, offering limited protection for your clip zip (better than no protection)& all of these assecories work & are very useful. If you have two players, this is an unbeatable deal. Little speaker is handy when you want a "small" sound.

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AmazonBasics Wall Charger with USB Outlet (2.1 Amp Output)

• Note: Please consult your product's user guide to determine compatibility with your device.
• Easy to use universal design
• USB port accepts a variety of charging cables
• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

Update 11-18-2011

This compact and foldable 2.1 A (2100 mA) charger can QUICKLY charge Kindle Fire or Apple iPad/iPad2 (you need a different cable for each one). It is NOT one of those "ordinary" USB chargers that outputs only 0.5 A of current.

The Kindle Fire requires just 1.8A of charging current, so this charger is fine (1.8 < 2.1). It is functionally the same as Apple's 10 Watt USB charger which outputs 2.1 A, so it is also suitable for charging the iPad.

You also need to buy a $6 AmazonBasics USB Cable 2.0 A Male to Micro B (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters). Do not use one intended for your cellphone; it may not work.

The total cost is $16, still much cheaper than the dedicated Kindle charger which sells for $25. Apple's 10W charger costs $35.

You enjoy better utility with this charger/cable combo because they are separate, and the charger prong is foldable.

Additionally, the micro USB cable can be used for copying files from your computer to the Fire, and vice versa. This is the kind of cable (USB 2.0 on one end and micro USB on the other) that some reviewers were saying that Amazon should have included in the Fire box.

You can check what both look like in Customer Images on this web page.

The main draw of this AmazonBasics USB wall charger is the 2100 mA current output, which is required for most modern smartphones and iPad/iPad2. You get these gadgets charged the fastest with this charger.

But the shape of this charger will BLOCK adjacent power outlets if it is plugged into the wall or even an extension power strip. In this respect, it is really not an improvement over Apple's 10W USB Power Adapter.

This is why I also bring along a Ziotek ZT1212518 Power Strip Liberator Plus with Pass Through, 5-Pack when I travel. It will allow all outlets to be used by extending the plug a few inches. With its pass through feature, a normal plug can be piggybacked on top of the extender plug, thereby doubling plug density (from 6 plugs to 12 plugs, for example), although the total power consumption still cannot exceed 1680 watts. It comes in a pack of 5, and the average cost is $2.65. I consider this a small price to pay for more convenience and flexibility.

In summary, I do recommend this AmazonBasics charger because it works, is well-made, and costs only 1/3 the price of Apple's part.

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UPDATE 26 NOV 2012: I received one of these for review purposes and have liked it so much I've since bought 4 more as my all purpose charger. I use them primarily with a few of my Raspberry Pi Model B Revision 2.0 (512MB) units, a couple of tablets, and my Blackberry. Great all purpose unit (but still check the specifications).

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Pros:

LED light lets you know it's working

Good for both small devices (e.g., cell phones) and larger devices (e.g., tablets)

With 30 pin USB Charging/Sync Cable can be used with iPads and iPhones

Nice fold down plug in prongs (they don't poke out so easier to store)

Cons(iderations):

You'll need to buy extra cables to use this.

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USB wall chargers will have two "Output" values clearly printed on them, albeit in really tiny letters. This charger is listed as:

Output: 5.0 VDC / 2100 MA (5.0 volts Direct Current / 2100 milliamps or 2.1 amps)

Before getting an extra, or a replacement, charger for your device, check the output values listed on your existing charger, or check the documentation for the device you will be charging. You can't go wrong if you purchase a charger with the exact volts and amps as indicated (though higher amps is OK see below). An output of 1.0 to 2.0 amps is fairly common for many tablets. The 5.0 volts DC is also pretty common for a lot of devices.

If your device requires a charger with lower amperage, such as a cell phone, this could still charge it. You can ALWAYS use a wall charger with higher amperage than your device requires. Devices PULL the amperage they need, so if your phone requires 500 MA (1/2 of an ampere) and you have this 2.1 amp charger, the extra amperage won't hurt it it will just be there for extra capacity. Too much amperage is not a problem.

Since this product doesn't come with an attached cable, so long as you get a cable with a standard USB plug to attach to the charger, and the other end the correct size, you should be able to charge a lot of different products. For example, my Android tablet uses a non-standard 30 pin USB connector (the kind Apple iPads and iPhones use). I use this quite nicely for my Le Pan TC 970 Android Tablet which has a factory USB wall charger rated at 1.0 amps. With a micro USB cable, I've also used this product to power, and charge, my 500 MA (0.5 amp) Blackberry Curve cellphone. This does require keeping multiple cables around, and swapping them out as needed.

If the devices you want to charge require 500 milliamps or less, and they have a micro or mini USB port, you may want to consider the similar AmazonBasics Micro USB Wall Charger with Micro to Mini USB Adapter. Since that product comes with the cable attached you don't have to acquire anything extra (but you can't use it on iPads and iPhones).

This is a a solid device, 5 stars because it does what it's supposed to do. I will update and annotate over time if it turns out durability is an issue (if it breaks or falls apart I will post an update).

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USB charger does work; unfortunately won't charge Nexus 7 tablet, which is what I bought it for. I just wanted to convey that information for anyone else who may be searching (I had to type extra words to meet Amazon's minimum word limit).

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Some months ago I slightly mangled the USB micro connector on my Kindle Fire charger. It finally became so finicky I had to replace it. I know just any old wallwart will not work because it needs at least 1.8 watts. I searched through Amazon (my fav store for everything). I found the Amazon Basic Wall Charger with Amazon Basic USB cable. The charger specs say 5v@2.1A, the pins fold up and it can use a replaceable USB to micro cable. I ordered the pair for less than $17. I received the pair today. I am testing the charging performance. Reading reviews of the product, whether or not it is compatible with the FIRE is controversial. We shall see. I never liked the design of the charger shipped with the FIRE but I used it constantly while traveling to charge everything I have. Maybe I just wore it out.

OK, I have had it for a few hours. I recharged my KINDLE FIRE from 93% to Fully Charged while operating in about 30 minutes. I will let it fully discharge and see how long it takes to charge 100% both while operating and shut down.

August 16, 2012. I have been using the CHARGER with my Kindle Fire and LG OPTIMUS V and it is the best wall charger I have had for those devices. To charge my Kindle Fire from dead to full: I have not absolutely timed it but I know it takes less than 6 hours. I will try to time it more accurately. Kindle Fire has a weird habit of powering itself up when the charger cable is inserted, then you have to power it back off or it will not charge as fast.

November 8, 2012. My Basic Charger is no longer usable. It has become intermittent. My theory is that the folding plug is the cause. I will not buy another one and I have reduced the rating from 5 to 2. It is time to try something else.

Works with Kindle Fire, but only if you use the right "charging cable" or mod the adapter.

For those who are trying to use this with Kindle Fire, here's what you have to know: Kindle Fire tries to detect if it's O.K. to pull the full 1.8 A from whatever is plugged into its USB port, and it detects the "dumb" AC adapter by checking if the data wires (two inner conductors in USB A connector) are shorted together (because they wouldn't be on a computer, so it's a quick and dirty way to rule out being connected to a computer. This is not part of standard USB spec, but many tablet manufacturers are doing it, I guess following Apple's iPad). If the data wires are not shorted together, Fire assumes you plugged it into a computer and draws no more than 500 mA, so that it doesn't trigger protection circuits for (or burn out) the USB port.

Anyways. This adapter doesn't short the data wires itself, so if you want your Fire to charge at full speed and draw 1.8 A, you need to use a special charging cable that shorts the wires in the cable. Any USB cable you can use to transfer data is NOT a charging cable; a charging cable will be specifically marketted as one, as it cannot be used as regular USB cable and transfer data.

As for me, I don't have a charging cable, so I modded the adapter to short the data pins in the adapter, it's easy enough to open it up and do the quick soldering job (as usual, screws are under the sticker), but you need to have some experience soldering to make sure you don't break something while you are doing that.