Rally 7542 12V Vehicle Battery and Alternator Tester

I bought this item almost two years ago and have since used it on several vehicles and have never had an issue. Perhaps the other reviewer purchased a defective unit, usually you get what you pay for, in this case I am satisfied.

I bought this unit at a local store as a Christmas stocking suffer but was curious about using it. I placed it in the 12V port of my Toyota Rav4. I came back later and started the vehicle. In less than ten seconds there was smoke coming out of the port. I pulled the unit out as fast as possible. The very end of the tester was gone. Vaporized. This is the primary port in my vehicle and I use it often with many electronics and have never had any problems with this port. I wonder what may have happened if I had left the vehicle for even a moment. I definitely cannot recommend this product.

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Viper 5904 Responder HD SuperCode SST 2-Way Security and Remote Start System

• 2-WAY FULL FEATURE CAR ALARM - REMOTE START | USB CHARGING - 1pcs 2-WAY HD COLOR PAGER & 1pcs 5-BUTTON REMOTE - ONE MILE RANGE (NOT GUARANTEED) | VIPER START SMART COMPATIBLE (REQUIRES SUBCRIPTION & ADDITIONAL MODULE)
• Viper's first one-mile range color remote, using 900 MHz Spread Spectrum Technology (SST) - A brand new user interface, for the first time utilizing the patented Menu Wheel -
• New custom Viper animations, to confirm user commands and illustrate system events, on a 128 x 128 pixel Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) high contrast panel, with 262K and 65K full colors, and a wide 160° viewing angle, employing an anti-glare polarizer for enhanced daylight visibility - The OLED display panel on the Viper Responder HD color remote is 20% larger than previous LCD panels on a keychain remote.
• Built-in Info Center: the Responder HD status screen has an information center built into it! The Info Center displays the remote start run-time remaining before the engine shuts off, as well as the vehicle interior temperature, so you know if it has warmed up or cooled off enough to make your drive comfortable. It also displays the Countdown and Parking Meter timers when running, and the Parking meter timer emits warnings at 15 minutes, 5 minutes and at expiration so you can make sure to feed the meter. Also, you can stop, start or clear these timers any time in the Status Screen using the Menu Wheel. These 4 bits of information can be displayed in the Info Center by pressing the menu wheel while the Status screen is active to toggle and show each one.Two Car operation: when users decide to change to a paired 2nd vehicle, Responder HD will automatically check the vehicle's availability, and if the desired car is not available it will let you know. If the vehicle is available, it will automatically update the information displayed on the status screen so you know if it needs to be disarmed, or if the engine is running.Security system Sensor Status in real-time: when arming with a security zone active, Responder HD will receive a report that will identify by name the active zone and display a special icon in the Status Screen. The report will identify all zones that are active (up to 7) by name during the report output.
• NEW FEATURE: For the first time, Responder HD reports any sensors that have been bypassed by the Nuisance Prevention Circuitry (NPCTM) feature when arming and have a special Sensor Status icon that is displayed in the Status Screen. Any time there is a change of status in the sensors (NPC or a bypassed zone resets,) Responder HD will receive a message from the system and the All Zones OK icon will be displayed.Sensor Bypass: users can bypass sensors by selecting the level and sensors they wish to bypass. Responder HD will identify the bypassed sensors on-screen and by name so the user knows exactly the level of security they have chosen. After bypassing sensors, the Sensor Status icon will be updated so the user can easily see those sensors are bypassed each time the Status Screen is displayed.Remote start Fault and Not Available reporting: if the user attempts to operate a security or remote start feature that is not available, Responder HD will identify the fault so it can be quickly resolved.The intended use and user value of Viper Responder HD constitute nothing less than a new higher level of connection between drivers and their vehicles. With an MSRP of $799, Responder HD is a new level of luxury in the world of vehicle security and convenience. From up to one mile distance from their vehicle, users can stay in constant contact using an advanced and elegant, full-color interface device: their Responder HD keychain remote.

This a fantastic bargain , my local car stereo shop (Mobile-one) has it for $699.00 and another $600.00 for installation. The alarm has everything you could one on a modern alarm /remote start . It also comes with 2 ports for xtra sensors which is great . I payed at mobile-one $1100.00 for a viper 5901 last january , the alarm only lasted 11 months and the brain went out, I brought it back to them , since they installed it , they took the brain out and told me to send it to viper my self , Viper does not want to give another alarm ( so dont believe that bull crap about a lifetime warranty from viper) . the best thing you can do is to order it from Amazon with all the xtras ( radar sensor, ultrasonic sensor, 516U voice module ) and you will only spend about $420.00 which is better than 1100.00 . By the way the reason I dont like the remotes is because they are to sensitive , if you dont pay attention the car will star with out you even known it.

9

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Purchased this alarm from hooked on tronics and arrived in a timely manner. I really liked that they made me sign for the package vs just leaving it at the door. I installed this myself and couldn't get the remote start to work. Turns out I had to disconnect the bypass module from the brain to program the remote start! Once programmed I plugs it back in and worked like a charm. I really dislike that they don't give you install instructions! The remote is a little sensitive if I keep the remote in my pocket and i tend to accidentally start my car!

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Best of the best on market. Had it cheapest at amazon. Fast delivery via amazon prime and went to best buy for installation. Saved about 300 on best offer by best buy. Very responsive controller. works like charm. Great item for cold and extremely hot weather. Most cars will need bypass module. runs anywhere from 50 to 100 extra.

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I have the system Installed and it works as great as I knew it would. I would recommend to anyone who can afford it and wants a better than OEM alarm/security system.

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I've had a stalker for over twenty years. He's a mechanic by trade and one of his favorite things to do is vandalize my vehicle. I just had my Viper alarm installed two days ago after the last fix to my car from his vandalism.

He had cut wires to my cooling system last year, which caused the car to overheat and blew the engine. $4000 for that.

Tonight the Viper likely paid for itself. Just myself and my son live on two fenced acres, we were asleep when the alarm went off at a little after midnight. My dogs went nuts, we went out to check the car and found a big handprint in the condensation on the hood. A little later, after we went in the house, the dogs went nuts again and we went out on our porch to check and heard someone going over the fence. I called the police and reported it and they came out and checked everything.

I couldn't be happier! Stalker got a good shock. The car is no longer sitting there waiting for him to do damage to it. Love this alarm!

Black & Decker ASI500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator

This compressor/inflator is very attractive. It is also lightweight and all the accessories with the exception of the charger store right on the unit.

I have owned compressors and I have owned high volume inflators. However, I have not owned a unit that includes both functions, and none of my units have ever been cordless.

Mounted on the front of the unit are three connectors for inflatables and balls. The high volume hose has a large connector and there is also a high volume adapter for pushing in the internal flap of some inflatables. On the front is an LED light for working in the dark.

The digital dial is bright and easy to read both in daylight and at night, and it has a sleep mode to save battery life.

Right out of the box, I see nothing but perks.

THE OPERATION

Operating the pump was not intuitive. First, I hooked up the pump to the tire and pushed the power button. That is the logical thing to do, and all my previous compressors have worked that way. Nothing happened.

I read the manual and it said first, I need to press the button to choose the compressor function or high volume function. Then, I need to press the "+" or "-" button until the pressure reading flashed "0," and then press the "+" or "-" button until the pressure reading was what I want.

It was a task to have to keep pushing the "+" button down repeatedly, especially when I need to go from "0" to "80." There was no way to advance the reading by using continuous pressure. It was just push-push-push. Then and only then do I push the power button to start the inflation. Once the desired pressure is reached, the power turns off automatically.

The operation is not difficult once I learned the steps, but it is not intuitive. I recommend storing the manual and the compressor together for others to reference, just in case.

BATTERY LIFE AND CAR ADAPTER

For the first run, I charged the battery as instructed for five hours. With that charge, I was able to inflate 1 truck tire, 4 minivan tires, and 4 children's bike tires over the course of three days before the battery died. (Note that none of these were inflated from a fully deflated state.)

Afterwards, I tried using the car adapter. The cord is conveniently wrapped to the bottom of the unit. It was long enough to reach to the back tires of my minivan.

I tried running the unit of off the charger plugged into the outlet, but the unit would not run. If I am not near my car and the unit is out of batteries, I am out of luck.

HIGH PRESSURE

The manual states that for pressures above 100 PSI, the compressor must not be operated for longer than 10 minutes at a time and with 20 minute breaks between usage. I did not find the maximum capacity listed in the manual or on the box.

I did test the unit up to 84 PSI and it functions well. The only problem is it's difficult sometimes to unhook the nozzle from the valve, so I have air escaping. So much air escapes that when I inflate to 84 PSI, by the time the nozzle is unhooked, there is only about 78 PSI left in the tires. To get 36 PSI in my minivan tires, I need to inflate to 38 PSI. The workaround is to over inflate the tires.

The compressor can be used as a pressure gauge. Just hook up the nozzle and the pressure reads on the digital dial.

HIGH VOLUME

I inflated some of my children's inflatables and found high volume inflation to be quick. The inflator also will deflate the toys.

One thing to note is the auto-off feature will not work with the high volume inflation. There is no pressure gauge function when high volume inflation is selected.

LED LIGHT

This is a simple yet useful feature. It is bright enough to help when working in the dark. Its operation, like other functions of this compressor/inflator, is not intuitive. There is no on/off button. I must first select the compressor or high volume mode and then press the power button and then the "+" or "-" button twice.

PROS:

+ convenience of compressor and high volume inflator in one unit

+ cordless

+ has a car adapter with a long cord

+ auto shut-off compressor

+ 4 nozzle adapters included

+ will deflate inflatables

+ LED light

+ easy to read dial

+ unit has a sleep mode

+ can be used as a pressure gauge

CONS:

unintuitive operation

will not operate off of wall outlet

automatic shut-off does not function with high volume setting

short battery life

must overinflate due to loss of pressure when disconnecting nozzle from tire

SUMMARY

This is a great unit. It looks beautiful and performs well. I did not find it any louder than the other compressors I have owned. The only problem is the (lack of) ease of use. The elderly may be easily confused by it -or any young person without a manual for that matter. If you don't mind reading manuals, this unit is wonderful.

UPDATE: Due to a comment on my review, I went back to retry the air station pressure setting. I was incorrect in one of my initial observations. The pressure settings can indeed be set by pressing and holding the "+" or "-" buttons and I do not need to press-press-press my way up to 36 pounds.

UPDATE 3/23/11: Died. Simply won't work anymore. It's been charged, plugged in to the car accessory port, and the thing simply will not turn on. The digital readout just blinks. Very frustrating. So I guess the lesson here is: don't buy! Changed my 3-star review to 1-star to reflect the failure.

Original review 2/2010: For whatever reason, I have amassed several portable air pumps over the years, apparently attempting to get the "best" one. I've decided there simply isn't one. This one is close, but suffers the same problem my other battery-operated pump had: it HAS to be charged for it to work, and for it to be charged, it must be plugged into a wall socket for a number of hours. Adding to this is that the unit comes with a cigarette-adapter plug, which aids in powering the unit while running the unit (the other battery-operated unit need this too.) To fill all four car tires, it's pretty much a necessity to make use of the adapter.

Operation is confused a bit as one must first determine the end pressure, with the unit not connected to whatever you are filling. First you must flip the switch on the right portion of the "U" shape of the unit, push to the right for low pressure items like tires or to the left for high pressure items like soccer balls, etc. Middle is off. Under the digital display in the middle are three buttons, the center one to turn the compressor on, the right one to advance the pressure and the left one to decrease the pressure. I found that once the pressure had been started with either button, holding it down would allow for rapid advancement, making high numbers much faster and easier to reach than pressing the button many times. Once reached, simply let it set a moment, then attach the hose. Only *then* do you hit the power button and it will fill by itself. It seems complicated, but once you've done it a couple times, it's not so bad. (Pro-tip: in dark situations, press one of the pressure buttons and an LED at the front will light up the area a few feet in front of the unit. Handy!)

The unit's biggest downside has been disconnecting the nozzle from tires. I don't know if it's my tires in particular, but the nozzle holds onto the valve stems with a death-grip. It should be simple, just flip the lock up and pull back, but what really happens is you pull the lock up and psssssssshhhhh you've just lost 2-3 pounds of air while fighting with the nozzle. I physically have to brace myself, preparing to flip the lock and pull with all my might to get it off the stem as quickly as possible. Most of the time I find I have to refill my tires a couple of times before I get it off the stem properly. Frustrating, to the say the least.

The digital readout is excellent. The preset pressure is a great way to ensure you get exactly what you want in whatever you're filling. The battery issue is annoying, but livable many other units are just like this. The valve stem problem is just that, however, and it might be a deal breaker if I can't get it worked out. It's really too bad because I like the pump in general.

Buy Black & Decker ASI500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator Now

I have been using Black & Deckers ASI300 Air Station for over a year and can safely say that the ASI500 is a much better product. The one marked area of improvement is that the ASI500 is cordless. No more need to drag an extension cord around the car. After reading through the manual, and using the ASI500's digital pressure gage, I checked the tire pressure on one tire. After some trial and error, I was able to go through setting the recommended shut off pressure on the digital gage and inflated our van's tires. I was able to test the claim Black & Decker make about being able to fill four tires on one charge. Without charging, and using only the out of the box factory charge, this was accomplish leaving very little power to spare. I'm guessing that after a full charge the claim would be easily achieved. The ASI500 air station is very compact and easy to carry around. It has all the accessories for car, truck, bicycle, air mattress and all the sports balls. The unit comes with a charger as well as an attached 10 foot cord with 12 volt plug in adapter. All the accessories are nicely fitted on the unit for ease of use. One very nice feature is the small yet powerful light on the front of the unit that makes for easy night tire checking and inflating. This would make a great gift for anyone to add to the trunk of their car for road side emergencies. There are a few things to keep in mind with the ASI500. The first is that the air hose adapter is made of hard plastic and could break if forced. The second thing is the need to have a separate air pressure gage to check the tire pressure after inflating. I found that the AI500 was around 2 psi over the setting and I needed to release some of the air out of the tires. However these are quite minor issues. It took me around 15 to 20 minutes to fill all four tires to their proper psi. This was a bit faster than my old ASI300. With gas stations charging around a dollar for air, this is highly recommended for the home garage and those camping, biking, or vacation trips.

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Got my product today, read the instructions, charged it up, unplugged it, and turned it on. LCD displayed ERR. Went to B&D website for support, it told me that division was sold to Baccus Global.. went to their website, only units with jumper cables are listed.. not this unit or anything close to this unit.

So, I called Black and Decker. They first asked if I turned it on when it was plugged in. I don't think I did, but it would be a rather simple mistake. She acted like I might have killed with such a simple action. I said 'no'. She said that it can't be fixed and I had to take to the local authorized service center for a replacement. That service center was 25 miles out of my way. I called the service center, they told me they would replace my hours old product with a refurb.. and by they way, they don't stock them so it may take 4-8 weeks.

I fiddled with the compressor and re-read both the paper instructions and the instructions at blackanddecker.com. Note: they were different (whatever that means). The on-line version indicates you can inflate a tire without setting a max pressure whereas the printed manual didn't.

Regardless, I actually managed to get a non 'ERR' screen, and actually managed to get it in PSI instead of KpA. I inflated exactly one motorcycle tire, and it worked flawlessly. However, the battery, which did charge for 4-5 hours, was flashing that it was nearly dead after only one motorcycle tire.

I plugged it in (making sure the unit was turned off first so I didn't destroy it) and walked away. Unplugged it, turned it on to see how it was, etc. I got the infamous 'ERR' on the screen. I turned it off and on several times until finally I did not get the 'ERR' display. Cool... that's not that bad. A little inconvenient, but hey, I can turn it off an on 10 times. I hooked it up to a tire to get a reading and it read something like 700 KpA I Don't deal with metric KpA, so I tried to switch to PSI. No luck. I followed the instructions to the letter and hit the + and keys at the same time. I tried hitting them many times, holding them down for a while.... no luck. Seems stuck in KPA forever.

I disconnected from the tire. Turned the unit off, walked away for a while. Unit is charged up, not plugged in, and not connected to a tire at this point. Turn it back on, and it is taking a pressure reading of my garage of 770 KpA.

Bottom line: This unit seems flaky (at best), and I'm at my wits end. There is a 1 year warranty on the product from B&D, but I have decided to return the product and go with a simpler battery inflator with less bells and whistles. I'd hate to think that if I hit the off/on button (not the compressor run button) while plugged in that I might freak this unit out. I just get the feeling that if I got a new unit, and it worked perfectly, that it would flake out after 13 months.

Thanks to Amazon for treating customers better than the manufacturers do. I have purchased hundreds of items at Amazon, and I believe this is my first return. After dealing with B&D, I don't know if I'll ever buy a B&D product again.

One more thing: If the air hose was 6 inches longer (like my old inflator), it would be much more useable (if you get one that's not flaky). To get to a motorcycle tire over exhaust pipes, I had to hold the inflator in the air as the cord would not allow the unit to sit on the ground.

Sorry for such a long and 'sob story' review. This has got to be my longest review yet.

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I really love this air inflator/high volume pump. It's cordless and very powerful.

It can be used to inflate pretty much anything including automobile tires, bike tires, beach balls, rafts and so much more. I own another air inflator that you have to plug into the cigarette adapter in your car and it's a pain and it doesn't have the power to inflate automobile tires unlike this air inflator. This air inflator has plenty of power. It quickly inflated my car tires to 35 PSI and the manual claims that it has the ability to inflate up to 100 PSI, which is much more pressure than I will ever need to utilize.

The air inflator will take about 4 hours to fully charge the first time but then it's so convenient to carry around and not worry about pesky wires. The power cord has a light on it that will be red while charging and will turn green once fully charged. It also has sleep mode that it will go into if it's not used within two minutes. This helps to preserve the life of the rechargeable battery. It also has a built-in 12-volt vehicle charging cord that plugs into the cigarette adapter in your automobile. This allows you to recharge the battery while on the road. There is a blue LCD panel on the top of the inflator. First you set the desired PSI and then begin inflating. It will monitor the PSI and automatically stop when you have reached the chosen level. You lose a small amount of pressure while removing the inflator hose so I normally inflate an extra 1 or 2 PSI due to that fact.

The air inflator also has a built-in LED flashlight that comes in handy when working outside in the dark or in a dark garage. It also has built-in nozzles and hoses that are used to inflate other things

I love this air inflator & I would recommend it to all.

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Extra Long 6 Foot (6ft) iPhone / iPod / iPad USB Charge and Sync Cable Made of Premium Rubberized N

• Convenient extra-long 6-foot (1.8m)
• Made from premium rubberized, non-tangle material
• Double the length of a standard Apple cable for convenient charging
• Made for iPhone, iPod, iPad
• 2 year warranty

I spend much of my time on the road, and a find a 6' charge/sync cord very useful. This is the best of the several I have tried and broken... I have only been using it for a few weeks, but the build quality seems significantly better than anything else I have used. Hopefully this one will last...

It also seems to charge my iPad significantly faster than the previous 6' cable I was using, although I have not measured this objectively. I guess some manufacturers use smaller gauge wire?

In any event, I would recommend it.

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The issue with lots of third-party iPhone sync cable is that the plug can be thicker or wider than the original iPhone cable's plug, making it not fit the opening of some iPhone cases. I have a Lifeproof case (love it!), and that was the issue I had with cables like AmazonBasics 3.2 feet 1.0 Meter USB Charging/Sync Cable for Apple iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

This cable has no such issue. I didn't measure it with a ruler or anything, but as far as I can tell, its plug has exact same width and thickness as the original Apple cable plug, so it should have no problem plugging into any cases you have. The plug is slightly longer than Apple's, but that's a good thing. It means the plug won't be "buried" deep in the case when plugged in, and you won't have to yank the plug by the wire to unplug, which I had to do with the original Apple cable and Lifeproof case.

The cable itself is built with sturdy material that easily should last me until the time I upgrade my iPhone to a Lightning connector model. And 6-foot length is perfect for me. I am very pleased with this cable. Highly recommended.

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Don't know about iPhone charging any faster, but this cord is definitely sturdy and will obviously outlast the Apple cords we get with their new devices. Glad I spent the extra money for this since we've got so many Apple products that use this connection.

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Finally a cord that is worth the money spent!

Price-I have purchased between 5-10 charge.sync cables from amazon, ranging from $1-6. All have have issues either they overheat my phone, the connection between the charger head and cable becomes loose and wires get exposed, or they just stop working after a couple of months. Let me be clear this is NOT the case with this cord. And its available through prime need I say more?

Convenience This cord is 6foot long, which makes it perfect for Desk/Office Charger, Hotel Rooms, Airplane/Airport, and particularly when charging near your bed if you don't have a dock. Highly reliable due to the thickness of the cord and connections.

Save yourself the frustration and spend the extra money for this cord. Highly recommended.

PS.. if anything fails with this cord over time, I will be sure to update this review.

**UPDATE 5/10/13 Cord is still charging and going strong 4 months later. Very pleased with this product!***

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Tired of trying to find a spare wire charger for i-phone that would fit my Lifeproof case and don't want to spend $40 with @pple, this is the wire. Amen.

Val LG Chocolate VX8500 / MG800C Home Travel Wall Adapter Charger and 12v Car Premium Rapid Cigaret

The car charger has not been used much but the wall charger promptly broke. Not sure if it was a manufacturing defect or a design flaw as this is the second charger for this phone that has broken.

I'd read how many didn't like this, but so far, it does what it says it will do. Good unit although you can tell its not a LG mfg part.

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It worked great, but then I noticed the outlet part to the wall was so loose, it'd come out everytime I would try to charge my phone...

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What can I say? I got my LG Chocolate home and car phone chargers at a great price, delivery was fast. They arrrived in mint condition, due to a good shipping package. And they both work great, I use them every day. I would order from this seller again 5 stars.

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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.

Read Best Reviews of SiriusXM SXi1 Lynx Wi-Fi Enabled Portable Radio Kit Here

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.

Duracell DRINVP100 100W Pocket Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port

None of these cheap inverters produce a nice AC waveform. They tend to produce square waves, and this device even says that it has a "non-sinusoidal" waveform. This can actually damage some electronics. Be sure to read the owners manual.

Cons:

Only 1 USB port

Only 1 AC port

Pros:

Compact and works well enough for small devices (read warnings in manual about devices not to use it for).

Bottom Line:

They really hampered this by not putting at least 2 USB ports on it, as some cars have only 1 12v outlet up front by the driver, so if I need to plug in two cell phones to charge, this doesn't help me unless I use the AC adapter for one of them. I had some odd behavior with the AC port as well, my touch screen wouldn't respond on my phone when it was plugged into the AC port. Probably related to the poor AC waveform. Powering my small devices it is cool and quiet. It didn't get warm or anything.

We go camping a lot, and we like to take our iphones and ipads. This is state park camping, not serious camping. Normally we don't have power on camp outs so we charge iphones in the car, etc. but that's a time consuming thing. This adapter plugs into your car's power port (once called a cigarette lighter) and gives you both a usb and a regular 3 prong ac port (like you have at home). We were able to charge the iphone via the usb port and the ipad via the power port with no problem. The device gets a little warm but it has vents to expel the hear. Also, it's very rugged and sturdy and has a user replaceable fuse. It also says it has an auto power shutoff in case of a surge.

We also recently used this at the drive in movies to power a boombox, worked like a charm. I would be careful about using it without the car running as it might drain your battery but we didn't run into problems.

Well done Duracell! Let the hurricanes come (not really).

Buy Duracell DRINVP100 100W Pocket Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port Now

Put simply, this inverter turns your car's cigarette lighter into a three-prong outlet (for electronic device that use 100 W or less). In addition to the outlet it also has a USB outlet.

The usefulness of the inverter are clear: it saves you from needing an adapter for each one of your electronic devices that you want to use in the car -it's one stop shopping. Anything with a two or three-prong plug can plug into it.

The inverter is small enough that it can easily fit into a glove box (taking up about as much space as a GPS) or into your computer bag.

During use I didn't notice anything unusual about the operation. Despite the fan it runs pretty quietly.

My one complaint is that the chord that goes into the cigarette lighter is so short that the inverter cannot reach the back seat or rear of the car. That means passengers are dependent on the people in the front of the car to plug and unplug devices. I took off one star for that.

Recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Duracell DRINVP100 100W Pocket Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port Here

Does what it says at a good price. Necessary for long car trips and the DVD player for the kids!!

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Unit works as advertised. Only thing I don't like is that the placement of the USB output is too close to the outlet. Nearly impossible to use a plug in adapter and the USB at the same time.

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DSP Technologies Bluetooth Auto Steering Wheel Hands Free Speakerphone Kit VTB-30

• Universal fitting systems for all steering wheels, stick on anywhere in your car
• The car steering wheel Bluetooth is simple to operate, one botton to answer/hang up/reject a call and call switching function
• This handsfree Bluetooth car kit can scroll the last 10 numbers of calls, store 200 numbers and call back
• DSP technology, full duplex, noise and echo cancellation
• The car steering wheel Bluetooth is with built-in 600 mAh li-ion battery, which provides typical standby time of more than 240 hours, talking time of 6 hours

Works a treat. Easy to make phone calls with my iPhone voice dialer. Battery life seems very extended.

I have had some connection issues but cannot pin them on the device. Not sure if it is or isn't the device. Clarity of signal (in my case) depends on the weather, geography, and phase of the moon (joke possibly).

Device appears well made. Nothing flimsy. Comes with multiple mounting options. Auto charger is a removable usb port. By that I mean the standard charging USB macro/mini cord comes out and you can replace it with your iPhone charge cord. Most (like my beloved TomTom XL 340S 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator) are molded into one unit.

My wife says she hears me fine, I can hear her fine as well.

I have NO idea how you could hit your legs with this device unless you installed it on the OUTSIDE of the steering wheel. Fits my F150 like it was made for it.

And goodness knows you can't (or couldn't) beat the price. Multi hundred dollar options exist and I paid less than 20.

For the money, what could you possibly lose.

Well pleased.

Buy DSP Technologies Bluetooth Auto Steering Wheel Hands Free Speakerphone Kit VTB-30 Now

i bought this blue tooth device to avoid getting in accidents and tickets for using cell phones without an ear piece...i had tried many and none had the excellent voice clarity of this bluetooth system on both ends of the conversation...i have already bought another system for my father...the only downside is that placement of the device on top of the steering wheel partially obscures the dashboard...the device can probably be placed on other parts of the steering wheel (and stickers are provided for placement elsewhere) but i am not sure of the sound quality in other locations and i was unable to turn the steering wheel unless the device was on top (it would hit my legs)...

Read Best Reviews of DSP Technologies Bluetooth Auto Steering Wheel Hands Free Speakerphone Kit VTB-30 Here

I bought this device to add hand-off phone technology to my 2006 Highlander Hybrid. I tried the various devices that hang on the ear, but they did not work for me. This device worked right out of the box. The only problem I had was finding a place for it on the steering wheel that did not interfere with my view of the dashboard. I also tried it with the stick-on magnet and I use it there some times. Amazon has a good price as well.

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This is the best auto bluetooth I have seen. It attaches to the steering wheel for perfect positioning to get the best possible sound levels. You can see conrols and indicators with a short glance as easy as checking your speedometer You can download your contact list from your cell phone so an incoming call ID is shown in an easy to read display so calls are identified the same way a call using your phone would be. Battery life is very good and a USB/cigarette lighter charging cord is provided. With the unit it being attached to the stearing wheel, you would think charging with a cord would be problematic but this unit slides easily off its mouning bracket. It also comes with a magnet type mount if you prefer. I love this speakerphone.

This item works very well for my purpose! It attaches secure enough to my steering wheel, it stays where I put it. It was very easy to install. As easy as putting a opened chip bag clip on the bag. The LCD screen is easily readable. Friends say my transmitted voice sounds loud and clear. It is the same on my end from my friends.No problem matting to cell phone and it seems to not lose connection at all. Would recommend this item for their handsfree bluetooth needs.

CTEK 56-261 Comfort Connect 3/8" Eyelet

Product description states nearly 36 inches. It is only 12 inches like the one that comes with chargers. If you need a longer wire like I do so I do not have to open the hood each time, this wire does not meet the bill as described

I purchased the CTek Multi U.S. 3300 Battery Charger for use on my three automobiles and riding lawn mower. I have the Ctek 56-261 Comfort Connect 3/8" Eyelet cable on my SUV and mower batteries. It is comforting to know that I can leave my mower charging all night or longer without removing the battery from the mower and it is perfectly safe. I am ordering two more cables to put in my wife's SUV and daughter's pick-up. If they need to charge their battery while I am away all they need to do is snap the connector to the charger's cable, plug in the charger then set the mode on the charger to Automobile. No worry about reverse polarity, sparks from clamps, improper grounding or clamps coming off. The 3/8" eyelets fit on the battery post clamps on all my vehicles. No need of boring out the hole to fit the bolt on the clamps. Plus, if you are away from home and need a jump the connectors can be left in place while standard jumper cables are used. Another plus, more so for the charger is it is so small you can take it with you on a trip where as a standard charger takes up too much space. This is a great system and the tech support is top notch. The only negative is the cable is somewhat short but I am sure that is by design to keep it away from moving engine parts while the vehicle is in use.

Buy CTEK 56-261 Comfort Connect 3/8" Eyelet Now

Liked the other reviewer claimed, it was too short. I bought 2pcs for my motorcycles and had a hard time to route the connector from the battery compartment to the outside where is convenient to plug into the charger. The hole of the eyelet was actually too large however it could still be tighten to the battery. Other than that it is a perfect connector for my CTEK charger.

Read Best Reviews of CTEK 56-261 Comfort Connect 3/8" Eyelet Here

The CTEK 56-261 Comfort Connect 3/8" Eyelet was really an M8 (8mm) model. The eyelets had to be enlarged with a dremel tool to make it fit a 3/8" post. Don't try to drill out the eyelet or you'll probably destroy the connector. Grind it out instead. It seems to work fine once it fits the post. I only gave it two stars because I don't appreciate being mis-lead by the description.

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These are great accessories for the CTek chargers. I put them on my 4 wheeler and motorcycle and even truck to allow me to simply plug the charger into the plug without having to access the battery terminals to charge the batteries.

USB Sync Charge Desktop Cradle Dock for Verizon LG Dare VX9700 VX-9700

Love this.

I have it 4 stars because most of the other models from this manufacturer

that we have purchased for our phones charge when you slide the phone into the sleeve.

This one requires that you plug in the mini-usb connector. I guess the position of the charging

port forced them to do this.

I ordered several cradles for my girlfriend and her kids from

this vendor with extra batteries so they're not complaining

their phone is always dying (unless, of course they

forget to put it in the cradle or charge the extra battery.

BE CAREFUL. The pictures are not always accurate.

I ALWAYS BUY the Docking Cradle with the 2ND BATTERY

charger built-in the back. This way it charges the phone, but

also keeps a freshly charging battery in the cradle tray too.

I did have some questions and the vendors customer service was great!

If you have a skin or cover on your phone it won't fit in the "docking station". I was expecting one like my husbands for his gzone boulder phone. You just put it in the dock and it charges. The lg Dare has to still be plugged into it's docking station. All my fault not the sellers. The seller did his job and shipped a perfect product quickly. I just need to learn to ask questions first. :)

Buy USB Sync Charge Desktop Cradle Dock for Verizon LG Dare VX9700 VX-9700 Now

Briggs & Stratton 30470 7,000 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit

I considered many of the alternatives before purchasing the B&S 30470, and I'm happy with my decision.

I was hoping to find a model that was not manufactured in China because there have been a lot of quality control problems with hardware (and food products) that come out of China and when you are purchasing a 200 pound product, you really don't want to take a chance on having something go wrong that will require you to bring it/ship it somewhere because of a problem. Unfortunately, it seems that virtually all of the generators in this price range are manufactured in China, including this one. B&S is a US company, but as others have noted in nearby reviews: much of their manufacturing is in China. But since they are a US company and they do have a brand name to protect, that was slightly reassuring. Also, if something ever does go wrong with it, there are plenty of small engine shops around that should be able to work on it.

The Honeywell models also seemed interesting, but I got cold feet when I found where one person had published a lot of false information about them on Amazon, Home Depot, and one or two other web sites. Investigating further, I found that they are made by a small company in the Midwest that licenses the Honeywell brand name and, like B&S, does their manufacturing in China.

It's loud, but quieter than I expected. For a neighborhood where the houses tend to be at least 50 yards apart, this is not an intolerable noise level in my judgment. It seems to be no louder, and might actually be quieter, then the generators that my neighbors run. If you are really worried about noise, spend an extra $3000 and purchase a Honda inverter generator.

It starts right up and smooths out pretty quickly. It hardly skips a beat when you throw a load on it.

A nice touch is the recessed well around the gas tank filler spout any spills will tend to stay right near the filler neck and can easily be wiped up.

Some things could be better:

1) The ignition switch and key are so cheesy that I decided it would be smartest to leave the key in the switch permanently. This is my biggest complaint and Briggs and Stratton need to do better.

2) It's good that it comes with a low-oil cutoff system, but the manual indicates that the only way you know if that system is working is if it won't run. Since a lot of other things might cause it to not run, it would be nice if there was an indicator of some sort telling you that the low-oil protection system had disabled it.

3) Since I'm using this to power my service entrance panel (I have an interlock in the panel that prevents backfeeding), and since the neutral and ground are bonded in the panel, I need to modify the generator to have a "floating neutral", instead of the "bonded neutral" that it came with. The majority of portable generators have this same issue: very few are shipped with a floating neutral. That's fine if you want to use it standalone to run extension cords, power tools, etc, but it's wrong for powering a house when there's a service interruption. All of the manufacturers need to do a better job of documenting this requirement and making the configuration change easy to accomplish. Briggs and Stratton doesn't even talk about it in the manual, but they did respond when I e-mailed them and they did assure me that this modification would not void the warranty.

4) It would be really nice to have a gauge that showed me what my current load is, or at least what my peak load has been. I calculated that this model would be big enough to run the refrigerator, the well pump, the furnace, and a few other things, but it would be reassuring to have a gauge tell me that I am/am not approaching the maximum load that this model was rated for.

I had contemplated that I would manage concerns about stale gas by adding fuel stabilizer to the gas and also by shutting off the fuel valve and then letting it burn up the gas that remained in the carburetor, but the fuel valve trick is not a good idea. In order to produce the correct 60 Hz electrical frequency, the engine needs to run at constant speed. If you start to starve the engine for fuel, it spends a couple of minutes revving up and down as the fuel mixture becomes leaner and leaner, before it finally uses up everything in the float bowl. I concluded that it was better to just shut it off with the key, leave fuel in the carburetor, and go with the fuel stabilizer.

My garage doesn't really have room to store a generator, and even if it did: I don't like the idea of dragging this out into the driveway or over a snow bank when I need to use it. I wound up building a small shed to store it in. I designed it so that the roof tips up and all four sides can come off when I want to run it. That allows for plenty of ventilation and cooling, but provides a stable place, out of the way, to store it. And since the roof tips up but stays on the shed, it has some amount of protection from rain and snow that it wouldn't have if I was just wheeling it out into the driveway.

So far, I've only used it a couple of times but I've been very happy with it and it seems to provide ample power to run the things I need the most when the power goes out: submersible pump, oil furnace, refrigerator, a few lights and etc.

I am a Consumer Reports subscriber (magazine and online), this generator is brand new for 2010 and it has not yet been reviewed by Consumer Reports. The last ratings they have for generators was in June of 2009, one of the top ranked then was Briggs and Stratton model#30242. I purchased model#30470 from Ace Hardware because at the time it was cheaper than Amazon(same price now).

This generator comes almost fully assembled, all I had to do was put on the wheels and add oil, (provided) gas and connect the negative battery terminal. It started with the key on the first try and I don't think it is loud at all, my neighbors even commented on how quiet it is for a generator (my Echo Backpack leaf blower (74 dB(A) is almost as loud as this generator). I have run this generator at half-load 3,500 running watts using 30 and 20 amp extension cords and have had no problems. I fully expect this generator to handle the brutal New England winters without a problem.

Buy Briggs & Stratton 30470 7,000 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit Now

Living in a house that has well water with 3 young kids and the fact that neighborhood looses power frequently and with a history of multi-day outages, made the purchase of a generator a necessity.

I spent weeks researching generators, and kept coming back to the B&S 30470.

I have had great results with Briggs and Stratton engines going back to a 1979 lawn mower that i could not kill (wanted my dad to buy a self-propelled or lighter unit after 10 years of use) I digress...

I was fortunate to get the unit hooked up to a transfer switch by an electrician the day before Hurricane Irene came and I was so glad that I did. Before putting the generator to use, I loaded it with Mobil-1 Synthetic 5W-30. The drain plug on mine was on super tight and was nearly a knuckle buster when I broke torque. Below is some tips and advice that I have gleaned from my research and hope that it helps others.

1) Purchase price of the generator is typically not your only expense to getting power to your house. You have to consider the cost of a transfer switch, electrician, cable purchase which can run about $150 for a 50ft run, shed cost (if you plan on storing outside). You can also cheap charlie it and just use extension cords. But in my case the hastle of dealing with bugs in the summer,heat escaping in the winter and kids yanking or tripping on cords zig zagging through the house made the cheap charlie route not pass the WAF (wife acceptance factor).

2) Oil Consumption -I have read in Popular Mechanics that air cooled engines on average can consume 1 oz of oil per hour. I just changed after 5 hours and did not notice a drop in level. Knowing the potential for oil consumption, I am going to check oil level religiously during use and keep spare oil on hand.

3) Changing oil -Getting a rigid oil transport container under the drain plug is very difficult. My solution is to cut a reasonable size square opening say 2" x 2" in a 2 liter soda bottle and drain into the bottle first.

4) Use fuel stabilizer irregardless if you think that you are going to use it all up. Gas goes bad really fast especially E10 which is dispensed in most major metropolitan areas. Gas will turn to varnish and gum up the engine.

5) I want to explain the differences in float charger versus a trickle charger. I see so much misinformation in reviews on other sites. A float charger will only charge at the natural rate that the battery looses power. For example if a battery looses 5% a day, then the charger can only charge at 5% a day. A trickle charge will apply a constant charge to a battery, which could potentially lead to an overcharge which is a bad thing. Also all portable generators that I have seen do not charge the battery when they are running.

The cons:

The key insertion when the rubber cover is a little pain for me because the orientation of my generator in my enclosure. YMMV.

Noise, some might complain that it's too loud, I do not have any comparisons to other generators nor am I really close to my neighbors.

Oil change process.

Pros:

B&S reliability

Decent run time

A whole lot cheaper solution than a 12kw natural gas generator.

Read Best Reviews of Briggs & Stratton 30470 7,000 Watt 420cc Gas Powered Portable Generator With Wheel Kit Here

Bought this after last year's brutal snowstorm. I liked that it definitely handles my needs to operate comfortably (home mostly propane) and I like the key start. I keep it in the garage with the battery charger plugged in so it's ready when I need it and had an electrician install a manual transfer switch.

The electrician tested the generator hooked up to the switch with the well pump and most of the normal 120 circuits I'd want in a storm with no problem. He flushed the toilet repeatedly to empty the well tank so I could hear what a normal "blip" at the generator would sound like while the pump kicked in and refilled the tank.

I am rural so the noise is not an issue for me. I've not run this generator for a lot of hours but have run it the 5 hours prior to changing the oil the first time so it is ready for anything that this coming winter brings.

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I purchased this generator after doing a lot of research and kept coming back to Briggs & Stratton due to the availability of repair parts (if ever needed) and the noted reliability of their products. The transaction through Amazon was flawless and they had the best price (after promotion) by well over $150. Shipping through ABF was perfect and the driver was polite and right on time. They unloaded the generator for me right into the garage.

I have already broken in the engine by running it for an hour and changing the oil. I have since had a heater and air compressor hooked up with no issues whatsoever. The generator comes packaged well and assembly is quick and easy. I would definitely recommend this model and Amazon as a seller to anyone who is in the market to purchase a generator.

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Odyssey PC925 Automotive and LTV Battery

best product since sliced bread opened up a new world of support for my winch. Now i can operate my winch on my can am commander with out having the engine running. highly recomended for the terrain challenged riders like my self

I have used these for years in a Porsche Turbo that I track and street. Weight is an issue so the 25 lb saving with a 925is welcome. Plenty of cranking power.......lasts for two seasons, maybe longer. Good batts!

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Used this to replace my cheap 30-40 batteries that I buy every other year. This battery won't leak and has no lead terminals. If it lasts 8 years as claimed, it will be a great value as I won't need to replace all the time and be stuck in winter w/o a battery.

Read Best Reviews of Odyssey PC925 Automotive and LTV Battery Here

Thanks again, Amazon, another A+ transaction!!! The Odyssey battery was the best price anywhere and I was able to take advantage even further by enjoying free shipping! The product arrived three days earlier than advertised. What a very pleasant surprise! Thanks also to MotoGroup for offering such a fantastic deal on Amazon!

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I needed to replace the battery in my 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700. I had read on a Rhino forum that this was the absolute best replacement battery available. When I received it, it was very cold, about 3 degrees above zero. I installed it in my Rhino and it cranked up like it was summer time! This thing has power!! The battery had worked flawlessly everytime I ride. This battery costs more than a standard replacement but is well worth the investment in my opinion.

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Htc Phone USB Car Charger DC With Ic Chip - Banana Shape

Looks like a good product but the description isn't clear about the interface it's a MINI USB and not a MICRO USB. Evidently the newer phones are moving to the Micro interface. So be careful about buying it.

eForCity Compatible with LG Cosmos VN250 enV Touch VX11000 CAR CHARGER

This product is just like the ones you pay 15 plus dollars. It works great, just like it should. I received it in a timely manner. I would order again from this participant.

I purchased this car charger as a replacement to a similar model, which was failing to a problem with the wire. So far this model is functioning better, but the plastic housing is rather cheaply made and the two sides are beginning to separate. Probably nothing a little glue can't fix, but I guess you get what you pay for. Overall still working well since my purchase.

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Cord is way too short on this one for me. In our van (Honda Odyssey) the cord is stretched out to reach the dash and puts constant pressure onto the mount because of it.

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Developed a short in the cord after the most minimal use. Was able to move it around to get it to work for a while, but eventually it stopped working no matter what I did. I guess you get what you pay for.

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I had worn out my previous car charger and needed a replacement. I looked around and being on a budget I couldnt bring myself to spending 30+ dollars at ATT. This product does as what its suppose to. It plugs in and charges my phone. I bought this for a Galaxy Note and it works great being that most Android phones use the same USB. Im extremelty happy with this product. I received it in less than one week, which is great considering it was during the holiday season!!!

USB Sync & Charge Cradle (with AC Charger) for AT&T HTC Tilt 2

This is my second Orion cradle and like the other, it workds nicely.

I am not a fan of Micro USB, I think Mini USB was a smoother plug to use, but what can you do. I don't know if it is an issue with the Micro USB standard, or the tolerances on the cradle, but inserting and removal are nto as smooth as my old Orion Mini USB dock.

Don't know if it is the Micro USB standard, so I won't remove a star as it does work just fine with just the minor annoyance.

By the way, I purchased a GSI dock too, it was DOA. I'll always turn to Orion first.

This cradle fits tilt 2 perfectly and spare battery charger is just what I wanted. Now if I forget to charge the phone I still have a backup battery that is ready to go.

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Sandisk Sansa Univseral USB Charger Kit - Retractable Sync Charge Cable - Home Travel Wall AC Adapt

The picture implies five items this is misleading. There are only three items: the A/C adapter, the car charger and the retractable USB cord. Additionally, the USB cord connection to my Sansa Fuze did not fit! When contacted, the seller did not offer to replace it they just stated that it was the correct one. I bought the kit specifically for the A/C adapter, and that works fine, so I'm not returning the kit. But I wouldn't buy anything else from this seller.

Came quick worked as advertise and gave me all the pieces at the price of just the charger in the store so I think it's Great

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The mp3 player only came with the usb charging cable to connect to the computer. Many times I would take it with me without charging it. Now I can charge it in the car or at the office with the two adaptors that are provided in this kit.

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The charger works as designed and is very visitable. Can plug into wall, car or USB computer. Works well and is inexpensive.

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Car Charger For Samsung t409, t429, t439

charger was .01c!!!!!!!! how can you beat that?! only paid $5 for shipping! Works just like the $30 charger at T-Mobile!!

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!! and VERY FAST SHIPPING on standard shipping (3days)!!

UPDATE::: ok we got this about 6 months ago. it worked great at first but then the plug for lighter wouldn't stay in.

for $5, I guess I got my moneys worth...lol

I was surprised to have this item waiting for me in my mailbox in under 5 days from the day I ordered it.

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I looked at Wal Mart for a car charger for my Samsung T429, not only did they not have any but for simular charger they were asking around $20. I got this one for 78 cents plus shipping. Less than five bucks, plus I got t in about 2 days. What a deal!!!

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Schumacher 520A-PE Fully Automatic Dual-Rate Charger

You do not have a lot of choices with this charger, fast or slow 12 volt charge. There is no 'start' choice, nor is there a 6 volt option. It works for me, and it works real well.

Schumacher 520A-PE Fully Automatic Dual-Rate Charger.

Amazon records indicate I bought this two years ago. I have used it several times.

It has a well built durable plastic case and has performed as expected

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Westinghouse WH7500E Portable Generator, 7500 Running Watts/9000 Starting Watts

Received it 12/26/12, assembled wheels & lift bars, added oil to engine and connected negative battery terminal. Turned off the main breaker on the generator, added gas and hit the electric start and she fired right off. Let it run for about 5 minutes, shut engine down and plugged it into the exterior 30amp box. Re-started the generator, turned off the house main breaker, moved the interlock over, turned on the generator breaker in the main box and then the main breaker on the generator. Turned on the individual breakers in the main panel one by one and the whole house was up and running! Lights, TV, heat, computer/laser printer, 2 refrigerator/freezers even turned on my 220V 15amp compressor in the garage, ran everything with out a hiccup.

Things I like:

1. Longer run time than most; 12 hours on a 6.6 gallon tank (at 50% load)

2. 3 year warranty.

3. Hour meter to monitor run time and oil changes.

4. Engine is designed to run on up to 10% ethanol gas!!!

5. Low oil auto shut off.

6. Electrical overload protection.

It seems well built and has a very large muffler which makes it much quieter then most generators its size. When the next power outage occurs I will run it for 20 hours, drain the oil and replace it with 0/40 Amsoil small engine 4 Stroke synthetic oil. Hopefully I will receive many years of service from this generator.

I also purchased the Sunforce 50013 1-Watt Motorcycle and Powersports Solar Battery Charger to maintain the battery's charge when not in use. Works great, see my review.

I received the generator this past weekend. My experience with the shipping company was not the best (arrived 4.5 hours after the expected time) but all else was fine. I agree with the other reviews as to why this generator is different than others in this class. This one has:

Longer run time than most. 11+ hours on a 6.6 gallon tank (at 50% load)

A 3 year warranty Most are 1 or 2

Built, supported and serviced in USA

My first impressions taking out of the box was this was a well built unit. The instructions are pretty simple and all you have to do is attach the wheels, attached the handles, attach the negative battery cable (it is zipped tied to a cable above the battery) and add oil

The oil capacity of the unit is 1.5 quarts so you just pour the entire included bottle of oil into the motor before starting and you are all set. Starting it up was a simple push of the button and once the choke is off the engine runs super smooth and is relatively quiet. It is quieter than my 4-cycle snowblower. I did test all the outlets and plugged in about 2000 watts worth of stuff and all seemed okay. I'm very happy with it!

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After over a year of research and nit-picking over all the important stuff: run time, clean continuous voltage delivery, wattage, ruggedness, and manufacture support, Westinghouse always made it onto the short list. The WH7500E meets all of these requirements in spades. And although my first understanding was that it was made in the USA, which it is not, it is supported by a very robust and helpful service team with centers located across the country. Not a single regret.

UPDATE: And having spent the time running the engine through an adequate break-in period (about 15 hours), luckily just prior to a series of heavy wet snow storms in MA which pulled down trees and power lines, i was simply giddy with excitement when we lost utility power and it was time to fire up the generator and see how well it worked. i was able to provide power to two refrigerators, the furnace, TV, DVD player, lights in the kitchen, bathroom living room and each bedroom, microwave and it never surpassed 50% load. this thing is awesome.

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March 4th 2013 Update:Had a new distribution panel with an integrated mechanical interlock for a generator circuit installed in the house along with a 30 amp outdoor receptacle. We hooked the generator up to the house and turned on all the breakers in the panel. I then started to add loads and the generator did not miss a beat! I was told that I wouldn't be able to run my electric stove off a generator....wrong! I had 2 burners on, most of the lights, a refrigerator and then a large microwave oven all at once without a problem. The watt meters in my panel showed only about 4000W being drawn. In response to this test I have upgraded my rating from 4 to 5 stars. My electrician was so impressed he has been recommending this set-up to others.

Like many others I spent a lot of time researching generators before choosing the Westinghouse WH7500. My main consideration was to buy a unit that would be reliable and long lasting and easy to get service for. After all it was bought for backup power and probably won't be used except during times of emergency, so reliability was most important. Secondly I wanted a generator that was fuel efficient. After Super Storm Sandy, gas was hard to come by on Long Island as it was in other places. Thirdly I wanted it to have safety features like overload protection and low oil shut off.

Well I believe I got what I wanted with the WH7500. I unpacked the box and quickly put the wheels and handles on. Connected the battery, filled it with the oil provided, put about ¾ of a gallon of gas in and pressed the start button. Without hesitation the engine cranked and immediately started. After about 5 to 10 seconds I switched the choke off and the engine smoothed right out. I left it running and plugged my wife's 1900W blow drier in, and then I added a 12 amp vacuum cleaner and an electric drill. No problem, plenty of power. I left the generator running for about an hour before closing off the fuel supply to empty the carburetor. In the coming weeks I intend to wire a receptacle to the side of the house so that the generator can be tied directly into my distribution panel with the use of a mechanical interlock for safety. Once that is accomplished and the generator has been tested on the home in a real life like situation I will burn off the rest of the gas in the tank, then change the oil, "fog" the engine and put the unit in storage till it is needed. Until that test I am only rating it 4 stars (up graded to 5 stars, see above). The generator looks well-made and solid. I never had a small engine start so well on the first try.

BTW one of the factors I was looking for was a unit built in the U.S.A. and I thought the WH7500 met the bill. To my surprise the label on the box reads "Designed and engineered in the USA. Generator and accessories made in China". I'm not sure if that means the engine is built in the US and the generator head with the rest in China or not. I believe and hope that a major US manufacturer with the reputation of Westinghouse keeps tight control over their overseas factories. Only time will tell. For now I am very happy with my purchase.

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I got this generator to replace a smaller 3200W generator that had been used with extension cords for power outages. I was having a transfer switch/panel installed and wanted a larger unit to go along with it. After researching several brands, including Generac and Briggs and Stratton, I went with this Westinghouse and I am very happy I did.

First, the shipping from Amazon with free Amazon Prime shipping. It was supposed to arrive in 2 days on a Wed, but when I spoke with the shipping company, it was running a day late. If I did not have power at the time and was awaiting the generator, the extra day might have felt like eternity, but we were fine waiting for an extra day, especially with the free shipping for a 200 lb item. Since we didn't pay for shipping, we didn't qualify for any shipping refund through Prime. The next day (Thu) the shipping company (CEVA) arrived 30 minutes early from the scheduled window and the item was rolled into my garage. No need to pay extra for "liftgate" service, etc that some other online retailers selling generators will charge.

Unpacking and installation was easy. It includes the wheel kit, handles, and a bottle of oil and a funnel. There are also some rudimentary wrenches and a spark plug wrench (I just used my own). It may help to have 2 people to unpack the generator and turn it on its side to attach the wheels, but I was able to do it myself in about 30 minutes, including adding the oil and gas.

The generator is solidly built and appears to be very well made. I had called Westinghouse regarding a question prior to purchase (more on that below), as there are mixed comments about where these are built. They said in fact it was assembled in China like most generators of this class out there now. However, the quality appears first class and their 3 year warranty backs that up. Most portable generators only have 1-2 years warranty.

About their customer service, I had called Westinghouse/Westpro Power regarding a question I had about the neutral bonding. A real person picked up, took the initial question and transferred me directly to Dennis, their service manager! (their names/pictures are also listed on the Westpro Power website very cool to know you're dealing with real people on the other end, not some customer service maze/nightmare!) He was very good at answering the questions: yes, the neutral is bonded to the frame, but yes, you can unbond it to make it "floating neutral" without voiding the warranty. This is technically the proper way to do things if you are hooking it up to your house, but I won't get into that here. He did want this done by an electrician, and was willing to forward the schematics to my electrician. It was so reassuring to know that this company stands behind its generators and that you speak to the people that actually run the company and are knowledgeable about their products. He asked where I live and when I told him Boston area, he said they had a major distribution center in the Boston area and several service/warranty affiliates as well. This information and service is priceless in my book, especially after all the nightmare stories about other brands' sketchy customer service.

Back to the generator, it fired up the first attempt with the electric starter (no dead battery here!) and was easy to connect to my inlet box and transfer switch. Powered all the circuits I needed without any problem during my initial trial.

PROS:

-Well built construction

-OHV engine, Cast iron cylinders

-Includes Battery/Wheel Kit

-According to the manual, the generator charges the battery while its running (you still may need a maintenance charger depending on your use)

-Hour meter

-REAL Customer service Real knowledgeable people that answer their phones!

-3 year warranty, best in the business

-Service centers in the Boston area

CONS:

-Consumer generators are a new thing for Westinghouse, so they don't have a super long track record yet, but their service and warranty stand behind them

-It only has a single 30amp outlet, depending on your setup if you're using it in the field, you may want more flexibility with another 30amp outlet

-Wheels are attached with a large pin and hairpin cotter, not a threaded bolt and nut (although I wheeled it by myself surprisingly easily over uneven/muddy ground from my driveway out to the backyard)

All in all, I'm very satisfied with the purchase of this Westinghouse generator!

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