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

Monday, October 20, 2014

AGPtek® BaoFeng New Model UV-5R 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual Band UHF/VHF Two Way Radio + Free earpie

AGPtek®  BaoFeng New Model UV-5R 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual Band UHF/VHF Two Way Radio + Free earpiece
  • FM transceiver with extensive receive frequency coverage,providing local-area two-way amateur communications along with unmatched monitoring capability.
  • VHF/UHF Dual-band two way radio. Dual Freq, Display, Dual-Standby. Built-in VOX Function. LED Flashlight.
  • Frequency Range: 136-174 / 400-480MHz. 1750Hz Brust Tone. Output Power: 4 /1Watts.
  • FM Radio (65.0MHz-108.0MHz). 128 Channels 50 CTCSS and 104 CDCSS.
  • Large LCD Display. Hight /Low RF Power Switchable. Emergency Alert. Low Battery Alert. Monitor Channel.

so far I like them very much. it is great when you are on the go and still be able too. get a hold of any body that you want

Buy AGPtek® BaoFeng New Model UV-5R 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual Band UHF/VHF Two Way Radio + Free earpie Now

Very nice product, I reall love the device, easy to programm great price and with very fast shipping. I give it 5 stars all the way. Thank you!!

Sunday, August 17, 2014

BestDealUSA LCD Display Vehicle Car Thermometer Hygrometer Clock Alarm

BestDealUSA LCD Display Vehicle Car Thermometer Hygrometer Clock Alarm
  • Large easy-to-read LCD display
  • 12/24 hours format Alarm and snooze
  • Clock, humidity, calendar
  • Display temp, humidity, calendar, time at the same time
  • Support Celsius and Fahrenheit reading

This product would not work properly for me. I could not get it to display the temperature, time, or other readouts. I tried everything the directions suggested to no avail. The company however was a pleasure to deal with and gave me a full refund and did not even require me to mail the product back. Terribly disappointed by the product, very happy with the customer service.

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It reads a couple degrees above or below the bank sign temperatures. So it's pretty accurate and it's easy to read and use. The adhesive didn't stick for long but we just bough another adhesive strip and it sticks fine.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Premium Car Charger for Verizon Wireless Razzle TXT8030

Premium Car Charger for Verizon Wireless Razzle TXT8030This charger does the job, if the car is motionless. Otherwise, the connection to the phone is loose & the phone repeatedly signals a lost connection. This was on a straight, even turnpike no pot holes, twists and turns, etc. If the phone and the attached cord can be completely immobilized, it might work.

It was exactly what i needed at a great price. I now have an extra one to take on trips.

Buy Premium Car Charger for Verizon Wireless Razzle TXT8030 Now

Friday, June 6, 2014

Retractable Cell Phone Car Charger for Nokia 6101 / 6102 / 6102i / 6103, 6126, 6131 / 6133 / 6136,

Retractable Cell Phone Car Charger for Nokia 6101 / 6102 / 6102i / 6103, 6126, 6131 / 6133 / 6136, 6165i, 6233, 6265i, 6275i, 6555, 2865i, 3155i, 5300 musicXpress, 6085 / 6086, E61 / E62, N75, N95, 6300, E51, 2660 / 2760, 2135, 6263I picked this product over other chargers because of the retractable feature. And that has been much more useful than I anticipated. No problems so far. On a minor note, the blue LED looks better than the typical red ones.

my husband really enjoy this charger great price this site is the best to come to.

Buy Retractable Cell Phone Car Charger for Nokia 6101 / 6102 / 6102i / 6103, 6126, 6131 / 6133 / 6136, Now

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

12V 8.5AH Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Battery for GRUBER POWER GPS-8.5-12

12V 8.5AH Sealed Lead Acid Battery for GRUBER POWER GPS-8.5-12I recently purchased different batteries for a Razor scooter and thought those were good. I got 2 more scooter and bought 4 of these batteries for the 2 new Razor scooter. Wow! You can tell a performance improvement both in power and lasting longer per ride. All 3 scooters were the same model so they should perform the same. I wish I had gotten the first scooter these batteries.

And the shipping was super fast, I had the batteries within 3 days!

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

AC Wall Charger + Car Charger Adapter for Panasonic DMC-FX700, DMC-FX75, DMC-ZR1, DMC-ZS1, DMC-ZS3,

AC Wall Charger + Car Charger Adapter for Panasonic DMC-FX700, DMC-FX75, DMC-ZR1, DMC-ZS1, DMC-ZS3, DMC-ZS5, DMC-ZX1, TZ6, TZ7Great replacement for the disappeared charger. Comes with bonus car adapter. Very handy. A bit more lightweight than the original. But this should not suffer much wear and tear.

This item was stolen from me along with several other items I had in my purse. But the item was excellent and it did it job performance on keeping my camera charged a long time.

Buy AC Wall Charger + Car Charger Adapter for Panasonic DMC-FX700, DMC-FX75, DMC-ZR1, DMC-ZS1, DMC-ZS3, Now

I guess with such a low price you can't expect much. This charger, although it says it's for the DMC-ZS5, has only two prongs instead of three, and the battery falls out of it very easily. I didn't even attempt to charge battery because it appeared to be wrong and I didn't want to damage it. The seller was great though and refunded my money. I wouldn't recommend this item. It would be better to just buy the "real" one from Panasonic.

Read Best Reviews of AC Wall Charger + Car Charger Adapter for Panasonic DMC-FX700, DMC-FX75, DMC-ZR1, DMC-ZS1, DMC-ZS3, Here

This product is as described and adds a function that the one supplied with the DMC-ZS9 did not have. It will charge the Lumix battery and another more powerful after-market one I also purchased.

Want AC Wall Charger + Car Charger Adapter for Panasonic DMC-FX700, DMC-FX75, DMC-ZR1, DMC-ZS1, DMC-ZS3, Discount?

Monday, April 21, 2014

GSI Super Quality Desktop 3-In-1 Rapid Charger/Cradle/Data-Sync Docking Station

GSI Super Quality Desktop 3-In-1 Rapid Charger/Cradle/Data-Sync Docking StationGreat idea, poorly made product. The metal piece that was meant to go into the phone pushed back into the plastic base. I was not cramming it on. Do not waste your money.

Title and picture are misleading. You think you're getting a great product that charges your phone and spare battery at the same time, but NO. It literally is a charger for your phone-which is only chargeable through your computer or separate usb compatible charging unit-and place to HOLD your spare battery. What's the point of having this if it doesn't even charge your spare battery?? If I wanted to sync or charge my phone usaing my computer, I would've simply bought a usb cord, but that's not what I wanted. BEWARE before you purchase from this seller, they are misleading! Oh, and btw, the space designated for your battery is too large and does not properly fit the battery.

Buy GSI Super Quality Desktop 3-In-1 Rapid Charger/Cradle/Data-Sync Docking Station Now

The product works fine it does charge the phone and a battery at the same time. When I got mine the part that plugs into the phone was broken the plastic around the plug was broken. I just super glued it back together and it has worked fine ever since.

Read Best Reviews of GSI Super Quality Desktop 3-In-1 Rapid Charger/Cradle/Data-Sync Docking Station Here

I got this charger for my cousin he works in an Office. A very busy office where he pretty much is always on his phone & computer. He wanted something not to big or bulky looking to keep on his desk. Since his desk is filled out with a computer, 3 phones and various other electronics I figured this one is a nice size. He liked the fact that he could charge it using his computer and the fact there was an extra chargig slot for another battery was a plus. So far no complaints at all on this unit. Will update if something happens to go wrong.

Want GSI Super Quality Desktop 3-In-1 Rapid Charger/Cradle/Data-Sync Docking Station Discount?

I thought all I had to do was place my phone in the cradle to charge it. But really all it is is a stand. There is a slot for charging my extra battery, and that works fine.

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Friday, February 21, 2014

EMPIRE LG Motion 4G MS770 Retractable Car Charger (CLA)

EMPIRE LG Motion 4G MS770 Retractable Car ChargerI love this charger! It works great, and being retractable it is so easy to put away without having the cord in the way. And I received it earlier then expected.

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Saturday, February 1, 2014

JR Products 4302 12" Collapsible Clothes Rod

JR Products 4302 12' Collapsible Clothes RodBought two of these for our small travel trailer. They are easy to install and work perfectly in our small wardrobe and in the bathroom. I also like the way they fold up and out of the way.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Tuneflex Aux NANO2 Flex Cradle Charger with 3.5 Audio Cable

Tuneflex Aux NANO2 Flex Cradle Charger with 3.5 Audio CableI thought that this was for the iPhone because it was not specified it was for the Nano until I received this package. ALSO IT WAS NOT SPECIFIED THAT AN MP3 OUTLET IS NEEDED!!! This is not at ALL what I thought I bought. Y'all need to have a better description of your item because on the picture AN IPOD, NOT A NANO, IS DISPLAYED ON THE DEVICE!!!! DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU HAVE AN NANO AND AN MP3 AUX CORD OUTLET!!!!

The arm resists movement quite well, and holds the shape it wants to. This is great if you get it into the right shape and face the direction you want it to. I spent 20min trying to get it just right and wasn't able to, meaning it is basically useless to me, as I have to reach over and twist the iPod screen toward me to do anything, which defeats the purpose. Also, make sure you realize that this one does not include an FM transmitter like all the rest that look like it, it ONLY powers the iPod.

Buy Tuneflex Aux NANO2 Flex Cradle Charger with 3.5 Audio Cable Now

I originally thought that this unit would charge my iPod, as well as mount it in my vehicle. When I received the unit, however, I found this not to be the case. On a more positive note, it does hold the iPod in a convenient location, and does have a 'pass-thru' port that allows a charger to be connected. The price I paid was ridiculously low, so I can't possibly complain.

Read Best Reviews of Tuneflex Aux NANO2 Flex Cradle Charger with 3.5 Audio Cable Here

Monday, January 20, 2014

PowerDisc Mini 90-Watt Auto Power Inverter

PowerDisc Mini 90-Watt Auto Power InverterThis little device works great for cell phone charges and the like. But I bought it to use my MacBook Pro while traveling in my car (my partner drives, i ride) and as soon as i plug it in, it goes out. The Mac Book Pro uses an 85 watt plug in so i thought a 90 watt continuos power adapter would be perfect... Not. I guess it can't handle it so it just checks out.

If you only need it for smaller appliances on the go, than it is fine.

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Thursday, December 19, 2013

BoxWave Samsung Omnia i900 Desktop Cradle (With Spare Battery Charger)

BoxWave Samsung Omnia i900 Desktop Cradlei like this because i can charge an extra battery for my phone. i use my omnia for playing my music so i carry an extra battery. i have yet to drain the first battery but i might. :)

the con: well you still have to stick the wire into the side of the omnia. which says more about the annoying design of the omnia then the docking station.

the omnia only has ONE propretary opening into the entire phone. it has to be used for head phones, charging, docking, adapters and anything else you want external to the phone.

I am not completely satisfied with the Omnia itself but this charger just adds insult to injury as far as the phone is concerned. The only positive thing about this charger is that you can charge and sync at the same time. Other than that it is an overpriced piece of plastic that holds your phone up so you can stick the cord into the side. The cord sticks out which prevents a nice streamlined look for your desk. If it were not the only option, I would never select this desktop cradle. For that matter, I would not select the Omnia again either.

Additionally, I have only had this charger for a month and it has already stopped working. I will be contacting the company tomorrow.

Buy BoxWave Samsung Omnia i900 Desktop Cradle (With Spare Battery Charger) Now

Monday, November 11, 2013

BoxWave Nexus One Desktop Cradle (With Spare Battery Charger)

BoxWave Nexus One Desktop CradleProduct seems to do the basics, earning three stars; I cannot comment on the spare battery charger, having not tried it. Coming from the Blackberry world, where there are some very nice, easy charging stands for my BB Bold, I was looking for the equivalent for my Nexus One, feeding power into what appear to be charging points on the body of the phone. What I got instead was a stand with a clumsy USB plug feeding into the phone. I don't know if the problem is a design limitation of the Nexus One or just this stand. It takes the usual micro-USB fumbling to get the connector into the socket, a frustrating disappointment, but it does work. I don't bother taking this traveling with me, since it's just as easy to use the USB cable directly and prop the Nexus up on whatever's handy.

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Friday, November 8, 2013

Roadpro RPPI-300W 300/600 Watt DC to AC Power Inverter with 12-Volt Plug and Direct to Battery Hook

Roadpro RPPI-300W 300/600 Watt DC to AC Power Inverter with 12-Volt Plug and Direct to Battery Hook-UpI've never reviewed anything before, but I really enjoyed this product and it doesn't have any reviews so I thought I'd review it.

It feels like it's of pretty high quality. One of the reasons why I am particularly happy with it is that I bought it for about $16:-D (price mistake?). I'm running my laptop off of it currently (dell 15 inch with discrete graphics) and it hasn't even gotten warm. I haven't been able to get the fan to turn on, hopefully the loads I've used it for are too low and it's not actually broken.

It comes with both a cigarette adapter and alligator clips for connecting directly to a car battery (or other DC source). I like that it has 2 plugs, though it would be nice to have an USB plug also...but I can't complain:).

Anyways, I don't think I would have bought it for $40, but it's definitely worth that much (I'm just cheap)

This item seems to ship for PA, it only took 2 days to arrive.

It comes in a blister pack and is surprisingly small, included is a tiny 19 page manual, 32" Direct to battery cord with medium sized alligator clamps, and a 32" inch cord with a cigarette lighter plug, and of course the inverter unit itself. The dimensions of the unit are 5"L by 2" high by 3.5" wide.

Tested using a small 8Amp 12v SLA AGM battery.

The unit's manual specifies that the Low Battery alarm will sound at 10.7 volts, however it's actually 11.00 volts. The alarm can not be turned off, so I did not experiment to see what voltage the unit would cut off at. At the Battery Cut Off voltage specified in the manual (10 Volts) your battery would be destroyed. However it's unlikely anyone would be leave the thing running for that long, without noticing the VERY LOUD alarm. a typical car battery probably has at least 300-600watts of storage (for one hour), and is recharged faster then the inverter could deplete it if the car is running.

The internal fan never came on, the manual specifies it will only come on under a load of 100watts. i've only tested a 60watt laptop and it ran without any problems, with the inverter only becoming warm.

I don't see anyone having trouble drawing 300 watts from a car battery due to the batteries voltage drop under load, I tested a 0.7v drop under heavy load with a tiny 8Amp SLA battery for lamp, there were no problems powering electronic equipment.

----

So, in summery, the alarm sounds at a reasonable battery voltage, but the cut off voltage is useless. The device does not draw an appreciable current while idle, but you might want to disconnect it when not in use anyway to protect the cars battery during extended storage of the car (-5Amps/day). This is a pretty awesome product for a $20 inverter, but it's probably not really all that wise to run sensitive electronics on it for long periods of time, you know, like days.

Inverter Manual Specifications: RPPI-300W

AC Voltage (normal) 111v AC

DC Internal Voltage 10-15Volts DC

Continous AC Output 240 Watts

30 Minute AC Output 300 Watts

Maximum AC Power Output (Surge) 600 Watts

AC Output Frequency 60Hz ± 4Hz

AC Output Waveform Modified Sine Wave

Battery Drain (No Load) 0.20 Amps

Efficiency (Maximum) 90%

Ambient Operating Temperature 32F (0C) 104F (40C)

Low Battery Alarm Trigger 10.7 Volts

Low Battery Shut Down 10.0 Volts

High Battery Shut Down 15 Volts

If you have any questions i'll probably reply to them here.

Buy Roadpro RPPI-300W 300/600 Watt DC to AC Power Inverter with 12-Volt Plug and Direct to Battery Hook Now

I have had this inverter for about a year now. it still works like new (Knock on wood). I have no problems with it.

Read Best Reviews of Roadpro RPPI-300W 300/600 Watt DC to AC Power Inverter with 12-Volt Plug and Direct to Battery Hook Here

I have this guy permanently installed in my car. It's never drained the battery, and has always worked. I have my car charger plugged into it all the time, and although my cell gets warm when charging, it's never hurt anything. It beeps when I turn my car on, but otherwise I never even know it's there.

Want Roadpro RPPI-300W 300/600 Watt DC to AC Power Inverter with 12-Volt Plug and Direct to Battery Hook Discount?

I bought this item to inflate tubes using an AC powered inflator using only 1.8 Amps, well under the rating for the device. I connected the converter directly to the battery as required in this situation, and correctly had the polarity of the connections in place. Upon turning the power switch on, I heard a pop and it was totally dead. I'd give this zero stars but chose one star since that seems to be the lowest one that has a description associated to it. I do not recommend that anyone buys it. I am not even bothering to return it since the cost is not worth the time, effort an shipping costs involved.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Sunforce 82883 Solar "AA" Battery Charger

Sunforce 82883 Solar 'AA' Battery ChargerOnly way this unit would be worth anything is as a last resort. Even in full sun it rarely generates more then 120 mA and 80 mA is probably the average and the slightest wisp of cloud drops it to near zero. With todays 2000-2750 mAH rechargeable batteries this unit would take 125 hours to charge 4 2500 mAH batteries. Assuming 6 hours of "full" sun a day at 80 mA it would take almost 21 days to charge those four batteries. Real world would be more likely a month.

Like I said, maybe if it was all I had, but there are better places to spend your money.

I bought one of these several years ago and am surprised these are still made.

As someone has already mentioned, this unit doesn't provide a lot of power. You're really looking at weeks to completely charge a set of batteries and that's if you have a place that gets sun most of the day. Having it inside a window causes a pretty significant drop in amps, but leaving it outside for weeks isn't a great alternative either. Obviously partial charges and top ups may work for some people, but for most this is just not efficient enough.

But another big problem with this unit is the batteries are in a closed plastic case in the sun. Heat degrades rechargable batteries and I doubt any manufacturer would recommend it for such an extended period as this solar charger requires. I don't feel comfortable with how hot they get as it probably shortens the battery lifespan. There's a platicky smell when it heats up. There really should be an air gap and a more open case that allows excess heat to be carried away.

With two big flaws, I think people should apply their money toward a better charger, even if more expensive.

Buy Sunforce 82883 Solar "AA" Battery Charger Now



Sunforce 82883 Solar AA Battery Charger Review.

Works well. Does not work well when on dashboard of car because of UV protection of the windsheild. Direct Sun 160 mA, when on dashboard brought it down to 40 mA.

Very pleased with the item

Read Best Reviews of Sunforce 82883 Solar "AA" Battery Charger Here

using these in Uganda to charge cells used to power mp3 players..

works very well in bright sunny areas

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This charger is a piece of crap. It takes a week to get batteries to a partial charge, and has no charge controller built in so there is a constant charge / discharge going on. I left a set of brand new high capacity nimh batteries in it for 3 weeks thinking they would finally be charged and they where garbage. they would not even charge up to 25% capacity in a plug in charger afterwords.

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Saturday, October 26, 2013

GTMax Hot Pink USB Mini Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter for Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy Prevail

GTMax Hot Pink USB Mini Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter for Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy PrevailI had purchased one and it dint work so good but the seller contacted me and send me a new one this one works great i will deff. buy another one when i need one .

This charger is very fashionable and handy for any electronic. I used it for my phone and iPod. My friends love it because it's pink. Now all of them want to buy one. I think you should too. Buy it and try it!

Buy GTMax Hot Pink USB Mini Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter for Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy Prevail Now

I love that the adapter is in awesome pink color and that it lights up when it is plugged in, showing me that it works. It does not charge as fast as my old car charger, but that's ok. I also like the fact that I can use my own cords, since i have so many of them, and that i can use this adapter for more than just the phone.

Read Best Reviews of GTMax Hot Pink USB Mini Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter for Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy Prevail Here

The product was very cost effective. Product arrived very quickly and came as expected. It's not the fanciest product, but you get what you pay for. It works well and I enjoy the fact that it is pink!

Want GTMax Hot Pink USB Mini Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter for Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy Prevail Discount?

works great for my iphone and the best part is that its pink...seven six five four three two one zero

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Monday, September 30, 2013

HEAVY DUTY 300 amp 8 gauge No Tangle Battery Booster cables 10 feet with FREE travel case Jumper Ca

HEAVY DUTY 300 amp 8 gauge No Tangle Battery Booster cables 10 feet with FREE travel case Jumper Cables Extra long 10ftNice packaging .heavy duty enough for my F350 Diesel .just what I wanted and as advertised.came on time and properly

Looks good and I hope I never have to use them. I bought them just to be prepared and they look like they will get the job done.

Buy HEAVY DUTY 300 amp 8 gauge No Tangle Battery Booster cables 10 feet with FREE travel case Jumper Ca Now

These jumper cables were very cheap and work very nicely. I haven't had them long but i hope they work for years to come.

Read Best Reviews of HEAVY DUTY 300 amp 8 gauge No Tangle Battery Booster cables 10 feet with FREE travel case Jumper Ca Here

The cables seem good enough to do their job, but just like in a previous post, the cable bag that came with it was already ripped when I got it.

Want HEAVY DUTY 300 amp 8 gauge No Tangle Battery Booster cables 10 feet with FREE travel case Jumper Ca Discount?

Hopefully I never need them but if i do they look to be good quality cables that will do the job i need.

Minus one star for the case they came in. Very cheap, and already has a tear in it (arrived that way). They're giong in the trunk anyway so I really dont care, but it'd be nice if I was the one putting the tear in it, not arriving that way. Don't NOT get them just because of that though, they're still worth it at a great price.

Whistler Pro-2000W 2,000 Watt Power Inverter

Whistler Pro-2000W 2,000 Watt Power InverterI am an over the road truck driver and we bought a Cuisinart K-Cup coffe maker that draws 1500 watts of power and my 1500 watt inverter could not handle it. We installed this inverter and upgraded the inline fuses to 80 amps and it works like a charm. It can be a bit noisy under load but for the price I am VERY pleased. We have been using for three months so far.

Did not last 2 months. Powered a microwave about 5 times, a coffee pot about 10, and a laptop on occasion. Now it starts whining with an audible alarm and shuts down regardless what I try to power with it. Also the built in USB port didn't never work either, would not even charge an iPad. I am just outside the window of return with it so now I must contact the company who made it and hope for the best.

Edit 7/25/2012

I have come back to report that I never was able to get this company to respond concerning the failure of this unit or any type of RMA. I have resigned to the fact that I threw away almost $200 and I am having to order a different brand now from another company in hopes for the best. I do not recommend this brand

Buy Whistler Pro-2000W 2,000 Watt Power Inverter Now

I did my research, and looked over countless reviews. I bought the Whistler Pro-2000 watt power inverter, and I am VERY HAPPY!!! I am a trucker so I know what I am talking about when it comes to the needs of everyday power inverter use. I didn't want to have to use all 4 batteries to run a power inverter. I was using a Sima STP 1500 watt power inverter, and it always had problems running my 700 watt micro wave. I installed my Whistler Pro-2000 watt today and it worked just great. I am all smiles. My micro wave worked great without any problems. The digital read out told me how many watts I was using, and the 3 fans on the back kept it nice and cool. The old inverter would take 4 min. to cook a bag of popcorn, I guess because it wasn't supplying enough power. With my Whistler I was able to cook the same bag of popcorn in 2:30 min. and it almost burnt the popcorn, that is how well it performed. I will continue to update this review when I test it even further.

Read Best Reviews of Whistler Pro-2000W 2,000 Watt Power Inverter Here

This is my first inverter so I have no point of reference to compare it to, but it's meeting my expectations in every way. Do read the reviews for this and other Whistler models as well as other inverters to avoid the mistake of thinking you can plug this into your cigarette lighter and you're done it ain't that simple! Please, please forget using your cigarette lighter with any inverter over 200W right now...you are almost certain to toast fuses or wiring in your car.

And oh yeah, a complete solution is not as cheap as this single item either.

My biggest complaint was about grounding the unit. There is a ground connector but not much detail about *how* to ground it or *why* to ground it in the manual. Searching around on the web I found posts suggesting that (1) you don't really need to ground it and indeed it works just fine without a ground wire, (2) if you don't ground it you will die, and (3) if you DO ground it you will die. I think I got that resolved (more later). My only other complaint is trivial: the supposedly always-powered USB port on mine is only powered when the switch is on. Not a huge deal.

I bought this to supply power to a few items in my house in the event of a sustained power grid failure caused by something like an ice storm or a hurricane, both of which I've experienced. I've had a gasoline generator for years but it took up lots of room, had to be maintained (oil/filter changes, keeping the tires inflated, exercising it periodically) and I had to remember to go buy lots and lots of flammable gasoline to store when the weather looked nasty (and provide space for all those gasoline containers). After reading a lot on the web I sold and replaced it with a solution consisting of...

* this Whistler 2000W inverter (up to 4000 starting watts you need to understand the difference between starting and running watts before you even think about buying an inverter or a generator!)

* two 12V 110 amp deep-cycle sealed AGM batteries to supply power to the inverter (you need to understand all those buzzwords too like deep-cycle, sealed and AGM)

* several not-too-cheap cables to connect the two 12V batteries together in parallel (a.k.a. a "battery bank"), then to connect them to the inverter (the inverter wants to be fed 200 amps; two 110 amp batteries in parallel provide 220 amps to make it happy; my car's alternator provides only 105 amps and yours probably doesn't provide much either, you need to understand parallel vs. serial battery banks)

* a "smart" charger to keep the two 12V batteries ready for use

* a few very robust extension cords

* a rolling utility cart to put all this heavy stuff on (the batteries are about 90 lbs. each)

* a ramp to let me roll the cart up two steps into the house from the garage

That got me started and that's almost all. This let me try to power the items I want to be able to run in an extended outage, including:

* my refrigerator/freezer, a recent model from Samsung that is very efficient, it starts and runs fine off the inverter

* as many CFL-equipped lamps as you'd like as well as a few electric fans they draw virtually no wattage; knock yourself out

* essential electronics including a laptop, cable modem, wireless router, NAS adapter, external hard drive, wireless printer, VOIP phone box, cordless phone base station, cell phone and tablet chargers but *not* the UPS that these are usually plugged into the UPS didn't like the inverter (I learned that a UPS *is* an inverter system with battery all in a box)

That left me with one essential item that wouldn't run: an older model, not very efficient portable/room-to-room air conditioner. It wanted more starting watts than the inverter could supply. Solution: do without the air conditioner or buy a newer, more efficient one. Still looking at that. I'll update this review when I figure out what I'm going to do.

One last problem: in an extended power grid failure, how do I recharge my battery bank when it has been depleted? I thought about cranking up the car and connecting jumper cables from its battery to the battery bank, but read too many posts online that made me uncertain about the wisdom and safety of that. Then the light bulb came on: another inverter, just a smaller one. My car's alternator will easily power a 400W inverter ($32, about the price of a good set of jumper cables). My "smart" charger only uses 150W. So for another $32, my car becomes a 400W 115V generator that runs the smart charger that replenishes the big inverter's battery bank. Problem solved. (Actually, I went for an 800W inverter for around $50 so that I could recharge the battery bank and still power some other items during the recharge my car's 105 amp alternator can handle the 800W inverter's 80 amp requirement with no problem. Your next assignment is to find out how many amps your car's alternator puts out.)

Confused yet? I was too and I'm still learning, but I think I've put together a pretty low-maintenance, high-reliability solution for a power failure lasting several days. I have around $1,000 in it and expect it to last for years. Just wanted to give a plug to this product while making people aware that there is a lot more to this than just buying an inverter.

Oh yeah, about grounding the inverter: that was easy. The ground lug is there to ground the inverter's case to the chassis of the inverter itself inside the case. Just connect an 18 or 16 gauge wire between the inverter's negative input terminal and the ground lug. I got this from Whistler tech support. I don't know why the unit can't just be supplied that way. Anyway, I've run it for hours with and without that ground wire and it works just fine. Like any electrical device, pay attention to what you're doing and be careful!

I have my cooking and heating needs covered for an extended period without electricity which is why they're not mentioned here.

Comments welcomed. Seems like I learn something new about this topic every day.

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Will run a 1300 watt microwave no problem (1700 watt at peak). Lots of hissing on light bulbs, both Incandescent and CFLs. But if you have any old CRTs lying around that you are going to be using, you will need a Pure Side Wave Inverter.

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Sanyo Katana LX Cell Phone Car Charger

Sanyo Katana LX Cell Phone Car ChargerSuper inexpensive so afraid wouldn't work. Gave as a gift but heard that it is working. I hope it lasts for a while. Doesn't seem well made.

Lasted less than 6 months, and not used much. waste of money. what else is there to say about this product?

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They are light weight units, but work just fine. I wouldn't want to step on them, because they would split apart. For the careful individual, they are just fine.

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We all need a car charger at times. I don't know how I could get by without one at times.

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The car charger comes in handy when you are on the road a lot. I leave my phone connected to the charger, which keeps my phone fully charged. I am on the road a lot so I do not travel without it. Works like a charm and is well worth the price, which came in under $3.oo and free shipping to boot.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

iBike Dash with Power Cycling Computer with Power Meter for iPhone 3G/3GS/4 and iPod Touch

iBike Dash with Power Cycling Computer with Power Meter for iPhone 3G/3GS/4 and iPod TouchItem works very well, but it really sucks the power with GPS, Music, power meter, and running multiple apps. The detail of your ride is amazing. Wind, calories, watts and many more areas that get recorded.

It is expensive but does give every concievable thing that needs to be tracked.

Maybe it's just mebut here in sunny So. Cal, I cant use it at all during the day after 9 am or so when the sun ramps up. The screen is virtually invisiblein fact I almost crashed trying to see it. If they could come up with something that I could seeit would be great. Also battery life is very limitedI get about 4 1/2 hours. On the other handthe info available is fantasticeverything you ever wanted to know and then a bunch. For night rides (under 4 1/2 hours that is)its the total bombworks awsomely with back light. In summaryI regret to say that I re-mounted my IBike Aero Gen III on the bike and am staying with it. It doesnt have quite as much info (but still PLENTY) but its small, very effective, very visible display, way less expensive, LONG battery life, and I can see it with my helmet light. For me the Aero is a no brainer. Selling my Dash.

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I have completed over 200 miles of riding with the iBike Dash + Power and am thoroughly impressed and pleased with it.

Cycling has its share of gizmos. For those that are looking for power measurement the options are few and costly. This system works flawlessly with the iPhone. I believe iPod Touch (have not tried) would find that this is a great way to use the iPod Touch. I just completed a 75-mile ride and the iPhone battery and the backup iBike battery lasted the entire ride (could have easily lasted for a 100 mile ride in my view) with the cell phone and WiFi radios on and working.

For iPhone and iPod users the iBike is a great answer. It does the job. It makes you a more informed rider. It puts your iPhone/iPod to work. It protects you iPhone/iPod. And it makes you look forward to doing even more on and off your bike like viewing your own custom screens and viewing your data on your laptop post ride.

For riders that are checking out other power information systems my view is that the iBike works. It does what it needs to do and does it well. This system is thought through and has good workmanship. I have not had any issues and have given one to a nephew who also loves the system.

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I have had my ibike with power now for over a year. I initially used one for my road bike, and subsequently put one on my tri bike. Works well with both. The software upgrades have been timely, and the screens are useful and well visualized. I use the devices with my iphone4. The workouts are seamlessly uploaded and well displayed on the included software. Great product!

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using it for over 1 year now; went this year to take part in the Tour de France used it to train for the TdF, used it during the rides rain and shine, up and down the mountains; good and bad roads it worked flawlessly. not a bad word to say.