Delphi SA10101 SKYFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Remote Control

I was lucky I found the skyfi 2 this past weekend at a local store.The Skyfi 2 is an improvement in the Skyfi 1 in many ways.The Skyfi 2 has better sound and can be played in your existing car and home boombox cradle.From the beginning you will notice the sound is louder on this one than it is on the skyfi 1.I don't have to cut the volume up as loud now on my boombox as I did with my skyfi 1.The Skyfi 2 also comes with a brighter light for viewing during sunny weather.I can actually see this now when the sun is bright in my car I can still read it.The skyfi 2 has a choice of 2 colors.Black on White which is recommended when driving in bright sunlight or White On Black which looks kind of blue and not as bright but you can still adjust the brightness on both colors in the menu screen.This thing is really bright at night unless you lower the brightness.The Skyfi 2 also has a sport and stock ticker.You can see sports scores or stocks scrolling under the artist and song info.I'm hoping Delphi will add weather as well to this.The skyfi 2 is the first reciever to feature extended titles.If you have the scroll on which is in the menu the song will start out at 16 characters but go to 30 something depending on song.Note the scroll for extended titles isn't the same thing as having the artist and song scroll across in big letters.The scroll for extended titles is in the menu you can cut it on or off it just scrolls the longer titles to extended ones.The song artist big letter scroll is in the display mode you can pick between this and other ways to see the song artist info.This makes the reciever look better similar to Sirius reciever.The skyfi 2 also has a unique feature.It has an Fm modulator inside the unit.When you put it in your car cradle it will turn on.You can cut it off in the menu if you want to but this thing has over 6-12 frequencies.It features the lower frequencies 88-89 and the higher ones 106-107.This thing sounds much better than my wired mod in my car.Also this unit features a record feature.You do nothing it automatically records from the time you cut it on.This is a first for an xmreciever.Also you could put 20 favorite stations in the skyfi 1 you can put 30 in this one.Here is a summery of this unit.Also you can view info 4 ways on the reciever.You can still activate it to scroll in big letters if your at a distance.You can have just the song and artist like the skyfi 1 featured,You can have artist,song and stocks or you can choose artist,song and sports.

Pro's

Extended Titles-This is the only xm reciever to feature this but it will eventually be available in newer models too.XM is just starting to get into listing more than 16 characters for artist and song.

Brighter Light for viewing in bright sunlight.It doesn't get washed out.

Stock Tickers and Sports Scores Note you must go into the menu and pick your favorite stocks and sports teams.

Better Sound

Built In Fm Modulator and it lets you choose over 6 frequencies.Also although xm recommends you buy the new car cradle it works fine with the old car cradle.

30 Presets features A,B and C were you can put at least 10 channels on each.

Pause and Record Feature-The Skyfi 2 automatically starts to record when you cut it on.You don't have to do anything not even pause.If you want to hear a song again that you liked real good or missed when you was away from the reciever you can just hit the reverse arrow.It can hold up to 30 minutes of songs.You can also go foward by hitting the foward arrow.If you want to hear live programming what is playing now just hold the foward arrow it will then beep and display live on the top.Note once you cut it off all memory will be lost.When you cut it back on it starts to record again from the first song.This is a great feature to have if your reciever is in the house and you have to go outside for something.When you come back in you can just push the back arrow and go back to the songs.And the recorded songs sound live you can't tell a difference in sound quality.You can also pause the music if you want to.

The Skyfi 2 features a clock.You can either view it in 12 or 24 hr time.

The Skyfi 2 can also alert you when your favorite artist or song is on.For example if your favorite artist on Sunny channel 24 is Percy Faith if your on another channel you will hear a beep when they play Percy Faith.You can put at least 10 favorite artist or songs in.

The Skyfi 2 is lighter than the Skyfi 1.Even thou their the same size the Skyfi 2 isn't as heavy as the Skyfi 1.

The Skyfi 2 comes with a remote.Note the skyfi 1's remote will also work on the skyfi 2 if you want to cut up or down the volume,change channel or put in numbers.The sky 2's remote has additionel keys and different batteries.

Cons

It doesn't feature a variety of colors for your mood like the roady 2 does.

Even thou it says you can pick it up on any Fm radio inside the house you can't.The Fm mod only works on the car cradle.It's not in the menu when it's on the boombox.

The sky 2 remote is heavier and takes 2 aa battaries instead of a long life lithium like the sky 1 remote.Also the sky 2 remote is slightley larger than the sky 1.

The skyfi 2 is worth the extra money.I highley recommend it.

I also recommend the protective satellite radio reciever case which is cheap to keep this in.It will protect the lcd screen from scratches.

Also Xm has an emergency channel on 247 which monitors tornadoes,hurricanes,volcanos,floods,blizzards etc.It came in handy this past summer with the Florida Hurricanes and this Fall with the eruption of Mount Saint Helens.They give evacuation routes,watches,warnings,school and business closings and other info.This is yet another reason to get xm.

Well what can I say, XM has done it again! If you're looking for a receiver which gives you the abilit to pause play, rewind or go forward (all up to 30 minutes) then this is the player for you! You know when you're listening to that one part of a song or news that's important and someone starts talking or the phone rings? Well with this receiver you'll never miss one second as you just hit the pause button and it'll pause the program until you return (just like TiVo or Recorder Box), and you can skip by the commercials (few there are) in playback until you get to the LIVE feed again.

The screen gives you two colors, black letters on white or white letters on black background. My opinion is that I liked the original SkyFi Amber color better than the Black/white or white/black. However many had a problem seeing it in the daylight (I personally did not).

There is a "ticker" at the bottom of the screen. Meaning you can program the receiver to scroll across the bottom of the screen current stock quotes, or sports scores and game times for all major teams and college. Even Golf!

There is clock in the upper right corner which allows regular or military time. All you do is set it to your time zone (Eastern, West, etc.) and if your area follows daylight savings, and then XM Satellites do the rest in adjusting the time! You'll always have the current time beamed down to your radio!

You can set it to broadcast to a nearby FM radio. Meaning you can have this receiver in your bedroom playing, and have it set to a frequency (there are many to choose from) on your FM radio so that you can hear it on your FM radio in the kitchen or other room! This litle box will actually broadcast to an FM radio!

And look at the prices! Amazon's are the lowest around! Look even closer and the this SkyFi2 is ten dollars more than the original SkyFi Amazon has. At these prices I don't see how Amazon makes any profit!

And it keeps going and going with no problems. Meaning, when I first got this from Amazon, the following day I came down with the Flu. I had it playing soft/easy music in my bedroom for well over 48 hours while I layed in bed with the flu. Non stop for over 2 days and at no time did the screen get "hot" and have problems nor did the radio turn itself off from overheating.

Plus you get a nifty remote that's a bit larger and more comfortable in the hand than the original SkyFi. And there's a metal clip you can attach to clip onto your pants/belt. Remote has good range, comes in handy when you don't want to get up to adjust the volume (included) or do just about anything other than menu functions (changing color, ticker, etc.). Two AAA batteries are included with the remote.

What you will need with this (just like the original SkyFi) is with the homekit (to hook to your stereo) or boombox (has antenna, and all). Just make sure when you order them that it's for XM radio as the Sirius Satellite parts will not work with XM.

If you're looking for a XM Receiver with lots of "toys" to play around with, adjusting it to see various things, then this one is for you. You'll spend hours customizing the screen to your exact color, darkness, brightness, contrast, selection of ticker stock quotes or sports teams, etc.

When I first read about Satellite Radio I said to myself "why would anyone pay for something that's free on the radio," but trust me there is a BIG difference! Sond quality is much better, there are little to no commercials (commercials are on the Old Time Radio and Sonic but are few) and you can zero in to listen to the exact type of music you want to. Not listen to your radio for hours upon hours for the genre songs you like. And if talk radio is your thing, especially LIVE shows, then Satellite is what you want. Especially if you live in parts of the country where you have one or no talk stations. XM gives you 5 talk stations. With G Gordon Liddy and Dr. Laura coming in Feb. 2005. And if baseball (Major) is your thing, well XM has an 11 year contract with MLB to carry each and every game starting with spring training to the world series! And with no additional cost to the $9.99 fee!

Buy Delphi SA10101 SKYFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Remote Control Now

I bought this unit on-line literally within minutes of hearing about it. TiVo does that to people; you begin to expect to be able to pause or rewind just about anything around you. Now, if it could only pause and fast-forward live people talking...click, click.

This reciever answers that need for satellite radio...almost. Sadly, it does not contain or allow an external hard drive chip to record songs permanently when your 30 minutes are up or the unit is shut off, the songs stored in memory are gone forever. Also, the forward and reverse buttons can only skip one song at a time to get to the front or back of the ever changing 30 minute memory, you must push the desired direction button many times to skip through all the songs.

The unit does have a built in FM transmitter, but it only works while installed on the home or auto cradle, NOT the boombox. Since the manual fails to mention this, and it being entirely illogical as to why they would remove this function only for the boombox, I wound up having to find this out from their technical help line.

Until music and electronics manufacturers eventually stumble upon the concept of a magic 'BUY' button, which would record (or instantly download) the song playing to a removable hard drive or chip, along with relevant title and artist info, we are destined to be satisfied for now with small incremental steps in that direction that receivers like this bring. This unit is a rather significant and appreciated step to that end, nonetheless.

Also not published in any of the manuals is a diagnostic mode for the receiver that can be a great aid in aiming the antenna. Briefly, to enter the diagnostic mode:

Make sure your receiver is off.

Press these keys in order: 2 0 7 XM (button in the middle of the wheel on the SkyFi)

Press Display 3 times to cycle through the normal displays to the first Diagnostic screen.

SkyFi Screen 1

SAT1: East Satellite at 85 degrees west longitude.

SAT2: West Satellite at 115 degrees west longitude.

TERR: Terrestrial Repeater signal

DEMOD: A check mark means you have demodulator lock. This means the receiver is locked on the signal from that source.

TDM: A check mark means you are synchronized with the Time Division Multiplexed signal from that source.

BER %: Percentage Bit Error Rate. This is the percentage of received data bits in error. For satellite this value should be less than 3% for error free audio. For terrestrial, it should be below 6%.

AGC: Automatic Gain Control Level. This is an indication of the amount of internal gain needed to recover the signal. The more negative, the higher the signal being received.

SkyFi Screen 2

BER: Raw Bit Error Rate. This is the number of received data bits in error. This value divided by the maximum number of errors in a measurement interval is the BER % on Screen 1. Max number for SAT1 and SAT2 is 5440. Max for TERR is 6800.

AGC: Same as on Screen 1.

C/N: Signal to Noise Ratio measured as Carrier Power divided by Noise Power. For SATs, this value needs to be greater than 7. It does not apply for TERR. This is a good satellite antenna pointing indicator.

RSBK and RSBY: Reed Solomon Block and Byte Errors. They should be 0.

Read Best Reviews of Delphi SA10101 SKYFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Remote Control Here

I have the SKYFI2 hooked up to my home stereo and am impressed with how easy it was to get it working. While the sound isn't CD quality I wasn't expecting it to be. It's on a par with FM but the music choices are 1000x better. XM has great music channels and I haven't listened to the radio at home since I bought this. I like the display and the artist and song titles. The remote works great and the FM modulation works well even in the crowded Washington DC airwaves. If you're interested in XM you can't go wrong with the SKYFI2.

Want Delphi SA10101 SKYFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Remote Control Discount?

I ordered the radio specifically to use for a road trip to Phoenix which has in the past required three changes of radio stations and the playing of two CDs to travel through a 'no airwaves' zone. What a pleasure to listen to quality radio for the entire 450 miles.

The vehicle hook-up was very easy, and I just placed the antenna on the dashboard near the front window and had absolutely no interferance. Moving the setup from car to car has been extremely easy so if you travel a lot, you can set it up in a rental car in minutes and never miss a beat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Best Reviews of Cobra Walkie-Talkie microTalk CXT425 22-Channel Two-Way Radio Here

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

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

Want Cobra Walkie-Talkie microTalk CXT425 22-Channel Two-Way Radio Discount?

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

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

Save 39% Off

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

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

Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player

• Plays live XM radio content wherever you roam
• TuneSelect alerts you when favorites are being played on XM
• Also plays MP3s and WMA files from your personal library
• Full-color, 180 x 180 TFT display
• Holds up to 50 hours of content

I've been an XM subscriber since my first SkyFi when Opie and Anthony started in October 2004. I added a MyFi when those launched and appreciated its features (ability to store songs, built-in FM modulator, auto on/off in the car, more presets for all the great music channels), but found its on-the-hip portability sketchy.

I purchased an Inno a few weeks ago and am blown away by the improved portability over my MyFi.

1. The reception is better--I can even get a signal in the gym (lots of windows, granted, but the old MyFi reception broke up too much for usefulness indoors).

2.The styling is sleeker. This thing is less than half the size of the old MyFi--about the size of my cellphone.

3. The store-on-the-go/auto-recording features are great. I've been recording Bob Dylan's theme time radio hour when they air it during the night so I've got it the next AM. Only fluke is that recording labels are not always EXACTLY the start and finish of each song. Sometimes you get a second or two of the song before/after.

The negatives that keep it from getting 4 stars--I miss the preset buttons from the MyFi. I had 30 presets, so could always find the right music/comedy/news/etc. for the moment. The Inno doesn't have any presets (unless I've missed something). The XM/Napster software doesn't work on the Mac, which is frustrating. Also, I'd ordered a car kit and still haven't received it.

In the end, though, this little radio is a HUGE step forward.

Buy Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player Now

I've been an XM subscriber since just about the beginning. I've also had a number of different units, including the XM2go MyFi. I got sucked in by the hype, and bought one of these new Pioneer Inno units expecting the portability feature to be much improved over the XM2go MyFi. It wasn't! Reception is very erratic--you turn one way and lose the signal--turn another way and it starts receiving again--just like the XM2go MyFi. I suspect those reporting good reception are better served by terrestrial repeaters than I am.

What does improve reception considerably is the headphone/antenna accessory. So, plan to spend the extra $40 or $50 bucks if you want to listen while taking a walk. At one time I think this same (or a similar) accessory was available for the XM2go MyFi, but it sold out quickly and never seemed to reappear. Anyway, without it, the Inno is a very frustrating unit.

The Inno is much smaller than the XM2go MyFi, and I like that a lot. The screen is much more readable, even in sunlight, so that's a plus too. I don't know yet what the battery life will turn out to be, but so far it seems to be reasonable. The menu process for selecting different options isn't all that intuitive, so you will probably fumble around a good bit getting to the menu item you want.

All in all, I would strongly recommend that you "test drive" one of these gizmos before buying, if at all possible. They aren't cheap, and you may not feel you are getting your money's worth. The headset/antenna accessory is a "must".

Read Best Reviews of Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player Here

I wish to address the reception issues with this radio.

I just don't understand some of these negative reviews. A portable satellite radio is just that: a satellite radio that's portable. Satellite means it must have an open, unobtructed access to the southwestern sky. Try blocking a Direct TV dish and see what you get on TV.

That said, I live out in the country. If you place the Inno out in the open on a table (Therefore it is portable), it has excellent reception, just like a dish. However, if you put it on your side and you turn so that your body is blocking the southwestern sky, you will lose your signal (This may be different in a city with satellite repeaters). That's why they make a headset that has a built-in antenna (it's always exposed). Unless you are by a very large structure that obliterates the signal, it works great. Why, it's not included, must be due to price point. I would have included it rather than risk disillusioning some people with an otherwise great product.

I have a built-in XM radio in my truck. I bought the car kit for my inno and placed it in my mini-van. The reception is every bit as good as the one GM factory installed.

The home kit also works flawlessly. It's hooked into my surround sound and the reception and quality of sound is exceptional. Again, the antenna must have an open view to the southwestern sky.

If you want to use the Inno for jogging or walking, you must buy the optional headset -at least, it's a necessity out in the country.

If you really want to be happy with the Inno, you are going to have to purchase your satisfaction up front -that means buy now the accessories that will allow it to perform like you want.

If you do, I'm sure you will agree -the Pioneer Inno is a great satellite radio.

Want Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player Discount?

I've used my Inno for a whole 48 hours, and can confidently say that THIS is THE revolution in personal music that I've been waiting for. The variety and quality of XM channels has matured, and the sheer breadth of choices is intoxicating. This unit makes a great way to listen at home, work, outside, and discover new music you haven't heard yet/before. If you want to hear more from the artist, or hear the song from the beginning, you can bookmark the artist or the song, and the player will alert you if they appear again, on ANY XM channel, while you're listening. So you can discover, replay, and enjoy new talent about as easy as microwaving a bag of popcorn.

This player (and the Samsung Helix, essentially the same player in a different casing) allow you to record songs or whole channels while listening -EVEN IF YOU'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE SONG. Yes, if you're at the end of a song and think, "I want to listen to that again later" (or "I want to play that for my girlfriend"), hit the record feature. With most of the 1 GB memory available for a half and half split of your own MP3s/WMAs, and saved XM content, you can also configure the unit to use all the storage for XM content -allegedly up to roughly 50 hours of material. This is handy if you schedule it to record a favorite program (like, say, Sound Opinions, The Story, or This American Life on the XM Public Radio channel).

Though you might prefer having a dedicated antenna for one's home hi-fi (thereby utilizing the receiver's integrated display and preset functions), this will integrate fine with one of these or these (the supplied cable is laughably cheap). Be warned that the crisp, bright display is rather small to see and use across a living room. See my pros and cons below, and by all means read the caveats and visit if you're unfamiliar with their terms and offerings.

PROS

-Exposure to so much music an all-you-can-eat buffet of artists and songs

-Ability to keep a song you like (hit record at any time in the song, the whole song is recorded to My Music)

-Ability to watch for an artist (or a song) that you like, on ANY channel (TuneSelect)

-Ability to schedule recordings

-Favorites and channel browse mode display channel ID, Artist, or Song, so you can see what's playing on any channel right now

-After loading personal music from PC, Inno scans and indexes all music, .M3U play lists, and even examines meta-data within MP3s and WMAs

-"Antenna aiming" feature allows positioning of home antenna as well as radio on-the-go

-Bright, clear display

-Display backlight stays on when docked, even if set to extinguish (adjustable timeout) when operating on battery

-Spiffy, gun metal metallized casing

-Despite what docs say, the USB connection works with Linux (tested with RHEL5)

-Very easy to build playlists; you can browse/find music based on Artist, Genre, Channel (XM), Title

CONS

-Tricky interface takes practice to learn the shortcuts (favs vs. category browse vs. all)

-Headphone port is recessed, slightly curved, so some plugs (e.g. Bose Triport) can slip out resulting in impeded audio; examining the supplied ear buds shows that the port needs a very narrow shoulder on the headphone plugs

-Supplied ear buds are barely adequate.

-Interference during walking, or holding

-Discreet beep from unit on TuneSelect match can't be heard with headphones on, or from across the room.

-Scheduled recording can't be set for recurring schedule (e.g. Sunday 4 AM)

-Belt case isn't too great; might have to use this or look for iPod or cell phone cases that you like better (similar size)

-Mini-to-RCA home hi-fi cable is so cheap as to be disposable (get a better, longer Monster, AR or Belkin cable)

-No Bluetooth HDA profile capability (would almost elminate the complaint about the headphone port)

-No travel charger sold separately, so you have to disconnect from the dock to take with you (not easy if you've integrated the dock with your home hi-fi) ... or buy an additional home dock kit :(

CAVEATS

-$14.95 activation fee per radio, but $9.95 if done online

-Subscription to XM service required.

-Interference experienced during recording is incorporated in the saved version

-If you change channels, recording a song you just landed on mid-tune only records from that point on (you have to be on the channel at the beginning of the song for it all to cache)

-Some rebates available in 2007, but stipulate "participating retailers," which may or may not include your reseller

-Home dock antenna needs to be positioned carefully for adequate reception

_______________

2009 UPDATE:

I've now used this for years, installed Delphi XM Signal Repeater with an extra antenna in my house, and have happily enjoyed XM in the living room, bedroom, and study (additional home docks and adapters were needed). Arguing with XM sales representatives to get a "secret" $77/year prepaid subscription rate robbed me 30 mins or more of my time each year, but then didn't have to worry about changes in their price structure. (Earlier this year they ceased the free online streaming service, making it a "value add" service for an additional monthly fee.)

After the Sirius merger, some of my favorite channels were removed in favor of Sirius content. This year I'm discontinuing my XM membership, and I and several colleagues have discovered their secret to customer retention: they won't let you cancel. In 3 separate cases, they have continued to "transfer" the customer to "the department that handles cancellation" and left the customer on hold for as long as 26 minutes. Yes, 26 MINUTES ON HOLD WAITING FOR A REP. When, in my case, a third rep stated, "I have to transfer you to that department," I told the rep that the call was being recorded, and three separate reps had heard me request my subscription to expire -refusal to comply would entitle me legally to receive the service for free. Within 30 seconds, the same rep accomplished the cancellation.

Another friend found a shorter route to terminating service -simply tell the first rep that you've sold your radio and wish to let your subscription expire normally. They can't argue with that.

_______________

2010 UPDATE:

A very strong caveat about this device only became clear after I'd let my XM-Sirius subscription expire over the holiday season. I kept using the INNO as a 512MB podcast carrier for my commute to work. Only one problem...! After you haven't had a subscription for the radio, it starts complaining on power-on that it has to be tuned "to live XM for 10 minutes to confirm valid subscription." That hasn't kept me from listening to MP3 podcasts that I sync to the unit with Media Monkey 3.5. But in the last week, the INNO now refuses to return to the last playlist or song being listened to, but asserts "Scanning files..." then plays the first track it finds. This is really conspicuous annoy-ware meant to cripple the INNO's functionality for an owner who isn't currently subscribed to XM. Naturally, this device is meant primarily to be used as an XM radio, but the degradation of usability when your account expires is uncalled for.

I WON'T be buying a newer version of this device.

Disclosure: my radio is on firmware version 2.11.

I have to say, I LOVE my Inno! It's like an iPod, except it's got an infinite amount of music in it. Not all of it will be available in its hard drive because it's only 1 G big (or about 50 hours of saved music), but it's certainly available to me when I listen to any of the 170+ channels that are available through XM while I'm on the go. When I think about it that way, then that 1 G hard drive isn't so puny anymore, considering what I actually get when I have live satellite radio streaming into my player. It's actually BETTER than an iPod because I can get live satellite radio content on the go, then record on the fly when I hear something I like. I can make and edit my own playlists on the fly, too. Can't do that with an iPod (or other iPod-like devices for XM or Sirius that are available now). And then there are the advantages to having satellite radio in general. With XM, I get superior sound quality, compared to AM/FM stations--the music I listen to sounds as good as the AAC's/mp4's I have on my iPod. Four of the 170+ channels get commercials, but the rest don't--so if you really can't stand listening to commercials, then you've got plenty of alternative channels to listen to instead. XM's playlists also tend to be very deep. With XM's Broadway channel, especially, I've noticed that--they don't just play the most famous songs from the shows that are most famous on Broadway right now. They play such a wide variety of material, so I'm never disappointed when I tune into that channel. I'll always find something new. And that goes for the other channels that I love listening to on XM, too--the pop/hits channels, the "decades" channels for the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's, and the jazz channels. It's a real treat, turning on my Inno every day. It's like an adventure--either I find new things to listen to, or I end up hearing great songs that haven't played on the regular radio in years and years, if ever. It's really great. :D

I have a few suggestions, though:

1) If you have any friends or family who have an Inno already, see if you can use it yourself and see how well it works for you, particularly in terms of getting a reliable signal. Or go to an actual brick-and-mortar store and try the Inno out first, even if you intend to buy it from Amazon. XM's been pretty good at ensuring that people get a good, reliable signal anywhere in the country, but it sure doesn't hurt to make sure that you'll get a good signal on your own, anyway. You don't want to pony up $200+ for a great device that turns out to be very useless because you can't get a signal, then go through the hassle of sending it back.

2) You'll also want to buy a pair of antenna headphones from Belkin that are made for the Inno. If you look for accessories for the Inno here at Amazon, you should be able to find them. The packaging says that they're for outdoor use, but they're good for indoor use, too. These headphones are about $40 but can be cheaper if you look around first. They might be a bit uncomfortable at first--they do hurt the ears just a little--but after about a week or so of using them, they should become more comfortable.

3) Finally, as soon as you get your Inno and you're done admiring your Inno's full-color screen, you're going to want to set your backlight so it turns off in 15 seconds and the Inno itself sleeps after 15 minutes of inactivity. If you don't do that, your Inno's going to be running out of energy pretty quickly.

Enjoy your Inno! :)

Power Bright VC200W Voltage Transformer 200 Watt Step Up/Down converter 110/120 Volt - 220/240 Volt

I bought this transformer about a year ago for my German sewing machine (230 V, 85 W, 50 Hz) to run it in the US (110 V, 60 Hz). So far it works like a charm. I've used it for quite a few sewing projects over the past year and was worried whether the 60 Hz/50 Hz difference would be an issue, but everything seems to be running just fine. Investing twenty bucks in a transformer allowed me to keep using my familiar sewing machine instead of buying and learning how to use a new one, so it was well worth it.

Addendum April 2011: After three years of use now, it still works fine and I haven't had to replace any fuses yet. But you have to be aware of the wattage on the appliances you are plugging into it. I just saw some of the reviews with lower ratings on this item saying it doesn't work, starts smoking, fuses blow immediately etc. Please be aware that this transformer is limited to 200 Watts only, and you probably don't want to max that out either to stay on the safe side. Find out how many Watts you are plugging into it before you turn it on and keep in mind 200 is fairly low. If you have larger wattage items you will need to invest your money into a transformer that can handle that.

You can probably safely run the following items using this transformer: clock radio, electric blanket, laptop, a small TV, radio, VCR/DVD, Xbox, PS2, Wii. You may hit the limit and ask for trouble with desktop computers, Hi-Fi equipment, Xbox 360, PS3, LCD or plasma TVs you may want to get a 500W transformer for those. You will almost certainly blow the fuses if you try to run: any sort of kitchen appliance, power tools, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, iron. You need something much more heavy duty for those items.

I bought a couple of these on moving from London to NYC, and they work fine. My one complaint would be that the clearance below the UK plug socket is not huge, so the cord coming out the bottom of the plug has to bend sharply to avoid the surface the transformer rests on. It's not a big issue though, and we've been using them for a couple of months with no problems. Don't throw away the replacement fuses that come with it, though; I've already had to replace one of them.

Buy Power Bright VC200W Voltage Transformer 200 Watt Step Up/Down converter 110/120 Volt - 220/240 Volt Now

Got this to power an old computer from the 90s; it was a UK version so it needed a 220V to function.

The setup is very simple; just keep an eye on the input current, unless you wanna cause problems (there is a selector in the back, it goes from 110 to 220V, so you cover the whole globe).

The unit itself is noiseless; you hear no buzzing at all; if you touch it while on is cold, and has a very minimal buzzing that you can just feel if you put your hand on the top of the unit.

I kept it on, powering the computer (which uses about 100W), for a couple of hours, and had no issues. I saw many negative comments but they were made by people not very tech savvy....you need to know the basics of the power load that you can apply to a transformer, otherwise you will just overload it and burn it.

This will be enough to power anything that is below 150W and 10A; don't use it with higher power consumption items or you will overload it.

The cons are the weight; which is out of this world, if you are planning to travel and put it in your bag, and the very short power cable. Also keep in mind that the 220V plug in the front is very flimsy; so use care when you plug something in or unplug it.

Read Best Reviews of Power Bright VC200W Voltage Transformer 200 Watt Step Up/Down converter 110/120 Volt - 220/240 Volt Here

After reading reviews on bad experiences with the transformers, I decided to buy this 200W transformer even though my sewing machine takes up 100W theoretically. (Do P (Watts)=I (max current of your device) *V (your device voltage 110V/220V... ))

It's been nearly two months now and it has worked fine for me. So I'm quite pleased with it.

Latest update (12 March 2013): Recently I found out that the speed of my sewing machine increased quite a bit. I'm not sure if this is related to the transformer. It makes the sewing machine shake quite a bit even if I pressed the pedal very gently.

Want Power Bright VC200W Voltage Transformer 200 Watt Step Up/Down converter 110/120 Volt - 220/240 Volt Discount?

i bought it for my sewing machine and is doing an excellent job, small and not heavy, it's what I needed

Save 22% Off

12V 5AH Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Battery for Razor E100 Electric Scooter & Gas

I got two of these batteries to replace the original batteries in a Razor E100 scooter. I was a little worried about the size when I ordered but they are an exact replacement, no mods necessary. They work well and charge quickly. Chrome batteries shipped them cheap and got them to me quick. I thought I'd wait a week or more but they were her in 2-days! Saved me a week of "Are the batteries here yet?" questions from my 7-year old boy.

Save 17% Off

Rapid Car Charger with IC Chip for U.S. Cellular LG Wine UX-280

The charger works as it was intended with no problems using it. Great charger for my phone.I use this on both of my wife's phone and my phone with no problems.

High Quality Rapid Car Charger w/ IC Chip For BLACKBERRY 7100g, 7100r, 7100t, 7100v, 7250 , 7520, 7

So far so good. I ordered the high quality rapid car charger for

my blackberry and it is currently working perfectly.

On days when I forget to charge my blackberry at night , I can always

depend on my rapid car charger.

I got one of these for my wife phone, it works great. It is cheap material, you can tell by touching it. After it lived in the car for a few months the cable sheared off right at the plastic base (just short enough that I couldn't fix it). So I ordered another one because this one is so cheap I could order several before its worth it to buy the store brand one. This time used electrical tape (you could also shrink wrap it) around the base where the cord goes into it and re-enforced it. It is still working. If it breaks I will just buy another one.

Very cheap and therefore it is worth the money, maybe yours won't break, my second one hasn't.

Buy High Quality Rapid Car Charger w/ IC Chip For BLACKBERRY 7100g, 7100r, 7100t, 7100v, 7250 , 7520, 7 Now

Kootek® (2013 Latest Version) BaoFeng UV-5RE Plus UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-

• Frequency Range: 136-174 / 400-479.995 MHz
• Upgrade the frame material. Metallic, more durable and more fashionable
• With full high two colors LED definition display, the screen exquisite clarity
• The latest 2013 version

This radio has more options than you can shake a stick at. Price is such that if you manage to break it, cheaper to buy new one than repair cost. Let's face it, where can you get a good dual band HT radio for under $100 much less one for under $50.This HT has become a favorite among local hams in Central Florida.

That said, it has two major problems.1. The supplied antenna sucks. To really enjoy your new HT, you need to buy a high gain replacement. Amazon.com has quite a few. Just make sure it has a "reverse sma" connector. 2. The manual is less than bare bones. Get the programming cable with usb driver and down load a free program called "Chirp". This will make programming your HT almost pain free

Hear you on the air later!!! KD4GMK

Buy Kootek® (2013 Latest Version) BaoFeng UV-5RE Plus UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two- Now

This BaoFeng UV-5RE+ radio is perfect for camping, on the road, & tactical use.

DO NOT leave it on while it's plugged into the charger stand, it will burn the electrical contacts. Even though my radio burned the contacts it still works perfect! I dropped it from about 3 feet on to concrete & it still works great. Rugged & well built with plenty of power & features. Make sure you download the software & buy the interface cable, it makes programming it SO easy!

Read Best Reviews of Kootek® (2013 Latest Version) BaoFeng UV-5RE Plus UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two- Here

This dual band radio is a good quality for its meager price. Easy to program, has scan, comes with decent antenna. I recommend this unit for its low price. Bang for the buck can't be beat!

Want Kootek® (2013 Latest Version) BaoFeng UV-5RE Plus UV 5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two- Discount?

A good buy. Good signal and Great audio. Programs with both VIP and CHIRP I will buy more of this item.

All works as promissed. It has so far been a very good choice in this type of radio. I am happy

Premium Vehicle Power Charger for Sony Ericsson K750, W600, W800, Z520a,W810,K550i,W880i, Z610i, Z7

Everything ok, i used it a few times and then changed the phone so I dont need it anymore...after few months of non-using the product falls into pieces...

the charger i ordered got here early and is wonderful. its cheep in price not quality.

Buy Premium Vehicle Power Charger for Sony Ericsson K750, W600, W800, Z520a,W810,K550i,W880i, Z610i, Z7 Now

Roadpro 7 Liter 12V Cooler / Warmer with Cup Holders

From a starting ambient temp. of 75 degrees it heated up to 110 in 10 minutes and cooled down to 50 degrees in 20 minutes from that 110. Not sure what others expect but this seems quite satisfactory to me. It is built real sturdy with a nice carrying strap and the lid locks open for convenience. Obviously the cup holders are convenient while the power cord stores under these cup holders if so desired.

Keep in mind this unit is NOT a refrigerator or an oven as some reviewers have expected it to be. Pre chill or heat the items and this unit works marvelously all day long.

I also like the fact it only uses 2-3 amps since I plan and using it at times with a remote 12 amp hr. DC power source. This easily gives me a full 3 hours plus of heating or cooling without recharging. I also like that it's 8 1/2 inches tall on the inside for the taller bottles. This also works out great for the primary reason I bought this unit, to heat/cool 20 oz. CO2 tanks for my air rifles/pistols.

I haven't researched all the units or compared all the features but for $40 this Roadpro 7 liter cooler/warmer definitely is a good value regardless. I liked mine so much I purchased another one.

kd

We are very pleased with both Roadpro and their cooler. However, our experience did not start out so well. We received the Roadpro 12V cooler for Christmas 2009, and were so busy we did not have a chance to try it out until after Amazon's 30-day return policy had expired. The first unit we received did not cool at all. We contacted Roadpro through their website, and were pleased with their reply and instructions on how to return the bad unit for a replacement. We did so, Roadpro followed through with a new unit, and it works great. We keep it powered through a "Koolatron Battery Saver" in the car, which prevents the car battery from running down overnight. We also keep a blue cool-pack in the cooler, too help keep it cool when the battery saver turns off the power.

The unit holds a 6-pack of canned soda, or any equivalent amount of drinks or food. We recommend the Roadpro company, the Roadpro 12V Cooler, and the Koolatron Battery Saver.

Buy Roadpro 7 Liter 12V Cooler / Warmer with Cup Holders Now

Well, I ordered this for a long road trip we've just returned from and have to say I'm definitely disappointed. While it works, as in turns on and off, it doesn't actually "work," as in keeping beverages all that cool. Is it cooler than, say, the ambient temperature of your car? Definitely. Is it as cool as a cooler? Not even close.

The unit's power connection also seems to loosen frequently with the jiggling motion inherent in a moving car, so that's another downer. Fortunately (????), it's quite loud (fan), so you can tell when it's jiggled itself loose, again, and fix it quickly. I will also note the cup holders on the top are NOT as pictured here, but are instead shallow slots on the top of the unit that are almost too small for a can of soda. At any rate, you wouldn't put a full can in as you have to wiggle the can to get it out and, therefore, spill it all over; which we did, several times. (Also, in case you're wondering, the cup holders are not cooling/heating.)

To sum up, if you put cold from the fridge cans in this unit, they'll say moderately cool as long as the unit is on, but not as cold as they were when you put them in. But this unit will NOT cool warm soda, even after it's been in there for hours, and the top layer of cans (they have to stack on top of each other to fit in 12) doesn't get any cooling at all, necessitating a constant shifting of drinks in order to use it. If you're trying to put in odd-size bottles or anything else ... Well, good luck with that.

We never tried the "keep warm" function but, all in all, I'm sorry I wasted my money and will stick with my $5 cooler and an ice pack from now on.

Read Best Reviews of Roadpro 7 Liter 12V Cooler / Warmer with Cup Holders Here

I'm an over the road truck driver and I run this cooler 24/7 weeks at a time and it has been working as described. While it's not a refrigerator, it does cool enough to keep my milk, butter, and mayonnaise from spoiling. Also plan ahead when putting items in it, because it can cool a room temp drink but will take about 5 hours.

UPDATE 2/17/13 Broke after 3 months of use, Fan would come on with green light but just stopped cooling. So exchanged it and then after 2 months the replacement also broke. Same issue fan comes on everything sounds and appears working but just never gets cools. Ended up buying a 44Q Coleman 12v Cooler (ac cord also included)with 2 year extended warranty for $97 out the door at Walmart.

Want Roadpro 7 Liter 12V Cooler / Warmer with Cup Holders Discount?

This is a very nice cooler and keeps foods and drinks cold for a long time.

I purchased this for my grandson who is a truck driver. The other coolers

he purchased did not retain the cool temperatures for the long time he required.

The only thing that would make it better is that it could be a little larger.

Save 41% Off

PowerDigital Dual USB 2.1A 10W High Output Car Charger for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, iPhone 5, iPho

With limited sockets in my car, this is a great add. Charges my table and phone at the same time and at the same rate they would charge if plugged into the wall.

I received it on time and it has worked great for my GS3 and my wife's IPhone I would recommend this to anybody

Buy PowerDigital Dual USB 2.1A 10W High Output Car Charger for Apple iPad 2, New iPad 3, iPhone 5, iPho Now

Odyssey 34M-PC1500ST TROLLING Thunder Marine Dual Purpose Battery

Great battery, have yet to run it completly down and have run it 4 continious hours on a 46lbs thrust motor. It holds an excellent change. Price on Amazon was lowest found.

I needed a pair of these Odyssey batteries for a dual battery installation in a Jeep Wrangler. Amazon had a great price on the batteries and they were shipped promptly.

Buy Odyssey 34M-PC1500ST TROLLING Thunder Marine Dual Purpose Battery Now

Using two Odysey 34M-pc-100st on my 28ft Catalinia sailboat.

Always a powerfull start for the disel engine and the house battery is strong

thoughout the night powering lights, water pump and 12 volt frigerator.

The batteries have never failed me on the water unlike other batteries I have owned.

Read Best Reviews of Odyssey 34M-PC1500ST TROLLING Thunder Marine Dual Purpose Battery Here

If you take your fishing seriously like I do this battery is a must-have. Thing holds a charge well and if you take care of it with a good marine charger this thing will not let you down. I only leave 5 star reviews if the item exceeds expectations, and this battery did just that.

Want Odyssey 34M-PC1500ST TROLLING Thunder Marine Dual Purpose Battery Discount?

This batt is incredible. I have used it 3 straight days while fishing/camping and it hasn't had a hiccup in the charge. Holds a charge like you wouldn't believe! It also charges quick as well. I haven't had it long so I can't say for sure how it will hold up in longevity but i like it thus far.

Save 6% Off

For iPod USB Travel Power Charger Adapter for Nano, Shuffle, 4G, Mini, Photo and U2

I bought this a while back. I was uncertain that I really wanted to trust my $300 ipod to a couple-buck piece of equipment, so I tried it on a cheap palm. It worked great. I tried it on an ipod shuffle. Again, no problem. I have since used it on a Kodak digital camera, and my ipod video and have never had a problem. It charges things up very efficiently. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that the led light never goes out. I do not know if it continues to try to charge once the battery is full or not or if it has the purported chip to prevent overcharging. In any case all my electronics are happy and have not suffered any damage.

Unfortunately some electronics like the Creative Zen micro and the Motorola cell phone require that you use their chargers and do not permit this one to work. Silly but true. For other more items, this is a great way to save a few bucks and save packing space instead of hauling a separate charger for each piece of equipment.

I have only used it in the US (110 volts) although it says it works with current up to 250 volts. I cannot vouch for its function with other voltages.

Opened it up and found vibration from shipping, or earlier, had broken PC connection for heavy capacitor. Plugging in without this connection may have destroyed other devices. It didn't work

I removed some parts for my parts box and called us even on this. Then I bought another unit elsewhere.

Buy For iPod USB Travel Power Charger Adapter for Nano, Shuffle, 4G, Mini, Photo and U2 Now

Works great and as expected. Great value for the money. This is my second charger and provides flexibility between my mini USB and regular USB devices.

Read Best Reviews of For iPod USB Travel Power Charger Adapter for Nano, Shuffle, 4G, Mini, Photo and U2 Here

I bought this for a mini ipod I got for Christmas. The stores were selling chargers for 30.00

and this was just a dollar. It works great and does the job. I love it.

Want For iPod USB Travel Power Charger Adapter for Nano, Shuffle, 4G, Mini, Photo and U2 Discount?

This is nice but wasn't exactly what I thought it was. My fault as I did not really read the description as I should have.

What I am searching for is a charger for my iPod/iPad that has folding prongs. Storage space is very minimal as I need it at work and my tool box doesn't exactly have a lot of extra space for this and my tools.

Will continue to use at work until I locate what I truly need. Then hold onto it as a backup piece or use when I travel.

Impecca USB 110/220 Worldwide AC/DC Charger

Very convienient for use in car or home while travelling abroad. Would be even more convienient if manufacturers of devices would stop changing their usb plug format so often. At least the part of the usb cord that fits this product remains unchanged.

Save 22% Off

ContourGPS Camera

OVERVIEW:

I own the Contour GPS (C-GPS = 1080p) and Contour HD (C-HD = 720p). Primary use capturing HD snowboarding footage in conditions varying from blue bird sunny days to snowy flat light days.

VIDEO QUALITY: (5 out of 5)

The Contour GPS (C-GPS) features some much needed improvements over its predecessor, especially when capturing footage in low light conditions. Where the C-HD's video quality suffered on overcast/snowy days, the C-GPS excels. Subtle details in terrain (fresh vs tracked snow, etc.) are now clearly visible. 1080p HD video quality is excellent, and looks great on my 52" LCD TV.

PORTABILITY / EASE OF USE: (5 out of 5)

The C-GPS is the same size and shape as the original C-HD helmet cam, with the exception of the record toggle switch which now sits a few millimeters higher for easier operation. A welcomed improvement especially when wearing gloves/mitts. Turn the camera on, and two red laser sights light up to aid in lens alignment. Three lights on the unit a battery light, memory card light, and GPS light help identify if your battery is dead, memory is full, or GPS signal is locked.

Heads up on memory card compatibility. The C-GPS is finicky about what brand, class, and size of micro sdhc cards used; and how you format your cards. For example, I bought a 32gb Class 4 Kingston card off newegg that works like a charm; however neither my 8gb Class 6 Transcend or my 8gb Class 2 Sandisk work. Also, my Kingston card only works if formatted by the camera (not my computer).

DESIGN QUALITY: (4 out of 5)

As with previous Contour helmet cams, the design remains virtually unchanged. The body is made of aluminum and plastic. The camera attaches to various plastic mounts (two flat mounts and one goggle mount included inside the package) using Contour's "T-rail system".

My biggest gripe is the T-rails are made of plastic, rather than aluminum. The plastic T-rails are a weak link and could be susceptible to breaking. I wish Contour would have upgraded the T-rail material to aluminum on the C-GPS, but hopefully they will get it right on the next one.

BATTERY LIFE: (3 out of 5)

C-GPS battery life is significantly less than the C-HD. When recording on a fully-charged battery, the C-HD lasts about twice as long as the C-GPS. This is likely attributed to the more demanding 1080p bitrate as well as the GPS function. In my application I typically record approximately 60 minutes worth of footage before the battery runs out on my C-GPS; while the C-HD records approximately 110 minutes worth of footage on a full charge. Note these figures are based on extreme operating conditions where freezing temperatures greatly affect battery life. In any event, buy extra batteries... you'll be glad you did.

Another battery-related gripe is the mechanism which keeps the battery in place. The previous Contour models used a locking latch to keep the battery from accidentally popping out; however the new model uses a new 'hook' mechanism which can be cumbersome. This is discussed in greater detail on Contour's support forums.

GPS: (4 out of 5)

GPS accuracy may be questionable, but it's a nice feature and a step in the right direction for helmet cams. I typically get a GPS lock within 3-minutes of power up, even on overcast or snowy days. The light on the front of the camera blinks green as a satellite lock is being acquired, and turns solid green within a few minutes once GPS signal has been acquired.

STORYTELLER SOFTWARE: (3 out of 5)

Prior to the latest software update, I would've rated Contour's Storyteller Software a 1/5. Their software is buggy and unstable, particularly on mac machines. However, the latest update addresses stability issues; and tackles one of the biggest gripes in the Contour community accessibility of the GPS information without having to upload to their servers. Suffice to say, their software team has some major catching up to do with their hardware team.

Contour also scores an extra point for support; and they continually push out firmware and software updates which can potentially add some pretty cool features in the near future (C-GPS bluetooth connection to iOS or android smartphone which will allow the phone to act as a viewfinder displaying what your C-GPS sees in real-time. Another added benefit: on-the-fly camera adjustments via your smartphone bluetooth connection).

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Overall, I recommend seriously considering this product if you're in the market for a helmet cam to capture HD footage while snowboarding. This model raises the bar for future helmet cams and I am glad that I upgraded from my old C-HD. I may have a few minor gripes, but IMHO, it is currently the best HD Helmet Cam offering in terms of video quality, portability, and features at its price point.

I really wanted to like this product, and it definitely has some great features. But in practice, the camera and its accessories unfortunately were disappointing.

I purchased the Contour GPS, along with the newly available connect-view card, for a safari trip in Africa. I also purchased a spare battery.

There are some major design flaws that quickly became apparent.

THE "HIDDEN BUTTON"- I suspect this design flaw is not yet called out because the use of the "hidden button" is quite new. You can now add a "Connect View" card to the Contour GPS which gives it bluetooth capability, and thus the ability to link to an iPhone so that the phone can be used as a viewfinder. This is a very cool feature and it worked just fine. The problem is that to activate the bluetooth, you press on a "hidden button", which is just a button located underneath a plastic top layer. That's the problem. The plastic top layer is very weak, and after I pressed the hidden button only 5 times, the plastic started to crack. This is completely unacceptable and a major problem, as it obviously allows water and moisture to penetrate the camera, not to mention the problem of having an ugly, cracked top of the camera after initial use. The hidden button was only sparingly used before this bluetooth capability was added, so I suspect you will start seeing many reviews highlighting this defect.

THE DEFECTIVE BATTERY DESIGN- This was also a major design flaw that I'm not sure how was overlooked. I purchased a backup battery, which of course means that it has to be swapped out with the main battery. After pulling out the main battery only 2 times, another design flaw emerged. The battery clasp rubs against the side of the battery, and the top cover of the battery is a very flimsy, glued on piece of plastic. The clasp catches on it and peels it off almost immediately. I thus ended up with 2 batteries with detached covers, with each only being inserted and replaced a total of maybe 5 times. If the covers fall off, the battery doesn't seat properly and doesn't work, so you can't just get rid of the covers. If you're not switching out the battery, this defect won't be apparent, but for anyone looking to supplement the very mediocre battery life of this unit, you're in for a disappointing discovery.

PROS:

The angle of view is very good and captures a huge swath. Picture quality is pretty good in bright light, but basically useless in low light conditions.

The "connect view" feature is very cool (albeit a bit buggy at this time).

Overall construction, with the exception of the hidden button and the battery, is good.

The camera is compact, light, and sleek.

CONS:

The battery life is terrible, especially with GPS activated. You might get 90 minutes of standby with GPS on. Maximum of about 2 hours with it turned off.

Design flaws as discussed above.

This WILL be a great product someday, but I can't recommend it until the hidden button, battery cover, and battery life issues are addressed.

Buy ContourGPS Camera Now

The Contour GPS camera is a fantastic product, in theory. The form factor and feature set exceed the GoPro in many ways.

However: There is a KNOWN problem with the video quality. Contour is baffled and there is no reason to believe they will fix it before you lose your ability to return the device. I would absolutely not buy this camera until they fix this. As Amazon will nto allow us to post links, just go to the Contour customer support area and read the long thread about this camera.

We had to return 3 of these to Amazon.

1) Could not upgrade firmware USB port problem

2) The battery clip broke off (a common issue)

3) Video quality was horrible (a common issue)

Thankfully Amazon's polices are AWESOME about returns. There is a reason why you buy big ticket items from Amazon.

Ken

Read Best Reviews of ContourGPS Camera Here

I wanted to like this. I really did.

As soon as i got home and saw the Amazon box i couldn't wait to try it out. However i soon found out that while it looks rugged and well built, it is anything but. My unit was DOA.

The first issue while trying to troubleshoot why it wouldn't power up, was the simple procedure of removing the battery. Though i was absolutely sure that i had placed it in the right way round (they have a handy + marking on both the battery and the camera to help) it wouldn't come back out. No matter what i tried the little red clip that holds the battery in place (though not correctly, as you will see) would not let the battery slide past it to get it out. It kept catching on the protective plastic wrapper that is around the battery to stop it from shorting out against the metal body of the camera, and was trying to rip a chunk out of it.

Thinking I'd damaged the camera already, i took to the Internet and looked at their support site. I soon found out that this is apparently the norm and the company even helpfully point out that you can REMOVE SOME OF THE PROTECTIVE WRAPPING to help the battery come free enough that you can then grab it, with the aid of needle nose pliers if needed. Really?? Have they heard of quality control? The site is here, take a look at the thread and decide for yourself.Eventually i managed to get the battery out without too much damage but the plastic was torn. I did put it in correctly though, so i put it back in and pressed the power button. Nothing. Thinking that the battery must be out of charge i plugged the included USB cable into my laptop and plugged the other end into the camera. Hurrah! A red light came on. I decided to let it sit for an hour or two while i went to dinner and when i returned the red light had turned green So, fully charged it should now power up. Right?

Wrong. The camera still refused to power up. So, i took to the Internet again. I'm not sure how i missed this the first time, as it appears to be a pretty hot topic, but i don't appear to be alone with my issues. There is another thread chock full of people who took delivery of a new (new? We'll get back to that) ContourGPS and it won't power up. Lots of varied answers to what the issue is, it could be the battery not being set far enough in (the fix for that being a wad of paper, or cutting a chunk out of the top of the battery!!), the hinged cover not latching correctly, or even the power button itself not being installed the correct way around. This thread details all of the issues, with official replies from Contour.The most interesting part of all this for me at least, and the reason i decided to return my unit ASAP to Amazon (at my cost) is not the fact that this camera is clearly badly designed / manufactured. No, it's the fact that Contour claim point blank that all new cameras do not have this issue. The topics i linked to are 6 months old as a write this, but yet they are being updated daily, with people all over the world complaining that their brand new unit has the same problems.

So, Contour are either:

A: Being dishonest, and all units have these problems.

B: Telling the truth, but not selling that many.

C: Telling the truth, but they "stuffed the channel" with so many units that 6 months later they are still in stock at retailers. (which is pretty much B, but crappier for the consumer)

I've no way of knowing either way, but i like to think that Amazon is probably one of the biggest sellers of these devices, in the USA at least. If Amazon still have the "old design" in stock then Contour must have given them thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of units; if they are selling well. Though if that is the case I'm surprised more complaints are not on their support site.

Either way, It's obvious that Contour think it's better to have consumers buy what is essentially a $300 paperweight, then modify it themselves to get it to power up or return it to Contour for one of the rare "fixed" units than it is to actually recall all the defective ones from the channel and replace with new ones.

This is bad for the consumer and ultimately bad for Contour.

Thanks for reading -hopefully before it was too late.

Want ContourGPS Camera Discount?

I got this as a gift only a week ago and it has been hours of fun since. Great for family sports videos and also for my own training in a rowing shell. In addition to GPS, this model has a larger, easier record switch. Don't have to take the gloves off in the cold! It also has a still photo mode, unlike the earlier Contour models. The GPS version has better microphone placement as well, so I was able to hear my commentary even skiing in the wind. Even if you don't need to see your speed and GPS data, several improvements make this model worth it over the less expensive earlier versions. While the photos are a bit fish-eyed, resulting from the 135 degree lens, you can't beat skiing and taking 3 60 shots/second without having to stop and take off gloves, etc. The contour storyteller video editing is not the best, but it does have an easy link to post on the contour website and does show the GPS data. If you use imovie the editing is better, but the GPS data is not available. The techinical issues I have had (mostly "how to" stuff) were answered within just a few hours on the Contour.com website (over the Christmas holiday!). I would buy this product just on the basis of the AMAZING tech support.

Here's a link to a video we made with imovie skiing in Colorado: . We had an incident with a low tree limb in the woods during a minor snow slide. The camera, once found in the avalanche debris field, was still recording! Since then it continues working perfectly.

Neagative aspects include the need to link to a computer to set the HD mode and photo mode. But there are 2 settings inside the camcorder back cover that allow switching between two video/photo modes in the field. Also, I wish that the GPS data did not require use of the simplified and somewhat quirky Contour Storyteller software. Yet, the product is Mac friendly and you can upload and edit videos without Contour's software (e.g. by using iMovie or PC software) If you want to see the GPS data you must use the contour software to post your video e.g.: .

The few negatives seem outweighed by the excellent design and support of the folks at Contour. I also can't help noting that the folks I saw skiing with a competing brand looked like they were wearing a toaster on their heads.

This product has given me major grins and is the best tech gadget present in many a year. ( One caution: Be sure not to buy the waterproof case for the GPS since it only fits the earlier models, not the GPS with its larger record button. oops!)

Palm Touchstone Kit for Palm pixi

The Palm Pixi (and Plus model) have a notoriously finicky magnetic flap for its micro-usb charger. It's almost made for a woman's nails, and being a guy, it's definitely a two-handed operation to get a charger plugged in. Enter the Touchstone Kit.

This kit is the most convenient way to charge a phone I've yet encountered. Sit the puck somewhere nice, lay the phone down (making sure its centered, which the magnets help align to), and you've got a handsome little charging station. It sits up enough that you can check the time and notifications while you're walking around, too.

I've not made much use of the automatic speakerphone (which the phone switches to when its sitting on the puck). Might just be a placement thing for me; you might end up having your charging station in a more accessible area.

The bad part comes in about 6 months later, when the rubber on the side of the cover begins to lose its glue/whatever and bellows out. Functionally, this doesn't do anything; it just makes your cheap, old smartphone look even shabbier. I had read mentions of this happening in reviews for this product, but I chalked it up to a small group of whiners. Now I'm within their ranks, lamenting the poor quality control in these covers. It's not a huge deal: you can just buy a new cover for a few bucks. Welcome to our wonderful new consumer world of planned obsolescence!

Nice product. Glad I bought it. Only thing is that you need the power cable that came with your pixi to use it. Palm claims the battery will last longer if you keep it topped off and this does that very well

Buy Palm Touchstone Kit for Palm pixi Now

It works great. I wish I had purchased the "kit" when I first upgraded to the phone over a year ago.

Read Best Reviews of Palm Touchstone Kit for Palm pixi Here

Shipment came quickly. Great price. My wife damaged the micro-usb connection and we needed this to charge her phone. This makes charging a breeze.

Want Palm Touchstone Kit for Palm pixi Discount?

If you have a Palm Pre or Pixi and don't use a Touchstone charger, you're missing one of the best things about the phone. The convenience of having the Touchstone on your desk can't be overstated. You're not likely to bother plugging your phone into a USB every time you sit down at your desk, but with the Touchstone you just drop it in place. The result your phone is always fully charged and when you answer an incoming call it's automatically on speaker phone until you pick the phone up. It's really a pleasure!

I've been using a Touchstone with my Sprint Palm Pre since purchase two years ago. This second Touchstone is for my wife's new Pixi. I prefer to buy directly from Amazon, but that wasn't a choice this time. The vendor "alwayz-on-sale" delivered as advertised, a new Pixi Touchstone kit in Verizon branded packaging. Shipping was slow ten days total mostly due to delay between order placement and shipping from vendor. Hard to understand why it takes 5 days to fill a simple order like this. In fairness, this was the expected shipping time given at the time of the order, so they did fulfill their promise.

This was also the best price I could find at the time, much cheaper than the Sprint store and equal or cheaper than other online vendors. Shop around, things change all the time!

Save 50% Off

Fosmon® Premium Quality USB Cradle Desktop Charger Pod for Blackberry Style 9670 with Extra Batter

This works well and chargers a dead battery in a few hours. It's kind of on the big side but it's affordable and works. Highly recommend it if you purchase spare batteries. You can have a battery in the phone, one in your pocket, and another charging.

I was so pleased to receive the charger and my cell phone is also a 'happy camper'. Now it doesn't have to wait for the battery to charge again because I always have a backup. Thanks so much.

Buy Fosmon® Premium Quality USB Cradle Desktop Charger Pod for Blackberry Style 9670 with Extra Batter Now

My Blackberry charger port fried, so I purchased this along with an extra battery to swap while the other charges. At first it worked great. After a few weeks, however, I can't get either battery to charge on this unit. I've had some success with wedging a piece of paper between the battery and the unit to hold it in just the right place, but not consistently. Now, even when I manage to rig it to get an active charge, it stops a couple of minutes later. I'm torn between finding another charger, or just abandoning all hope of cellular communication.

Read Best Reviews of Fosmon® Premium Quality USB Cradle Desktop Charger Pod for Blackberry Style 9670 with Extra Batter Here

great product charges both batteries the only reason i did not give it a 5 star is because the cord is really shortmaybe like 2 feet

Want Fosmon® Premium Quality USB Cradle Desktop Charger Pod for Blackberry Style 9670 with Extra Batter Discount?

Product arrived broken. Contacted seller and a replacement was shipped which arrived in perfect condition.

My phone jack where the power connects to charge the phone broke so I ordered this item so that I could remove the battery and charge it manually since I couldn't plug it in any longer. The device charges quickly. If your phone jack isn't broken you can charge the phone in the cradle or remove the battery and charge it by itself. The product does what it's supposed to do and does it well. Would also be great to charge a 2nd battery as a spare.

Usb Car Adaptor for Blackberry Torch 9800

Great charger, I like it, is working very good for me, buy one if you need a car charger, you will be please with the charger.

I love this thing!!! With all changers changing to usb this is perfect so then anyone can charge their phone in your car

Buy Usb Car Adaptor for Blackberry Torch 9800 Now

Fosmon 2.1Amps / 10W Dual Port USB Rapid Car Charger for Samsung Galaxy S3 - White

I would definitely recommend this product. It's not common that you find a usb port to match your cell phone. I chose this one to go with my Samsung Galaxy S4. The double port allows me to share with another android user.

Unique Gomadic FM Transmitter with an integrated DC Auto Charger for the Sony Walkman NWZ-E438F - L

• Smart technology circuit architecture provides precision voltage and resistor regulation specific to the Sony Walkman NWZ-E438F. Protects the internal battery longevity by modulating the charge in a safe and efficient manner.
• Full FM frequency spectrum is available and is user selectable in 0.1MHz increments from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz. Advanced Digital PLL sound coding maintains stable and high quality sound.
• Transmitters emit a powerful FM signal that is the maximum allowed by FCC regulation. Advanced signal isolation provides crystal clear sound quality.
• Non-coiled cable design allows for easy routing around your vehicle trim for a more professional look. Durable construction is built to last.
• Generous LED screen clearly displays current frequency setting. Transmitter frequency continues to be locked in even when vehicle power is cut.

I purchased this for my 93 Toyota Tercel. Did not want to get a stereo system installed and I am glad I did! It works well when the Sony Walkman does not need charging. When I put the walkman to charge is when I get interference. I figured it was the car...but it is awesome!

Save 23% Off