HTC Cingular 8125 USB Rapid Car Charger with Ic Chip

This little gizmo has been a real pain. The plug has to be placed in just the right position in the cigarette lighter or else it won't charge. It's very frustrating to be driving and trying to adjust the charger or notice after sometime that even though everything has been plugged in, the phone isn't getting charged.

I've had it for about a year now and on my last trip the thing just gave out. The head of the plug that keeps the front contact and fuse in place became undone/unscrewed and can't reliably hold in place anymore. The threads around the plug's head appeared to have melted...

I recently purchased the "Retractable Cell Phone Car Charger for HTC SHADOW / HTC TOUCH / 5800 / FUSION / S720/ HTC Wizard / HTC Apache / Cingular 8125 / 8525 (HTC TyTN, JasJam, Hermes) / Mogul / XV6800 / P4000 / Titan / Wing" by Cellet which seems to have a better design including an all metal contact and of course an integrated USB cable. I expect this product will last much longer. I'm not specifically recommending the Cellet charger, but make sure whichever charger you buy, the front contact, head piece is all metal to avoid the melted threads that I experienced.

works ok but does not fit the power outlet very well. easy to lose connection if bumped or shaken.

Buy HTC Cingular 8125 USB Rapid Car Charger with Ic Chip Now

So far I've bought and used two of these (1 for me, then 1 for my wife when her expensive, phone-specific charger died). These work great and the price is right. Side notemy HTC Hero would not take a charge in my wife's Toyota Camry Hybrid. Her phone worked, the charger works in my Accord. I can't figure it out, but if you drive a Camry Hybrid and want to charge the Hero, look for another charger, for ANY other scenerio, this should work fine for you.

Read Best Reviews of HTC Cingular 8125 USB Rapid Car Charger with Ic Chip Here

It is a great deal I must admit but unless what ever you are using this on has the power to shut down before overcharging or has a warranty don't buy this. I used a rather cheap mp3 player with this and it burned out. Luckily I had warranty and after about 4 mp3 players I found out it was the charger. Oh and if you are thinking about saying "but thats not an HTC phone" well this used to be listed just as usb charger so I clicked to write a review and it linked me here. Also if it overcharges an mp3 player chances are it will do the same to a phone.

Want HTC Cingular 8125 USB Rapid Car Charger with Ic Chip Discount?

It's a phone charger for your car. It charges my phone (HTC Touch Pro)! Highly recommended!

Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter

This item offered here (Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter) is actually two different converters built into one package. At LOW setting (up to 50W), it uses a small AC transformer to convert 220V sinusoidal waveform into a 110V sinusoidal waveform. This is the preferred approach which works well for any low power appliance.

To handle higher power, however, the AC transformer must be made bulkier and heavier (around 20 pounds just for 1000W). This makes it impractical as a travel voltage converter for large-wattage appliance. Therefore another method is used by this converter...

At HIGH setting (50-1600W), this convert simply uses a solid-state switch inside to chop off part of the 220V sinusoidal waveform. The resulted waveform, as seen by the appliance, is highly distorted and is far from an 110V sinusoidal AC voltage.

For a purely resistive appliance (such as travel iron or water heater) it works just fine irregardless of different voltage waveform. But if you ever try to power an electronic appliance (such as TV, computer or battery charger) with this distorted 220V waveform, it will probably be fried in an instant!

The product manual did warn against using the HIGH setting for any electronic appliance exceeding 50W. So legally the company is covered. My advice is to stay away from this potentially destructive product unless you are really, REALLY careful about what to plug in. Chances are, sooner or later somebody will forget about this warning and plug a Xbox into this "converter" only to get a big BOOM!

If you must bring electronic appliances with your oversea trips, make sure they are rated for universal voltage of 100-240V AC. That way, you can safely use them in other countries without the need for a volatge converter. Power supplies for most portable electronics (laptop, camcorder, cell-phone, electric shavers, etc.) are already designed for universal voltage, although some of them may require you to physically flip a switch.

But don't forget, even if you don't need a voltage converter, you still must bring a set of plug adapters for foreign countries. For example, consider the Travel Smart Polarized Adapter Plug 5 Piece Set for this purpose.

This kit is well made, contains all the plug adapters you'll need to travel to 6 continents, and unlike some, has switchable wattage to allow the use of both low voltage (eg. battery rechargers) and high voltage (eg. hair dryers) appliances.

Buy Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter Now

I bought this converter for a trip to Spain. Each time I used it, I smelled a plastic burning odor and the unit was too hot to handle. I had to unplug whatever device was connected to it and wait about 10 minutes before removing it from the wall outlet. When I took it to Peru four months later, I had the same experience, only this time it "exploded" while using my electric shaver. I immediately unplugged the shaver and grabbed a towel to remove the converter from the outlet. The room smelled strongly of burning plastic. Unfortunately, I burned out the motor of the shaver. I also noticed that the cell phone I had tried to charge earlier in the day had not charged. The charger was burned out and obviously no longer works back home in the states.

To add insult to injury, I've been bounced around from service rep to service rep trying to contact the company. I've been issued four "case numbers" each time I call in. Now they've got me waiting for a call from the legal department. Do they smell a lawsuit?

My recommendation is to NOT buy this device. Another review talks of how heavy the unit is and how the user had to prop it up. That's definitely been my experience. In Spain, I had to use the two prong accessory to plug it into the recessed outlet in the bathroom. I actually had to hold the unit to keep it from falling out. (Yes, I know, not smart, holding an electrical device while in the bathroom!)

Spend a few extra bucks and get a better converter.

Read Best Reviews of Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter Here

I took this converter to a very long European trip. It worked just fine. My family members were using it for both high-wattage and low-wattage appliances. It was very handy to have a single converter for all cases. What can I say it worked as supposed and didn't break. The set of 5 different adapters (all types used on the planet) was very handy too.

Want Recoton ADF1650 50/1600W Dual Wattage Travel Converter Discount?

I purchased two of the Recoton ADF 1650 sets for a recent trip to Italy. They worked flawlessly, with both high and low-voltage devices. We tried them with hair dryers, digital camera battery rechargers, etc. and no problems. They are quite large and heavy, though, and we ditched the carrying case, etc., and just threw the converter into our suitcases..

One important thing to remember is that you only need a voltage CONVERTER if the devices you wish to power are incapable of operating at the voltage being provided in the country you're visting. I found that my cell phone charger AND my Nikon digital camera battery recharger were both designed for BOTH 110 and 220 Volt operation (read the fine print stamped on the charger) so all I needed was the "plug adaptor" (and NOT a voltage converter) for these two chargers... The plug adaptors are about $2-$3 each...

Save 43% Off

Rando HD CAR DVR 1280 x 720P Camcorder Video Camera Night Vision 2.5-Inch LCD with HDMI Cable

• HDMI Cable included
• Built-in microphone
• Built-in LED for night vision
• 1280 x 720 HD
• 140 degree wide view-angle

The image is very nice. Just as described.Is working as expected.This is a must have for everyone on the road today.

Buy Rando HD CAR DVR 1280 x 720P Camcorder Video Camera Night Vision 2.5-Inch LCD with HDMI Cable Now

No problems yet, good image quality in daylight, not the best in the night. This camera does include an HDMI port and a night-vision photo sensor, which fake versions of this camera don't have.

Read Best Reviews of Rando HD CAR DVR 1280 x 720P Camcorder Video Camera Night Vision 2.5-Inch LCD with HDMI Cable Here

The dash cam works great and is well worth the price. However, the car charger died in just a few weeks.

Want Rando HD CAR DVR 1280 x 720P Camcorder Video Camera Night Vision 2.5-Inch LCD with HDMI Cable Discount?

Pros:

Cheep & inexpensive.

Suction cup holds securly to windshield. Won't fall.

Has all the features one would want in a device like this.

Cons:

have to remove battery every 2 weeks to keep it working.

Resolution. Not Great. Same quality Ive seen on 640ish cameras.

Reset device does not reset all options.

Device & Manual quality show this is an obvious Knock-Off Product.

Overall

-It works "OK". I would recommend spending $100 and get the TopDawg Model. It has to work better.

-Guess for $50 I can't complain too much. At this price I didn't have great expectations.

Battery Tender 081-0069-2 Alligator Clips with White 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug

The quick connect works well but the clips don't open wide enough to go over the battery clamps. They'll open wide enuff for the battery terminals, but not if you're all connected to the vehicle. With some jimming, they'll hang on. You can add a side terminal to the battery terminals but that adds to the overall cost of the set-up.

Also, make sure your quick connect ends are the right ones. There are two types, black ends or white ends. Match the color for proper fit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the money, what could you possibly lose.

Well pleased.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Siemens VC30BLKB 30-Amp Bottom Fed VersiCharge Electric Vehicle Charger

[Note: Although I mention a 220v circuit in the video review, it is connected to a 208-240v 40amp double pole breaker.]

We bought the Siemens 30-A Bottom Fed VersiCharge because it fits our lifestyle better than the 110v charger included in the car. I typically use the car in the morning for some errands and my wife uses it for about a 15 mile r/t to work and back in the afternoon. So I usually have a charging window of a couple of hours to top off our 2013 Chevy Volt before it goes out on the road again. The 110v charger would not get it back up to a full charge in time.

Since I did a video review, I'll just mention a few things here I didn't have time to include in the review.

What I like:

Well made, sealed for outdoor use, although I have an inside installation.

Feels sturdy -the cables are thick and appear well insulated.

Relatively quiet. When you're near it you can hear a faint electrical hum, but unlike some other units reviewed here, there is nothing that would ever bother you. It makes a firm electrical "click" when you plug in into the car (you can hear it in the video review) but nothing like an alarming bang that other devices seem to make.

The large "halo" surrounding the device lets you see the charging status from a considerable distance. This can be disabled if desired.

The charge plug inserts and removes from my Volt firmly, but easily.

What could be better:

The charging plug is somewhat difficult to remove from the holder in the charger. You have to press very firmly on the rubber-covered button and pull it away with some force. This may get better over time.

The wall mounting bracket is plastic! Although it shows no sign of coming loose, hanging a 21 lb. electrical device on this flimsy bracket does not inspire confidence. (The plastic may be due to some requirement related to an outdoor electrical connection, but it should be thicker plastic.)

The device wobbles a bit on the wall because it does not quite fit flush, due to the way the lag bolts go into the bracket. There is only a narrow vertical support, nothing horizontal. Not a big deal and it is on the wall securely.

I feel this charger is somewhat overpriced, especially compared to the one offered by GM, but it also seems to be a better charger. I personally think they are all overpriced.

Summary:

A fine charger with a three-year warranty. If there are any problems I'll update this review, but I expect it to work well for a long time. This is a 4.5 star review, but I'll bump it to 5 because Siemens is a reliable company and the warranty is excellent.

I purchased the Siemens VC30BLKB bottom feed EV charging station from Amazon. I chose this charger for four reasons. 1) It was capable of delivering up to 30 amps, which makes it somewhat future proof; 2) Unlike most of the other units, it comes with a three year warranty; 3) It comes in a NEMA 4 weatherproof enclosure (even though I am installing it indoors, I think this provides extra protection); 4) At the time I made my purchase, the cost was $200 less than the comparable charger from Leviton (although Amazon has since raised the price by $150).

Prior to receiving the charger, I read the manual on-line and installed a 40 amp dedicated circuit with a NEMA 6-50 female receptacle into my garage. Since my Nissan Leaf is only capable of accepting up to 16 amps, and since the Siemens charger has an internal adjustment to reduce the draw to 15 amps, I was hoping to have been able to use my existing dryer outlet. However, after speaking with Siemens Technical Support, I learned that the unit requires a dedicated 40 amp circuit regardless. I don't see any need to open the charger and perform the voltage adjustment since the charger that is built into the electric vehicle is capable of regulating the power.

Once the receptacle was installed, mounting the charger was very easy. You must find a stud in the wall capable of holding 20 lbs. A mounting bracket with a built-in template is included. The bracket is mounted to the stud with two lag screws. The charger slips into the bracket and is plugged into the receptacle. Once plugged into the wall the charger has an LED to indicate that power is available. Plug the J1772 connector into the car and charging will begin as indicated by a different LED. A third LED indicates if the charger is in a ready state, such as when it has been plugged in but is set to begin charging at a later time. There is a pause button on the Siemens charger, as well as the ability to delay the charging for 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours. This delay could come in handy if you want to charge at certain times, when the price of electricity is lower, or if you want to wait for your battery to cool down for a couple of hours before charging.

The charger is designed so that the cord wraps around it neatly. I look forward to many years of use for this device.

Buy Siemens VC30BLKB 30-Amp Bottom Fed VersiCharge Electric Vehicle Charger Now

Great EVSE for our 2013 Nissan Leaf that supports up to a 6.6 kW draw. Car recharges about 24 miles per hour vs 5 mph using Nissan's included 120v trickle charger. A fully depleted battery will recharge to 100% in 4 hours vs 21 with the trickle charger. This makes it great for weekend errand trips throughout the day.

I chose this over the GE for the following reasons:

1) 20' cord vs 16

2) Smaller/Lighter

3) Charge delay feature

I was also pleased that the handle isn't white which will show off dirt over time. It's more of a light gray top with a black bottom.

Minor Con:

The connector is a little tight. You need to give it a good push for it to be properly seated to the connector. I'm hoping this'll get better over time.

Read Best Reviews of Siemens VC30BLKB 30-Amp Bottom Fed VersiCharge Electric Vehicle Charger Here

The main reason I'm writing this is to say that my experience has been different than that of another reviewer that said this charger doesn't work with his RAV4 EV. I have only had about 5 opportunities to charge our 2012 RAV4 EV and so far this charger has worked great.

This charger's particular ability to adjust it's output is very important for me because we have a completely off-grid solar electric system and 30 amps at 240 volts is not something we will be able to do all the time. Your charge rate selections are 100%, 75%, 50% and 25%. I have adjusted the charge rate to 75% and 50% of it's 30 amp max and the charger charges at 5.4 KW and 3.6 KW, respectively. For us, this is a very important feature.

The slightly longer 20' cord is handy for our situation, pretty simple installation. It would not be out of the question to undo the one screw that holds the rather light charger on the (somewhat flimsy) mounting bracket and take the charger with you to some destination as long as the correct receptacle is there. This is assuming your installation is not hard-wired.

A few months later: Still charging our 2012 RAV4 flawlessly. The power output adjustment actually has a setting below 25%. I've used all the settings for a variety of reasons. Very happy with this charger.

Want Siemens VC30BLKB 30-Amp Bottom Fed VersiCharge Electric Vehicle Charger Discount?

Update (5/21/2013)

I have finally received the replacement unit today after calling Siemen every morning.

According to the support they were having back-order problem so couldn't ship the unit until now.

Surprisingly it's brand new but not refurbished, and there are some nice change with the new unit.

I noticed there are few improvement in the newer version I received.

1. The clip on the EVSE Plug has been extended, so it's much easier to plug into the car

2. The hose at the base is also increased in size, so the plug will no longer stuck.

3. In generally, the Versicharge has been modified to make the usage much easier now.

So the product is getting better now, you can expect Nissan Stock EVSE usage experience.

But at the same time, you will still need to keep your Nissan EVSE just in case.

If the unit break, do expect few weeks of going back and forth to receive the replacement unit.

Update (5/15/2013)

Unfortunately, after less than half year the unit breaks.

After a night of charging the unit always has the fault light ON.

Contacting customer support is a nightmare as there is no process handling the problem.

At first I had to be transferred three times before somebody is willing to help.

Then I had to call back everyday for 4 days to finally get a hold of person in charge of Versicharge unit.

He promised me to send me a new unit with return shipping label so they can look at the failure.

However, it's already two weeks and I have not heard anything from them.

I called back again and the process only started from the beginning because I can't reach the Versicharge team.

So it's has been three weeks I am without a LV2 charge, and I still don't have any idea when I'll get the issue fixed.

With the horrible experience, I no longer recommending purchasing the unit.

Original Review (11/5/2012)

When I was first in the market for Level 2 EVSE, this product was not released to public yet.

But after few weeks of disappointment with other unit, I decided to give this a try because of few reasons.

1. 30 Amp of current, more future proof but not as much as 32 Amp of some unit

2. The unit has NEMA 6-50 plug to the Wall Outlet, so it fits my existing installation

3. The J1772 cable is 20 ft long, a bit longer than many standard 18 ft unit

4. The unit has a nice cable management. You can wrap the cable around the unit and place for J1772 plug in.

5. The price was $250 cheaper compare to other brand, but it is no longer true anymore

6. And as nice surprise, the unit actually comes with Wall Mount Bracket so I didn't have to spend extra.

When I received the unit, the product box was opened and damaged because there was no shipping box.

I can see the contain was dropping out of box during shipping and the UPS worker just tape the box again.

The shipping protection could be a lot better, but thankfully the unit still works so I didn't have to return it.

Once installed, I find the J1772 plug to be a bit stiff and hard to plug/unplug, but few trick solves the issue.

First, because the unique design of the J1772 plug, it doesn't go in like the Nissan EVSE unit.

When insert the J1772 plug, you'll need to give small amount of force to the upward dimension.

Without the upward force, the plug goes in but the J1772 won't clip. The charger indicates it's plug in but won't charge.

Second, try apply some oil or Vaseline to the outside ring of the plug, then plug in and out few times.

This can help smooth the plug friction and make unplug a lot easier.

So with the two thing in mind, the unit work very well.

The cable is thin and light, so it is easy to hang around and carry with me.

The included wall Mount Bracket is also easy to install. We just need two screw into the pole to get it right.

The Power cable to the wall is also a bit longer than the other unit, so it's a lot easier to go into outlet as well.

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and looks forward to use the unit for a long time.

Fosmon Premium Quality Retractable Car Auto Charger for T-Mobile HTC myTouch 4G Smartphone

Cant beat the price. Like the retractable cord. Keeps phone from completely dying more than it actually charges it. Worth buying just to have an extra cbarger.

Save 53% Off

Retractable Car Charger for Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch

This product is for any device using a Micro USB (Not Mini) great for that. I bought it for use with the Nook Tablet rather than the $20+ car charger from B&N. However although, the Nook Tablet is a Mini USB it is modified not to work with a regular mini USB. so beware IT DOES NOT WORK with NOOK TABLET. Still a great product at a great price to use with any mini USB device very compact as shown and the retract device works with a push button release rather than a pull snap retract that makes it nice. I will keep it for other devices although I ordered it specifically for the Nook. Don't know if older Nooks use Mini USB port, this is my first tablet, unfortunately for the consumer company's are learning to adapt Sony's practice of making there products proprietary. A very bad idea and the only reason I DO NOT BUY SONY products. As with the Nook Tablet blocking its side bar from being able to boot to an accessible android market. and hundreds of FREE apps. Why would you want to stop your product from being a better more diverse product? Oh, yea GREED. used to be called creating a monopoly.

The charger advertises that it works with the B&N Nook. It does not. It fits it, but it doesn't charge the device. It can be used for cell phones, like my LG, however, I don't need another portable charger in my car! I think B&N may have cornered the market on portable chargers for their Nook...Since it was cheap, I thought it would suffice. It certainly doesn't.

Buy Retractable Car Charger for Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Now

This is false advertisement!!! this is NOT a charger for a NOOK!! it will not work!! do not waste you time here.

Read Best Reviews of Retractable Car Charger for Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Here

Item advertised as a Nook Color charger. When it arrives the packaging describes it as a cell phone charger. It will attach to Nook, but does not charge when Nook is on and only gives a small trickle charge if Nook is off. Do not buy for a Nook.

Want Retractable Car Charger for Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Discount?

I was excited to see this product for sale on your site however when I received it and plugged it in there was no charge to the Nook. It does work for other products I have but NOT for the Nook. I did not need another charger for those products but I guess it can be a spare. I gave this charger 1 star since although it works for other products it does not do what I purchased it to do.

Save 86% Off

Xantrex Technologies Prosine 1000 Prosine 1,000 to 1,500-Watt Power Inverter

UPDATE I bought this 12/07 and it's now 08/09. Amazon is selling a remote faceplate along with the prosine inverters. YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY IT. The inverters come with a built in faceplate and 4 screws remove the screws and insert a male-female modular phone cable to extend the remote control to wherever you want it. Amazon did remove the cautions about generators, so I am removing my paragraph about the difference in generators and inverters. My pro-sine 1000w nominal, 1500w peak has proven to be as reliable as a power outlet in my home, and in analyzing the power quality with fluke tools it is equal to or better than the power from the grid, which says alot.

Note when this was written the price was $549 and was the best deal on the net. Amazon has raised their price but the Xantrex prosine series is still in the top tier of inverters. Also note that Amazon's description makes reference to a staged charger the prosine series HAS NO CHARGER and is reliant upon an external charger (alternator, AC, or solar etc) so amazon should correct their description. I later purchased a D31M Optima battery and a 1.5 Farad capacitor Optima Batteries OPT D31M Group 31 Marine Battery, BlueTop POWER ACOUSTIK 1.0 FARAD Digital Power Capacitor (POWER ACOUSTIK PC10F) to improve the surge performance of this inverter for starting an air compressor. I also added a 50 foot 10/3 extension cord to use with it so that power would not be wasted in the extension see: Coleman Cable 10/3 50-Foot Vinyl Outdoor Extension Cord #02688-88-02 Updated 1/2008. Using these add-ons makes a very functional 1000W continuous inverter with 1500 watt surge capability that operates in my car and doesn't complain what I operate from it.

(paragraph wondering why amazon put generator info on this product now removed it is not a generator it converts 12 volts DC from a battery or car alternator to 117 VAC with a true sinewave output that won't damage delicate appliances)

PROS:

Lets start positive: Inverters are almost silent. They make a very very slight buzzing sound on the poor quality models, but a true sine wave inverter is almost completely silent except for cooling fans which only come on under high power use and turn off when it is cold outside or you are running a transformer adapter)

A true sine wave is just like the power that comes from the utility. A modified sine wave is squared off without round corners this causes heat generation in alot of electronic devices and can blow fusses even blow transformers. For those non-electricians it's like using square tires on a car meant for round tires! I have used alot of modified sine wave inverters in my time they are much smaller, much cheaper, and tend to DESTROY your expensive electronics. That is why I bought a TRUE sine wave inverter the power is just like what comes from the wall socket, but you pay more for the inverter and get less power out. It's a tradeoff that can save your valuable electronic parts. For me, this one will drive > $250,000 in Agilent test and measurement gear in my truck, so $549, which is the best price around, is cheap! (revised: 1/08 not any more several companies sell it for 599) revised 08/09 now they are $750 inflation.

OK more pros the Xantrex brand comes with a nice LCD display showing volts, amps, and watts. This display can be removed and relocated in your vehicle with a simple telephone cord for $5. REVISED YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY THE SEPARATE CONTROL PANEL JUST RELOCATE THE BUILT IN ONE using a phone cord. No exposed printed circuit boards are present and the remote display is self contained as it comes from the factory. Other higher wattage Xantrex sinewave inverters do not include this display and sell it optionally for $400 alone. Some sites advertise the display board as an optional item. I don't know why it comes with the inverter in the 1000/1800 watt variant. Cheaper brands have red/green lights on the front that are permanent. Like a fine auto, guages are essential to proper operation to know when your battery is dying or if you have a bad connection somewhere. The LCD display shows Volts, Amps, and has a bargraph showing your instantaneous wattage including surge to 1500 watts.

You should know the two prosine models (1000/1800 watt continuous) each come in 3 models version 1 is hardwired for an RV by an electrician (no GFCI, conduit fittings in/out), version 2 is hardwired with an auto switchover when AC is present (just like a UPS but meant for LONG runtimes), and ver. 3 has a GFCI outlet on the front panel to just plug into but no AC connection at all. This model is the 3rd variant. You give it a 12VDC source and it gives you 1000 watts (1500 surge watts for a few seconds to start lights, motors, and such). Keep in mind that to get 1500 surge watts, you need 150 amps at 11 or so volts. That is not going to come from the cigarette lighter this must be installed with heavy wire going to a top of the line battery as startup currents for some devices may be 130+ amps. Motors and incandescent lights can draw as much as 10x their operating power at startup, which is why a good inverter gives you both max and surge values.

Also use caution when buying any inverter advertising will push the "surge" value which may be for only 1/2 second on some models (about 3 seconds on this one). Your real operating power is the lower number.

If you want one of the other models they are more expensive and you can add features later if you really need them, but its not an easy task. Odds are you don't need these features but if you think you do, this is the wrong model it is the entry level model w/o all the features. There is also an 1800 watt version available for more money. I bought this because of the value at the $549 pricepoint. Today I'd probably buy the 1800 watt model as the prices are closer. Everyone else is $680. (note prices are higher now)

Another "PRO" of this is the xantrex inverter has a power down (sleep) mode where it will wake up every 2.5 seconds and look for a load connected to it if there is no load of 10 watts or more (i.e. lights are turned off) then it goes back to sleep for 2.5 seconds. In this mode it only uses 1.5 watts from your batteries. It's very efficient this way to not drain your batteries if you turn off your load when it is not in use. Idiling (running the inverter without a load) takes about 22 watts instead of 1.5 watts in sleep mode. You can turn sleep mode on or off if you want full power 100% of the time. In sleep mode you will notice the NEON lights of your power strips blink every 2.5 seconds during sleep mode that is the inverter searching for a load to run.

Another design pro is the LCD dot matrix display can be removed and extended from the chassis for remote mounting (i.e. keep the inverter near your batteries and put the monitor near the drivers seat in an RV). I used a $5 phone extention cable to do this. If you plan to use it in a vehicle look into battery isolation modules these allow your batteries to charge while driving and drain your EXTRA batteries with the inverter while not draining your engine starting battery (kinda important!) I used a system like this to run an electric heater in my truck camper in the nevada winter batteries charge during they day while driving and keep the truck warm at night, even running cooking tools for dinner.

Back to the inverter, now let's address the cons.

One sorta con and sorta pro is that the inverter is air cooled. The fan is VERY fast. Under light loads (50 watts or so) it doesn't even run the fan. As soon as you run 1000 watts (ex: printing on a laser printer) it runs the fan at full speed. In between it runs slower to minimize noise. It's a good compromise between needlessly running the fan and quickly cooling the inverter under heavy load.

Another con is that "TRUE SINE" inverters are not as efficient as "Sorta Sine" inverters are. In a perfect world if we need 1 amp at 120V, it will take 10A at 12 V to get it. Due to the fact that this not a perfect world, it's more like 14A at 12VDC to get 1A at 120VAC. Because this inverter can make 8.3A @ 120V (8.3A x 120V ~= 1000W neglecting the power factor which is beyond this review's scope google "power factor" to understand it.) You need 8.3 * 12-14A at 12VDC. That's alot of amps, over 100 amps give or take the efficiencies and surges. YES IT TAKES >100 amps at 12VDC if you want 1000 watts out! This means HEAVY wire to your batteries. Notice I said batteries. You can wire more than one in parallel (all positves touch, all negatives touch, AND *NO* positive touches any other battery negative such as in 24V battery systems) and you can divide the load 2 batteries in parallel and your 100 amps is only 50 amps per battery. With 4 it's only 25 A per battery. Think lots of matching batteries. A hidden "PRO" here is that the connector for the heavy cables is up to the task and won't fry when you run 100+ amps through it for hours at a time. Most inverters lack such a heavy duty connector. This unit can run 1000 watts continuous which means 100 amps continuous be sure your wiring is up to the task or it may melt. You'll want #2 to #2/0 cable to wire this up which is between $2-$8/foot.

This is simple power conversion theory and regretably there isn't anything you can do about it except add more batteries to your battery array if you intend to pull 1000 watts for an extended time. If you seldom need the full 1000 watts or 1500 watt surge rating, then you can use smaller wire, but keep the runs short.

There is alot to like about the Xantrex design. If the only thing you ever intend to run is an incnadescent light and a computer, then the cheaper "sorta sine wave" inverters (they have many names but are not "TRUE" sine wave designs) will work fine, but don't use a modified sine wave to run any of the following "delicates":

+ wall warts (with transformers they burn up from harmonics

+ microwave ovens (they have transformers too and use alot of power)

+ VCRs / DVDs / HiFi (clocks will be wrong and you'll get audio buzz)

+ some TVs (some do work on square wave but with shortened life span)

+ expensive stuff (is it worth it? Save a couple hundred and ruin it?)

+ clocks (they see time going by twice as fast without a pure sine wave)

+ flourescent lamps (the coil ballast types get really hot and blow their fuse on modified sine wave power)

Of all the options out there for a pure sine wave, Xantrex has the best name and amazon has [revised: HAD] the best price according to froogle and pricewatch.

Be sure and buy some heavy guage wire to connect the inverter unless you have a low power load. If you run 1000 watts through your cigarette lighter it will blow a fuse. If you put the wrong fuse it it will melt the wire! Run your wires to the battery.

With this inverter you can take your electrical outlet with you on the road or when the power fails have a backup source until your batteries die. A deep cycle marine battery typically will run 100A for 1 hour (or 1000 watts) so you must conserve if your runtime is important or else add batteries. Either way you'll love the clean power, no buzzing, dimmers working normally, and nothing being damaged. Short of a generator, which it is NOT, it is the best way to get AC power away from the utility grid such as solar and wind power systems, off grid living, or car outlets with clean 120 VAC. Just be sure you have a way to charge your batteries that is left up to you which is incorrectly documented about the product. Bigger Xantrex inverters do have internal chargers, but not these.

I bought mine in 2007, installed it in Summer 2008, it has been used less than 50 hours total and this Summer (2011, it's out of warranty) it went belly up, took it to the local Xantrex "REPAIR" center and guess what, it can't be repaired; OH THE IRONY! The AC board (they think) went bad and can't be replaced. What an expensive piece of garbage, no more Xantrex for me. I was told by the repair center that Xantrex is making them irreparable as their objective. I don't see how something that costs close to a grand is built with intent that it cannot be repaired. Thanks Xantrex!!!!!

Buy Xantrex Technologies Prosine 1000 Prosine 1,000 to 1,500-Watt Power Inverter Now

Had this unit now 2 years in an 18-wheeler. it survived a voltage spikes of 17+ volts from an alternator that spiked whenever it got wet from a truck wash, Its been in 3 different trucks since. We use a hot plate, a 900w microwave, a hotel sized fridge, lots of ham radio gear, and a 40-amp 0-20v DC power supply. I also use my 1/2" variable speed drill and a 200W soldering gun with it whenever I am building custom antennas for my radio gear...Like I said,.. tough as nails. It produces NO "birdies" or electrical noise whatsoever on any of the ham bands as long as the control unit is not mounted separately. If you mount the control unit with a long cable remotely, you need a shielded cable, because it will produce some noise on the lower HF bands.

Read Best Reviews of Xantrex Technologies Prosine 1000 Prosine 1,000 to 1,500-Watt Power Inverter Here

We have used one of these units on a mobile veterinary hospital 4 days a week, 48 weeks a year since 2007. It powers critical infrastructure such as surgical lights, anesthesia machines, and the computers. We have had absolutely zero problems with it.

I just ordered a second unit to upgrade our other hospital.

Want Xantrex Technologies Prosine 1000 Prosine 1,000 to 1,500-Watt Power Inverter Discount?

The Xantrex inverter was delivered quicker than expected and although I have not installed it yet as it is still winter here, it will be the

120 volt source of backup power sourced by my new solar PV/battery system. I am confident that I chose a top product from the plethora of

choices out there.

Save 13% Off

CtcStore 1900mAh External Backup Battery Charger for iPhone (Rechargeable)-WORKS FOR 3GS, iPhone 3G

• Compatibility: iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch; iPhone
• Can charge your iphone and battery pack at the same time using AC/USB power cable
• Charges your iPhone from 10% to 100% in just 2.5 hours. Remove the battery and your iPhone is charged 100%
• 1900 mAh battery, strongest clip on battery in the world with no cables for the iPhone. Excellent quality with high-end parts.
• Small enough to keep connected to your iPhone or iPod

I have had this item for less than two months. I was happy with it until it stopped working a week ago. I plug it into the iphone but the phone does not recognize it. It seems like the contacts are not working. I have contacted the vendor (Digital Media Source) and am waiting to see its response. Update: Vendor will not replace.

Buy CtcStore 1900mAh External Backup Battery Charger for iPhone (Rechargeable)-WORKS FOR 3GS, iPhone 3G Now

this product nearly doubles the battery life of my ipod touch--great for trips---compact and portable. the only way to improve it would be to increase charge to allow it to charge the ipod more than once, or continuously charge it for longer.

Read Best Reviews of CtcStore 1900mAh External Backup Battery Charger for iPhone (Rechargeable)-WORKS FOR 3GS, iPhone 3G Here

This battery works but not like they claim. It only lasts less than an hour maybe & does not charge w/ the ipod in placed. I have to charge them separately.

Want CtcStore 1900mAh External Backup Battery Charger for iPhone (Rechargeable)-WORKS FOR 3GS, iPhone 3G Discount?

I read the reviews for the battery and because I needed something for the road, I went ahead and got the white one and a black one. I gave the white battery to a friend who had the white iphone and kept the black one for myself. I was looking forward to using the battery but it turned out to be huge disappointment. It worked the first couple of times, but then it just stopped. The battery was charged, but the lights did not go on, and it would not charge my phone. You would have to reactivate it by putting it on the charger and it would show full lights, but then minutes later would just be dead, and have no charge, no lights.

DO NOT BUY. This company needs to make better products.

The connection becomes loose so if the unit is in your pocket charging, it will connect and reconnect with the iphone 8000 times due to an unsolid locking mechanism.

Black Premium Rapid Car Charger (with IC CHIP) for Sony Ericsson TM506

The Rapid charger works almost as well as my charger at home. It does exactly what I need it to do. The Sony Ericsson TM506 does not maintain power for long periods of time compared to other cell phones I've owned, so this product is a necessity for me.

16 Pack MAHA POWEREX 2700 mAh AA Rechargeable Batteries

All batteries but one met spec when tested with Lacrosse BC-700 charger. Surprisingly all scored between 2650 mAh and 2750 mAh. I like the little cases. I shopped carefully and that is the best deal I found online for such batteries.

I used these batteries for the first time during wedding shoot this past weekend and was very impressed with the results. Using a Nikon SB900 flash, I took approximately 400 flash photos in varying conditions with the first set of four then changed to a fresh set and proceeded to take another 500+ flash pictures. The only reason I changed battery sets was because the opportunity presented itself. I think the first set would have easily lasted another several hundred flash cycles. I'm guessing the speedlight was putting out at 1/16 to 1/4 power most of the time as I was shooting with the flash in TTL mode at ISO 400 and f/5.6 indoors with ambient light coming mostly from window on a partly sunny day. Recycle time was excellent as expected at these lower flash output levels.

Buy 16 Pack MAHA POWEREX 2700 mAh AA Rechargeable Batteries Now

These batteries tested from 2530 to 2680 mAh on the first cycle...I expect them to improve after a couple more cycles...I have a few of the same batteries that are 5 years old and they still test at 2510-2620...Overall rated at advertised and they stay that way...

kd

Read Best Reviews of 16 Pack MAHA POWEREX 2700 mAh AA Rechargeable Batteries Here

I have been using these Powerex batteries for exactly one year now. I'm a Geocacher and a very active one at that, and my GPSr's tend to be rather needy in the power department so my partner gave me a set of these last year and gave them a go. Immediately I was impressed at the fact that I was getting at least a 25% improvement over both the Duracel and Eveready reghargeable batteries I had been using. Now a full year later, I am still using the same set of 8 that I started with and quite honestly, I don't see myself ever changing to another brand if the quality remains the same with my next batch. These batteries still last me a good day and a half of heavy use on my Garmin 62S and about a full day in a Garmin Oregon with the backlight in use.

I'm sold.

Want 16 Pack MAHA POWEREX 2700 mAh AA Rechargeable Batteries Discount?

I use these batteries in NIkon SB-800 speedlights regularly on a weekly basis. I've used this brand and type of of battery for years, always worked and performed great. They hold their charge and put out consistent output. I would highly recommend this item to anyone.

Car Charger for Motorola Barrage V860

Motorola/Verizon phones are a bit picky about which chargers to use. This one does work for my droid razr. Grounding points on both ends of the tip do make it difficult to plug the adapter, but will fit with a bit of force.

Price quality bias?

This product is pretty clear evidence of the price quality bias.

Pros

-works as well as or better than any 20$ charger

-coiled cable prevents damage from kinks.

-price

Cons

-doesn't have a motorola logo. LOL

Buy Car Charger for Motorola Barrage V860 Now

When you have to pay $40 plus for a charger at Verizon, I was very please to find to chargers for less than $10, what a value and they work great !!!

Read Best Reviews of Car Charger for Motorola Barrage V860 Here

Ordered 20 of these for our work staff. We've had them for a couple of months and no complaints from anyone, and the price was excellent.

Want Car Charger for Motorola Barrage V860 Discount?

Works perfect! There are in stores all over my city, it's hard to believe Verizon gets $35 for this in their store....

Save 29% Off

Car Charger For Samsung SGH-d357, d407, d410, d415, d418, e315, e316, e317

Very pleased with performance of this charger. Model I ordered was what I received. Can't beat the price. Shipping was more than the charger,but I needed it pronto and could not locate it locally; however I received it in time for long road trip.

It does what its supposed to do. I have had it plugged in my car for months and its caused no issues so far.

Buy Car Charger For Samsung SGH-d357, d407, d410, d415, d418, e315, e316, e317 Now

Allstar Performance ALL76232 Universal Two Wire Connector with 12" Loop

I used a few of these to make different charging leads for low amp chargers. Had no issue with them these . This appears to be the only ones Amazon sells with free shipping. Wish they had some in 10ga also since these are only 18g and shouldn't have very high amp draws run over them.

Also a at least one end cap would be nice to use on one site do protect it from ground or shorting out.

I'm building a 12 volt system and needed several of these. They are well built but if you need a lot of them it gets a little expensive.

Buy Allstar Performance ALL76232 Universal Two Wire Connector with 12" Loop Now

These connectors are perfect for my large and small solar panel projects. I plan to buy more of them. Good price too. I like these better than the other ones I've bought because the wires are a complete set so you can disconnect from your battery and use the solar panel on another project and the plugs match up.

Read Best Reviews of Allstar Performance ALL76232 Universal Two Wire Connector with 12" Loop Here

I needed an extension for my battery tender and this fit the bill. Not much to complain about. Very simple piece and it works.

Want Allstar Performance ALL76232 Universal Two Wire Connector with 12" Loop Discount?

I use a LOT of these! It sure beats crimping Bullet Connectors to my twin-wire cables, when I need to remove/replace lights on trailers. A real time saver! I just cut the connectors cable in the middle, then attach th connector with the insulated "Hot" lead to the wiring harness, and the other side to the light. Then if the light ever needs replacement unplug the connector, place on new light and plug back in.

Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt / 1.25-Amp Battery Charger, Pink

We purchased this item to recharge and maintain battery energy in our classic car. The instructions were easy to follow and the item performed better than expected. I also appreciate the pink unit supporting a worthy cause.

BATTERY Tender in first class charger for those hard to get places where battery's are located like boats and motorcycles . I love my three owned TENDERS

Buy Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt / 1.25-Amp Battery Charger, Pink Now

I just love the pink!!! I gave my old battery tender to the boyfriend. It still worked fine, but I wanted pink and he needed a tender. I keep my bike hooked up when not in use as this prolongs the battery life. I keep leads on the bike's battery (included with the tender) and plug in after my rides. It's good for vintage cars as well, like a friend's Mustang. The battery is safely charged and then tended -just leave it hooked up.

Read Best Reviews of Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt / 1.25-Amp Battery Charger, Pink Here

We bought this unit to keep a pair of classic camaro batteries in good working order. Right out of the box we tied it into a battery using the ring terminals without problem. The unit cycles the battery up to full strength and gives an obvious indication of where you are in the charge cycle. As a bonus my wife is tickled pink that it's pink and has the bonus of helping to fight breast cancer. Would recommend this unit to anyone.

Want Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt / 1.25-Amp Battery Charger, Pink Discount?

Schumacher INC-7A-OBD On-Board Diagnostic Connector

this unit works great.will get the job done,at half the price of the tool truck that stops at work.big thanks to amazon.

I saw this exact same item at a shop that I get my tires, batteries, alignment, etc. done.

I had to get a new battery one day and one of the guys brought this out and plugged it into the OBD port to keep the electronic memory from losing everything while the battery was being swapped, I wrote down the info for this item and searched for it, forund it here and bought it, now I don't have to go to the shop for a battery swap, I can do it myself at home.

Buy Schumacher INC-7A-OBD On-Board Diagnostic Connector Now

Well built and easy to use. Works like a charm. Only reason I didn't give it the 5th star is that the owner can't replace the internal battery, which will mean some down time at some point in time have it serviced.

Read Best Reviews of Schumacher INC-7A-OBD On-Board Diagnostic Connector Here

If you ever need to change out your car battery and you need to keep all of the programs stored in your cars computer, then this is a must. I had the dealership change some of the factory settings on my truck to improve the performance, but the problem is, if you removed the car battery then you loose all of your upgraded settings. So when you plug this into the OBD II port, it allows current to stay in the computer and you don't loose your settings...

Want Schumacher INC-7A-OBD On-Board Diagnostic Connector Discount?

If you change out a lot of batteries, you know what a pain it is to reset all the electronics on board these days. Especially if it's got to go through an emissions inspection also.

So this little memory saver does what it needs to do so conveniently and for so little cost. Amazon pulled through on the fast free shipping to boot!

Don't go disconnecting the battery terminals while the vehicle's running. That's a NO NO! I really like the LED charge status indicators. Very accurate. Get one of these, you'll be glad you did.

Save 67% Off

Pwr+ Extra Long 5.5 Ft Cord Car Charger for RCA Portable Dvd Player Drc6282 Drc6289 Drc6292 Drc6309

because of not using this product yet and I do not like to lie about things. The cord came in when it was supposed to. If there is a problem with it I will contact the seller. Thank you.

Used this power cable to replace the broken one on my kids portable dual DVD player. Works just as it states. Great value and much better quality than the original cord.

Buy Pwr+ Extra Long 5.5 Ft Cord Car Charger for RCA Portable Dvd Player Drc6282 Drc6289 Drc6292 Drc6309 Now

thank you this is the article just I need and the sell is great sell and this article is chip

Read Best Reviews of Pwr+ Extra Long 5.5 Ft Cord Car Charger for RCA Portable Dvd Player Drc6282 Drc6289 Drc6292 Drc6309 Here

Works great on my DVD that kids watch in back seat with the 12V plug in the dash. Needed the extra lenght.

Want Pwr+ Extra Long 5.5 Ft Cord Car Charger for RCA Portable Dvd Player Drc6282 Drc6289 Drc6292 Drc6309 Discount?

No stretching required, nice and sturdy too. My grandson uses it in the backseat to watch his movies on his dvd player.

Save 79% Off

OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon Samsung Brightside U380 - C

Comes in handy during power outages: keeps your phone charged and keeps you connected to the outside world. Small and fits neatly in the glove box.

THE OEM ORIGINAL RAPID VEHICLE AUTO PLUG IN BATTERY CHARGER FOR SAMSUNG U-380. THE CORD IS TOO SHORT. I HAVE NOT USED IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF THE CORD. I CAN'T CHARGE MY PHONE IN THE CAR WITHOUT PLACING THE PHONE ON THE FLOOR OF MY CAR.

Buy OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon Samsung Brightside U380 - C Now

It's a cigarette lighter plug and it works. The price is right. Much cheaper then the Verizon model. Give it a shot.

Read Best Reviews of OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon Samsung Brightside U380 - C Here

This is an OEM item at a fabulous price. It's in my car and o far so good great buy

Want OEM Original Rapid Car Vehicle Auto Plug in Battery Charger for Verizon Samsung Brightside U380 - C Discount?

I can't believe it stopped charging after I used it twice! The retractable cord is a nice feature, but it makes me think that that was the reason why it stopped working..