Monday, March 31, 2014

Discount LG Rumor Cell Phone Car Charger / Vehicle Charger

LG Rumor Cell Phone Car Charger / Vehicle Charger
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
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I thought I was ordering a genuine LG product, but I received a generic non-LG car charger. I was fooled by the listing of the 11-digit LG part number. Charging Lithium-Ion batteries can be tricky. If you use the wrong charging algorithm, the battery can overheat or explode. At the very least, you could shorten the life of the battery. In deciding whether to buy a genuine or aftermarket charger, one thing to consider is how much of the charging circuitry is in the charging adapter and how much is in the phone. In this case, the charging adapter contains an intelligent IC chip. The charger I received claims to work with all NiCd, NiMH and Li-ion batteries. So, maybe it's not optimized for my batery. Another function of the charger is to protect your phone from voltage transients generated when starting your vehicle. In some cases, brief spikes up to 60 volts can appear on your 12 volt outlet. The charger I received protects from these spikes by the attachment of a warning sticker telling you you must disconnect it whenever you are starting your vehicle. That doesn't sound very convenient. The warning sticker also tells you to disconnect it when leaving the vehicle. In all fairness, the charger may work perfectly fine. I gave it 2 stars because I didn't receive the item I was expecting. There are other listings on Amazon for genuine LG product for only 17 cents more. For me, the confidence in not voiding my phone warranty is worth an extra 17 cents. Another thought: I ordered a 120 VAC travel charger form BargainCell at the same time and received a genuine LG product. Maybe they just made a mistake.

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i bought this product, the packing list says it's for a lgrumor, however the plug doesn't fit into my phone. what a waste. of course, i opened the package, so no returns.

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the car charger did not last 2 days before it broke...thats what u get when u for cheap item

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My phone has a different plug in end than the one sent. I wanted to be able to use this to charge my phone in the car. Unfortunately, the ends didn't match. I had to return it. I sent a copy of the end needed to the vendor, haven't heard back from them as of yet.

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Good price and arrived on time but be careful. Says it fits Rumor but it doesn't fit mine. Wrong jack.

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Cheap Global Digital Canon CB-2LU Brand New Compatible Travel & Car

Global Digital Canon CB-2LU Brand New Compatible Travel & Car Battery Charger...
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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This charger is a good replacement if you don't want to shell out the extra cash to get the original from Canon. The design is a little bulkier but it does the job. I don't have any problems with it.

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Cheap Progressive Dynamics PD9270V Inteli-Power 9200 Series 70 Amp

Progressive Dynamics PD9270V Inteli-Power 9200 Series 70 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
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I bought an RV several years ago with this brand of converter in it. I was so impressed with the charge wizard, I recomend Progressive Dynamics to everyone I know with an RV. I bought a new fifth wheel, and the first thing I did, was to change out the converter that came with the RV with a Progressive Dynamics. I bought this one for my son for Christmas. While camping with him, he was having trouble charging his batteries with the generator. The Charge Wizard monitors and adjust the charging for your batteries. If you leave it plugged in during storage it will maintain the batteries, for a longer battery life.

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Product works and functions like it should.... the product came loose with out the box or the Remote Display that plugs into the Converter.. The serial number was scratched off the product but a note to and from the manufacturer said they would cover warranty.... An email to the supplier got the Remote Display mailed to me..

I'm more than pleased with the Converter/Charger and it does what its designed to do...

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Delivered early and in excellent condition. Great product met all expectations. Recommend this upgrade to replace the substandard converters that come with most RVs.

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Installation was easy even though it was a more powerful and advanced model then the one it replaced. No problems with vehicle since installation. Easy to follow instructions and the Pendant came with the Converter in the box, even though I didnt know that and ordered one seperately.

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The item works well and has improved my battery power as it cycles to 14.4V while charging my batteries. The company is very helpful when you call them. E-mail does not work as well.

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Parallax Power Supply 7355RU 55 ADC Converter/Charger Review

Parallax Power Supply 7355RU 55 ADC Converter/Charger
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $299.25
Sale Price: $232.97
Today's Bonus: 22% Off
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This upgrade worked great for about a year and a half, then failed with no output whatsoever. Parallax won't replace it under warranty because I can't locate my receipt, and won't honor the warranty based on the manufacturing date. They have no repair capability. So do yourself a favor and buy another brand.

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I bought this unit and installed it in my RV with minimal difficulty. It worked fine for a little less then three months -and then quit. Now I'm not exactly ignorant of electronics -I have a degree in electrical engineering. It appeared that the basic unit itself had a blown fuse or circuit breaker -but there was no fuse or circuit breaker that could be replaced or reset.

Since the unit had a a two year warranty -as noted on Amazon and at the Parrallax website -I contacted them to get a replacement. I told them that I had purchased it through Amazon, and I received a curt reply from their warranty administrator, Susan Dixon, who stated, "I am sorry, we do not sell any converters to Amazon and we are unable to honor a claim on a part that was purchased from Amazon."

Kudos to Amazon, though; I contacted them and they immediately offered to replace the unit or refund the price. From a comment on Parrallax's phone about "recent changes in the warranty policy" I suspect they are having a lot of returns and hence their reluctance to honor their written warranty. Needless to say, I will my unit with a different brand that I'll get through Amazon. Amazon -great service, and they've earned my business.

Parrallax -horrible service. Don't believe them when they claim to have a warranty.

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The power supply was a hundred dollars cheaper than going to my local RV dealer.

Installed in 25 minutes, works perfectly.

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Did some research and this was what was needed in order to fix the power problem in my RV. Was easy to install and it has been working great ever since.

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I decided to take my 14' travel trailer and go camping for the Memorial Day weekend. So here I was pulling into the last available spot in one of the rows near the bath-house. It was late Friday afternoon when a thunderstorm started brewing and before you know it, rain starting falling hard then a sudden strike of lightening with a deafing sound of thunder at the same time, when all my electricity (which is powered by my Parallax Converter/Charger) goes out. I later learned that nearly the entire row of RV's where I was parked lost their Converter/Chargers due to lightning striking and knocking out almost all of them leaving us with dead batteries. The good news is the RV repairman that is recommended by the campground was there and advised me what to do.

I went online and went to my favorite online shopping site, Amazon.com, and after reading some reviews, ordered the Parallax Power Supply 7355RU 55 ADC Converter/Charger. They offered Free Shipping and I didn't have to pay any taxes and my repairman told me that he could not get the same exact product for the price I paid anywhere so I ordered it and upon arrival of the product had him install it and now it is better than before since Parallax offered the upgraded model for the same price.

If you need a Converter for your RV this is the place to shop so click on the link below.

Parallax Power Supply 7355RU 55 ADC Converter/Charger

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Cheap USB Sock-IT EG8140B FloWire Cable with Blue Lights for Micro USB

USB Sock-IT EG8140B FloWire Cable with Blue Lights for Micro USB Devices - White
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $26.99
Sale Price: $22.66
Today's Bonus: 16% Off
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I like that the cable lets me know it is actually doing something by visually showing me that my device is charging, the flowing LED does add that cool factor. The best thing is when my phone is done charging, it shuts off and doesn't overcharge my phone's battery. This is a great product and I highly recommend it!!!

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Reviews of Samsung Car Power Charger for Samsung S105

Samsung Car Power Charger for Samsung S105
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $4.99
Today's Bonus: 83% Off
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I definately would recommend getting the car charger for everyone with an S105, it works great and I haven't had any problems. Great product, charges fast and easy to use. No complaints

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Bought this for my new S105 Samsung..provides quick recharge on the road. Does the job well..only drawback is...its a bit bulky..other than that works perfectly fine.

Amzer Desktop Cradle with Extra Battery Charging Slot for HTC Mogul Review

Amzer Desktop Cradle with Extra Battery Charging Slot for HTC Mogul 6800 - Black
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $28.95
Sale Price: $20.16
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
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This is more expensive than some of the other chargers of this type I have used, but it is very well worth the extra money. It has worked perfectly for me.

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Best Odyssey Batteries PC1220-A Automotive/Light Truck and Van Battery Deals

Odyssey Batteries PC1220-A Automotive/Light Truck and Van Battery
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $429.04
Sale Price: $331.18
Today's Bonus: 23% Off
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I've been using Odyssey batteries in my vehicles for about 2 years now. They are SO much better than the old-school lead acid dinosaurs that are still the most common automotive and marine battery type in use today.

These AGM batteries last longer, hold a stronger charge, hold their charge longer, and emit no harmful fumes. Yes, they are expensive but you get-what-you-pay-for as the saying goes.

Be mindful of the brand you purchase for any battery. For example, Optima brand batteries used to be of high quality and manufactured in the USA, however they are now made in China or Mexico, depending on the battery. I've read reviews of customers of these batteries who have found the product to be less durable and with a shorter lifespan than previous Optima batteries.

Highly recommended.

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Just got this battery a few months ago, but I figured I'd post anyway as I've already noticed the difference in quality. The AGM construction is great and I immediately noticed a quicker, stronger start and MUCH smoother initial idle after I swapped out my old lead-acid one [killed by Northeast winter in one year]. Combine that with the warranty and the fact that it's U.S.-made and you've got a tremendous product. The price is definitely steep but based on everything I've researched about Odyssey and my results so far I'm glad I paid it.

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This was one of the worst things I have purchased on Amazon. It did not fit the car that it was sold to fit and after we figured out we could not use it, we also could not return it. The price was also higher than what you would find at your local auto parts store.

I thought it would be easy to buy these types of things online, but really.. this one was a huge fail

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I'm interested in buying this battery from Amazon but this ad doesn't give any specifications like dimensions, cold cranking amps, amp hours, etc.

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Review of CTEK 56-674 Battery Charger

CTEK 56-674 Battery Charger
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $223.60
Today's Bonus: 25% Off
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A long time ago (3 years whoa) I bought a ctek 3amp charger/maintainer and used it for my genset so it would always be ready to go (it's an autostart but does not have a battery maintainer). I was amazed at how well the battery was maintained by the little 3A charger.

EDIT: 12/2012

I've had my 25000 for a couple years now and a few people have emailed me with questions I did not answer previously. I'll summarize them here

1 reliability like a charm. Unlike the 7000 series (7A), the 25000 (25A) series has an internal ducted cooling fan which only comes on during high current charging for long life.

2 featurs it has the desulphation mode like the other chargers, but can handle larger cells. Other than that it does NOT have the ability to select SLA (gel cells), wet cells, or marine cells

3 temperature sensor unlike it's smaller cousins, there are 3 wires at the end of the fixed cable (which does not work with their accessory system as it does not have the required connector) the 3rd wire is a temperature sensor designed to be held close to the battery during charge so that voltages are adjusted for cold or hot weather and battery temperature. This helps protect the battery from overcurrent or overcharge. To sum it up in one word its a very fast charger, and safe at the same time NOTHING like the old crank up the timer based on the voltmeter chargers.

Those where the 3 questions I was asked now everyone knows. BTWI just ordered another one of these as I loaned mine to a friend who uses ctek's smaller units and he was so impressed he gave me the money to buy a new one as he liked mine so much.

back to the original review now

I later bought 2 of their 7002 series chargers these were 7 Amp capacity and had extra features for dealing with a wider range or chemistries like the spiracell optima batteries I use in many applications. I even installed the under $20 dash mount charger interface in a spare din opening in my dash it was a 30 minute job but gave me the convenience of a plug in for my charger without having to pop the hood and clip it on just plug the charger into the dash outlet, and it included a battery guage of blinking leds red for discharged, yellow for discharging, and green for full. They blink all the time and use very little power

Since amazon does not carry the 25000 I became involved in discussions with CTEK and was shipped a unit for evaluation of my battery banks that are paralleled from multiple 12VDC cells. the 25000's closest relative is the 7002 and it features many of the same "stairstep" leds for indication of how the charge is progressing.

At 25A, it is the most powerful CTEK charger to date, equivalent to about 3.5 7002 chargers and priced at about 3.0 7002 chargers, so it's more economical if you have a battery bank. I am very pleased that they kept the battery desulphating features that ctek is known for in the 25000. The extra current is nice to have when you have 4 100AH cells in parallel for a 400 AH battery bank that occasionally needs topping off or desulphating. Ctek has always been at the forefront of chargers and accessories to go with them they are rated for wet environments and mine have been rained on more than once without a failure. If you have multiple batteries such as an RV with 2 deep cycle 12VDC cells and 1 engine starting battery, this is the ideal charger when you find AC. And with 25A, it most likely can power your 12VDC low power devices without draining your battery bank. When I say MOST that excludes the microwave, big screen TV but includes the 12VDC lighting inside the RV and a small TV set. The advantage to you is when you pull into an RV park with AC power you can recharge your deep cycle cells and run the inside lighting off the CTEK 25000 at the same time with 25 amps of supply current.

I borrowed the flir microbolimeter from the lab becuse the unit gets warm, but checking the ctek connectors they stayed relatively cool for running a 25 A current through them. That's impressive in and of itself.

I would highly recommend this to RV users, solar users, or anyone with a battery bank of 12V cells in parallel. Its rated for 50-500 AH storage capacity and represents the top of the line in CTEK power chargers.

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Charges fast and is smart enough to extend the life of my batteries. So called automatic chargers don't do the same things this one can do. The auto float is an awesome feature. Other chargers will continue to "cook" your battery.

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I've used three other chargers and the "Multi US 25000" is the best! It saved three of my expensive AGM batteries. Sure, I wish it had a digital readout 'cause I like eye-candy but I'm not too lazy to put the volt meter on the battery(s). Nice heavy cables/clamps and soldered too. Temp sensor on the positive clamp. I do wish they had made the battery cable in such a way that I could reach further than 31 inches between the positive and negative battery posts (battery bank). You can charge up to 500 amp hours worth of batteries at a time.

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I received this new CTEK US25000 and it worked for 1 day! I contacted the seller and he said he would get back to me, so far not a word in 6 months!

I have used CTEK battery US3300's and never had a problem, as in most first runs probably just working out the bugs, as for the seller, not good customer service.

Thanks, Ron

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Best AmazonBasics 175-Watt Pocket Power Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port Deals

AmazonBasics 175-Watt Pocket Power Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port to Charge iPad, Kindle, and Other Electronics
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I really love this inverter. I've used other inverters that claim to provide 150 Watts or 175 Watts, but their claims are bogus (explained below). And to find an inverter that offers this much payload at this low price is sweet!

First of all, what's an inverter?

The electrical system in your car, boat, or RV runs on a 12 volt DC system. Your cigarette lighter outlet provides power at 12 volts DC. This is fine for things like a phone charger that have a 12 volt DC plug, but what about items that you normally plug into the wall in your home or office? Those devices run on 110 AC power. The role of the inverter is to change (or "invert") the output from your car's electrical system from 12 volt DC to 110 volt AC.

This AmazonBasics inverter provides a grounded 110 outlet for plugging in those household devices as well as a USB outlet for things like iPhones, iPads, etc. (which is a nice bonus).

So what makes this inverter different? First it's important to know that your vehicle's electric wiring isn't intended to run your toaster or hair dryer. Even though an inverter might be designed to provide a high output for larger devices (like a TV or satellite receiver), your vehicle's poor little cigarette outlet can't handle the load. I've used inverters that claim to support a higher load, and they either blow their own internal fuse, blow a fuse on the vehicle, or (worst case) don't blow any fuses and just burn out the wiring to that outlet. That's bad.

So the difference with this inverter is that it supports loads up to 130 watt through the cigarette lighter outlet. For loads from 131 watts to 175 watts, there is a set of alligator style clips to connect directly to the vehicle's battery.

There are plenty of other inverters out there that connect directly to the battery, but I've never seen one this compact and this inexpensive.

Warning: Only use the direct connection to the battery while your vehicle is parked. Don't try to prop open your hood and drive down the road watching TV.

Here's a little tip. Before you purchase any inverter, look at your devices and see what their loads actually are. Sometimes those specs are written in gobbledygook and are hard to decipher. And some devices have two loads: the initial startup load and the actual running load. The startup load for this inverter cannot exceed 175 watts. To be absolutely certain of the draw from your device or appliance, consider using something like this Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor. You plug the monitor into a wall outlet and then plug your device into the monitor. The readout shows you the peak usage and the running usage. If the peak draw is under 175 watts, then this inverter is OK for you.

Bottom line, I'm very happy with this inverter. It's the first one that I've ever had any success with at this wattage. Just make sure not to overload the 12 volt DC outlet with more than 130 watts. And don't use your toaster while you're driving down the road.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The Amazon basics 175W pocket power inverter is the lightest I've seen, weighing in at only 6.1 oz. with the cigarette lighter plug attached. It is also quite small at 4" x 8" x 0.8", perfect for packing in your computer bag. Besides powering your laptop, it also includes a USB port capable of supplying 2.1A, which plenty for charging a phone, iPad or just about any USB accessory. I tested the little unit on my Dell laptop. It powered it easily. Next, I plugged in a 100W light bulb. Again, no problem. The unit has a fan that comes on as necessary to keep the unit cool. With a 100W load (the light bulb) the fan ran continuously. I found the fan to be rather loud and high pitched. In a car, you may not care but the noise level is significant at 58dB at 1 foot (measured with my audio meter). What I found odd is that the fan ran much faster when the load was reduced or removed. For some reason, the voltage to the fan must drop significantly once a load is placed on the inverter. While the inverter is rated at 130W continuous, you can't (or at least shouldn't) do that from a cigarette lighter socket.

The manual is a little confusing. It says you can run the inverter from the cigarette lighter for loads under 130W but also says for 120W-130W to use battery clamps (included) to hook it directly to the car's battery. Personally, I wouldn't advise running it over 90W from a cigarette lighter socket. At 90W output, the unit draws 10A from the socket. That's okay, since most laptop power adapters require no more than 90W. At 100W, it drew 11Amps, which is over the maximum continuous power most lighter sockets are rated (and fused). I didn't test the unit it past 100W.

If the unit was quieter, I would have given it 5 stars but for using in the car, you may be very happy and you will be hard pressed to find a more compact and light inverter.

Best Deals for AmazonBasics 175-Watt Pocket Power Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The concept is simple: turn 12 V DC from your car into 120 V AC to power things you would normally plug in at home. Useful in an emergency or on road trips.

You plug this into the 12 V socket in your car (what used to be called the cigarette lighter, but most cars today don't even come with the lighter part). A little blue light comes on, and you are ready to plug something into it. I tried a radio, a shop light, and even a handheld jigsaw, and all ran fine.

It also has a USB charger port, which is nice is you don't already have an adapter for that.

I have an old, clunky-looking one piece inverter. The Amazon one looks cooler, but once you add the size of the cord it's not that much smaller. The old one is rated 150 W continuous, this one 130 W. The big difference I noted was in surge capacity. This device is rated to 175 W, while my old one is rated 450 W. It won't make a difference with most small appliances, but something with a big start-up surge or that surges for other reasons may overload this device.

It includes clips to attach it directly to the battery, which will save some loses through the electrical system, and doesn't require having any other parts of the car running to use it. Do use caution when attaching anything directly to the battery.

While not the ultimate in inverter technology, this is a useful thing to have in your car in an emergency.

Honest reviews on AmazonBasics 175-Watt Pocket Power Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port

Disclaimer: I used this inverter in extreme conditions not normally encountered by most users. Please take this into account when reading the review.

**********

General Overview

I recently took part in a meteorite search expedition in the desert of Oman that was organized by the local university and natural history museum. The expedition consisted of 18 days in the desert with only the supplies of food, fuel, water, etc. that we brought with us. Temperatures ranged between 6C (42F) to 35C (95F), humidity ranged from below the detection limit of our equipment up to around 90%, though it never rained. In many cases, winds were strong and drove substantial amounts of dust (often sheeting off of the vehicle windows like water). After a matter of hours the interiors of the vehicles were liberally coated with a thick layer of dust, which remained and grew thicker during the entire expedition. Dust and heat are the mortal enemy of electronics, and it's not uncommon for otherwise-robust devices to die horribly in the desert.

I purchased the inverter to run certain basic electronics like battery chargers for AA-size batteries, computers, mobile phones (no service in the desert, but it's good to keep them topped up), two-way radios, and scientific equipment, and other similar uses. Due to the hostility of the environment, I was expecting that this inverter would be "disposable" and didn't expect it to survive the trip.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only did the inverter survive the trip but it did remarkably well. While I can't explicitly recommend using the inverter in extreme environments as it's not rated for such purposes, it performed well and would likely serve the average person very well in more ordinary conditions.

**********

Tech Details

Like most inverters produced for the North American market, this one produces 120V 60Hz AC power with a "modified sine wave" waveform that differs from the ordinary "true sine wave" waveform produced by mains power available from your wall socket.

In general, modern electronics that have "worldwide" power supplies (that is, they accept ~100-240V AC power) will have no problems at all using the power produced by the inverter. Laptop computers often have such power supplies and should work fine. Incandescent light bulbs and other simple resistive loads will have no problems at all, though you should make sure they don't have a startup surge current that exceeds the ability of the inverter or the car's electrical system to supply. Electric motors are unlikely to work as effectively with inverter power (if they run, they'll run less efficiently, hotter, etc.) and shouldn't be used with inverters. Many motors often have very high surge current when starting, which may overload the inverter. Certain devices like compact fluorescent light bulbs may or may not work well. You should test them beforehand. Your mileage may vary.

When in doubt it's often more efficient and a better idea to use electronics designed for 12V power directly (such as 12V CFL light bulbs, as often used by RVers, or air pumps that clamp directly to the car battery) rather than using an inverter to power household-voltage devices. You can often find a DC-to-DC converter for things like laptops, mobile phones (particularly those that charge using 5V DC, such as those using a USB plug), etc. that allows you to use or charge them using the 12V power socket in a car (or using battery clamps) directly rather than using an inverter, though not everything (like chargers for a $70,000 x-ray fluorescence analysis scanner) has such converters and an inverter is a necessity.

I experienced no problems with the "modified sine wave" produced by the inverter.

There is a small fan on the side of the inverter to aid in cooling. It will come on automatically when needed, so ensure it's not blocked. I found that the inverter starts with the fan off, then switches it to 100% when the internal temperature reaches a set point. After a minute or so, the fan turns off again. This repeats for a few minutes until the inverter gets a sense of how effective the fan is and then adjusts it as needed to maintain a good working temperature. When operating at full power the fan has a distinctly high-pitched whine that some may find slightly annoying, though it can often be masked by turning on the car radio and/or putting it in the rear of the car.

If you listen very closely you can hear a rapid clicking sound (though it's quite faint and you need to have your head very close to the inverter to hear it -it's not the least bit disturbing or annoying beyond a few centimeters from the inverter) as the internal electronics do their work.

The lighter socket plug and battery clamps are both of good quality and connect firmly and securely.

**********

Safety

It appears that the inverter does not have inrush current limiting on the 12V DC side, so you may experience some sparking when connecting the included battery clamps to the battery as it needs to charge its internal capacitors. This is evidently normal and doesn't pose a problem insofar as the electronics are concerned, but you should ensure that the battery is well-ventilated (as car batteries produce explosive hydrogen gas when charging though not when being used) when connecting or disconnecting the battery clamps. You should use the same safety precautions as when jump-starting a battery.

It's probably a good idea to connect the inverter to the 12V power source first, ensure the blue "on" light is on, and then connect the turned-off load to the inverter, and then turn on the load. It's probably a bad idea to have the turned-on load plugged into the inverter when you connect it, as this would require a substantial rush of current to power.

Additionally, the inverter is not rated for outdoor use, so don't expose it to rain, moisture, etc. In my case, the major threat was dust. After using the inverter for a few hours (regardless of whether it was used inside the car with the power socket or when used outdoors and clamped directly to the car battery) I would unplug it and blow sharply into the vents to clear out accumulated dust. While this worked fine, it's probably not a good idea to expose it (or other electronics) to dust for extended periods of time as it would have a harmful effect on the electronics and the moving fan.

It's not clear if the inverter has an internal fuse -the supplied lighter socket plug and battery clamps are unfused. There does not appear to be any sort of user-accessible fuse on the device.

**********

Possible Improvements

The only three improvements I'd propose for such a device would be to eschew the fan in favor of an aluminum body that passively dissipates heat, to have inrush current limiting on the input side to minimize sparking, and a user-serviceable fuse. The former would eliminate the one moving part and increase durability a bit, though likely at increased cost. The second should be relatively cheap and easy to implement but isn't a major issue. The third helps prevent potentially unsafe conditions and allows the user to replace the fuse if it burns out.

**********

Conclusion

The inverter performed really well in the Omani desert in extreme conditions and is likely to perform well in less-extreme conditions. The price is quite good, it's backed by Amazon, and includes both the 12V lighter socket plug and battery clamps. It's comparable in terms of output power and quality to other similarly-priced inverters.

It's a good general-purpose inverter and I strongly recommend it.

If you need higher output power or pure sine wave output, you'd do well to look at other, more suitable products.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for AmazonBasics 175-Watt Pocket Power Inverter with 2.1 Amp USB Port

I took the new unit out of the box and it blew a fuse in first vehicle, tried a second vehicle and it blew that one as well. I had no accessories plugged in at the time. Unit failed right out of the box.

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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Review of Retractable Car Charger for HTC Aria (Includes OrionGadgets

Retractable Car Charger for HTC Aria
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $19.60
Sale Price: $2.14
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It was cheap. I've bought quite a few cheap cables/chargers (who hasn't with all the new phones and gadgets these days)and I've been mostly satisfied with them. This charger has me worried. It has the smallest, frailest cord I've ever seen. It arrived with a kink in the cord and I'm worried that the little kink is enough to break the wires, its just so thin. It did charge the phone, though it does seem slow as some mentioned. But I'm very afraid to "retract' the cord because I'm afraid the wire will break. Has only been used once and I'll try to remember to update the review after more extensive use (but have you noticed how many reviewers say that and never do the update?)

Edit 8/31/12:

Maybe we got lucky, but its been over a year and our cheap little charger is still charging right along. It doesn't get heavy use, it's mainly a backup charger for my wife's phone that I keep in my vehicle. But I can't complain. As fragile as it appears, it's still charging and still retracting 15 months later. And being a plastic unit stored in a vehicle for a year in Minnesota isn't easy lots of temperature extremes! Would definitely buy again. Had to update my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars as this baby is still charging along as of 8/31/12

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Compact and handy. I can throw in my purse or console without cord. My kids love pulling the cord and then pushing the button to suck it back in. They've done it a ton already and it's working perfect. Pretty sturdy.

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Pretty simple item here, it has a push button to retract the wire and the charger fits snugly into the phone. Quite happy with my purchase given the price and how sturdy it appears to be. Time will tell if it holds strong but that is true with any electronic item anymore.

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It's made of plastic. I'm wondering how long it's going to last. It is what it is, though completely functional.

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Very cheap. It takes more than 4 hours to fully charge and Aria and takes even longer (6 hours) to charge Samsung Galaxy S3. Aria would still lose charge with this connected, if the navigation was in use. Even though it is rated at 1A, I think it is lower. The retracting mechanism was flaky from day 1. Plastic at the USB tip (that connects to the phone) was broken after a few months exposing the wires.

1 start for working for a few months and the other star for the innovative design with retractable mechanism.

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Cheap Samsung YP - K3 2in1 USB Sync and Charging Data Cable, USB Car

Samsung YP - K3 2in1 USB Sync and Charging Data Cable, USB Car Charger, and U...
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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I ordered this because I needed a charger for my Samsung YP-K3 (music player) --I was excited that it fit but it also came with all this extra stuff I have no use for. Although I did not do my research either... it was still what I needed. SO two thumbs up!

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Misplaced my USB cable for my old samsung mp3 player and was finally able to find a replacement! Cable works great! Absolutely no problems to report.

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Great Product and good price I bought for my brother as a gift. if you are looking for charger and computer connection.Right product,Thank you

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Even though the website stated that this cable would fit my specific MP3 player (Samsung YP-K3), it did not fit. The connector was too small. It was only about $5-6 including shipping, so it's really not worth sending it back. This is the issue with buying something online can't try it before you buy it.........

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This item was really perfectly fine. I have no problems with it and I still use it to charge my mp3 player.

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Buy Fosmon® Premium Quality USB Cradle Desktop Charger Pod for HTC

FosmonĀ® Premium Quality USB Cradle Desktop Charger Pod for HTC T-Mobile MyTouch 4G with Extra Battery Charging Slot
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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The dock works really good, the only problem I had was that the part of the cord that goes into the wall was very cheap it broke from one fall. the good thing on that is that it is replaceable so it still works.

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I will never go back to charging my phone again thanks to this!!!! At least it has the ability to charge phone at the same time if I need to... This is the best I have used to date bar none!!!! Get it now!!!!!

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Cheap Schumacher PST-100 DSR ProSeries CCA 200-1200 Amp Speed Test

Schumacher PST-100 DSR ProSeries CCA 200-1200 Amp Speed Test Battery Analyzer
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $87.10
Sale Price: $60.00
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I love it. This is a creative solution for a an old dirty problem. Old equipment use plain high power resistors to measure CCA. It use to depend on difficult to achieve good contact, high current and associated problems. This as other similar products use a clean low power solution to solve the same problem. There must be a lot of software embedded in this product. Congratulation to the designer.

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TRIED IT ON 6 DIFFERENT BATTERIES. 2 WERE 2 YEARS OLD, 3 WERE 1 YEAR OLD AND THE LAST ONE ON MY BRAND NEW CAR AND ALL 6 CAME UP AS REPLACE BATTERY. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME ON THIS PIECE OF JUNK!

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This little tester is easy to use and provides a digital display that shows the most important aspect of any battery Cold Cranking Amps! Just connect to the battery terminals, and enter the battery's factory rating. Start the test, and the display shows the actual CCA along with a recommendation.

The battery clamps make great contact on top-terminal batteries, but it's tough to get a solid bite with them on side terminals, such as those used by GM. Also, the cables are a bit short. Not a big deal, but I felt compelled to deduct one star for these minor annoyances.

Schumacher is a solid company that has been around for decades, and their products hold up well. I'm still using the same Schumacher battery charger that I bought 30 years ago.

Cheers

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It does what I expected it to do. Easy to use. Before testing any charging, starting system or some kind of electrical draw (something draining battery) it tells battery condition. I have looked at other similar products but for the price and function I strongly recommend this product.

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Based on my experience working with batteries and other testers, this one appears to be accurate and works just fine. Numbers do seems to vary based on situation, for example, numbers are higher after driving the car vs when first starting the car, which makes sense, battery that has been lying around is slowly "losing" its numbers. A BS tester would just keep giving the same results.

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