Review of Sanshui JL3-XM-4 6V 4.5Ah Emergency Light Battery - This is an AJC

Customer Ratings:

Its a battery it worked fine. Maybe the finest battery ever made. I shall celebrate this purchase with the finest meats and cheeses

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i got some lights from a demo job and needed new batterys. atfer comparing 5 or 6 different ones, these had the cheapest shipping in a bulk package deal.

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we used these for direct replacement in some older EXIT lights for a customer. Saved us both time and money.

Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Customer Ratings:

I researched all GPs units for over a year. Two GPS's I have experience using plus I spent countless hours researching on the Internet and I played for hours in the store demonstrations.

Some generalities one needs to realize concerning "ALL" GPS units. You will not find any GPS unit that is 100% accurate 100% of the time. You will find that "ALL" GPS units at one time or another will not always take the shortest route or fastest route no matter what you try. This is due to many reasons which include the number of satellites tracking you, weather, map accuracy, etc..,. I have heard often that to buy a unit using NavTeq mapping and avoid the TeleAtlas mapping. Personally, I have ran 2 different GPS units that used "current" NavTeq mapping and I was not impressed. Locally I would sometimes find myself being shown off road with no roads existing while the roads I were on were major secondary roads and had been there for 10+ years and then while driving several long trips on major highways, I would be shown as being off the interstate driving ¼ to ½ mile off in the pasture somewhere. I have found just the opposite with the TeleNav mapping. I have run the TeleNav mapping in the same spots that I had trouble with the NavTeq mapping and I have not had one problem with its mapping navigation. Locally, the NavTeq mapping would sometimes only take me within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of my destination saying I was there when I wasn't. Not with the TeleAtlas, most of the time right on the money but has never been off more than 200 feet. Even running address look ups and points of interest in the demos at the stores, the NavTeq mapping did just not show updated information. Just the opposite with the demo of the TeleNav. "Personally", I like and support the TeleNav mapping over the NavTeq mapping, but please remember this is based on using the TeleNav mapping only with the Mio C310X with the note that this GPS unit comes with the most up to date mapping available (Aug 2006) to this date.

You will find that the majority of GPS units in the GPS market are Garmin and Magellan units. "Personally", I do not like the interface of the Garmin GPS units. In general, the public has Magellan units rated less "overall" compared to Garmin units plus Magellan is known not to have good customer service. "Personally" I do not know but that is the general consensus you will find when one researches. There are many brands out there now which are trying to compete with Garmin and Magellan GPS units. Some are rated pretty good and some are rated quite average or below. BUT there is now a unit that competes head to head with the best of Garmin and Magellan GPS units and depending on your taste, leaves them in the dust. Such a unit is the Mio C310X.

I was very impressed when I bought the Mio C310X and now after driving several long trips, it has not only lived up to its new reputation on the market but has even exceeded my initial review. Here are my thoughts and please realize when you read anyone's pros and cons that some pros and cons can be things that are not "NEEDED" but just nice to have.

Pros:

Uses 20 channel SIRF GPs satellite tracking

Uses TeleAtlas mapping. Has been accurate 99% of the time I have used it

Auto screen dimmer switch from daytime to nighttime use

Speaker is loud and clear

Over speed limit alert on some roads

Can play MP3 while navigating

Small and lightweight unit

2D or 3D viewing with automatic angle viewing

Displays mountains of information for you to see on the screen to include your speed, distance to destination, and time remaining on trip. Also displays cameras at stoplights.

Power is provided by DC car plug, computer USB , or built in battery (approx 2 hours)

Superb windshield mounting bracket

Some units will have 1GB extra memory (check box)

Impressed with customer service (used twice to ask a general question)

Cons:

Comes only in white color

For some people......No built in wireless Mp3 transmitter (easily fixed by using headphones, cassette adapter, or wireless fm transmitter unit and do remember that the built in speaker is a pretty good speaker)

For some people.....does not announce the name of the road you are turning onto ( I don't find this a problem as it displays the name on the unit's screen)

You should be quite happy with this GPS unit. Its fast, accurate, and has lots of bells and whistles that only come with much higher GPS units. Good hunting deciding on which GPS unit that will fit your needs and budget.

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There are a whole bunch of presumptions about this GPS and GPS systems in general. Don't let them get in the way of your buying this system. This is what I've found from using the Mio:

(1) Just about any GPS is better than no GPS.

(2) This isn't a device to check the "rightness" of the routes you travel regularly. It's best when it gives you directions when you don't know where you're going.

(3) No GPS will have 100 percent correct maps. One day, you'll have the worst map, and the next day, when you get the update, you'll have the best. So don't compare the maps with those of other companies.

(4) What the Mio has is sufficient. You have things that some other GPSs don't have, like the whole road system of the U.S. already installed, rather than having to buy a flash card and load the info yourself.

(5) The voice in the Mio won't tell you the names of the roads. I'd rather have something that told you to turn right at the next junction rather than something that told you to turn onto "Shubablub Street," which is spelled completely differently to how it sounds, and you have to look for the name sign on the street.

(6) The screen is small compared to original equipment navigation systems, but in fact it's large enough for what's needed. The backlight makes it easy to understand. And the fact that it cost you well over $1,000 less than the car manufacturer's version is a pretty good thing, too.

(7) Also, unlike those expensive built-in navigation systems, you can use it in any car that you own and any one that you don't own, like a rental car, or a friend's car. And when you replace your car you can easily transfer it to the new one that you buy.

It's very easy to become a GPS dweeb, because many are based on Windows CE PDA's, and people want to do things that are astounding because they're done on a GPS system, but they aren't very useful.

My advice is to get the Mio, or if there's a comparable GPS that costs less, get that one. You won't like everything about it, but that's true of any GPS I know about.

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Ok, answering Steven's post on December 1st, I think he needed a bit more time with the unit.

First of all, the quickstart manual IS a joke. I fully agree with that. If he had spent a bit more time with the unit, he'd have found that there is a full manual on the included DVD which is great and goes into detail on settings, etc. The interface is fine, although you do have to drill down and back out for several options. However, to me, they are all very logical straightforward programming. I have absolutely no problem reading the street names, and if you're on a plotted route, the bottom of the screen tells you the street you are on and the top of the screen tells you the one you are next turning onto. Very intuitive, and very easy to see at a glance.

His complaint on the cockpit mode is valid, but while navigating, you don't have to use cockpit mode. You can turn on a full map view as well. However, you lose some of the nicities (such as that street name top / bottom view) available in the cockpit. If I don't have a plotted route but want to see a map, I prefer a north up map view. If I have a plotted route, I'm listening to the directions more anyway with a glance over to see the street name I'm turning on, and thus use the cockpit mode.

I don't even know what he's talking about regarding seting up destination and the unit doesn't tell you automatically how to get there. It certainly does! You can scroll around the screen or look for POIs (Point of Interest) even when a route is plotted. The popup lock button just then takes you back to your current position and then tracks on you as you move. This is a good feature, as maybe I want to scroll / look ahead (ok, more like my passenger...I'm driving).

MP3 function works fine. And you most certainly CAN have MP3's playing at the same time as GPS. In fact, the GPS voice prompts pause the music and then auto-resume so they're not competing with it. Again, he might know this if he had either used the built-in help screen (yes, there is built-in help to explain every button / setting choice) or the full manual on the DVD. My one criticism of the MP3 player is that you have to build a playlist on the unit rather than on your computer to transfer as it does not use a standard format (aka Winamp).

All in all, the interface is VERY nice, the maps scroll fluid (unlike Garmin units I've seen), and can seamlessly rotate in full 3D, in fact zooming out and in / rotating based upon your speed, how close your next turn is, etc., and this can also be controlled by the user in settings. It's simply the best looking GPS I've seen. If this unit were widescreen (for a bigger view in cockpit mode) it would be ideal.

One additional criticism / bug. The fast flyover feature that quickly shows your route does not function. My only flyover is in real-time, which of course is not practical. You can zoom out to preview the route, but if you want to generate a "watch-the-path" on the map or cockpit mode with a simulation of the car moving, you really need the fast-flyover. I've got a call into Mio regarding this issue.

Tomtom has only switched to NavTech on one unit, and in fact, just released updated TeleAtlas maps for their products. Mio is set to do the same in 6-9 months, and this map update has been stated will be FREE for those that purchased this device. That will not be true (like all other GPS companies) after the first free update. The 2006 TeleAtlas maps are much improved due to a previous company acquisition here in the USA that are incorporated into this set of maps to be released.

One final note: users in Washington DC are reporting some major map problems with many routes / bridges unavailable (in red). This error is making DC about useless with the Mio. If you live there, I suggest you get another unit or wait the 6 months till new maps are available, although I'd be surprised if Mio doesn't issue a fix before then.

Honest reviews on Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

I'm writing this review after getting the unit for Christmas at a steal price (200 bucks 50 mail in rebate), using it for 2 weeks in both familiar and unfamiliar areas, loving it, and then reading negative reviews that are just plain wrong on features etc that people say are missing.

A) My unit included ac adapter, car adapter, usb cable, 1GB memory, suction cup window holder as well as piece that allows you to attach the suction cup to a dash board. I have heard that some newer units may no longer include an ac adapter because this was a mistake. The suction cup holds VERY tightly yet somehow by pressing a button on the holder is also incredibly easy to transfer between vehicles. I have already done this.

B) The unit does come with short initial documentation to get you started but a full manual completely explaining every feature comes on the included DVD. It is easy to use and understand.

C) You CAN save your own points of interest, you CAN create POI subgroups in the MY POI folder (I have my gf, friends, and "favorite fun places" for example). If there is an existing POI that you want even more easily accessible by putting it in one of your groups (thats what my "favorite fun places" created group is for), you can find that POI, then click the POI menu, click "New" and create a "new" POI at the very same location and put it in your list. YOu can even name it the same as the existing one if you want (i.e. you find an existing Wawa and want to put it in your own group you find the Wawa and create a new place called "My favorite Wawa" at the address and put it in your group). Easy enough. Could have had a feature that just said "add to my x group" but this isn't much harder. Also, two destinations (Preset as "Home" and "work" but readily customizable) are always super-accessible from the first screen.

D) You CAN play the MP3 player and listen to navigation at the same time; it pauses the music to give commands.

E) You CAN route from any address to any other address for trip planning's sake. just find the starting address, click "Start" find the other address and click "Route to". Then you go to your itinerary and can see the whole route, and do any other routing options (changing paramerters, fitting the whole route to screen, seeing the ETA, distance, turn by turn, etc)

F) Once you route to a destination, if the cursor is still at the destination start driving and wait a few seconds, after a bit, the screen will go back to your current position. YOu don't have to "Lock" or "Unlock" or anythying like that. I've done this numerous times.

G) The unit is VERY quick at rerouting/recalculating. I can't imagine faster. I used this feature recently when there was traffic on the highway, pulled off, this thing got me back on the highway easily and past the traffic even though I was unfamiliar with the area.

H)The automatic night colors/day colors feature is very cool.

I) The fast flyby feature is in fact broken or something. That is one annoying thing, you have to do the slow flyby (or not do it at all). I do hope they fix taht. Still you can do essentially teh same thing by going to itinerary and "show"ing each step.

J) The Unit DOES have a "History" feature unlike what one person said. You DON'T have to keep retyping the same city in if you have put it in the past five times. Go to "Menu," "History." Viola. Moreover, if you go to the "Address" menu, the first step is choosing a city. The most recent cities you have chosen are also already displayed there.

K) I haven't tried windows down yet but the volume to me is very loud if you want it to be. I've been what I consider to be blasting my music on my car's cd player and could hear the unit just fine over the music.

L) The fact that the unit does not pronounce the street name to me is insignificant. The unit always tells you very clearly on the top of the screen the next road you will be turning on. All it takes is a glance. Plus I have heard that many units that speak names frequently butcher them. I'd rather have an accurate name right there on the screen. If anything, I do not find it to be a negative. It is certainly not a feature worth an extra 300 bucks.

Overall I have been truly impressed with the unit. There were a ton of features on it I didn't even expect or know about. It has been very accurate, and I'm sure will get evenmore accurate with the map updates coming up. I live in NJ. I couldn't be happier, and knowing that I got all of the features of a 500 dollar unit for 150 makes me even happier. I would buy this unit over others unless you've actually compared another unit to this one head to head using them (for instance having friends with them) and can actually justify the other unit's higher price for some reason.

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ok, so i got my unit on black friday. but even if i had paid twice as much as i did, i would still give it 5 stars.

i have a 2005 infiniti g35 coupe, with a factory-installed GPS system, which was around a $1000 option. i have stopped using it in favor of this little gem of a unit. i have also played around with a tom tom go 700, and a garmin c320, which are also great systems, but cost much more and aren't nearly as portable as the Mio.

PROS:

-the screen is beautiful with extremely sharp resolution.

-although the interface is a little complicated at first, once i played with the unit for an hour, it now seems quite intuitive. there are a lot of customizable options. one thing that is difficult to figure out was how to save my address book. you actually have to do it under 'My POI'.

-it locks on quickly and gets a strong signal even inside my apartment.

-the small size, and the fact my system came with a AC adapter. also the rechargeable lithium battery lasts a pretty long time between charges. this is one of the few GPS systems that i would not be embarassed to carry around while touring a new city on foot, because it is so thin that it looks like a PDA. It seems like that Mio designed this unit with this in mind because there is a "on foot" setting which takes into account the slower speed, and avoids freeways, etc. This is unlike most of the other units i have seen (Garmins, Magellan, Tom Tom), which are way too bulky to carry around. i have been carrying my Mio around on my waist in a PDA case. i plan to use it when i visit a new city to get around--it will also be extremely helpful to find stores, restaurants, hotels, gas stations (see next comment)

-the Points of Interest function is awesome. i can search for nearby businesses by 'category' (for example, nearby japanese restaurants, or nearby gas stations, or nearby shopping malls), OR i can search for nearby businesses by 'name', for example, the nearest Best Buys, or Targets, or Disneyland. this is awesome, and is my favorite feature because in my Infiniti, i can only search nearby businesses by 'category'. (in my infiniti, if i want to find the nearest Best Buy, i have to choose 'shopping', and then scroll through tons of stores before i find it.)

-the rerouting is almost immediate once it senses you have passed the suggested turn.

-as the last reviewer mentioned, the zooming function also works wonderfully smoothly and quickly.

-i have been using it in Los Angeles, and i have had no problems at all with the TeleAtlas maps. it has consistently chosen the best routes all over Los Angeles.

CONS:

I have to think long and hard to think of some cons...but there are a few

--when i turn on the unit, it sometimes freezes and becomes unresponsive while it is searching for the satellite signal for 15-20 seconds. at first i thought the system crashed. but just be aware of this.

--although there are 15 or so voice languages, there are two voices for English and they are both male! (one is an american accent, one has a english accent) it would be cool to have a british lady accent.

--the mount is a bit on the larger size, but it does work extremely well, so i guess i shouldn't complain.

--no bluetooth, but i don't think any GPS systems less than $300 have bluetooth.

all in all, an awesome little piece of equipment. i couldn't be happier with this baby.

Best Clore JNC660 'Jump-N-Carry' 1,700 Peak Amp 12-Volt Jump Starter Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $317.77
Sale Price: $129.50
Today's Bonus: 59% Off

If you can't start your car or truck with this thing, you have bigger problems than a dead battery! This unit is one of the most powerful portable battery jumpers out there at 1700 peak amps. That's almost twice as powerful as many other lower quality competitors.

This is not a "multi-purpose" unit that you will find at the local big box store. It's not an air compressor, radio, flashlight, food processor and battery jumper. It's only a battery jumper, although it does have a "cigarette-lighter" style socket to power other items if needed.

This is a great product, but consider this before you buy it: This model may not be for everyone. This is a professional grade item and is not intended to be used by people unfamiliar with proper battery jumping procedures. Here's why I say this:

1. Some battery jumping devices have a feature that will alert you if you hook the jumper cables up incorrectly. This unit has no such feature.

2. Some have safety switches that remove power to the cables while you are hooking them up. This unit has no such switch.

3. Some battery jumpers have sophisticated chargers that won't allow you to overcharge the battery. Not this one. When you plug it in to recharge it, you can't just walk away for 2 days and let it charge. You have to monitor it during the recharging process.

4. Some battery jumpers have a set of generic lights to tell you the current state of charge of the booster box. Not this one. It has a voltmeter on the front and you need to know how to read it.

Now, none of these items is THAT big of a deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning. If you aren't familiar with how to properly jump-start a car, you may be better off with another model with more "dummy-proof" features.

One last comment: This Jump n Carry comes with a redeemable certificate for a one-time replacement unit. If (for ANY reason) this unit stops working during its lifetime, you send it back to the company with the certificate (along with $50) and they will repair or replace it, no questions asked. Not a bad deal!

Bottom Line: If you need the most power in a single-purpose jumper box, buy this one!

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Per the manufacturer, all of the JNC660's manufactured AFTER May 2010 now have an AUTO CHARGE feature that allows for you to plug the unit into charge and not have to monitor the charging process. This was a very big drawback of this unit prior as noted in one of the 5 star reviews from G.Powers [Looking for the most powerful battery jumper? Read on..., November 21, 2007] However, the other 'dummy proof' features are still not included in this unit (reverse hookup and turning off power to the cables during hookup)

Best Deals for Clore JNC660 'Jump-N-Carry' 1,700 Peak Amp 12-Volt Jump Starter

excellent transaction!!! great battery boosters! no need for a separate transformer, the unit plugs directly into the wall!! Being the owner of a car dealership, we put these through the test, using them 10-15 times a day, we have had other makes in the past, but nothing lasts as long as these, plus they give you a $40 one time coupon in case anything breaks,wheather you did it ot not , they will give you a new one. no questions asked!!!

Honest reviews on Clore JNC660 'Jump-N-Carry' 1,700 Peak Amp 12-Volt Jump Starter

The Jump-N-Carry has suprised me with its terrific power output. Also, suprising is the fact that although it was charged 2 1/2 months ago, I have had not had to re-charge it. It continues to have a terrific charge of power available!

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First off let me just say that this unit is a heck of a lot better than the ones in your box stores. I have a construction company so there is always something with a dead battery everyday. This unit works good for the first, second, and 'sometimes' third jump but that's usually it. After about 8 days of heavy use I can only get the unit to recharge to about 70%I may return it. My only other complaint is that when you are in a hurry and wrap the cables back up its very easy to slice into the cable with the handles.

DEWALT DCF889B Bare Tool 20V Max Lithium Ion 1/2-Inch High Torque Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $280.00
Sale Price: $135.13
Today's Bonus: 52% Off

Using this impact to take off lugnuts and reinstalling them is a breeze. When the air hose doesn't reach or having to take a wheel off in the parking lot, this would be tool to have.

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this little work horse will surprise you. I used this to take off rusty bolts 300 ft lbs of torque like an air tool.

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Great product as expected, my only complaint would be it is a little longer than expected, hard to get in tight spots.

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this product is great. long lasting. i have other dewalt tools and they have all preformed very well. i would reccomond buying this product.

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Personal use for rotating tires on my f-150 and my wife's Sable

I like the fact that I no longer have to drag a air hose with a impact.

Plenty of torque for removal and installation, my f-150 is at 150 foot lbs I use a torque wrench for proper torque, I already had

The drill and flash so it was a no brainier,very happy makes my life a little

Easier.

Reviews of GTMax White USB Flip Home Wall Travel AC Charger Power Adapter

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Great product! works perfectly on my ipod touch 4th generation. This is a must have. you can charge your ipod/iphone wherever you are and charging is fast.

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Not much to say other than it works great with my gen 4 ipod touch. Haven't had a single issue.

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Do not buy this product!!!!! Just received it today and plugged it in to charge my Ipod Touch. After about 10 minutes there was a loud pop and a spark came out of the charger. VERY DANGEROUS, don't know what would have happened if I was not in the room at the time. I guess I got what I paid for!!!

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I have been frustrated by the fact that it is difficult to find which plugs/cords work with which apple products.

Fortunately this one works and it has an indicator light to let you know it is on and I like that it has a power saver mode when it is fully charged.

I don't know what other products this works with but I do know it works with my ipod touch 4th generation.

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I bought two of these chargers for my ipod touch and ipad. One worked just fine and the other didn't work at all.

Go Power! Solar Extreme Complete Solar and Inverter System with 480 Review

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List Price: $4,429.00
Sale Price: $3,679.99
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

2 years ago we had a solar setup installed on our RV that was crap! We recently upgraded to this Go Power! Solar Extreme kit and I can honestly say it's one helluva setup. When we're camping in full sun there is NO WAY we can drain the batteries, trust me we've tried.

The kit comes with everything needed for install (including a giant instruction manual) however I'll be honest we had a 3rd party do the install for us. The panels are large but our 32 foot motorhome roof had more than enough space to accommodate.

The Pure Sine invertor runs delicate appliances that my factory invertor would not run (espresso machine, milk frother, hair dryer) while providing us double the wattage so we can now listen to the stereo while cooking on the induction plate without blowing fuses or overheating the invertor.

The solar controller seems to work fine, but the new boost technology that supercharges the batteries is by far the best feature, it allows us to ramp up our batts to 14.5 at the end of the day so we can have power throughout the night.

So far the smart battery charger, inverter remote, and the shore power/invertor AC switch kit seem to work as promised.

A few things to know:

We now need to upgrade our battery bank as this setup provides way more power than our batteries can store.

My old charge controller was able to charge my house batteries, and when those were full it would charge the engine batteries; I'm not sure the Go Power! controller is capable of this.

If you're considering a new solar setup or want to upgrade this kit will not disappoint.

We also installed the Go Power! GP-PSK-120 120W Portable Folding Solar Kit with 10 Amp Solar Controller so we can capture the early AM and late PM light, it's a cheap addition and easy to install.

We wrote an article and created a more detailed video on our blog about the solar setup and how we've been using it: gonewiththewynnsDOTcom/extreme-rv-solar

This product was given to us for review but our opinions are our own.

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The product components are solid and together make up a good solution. The invertor seems to be a bit light in supplying power to more demanding appliances.

IOTA DLS-55 12 VOLT 55 AMP AUTOMATIC SMART BATTERY CHARGER / POWER Review

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This product will supply 750 watts to a car stereo with an amp and subwoofers. I used this for a custom toolbox. It has a stereo mounted on the front, an amp in another drawer, and a sub with four speakers. I am drawing about 400 watts and i could still draw more with this product. It just plugs in the wall and the negative and positive wires just go in the products holes and tighten the screw down. Good to go. Five stars.

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Cheap PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A 15w Travel Wall Charger with Swivel plug

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

For the first three days, it was able to charge an iPad, an iPhone,and a Blackberry phone. I was very impressed.

On the third night, the blue light on the front started flickering. By the fourth morning, it was fully dead.

I haven't tried to return it, since the price point is just low enough that it's not really worth the hassle, shipping costs, etc. I just wish I hadn't bought it in the first place.

EDIT: The Powergen customer service folks sent a replacement out promptly and free of charge, and it seems to be working just fine. Upgrading the rating from one star to four.

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To start off with the positives, I used a Kill-a-Watt to measure the current draw while charging with multiple devices. My wife's Ipad 2, her Galaxy S3, my Note 2 and Thinkpad were able to achieve the same charge draw as the original chargers (2 amp for the Ipad, Note and Thinkpad). I originality purchased this unit as I travel quite a bit for work and liked the swivel plug. I was happy with the performance and form factor.

Unfortunately, to the negatives...

1. While the charger is plugged into an outlet but not charging a device, a LOUD buzzing noise is emitted from the charger. I can hear it while the charger is on the floor and I am standing a couple feet away. The sound is similar to a buzzing capacitor that is about to fail. I do not trust leaving the unit plugged in, unattended. I also ordered the black version, it has a similar sound but it is much less intense; I can only hear the noise when my ear is within a 6-12" of the charger. I have what I consider a defective unit which I understand happens but leads to the 2nd negative and the reason for the one star review.

2. I emailed POWERGEN CS regarding the issue and asked for a replacement. I received a response asking which charger had the issue. After multiple follow-up emails I never received another response.

Due to the positives listed above, I would recommend this charger to almost anyone. Unfortunately, due to the lack of customer service I cannot.

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Note that some early versions of this plug had quality control issues. My plugs did not have any issues, but some of the early testers reported problems. PowerGen notified all testers and made the plugs unavailable until the problem has been resolved. I received a notification that the problem has been resolved, and the new stock does not have the issue. Symptoms of the problem: Due to a poor connection inside the plug, the status light goes on when the plug is plugged in, but then goes out a few seconds later.

I tested PowerGen Dual Port 15W / 3.1A USB Wall Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone, and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player.

I received PowerGen wall charger for testing from the manufacturer to write an honest and unbiased review and you will find both pluses and minuses of my experience in this review.

I am attaching two collages with 8 photos (each collage has 4) labelled with numbers 1-1 through 1-4 and 2-1 through 2-4 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review.

The first thing I noticed that the charger has re-tractable prongs which is very handy for travel. Photo #1-1 shows the black plug with prongs retracted, and the white plug with progs extended.

Photos #1-3 and #1-4 show this plug on a power strip. This is where the only negative thing I have to say about this plug comes in. The position of the prongs is such that this plug takes up two slots and a bit of third slot. As you see not only does each plug cover two outlets, I also could put two of these plugs next to each even on the short side. The prongs are not polarized as you can see on photo #1-1. The plug itself is very slim, if the prongs could have been oriented differently, the plug would only take 1 slot.

The plug has two ports labelled "A" and "NA" which stands for Apple and Non-Apple devices (see photo 1-2). I own all Android devices but I tested both ports to see their behavior with my devices. The charger comes without a USB cord, so tested it with the USB cords that came with my devices.

I used Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.

The key findings:

(1) Excellent results on both ports for Nexus Phone and Nexus 7 Tablet

(2) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 can be charged on NA port

The table below summarizes my findings:

Nexus 7 Tablet (photo #2-2, note the port is labeled "A" is closer to the edge of the plug and the port labeled "NA" is the one that is further away from the edge of the plug)

(Shown in Photo 2-2)

--------------

A port -AC

NA port -AC

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

(Shown in Photo 2-1)

--------------------------

A port -AC

NA port -AC

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

(Shown in Photos 2-3 and 2-4)

--------------------------

A port -discharging when screen is on, charged slowly with screen off

NA port -AC

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player

------------------------------

A port -charged at AC rate

NA port -charged at AC rate

Charging times for Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

-------------------------------------------------

NA: from 90% to 100% ---> 33 minutes

A: from 90% to 100% -> 1h 37 min charged when screen was off despite saying discharging (powering the screen was enough to turn from slow charge to discharge)

Samsung plug that came with the 7.7 Tablet: from 90% to 100% ---> 1 hour

Charging times for Nexus Tablet

-------------------------------------------------

NA: from 94% to 99% ---> 17 minutes

A: from 94% to99% ---> 19 minutes

The behavior of both Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus plugged in at the same time was the same as when they were plugged in individually. This means if you can charge them both together at the same time. If you need to charge Samsung Galaxy tablet and one of the Nexus devices you would need to put the Galaxy tab on the NA port.

The MP3 player worked in both ports. I was able to charge and listen to the MP3 player at the same time.

To summarize:

I liked:

---------

1. Excellent behavior on both ports even when you have two Android devices

2. Samsung tablet 7.7 charged twice as fast as with the plug that it came with

2. Solution for MP3 player with built-in battery

3. Can charge two Android devices at once at AC rate

I did not like:

--------------

1. Position of the prongs that makes the plug take 2+ slots on the strip

I compared this plug to PowerGen Dual Port USB 2.1A 10W AC. And before I upgraded my Nexus devices to JellyBean 4.21 this plug gave a better performance on A port. However, when I recently retested 10W plug with Android's Jelly Bean 4.21 the difference became less significant. Nexus 7 shows the same behavior on both plug (both ports charge at AC rate), Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone still does better with this plug on A port (AC rate vs USB rate).

Here is a link to my review of 10W plug if you are interested in seeing the details http://www.amazon.com/review/R1WWWT839MIV8E/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_alt_8

Overall, This plug has given me the best performance of any dual plug I have tried. Downgraded from 5 stars due to quality control issues in some units.

Ali Julia review

Honest reviews on PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A 15w Travel Wall Charger with Swivel plug

I received two of these chargers from the company to test and review. Of them one worked perfectly, but the other unit was finicky and had to be jiggled to maintain power, which was a little disconcerting.

The charger that worked did a great job charging an iPhone 4, an iPhone 4S, an iPhone 5, and a Sony CyberShot TX10 digital camera. One of the two USB ports, one is supposed to be tailored to Apple devices and offer a faster charge time, but I didn't notice a difference. While charging the unit emits a slight humming noise.

The charger is decently constructed and finished in a rubberized texture. The power prongs fold up into the charger for portability, and seem well made. There is a blue LED power indicator light on the front of the unit.

All in all...if you get one that works well, you'll be very pleased.

01/03/2013 Update: I let my co-worker charge her Blackberry Torch on this charger from time to time and she says it takes longer than the Blackberry charger, and the battery seems to drain more quickly as well.

(I received a complimentary sample of this product from the manufacturer to review.)

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I was tired of having multiple USB wall charges for my many mobile devices. I want one charger that can charge them all and so far this items is doing just that. It works on my new Google Nexus 10 tablet, my old Samsung Alas 2 phone, and Plantronics Voyager BT Headset.

I love the hard rubbery feels of this black version as it feels very sturdy and rugged compared to the white one where it's smooth and glossy.

I will updated this review later on if I encounter any other problems.

*****Update 11/20/2012*****

I noticed something odd in the design of this charger. The metal prongs that plug into the wall outlet is a separate piece that can be disconnect from the body. I'm assuming it's designed like this is because they also sell international plugs for this charger. It takes very little effort to disconnect the plug from the body as all you do is push upward and it slides right out. With the way it's designed one would plug it into a wall outlet in the upward position however, that would force it's own weight downward along with gravity so there might be a chance for the plug to separate from the body. I have yet to have it separate on me while using it, but I just find it rather oddly designed.

*****Update 12/02/2012*****

The Apple product USB slot can charge my Samsung Alias 2 phone and also my Voyager headset, but it does charge at a slower rated compared to the non Apple product slot. I have yet to try my other non Apple products on the Apple USB slot. This is really nice as I can possibly charge multiple things at once even though its slower.

*****Update 02/02/2013*****

Well I accident broke my charger when I accidentally stepped on it when I dropped it. Oops! I found the weakest link on the charger and it's the detachable wall outlet plug as the entire casing cracked cleanly off the plug itself. The whole thing was just hanging on to each other by the two power wires, but luckily since it was a very clean crack of the casing I was able to use some super glue to put it back together without much scaring to the casings finished look. It still works after 2 days when I glued it back together.

Cheap PowerFilm 10 Watt Foldable Solar Panel Charger

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $232.99
Sale Price: $181.99
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

I have been trying out Solar Chargers for the past 6 plus months. Interest in solar charges grew from wanting to be prepared for emergencies. The electronic devices that I have are powered through AA, AAA, and USB sources. Therefore, my focus was on finding a solar charger that can power one or any combination of the three. This is the review of the PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger.

Starting with some basic information for this charger, the product comes with the PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger, one PowerFilm's RA-2 12 Volt Female Cigarette Lighter Adapter, a very basic instruction foldout, and everything is contained in a cardboard box. I appreciate the cardboard box as it does not waste space and is perfect size for efficient storage. It fits snugly around the charger which when folded, is approximately 10 1/2 inches long and 4 inches wide. The solar charger itself appears very durable and its build quality is excellent. It has a thin and flexible solar film encased in a UV protection layer, and it is stitched into durable nylon material. The manual instructs that if the solar charger becomes wet or submerged, it should continue to work after given some time to dry.

The solar charger was able to successfully charge my iPhone 3GS with different car adapters. With the iGo car charger and different levels of sunlight (direct-indirect, peak-off peak, etc.), I was able to charge the iPhone at a rate of 10% charge for every 14 minutes. This is fast when compared to different chargers that have been tested, especially among other solar and portable chargers. I never drain my iPhone completely, so actual trial times for a complete charge is not available.

Another great positive to this charger is that I am able to utilize my Sanyo Eneloop USB AA/AAA Charger attached to a Scosche USB car adapter. This provides the ability to charge AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. The Sanyo Eneloop USB Charger instructions states that it would require two hours to charge AAA batteries and four hours to charge AA batteries. The charge time was consistent whether it was connected to my MacBook or the Solar Charger.

Being rated at producing 15.4 volts with 0.6 amps, the PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger is not likely to charge a power hungry item, such as a laptop computer, on its own. However, these panels can be connected in parallel with combined output of up to 20 amps. PowerFilm also makes similar foldable solar panels that are rated at 20, 30, and 60-Watts.

Overall, I rate this PowerFilm 10-Watt Foldable Solar Charger a 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. This solar charger meets all of my needs with great success. I am now able to power my AA and AAA rechargeable batteries, USB devices, and other devices using car adapters. Plus the build quality is excellent, the necessary female adapter is included, and the packaging is great. I finally found the dependable, durable, compact, and lightweight source of solar power that I have been searching for in case of emergencies.

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I took this item into the woods for 2 weeks, and was able to charge my smartphone enough to keep up with facebook and sms for a few minutes in the evenings. Never got a full charge. What's up with the 5 star rating for something that only charged enough for 20 minutes of data usage? How is that possible?

Easy. No direct sunlight. The best sunlight I could find was dappled. Constant haze in the sky (humid east coast forest), with lots of clouds some days. In other words, horrible conditions for solar panels.

It still worked.

Fantastic product, puts up with a lot of abuse. You can drape it over a bush, or hang it from a tree, or off the side of your tent. It's light, folds up small, and doesn't care about getting damp.

I would recommend getting a charge controller, though. I didn't, and I think my results would have been much better with a decent charge controller. I don't think the blocking diode blocks 100% of the current flow, because the panel would (slowly!) drain the phone's battery if it was in the evening shade for too long.

A 10W panel is WAY OVER CAPACITY for a smart phone (I have the HTC G1, Google's first Android phone). I would NEVER hook this panel directly up to my phone in full, direct, clear sunlight without a charge controller! However, considering the conditions, I just used the car charger for my phone and plugged it directly into the panel and it worked great.

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I bought this panel as a convenient way to keep gadgets charged while away from civilization. The unit is smaller than I imagined, and seems very rugged. The solar panels themselves are a heavy duty flexible plastic film and are glued and stitched to the nylon fabric. The whole assembly has four grommets in the corners which I'm sure will come in very handy. In the package is a cable with the panel connector on one end and a female 12v cigarette lighter socket on the other; if you have gadget chargers that plug into your vehicle's 12v power socket you're good to go. I only wish PowerFilm offered a dual 5V USB port charger cable with integrated charge controller, for the increasing number of gadgets that charge via USB. Instead, I picked up a Griffin PowerJolt Dual at the local Wally-world, which works great.

So far I've only been able to test it in the back yard, but I'm very happy with it. In full sun (2:00pm, September 24, Northern California, 86 degrees F) my meter initially read 19+ volts. Voltage seemed to drop slowly as the panel heated up. In complete shade, under the porch, the panel still put out 12.2 volts.

I had a very good experience with PowerFilm support via email. I would definitely recommend this product, and will probably buy another in the future.

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Used this during the electrical grid failure we had after the April tornados in Huntsville Alabama. Used it to charge cell phones, kindle, portable tv, and a bunch of enloop AA bateries over a period of 5 days. Folds up to a small and very lightweight package, small enough to fit inside a mens shaving kit I use to store it and 12-batteries, 2-headlamps, 1-AA flashlight, a 4-cell battery charger and assorted 12v and USB adapters cables. Great product well worth the money.

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Surprise #1: I bought my F16-600 10W solar panel charger from Amazon for a steal at 109 dollars on sale (Powerfilm was the seller).

Surprise #2: The item pictured in the description was the black one but I ended up getting a military grade version (camouflage canvas). NICE!

Surprise #3: It came with a female cigarette lighter adapter! Despite the description failing to mention this bonus I'm lucky I didn't almost spring for Amazon's "buy together with RA-2 cigarette lighter adapter for..."

Now for a quick review of the product itself. IT ROCKS! The end.

Seriously, I used this last weekend over a camping trip for 4 days. The first day was mostly cloudy and the solar panel barely produced enough current to charge my Samsung Focus Windows Phone. The second day was partly cloudy and with Seattle area sunbreaks it managed to charge my smartphone in 5 hours. The next day full sun and it charged it in 2 hours. Remember, the charging time depends on the charger itself.

Let's talk numbers now. I measured the voltage and it was as advertised coming in higher than 15.4 volts. On an overcast day it measured 50 milliamps. That's not enough to charge a smartphone. When the sun comes out it produces a strong 600+ milliamps.

Just for kicks I connected a 12 volt fan and you can tell that it runs full speed in the sun. When a cloud passes or a shadow blocks the solar charger then the fan dies.

One challenge with cloudy days is that depending on the device and the charger you might have an issue with these frequent disruptions of electricity. For example, on a smartphone when it gets power the screen turns on. This frequent disruption actually causes the device screen to turn on often and drains more from the battery each time causing the opposite effect.

I'd really like to charge some AA or AAA batteries but I can't seem to find a good battery charger that also provides USB power to devices.

The durability seems good so far. I'm a little concerned on the hottest day when the sun beat down hard on those cells and it looks like one of them might be coming off the stitching. I'll report back for sure if there is a quality issue. I have to admit, it's too soon for me to review this product.

Cheap IOTA Engineering Converter and Charger

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List Price: $195.40
Sale Price: $148.74
Today's Bonus: 24% Off

Iota products are now very LOW quality China cheap import chargers. My company has 70+ trucks using these Iota converter. After 2 weeks of being put into service the Iota converters started failing.

They are being replaced under warranty, but it is costing my company over $500.00 per truck to replace that Iota will not pay. Yesterday I learn that the replacement units are now failing as well. Iota has lots of problems, stay away!!!

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I've been using the DLS55/IQ4 for about a year and a half now. So far a couple of them have failed but the factory has been great to repair them ASAP. After this last problem, they sent me a brand new one!

I love the features. With the IQ4, the batteries are quickly charged and then the charger cuts back to a trickle charge. I'm impressed with the performance... I just hope this new one keeps hanging in there.

Overall, the product is a very good value.

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I purchased an IOTA charger/converter for my personal travel trailer. I have a RV repair business and I have installed quite a few IOTA charger/converters and have never had a failure. Unfortunately, the unit I installed in my own trailer failed sending too much voltage to the batteries thus ruining a new set of batteries. I was really worried that I would have a hard time collecting for the batteries, however IOTA not only promptly shipped a new unit but upon being furnished the invoice for the batteries promptly reimbursed me for the cost of the batteries. They make a good product and stand behind what they sell I highly recommend IOTA.

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Doing the job! Had to replace the converter in the camper and needed one quick. This one done the job.

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i had a IOTA DLS-45 that failed after 2 years, so i ordered a 55 watt with the IQ4 Smart Charger, it arrived a day early but was only a 45 watt. Amazon had a drop down window that gave you wattage options and my orders shows i paid for the 55 watt unit. This is very disappointing because i know it will be a big hassle to return it so i will just have to use it. this is the second order from Amazon that came in the wrong size in the 2 weeks.

Cheap Designers Edge L949 10-LED Rechargeable Solar-Panel Shed Light

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List Price: $56.99
Sale Price: $23.79
Today's Bonus: 58% Off

I purchased this item for a 10x15 shed. A lot of people of commented on the amount of light this thing throws out so let me start the review with that.

This shed light is powered by 3 AA batteries that get recharged by the solar panel. The solar panel does not provide any direct power for the lights and that is not what it is designed to do. If you expect 3 AA batteries to provide the same amount of power and therefore light as a 120 volt AC shop light you are going to be disappointed in this product, or ANY product that provides light from 3 AA batteries. If you expect it to provide the same amount of light as a flashlight powered by 3AA batteries then this product is going to deliver exactly what you expect out of it. In my 10X15 shed this product delivers about as much light as a night light. The light it emits is an unnatural blue color but it is adequate. It will keep you from tripping over stuff and help you to make out the difference between a lawn mower and a leaf blower in otherwise complete darkness. It is not suitable for performing detailed work and is not a substitute for lighting that would normally require an electrical connection. When used during the day with the shed door open, using this light does not increase the ambient light inside the shed at allnormal daylight completely washes out the shed light. This light is very useful at night.

The product documentation is severely limited but installation is fairly common sense. The screws that come with the unit are inadequate drywall screws and the Phillips heads will strip when you try to drill them into real wood. For some reason it also comes with drywall anchors as if your shed is going to be finished with drywall. If your shed has drywall it probably also has electricity and you wouldn't be reading this review. The product comes with a large threaded L bracket that is not in the documentation. It looks like it can be used as an alternate mounting bracket but you would have to partially disassemble the solar panel to use it. I threw it in the recycling along with the NiCad batteries.

The product comes with 3 AA NiCad batteries. I recommend that you immediately recycle them responsibly upon opening the box and use NiMH batteries. For one, NiCad batteries have a memory effect that modern batteries do not and they are poorly suited to solar chargers due to the charging cycles associated with a dubious power supply. Secondly, the flawed design of this shed light requires you to unscrew the "permanent" mounting in order to change the batteries. While NiCad batteries would have to be replaced annually NiMH batteries should last many years in this configuration and also can supply 6X the amount of power (longer running time) than NiCads.

Another flaw of this product is that the 3/16" cord running from the solar panel to the light unit has an approximately 1/8" plug but unfortunately it has a useless L configured plug that will require you to drill nearly a 1" hole in your shed to fit it through. I'm not sure what was going through the engineer's mind when this ridiculous feature was added but hopefully the manufacturer will fix this problem if the product is ever updated.

While the LED lights in this product have a very long running time (especially if you recycle the NiCad batteries as I recommend) most people don't need to spend hours in their shed. They would go in, fetch what they need, and then turn the light out. This product would be a lot more useful if it provided much more light for a shorter period of time. I think a running time of 1 hour per day is way more than adequate. I would prefer to have 4x the amount of light for 1 hour than I having ¼ the light for 4 hours in a shed light.

I purchased this product knowing all the limitations and I am happy with it. It performs exactly as I expected and it functioned right of the box. Some of the design elements are cheap and you should plan on having upgraded batteries and screws on hand before you attempt to install it. You will not want to unscrew the light and reinstall it to swap out the NiCads later, especially if you attempt to use the cheap included screws that will most certainly strip.

The fact that you have to completely uninstall this unit in order to change the batteries highlights another feature that it is missing. It is not portable at all. A great feature it could have had was to be portableimagine if the power went out and you knew you had a portable light source in your shed that could be quickly snapped out of its housing and used elsewhere. Or if you had some dead AA batteries you wanted to charge with your solar charger. The manufacturers really missed the boat on this one.

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I can see why there is a dichotomy with the ratings. We purchased two of these for our detached garage. One of the lights gives off a relatively bright light, enough to find one's way around with ease at night. The other light was not as bright. The light has a hi-lo switch, and even on the 'hi' setting, the dud-light gave off only a dim glow. We did not return it for another light because after the hastle of installing this light with the solar panel on the roof, it didn't seem that important to us. For future purchasers, remember to give it a test run before installing.

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Reading from the reviews I wasn't expecting much from such a low price solar shed light. I went ahead and ordered anyway and I'm very very pleased with the results. The light itself came almost fully pre-charged which aided in not only knowing how bright it would ultimately be, but also was useful in locating a good spot for it in the shed before permanent mounting.

So out of the box you get a

* solar panel with hardwired 16ft cable

* exterior mounting bracket with swivel feature

* interior light and mounting all in one

* all screws etc

* strange L shaped metal rod which appears to serve no useful purpose due to the design of the mounting bracket!

The light itself is super bright for a solar led; we have a small shed at 6'x 8' and it saturates it with enough light to find even the smallest item or even work in there. I couldn't say how long the light lasts on a single charge however, but it's perfect for popping in and grabbing some tool as the day gets longer. The light has a half/full option where the top row of leds can be switched off to increase the duration that the lights last at the expense of brightness nice touch. There's also a small red led to indicate that it's charging and comes with a one foot toggle pull string to switch the light on or off.

My only gripe, which was mentioned in another review, was the connector for the panel to the light was L shaped not straight through as shown in the amazon product pic. This meant making a hole about the width of your finger to be able to push the connector into the shed and then having to silicon it all up to make it watertight. If it was a straight connector, the hole would barely be bigger than the cable itself. A surprisingly poorly thought out design given the rest of the product.

But the rest IS perfect and you cannot go wrong for the price.

Honest reviews on Designers Edge L949 10-LED Rechargeable Solar-Panel Shed Light

Advertised as having a 20ft cord...at best it's only 16ft!

Pivot mount for the solar panel is totally useless...very poor design!

There was a 6 inch "L" shaped treaded metal rod included with the hardware with no instuctions on what's it for! The light works well so far...not real bright but good enough to find things.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Designers Edge L949 10-LED Rechargeable Solar-Panel Shed Light

I wanted something for my garage out in the back yard, thought this would be great since there is no power out there. The light works fine, for now, but it is bovious that it is not constructed well at all. It is no very bright, but enough so you don't trip over stuff. It was very easy to install, and yes, they should have given instructions as to what to do with the metal rod. Took me a minute to figure out that it is an optional brace for the solar panel. If it cost any more, I would pay for the shipping to return it. I would NOT buy another one from this company, but DO PROMOTE the use of solar power in any way possible.

Buy Schumacher IP-1800I Instant Power 950 Peak Amps Jump Starter

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List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $109.15
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

I bought this not to jump cars for the building inverter I use it the power of 30 inch monitor for almost 2 hours at a place where there was no electricity.

nice unit.

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This is the new version of the PP-2200 with the addition of jumper cables. The battery is slightly smaller in capacity, 18 amp hours versus 22 amp hours, and comes with a flexible neck light that plugs into the 12 volt outlet. I wish they had kept the same capacity battery, but it won't make all that much difference. I replaced the halogen bulb in the 12 volt flex neck light with an LED bulb so it will not drain the battery nearly as quickly. Overall the quality appears to be there as in other Schumacher products. When the battery finally does need to be replaced, I hope to replace it with a larger capacity cell. Yes, the battery can be replaced by your local Batteries Plus store. I do recommend this power pack and the price I got through Amazon was the lowest I could find. Shipping was very quick.

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The 110 outlets operate most household appliances. Very user friendly. Although it has 400 watts of household current it actually produces 200 watts per outlet. It would not power my computer because the computer requires a larger initial surge. I have used it twice to jump start a car.

Works Great!

Honest reviews on Schumacher IP-1800I Instant Power 950 Peak Amps Jump Starter

Pros;

The battery works well I am using it to power a 15" TV and to recharge cell phones and ipad. I plan to buy a second one.

Cons;

The charging lights do not indicate the proper charge level.

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The options available on this model are great, the problem is that the batteries are faulty. I should have headed the warnings others gave in reviews but I figured I'd give it a shot. The problem is the internal battery would not take a charge, not even once. When it arrived I followed the directions and left it on the charger over 72 hours, after all that there was no charge at all so I put it back on for 4 days, after that the orange charge status light came on for about 5 seconds then it went red again. Log story short I tried charging a few more times and nothing worked, amazon will not take that as a return item but after talking to customer service they refunded me the entire amount, now I have to deal with disposing of this thing. I did end up buying a similar product made by Duracell, works perfectly.

Satechi ST-2412 Car Lighter USB Charger Adapter with Smart Reviews

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $9.99
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Both charger and adapter arrived in a timely fashion. The charger itself is smaller than I expected, even from the picture, and if you are looking for a minimalist charger that effectively converts the 12v port in your car into a nearly flush USB charging port, this is it. The high-current charging adapter for tablets is also slightly smaller than the adapters sold by Edo Supply on EBay (barely larger than a USB plug), but works just as well on a Samsung Galaxy Tab, which I verified as fast-charging in my car (though I am guessing still not at the maximum charging rate, see below). The adapter is also still functional when used with other high-amperage chargers.

The only real complaints I have with this product are that 1) it only has the one USB port, and 2) the spec says this is only a 1.2A charger, though that is at least enough to get the Galaxy Tab to increase charge with the screen at full brightness and the GPS and data connections running. I eventually replaced the charger with a much bulkier one that had both a 2.1A output and a (standard) 0.5A output because I wanted the ability to charge two devices at once and maximize charging current more than I wanted the low-profile design, but I kept using the Satechi adapter to be able to get my tablet to recognize the high-current port on the other charger at all (the Edo adapters were thick enough to block the second port). Note that I am relying on stated specs for this; I did not actually perform charge time experiments on both chargers.

Wishlist: the ability to purchase the adapter separately from the charger, as it has a very nice form factor and works perfectly. A fifth star would have been awarded if the charger itself had 2A output and a second port, even if it had become slightly thicker as a result.

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Bought this and an Amzer Micro USB Retractable Data Cable to use as a car charger for my new Samsung Galaxy SIII. Dont have any specs to post, but I can't tell a charge time difference between the fast times I get at home and using this unit. Perfect!

The smart converter that comes with the unit is simply a USB extender that plugs into the back of the unit. I assume it crosses/connects some of the conductor wires to simulate a different/faster type of charger. Look around on amazon and you will find some people modifying their chargers to accomplish this same task. Handy and elegant to have this available out of the box with a simple little plug.

Pros:

Fast Charging

Silver part of the unit is a heavy duty handle that swings out to pull the unit from the car lighter

included "Smart Converter" see above

cool led color changing light

Cons:

LED light is a bit bright when it turns green at night, but I dim my dash lights anyway, so thats probably just me.

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I used the Satechi 2412ST adapter on an international flight in April 2012. The product is lightweight & compact and sits nearly flush to the DC socket when inserted. There's a pull-down ring (the silver piece in the picture)to assist in pulling the charger out of the socket when needed. I didn't need it, but your mileage will vary. There is a small LED light on the face of the charger (near the USB socket), and it lights up to know electricity is flowing. It's not so bright that it would be distracting during night driving (in my opinion). Nicely executed product that just works.

I used the charger on my iPad2 and (separately) my Droid 2 Global phone without any problems. The charge was similar to plugging the devices in using their natural adapters, even on the iPad2 (so I will assume the output is the 2.1 amps as stated on the product description).

All-in-all I am happy with the product. Quick shipping via Amazon Prime was definitely a plus as well.

Honest reviews on Satechi ST-2412 Car Lighter USB Charger Adapter with Smart

I plug it in once and kept it plugged for a bit over a month. After pulling it out today one of the metal parts on the side of it broke. I just ordered another one because i liked how fast it was charging my iPhone. Let's see how long this one will last...

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Satechi ST-2412 Car Lighter USB Charger Adapter with Smart

I have only had this charger for one day, so I will update the review in 6-12 months once I see how well it holds up over time. As for right now? I have nothing negative to say about it. The low profile is near perfect, the construction seems solid for what it is, no problems people mentioned about overheating or blowing a fuse, and it looks pretty good for a $10 charger.

Now... the important parts. These points are particularly important if your smartphone has trouble with charge speed / efficiency while using a car charger:

1. 1.2A Power 2.1A would have been nice, but it's more than enough to keep up with my GNex.

2. The included "Smart Converter." This solves a problem so many smartphone owners experience. By effectively shorting the data lines in the charging cable, it puts the phone in "AC Mode." Without this Smart Converter, the phone stays in USB mode and charges vastly slower, no matter how much power your source is outputting. If you've ever connected your phone to a PC, you know how slowly it charges in USB Mode. The Smart Converter can even be used with PC USB ports and USB chargers.

I've tried other chargers that don't "trick" the phone into AC Mode and they don't provide enough power to keep up with a GNex running GPS and 4G. I tested this charger / converter combo tonight on my way home from Wegmans. Here are the results:

In 18 minutes, the battery gained 8%

The phone was running Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 4G. Screen sleep was disabled and Ingress was actively running the whole time.

That's good enough for me to be happy with this product for $10. If it fails in the first few months, I'd probably even give it one or two more tries before deciding it's junk and changing this review.