Showing posts with label energizer 15 minute battery charger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label energizer 15 minute battery charger. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Best BMW Advanced Battery Charging System - plugs into power outlet Deals

BMW Advanced Battery Charging System - plugs into power outlet
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $69.00
Sale Price: $52.95
Today's Bonus: 23% Off
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I found out the hard way that BMW deactivates the cigarette lighter on recent BMW models, thus making it impossible for this product to work. You must buy a product with battery clips instead of the cigarette lighter version.

The vendor includes language on their website as follows:

The battery charger only works on the following BMW models:

3 Series 2009-Later (not 2006 Conv.)

5 Series 2004-Later

7 Series 2002-Later

X5 2007-Later

1 Series (All)

Z4-New Style Hard-top.

I was wrong in assuming that my 2008 528xi was "later" than 2004. When I contacted the vendor, I was told that this language means that any version "earlier" than 2005 is compatible.

You can get the battery clip version from your local BMW dealer and avoid the high shipping price charged by this vendor.

Buyer Beware.

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Modern cars have a host of electronic gear inside of them, gear that drains the battery even as your car sits parked in a garage. I lived in NYC for the entire time I had my 2003 M3 and didn't drive it very often. Result: The battery was often dead. Solution: A trickle charger. These chargers put a low current into the car battery and then, when the battery is fully charged, you don't have to unplug it. Instead you leave your car plugged in, and the charger keeps your battery topped off. Unplug when you're ready to drive and off you go! Great if you don't use your car often and want to have it fully charged when you finally do need to use it.

Not so great if you're expecting an instant charge. If you need to start your dead car soon, jump it or push it down a hill and pop the clutch. Note: try these solutions at your own risk.

The other great thing about this little baby is how you can just plug in to your lighter. So convenient!

On the downside you need a power socket somewhere in the vicinity and possibly a very long extension cord or 2.

And you'll need a car model that works with this. Newer cars can't be charged with this through your lighter socket, so make sure that this is the correct charger for your car. Newer cars need to trickle charge through the connection under the hood or through the battery. I haven't tried it so I don't know what's involved, except that you need some kind of adapter with allegator clips. Amazon's compatibility program doesn't seem to realize this and will happily tell you that your car will work with this charger without any adapter.

I used this for years until just recently, when I got a new car AND started driving more frequently, which was another way to solve the problem!

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I works well on my '02 M3 convertible. Usually it will take a while (e.g., overnight) to get it fully charged. The plastic shell on the cigarette charger plug got a crack when I accidentally dropped it on the ground, but it still works. Perhaps they could've used more durable material.

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Friday, December 19, 2014

Cheap Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $54.99
Today's Bonus: 45% Off
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This is a really cool device.

I got one for my wife so she could answer and talk on the phone without looking for her headset and turning it on.

Product works as advertised, and in fact has a number of novel features.

The only "Con" is that it does not support a 2 phone household. It can only be paired to a single phone. It does not support multipoint or dual pairing like some other prodicts (the Jawbone headset). This means that to reconnect it to the secondary phone you must pair it again.

Other than that:

1) It's very loud. easy to hear

2) uses standard USB to charge

3) The FM feature allows you to listen to the caller through your car stereo

4) the caller ID of the caller is spoken to you and broadast on your radio using RDS (so you can see the text of the phone number). Very nead.

5) it announced when it has turned on, off, paired, enabled FM. It's fantastic to get this audible feedback so you know it's working.

I highly reccomned this to anyone who needs a speakerphone for their car. My only caveat is that if you plan to share a car with 2 people it's not so great unless one person only uses the SP700. I would have given it 5 stars if it supported dual pairing.

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Pros:

1. Easy to pair

2. Very long lasting battery: went all week without charging

3. Allows voice dialing if your phone supports that feature: press the unit until it beeps (about 2 seconds), the phone goes into listen-for-command voice dial mode; speak into SP700 the name you want to call as it appears in your phone's list (i.e., "Home"); the phone makes the call (I'm using a Nokia 6555--not all phones have the voice dialing function) UPDATE: works even better with iPhone 4.

4. Compact.

5. Easy to charge via its USB port

6. Clear communication: both parties hear clearly (this is, after all, the main goal) with virtually no background interference or feedback

7. Announces its state: electronic voice says, "Connected," "Power off," "Incoming call from xxx-xxx-xxxx," "Call ended"

8. Automatically turns itself off 10 minutes after phone is out of range (30 feet

9. Can play music or podcasts through it if you want--assuming you have a decent player on the phone; many don't

10. Portable: it would work as a desktop speaker phone if you want and easily moves from vehicle to vehicle.

11. Easy to travel with: especially useful with rental cars.

Cons:

1. Can only pair with one phone at a time--if you have a personal and a work phone it's one or the other

2. Can be too loud--it defaults to a very loud initial volume (perfect if you have earphones jammed in your ears--you can still hear everything); it's almost painfully loud

3. You have to turn it on when you get in the car. It would be nice if it sensed the phone and turned itself on.

4. FM transmission to 88.1 or the other freqs is difficult in Los Angeles. The spectrum is so full it's almost impossible to find a clear open channel. This is hardly necessary because the built in speaker is so effective. If you really want to use your car stereo it probably can be fiddled with until it works, but why bother?

5. The control buttons (volume, FM) are poorly marked

6. Because the whole thing is a giant button (like an Apple mouse) the unit turns on easily when you put it in your briefcase.

6a. It needs a lockout lever or a hard case to stop it from being activated when you carry it.

Bottom line: it really works for both ends of the call, it's not expensive, it's portable, battery life is very long.

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I purchased this device so that I could listen to my music from my Blackberry Pearl on my car stereo. The concept for the device is good. It's sleek and fits well on the visor. My phone recognized the device and they paired right away. I had the device for 2 weeks and used it almost everyday before I returned it.

The device has two modes: speaker and FM transmitter. In speaker mode, the device works just like a speakerphone for phone calls or like a speaker for music. In FM mode, it retransmits everything it receives on its bluetooth interface to an FM channel. I thought the device was a bargain selling for a street price of ~$70 when compared to an FM transmitter alone or a speakerphone alone (~$50). Boy was I completely wrong!!

The major problem with the device is that the FM mode doesn't work as advertised.

The Good:

The speaker mode worked great with my phone. I was able to make/receive calls with no issues. It would cancel out the road noise and background music. The battery lasts for a long time on one recharge -upto 18 hours (manufacture claim).

The Bad:

The device would stop transmitting in the FM mode every 10 minutes or so and I would have re-activate it. The logic on the device used to determine if the phone is streaming music is faulty. I tried emailing Jabra technical support, but never received a response.

In either mode (speaker or FM), the device would auto-adjust the volume down when it thought there was no music being played, even though it was connected to the phone and streaming music. Every minute or so, the device would automatically adjust the volume down so low that I couldn't hear the music on the FM radio any more. This was especially true on podcasts or interview type programs. Then, all of a sudden, it would re-adjust itself and transmit at full volume again for sometime until it would start adjusting the volume down again. It didn't matter what volume setting I used on the phone. There is no way to adjust the volume on the Jabra device when it is in FM mode. It was rather annoying to adjust the volume on the FM radio every minute to try to match what the device was doing.

I wasn't able to stream music from my phone to the device with the standard Blackberry music/media engine application, though it did work with the Mobiola xPlayer music/media player application. I think this is more a function of the Blackberry standard software than it is a problem with the Jabra device.

The device uses a micro-USB connector for power. My phone uses a mini-USB connector. The cigarette lighter attachment provides a standard USB interface. Since I couldn't plug the micro-USB into my phone, I needed to carry two cables for power.

The user-interface needs some work. The on/off/pair/answer functions are all combined onto one button. Jabra would have done better to put the on/off function onto its own button or use a switch.

The FM mode is not strong and distant FM stations on the same channel do intermittently interfere with the device FM signal.

The FM mode has a very low treble and very high bass response. The music actually sounds more balanced coming out of the tiny speaker than the FM stereo.

I returned the device as the main reason I bought the device was to listen to music from my phone on the car stereo. I am buying a Motorola MOTOROKR T505 instead.

Pros:

* sleek look; attaches to visor

* two modes -speaker and FM

* Speakerphone is loud; can be heard clearly over background noise

* Microphone picks up voice over moderate background noise; Works well to cancel noise when having a phone conversation

* Bluetooth paired right away; no need to re-pair each time you get into the car

* Long battery life

Cons:

* FM Mode is terrible and needs a lot of work

* FM Mode stops transmitting every 10 minutes

* Intermittent interference in FM mode

* Terrible music response in FM mode

* non-standard micro-USB connector for power

* User interface poor each button has too many functions

* Jabra does not have a North America support team. They do not respond to email inquiries.

Honest reviews on Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone

My brother gave me a Jabra for Christmas. My phone was so old, it did not have Bluetooth technology and I went out to get a new phone just so I could use it. Well, I'm glad I did. The only time I need to talk hands-free is in the car. This is perfect for that.

The Jabra is wonderful. It's sleek and thin, doesn't obstruct my vision when on the visor. It was quick and easy to set up and use. When calls come in, I only need to touch it to answer. No more fumbling for my phone. The sound is crisp and clear. I talk mostly to my husband on it and he says the sound is clear on his end. My kids talk to him from the back of the minivan and he can hear them, too. I much prefer it to the earpiece, which I had to worry about falling out of my ear and gave listeners on the other end an echo. It's also preferable to the speakerphone function of the cellphone.

This is a wonderful gadget -one of those nice to have, makes my life easy sort of things. I'm glad I own it.

UPDATE: The battery life is remarkable. It's been three months and I've only charged it once. Admittedly, I only turn it on to make or accept calls about once a week, but most rechargeable batteries discharge over time even without use. Still haven't found any problems with this product. Two thumbs up.

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I recently purchased the Jabra SP700 for my car and though I've had it for a few hours I can say this bad boy works. Myself and a couple of friends have been researching this item since we all recently purchased cars without the integrated bluetooth option that our previous company cars had (nnoooo.. :-(. We did a brief comparison test between the Jabra SP700 and the Motorola T505. Both items do it's job well but with one major caveat. The SP700 as a stand alone speaker and mic works great, better than the T505. But when you try connecting it to your radio via the FM modulator the sound is sub par. Do not buy this product if you primary intention is to stream your music or talk to people over your car's speakers. The T505 does a better job at transmitting the signal via it's FM modulator but as a stand alone talking device it does not.

Bottom line If you are looking for a stand alone bluetooth mic/speaker buy the SP700. If you are looking for an item that can stream music and allow you to talk over your car's speaker then buy the Motorola T505.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Koolatron 33 qt. Kargo Kooler Reviews

Koolatron P65 Kargo 12v Portable Cooler
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $139.95
Sale Price: $119.27
Today's Bonus: 15% Off
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My Kargo Kooler arrived damaged in a dented box without any interior packing materials. The lid doors were warped and a little loose, a screw was missing from a hinge, the cheap plastic lid latch did not work properly, and I could not use this cooler vertically as a "refrigerator" because the heavy bottom door sagged badly. Perhaps attaching the heavy cooling unit to a lid door is a design flaw of this model.

The Kargo Kooler arrived a day before a 1600-mile road trip: I tested it en route to the Deep South in April as a chest cooler for exotic cheeses and a frozen pork roast, plugged into a socket in the cargo area of my Subaru Forester. I also splurged for the the optional AC adapter so I could plug it in at hotels. It cooled things superbly, despite lid problems. Yes, it may be a bit noisy in quiet office/home environments, but I did not notice its hum above road noise or the loud blasts of heating/cooling in highway hotel rooms.

My unit was obviously damaged from shipping, so I'm returning it to Amazon for a refund. Just check the lid covers and hinges very closely for damage and/or defects if you order this item.

I liked this enough to give Koolatron a second chance: I just ordered Koolatron's slightly smaller rolling mini-fridge model which may better suit my needs, has an adjustable thermostat, and should tuck away nicely and discreetly under the cargo area blind of my Subaru.

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I got this as a sort of "extra" frig for drinks in the summer. However, it freezes up easily and can't be adjusted for temperature. It is lightweight and portable, working well for a drink chest for parties.

Also, the plug in that comes with it was missing. It only plugs into a car outlet--I had to buy the adapter to use it in the house.

Given the choice, I'd probably go with a small refrig that adjusts temperature. However, again, I like the portability of this product.

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Used this on my road trip, it did great keeping all my food and drinks cold. Even when driving through the hot desert of 90 degree weather, it did cool down below 40 degrees from outside temperature, so it was 50 degrees inside cooler for our food. Warmer does great, can use up to 4 hrs maximum. Either cooler or warmer, plug into 12v lighter when car is running or will drain your car battery. It stays cool when at picnic and cannot plug cooler in.

Only concern is when fans running, its loud inside the car. When driving the road noise blends it out. After awhile you don't even think about it. Not too bulky in the backseat. Easily used seat belts to help hold it down when driving, such as around corners. Greatly recommend this cooler/warmer. My friend had a different brand and didn't work well. This one is a great portable fridge. Plus bought adapter from Amazon.com to use at hotel rooms, plug right in to wall outlet.

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The hinge on the door was broken on arrival even though the packaging was not damaged. It seems like the double door concept with the heavy cooler mechanism on the door put a lot of stress on the plastic hinge. Good concept, but poor execution. I had to return it before we could even turn it on....

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WE GOT INTO THE TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS AND NEEDED A SMALL FRIDGE TO KEEP DOWN THE COST OF FOOD.. WE HAVE USED THIS KOOLATRON ALMOST STEADY FOR A MONTH NOW. IT KEEPS ON GOING. THE ONLY THING BETTER WOULD BE IF IT WAS VERSITLE TO PLUG INTO CAR AND HOME. WE BOUGHT AN ADAPTER TO TAKE IT INTO MOTELS AND SUCH TO BE ABLE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE.. WE JUST LOVE IT THOUGH. WE RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY.

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Saturday, December 6, 2014

Cheap Premium Car Charger For Samsung Flight II (SGH-A927)

Premium Car Charger For Samsung Flight II
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $2.85
Today's Bonus: 86% Off
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It arrived on time and I am very pleased with the product. The price was great compared to retail price.

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Got the charger and loved it. works like a charm. the only thing that would be nice is a longer cord. but otherwise its great Dana

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I use this on Samsung Galaxy and Nokia Lumia phones without any issue. Charges fast for a car charger though wall chargers are always faster.

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You get what you pay for. The charger shuts off because it gets too hot. I cannot use this charger.

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Works great! I haven't had it very long so I'm not sure how long it will last, but as of now it's working great!

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Discount Schumacher SS-210A 12/24 Volt Microprocessor Controlled Automatic

Schumacher SS-210A 12/24 Volt Microprocessor Controlled Automatic Charger
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
List Price: $212.10
Sale Price: $151.04
Today's Bonus: 29% Off
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This product ruined at least 3 brand new batteries. Amazon refuses to do anything about it and the manufacturer will not stand behind their product. I will never use amazon or a schumacher product again. If the product is "as is" I may as well buy it used for a fraction of the cost.

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This charger appeared to have a lot going for it, but appearances can be deceiving. When it arrived the insulation on the charging wires was not inserted in the fuse holders, so I had to buy new holders and replace them to avoid the hassle and expense of sending it back--it is very heavy at 21 lbs. For a while it worked charging both batteries in my 27' sailboat, but it is incredibly noisy (a 60-cycle hum you can hear outside the boat with the cabin closed up), so loud that you can't sleep in the boat with it on. After a few months it stopped charging my house battery, giving a flashing red LED (check battery) signal. Fiddling with it would, sometimes, and randomly, allow it to charge the battery. Then after a year it stopped charging the start battery. I thought my batteries were toast, as I gave up and stopped even turning it on recently. The Guest 16102 I replaced it with is completely silent, and went straight to 'float' charging my batteries (it turns out they were almost fully charged by the engine's alternator on a recent long trip), even though the Schumacher showed flashing red LEDs for both output circuits, i.e. check (dead) battery. This was a waste of money, and the worse kind of product, one that works for a while and then stops working when the warranty has expired.

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I bought this to replace a dead Schumacher charger I was using on my sailboat, and returned it because of the loud humming noise it makes. This unit also very heavy, clunky, and produces much heat. I purchased instead a Guest smart charger which has worked flawlessly for over two years now.

Honest reviews on Schumacher SS-210A 12/24 Volt Microprocessor Controlled Automatic

This charger is perfect in either single channel single battery, or dual channel separate battery mode, only charging at 10A per channel. It has linear power supply with a big-beefy transformer inside that should last for years. The LED indicators give you a basic idea of what is going on.

The problems with this charger come with using it in single battery, dual channel 20A mode. The charger supplies all 20A through one cable even though both are hooked up in parallel. The cheap yellow snap-together fuse holders get really hot when charging at 20A. Also the 14AWG wire is too small for a constant 20A draw. I cut off the cheap fuse holders and replaced them with Buss Heavy Duty ATC fuse holders and 30A fuses. That solved the hot fuse holder problem. I am planning on replacing the 14AWG wire with 12AWG also.

I bought this for charging two large storage batteries used for a battery powered emergency sump pump. Two 125AH batteries in parallel.

For the geeks out there... It actually alternates channels while supplying the full 20A. It will switch from one channel to the other every couple/few minutes. I used dual 50A current shunts to check the charger on two 125AH batteries wired in parallel. I'm guessing that Schumacher alternates channels to keep the output transistors from overheating and to distribute the thermal load. I'd really like to see a non-marine unit with a vented enclosure.

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I'm very pleased with my SS-210A Automatic Charger/Maintainer. I purchased this unit to replace the old 10 amp charger in my cabin cruiser and after six months I find it to be working as planned. At first,I was surprised at the size and weight of the unit, but once I got it mounted it really didn't take up much more space than the unit I replaced, and it is much quieter. I check my batteries regularly and I find that I have to add water much less frequently than before. Overall, I give it five stars!!

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Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Panasonic LC-X1228AP Black Large 12V 28Ah VRLA Battery Review

Panasonic LC-X1228AP Black Large 12V 28Ah VRLA Battery with Internal Thread Terminal
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $124.95
Sale Price: $98.00
Today's Bonus: 22% Off
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The Panasonic LC-X1120AP black battery is the best for my Black & Decker chordless battery operated lawn mower! Did not need to charge the battery the first time after receiving from the vendorit worked right away!

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Monday, October 13, 2014

Review of Apple iPhone 3G (2nd Generation) Travel / Wall Charger w/ IC Chip

Apple iPhone 3G Travel / Wall Charger w/ IC Chip
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $5.00
Today's Bonus: 83% Off
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I needed a second charger for my office, and there's no point in paying Apple's prices form a basic thing like this. It works fine. if it breaks, I'll get another one -no biggie.

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The shipment of the item came in no time, amazon rocks! But the only thing is, it isn't compatible with my 3G IPhone! Perhaps because it is an unlocked one. When I plug it in to charge it begins to charge and makes that noise and then starts twitching as if someone is unplugging and plugging in the phone. Weird. Sometimes it works if you wiggle it but for the most part I don't bother with it :T

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I Bought This Because I Use My iPod Touch Every Minute. And I Got Tired Of Having To Plug It In To The Computer And Waiting For It To Charge Up. So I Bought This So I Could Play With It Even When It's Charging Anywhere I Want That Has A Plug. So, I Got It In The Mail (It Was A Fast Delivery) And I Used It...It Messes Up When You Plug It In. You Can't Slide Your Unlock Button All The Way Over. And Then When You Push Something It Thinks You Pushed Something Else. It gets really Frustrating. I Don't Know If Mine Is Just Broke When I Got It Or What. I Still Use It Because It's Convenient, But You Can't Play Or Do What You Want With It While It's Charging. (Unless Like I Said Mine Might Have Been Broke When I Got It)

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Friday, September 19, 2014

CTEK 93-56-864 MUS 4.3 Black 12V Battery Charger Review

CTEK 93-56-864 MUS 4.3 Black 12V Battery Charger
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $84.99
Sale Price: $66.28
Today's Bonus: 22% Off
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I have an old Schumacher battery maintainer, a Yuasa SmartStart 1.5, a Pulsetech Xtreme, and the CTEK MUS 4.3.

The Schumacher is just a maintainer/charger. It has no desulphate mode, but works well to keep the battery topped up.

The Yuasa does the same thing, but adds a mediocre desulphate mode. In tsting, I showed that it did bring batteries to a higher state of charge then the Schumacher.

The Xtreme Charge is a powerful tool for desulphating batteries, but it does not do as well as the MUS 4.3 at fully charging a good battery.

The MUS 4.3 has a desulphate mode, but I've never seen it enter that mode, even on a badly abused battery.

I'm currently in the process of attempting to restore a 12V 22 Anp-hour 5 year old AGM battery that was deeply discharged, to under 6v. The Schumacher, Yuasa, and Xtreme all refused to even start on this battery. I had given up on it, and was about to order a replacement, when I decided to try out the MUS 4.3.

When I plugged in the MUS 4.3, it attempted to charge the battery, but then found the battery bad after it dropped to under 12v in 3 minutes, after it attempted to charge the battery. I feel that afew attempts to recharge the battery would probably have done the trick, but it was bed-time, so I figured I'd go back to ol-reliable Xtreme Charge.

I then hooked up the Xtreme Charge, and it began to charge the battery. After letting it sit overnight on the battery, the battery was able to hold over 12V. I decided to leave it on the Xtreme charge another 12 hours, and will attempt a recondition with the CTEK.

I will update later on my progress, but my conclusion so far, is that the CTEK offers features the Xtreme Charge does not have, while the Xtreme Charge offers features the CTEK does not have. Both are top of class chargers. I wish I could somehow combine them into one. If the CTEK would always desulphate, like the Xtreme charge does, I'd pick it over the Xtreme. As is, I'd lean more toward the Xtreme. For cases where it does not want to start charging to to low voltage, one can use a $10 trickle charger to bring the battery up over 11 volts. My trickle charger died though, and I have yet to replace it.

Update:

After leaving the battery that the CTEK said was bad, on the XTreme charge for a week, it now is working well. The Xtreme Charge would not charge the battery before I tried the CTEK on it though.

At this point, if I had to have one battery maintainer, I'd stick with an Xtreme Charge and get a $10 trickle charger for truly dead batteries, to get them up to where the Xtreme Charge will charge them.

That said, I'm happy to have the CTEK, in addition to the Xtreme Charge as the different modes the CTEK has can come in handy.

Update 2:

I have a car with a year old battery that stopped accepting a charge. This car sits a lot, but is kept on one of my battery maintainers when it is sitting for long periods.

After several months of driving it every day, it stopped accepting a full charge. It got to the point where I was keeping it on the Xtreme charge at night, but it still would barely start the car at the end of the day. I checked the alternator and it was fine. I was almost ready to buy a new battery when I decided to give the CTEK a try.

I set the CTEK to recondition mode, and it spent several hours charging the battery. The next morning, the engine fired up with gusto. That evening, after sitting at work all day, it fired up with gusto again, and the next morning and evening as well.

The CTEK just paid for itself once more. At this point, I feel like both chargers, the CTEK, and the Xtreme, definitely have there own niches. I am glad I have both.

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Some info you might find helpful when considering this product:

What's in the package:

o The CTEK 56-864 MUS 4.3 Charger with 6' AC & 12V leads permanently attached.

o Clip leads similar to the CTEK 56-384 Comfort Indicator Clamp, but with no indicator. They're 16.75" long and the clips open to a maximum of 1".

o Ring terminal leads similar to the CTEK 56-260 Comfort Connect 1/4" Eyelet , but with a 15A in-line blade fuse. These have M6 / 1/4" rings and are also 16.75" long

o A manual in English, French and Spanish.

o A lightweight fabric bag with a how-to graphic on it.

o Adhesive side labels in French and Spanish for the charger

Shipping: My unit was shipped in a retail display cardboard box. +1 for not so much packaging in cardboard, -1 for potential damage to the unit during shipment through the plastic display window in the box.

Operation:

o Attach to battery, plug in, select mode, wait.

o Unit restarts in same mode as when last plugged in. Startup delay is a couple seconds.

o Unit restarts charge cycle when modes changed or battery is dis-, then reconnected.

Initial reaction: Nice! The unit brought our 6 and 8-year old flooded-cell auto batteries from 12.36V to a full charge of 12.6+V, stepping through the charging stages (@ 14.35V during the absorption stage) to float @ 13.55V. Voltages were measured on the battery terminals with a Fluke 115 DMM.

Things that could be better:

o The indicators are hard to see in sunlight.

o The AC cord is overkill. It's stiff & I found it "wags the dog", shifting the charger around as one plugs it in or moves the cord

o A rubber case or end bumpers would be nice, both protecting the unit and keeping it from slipping around as much during use.

Best Deals for CTEK 93-56-864 MUS 4.3 Black 12V Battery Charger

I have the Multi-US and love it. Purchased this for my father and he said the recondition mode brought back a 6yr old motorcycle battery that would no longer take a charge.

Honest reviews on CTEK 93-56-864 MUS 4.3 Black 12V Battery Charger

I have two CTEK 3300s and love them. A CTEK representative encouraged me to get the 4.3 and I regret my decision. Not only is it at least $25 more than the 3300, the cables are shorter and there is no OFF button. That means 1) it won't work in all my cars because the distance between the positive battery clamp and the chassis ground is too far for the shorter cables and 2) you get that nice SPARK when plugging it in. The 3300 has both a longer cable for the positive/negative clamps and an off button. I personally HATE sparks anytime I'm dealing with a battery. Of note, the 4.3 does have a battery recondition mode which I suppose is nice if you have completely depleted a battery as well as a better indicator of what it is doing. Still, I wish I would have just bought another 3300.

UPDATE 01/04/2013: I still don't like the fact that there is a small spark when you plug this in, HOWEVER. I have now reconditioned two batteries AND the price is similar now to the 3300. So given the choice, I would live with the small spark and shorter cables in order to have the recondition mode. My BMW battery was giving a discharge warning recently (a known issue on new BMWs) and I gave it a recondition over the weekend and have not seen the error since.

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works fantastic, small design is great, multiple charge modesrestore mode works great for neglected batteries and brought my Optima blue top back to perfect condition. better than spending $150 for a new one. now I rotate between 3 batteries monthly to keep them all in 100% charged condition.

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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Cheap Shorai Inc Lithium Batt 27Ah 12V Eq,"L"3 LFX27L3-BS12

Shorai Inc Lithium Batt 27Ah 12V Eq,'L'3 LFX27L3-BS12
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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This battery is lighter, more powerful, and holds a charge longer than lead-acid bayyeries. I highly recommend it for Harley Davidson bikes.

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I purchased the Shorai LFX for a 1990 Honda GB500 since the old water battery had died. The Shorai weighs about two pounds and does not require having to have a battery trickle-charger attached. I use the bike rarely (a fairly rare restored bike). The battery's dimensions were the same as the original battery and it slipped into the battery box with no problems.

Expensive? Yes, but the convenience of having a sealed battery that never needs water, not having to have it attached to a trickle charger, and the knowledge that it will go long periods without charging, plus its light weight and greater cranking power made it worth the extra money.

The Shorai company states that their battery charger is the only one that can be used. Wrong! Battery Tender circuitry is also compatible with the Shorai. But....I bought and installed the battery six months ago, have ridden the bike only a few times during that period and have had no need to keep it on a trickle charger. The bike has started right up with no hesitation.

My conclusion: a great product; I recommend it.

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Would not start bike below 50*. Very slow crank.After battery warmed up,would crank faster but only in short bursts. Went dead real fast.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Discount Powerlet Basic Plug

Powerlet Basic Plug
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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The powerlet plugs, sockets and cables are high quality, durable, serviceable products. A little overpriced, but reliable. This plug is no exception. However I want to call out that this "basic" plug does not have any wire support built in, nor a grommet to secure the cable opening, and therefore the only cable support is the screw terminals themselves. I'm pretty sure a previous basic plug that I purchased a couple of years ago had a small cable clamp inside. If so, this is a change, and a missing necessary feature for most any application.

I happened to have a rubber grommet that was tight on the cable and filled the opening, which should be OK for my purposes.

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Did the job perfectly. I used it to attach a small air compressor for emergency road service (motorcyling). The plug fits the receptacle and is easy to use.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Reviews of BIRUGEAR Mini-USB 2000mah LED Car Vehicle Charger for GPS TomTom

BIRUGEAR Mini-USB 2000mah LED Car Vehicle Charger for GPS TomTom XXL 540, XXL 550, XL 335, XL 350, GO 740 Live, GO 630, XL 340, XL 330 S, XL 325,
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $1.99
Today's Bonus: 90% Off
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This charge works great as a replacement for the one that came with our TomTom. Seems sturdier than the one that came with the GPS.

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Great to keep the tom tom on charge while driving. works great. Flexible cord is great as it allows for less cord hanging around.

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So far it has worked well. Seems to be put together well to last a long time. Would recommend to all needing a charger.

Honest reviews on BIRUGEAR Mini-USB 2000mah LED Car Vehicle Charger for GPS TomTom

i had to buy a new car charger be cause the original one that came with my tom tom broke. this one is works great!

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The charger shines blue when it is plugged in, so you know its working. The cord stretches out to a decent length as well.

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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Reviews of OEM Dual USB Port AC Wall / Car Charger All-in-One Travel Kit

OEM Dual USB Port AC Wall / Car Charger All-in-One Travel Kit for HTC EVO 4G LTE
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $18.13
Sale Price: $12.95
Today's Bonus: 29% Off
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Got the Charger super fast! Started using it as soon as I got it in the mail. Charges two things at once, so it really comes in handy and you take it inside with you when you travel! Great product!

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Nice to have dual ways to charge my electronics. Works as expected and have no issues with charging in car or via wall.

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Got it about two weeks ago, very pleased. Charges fast. Seems durable, one piece car charger and wall charger is nice for using everywhere. HTC EVO

Honest reviews on OEM Dual USB Port AC Wall / Car Charger All-in-One Travel Kit

I bought this to replace one from a different company that went sour on me. It charges my battery really fast and with all the charging options, it is the perfect travel companion.

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Discount Hopkins The Engager 20099 Engager Break Away Systerm W/Battery

Hopkins The Engager 20099 Engager Break Away Systerm W/Battery Meter
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $33.28
Today's Bonus: 17% Off
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I have the version of the product with the breakaway switch, battery meter, and charger. There are a bunch of versions so make sure you get the part number you want. This was easy to install on my trailer, a flatbed with dual axles (note that wiring/electronics is something that I do frequently). The instructions were clear. It replaced an old non-charging type with a failed switch. I like the charge light as it tells me the connection to the truck is there and the test light lets me know the battery has juice. I never knew if the old one was going to work.

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Easy to setup, good instructions. The lights help you see what is going on (battery status, charging...) and diagnosing wiring issues is easy.

The included battery was already charged and the box is easy to mount on the trailer. Overall a great solution, you won't need anything else to setup a breakaway system on your trailer.

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I thought I was a big fan of these, but I am learning that after they have been on the trailer for more than a year or two, they get ruined by what I assume is sun/ultraviolet damage. The plastic film that covers the test button and the indicator-lights cracks and breaks which in turn lets the water into the unit. This has happened on both of my trailers recently, and the damage is identical. This is not caused by abuse because there is no reason to be touching the covering on the indicator lights. This would be a nice product, but it clearly has a relatively short lifespan.

Honest reviews on Hopkins The Engager 20099 Engager Break Away Systerm W/Battery

Within a week the box was cracked, now the solder points have come apart. I am NOT a fan. If I had to guess without looking its MADE IN CHINA!

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Hole for hole, wire for wire, it was an exact match for the previous box and performs well. Battery has held up well even with repeated testing required in a complete rewire.

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