Discount Schumacher SEM-1562A 1.5 Amp Speed Charge Maintainer

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.80
Sale Price: $17.00
Today's Bonus: 72% Off

After having the battery on my "summer only" convertible go

flat last winter I decided to invest in a battery maintainer.

The Schumacher SEM-1652A was the best compromise of price (around

$40 with shipping), features (a normal charging rate, and a

lower maintaining rate, with overcharge protection and indicator

lights), and small size (fits easily under the hood by the

master cylinder, battery wiring adaptor with quick connect makes installation and removal a snap.

I'd add a few extra crimp-on terminals of various ring sizes to the kit,

so different power connections with the wiring adaptor could be made

(my car has the battery mounted in the front fender well, I had to get

larger ring terminals to go on the remote jump starting terminals

under the hood.

Update: I bought a wattmeter to measure the power use of a fridge ( seemed to be running more than

normal, we replaced it with an energy star rated model ) so I hooked up the Schumacher maintainer

to the meter to see what it drew when it was trickle charging / maintaining. Charging was .25 amps or about

30 watts per hour, and maintaining was .11 amps or about 13 watts per hour. Pretty low energy use in my book.

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I see a lot of negative reviews for this charger that I think are partially due to Amazon's incorrect description and the fact that most people don't know what size or type of charger they need. (including myself)

I am a practicing Electronic engineer with more than 20yrs experience. I did not know much about battery chargers until recently researching what a good battery charger should do.

1) this charger only delivers a max of 1.5A. This means if you try to charge a discharged auto battery (48AH) it will take a long long time. This charger does work great for topping off a car battery at 70% (12.4V).

2) The instructions included clearly state the charger will automatically shut-off after 12 hours of charging. The charger will restart and continue charging if you unplug and then plug the charger in again. Best to get a higher capacity charger.

3) This charger does have a float mode sort of. Actually it shuts off the charging current and monitors battery voltage. When the battery voltage drops low enough the charger cycles on to top it off and then shuts off again.

MY SUMMARY 1st:

I like this charger and think it does a good job for the PRICE. Gold box special was $15.20 + tax. (I would definitely buy it at the regular price for $3$)

It's basically automatic. Don't have to set the voltage and it won't damage anything if you reverse the clips accidently. Compact size and reasonable quality clamps.

This charger does what it is designed for. That is charge small batteries and top off larger automotive batteries. This is an excellent maintenance charger for all batteries to keep them fully charged when not in use. (My opinion)

Personally I would not leave any charger connected to my battery for more than 24 hours. Now I use a cheap mechanical timer that is set to turn on for 1 hour every 24 hours. I would prefer a timer that I can set to turn on twice a week for a few hours.

The charger is small feels solidly built with heavy plastic. It gets very warm after

charging at 1.5A but not warm enough to be concerned. (no cooling fan)

I gave this charger 5 stars because PRICE and performance is very good. Build quality is good as well.

AMAZON DESCRIPTION (Poor): is incorrect in that this charger is not intended to be used to charge a LOW (discharged) car battery. The chart in the DESCRIPTION that shows the charging times is different than the manual.. The included MANUAL has a chart that states this charger should only be used as a "top off" or maintenance charger for auto batteries. In addition the charger in charging mode automatically shuts off after 12 hours of charging. (A good safety feature in my opinion.)

Charging details:

I discharged a car/truck jump start battery pack to 12.45V or approx 75% charge.(Typical full charge is 12.65V to 12.7V. To discharge the battery I used a battery/alternator tester. I have a voltmeter attached to charger and a current meter in series with battery and battery charger negative terminal.

1) At the start of the charge, the charge current was 0.78A and then jumped to 1.52A in a few minutes.

2) After 1 hour the charge current is 1.47A. Charge voltage is 13.0V.

3) After 2 hours the charge current is 1.48A. Charge voltage is 13.25V.

4) After 3 hours the charge current is 1.43A. Charge voltage is 13.46V.

5) After 4 hours the charge current is 1.40A. Charge voltage is 13.82V.

Note: that the charge current is decreasing as the battery is approaching full charge. This design feature will prevent overheating and extend the life of your battery.

6) After 5 hours the charge current is 0.68A. Charge voltage is 14.71V.

7) After 5.5 hours the charge current is 0.35A. Charge voltage is 14.67V.

8) After 6 hours the charge current is 0.29A. Charge voltage is 14.73V.

9) After 6.5 hours the charge current is 0.24A. Charge voltage is 14.72V.

10) After 8.5 hours the charge current is 0.20A. Charge voltage is 14.73V.

11) After 10.5 hours the charge current is 0.15A. Charge voltage is 14.71V.

12) After 11.5 hours the charge is COMPLETE and the charge current has dropped to 0.0A. BATTERY voltage is 13.55V and declining. Charger is in the monitor mode. In monitor mode the charger AC power is 3W measured with a Belkin Watt meter.

Almost 12 hours seems like a long time to charge a battery and this isn't even a full capacity car battery. But, it did a good job of gently charging the battery especially when it was near full charge. The important thing to me is the charging current declined as the battery neared full charge. This prevents overcharging and truly tops off the battery to maximum capacity.

I tested the battery the next day with a battery tester and it passed well within the "good battery" full charge limits. The results were much better than the charger that came with the battery pack where it tested NEAR "weak".

Very happy with the purchase. I would buy this exact model again. Should there be any problem(s) in the future I will update this review.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.

Best Deals for Schumacher SEM-1562A 1.5 Amp Speed Charge Maintainer

This is a great charger but the same company (schumacher's battery maintainer), makes an identical product for sears, branded as diehard.

It costs the same as on amazon but comes with a 3 year warranty, not the standard 1 yr. warranty found here. Plus you don't have to deal with shipping hassles when you can just go to your local sears and pick one up or exchange if you have problems.

Honest reviews on Schumacher SEM-1562A 1.5 Amp Speed Charge Maintainer

Schumacher SEM-1562A 1.5 Amp Speed Charge Maintainer

Well worth the price...does exactly what it is suppose to do.

(Update) After using this charger less than 5 mos. to maintain my R.V., which is seldom driven, I have found that, because of the charger failing to cycle back to the charge mode properly, the battery that it was hooked to was stone dead. Now, I'll do some research to find out the annoying process of returning the charger for warranty.

(Update) I have contacted the manufacturer, Schumacher, concerning the failure of this charger but after 3 weeks, have received no response and it doesn't look like I am going to. So, I guess I'll just take the loss of making a bad choice and trash it. BTW, I am using two Chicago Electric on Board chargers, one on my Jeep and the other on my Mercury Sable. Both are giving very good service and are less expensive than the Schumacher or the Battery Tender.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Schumacher SEM-1562A 1.5 Amp Speed Charge Maintainer

Bought this charger to charge/maintain my deep cycle battery used for emergency power outages. The manual included with this charger even describes it charging deep cycle batteries and gives a charging estimate of ~36hrs. Fine for what I'm looking for. The charger repeatedly aborted the charge on my brand-new battery. Their customer service tech said it wasn't meant to charge deep cycle batteries due to the higher internal resistance. This should have been made more clear in the packaging, labelling and product description. I've lost time and money. Now I have to go buy a 'real' charger...

Update The charger was actually DOA. I returned it and replaced the charger with a new one on an auto-shop recommendation. It is working fine. Schumacher didn't want to own up to a bum charger when I called them earlier.

Power Bright VC300W Voltage Transformer 300 Watt Step Up/Down Reviews

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $24.49
Today's Bonus: 39% Off

I bought this product three times higher power than what I comsume. Open the box, no installation. plug in the power! Work for me. I user that everyday for two weeks. So far so good. Work fine to me.

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I've put about 200 watts of load on this and it runs cool, quiet and works great. Those complaining of overheating, buzzing, and blowing fuses must be overloading it and should have bought a larger model with a higher wattage rating.

It's not ultra well made, but what do you want at this price? I verified it's properly grounded and fused. And it claims to be CE rated (the European rating agency).

It's also worth noting it gives you the ability to fine tune the voltage a bit with the selector on the back (each mode has 2 different voltages--i.e. 220v or 240v). That could be useful if you have unusually high or low line voltage.

One note: It does NOT have a detachable power cord like shown in the picture. It comes with a regular 120 USA AC cord hard wired in for the input power for step up use. And an adapter to plug is supplied to convert that into a euro plug for step down use.

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This converter does the job well. Since it's a single outlet, I chose to attach a multiple-outlet extension cord, to accommodate all of my electrical needs, including a netbook. I didn't have any issues with it blowing fuses. The main reason I bought this was I've lost too many appliances to using just an electrical adapter while traveling overseas and on cruise ships, but when I bought this, I neglected to take into account the weight limits for baggage that is allowed on overseas flights. It added 7 lbs to my luggage and took up too much precious cargo space. I'm now looking for a lighter and leaner one. Anyone interested in buying mine knowing all the limitations?

Honest reviews on Power Bright VC300W Voltage Transformer 300 Watt Step Up/Down

Although it arrived after the date stated, the item itself is great and we have now ordered the 500w version for another product.

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I use this product to step-down 220 VAC to 120 VAC to power a Toshiba 55L417U and a Panasonic DVR. The total load is approximately 200 watts and the VC300W handles it with ease. The transformer runs moderately warm and I now sit it on one of those USB powered laptop cooler thingys. The transformer makes absolutely no vibrational noise at all. The Power Bright company holds an ISO 9001/14001 certification. ISO certifications do not guarantee quality products, only quality processes in the manufacture of a product.

I also use a number of other Power Bright stepdown transformers (110w and 200w) and all are equally well crafted.

Pwr+® Combo Ac Adapter + Car Charger for Garmin GPS Portable Review

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List Price: $39.90
Sale Price: $14.90
Today's Bonus: 63% Off

This GPS is one of the most dependable units I have used. I have compared it to some with brand new units and maps factory fresh in cars and trucks. Save a lot of money and but the Garmin portable with these accessories.

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A little less plastic than the OEM, but the stubby plug is actually better, nothing to hit or snag on. It has a very visible LED light to let you know it's on. Wasn't sure how useful an AC charger would be for a GPS, but if you want to review the route before leaving, it can be handy, especially if your batteries are getting old. Been using it for about 2 weeks and works great. Well worth the price.

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I really don't know if it is this product or my Garmin. All connectors fit and the Garmin shows it is charged. But it it can't find satellites. But the quality appears to be good for the money I would try it and you'll probably be happy.

Buy Sandisk Sansa MP3 E250 E260 E270 E280 Series Bundled Home Travel

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List Price: $29.95
Sale Price: $5.57
Today's Bonus: 81% Off

These chargers work just fine. I have my Sansa e280 with me all the time and leaving it connected to the computer for a couple of hours to charge is inconvenient. Highly recommended.

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Both items work well with the Sansa e280. They charge much much faster than the included USB cable. I am happy with the results and the value. It's too bad Sandisk didn't allow simultaneous listening and charging.

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I was surprised that this product actually works and works great.The home charger allows u to charge and play at the same time, the USB hookup dont. I use my sansa at work and it was a hassle to bring it into the house and charge it almost every night. Now I just leave it hooked up to the car charger and its charging on the way to and from work. I especially luv the home charger, its multi-voltage and will work at my island home in the Philippines. But how can they sell it for under 3 bucks? it cost more to ship it. But I will reccomend this product to my sansa buddies.

Honest reviews on Sandisk Sansa MP3 E250 E260 E270 E280 Series Bundled Home Travel

The review refused to permit no star; otherwise that is what I would have given it. Unfortunately the recharger dock connector cable simply will not plug into my Sandisk e280R. Since no instructions came with the recharger I must assume that either the "R" extension on the e280R makes it incompatible with the recharger or else both of the rechargers are defective. The advertising did not indicate any difference between e280 series and e280R. It would cost more time and effort to return than it would be worth.

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The components of this accessory kit are first rate and only a fraction of the cost of the AC charger alone if it was purchased for an IPOD! So, not only do you get a bargain price for the Sansa E series MP3 player you also get the AC and car charger at a great price.

Buy Coleman Cable 04218 14/3 SJTW Vinyl Outdoor Extension Cord, Red

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Product title days oudoor, but the Technical Details section says indoor use only. Which is it?

Feel free to delete this review when the problem is fixed.

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Had better gauge, at a cheaper price because of it's 3 outlet. Nice and extra long and durable. Had absolutely no problems with it. Great cable brand have bought them before. Mine did not have a safety cover for the middle plug. Which is a little annoying. But I guess if you not using any of them it shouldn't be plugged in lol.

Still great chord, no problems at all, even under very high loads chord did not even get warm.

To person review below this cable can definitely be used outside. Just keep the open area away from water lol.

Best Deals for Coleman Cable 04218 14/3 SJTW Vinyl Outdoor Extension Cord, Red

Heavy duty extension cord with three outlets. Perfect for tent camping; no need for a separate power strip.

I like the bright red color! It's easily seen and distinctive as "mine" in the pile of gear.

Honest reviews on Coleman Cable 04218 14/3 SJTW Vinyl Outdoor Extension Cord, Red

It's not easy to find an extension cord with a good length and with multiple plugs already built in. This fit the bill and works great.

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The wire is really durable, and the cord is absolutely massively long. It's fantastic. The three ports on the end have the grounding port included, so that's a peace of mind.

PowerStation PS1118 Jump Starter Reviews

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List Price: $152.27
Sale Price: $103.32
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

I purchased the PS1100 (no longer made, the PS1118 is similar) a couple years ago and it worked great in all applications until.....I recently tried to use it for starting my 2003 Tundra (V8). I got the loud clicking noise from the solenoid indicating it wasn't getting the needed power to fully engage. Looked up the specs on the truck battery and the PS1100 and found the pS1100 provides "about 400-450 CCA" and the truck battery spec calls for 750 CCA. Bottom line? These portable starters are great unless you have a vehicle that requires higher CCA. If you're not sure, take the time to check what your vehicle requires. If it's over 450 CCA, this unit will probably not start your vehicle, especially if your battery has been severely discharged.

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I use these with a converter to run a light, credit card machine, and cash register at trade shows. It lasted all day without problems.

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Excellent tool to have around the shop to start disabled vehicles. We had one exactly like it for many years. It finally went bad and we couild not find one like it locally. Thanks to you we found one.

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This unit provided the best combinations of features I considered desirable (cold cranking amps) and features I was not interested in (compressor) for the money. An added plus is the ability to recharge directly with just a power cord. Not needing a wall wart is a convenience.

Review of Pwr+ Car Charger for Acer Aspire 1680 3000 3500 3600 3680 3935 4520

Customer Ratings:

I am very happy with my car charger. We recently took a long road trip and I was able to use my laptop while my husband drove. I gave it four stars because the battery pack did get a little hot while I was using my computer. It cooled right down while I was just charging the battery. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to use their laptop on a long road trip.

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BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 Retractable Car Charger Review

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List Price: $12.59
Sale Price: $4.99
Today's Bonus: 60% Off

I looked at many phone chargers and this one is nearly perfect. I have had this charger for over a year and am VERY satisfied. The retractable cord is a MUST for keeping my limited in-car storage space organized and it travels well. I couple it with a universal AC adaptor for auto chargers and I'm ready for travel anywhere. No unmanageable curly cords and wires getting all tangled with everything else and the portability is wonderful. This is the best phone charger for the money that I have found for my BB Storm 2.

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good item, excellent for long car trips, when working or on vacation, when you are using your phone continously, either for making calls or using it as an mp3 player (which tends used up all the phones batteries)and can't plug it into a wall socket.

very compact and easy to store away.

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fits nicely into glove compartment without taking up to much room. easy to retract cord. great little charger!!!

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This car charger is very small and the retractable cord is excellent. The only issue, the unit gets a little warm--great price! and would buy another for the other cars

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i love love love. this product. because its retractable the cord doesnt get aught on other items nor does it tangle. and it makes it easy to charge your phone from different parts of the car because the cord is straight and not coiled.

Review of Optima 8006-006-FFP BlueTop Group 34 Marine Battery

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Below is a copy of the email I got from Optima regarding a battery purchased from Amazon.

So be aware the money you are thinking you are saving maybe costing you big time. You should also know that for marine batteries Otima is strongly reccomending the use of there $200 charger to keep them charged properly.

Hello John,

Amazon.com is not an authorize online OPTIMA retailer, We do not know where they acquire the OPTIMA batteries nor does Amazon.com honor the OPTIMA warranty.

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These are outstanding batteries and well worth the price. Amazon has the best price, only a $5 flat shipping charge and it arrived in 3 days.

Excellent service and my personal experience with these batteries that they outlast anything on the market. Esp. helpful in Phoenix's hot weather.

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This is absolutely the best battery available. They don't leak. They are virtually corrosion free. Keep them properly charged and they are maintenance and trouble free. I have found they are very resistant to vibration and if properly mounted will out last any other battery in rough service such as boat racing and 4 wheeling.

Honest reviews on Optima 8006-006-FFP BlueTop Group 34 Marine Battery

This item arrived damaged due to faulty packing job. I called Amazon and they promptly replaced the unit with no delays. Great customer service if you ask me.

This is my 3rd Optima battery and I use it in my bass boat. It is very reliable and lasts a long time.

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Optima makes one of the best batteries on the market. And apparently the most durable too. Our battery was shipped in a cardboard box with a few 'air pillows' that deflated the first time the box was handled... the Optima Battery is heavy, but arrived apparently unscathed evey though it flopped around in transit for untold miles. If you want a maintenance free, long enduring battery that will survive the worst shipping conditions, this battery is for you.

Discount Naztech 3 in 1 Charging System Car, House, USB Charger for HTC Evo

Customer Ratings:

This charger is very well built, and great if you travel and need to reduce the overall charging units you carry. Everything fits into a nice neat module and comes with a pouch to store. The USB cable that comes with it is a bit bulky, I took it and use it on my office desk to charge my phone, and replaced it with a slim retractable cord that fits even better into the pouch. Has a blue light that turns on to tell you its charging. Overall great product, and would recommend it.

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Buy Rocketfish Vehicle Charger for Apple iPad iPhone and iPod

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The iPhone car charger from Rockfish doesn't work, it tried to get the connectors to seat but it didn't work. Although more expensiveI purchased a different type which works.

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I have used this for awhile now and it works great. This has been a life saver a few times since IPhone eats batteries.

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Charger works great but it does not work with my Lifeproof case for my Iphone 4s. Recommended for phones without this type of hard case.

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The first one I ordered had a defect where I had to monuver the phone where it did not move to get it to charge and that was hard to do when your driving. The second one I recieved worked perfectly and I am happy with it. Not to happy with the fact that they would not refund my money specially when the defect happened within a month because the defect happened after their time limit and with electronic things defect at any time.

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I'm comparing this car charger for my iPhone 4 to the Belkin car charger which works extremely well. I bought this on a whim as I needed to charge my iPhone 4 in the car. It charges extremely slow and then roughly 6 months after purchase it heats my iPhone up so hot that the phone stops charging. It just shows the plugged in icon instead of charging icon. I don't have much experience with Rocket Fish accessories but this is by far a failure in my honest opinion.

Discount Husky Liners Custom Fit Second Seat Floor Liner for Select

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List Price: $122.95
Sale Price: $80.95
Today's Bonus: 34% Off

These were for our new(ish) Toyota Venza. Fit and finish of both front and back were exact. These are the best floor liners in the world. 'Nuf said. You can find cheaper liners, but they are not of this quality. Go for these, you will be glad that you did.

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Cheap Uniden BC-95XLT NASCAR Bearcat 200-Channel Portable Scanner

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $119.99
Sale Price: $107.99
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

This is a fine searching/scanning radio (with scanning defined as finding stations within the frequencies that have been stored by the user in banks of 10 with 20 banks available). It is very well made and should last a long time. Many of the numerous keys perform two functions, one as labeled and a second one using the FN key when pressed first. It is a fairly heavy hand-held unit with back-lighting supplied automatically only when needed or separately when desired by the user. This unit the new bc95xlt (or the newer designation bc95xltb) is an update of the earlier Uniden model that had railroad band searching (by individual channels) for example directly within the six pre-programmed service search bands, but now to do railroad listening you can simply specify one of the 10 unspecified frequency search bands instead. Other reviewers have found this change to be totally adequate even if you are a railroad enthusiast just like I am.

I am also into aircraft band listening and this is still designated within the 6 pre-programmed service band search sequence. Also, the weather bands which don't search automatically (since there are only 7 USA channels) are extremely clear with no static at all. I am extremely pleased with this unit and I am very glad that I was able to get it at this very low price (compared to the bc72xlt which is still just like the old version of the bc95xlt as can readily be confirmed on Uniden's own website).

The unit also has a nice built-in speaker that is surprisingly adequate for everyday listening, but also comes with a mini-plug jack for a monaural earphone (but not supplied surprisingly!). It also has a separate BNC antenna jack (and it does come with the antenna!) as well as analog controls for both squelch and separately for the speaker volume. The LCD display is very nice and easy to read and indicates a multitude of the numerous possible options such as: 1) Low battery indicator (for either regular Alkaline AA cells or Ni-Metal hydride rechargeable batteries with a switch internal to the battery compartment for setting which type is being used), 2) Searching the specific service band search typesWeather (WX), Police (POL), Fire, Aircraft (AIR), Marine (MRN by channel), HAM, etc., 3) Bank Scanning (for user or computer-stored frequencies), 4) Close Call-Capture listening for very nearby sources of unknown origin, 5) DELAY allowances for time departures between outgoing and incoming radio signals, etc.

CON: The unit's belt clip can only be removed by unscrewing the two screws directly from the back of the unit, but on the plus side, it will certainly stay on very snugly and securely when it is needed. Also the serial or USB cable as well as the software needed for using a PC to store frequencies automatically must be purchased separately directly from Uniden.

The unit also comes with an AC adaptor which is probably because the batteries don't last a super long time. Another reviewer estimated a battery lifetime of 5 days for heavy usage.

This is also not the unit to buy if you live in a BIG city where far more expensive trunk-tracking technology is needed to adequately track Police conversations on multiple frequencies for example.

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I was scared to buy this item after reading how hard it was to program it from the reviews. It could not be easier! I read the directions through twice which is important and had 5 banks loaded up with all the local agencies in less than an hour. It's a fun toy. I purchased it for emegencies since we live near a oil coker plant. Twice it lit up the sky when they had to release gases. It looked like a bomb had been dropped. When this kind of thing happens all phone lines are busy. No reaching police or fire. Nice to have a scanner!!!!

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BEST FEATURES? That it gets the 800 frequencies and its compact size.

WORST FEATURES? Too many steps to do stuff, too few buttons (replaced with "Function" button), on/off switch is NOT in the volume control as other scanners usally are.

RECOMMEND TO FIRST-TIME SCANNER BUYER? Most definately!

RECOMMEND TO PREVIOUS SCANNER OWNERS? No way! (You'll understand if you buy one.)

I've owned tons of hand-held scanners since the 60's, and this one has to be the most complicated one I've had when it comes to a few simple features. Searching can be a nightmare to get started. Most scanners only take the simple push of one button to instantly lock out a channel. Not this one: you have to first push the Function button, then Lockout. Anytime you have to push TWO buttons to operate a feature only makes it more complicated to use, especially in the dark. Even with a few other functions there are far too many buttons to press and steps to take. I think Uniden should have just put more buttons on it rather than make a "function" button. Heck, 1 more row of 4 buttons would have solve so many issues! The USB plug is a cool feature if I buy the program, but it seems like adding more complications to an already complicated item. I don't like having an On/Off button in front. I'm used to every scanner I've ever owned only taking a simple turn of the volume knob to turn on or off and this one is far from this easy. It does what it was designed to do: it scans. Not the finest sound quality I've heard. I think the best feature is the compact size. I ride a motorcycle and love having a scanner stuffed into my inside pocket with an earplug in my ear, and this one is perfect for this! I've always dreamed of the day when Uniden or Radio Shack would invent stubby antennaes for scanners (like 3-4 inches would be ideal). Don't get me wrong, I like this scanner and it was an excellent price for a scanner with so many channels. I would possibly recommend this scanner to a friend, but would certainly not buy another one in the future. I'll stick with my old Bearcat 100-channel or my Radio Shack 200-channel, both hand-helds. I only bought this one because of its compact size, which is about the only thing about it that I like so far. As for the reason it eats batteries so fast is because there is only 2. Every scanner I've owned that used only 2 batteries went through them fast! I usually try to find one that uses 4, then pack extra batteries along with me in my car or storage bag.

Many of you will no doubt disagree with my review. That's to be expected. But as I said, I've owned almost every brand of hand-held scanner ever made in the last 40+ years and THIS one has to be the most complicated to operate. Too many buttons to press/steps to take just to do 1 thing.

BUT: I will no doubt purchase Uniden again in the future because, in my opinion, they DO make the BEST scanners out there! Of the probably 15-20 Uniden scanners I've owned, mostly hand-held, THIS ONE is the most complicated to use and has the worst features and power button.

GREAT SCANNER for the first-time scanner buyer! Yes, it scans and searches. Yes, it's compact in size. But for us old scanner enthusiasts from back over the years I believe it's one to avoid.

Honest reviews on Uniden BC-95XLT NASCAR Bearcat 200-Channel Portable Scanner

We bought this scanner after much research so we could stay in touch with what's goin' on out there. We live in a rural area so I didn't know what to expect for reception, but we were surprised at the distances for some of the conversations. Fortunately the area we wanted to cover uses only conventional frequencies ( no trunking) so this radio works fine.

After reading many reviews and the owner's manual, it really wasn't hard to program. A couple of hints: in the manual you will find some recomended web sites all of which are very good. I don't think I can use site names here, but go to the one with "Reference" in the name and you will find every frequency you could want all cross referenced and searchable. I found the easiest was to bring up the state I was interested in and go from there.

Also, after you find the frequencies you want, organize them on paper however you want, number them 1 to 200 and you are ready. Don't be put off by banks,etc. As you are numbering them, every twenty (#1,21,41,61,etc) starts a new bank. So if there are some you won't use all the time, put them in a separate bank so you can turn them off when you don't need them.

Anyway, the scanner works great, easy to use, sound is fine for a small portable. I'd kinda like to see them come out with a similar unit that could hold 300-500 frequencies, but we are very happy with this one!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Uniden BC-95XLT NASCAR Bearcat 200-Channel Portable Scanner

I received this for christmas, and I really like it a lot, yeah programming is a little hard, but not impossible, there is a lot of frequencies listed on the internet for free, it just takes a little searching and then you can enter known frequencies into it, the user manual sort of stinks, nothing seems too be in generic terms for novices like myself, so there is a learning curve on instructions, so here's a little free help, when your searching for content in your local area like police frequencies, turn on the unit, Press function and 3/Svc button, Police will appear on the display, by pressing it again FIRE and other services will appear, so scan POLICE first, when you hear activity on the radio, Push HOLD button, and FUNC and then E/Pgm button twice. it should enter that frequency into an available bank, and follow same procedures everytime, please read instructions anyways, because it will educate you, and you will find where they forgot to mention something important, outside of that, I like this scanner, for the price, you can't beat it, its better than my base unit, I would recommend this radio for emergencies around the home.

Uniden GMR2238-3CK 22-Mile GMRS Radios & Charging Cradles, 3-Pack Reviews

Customer Ratings:

These radios seem to work really well for us but the cradle charger is a total joke. The radios barely seat properly and have to be fiddled with to get the charge light to come on. Also, this doesn't come with "cradle chargers", but rather a two slot cradle and one car charger. The car charger plugs in to a DC jack on the radio and works better than the cradle.

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Charging station is a challenge and the batteries on 2 units are bad after 2 weeks and less than 4 hours of use. Not much help from uniden, send the unit back

My email to uniden:

Summary of Question : Charging station does not seat radios

Question :

Base station does not let the radios charge. Bad fit and a pain. 1 Battery does not hold a charge. I request 2 charging adapters to eliminate the charger base and 1 new battery. I have now been on hold for 38 minutes. Please fulfill my request or our company may go with a different supplier for ALL our communication equipment. No Joke and will leave reflected feedback on my reviews.

Thank you,

Joseph Dillon Tech guy

DillonMotorSports

JUST TO UPDATE AFTER 3 MONTH'S THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING BUT I STILL HAVE BATTERY ISSUES. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A UNIDEN PRODUCT

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My daughter asked for walkie talkies for Christmas, and she wanted a pack of three. Even though they were a bit expensive, they are worth every penny. She is having the time of her life with them as well as her friends.