Discount Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player

Customer Ratings:

I've been an XM subscriber since my first SkyFi when Opie and Anthony started in October 2004. I added a MyFi when those launched and appreciated its features (ability to store songs, built-in FM modulator, auto on/off in the car, more presets for all the great music channels), but found its on-the-hip portability sketchy.

I purchased an Inno a few weeks ago and am blown away by the improved portability over my MyFi.

1. The reception is better--I can even get a signal in the gym (lots of windows, granted, but the old MyFi reception broke up too much for usefulness indoors).

2.The styling is sleeker. This thing is less than half the size of the old MyFi--about the size of my cellphone.

3. The store-on-the-go/auto-recording features are great. I've been recording Bob Dylan's theme time radio hour when they air it during the night so I've got it the next AM. Only fluke is that recording labels are not always EXACTLY the start and finish of each song. Sometimes you get a second or two of the song before/after.

The negatives that keep it from getting 4 stars--I miss the preset buttons from the MyFi. I had 30 presets, so could always find the right music/comedy/news/etc. for the moment. The Inno doesn't have any presets (unless I've missed something). The XM/Napster software doesn't work on the Mac, which is frustrating. Also, I'd ordered a car kit and still haven't received it.

In the end, though, this little radio is a HUGE step forward.

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I've been an XM subscriber since just about the beginning. I've also had a number of different units, including the XM2go MyFi. I got sucked in by the hype, and bought one of these new Pioneer Inno units expecting the portability feature to be much improved over the XM2go MyFi. It wasn't! Reception is very erratic--you turn one way and lose the signal--turn another way and it starts receiving again--just like the XM2go MyFi. I suspect those reporting good reception are better served by terrestrial repeaters than I am.

What does improve reception considerably is the headphone/antenna accessory. So, plan to spend the extra $40 or $50 bucks if you want to listen while taking a walk. At one time I think this same (or a similar) accessory was available for the XM2go MyFi, but it sold out quickly and never seemed to reappear. Anyway, without it, the Inno is a very frustrating unit.

The Inno is much smaller than the XM2go MyFi, and I like that a lot. The screen is much more readable, even in sunlight, so that's a plus too. I don't know yet what the battery life will turn out to be, but so far it seems to be reasonable. The menu process for selecting different options isn't all that intuitive, so you will probably fumble around a good bit getting to the menu item you want.

All in all, I would strongly recommend that you "test drive" one of these gizmos before buying, if at all possible. They aren't cheap, and you may not feel you are getting your money's worth. The headset/antenna accessory is a "must".

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I wish to address the reception issues with this radio.

I just don't understand some of these negative reviews. A portable satellite radio is just that: a satellite radio that's portable. Satellite means it must have an open, unobtructed access to the southwestern sky. Try blocking a Direct TV dish and see what you get on TV.

That said, I live out in the country. If you place the Inno out in the open on a table (Therefore it is portable), it has excellent reception, just like a dish. However, if you put it on your side and you turn so that your body is blocking the southwestern sky, you will lose your signal (This may be different in a city with satellite repeaters). That's why they make a headset that has a built-in antenna (it's always exposed). Unless you are by a very large structure that obliterates the signal, it works great. Why, it's not included, must be due to price point. I would have included it rather than risk disillusioning some people with an otherwise great product.

I have a built-in XM radio in my truck. I bought the car kit for my inno and placed it in my mini-van. The reception is every bit as good as the one GM factory installed.

The home kit also works flawlessly. It's hooked into my surround sound and the reception and quality of sound is exceptional. Again, the antenna must have an open view to the southwestern sky.

If you want to use the Inno for jogging or walking, you must buy the optional headset -at least, it's a necessity out in the country.

If you really want to be happy with the Inno, you are going to have to purchase your satisfaction up front -that means buy now the accessories that will allow it to perform like you want.

If you do, I'm sure you will agree -the Pioneer Inno is a great satellite radio.

Honest reviews on Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player

I've used my Inno for a whole 48 hours, and can confidently say that THIS is THE revolution in personal music that I've been waiting for. The variety and quality of XM channels has matured, and the sheer breadth of choices is intoxicating. This unit makes a great way to listen at home, work, outside, and discover new music you haven't heard yet/before. If you want to hear more from the artist, or hear the song from the beginning, you can bookmark the artist or the song, and the player will alert you if they appear again, on ANY XM channel, while you're listening. So you can discover, replay, and enjoy new talent about as easy as microwaving a bag of popcorn.

This player (and the Samsung Helix, essentially the same player in a different casing) allow you to record songs or whole channels while listening -EVEN IF YOU'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE SONG. Yes, if you're at the end of a song and think, "I want to listen to that again later" (or "I want to play that for my girlfriend"), hit the record feature. With most of the 1 GB memory available for a half and half split of your own MP3s/WMAs, and saved XM content, you can also configure the unit to use all the storage for XM content -allegedly up to roughly 50 hours of material. This is handy if you schedule it to record a favorite program (like, say, Sound Opinions, The Story, or This American Life on the XM Public Radio channel).

Though you might prefer having a dedicated antenna for one's home hi-fi (thereby utilizing the receiver's integrated display and preset functions), this will integrate fine with one of these or these (the supplied cable is laughably cheap). Be warned that the crisp, bright display is rather small to see and use across a living room. See my pros and cons below, and by all means read the caveats and visit if you're unfamiliar with their terms and offerings.

PROS

-Exposure to so much music an all-you-can-eat buffet of artists and songs

-Ability to keep a song you like (hit record at any time in the song, the whole song is recorded to My Music)

-Ability to watch for an artist (or a song) that you like, on ANY channel (TuneSelect)

-Ability to schedule recordings

-Favorites and channel browse mode display channel ID, Artist, or Song, so you can see what's playing on any channel right now

-After loading personal music from PC, Inno scans and indexes all music, .M3U play lists, and even examines meta-data within MP3s and WMAs

-"Antenna aiming" feature allows positioning of home antenna as well as radio on-the-go

-Bright, clear display

-Display backlight stays on when docked, even if set to extinguish (adjustable timeout) when operating on battery

-Spiffy, gun metal metallized casing

-Despite what docs say, the USB connection works with Linux (tested with RHEL5)

-Very easy to build playlists; you can browse/find music based on Artist, Genre, Channel (XM), Title

CONS

-Tricky interface takes practice to learn the shortcuts (favs vs. category browse vs. all)

-Headphone port is recessed, slightly curved, so some plugs (e.g. Bose Triport) can slip out resulting in impeded audio; examining the supplied ear buds shows that the port needs a very narrow shoulder on the headphone plugs

-Supplied ear buds are barely adequate.

-Interference during walking, or holding

-Discreet beep from unit on TuneSelect match can't be heard with headphones on, or from across the room.

-Scheduled recording can't be set for recurring schedule (e.g. Sunday 4 AM)

-Belt case isn't too great; might have to use this or look for iPod or cell phone cases that you like better (similar size)

-Mini-to-RCA home hi-fi cable is so cheap as to be disposable (get a better, longer Monster, AR or Belkin cable)

-No Bluetooth HDA profile capability (would almost elminate the complaint about the headphone port)

-No travel charger sold separately, so you have to disconnect from the dock to take with you (not easy if you've integrated the dock with your home hi-fi) ... or buy an additional home dock kit :(

CAVEATS

-$14.95 activation fee per radio, but $9.95 if done online

-Subscription to XM service required.

-Interference experienced during recording is incorporated in the saved version

-If you change channels, recording a song you just landed on mid-tune only records from that point on (you have to be on the channel at the beginning of the song for it all to cache)

-Some rebates available in 2007, but stipulate "participating retailers," which may or may not include your reseller

-Home dock antenna needs to be positioned carefully for adequate reception

_______________

2009 UPDATE:

I've now used this for years, installed Delphi XM Signal Repeater with an extra antenna in my house, and have happily enjoyed XM in the living room, bedroom, and study (additional home docks and adapters were needed). Arguing with XM sales representatives to get a "secret" $77/year prepaid subscription rate robbed me 30 mins or more of my time each year, but then didn't have to worry about changes in their price structure. (Earlier this year they ceased the free online streaming service, making it a "value add" service for an additional monthly fee.)

After the Sirius merger, some of my favorite channels were removed in favor of Sirius content. This year I'm discontinuing my XM membership, and I and several colleagues have discovered their secret to customer retention: they won't let you cancel. In 3 separate cases, they have continued to "transfer" the customer to "the department that handles cancellation" and left the customer on hold for as long as 26 minutes. Yes, 26 MINUTES ON HOLD WAITING FOR A REP. When, in my case, a third rep stated, "I have to transfer you to that department," I told the rep that the call was being recorded, and three separate reps had heard me request my subscription to expire -refusal to comply would entitle me legally to receive the service for free. Within 30 seconds, the same rep accomplished the cancellation.

Another friend found a shorter route to terminating service -simply tell the first rep that you've sold your radio and wish to let your subscription expire normally. They can't argue with that.

_______________

2010 UPDATE:

A very strong caveat about this device only became clear after I'd let my XM-Sirius subscription expire over the holiday season. I kept using the INNO as a 512MB podcast carrier for my commute to work. Only one problem...! After you haven't had a subscription for the radio, it starts complaining on power-on that it has to be tuned "to live XM for 10 minutes to confirm valid subscription." That hasn't kept me from listening to MP3 podcasts that I sync to the unit with Media Monkey 3.5. But in the last week, the INNO now refuses to return to the last playlist or song being listened to, but asserts "Scanning files..." then plays the first track it finds. This is really conspicuous annoy-ware meant to cripple the INNO's functionality for an owner who isn't currently subscribed to XM. Naturally, this device is meant primarily to be used as an XM radio, but the degradation of usability when your account expires is uncalled for.

I WON'T be buying a newer version of this device.

Disclosure: my radio is on firmware version 2.11.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Pioneer Inno Portable XM2go Radio with MP3 Player

I have to say, I LOVE my Inno! It's like an iPod, except it's got an infinite amount of music in it. Not all of it will be available in its hard drive because it's only 1 G big (or about 50 hours of saved music), but it's certainly available to me when I listen to any of the 170+ channels that are available through XM while I'm on the go. When I think about it that way, then that 1 G hard drive isn't so puny anymore, considering what I actually get when I have live satellite radio streaming into my player. It's actually BETTER than an iPod because I can get live satellite radio content on the go, then record on the fly when I hear something I like. I can make and edit my own playlists on the fly, too. Can't do that with an iPod (or other iPod-like devices for XM or Sirius that are available now). And then there are the advantages to having satellite radio in general. With XM, I get superior sound quality, compared to AM/FM stations--the music I listen to sounds as good as the AAC's/mp4's I have on my iPod. Four of the 170+ channels get commercials, but the rest don't--so if you really can't stand listening to commercials, then you've got plenty of alternative channels to listen to instead. XM's playlists also tend to be very deep. With XM's Broadway channel, especially, I've noticed that--they don't just play the most famous songs from the shows that are most famous on Broadway right now. They play such a wide variety of material, so I'm never disappointed when I tune into that channel. I'll always find something new. And that goes for the other channels that I love listening to on XM, too--the pop/hits channels, the "decades" channels for the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's, and the jazz channels. It's a real treat, turning on my Inno every day. It's like an adventure--either I find new things to listen to, or I end up hearing great songs that haven't played on the regular radio in years and years, if ever. It's really great. :D

I have a few suggestions, though:

1) If you have any friends or family who have an Inno already, see if you can use it yourself and see how well it works for you, particularly in terms of getting a reliable signal. Or go to an actual brick-and-mortar store and try the Inno out first, even if you intend to buy it from Amazon. XM's been pretty good at ensuring that people get a good, reliable signal anywhere in the country, but it sure doesn't hurt to make sure that you'll get a good signal on your own, anyway. You don't want to pony up $200+ for a great device that turns out to be very useless because you can't get a signal, then go through the hassle of sending it back.

2) You'll also want to buy a pair of antenna headphones from Belkin that are made for the Inno. If you look for accessories for the Inno here at Amazon, you should be able to find them. The packaging says that they're for outdoor use, but they're good for indoor use, too. These headphones are about $40 but can be cheaper if you look around first. They might be a bit uncomfortable at first--they do hurt the ears just a little--but after about a week or so of using them, they should become more comfortable.

3) Finally, as soon as you get your Inno and you're done admiring your Inno's full-color screen, you're going to want to set your backlight so it turns off in 15 seconds and the Inno itself sleeps after 15 minutes of inactivity. If you don't do that, your Inno's going to be running out of energy pretty quickly.

Enjoy your Inno! :)

Buy Power Bright VC3000W Voltage Transformer 3000 Watt Step Up/Down

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $110.05
Today's Bonus: 21% Off

This thing is great. The price on many transformers should leave many wondering if they shouldn't just buy all new appliances-seeing as electric water kettles hog up 1500 watts. Microwaves-1000 watts. An XBOX 360-400 watts. Coffee grinders and refrigerators-300 watts. Flat LCD TVs-200 watts. The price of this transformer removes all those questions. It's the most powerful one I could find and only $115. This qualified for FREE SHIPPING on Amazon, which saved ME $27, but my other friends were quoted as high as $80 other places to ship similar transformers. You can't afford not to get this.

Where I am, there are at least 3 different power standards (US, UK, and the rest of Europe), but I have only US appliances. Everywhere is charging like $150 for a 1000 watt transformer, or $200 for 2000 watt. The place we moved into has only generator-powered British standard, and it trips very easily. I plugged this transformer in just fine when many of my suite mates were having problems with theirs tripping the power. This one did not trip.

There is also no noise. My roommate got a free military transformer though some connections, who knows how old it is? We put it in the corner under thick blankets and it still makes a loud buzzing. With this one, you only hear it for 1 second when you first turn it on, and it is completely silent even under full load. Disclaimer: DO NOT pack insulation or anything like blankets around any transformersJust erring on side of fire and electrical safety. Honestly, this thing is not producing any amount of heat that I can tell.

It has a power selector on the back to switch input from 110V, 200V, 220V, and 240V. Comes with 3 fuses, one in the unit and 2 replacements. Has 2 outputs-one US and one universal.

It has a heavy duty US-style power plug with a ground/earth pin, and comes with a solid-feeling Europe-style plug adapter with grounding/earthing side-leads, but I am using it plugged into a British style "surge protecting" plug adapter with grounding/earthing. I hear transformers aren't meant to be used with surge protectionwhether it's plugging into or being plugged into I don't know. If you need a transformer you need to research this.

This was definitely a lucky first-find and after seeing all the hassles my peers have had with their converters, I'm already thinking of getting another. If they found a good one, they had to pay way more than $115, and many paid more for boxes that shorted after a week. What is it then? Just a heavy door stop.

Also, don't try to replace the fuse with the unit plugged into an active outlet, even if the switch on the unit is OFF. I haven't blown any yet, but I just wanted to check. Anyway, don't ask-let's just say I'm bleedin' out the ears and I may potentially be cured of my crippling depression. Fine, yeah I shocked myself. It didn't feel great. So what? Big whoop. Wanna fight about it?

UPDATE!!-- Since writing this I left my camp and sold this converter. I came back and bought another one. The new one I received produced a noticeable smell from manufacturing but NOT the smell of frying/shorting/stressed electrical equipment I'm somewhat familiar with (unrelated). It slowly went away and was completely unnoticeable after about 2 or 3 weeks. The smell was like heated crayons or something-probably from the enamel finish on the box. I have been using this converter to push mostly a VERY hungry hot water kettle. It was also very expensive and the kettle is still going strong. I also use a big burr-mill style coffee grinder that uses much more power than the spinning blade type. I also keep a very large air purifier running at various speeds all the time. The converter handles all 3 very demanding appliances brilliantly.

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We use this to run a treadmill we bought in Europe. With other transformers of comparible size, we found our circuit breaker would shut down when we energized the transformer. But this one has no such issue. There seems to be no impact at all on our electrical system when we energize this. And the treadmill works great.

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Have been using this over in the UK now for 6 months with my gaming system, monitor, phones, routers and 2 seperate 5.1 surround sound speaker systems plugged in. Never had a fuse blow out, no flickers in power. Perfect to date!

Honest reviews on Power Bright VC3000W Voltage Transformer 3000 Watt Step Up/Down

Works great... make sure you buy a transformer with plenty of spare wattage which the VC3000watt has

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Power Bright VC3000W Voltage Transformer 3000 Watt Step Up/Down

Bought this machine from Amazon and it worked 3 times and then died. Used a powerful blender, Vita Mix, and was excited that it made perfect smoothies, however; very short lived! After making 3 smoothies in 3 days, the machine just died on me. Checked the fuse and it's alright but changed it anyway just to make sure. Still not working! Very frustrated. Tried a 200w transformer and thank God, the Vita Mix is sluggishly whirring but this tells me that my blender works and not the 3000w transformer. Googled PowerBright and their website is down. Where do you contact the manufacturer for a replacement. It's driving me bananas! Problem is it was bought 3 months from US and we are now in the Middle East.... and this thing is very heavy for shipping. Is it worth is to spend more to ship it that what the product is worth.

Buy GTMax Retractable Rapid Car Charger with IC Chip for Verizon LG

Customer Ratings:

I got these a few days ago, and my main complaint is that the cord is extremely thin. I've used them a couple of times, and in the short term, they are ok. However, I'm worried about the long term issues that the thinness will have on the connection between the USB part of the tip and the cable. Only time will tell.

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It is a DC charger. It charges my phone. It is inexpensive. What more could you ask for? It shipped quickly. It retracts nicely. This is what you want. I bought 7 of them for all my cars and boats. They all work perfectly. I have only had them for a month, so I can not speak for the longevity of this product. I can't think of anything negative to say about this.

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While this charger fits your phone properly, it does not fit the car charger port properly. It appears to be too small for the socket and therefore does not stay engaged. After second, the charger pops our of the socket and no longer charges the phone.

Honest reviews on GTMax Retractable Rapid Car Charger with IC Chip for Verizon LG

This car charger is very poor quality. After waiting what seemed forever for it to arrive, I was very disappointed. It feels like cheap brittle plastic and, it turns out, it IS cheap brittle plastic. After using it about 5 or 6 times in the mont I've had it the casing on the mini-usb plug broke making the unit unusable.

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Space saving, and nice for whenever you leave the house, then find out you have only 1 bar left on the indicator. Handy to have...I get a charge out of it. :)

Discount Prime Products 18-3035 7/8" Thumb Operated Cam Lock

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These are the thumb operated locks, not keyed locks! The picture is not correct. The good news is that I need a couple of thumb operated locks anyways so I am not completely out of my purchase. Please update the picture to what really is sent.

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BaoFeng UV-5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-Way Radio Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $49.00
Today's Bonus: 51% Off

I am a licensed ham radio operator, and one that is always looking for an inexpensive way to enjoy my hobby. One day a ham friend of mine told me about these Baofeng hand held transceiver (H/T) radios and said they were selling for under $50. Knowing what advances have been made in the technology of software-defined radios, I knew something like this was an intriguing possibility.

My friend let me borrow one of his Baofeng UV-5R radios for a couple of weeks. I was really impressed with what this radio can do. For its price, it is one of the best deals ever in the history of ham radio!

I chose to buy a slightly updated version of this radio, the UV-5RA, which is also apparently known as the UV-5R+. Cosmetically, the UV-5RA has a much more solid case, with some interesting trim features. The display has slightly different, generally warmer colors than the UV-5R. In all other respects, the radios are pretty much the same.

To me, the most important thing about any kind of radio transceiver is RF performance, both transmit and receive. Although I haven't done any measurements, the radios RF performance is satisfactory for general purpose use. The front end of the radio is understandably not as good as the 'name brand' radios costing five times as much, but it definitely holds its own with them. Receive sensitivity is as good as typical name-brand radios. Off-channel rejection is not quite as good. But for general use with repeaters, the tone squelch feature makes up for this. One 'feature' you may or may not like is the display lights up every time the radio unsquelches, even if it is still tone squelched. I haven't played with the squelch settings that much to see if this can be improved. The display light can be disabled if desired. There is plenty of receive audio, something often lacking in inexpensive radios.

I haven't transmitted too much with this radio, as I live in an area that is very hard to 'get out of' even with higher power. But the radio works fine for the repeaters I can hit. One criticism this radio has received is poor audio quality on transmit. I have not experienced this problem. (Having a rich, heavy 'radio' voice probably helps in this regard.)

One rather quirky feature of this radio is that the antenna connection is an SMA male. Although SMA adapters are not hard to find, this is (in my experience) opposite of all other radios on the market that use an SMA antenna connection. This will also limit the possible choices for an aftermarket antenna, something many hams add to their H/T radios.

This radio has all the basic features that most hams need. It can do all the common analog and digital tone squelch functions on transmit and receive. It can monitor two channels at once, on any combination of VHF and UHF. The display can show either the frequency or a name for a channel. And the radio can apparently hold over 100 channels of memory, although I have only loaded about 25 memories. For manual tuning, the frequency can be entered directly at the keyboard, although all other parameters (offset, tone squelch, etc.) have to be manually entered in a menu system. There are some scanning features, etc. in the radio, but these are not nearly as extensive as on the more expensive radios. For me, this is not a problem, as I rarely use these kinds of features to begin with.

The major criticism these radios have received is that are hard to program. They really aren't all that hard to program, although there are a lot of steps to go through for each channel. But because most hams do not frequently reprogram their radios, this should not be a big deal. The programming cable and software are highly recommended, and make it easy to 'clone' these radios. (If you are like me, you will want more than one of these radios, anyway!) On the other hand, because these radios are so programmable, handling things like odd repeater splits, etc. is very easy. The radio does not know the 'band plan', so you will need to know the expected split on a repeater system while programming.

These radios are also part 90 certified, so they can be used on commercial and public service frequencies. Although I have not tried to do this yet, I am occasionally in situations where having a part 90 radio that can transmit (and is easily reprogrammed without software) comes in handy. These radios can also do the new narrowband FM modulation that is now required on many commercial/public service radio systems in the US.

Battery performance is simply amazing. This is certainly one of the most surprising features. I can listen for days on a single charge, even with some occasional transmission. The battery pack is removable and swappable, so it is easy to carry a spare, if you transmit a lot. DC adaptors are available for situations where you may wish to power the radio from a power supply or car power.

There are a couple of very nice extra features, that make this a hard-to-not-like radio. One is a built-in FM receiver. Besides being able to use the UV-5R/RA as a 'transistor radio', the ability to listen to FM broadcast is useful during emergency communications. The other handy feature is a built-in high brightness LED that is intended to be used as a flashlight. Although not focused, this light is very useful and easy to use.

The bottom line? If you are a very active ham who uses their H/T a lot, needs extensive scanning features, or needs state-of-the-art RF front end performance, then one of the name brand units will probably be a better choice. But if you are less active, or want backup radio(s), or something just to monitor a local repeater, these little radios can't be beat. I have two already, and will likely buy a couple more!

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Review of the Baofeng UV-5R Plus (2013 edition)

I purchased this radio sold by Sain Store, serviced by Amazon in October 2013 with Prime free shipping. The radio arrived 3 days later, however the unit shipped was the European Version with the incorrect power supply and lacking the FCC type label. I contacted Sain Store and was issued an RMA and shipping address and they replaced the radio with a US version with the proper labeling and power supply.

The Radios I received both had firmware version 281. Some units are also being shipped with version 291. Users should make note of which firmware they receive because the software version you use to program the radio is dependent on the firmware you receive. There does not seem to be any user functional differences between 281 and 291.

Impressions of the UV-5R Plus. This radio is nicely small yet not to small to operate. Like many of its Chinese contemporaries, it can be a bit quirky to program via the keypad but easy to do so with the software. Understand that easy keyboard programability is not nominally supposed to be a Part 90 compliant radio. Even so you can program frequencies, splits, Tones and DPL from the keyboard with some patience, but not channel names.

Pro's of the UV-5R Plus:

Extremely Affordable, including accessories like spare batteries.

Uses standard accessories including programming cable, mics, and antennas (with other Chinese radios such as Wouxon).

Radio has voice assist operation of many functions.

LED light is very handy.

Three color LCD backlight is useful (standby, Xmit and Receive can have colors assigned).

Small enough including antenna to fit in a pants pocket.

Sturdy construction.

Legal to use on both Ham and LMS (part 90) bands if you are licensed as a user.

VFO limits can be set to ham bands (or restricted to other bands)

Very wide frequency coverage as well as 2013 narrowband operation capability.

Can monitor FRS, GMRS, MURS, (transmit capable, but not legal lacking FCC part 95 type acceptance).

Can listen to Broadcast FM

Cons of the UV-5R Plus:

Manual could be a lot better

Not a true dual receive unit (its dual watch).

Scanning is slow, and you can't select/deselect channels to be scanned from the keyboard.

No copy memory channel to VFO function.

No PTT lock out function from Keyboard (or software).

No single channel display (would be ideal if it had a single channel mode that showed frequency and name and memory channel)

Carrier Squelch Level is not adjustable (its on or off, levels 1 through 10 are all the same).

No simple keyboard and VFO lockout insuring Mem Channel only operation (nominally a Part 90 requirement).

No AM Aircraft band receive (many won't care).

Would be even more usable by visually impaired if menu selections had voice prompts.

Overall impressions. The value for the money is outstanding. These cost under $60 delivered, for a versatile sturdy product with a good capacity LiIon Battery. The ability to cover HAM and LMS makes them ideal for Emergency, and Community Service organizations. While there are many things to nit pick at (see cons:) the usability of this radio especially when programmed with the freely available software (as well as third party software) and very affordable USB cable (about 10 bucks), is very good. Its lacks all the bells and whistles of a $ 400 dollar dedicated Japanese Ham radio, but it costs 1/8th as much and has part 90 certification for legal operation on Govt. and business bands.

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These radios have received pretty good reviews on the 'net. I bought one, then another for the sweetheart. Look and feel good. Seem to function well. As said on some site somewhere, It's basically a $200 radio subsidized by the Chinese gov't to sell for $58 to ruin the Japanese industry. If you're thinking of buying by all means go to the Yahoo groups Baofeng UV-5r placelots of good info, especially on programming the lil bugger. I received my first one overnite from Amazon, the second one took 3 daysto Hawaii! Sheesh. We're living in a dream worldenjoy it while you can! 73

Honest reviews on BaoFeng UV-5R+ Dual-Band 136-174/400-480 MHz FM Ham Two-Way Radio

You will NOT find a comparable dual band radio within this price range! Heck, you probably won't find as great a radio for double it's price!

Just with everything that came in this package, I am able to hit a 2 meter repeater about 15 miles away from my home. I live in Florida, everything's sea-level. I have no idea what the max range of this is, as I've only been playing with it for about 3 days. But, to transmit and receive clearly at a 15 mile range for under $60....I am simply amazed!

Also, the radio is solidly built. It does not feel cheap at all. The LED flashlight is pretty bright and also has a strobe mode. The FM receiver works fine for me. When I'm bored, I listen to the FM radio at work and it always mutes the radio in time for me to hear 100% of the incoming 2-way traffic.

I use mine with my speaker/mic: Wouxun Walkie Talkie Remote Speaker Microphone

I also use this data cable, which I did have to "trim" some of the housing away to fit all the way into my radio: USB Programming Cable for BAOFENG UV-5R UV-3R+ Two way Radio With Driver CD

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I bought this as a first radio. I am about to take my Tech exam in a week and, with a little luck, will be a new "ham" when the FCC posts my call-sign. The radio's shipment was delayed by Hurricane Sandy so I have only been poking around for a few days.

(1) While I can not yet transmit (illegal w/o FCC license), I have tried playing with the radio to learn how to use it. Perhaps because I have so little experience, but the manual supplied combined with trial-and-error got me nowhere. (Well, it got the radio to play prompts in Cantonese instead of English.) To say that the manual is terse would be an understatement. Thankfully I found a Yahoo user's group that pointed to some helpful info.

Unless you already have experience with these HTs or other Ham radios, I would not recommend this radio unless a better manual becomes available. Using the supplied documentation is very frustrating.

(2) The first time I used the charger, after it fully charged the radio, I unplugged the transformer from the wall. The top of the plastic housing broke free leaving the plug and associated electronics attached to the outlet. Under the transformer's label is a screw-hole were, I am guessing, a screw should have been used to hold the bottom of the assembly to the top.

This radio could really benefit from a brief Dummy's Guide with step-by-step examples of how to set up Rx/Tx frequencies, repeater offsets, etc. With a good manual AND a better charger this would be a great deal for an amateur radio beginner.

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

Follow-up after 1 week: I still have not transmitted, but:

A) On Rx the squelch value (1-9) does not seem to have any effect. The result is that squelch only breaks on strong signals. People commenting at other sites seem to suggest this was just on 2-meter. This is really annoying as you either turn squelch off (and hear noise) of get signals that are constantly being blanked when they fall below the S/N threshold.

B) Rx audio quality seems to be good. But this may be partly an artifact of 'A' above.

C) The male SMA connector on radio requires that you buy an adapter ($7 at Radio Shack, cheaper on line at Amazon) to use SMA-terminated antennas such as MFJ-1722S which are also male.

D) Unlike one reviewer's experience, my battery seems to hold up for ~30 hours (i.e., a long time) in Rx-only mode. But it also took hours to charge.

E) The problems with Windows device-drivers for the bloody USB-to-serial cables has prevented me from being able to program this radio using the computer. We were thinking of using these for the local CERT team this is a show-stopper. Nice toy but we will stick to the pro radios for real work.

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

Three weeks after purchase:

(0) Now having a license, I can test the Tx path.

(1) On-line help (search for user groups) has made this radio usable. I can now program channels manually. I have been able to access several repeaters.

(2) When coupled with a 1/4-wave dipole (magnetic mount on car roof, I use MFJ 1722S w/separate SMA gender changer) I get good reports from contacts as far as 30 miles (when line-of-sight conditions exist). This is very impressive for a "$50 disposable radio". When LOS does not exist, I barely reach the repeater 1 mile from my home as expected for a VHF radio.

(3) While I am able to get full-quieting on repeaters 10 miles away (i.e., good RF), I have had complains that my audio signal is weak. It really does seem necessary to push the radio into your face and speak directly into mic hole. I have not tried an external mic to see if that helps. I may also try the "drill out the mic hole (carefully!!)" technique to see if more audio energy reaches the mic.

(4) I was frustrated by the inability to turn off PTT-ID tones, but this was operator error (the lousy manual does not help): channel entry has to be DELETED and then reprogrammed. Simply changing programmed channel's PTT-ID field to OFF did not help and state reverted to BOT when menu exited.

Overall I am pleased with the purchase. But someone could make a buck writing a Dummies Guide to the BaoFeng UV Radio Line.

Review of Genuine HTC Verizon Thunderbolt Window & Dash Vehicle / Car Mount

Customer Ratings:

Though this dock is extremely well built and sturdy it's still not as well done as the original Droid dock. It takes two hands to get the phone to snap into this contraption, and THREE to get it out. It snaps into place then there is a locking mechanism for added sturdiness. That said, once your phone is in the only way it's coming out is with extreme force. Comparatively speaking, the OG Droid dock was very simple but very effective. I could get in the car and just snap the phone right into place with one hand. Same for removal. (minus one star)

The one upside to this dock is that it has the built in charger port. Once you plug your cord into the back of the dock you don't have to worry about fumbling around trying to plug it in while you're driving. Downside to this is as mentioned above, it takes some force to get the phone to snap into place and I think over time this is going to shorten the life of the phones charging port itself. (minus another star)

As far as what the phone does once plugged in, pretty much the typical car home-screen. Options for phone, nav, maps, etc.. If I could take another star away for not being able to change any of the car-home icons I would, but since I'm only reviewing the dock I wont. You can exit the car mode while docked but once you exit you have to remove the phone and put it back in dock to get back to car-home. I blame HTC for that blunder and hopefully they will fix that with the next software upgrade.

All in all this dock is good, but with all downsides I can only hope a third-party comes out with a better one. Until then I will just have to put up with a three star device.

***Just in case anyone was wondering, you have to remove any case or skin in order to dock the phone***

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I bought this the day the phone came out and have been using it religiously ever since.

I don't know why the previous reviews have been (what seems to me) overly critical of this item, but rather than focus on that, I will tell you my likes and dislikes of the dock.

Pros:

-Suction cup works very well, never falls off.

-Fully adjustable mount, allowing a ton of viewing angles, landscape and portrait modes.

-Plug charger into the base clip, not the phone. (No need to unplug charger from phone.)

-Headphones/Stereo cable has clips. If you plug your phone into your car stereo or a wired headset, you can clip the wire in the back of the base so you don't have to find the wire every time.

-Your phone isn't going anywhere! As previous posters have stated, the phone is quite difficult to get out of the mount. I find this a positive as I don't want my phone flying out if (knock on wood) I were to get into an accident and possibly injuring me or passengers. The phone is really easy to get in the dock and has a "locking" clip to secure the phone on all 4 edges.

-Compatible with DailyRoads Voyager app. This app records video/pictures and/or audio while you are driving. (Helpful if you are in an accident or given a ticket that you didn't deserve.) I've found that the Video/Picture works best when the dock is dash-mounted and in portrait mode.

Cons:

-Stock Car Dock app is very basic/bland. This really isn't a Car Dock issue as much as it is a HTC issue. I don't have a Stock phone (rooted) and I use a nice little app called Car Home that negates this Con.

-It is a bit tough coming out of the dock. The best solution to this that I have found is to put the phone into lock/sleep, then use both hands to get it out (one holds the base, the other grabs and pulls the phone out). I've gotten used to it so this isn't nearly as big of a deal as I first thought. This is the only reason why I took a star off the rating.

All-in-all, I have to say this is a great accessory to have, and it is cheap as well. I remember paying twice the amount for my Droid X Car Dock. HTC also has to resolve the fact that when you plug something into the headphone jack that it mutes the phone's microphones (so if your cable has no mic on it, you can't talk to someone on the phone), but that is not an issue with the car dock offered here, that is another knock against the phone.

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Feels cheaply made, and Thunderbolt will not fit into dock with any sort of case on. That's huge I think because most people have cases on their phones (I have a Seido hard case that works great, but is a pain to take on or off) I use the Ardon Generic Car Dock and it works great, but also a little cheap as well.

Honest reviews on Genuine HTC Verizon Thunderbolt Window & Dash Vehicle / Car Mount

I just wanted to write this review as a warning to perspective buyers that this does not work if you have the extended battery. I'm sure it's a great mount, but I was never able to use it for this reason.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Genuine HTC Verizon Thunderbolt Window & Dash Vehicle / Car Mount

This is a good mount for the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt. The only negative I give it is that it only fits with the standard battery with no case. Even the desktop cradle fits the extended battery. Mounts very well to the windshield and has not fallen, even in the Texas heat.

Review of Nolan Bluetooth E-Box for N-COM Helmet BNCOM52700001

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.95
Sale Price: $158.43
Today's Bonus: 21% Off

Nolan offers this device in two flavors, the one listed here and a 2.0 kit that allows the operator to use his/her smartphone as a MP3 player/GPS/Communication device. This is the watered down version but is still equally capable with some additional gear. Instead of pairing your phone and being done with it as you would with the 2.0 kit, you'll need an additional "Multimedia" wire from Nolan that allows the phone/MP3/GPS unit to be wired to your helmet. You can still place and receive phone calls via bluetooth but all other operations will be made via the hard wired connection. Also, its worth mentioning that you need the basic kit with will provide the speakers and microphone for the bluetooth to function.

All in all, Nolan has an excellent device here. Keep in mind that this set up is made specifically for Nolan helmets and as such, the fit is superb. However, you cannot use these devices with any helmet other than a Nolan (and a Nolan designated for use with NCOM devices). If you want a seamlessly installed bluetooth setup for your helmet using good quality components, give NCOM a look. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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Griffin iTrip Wireless Mobile FM Transmitter to Car Radio for iPod Review

Customer Ratings:

I've tried a few FM transmitters for my various iPods, from Griffin and other manufacturers, and this one sounds as good as any I've used, which is to say not all that terrific it's OK for non-critical listening in the car, but if you want consistent, crystal-clear, high quality sound without crackling and hiss you'll have to go for some sort of direct-wired approach.

Setting aside the limits of the technology itself, I'd give Griffin's approach four stars this is a nice little gadget, and very easy to use. It's beautifully designed; the sled arrangement allows it to "bond" with the Nano very nicely it looks like one integrated unit (though I wish Griffin had offered it in white as well as black). The iTrip hijacks the Nano's screen, which makes for easy tuning and adjustment of preferences (stereo/mono, etc). I haven't noticed a problem yet with the "micro-suction" pad that holds the Nano to the transmitter, but keeping the pad clean is probably a necessity.

Speaking of which, the iTrip comes with a nice little grey cloth pouch that holds the Nano and transmitter snugly the inside of the pouch is soft, but it also sheds a lot of very fine dust onto the unit for a few days, which probably doesn't help the pad's sticking power.

One caveat you can't use this transmitter with a Nano case (which may explain why Griffin included a pouch). I've got the clear plastic "Invisibleshield" on my Nano, so it's not a problem for me.

It strikes me as a little overpriced, but it's certainly the best available solution for people who want to listen to their Nano in the car but can't hardwire a connection.

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I just wanted to say that I really like this product. I read the other reviews and some of the whining. First and foremost, this is an FM transmitter. Expect static every once in awhile. If you want clear reception all the time go and spend the extra money for and iPod adapter. Otherwise, be glad that you can finally leave your CD wallet at home and be able to listen to all your music. On my last trip my fully charged nano lasted almost 3 hours. I would recommend a phone charger (Razr). All in all it was a good purchase. Do not expect crystal clear reception 100% of the time. The little pouch does leave little "fuzzies" on the iTrip but if you are not a lazy slob you can clean it in less than 5 seconds. For those considering this purchase: it is a good buy. 1)Remember that it is an FM transmitter-it won't be clear all the time. 2) it is cheaper than purchasing an iPod adapter. 3) When you get out of your car you can take your iTrip and nano with you. 4) I recommend a Motorala Razr car charger (for when the nano is low). ****5) This is inexpensive and convenient.

Best Deals for Griffin iTrip Wireless Mobile FM Transmitter to Car Radio for iPod

You have to remember: it's a little device, stealing power from iPod battery, and trying to transmit a radio signal in a quite crowded frequency band. When you keep this in mind, you would not be too much surprised that...

* In some areas you can hardly find a frequency with no interference (try NY).

* iPod Nano volume has to be at least 50%, more like 70%, and your radio volume has to be close to max (so when you accidentally change the frequency to the nearest music station you go deaf for a couple of seconds)

* You can't use it for 5 hours straight iPod Nano is small, so is its battery.

I never used other transmitters, so I don't really know how good this one is in comparison. Bottom line do NOT expect the music coming out of your radio to be as good as out of a decent headphones, or even wired speakers.

The transmitter has a mini-USB jack, so I have found a way to charge the iPod while listening... but the moment I connect the wire I typically hear irritating hissing. But not always. But often. I can also connect iPod to the computer through this miniUSB and transfer files/music.

The good thing is how the transmitter is designed. It's small and cute, and it sits behind Nano (and a little bit at the bottom). I put a piece of velcro on its back, so the whole thing is not bouncing all over the car when I make a corner but sits in a convenient location on the dashboard.

Honest reviews on Griffin iTrip Wireless Mobile FM Transmitter to Car Radio for iPod

I have had my transmitter for about a month.I really like it. It works well but if you are going to use it for extended periods you have to have the charger plugged in while you use it because the battery life was not that great. Other than that I love it.

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The itrip nano is a great idea, and works excellently if you put forth the time into figuring out the best settings and clearest frequency to operate with. The part that I like best is that I can use it in other countries with the international settings option. After about 10 to 15 minutes of playing around with the settings, I haven't had a problem since.

Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump Starter Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $51.99
Sale Price: $49.00
Today's Bonus: 6% Off

Awesome! Plenty of jump start power. Purchased 1 from Amazon & another from my local hardware store(same model). Used 4 times in the last few days on our fleet vehicles. Cars/trucks/vans...no problems. Charging is easy on this model, just plug it in with an ordinary household AC extension cord or use the DC adapter supplied. Also, this unit has an on/off switch. My old one didn't so the terminals were 'HOT' all the time. Life saver device, well worth the bucks!

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I bought this jumper to jump my motorcycle. The battery goes dead every winter and I am not in an area where I would be able to keep the battery charged over the winter (I am forced to park the thing out on the street). Anyway, this jumper works great I plugged it in, let it charge for a day (although I don't think it requires a full day to charge) and jumped my bike right up the battery on my bike was completely dead prior to the jump. Very easy, no problems.

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Nice features, well constructed. I plug it in to charge it up once a month. (more often than suggested) I let it charge for two full days when I charge it, indicators read full charge.

I needed to use it today because my car battery finally died (6 years old). I plugged the Stanley in to top up the charge, let it top up for two hours. Indicator showed full charge. Tried to start the car. Nothing. I could see sparks when I attached the battery, so I know there was juice, but just not enough to turn over the 6 cylinder engine.

The Stanley unit has a battery level indicator, before the attempt it read full charge. After, the indicator was in the middle. Back inside, I hook it up to charge it again, it reads low.

GM road side assistance showed up with a much beefier version of a portable battery source, and the car started up immediately.

This unit is one year old, so I am guessing that the internal battery just does not last, or can not actually supply the starting current that it claims.

Just a big beautiful paper weight. Go for a much beefier unit, or perhaps one with lithium ion batteries. Better yet, just subscribe to a road side assistance plan.

Honest reviews on Stanley J309 300 Amp Jump Starter

My battery wouldn't hold a charge and I used this every day for 4 months to start my car and it exceeded my expectations. I never expected it to last that long, but with charging once every 3 weeks or so it worked fine. Small, portable, and much easier than jumper cables. Highly recommended.

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Unit works well enough but it is not a Stanley Product. All the documentaion with the unit list Baccus Global. There is no indication of the country of manufacture. I prefer bying products from the USA and many of the Stanley products list a made in USA stamp.

Later 4-15-12

I tried to start my 6 cylinder Nisan Frontier with the charger. It would not turn the engine over. I plugged it in for 24 hours to make sure it was fully charged and it still did not turn the engine over. This is South East Texas with the outside temperature 80 degrees. Good for very small engines only.

Review of Motorola Backflip Retractable Car Charger

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $9.63
Sale Price: $6.97
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

I've been trying to find a retractable charger for my phone that actually works. I don't know if the one in the picture does but I know that the one they sent me doesn't. I wish they'd actually posted the actual picture of it so I wouldn't have bought it since I've already purchased one EXACTLY like it before that didn't work. Asking if it's the same as in picture does no good since sellers lie. The one I received has no writing on it & 2 curved lines, red light. So if you've bought that one & it didn't work skip this one too.

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Perfect size for the car! Easy to store, and the retractable cord is a bonus! Comes in very handy when caught off-guard with a low battery.

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This one has managed to last me a few months now without falling apart. It charges my phone every time I need some extra battery life in the car.

Cheap Kindle D00701 eReader Battery Replacement Kit with Video

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.95
Sale Price: $28.95
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

I was going to just purchase the battery alone, but I'm glad I bought this kit with the pry tool and the correctly sized screwdriver. With a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan on the horizon and a Kindle 2 that is 3+ years old, I wanted to get the battery life back (at a minimum) to where it was a few years ago, when I could go a week or two without charging my Kindle. The kit arrived in a timely fashion, and the directions were simple and straightforward. It is NOT easy to get the top gray section off of the Kindle -I had to get my fingernail in there, then run the pry tool from one side to the other to loosen it, at which point it popped off. Also, be aware that your volume rocker (toward the top left side if you're looking at the back of the Kindle) might fall out when you take the lower silver panel off. Don't panic, it seats back in easily and is firmly held once you get the lower silver portion of the Kindle back replaced on there after changing the battery. Be sure to plug your Kindle in to charge when you're finished -again, don't panic if your Kindle doesn't come on right away. Once it gets some juice it'll give that "critical battery" warning, then come to life in a few minutes. I'll come back here with a battery life review after I've tested it over the next few weeks or months. :)

Edited to add: Just a couple of days before October, it's been 3+ months since I arrived in Afghanistan, and I'm SO glad I replaced my Kindle battery! I have been doing a ton of reading, and this Kindle is a sanity-saver! Battery performs well, I have to charge my Kindle every couple of weeks. Fantastic!!

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It is OK in the fact that I can actually still use my Kindle. My original battery would only hold a charge for 24 hours. This looks identical to the original battery and NewPower99 told me to enjoy my new "long life" battery. However, I have to charge it up about every 3 days. A FAR cry from the 3-4 week charge I was expecting to get with a "long life" battery. Since the battery in the DVD did not look like the original, I wonder if maybe I got an old battery.

The instructional DVD that came with the kit was pretty good, it was a lot harder to open the back of the Kindle with the sharp edged little tool they sent, but a rag over the sharp end and some persistence, it all worked just like they showed.

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After trying two other brands of replacement batteries for my wife's Kindle, neither of which would accept a charge after installation, I ordered this one as a last resort before just getting a new Kindle. This battery arrived today and I installed it immediately. Installation is pretty straightforward following the instructions I found on the New Power site. They also include an instructional DVD with the battery as well as a small screwdriver and prying device to gain access to Kindle battery. The two screw holes at the bottom of the new battery are just a little snug in terms of alignment with the chassis of the Kindle, so I made them a little larger to avoid the chance of misalignment/stripping the small screws or the mount. After the new battery was installed and the Kindle all closed up, the moment of truth arrived, would it accept a charge? I'm happy to report that the new battery immediately started charging and gained a full charge (green LED) in about an hour and a half. My wife is now back to reading her Kindle and a happy camper once again. Credit to Amazon is in order here for their part in returning the batteries that did not work and getting credit for same. We get a lot of stuff from Amazon and they have not failed us yet. I only wish I had the foresight to buy a ton of their stock when the company was just starting.

Honest reviews on Kindle D00701 eReader Battery Replacement Kit with Video

I had to try a few to figure that out... so save yourself some time and just know this is the right one for you... if you have Model D00701!

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This was exactly as described which made ordoring replacemnt battery easier. Even though not recommended to replace your own was very easy to do

Cheap Schumacher SE-1-12S-CA Fully Automatic Onboard Battery Charger

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $20.81
Today's Bonus: 58% Off

I am fortunate enough to maintain two houses one in the mid-West for the summer and a second one in the Palm Springs area for the winter. Rather than drive 1500 miles each way I have a couple of cars in each location so each set will sit idle for six months of the year which means I usually have two dead batteries when I arrive for the season. I tried a cheaper brand of trickle charger in the desert last year and it worked but I was afraid that if it burned out I would still return to dead batteries. I really like the quality of the Schumacher products having two of their multifunction battery chargers that have worked well for over 10 years. When I saw that they offered high quality trickle chargers I bought two of them to make the switch to worry free charging. The chargers are well built and heavy for their size and the build quality is typical Schumacher. The chargers are intended to be installed in the engine compartment with battery connections that are permanently connected to the charger and for power a short plug comes out of the side of the unit and is easily connected to a grounded extension cord. I really didn't want to install these under the hood even though they supply the mounting brackets and screws required but I did like the idea of the permanent connection to the battery as opposed to a clamp which could fall off in the middle of the season and leave me with a dead battery. Remembering how the chargers connected in the Power Wheels toys my sons had several years ago, I was able to find polarity keyed plug connectors in the trailer wiring section of the local auto parts store and now have a short pigtail permanently connected to the battery and the ability to plug and unplug it into the charger when I want. Now I have the best of all worlds, the security of a solid connection to the battery and the flexibility of being able to plug and unplug the charger with ease. I like this a lot.

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Good product. 4 stars b/c the manual is misleading. There is a table that tells you what the lights mean, but it is hard to understand. I'll translate: If top light is green and bottom if off, the battery is charging. If the top light is green and the bottom light is red, you battery is charged. If the top light is off, then the unit isn't getting power from the wall. Funny how this crucial info is so messed up in the instructions. Happy charging!

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I had a problem. A very bad car accident left me partially disabled. So these days I do very little driving. Just getting to and from the store and that's about it.

The problem I had is that I seldom drove long enough or far enough to fully charge my car battery, and on more than one occasion I'd get in it to go somewhere and the battery would be dead.

I've used a number of trickle chargers in the past. But there's the problem of digging them out and unhooking them when the battery is ready.

This charger, however, has been perfect for me and my situation. It's mounted permanently under the hood so I always know where it is. It charges the battery fully then shuts itself off. I can leave it plugged in for weeks and it shuts itself off automatically. When I'm ready to use the car, I unplug it and go. When I park the car in the garage for what always turns out to be extended periods, I plug it in and on my next trip the battery has a full charge. My days of getting into the car only to discover the battery died are over.

If your situation is similar, or if you own a vehicle that only gets occasional use, like a truck for errands or an RV, this could be the thing for you.

Honest reviews on Schumacher SE-1-12S-CA Fully Automatic Onboard Battery Charger

I installed this in one of my SUV's that is not driven for weeks at a time.

The Schumacher unit keeps a perfect charge and does not overheat or dry out the battery. The clock, radio, and GPS settings are all preserved and the charger does not seem to draw much power when the battery is charged. I am very satisfied with the operation of the unit.

The installation was a breeze with the included hardware and the instructions were clear and easy.

I do have two small complaints, however:

(1) The battery lugs were way too big for my vehicle and all other cars that I checked.

(2) The AC plug is too short to run anywhere. I wanted the plug to reach to just outside the vehicle's grill, so that the unit could be plugged in without opening the hood. I had to install an extra extension cord for that purpose.

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Works great to keep your battery topped off on cold winter nights, and for days of long storage. Instead of dragging out your conventional charger and cables, then putting everything away when finished! Just mount this small unit under your hood, plug in a small AC extension cord, and close the hood. (not affecting alarm operation). It can charge a dead battery (not recommended) but it can take 24 to 36 hours.

Buy Four (4) Battery Tender 081-0148-25 25' Quick Disconnect Extension

Customer Ratings:

just what I needed and expected. Good quality like all battery tender products. I would recommend to anyone that needs longer reach

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I purchased these cables to keep 4 different vehicles battery topped off and they met my very picky expectations. Good gauge and durable.

Best Deals for Four (4) Battery Tender 081-0148-25 25' Quick Disconnect Extension

Excellent product. Always wanted to try the Battery Tender but the pricing was never right. Amazon had it at the right price. Mounted the unit on my garage wall and with the purchase of the additional 25' cables I was able to hook up my twin camaro's, motorcycle plus the battery to my wife's corvette. Can't rave enough about the product. No more going out and waiting to see if the batteries are going to start the vehicles. One less worry to be concerned about!

Honest reviews on Four (4) Battery Tender 081-0148-25 25' Quick Disconnect Extension

I thought these were too expensive but at least I did not have to make them myself.

They could offer a bundle of 2x25 and 2x8 or something to be more useful.