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Thursday, July 31, 2008
SIRIUS ST4-TK1 Starmate 4 Plug-and-Play Satellite Radio Receiver with Car Kit
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monster RadioPlay 300 Universal Full Spectrum FM Transmitter (MBL-FM XMTR300)
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Great Transmitter - only one flaw I can find
This is a pretty decent transmitter. I originally bought an el-cheapo transmitter from Radio Shack, which was pretty much worthless. This transmitter is much, much better. It broadcasts very strong and it is very, very easy to set up. It plugs into the audio jack of my Zune an we can use it in other MP3 players as well. My only complaint, as others have mentioned, is that you have to "preset" the frequencies in order to use them. For example, if you're travelling a distance and need to change the broadcast frequency due to interference, you'll need to change a "preset" frequency, then switch to that new preset. It's a bit of a pain, but since I don't travel that far, I don't need to do this.The best FM transmitter I've used (Used 4 previously)
This is the 4th FM transmitter I've used and is by far the best. My previous transmitters: Belkin TuneCast II - my 1st FM transmitter. Performance = MEH DLO TransCast Universal FM Transmitter - performs no better than the tunecast II Belkin TuneCast Auto Universal - Excellent look and feel but performs no better than the tunecast II. *** This one generates a stronger FM transmission than my previous FM transmitters! *** E.x.: I can have the transmitter and mp3 player on my passenger car seat or cup holder and it transmits flawlessly. The same cannot be said for my other FM transmitters as I need to have them really close to the car radio to get a satisfactory signal. I'm really happy I got this because I was contemplating buying a car stereo just for the AUX input. One thing I noticed with this transmitter is I can't have my MP3 player's volume set to the max as it causes the audio to not come through clearly. (This is a problem I've never experienced with my other FM transmitters) Fortunately, the workaround for this is to just have the volume set to 85% or so on the MP3 device and increase the volume on my car's speakers.Good Buy
The ability to choose what ever FM channel best fits your area is what sold Monster RadioPlay 300 to me. It works like a charm and Monster products always seem to perform with out a hitch. One of the best purchases of this type I have made. Others brands that I have owned I gave away. This one is a keeper.Great
Great product, it has a great sound (for an FM Transmitter), the volume is great, it even overtakes on some local stations it won't dissappoint you. I compared it with a Kensington LiquidFM Plus for MP3 Players FM Transmitter and with a generic FM transmitter and it won by a lot.Works very well
This worked very well on my boat with no static interference at all. I'm glad I purchased it, it was well worth the money.Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Cobra Electronics XRS-9950 12 Band Radar Laser Detector
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Should have bought the Escort.
Not sure why I bought this anyway. Maybe just a moment of boredom. When I opened it I couldn't believe the size. It's huge. Not sure why it has to be. Years ago I bought an Escort and it fit in the palm of my hand. This is bigger that my entire hand. It's easier just to drive the speed limit. I have my wife, my GPS and now the third woman in my car telling me what to do. As I drove I found it to be marginally sensitive. Never warned me from a distant. There is a little peace of mind having it there but it is so huge if I was a cop I would give me a ticket for having something that ugly on my dash. There must be a smaller better unit out there. Thanksnot exactly what i thought it would be
Well the intellamute doesnt work so well!! It does'nt detect the cars rpm correctly so it is annoying if you use it. The rest of the units options seem to work ok althought i question the distance it has as far as detection goes. So for the money i paid for this unit was a bit high since i cant get use of all its options and the distance for detection in questionable.great device
I am using this device in another country,,it works just great,,, little problem with pop-up guns,,I think if pop-up gets the previous vehicle detector is able to detect if you are the first vehicle approaching pop-up gun you are busted :) it is so simple YOU SEE THEM THEY SEE YOU :) otherwise no concern... (just to mention there are some false alarms due to some laser operated automatic doors but it is fine for me,,device reacts device works :)Cobra Electronics XRS-9950 12 Band Radar Laser Detector)interesting device...!!!!
interesting device... Very easy of installing. easy to manage. it is very sensitive..!!!dont speed i guess !!!
Well its been month i av using it.... well i got ticket yesterday as it beeped wen the cop got me .....like 60 70 mts b fore i was reching him , damm it was bad.... another ticket n mine will be suspendedMonday, July 28, 2008
Jensen JP20 160-Watt DC-to-AC Power Inverter
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Works wonderfully!
Bought this for my campervan when I stay somewhere without an electrical hookup. I can run it for hours powering my 40 watt LCD TV/DVD player and it doesn't even get hot. TV works without a problem, you would think it was plugged into a normal outlet. The unit is whisper quiet. In fact, I don't recall hearing any noise at all! The thing just works as advertised. I wish everything would!Works As Advertised
Works well, added a simple 4 outlet power strip and was able to have laptop and phone charger plugged in at sametime.Excellent!
What a difference this has made in my life! Why didn't I buy one earlier? It works very easily, doesn't take up a lot of space, and lets you power your devices from the comfort of your car. I spent 4 hours on my computer during a drive the other day, and never once had to stress out about the battery running out. Highly recommended!nice while it lasted...
I own(ed) two of these (now 1). They are quiet, and while 1 is still working, the other worked for only about 1 year, and now will consistently blow the accessory plug fuse in both vehicles, and has also apparently permanently damaged the electrical system in one vehicle (even replacing the blown fuse does not restore power the the accessory plug). Even though one of the two still works fine, I would recommend choosing a different inverter.Excellent for travel
I love this accessory I use it when I am traveling to recharge my phone and laptop. Not only in my car but in some airplanes too, American Airlines has DC outlets so you can plug it in and recharge your laptop during your flight instad of running out of battery in the middle of your flight.Saturday, July 26, 2008
Xantrex Technologies XPower Micro 175-Watt Inverter #851-0178
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Works Great
This item works great. I used it to power my laptop on long distance drive and I had no problems with it. Some people complain about fan noise. It blends in with the road noise from driving just fine. If you listen for it, you'll definitely hear it, but you eventually forget it's there.Xantrex Technologies XPower Micro 175-Watt Inverter #851-0178
We purchased this so we could use our laptops on the trip to Disney and back. It worked just fine- cord was long enough that it even reached the back seat of the mini-van. Had no trouble at all. Part that sticks out from your lighter space a little bulky, but other than that wouldn't change anything.Great product, expect fan noise
I've been using my inverter, problem-free, for several weeks. I keep it in my work bag, and use it to power a laptop when I'm on the go. I bought this after reading the reviews, so I knew to expect fan noise. It's sort of like having your car A/C on. Other than that, I can't think of anything negative to say about it. You plug it in and it works. Pretty simple.Convenience during travel...stay connected
We used this inverter while traveling on vacation by car. We were able to power up and stay connected to our laptop computer. Great convenience to be able to check for hotels and area attractions without having to leave the car. I would highly recommend this Xantrex Micro 175w inverter. Never heated up. Noise was minimal. Not one complaint to report. We used it, literally, for hours and hours at a time. Even charged up our cell phone by plugging the wall charger into this inverter while in the car. I love it!amazing product
I bought this item for emergency purposes. I dont check my cellphone if it is fully charged or not and I fell confident that I can use my cellphone ( including my laptop or portable DVD player) anywhere, everywhere I want it.Friday, July 25, 2008
Griffin iTrip Auto Universal Plus FM Transmitter and Power for Portable Audio Players
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Nice Features, Horrible Quality
I bought this product for 60 bucks at radio shack so that I could charge my mp3 player in the car and listen to it without using all my open cigarette lighters. It features a USB charger, an FM transmitter, and a nice backlit lcd screen to change the station with. However, this device gets too much interference and I find myself constantly searching to find a clear radio station to try it on. even the smallest bit of static will garble this thing up. I ended up just throwing it in the trash and continued to use my old $10 transmitter I got at meijer. While this Transmitter struggles to overcome the tiniest bit of static, my cheapo one can operate with decent quality, and I don't even have to search for an unused station. Yes, the cheapo non-brand transmitter has enough strength to block any interfering signals out, while this one cannot. My advice, don't waste your money and go with somthing else.For God's Sake, Use ISR!
I love this product. I bought the "Powerplay Pack", which features the Griffin iTrip Auto Universal Plus FM Transmitter, their PowerBlock a.k.a teh wall charger, something called the California Roll, and an iPod cable. It was priced at $60, and it was on clearance for $22. A deal, right? I took it out to my Honda Accord EX and turned the thing on. Horrible. Sounded awful. But hey, at least I've got a charger for both my Zune and my smartphone via the USB port in the front. One of those would be about $20 anyways. So I was upset, and decided to read reviews for it here on Amazon. OH NO. 3 1/2 stars?! LEMON. But alas, the first review tells me to put it into ISR mode! Lo and behold, it's perfect. Out of all the test songs I played, everything sounded perfect. Except the bass of "SexyBack" was a little distorted, which I had never experienced in my car before. All in all, this is an awesome product. Even better that I got it for $22! =DThe best FM Transmitter there is for non ipod players. .
I've owned one of these for a little while. I use it with my Zune player. It's the only FM transmitter I've owned that actually works. No static. Radio stations only infiltrate the signal if you're driving right by them. I had their iPod FM Transmitter, back when I owned an iPod, and it worked just as well. This leads me to believe iTrip make the best FM Transmitters in the business. There is only one problem with it. It plugs into the headphone jack. Because of this, depending what you're listening to, sounds you know are supposed to be there won't be there. I experience this when listening to Japanese songs especially. I don't know if it has to do with frequencies or what, but when I put the same song on a CD and play it on the car stereo, everything is there. I wish iTrip would make an FM Transmitter that plugged into the jack on the bottom of the Zune (the way they did for the iPod). I hope now that the Zune has been significantly improved and is gaining in popularity, they'll do this. Still, if you don't have an iPod this is your best bet for an FM transmitter, period.Works great for me
I agree with a previous reviewer who says that these things (regardless which model) will work better in certain cars than in others. The Griffin iTrip works very well in my car ('00 Saturn, Pioneer CD deck, in South Central WI). I made the mistake of not getting a deck with an Aux jack when I purchased a new one in Fall 2005, but I didn't yet have an mp3 player at the time and had no intention of purchasing one.... little did I know! On the other hand, I had previously on 2 occasions bought one of the Belkin Tunecast models and they were both wretched, and were promptly returned both times. Yet, based on the reviews, they seem to work well for some people. The price on the Griffin seems to be coming down, so definately give it a try. And you can even charge your mp3 player on the go with your own USB cable!Great idea, but poor implementation
I returned this item after 2 days of trying to get it to work. I live an hour away from a major city and I was still picking up interference on every channel. I have a Scosche FM Transmitter that get hardly any interference at all. I liked the design with the available USB plug to be able to power my device instead of having a 2 plug splitter, but the constant interference was horrible. I picked up a $15 no name brand item at K-Mart with the same USB plug and it gets less interference. Devices like this shouldn't get interference from weak end of the dial stations.Thursday, July 24, 2008
Zune Car Pack v2
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How do they get away with it?
Put me in the group who bought this item although they read all the warnings not to. Believe the negative reviews, this thing is terrible. I live in an area with tons of empty radio stations. Did the setup correctly and you can help but notice that it sounds worse then a radio station. Then I went through every single station myself adjusting the Zune and nothing but static over the music. I have already returned it and am going to do what every other negative review has said and invest in an actual aftermarket stereo with all the auxiliary and usb ports I will ever need for portable devices. Sure it's a little more money but well worth it to hear the music clearly. You've been warned, just like I was.radio thingy
What I like about it works real well when there are empty radio frequencies, in blocked areas. What I didn't like Has nothig to do with the device,in Seattle and I suspect most major cities the radio band has every station possible used,so it doesnt tune in without alot of other stations drifting into you zune tracks. I love when out of range of civilization but otherwise it doesn't cut it.100% Quality Service and Product!!!!!
Let me first say that my experience with "Crazy-Tech-Dealz" was beyond exellent! The item was almost in perfect condition! The original packaging was included along with the guide book, protective cover sheet on the screen, and orginial box. I ordered my item on a Monday and received it on a Thursday which is extremely fast for an item of stardard shipping. The Zune car pack works perfectly and is so small and compact that you can barely notice it in your car. The sound is incredible and it is so easy to use. You really cant go wrong with this item. It is perfect to listen to all of your favorite songs while you are driving..... no more of those annoying CD's falling from your visor on top of your car mirror. It looks sheek and modern. I recomend this item if you have a Zune because it allows you to stay connected with your musis outside and inside your car! I give this item 5 out of 5 stars for being almost in perfect conditions. If I dint know that this product was used, I could have reasily misteken it for a new one. My experience with Crazy-Tech-Dealz was incredible because my e-mail was answered the day I sent it out, my item was promptly shipped, and over all I rate this seller 5 out of 5 for the speedy service!Good Car Pack
I've had the Zune car pack 4 days; it works quite well IF YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! Do not turn on your radio until the car pack locates a quiet section of the FM band. Then turn on radio, tune to the assigned frequency and WAIT about 10 seconds; the radio should show that you are tuned to ZUNE. Now proceed to play MP3 files. If in doubt, re-read the instructions. The signal quality is good provided you are not parked next to a transmission tower. Also remember that the first time you plug in the car pack, even with the radio off, the device needs about 1 minute to communicate with the ZUNE. Wait until this sync is completed. Overall, a good product, a little pricey in the store, better on Amazon.Worthless to me
There is way too much noise when I use the Zune car pack. I will never use this product. Your results may vary depending on your car and where you live. I tried using the car pack with my Mercedes-Benz S430, which has the antenna embedded in either the windshield or rear glass (not sure which). I get excellent reception of commercial FM stations, but not from the Zune car pack. I live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, so it's possible that the spectrum is just too crowded to find a truly clear channel for the car pack to use.Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
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Very good poduct, but fairly basic
I've had my 260W on a long trip now. Nice display, enough detail, and good local directions. I found long routes a little frustrating since the chosen route wouldn't always be the one I would choose because of known congestion. Only stores one waypoint ("Via") for a destination. Not able to download routes, trips or waypoints. I wasn't ready to invest in more features without trying out the technology. It does whet my appetite for a more capable GPS. Excellent for basic navigation.Great Product
Bought it, plugged it in and took off on a 2400 mile round trip. Absolutely no problems. I found it very intuitive as I didn't even bother to read the manual. I'm sure it does more than I used it for, but as a navigator it was terrific. Glad I paid a little extra to get the voice guidance model - nice to be reminded when turns are coming up. Only complaint is that the price dropped 2 weeks after I bought, but I guess that's the way it goes with electronics. Highly recommend.Amazing, but don't loose common sense
Bought this prior to 10 day driving vacation, and it was worth it. Amazing technology and it did get us out of a couple binds where we would have been lost otherwise. Used and enjoyed the "points of interest" feature much more than thought, in selecting restaurants, fuel and lodging. Glad I got the 4.3" screen with all the features of the 260W, and don't need all the other features of more expensive units. Also, the suction mount that comes with it works great and I didnt' find distracting. For me, glad I did NOT get the bean bag mount. Reason for the 4-star is the directions that came with the unit are very vague as to all the features. Had to learn by trial and errror, and even by accident. Also, doesn't always take you most efficent route, but it does get you there. It is just a computer after all. Frustrating when the route you want to go does not concur with its route, and it trys for MILES to get you to take U-turn. Probably way to remedy, but haven't figured out yet. All things considered, would get again.Nuvi260W Very Good
This was an upgrade for me from the C330. This unit finds satellites much faster when first turned on. Garmin will be the first to tell you all the things that are great about this unit, here are a couple things I would like to see improved 1- Voice street names only pronounced in one voice "Jill" 2- I get really annoyed with the redundancy of the voice command, i.e "Turn right in 200 ft" ....... "Now turn right" ..... And the infamous "Recalculating!" 3- I really believe someone programmed sarcasm in the voice when she says "Recalculating!" 4- Would like to see food/gas/etc icons on the screen as you travel. Touching them would bring up description like Magellan, Garmin should consider adding. 5- I don't like the UNIX style of navigating menu screens. If you want to get back to the main screen, you must enter a series of "back" commands rather that moving to the main screen in one option. To get to food POIs you must touch screen 4 times to get there and 4 times to get back to the map if you don't select anything....this is a pain while driving. 6- When keying an address the machine should default the city/state you are located; instead you must input this data every time you enter a new address. 7- 2009 load maps are really poor in NC (Winston-Salem to Raleigh) 8- Custom POI with warning messages do not always work correctly. Sometimes they are late and sometime not at all. However, they never seem to work unless the POI is on your direct route. It would be nice to be notified if your custom POI was on the up coming exit. (I recommend POI Factory.com) 9- I really like the interface with google map where I can send a series of address directly to my devise before I take the trip. Hope this helps you in your decision.Great value for the money. Can't beat the features!
I'd been comparison shopping Tom Toms, Garmin, Magellan and several other less familiar brands. I happened to see the Garmin 260W demonstrated at a local Best Buy and immediately liked it's capabilities. The 4.3" screen is plenty big and the visibility even in harsh sunlight is terrific. What sold me was the verbal street callouts. Best Buy wanted $349.00. I found it on Amazon for around $260 with free shipping. Done deal. I really wanted a unit that had the portability, but didn't go crazy with overpriced features I'll never use. It does take a minute or two for the unit to pull up your location, but once it gets going, the directions are superb. Operation is a cinch (my wife caught on in about 90 seconds). I'm happy with my purchase and look forward to depending on it for trips, unfamiliar parts of town ,etc.Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth and Text-to-Speech
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good product, canada map is not updated
Just bought the product for my Banff trip. Even though I updated the map, I found that the road info and POI is not updated. In general it is a good product.Excellent price with Bluetooth
I travel a lot for work all around the country. I always print out the directions from one of the travel web sites. I found that driving in a strange place trying to read the print outs sometimes got a little hairy. One trip, a major accident in Indianapolis between me and the airport and I nearly missed the last flight home. Not Good. So time to get a gps navigator. I chose this unit because from what I could tell it was the lowest priced Garmin unit with bluetooth compatibility. For the most part the directions have been right on target. However once she directed me past where I needed to be and told me to make a left into a harbor. I back tracked and found the location. Right side of road - just a few hundred feet back. I think its hysterical how annoyed the unit sounds when she says "recalculating" when I've strayed from the prescribed route. I've named her Endora. Completely worth the money - you don't need the $500+ unit if all you're going to use it for is basic directions.found it useful
Helped us very much during our vacation to california. no printout of maps to carry..Still waiting to explore the bluetooth feature.love it
I would personally recommend this product,easy to use,reliable,inexpendsive,my old Tom Tom 510 cost double but no compare to this one.....!love it
great thing. my only gripe: not so great at catching a signal when I'm walking around (i.e. not in the car). but I'm usually driving, so it's not really a pressing problem.Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad
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Ease of Use of GPS
Does exactly as promised. Although my dashboard is very curvy, it allows the GPS to sit still while driving even hilly areas and then when I park, I can easily take down both the GPS and the friction mat. I would recommend to anyone purchasing GPS.Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat
Pro: The material is good and the pad doesn't slide on the dask board. Con: I have a TomTom 920, the edge of the pad is too high for it. My GPS can't really use it. Other Thought: If you only have a small passenger car, you may find the grove compartment being too small for this pad especially you have other things in it.Works great, except...
The mat works very well as intended, providing a stable platform to attach your GPS's suction cup mount to. The two issues I have with it are: 1. It's big - it needs a pretty large flat surface. Most dashboards will work fine, but be aware that it does take up a lot of space. I was hoping to be able to use it down on the center console, but it's too big. This also makes it slightly awkward to hide when parking the car. 2. I have a TomTom GO 730 and the bracket that came with it is just barely long enough to work with this mat. Because the "bean bag" around the edge of the mat is pretty thick, the GPS ends up resting partially on that rather than being completely held by the bracket. I have to keep the GPS tilted farther than I'd like so that it will clear the bean bag, making the TomTom's glare problem even worse. It's secure enough, but this does make it difficult to attach and remove the GPS from the bracket sometimes. Also, you can't access the power connector on the bottom of the 730 without removing it from the mount (although this is trivial to do - reattaching it is harder and sometimes takes two hands and a few tries to get everything to line up). I suspect that most of these issues are specific to the 730's bracket.What an innovation
I love this dash pad. It's great for my GPS. It sits on the dash and generally doesn't slide as long as the dash is mostly smooth with many dips or grooves. Works great and will leave with me on vacation today.Be cautious
I just received this friction dash device and see the many benefits of being able to hid my TomTom 720, however, the one issue you should be aware of is the suction holder is not long enough to secure on the TomTom to the base. The only way I could get it to work was by connecting the dash disk that comes with the TomTom to the friction holder with a thick piece of velcor. It gave me the clearence needed to connect the unit to the suction holder.
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