Thursday, 24 September 2009

Survival Gear - fire starter, outdoor gear


What a piece of garbage.Coleman should recall this saw or change the label to christmas ornament.The reason people buy these is for emergency/survival situations.Thank god i test everything first.I started to cut a 1 inch branch,about a quarter of the way through it began to smoke.I stopped to see what was going on and the saw was so hot it burned my hand.I waited for it to cool down then tried again.Not even half way through the saw became so hot it broke in half.Unless you plan on hanging this from your christmas tree do not buy it. Coleman Pocket Hand Saw

The wire is a very stiff piece of metal sort of serrated part that can I would be polite in saying in absolute emergencies can be used to cut pieces of wood. Although your hand and arm might as well fall off while in the process of cutting because of fatigue. I would say a waste of money.

Needed to put together a survival kit for my son who is a Boy Scout. This is not a required item for a survival kit but nice to have. Be careful about kinking it while sawing. It can break if you're not careful. - Fire Starter - Paracord - Emergency Kit - Outdoor Gear'


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Mineral Powder


This is my favorite foundation EVER! I dont need any other kind of foundations or anything with it. It also makes your skin an even color with I've never had a powder that has done that, great for when yore losing your summer tan;) Also, got mine a day before the date they gave me on when I ordered it. very pleased overall!! CoverGirl Trublend Minerals Loose Powder, Translucent Light 410, 0.63-Ounce

CoverGirl Trublend Minerals Loose Powder is an amazing beauty product. I cannot believe that it's under ten dollars too! It works just as well and flawlessly as its top competitors, and I highly recommend it. I was a bit hesitant in choosing a color and with the help of covergirl.com's color match, I decided on the Translucent Light. When I opened the box I was a bit worried that it would be too dark, but I was absolutely wrong! It was just the right color for me, and will work well as I continue developing my sun tan. Either way, it really does blend in super effectively with your skin tone. I love it and will definitely continue to purchase it.'


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Paper For Greeting Cards - inkjet paper, paper for greeting cards


I LOVE this paper...with ANY printer I have ever used it on, I get consistently bright, clear, rich color. Excellent for my graphics and photoshop printouts. It is the only matte paper I will use. Be sure you get the Ultra Premium paper....Presentation Paper is NOT the same thing. Epson Ultra Premium Matte 8 1/2 x 11 Inch Presentation Paper 50 Count (S041341)

This relatively inexpensive paper delivers wide gamut and good blacks for matte media and carries the highest permance rating for Ultrachrome inks. The weight is on the thin side and its surface is delicate, so I use it for flip book portfolios and proofing for pictures destined for more costly fine art matte papter, like Museo Portfolio Rag. It dries pretty fast, but still needs about four hours to dry down for critical color review and paper calibration.

Every one of these Epson papers I've used has worked beautifully with the profile provided in their high end printers. They have all provided exceptional results and prints to be proud of. The only single glitch I've encountered is that every single batch of the 13x19 has a crumpled corner for the entire batch, and I can only guess that it is from some part of the packaging process. I'm always cautious to load the perfect edge down into the machine so as not to create a misfeed, and the distance of the crumpling is only about 1/4" so it does not show on matted prints. However, if you plan on flush mounting large prints, it will create a bit of a problem.

I was looking for paper to print color photos on and this paper is very good for that. It is quite heavy and bright and does the job fine, although it is not quite as bright (white) as the HP paper I was using. Also, the price was very good, as I did not want to spend a fortune on photo paper. Some of the photo paper available out there is very expensive. I find that this matte paper is better for photos because the glossy paper shows finger prints badly and sticks to the plastic sleeves in photo albums.

WOW!!! This photo paper is absolutely amazing in quality!!! I have always used the cheapest store brand or Kodak photo paper but had a special project that I wanted to use better quality paper for and I am blown away at how much more vibrant and colorful my prints are using this Epson photo paper! I am just truly amazed. I just wish it came a tad heavier so I could use it for printing invitations and cards... - Epson - Paper For Greeting Cards - Inkjet - Inkjet Paper'


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Fashion Hoodies - tops, gothic


love the shirt when I saw it on the manniquin but for a bigger size woman it wasn't too great. If you're the type that likes to show off your undies this is a good investment for you lol. It kept creeping up on me and woulnd't stay down. Plus Size Sexy RED Black Lace Corset Top - 1X

This shirt is vary faltering; however if you don't want a shirt to fit snugly, this is not for you. It's conforms to your body and is short, so if you are a large and tall woman, a 3x is about a size 20. It's ployester so wearing it in the summer might be a challeng, we will see. Also, my husband really likes the shirt on me, and it doesn't look bad if I wear the right pants or skirt.

So in the end I would recommend this shirt for a smaller woman then myself, and I might even get another one in a differnt color. - Juniors - Gothic - Tops - Corset'


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Misrepresentati - misrepresentati, large book holder


We ordered a 6-pack of these Clear Acrylic Easel Book Holder Rack Stands (whew! talk about complete descitpion in the item name!) We needed lightweight, compact stands to display new nooks in our Career Library. These really work. We ordered another 6-pack. We don't know how long they'll last yet, but they seem sturdy enough for our purpose, and the students are really noticing the books displayed on them! Recommend them to other libraries and they might work at home for cookbooks, etc. At this price you can afford to get creative with different ways to use them. Amazon (6-pack) 6" Clear Acrylic Easel Book Holder Rack Stand - Misrepresentati - Large Book Holder'


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Advanced Elements


For those that don't have the space or the budget for a nice fiberglass kayak, the Advanced Elements is the next best thing. I purchased this early this year for my wife (having purchased the Expidition model for myself) and I have had the opportunity to use it a few times this season. I continue to think it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. It's easy to store, easy to set up, handles well, performs well, and is very comfortable. All around a great recreational kayak.



Setup is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. This model has 7 chambers to fill, which sounds like a lot but it's really not. There are two main chambers which get filled up first, and then the floor and the deck lift chambers, and finally the combing for the skirt. The two first chambers take the longest - maybe 10 minutes total using the bi-directional hand pump. The rest can be filled in under 5 minutes, making the total time for inflation about 15 minutes.



Construction of the AF Expedition is excellent. All materials are sturdy, and the coating on the bottom (the gray part) seems to be tough enough for years of use. The top part of the construction (the red part) is a thick nylon that is not waterproof but which provides some protection from the elements. I would recommend using a waterproofing spray on the top part to ensure that there is minimal water absorption, since this makes drying it out before storage a lot easier. The material on this model is particularly nice - it has a sort of sheen and a subtle pattern to it that is very cool. Wish I had it on my Expidition, actually, but I think that might be a difference between last year's model and this.



Once inflated the AF is very sturdy and firm. It does not flex at all, and feels much like a hardshell kayak. In the water it is very stable, a product no doubt of its relatively wide stance (32 inches). The byproduct of that wide stance is that in the water it is a bit slower than a top-notch hardshell kayak (that generally run about 26 inches wide). It tracks well and is actually pretty fast -- my wife hasn't had any trouble keeping up with other recreational kayaks. Because the shape is rigid (reinforced with the aluminum bits in the front and back) it cuts through the water easily.



Paddling is comfortable so long as you use the right length of paddle; we use a 220cm and it seems to be the perfect size. I tried using a shorter paddle at one point and fount that it was not as comfortable and often found myself brushing the sides of the kayak with my knuckles. But with a longer paddle that's not a problem and paddling is a breeze.



The interior of the kayak is largely taken up by the inflatable chambers. There's a little room behind the cockpit to store things, but really not more than what you might take on a day trip. People looking for more storage should get a deck bag.



Deflating and storing is very easy to - the whole thing breaks down in about 10 minutes and is back in the case and ready for transport. This model stores in a bag about the size of a medium sized suitcase, and weighs about 30 pounds, which makes it quite easy to carry. The fact that it stores so easily is obviously the best "feature" of this inflatable kayak - it can be easily transported in the trunk of a car or even on a plane, and can be stored in a closet of an apartment. Being able to transport it for weekend trips without worrying about lashing it to the top of the car or having to go get it out of a slip somewhere just makes kayaking that much easier to do on a whim.



As for whether or not to buy this one or the larger AdvancedFrame Expedition model, I own both so I have some insight. I bought the smaller one for my wife after I had tested the Expedition model. The smaller one is even easier to inflate (since it has fewer chambers) and is lighter and smaller to store. But the trade-off is a smaller cockpit with less storage space. For me, at 6' 175lbs, the Expedition model seems just right or a little large. For my wife, the smaller one is a perfect fit. I think a person of my size might feel somewhat cramped in the 10' model, as she described it as comfortably snug. So if you're under 5'10" the smaller 10' model might be just fine, but larger folks should consider the Expedition.



Overall this kayak is a great purchase for someone looking for a first kayak to take on casual trips, or for a second kayak for those who might want to travel where they can't take their hardshell. Performance is on par with other hardshell recreational kayaks, but without the hassle of storage or transport. Highly recommended. Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Inflatable Kayak

We've been doing hardshell sit ins and sit upon kayaking, both touring and in the ocean for years. This year we thought it would be fun during a visit to Venice, Italy to kayak the canals and participate in the Vogalonga. After extensive internet research, it didn't appear that there were any kayak rentals easily available in Venice. A little more research and we stumbled on Advanced Elements 10 foot inflatable as a good possibility to take with us to Italy.

We've now tried it out locally touring on flat water 4 times and my wife wants to throw out all of our other kayaks. Warning, the first inflation takes about 20 minutes with the manual; after that it takes about 5 minutes. Fully inflated it tracks pretty well and can keep up a good touring pace with hardshell sit ins. It's comfortable to sit in; my wife keeps on asking if it's OK to inflate it and put it in the water just to nap in.

The take down is simple, quick and the reverse of inflations. We wipe it down with one of those super absorbant camp towels before stowing it in the carrying bag. Then off it goes into the back of the SUV and laughs at us while we spend the next 45 minutes hoisting and securing the remaining kayaks on top of the truck.

I would definitely recommend it as a well designed and constructed inflatable. It's not a pool toy. Let you know how it likes the Italian food.'


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Server Rack - server rack, mac mini


Pros:

- flexible organizing options because you have many shelves & can choose varying configurations for you storage needs.

- easy to assemble - you will need a medium size phillips head screwdriver for the 12 screws. It is machined accurately, so there is no problem getting each of the poles into their corresponding holes.

- considering it's size, the wire supports make structure look open & not like a squat monolith.

- they give you plastic tabs that lock on to the wire supports that you can attach a label to (labels not included).



cons:

- the top and bottom shelves are cheap - one corner on each was damaged

- the middle shelves slide in too easily. When putting a stack of papers on one of them, the shelf moved along with the papers. Since the back is open, this means that the things you put on a shelf can easily slip out the back. I'm thinking that smaller receipts saved for tax purposes will have to go into an envelope before putting on the shelves because they could easily blow off.

- the middle shelves are thin - I wouldn't put anything heavy on any of them. It's probably why they include those tabs - there is no way to label the shelves themselves.



Conclusion - the Rubbermaid brand is not what it used to be - I have some of their products that have been going strong for 20 years now. This thing won't last that long. The idea behind the organizer is good, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe if it was $25 cheaper, I would have given it a better rating. Rubbermaid 12-Slot Organizer, 21W x 11 3/4""D x 16""H, Black (1738583)

First of all, what you get: The unit consists of two MDF boards (top & bottom) and three wire uprights that form the sides. The uprights fit into holes in the boards and are screwed in from the top & bottom. The fit is very good and the unit is sturdy. It comes with 10 sliding shelves made of some composite material. This is more than I expected. In the photo, they only show 5 of the shelves in use. So getting 10 shelf boards was an unexpected plus.



The shelf height turns out to be perfect to fit a Mac Mini. Each shelf is big enough to hold the Mini plus its power supply (for pre-2010 minis, the new ones don't have external power bricks). I used stick-on cable tie holders on the shelves to hold down the power bricks with cable ties, and used small pieces of double-stick foam tape to keep the Minis from sliding. I have five Minis plus external drives nicely running on my unit.

$50-$60 seems a bit expensive for something that cost less than $1.50 to manufacture..but I guess the solution it provides is what matters most. It does the job, organizes, creates space on your desk, and is adjustable. - Mac Mini - Server Rack'


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Mechanical Pencils


I buy these and then sell them to my kids in my classroom. I can sell these for only 25 cents. The kids buy them 4 at a time! The colors are not ideal, a little on the feminine side, and that yellow is icky, but that's what middle school kids think about: the colors of the barrel. I'm just happy with the price. BIC Mechanical Pencil with Metallic Color Barrels 0.7mm 18ct, Black (MPLMP18-Blk)

The BIC ClicMaster #2 looks great and has an amazing eraser. My problem is the tedious manula loading required for EVERY new lead replacment. You have to pull open the eraser, grab one of the extra leads, then hold down the buttons as you slowly feed it into the pen!



Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I doubt it. I've tried opening everything. I've tried patiently clicking the pencil 100x's w/ no lead coing through.



Bottom Line: find something else and save yourself from the messy re-filling required!'


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Rotary Tool - dewalt, power tools


Smooth, powerful, well balanced cutout tool far exceeds the quality of other similar tools. Rugged construction as are all Dewalt power tools. Cuts 3/4" plywood with ease. Can't wait to try it on cement backer board with a carbide bit(not included). Get the kit with the circle cutter...great for plumbing rough-in. DEWALT DW660SK 5-Amp 30,000 RPM Rotary Cut-Out Tool with 1/8-Inch and 1/4-Inch Collets, Side Handle, and Circle Cutter

I bought the Dewalt Dw660sk cut out tool for a home improvement project that involved cutting a rectangular "hole"in a cement board ceiling to run a ventilation duct, and cutting openings in a kitchen cabinet so that the duct would run through the cabinet, through the ceiling and out through the roof. After removing the packaging material on this product,the first thing I noticed was the huge black plastic case this tool came in. The build quality of the case was very good. It is solid, has steel clasps, and a fair amount of room inside for the tool, handle, circle cutter attachment and various bits. The build quality of the tool itself was excellent. Its body is constructed of sturdy yellow plastic, the seams line up, the fit and finish were perfect. Even the stickers and decals were put on straight.That might sound like a small detail to bring up, but I feel it demonstrates the care that went into assembling this tool. Some tool manufactures, like Porter Cable, seem to haphazardly "slap" on their decals and stickers and it makes you wonder how carefully the tool was assembled. This tool also has a certain heft to it, no doubt because of the big 5.0 amp motor, the biggest currently offered for this type of tool. There was virtually no vibration when turning on the tool and the motor seemed to run very smoothly at 30,000 rpm. These are the positive features of this tool. Now for the bad. The motor is ear splittingly loud. I took a test cut into a soft pine board to see how the tool would react, and immediatley stopped and put on a pair of ear muffs. When holding the tool like a router, vertically, and cutting into a horizontal board, the ventilation slots on this tool, which are located about an inch from the spindle, blow saw dust right in your face. Wearing goggles or a face shield is mandatory! Regular glasses are not enough- you will get something in your eye! What a bad place to put the ventilation slots. Dewalt probably did this because they thought it would blow debris off the workpiece. Instead debris spews everywhere. The slots should be placed on the top of the tool to minimize saw dust or cement board dust from flying everywhere. Speaking of cement board or sheet rock, I would never use this tool inside a finished home. You will fill the room with dust. I started to cut my ceiling with this tool and switched to a sheet rock hand saw because of the dust. For an electrician or contractor cutting electric box openings or trimming sheet rock in an unfinished house this tool might be ok if you can stand the dust and noise. How does it cut? It cut the cement board fairly quickly with the bit I bought for cutting cement board. I used the supplied general purpose bit that came with the kit to cut my cabinet openings and it cut extremely slowly through the 1/2 inch pine of the cabinet. I switched to a jig saw and that worked much faster. Loading a bit in this tool is also awkward. You have push down a button on the the spindle lock and on another button simultaneously on the plastic sleeve above the spindle and then twist the plastic sleeve to tighten the collet. It's almost impossible to tighten the bit tight enough by hand to keep it from spinning in the collet. It's easier to just press down on the spindle lock and use a wrench to tighten the metal nut below the plastic sleeve to tighten a bit. Dewalt should have included a wrench to do this. As far as bit life is concerned, a 1/4" bit should be the minimum diameter you use for cutting anything. The 1/8" supplied bits are so flimsy and flex so much that I broke one of them in 1/2" soft pine. And I didn't apply hard pressure to the work piece. Am I keeping this tool? No. I think it was poorly designed and is not very effective for wood. It works fairly well on cement board if you buy the right bit, but you could use a hand saw and create much less dust and make your cuts just as quickly. Dewalt assembled a nicely finished tool, but the design and limited functionality of this cut out tool do not add anything special to the tool industry. Jig saws, sheet rock hand saws, and hole saws can do what this tool is supposed to do more effectively and with less mess. That is why I gave this tool two stars.

I have owned a roto-zip and the dremmel. They just don't have the power of this DeWalt. The circle cutter option is very handy and really does a nice job. If you are hanging drywall this of course is a must. For recessed lighting it really makes things easy. Put your drywall in place, start somwhere on the inside of the light. Work your way out to the edge, carefully work your way over the outside and then follow the outside of the light all the way around. The can will pop through and you will have a perfect cut. This is a great tool.

As an electrician i use this tool 5-7 times a week and cut everything- 1" thick sold oak cabinates,sheetrock,plywood of all types and thickness,ceramic tile and even use to modify plastic outlet boxes and cover plates- I've used and broke a couple rotozips in my job and this Dewalt has better power and a much better feel than the rotozip in my opinion.The noise level of this tool isn't any different than any other tool in this class and noise levels depend on meterial you are cutting. Granted i don't use the handle or circle cutter that much in my job but when you do need to cut a nice round hole the circle jig is a MUST have. The toolless bit change is also a great time saver since you do break bits fairly often with this type of tool.I highly recomend this tool and with amazons price being about $20 cheaper than Lowes or Home Depot i'm buy one right now so my boss can have his back :) - Dewalt - Power Tools - M_tools'


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Headlight Restore - turtle wax, headlight


Simply put, it does what's it's supposed to. This bad boy turned my almost beyond redemption - yellow crust covered headlights into working headlights again. It didn't turned them into 100% "like new" headlights but it did restore about 90% of their long gone "Like new" look. Which was more than enough to pass with flying colors the rigorous Maryland State inspection, which was basically the reason I purchased this thing in the first place.



Just a word of warning: Grab yourself a low stool or chair to sit down in front of your headlights at a comfortable level and 2 or 3 servings of the cold drink of your choice and Be prepared to spend the most boring hour of your life rubbing this thing until your forearms go numb. Yes, this thing works but it's 50% elbow grease powered. But for 10 bucks and with the included pads, you can't go wrong. Oh, and you'll only spend about 1/4 of the contents on the job (2 headlights). So I'd say this kit lasts enough to restore the headlights in 4 vehicles. 1 more thing: Make sure to have a little bit of car wax at hand before starting the job. You'll need it at the end to seal the finish and it's not included in the kit. (I noticed this just when I was ready to begin and I had to drop everything and make a run to store for some wax) All in all, just for the bang for your buck and the effectiveness of the product, 5 stars. Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit

I actually bought this kit plus the 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System kit.



Quick rundown on the differences:



3M Headlight Lens Restoration System

* $12 after rebate

* drill attachment

* dry sanding method

* comes with a small bag of polish compound

* lens protectant sold separately



Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit

* $8 no rebate

* no drill attachment

* wet sanding method

* comes with a bottle of polish compound

* lens protectant included



Being a cheaper kit, I had my doubts because of the hand sanding method, but result turns out better than the 3M kit. It's mainly due to the included sealant though. This thing seals off any remaining scratch and dry off to protect the lens from further damage, a very nice touch by Turtle Wax. 3M sold the sealant separately so if you plan on using the 3M kit, careful because the result may not be permanent. Go with Turtle Wax if you are willing to spend extra times using hand (less risky than using drill if you ask me), the result is simply amazing and it cost less.

I was very impressed with this product. It was easy to use (as in not complicated, but it did require some elbow grease) and very effective in my case.



I was expecting to have to work very hard to restore one of the headlights on my 13 year old Z3. When I bought the car, one headlight looked almost new because it had been replaced a few years ago, but the other was very clouded and didn't put out much light.



Per the instructions I tried the compound on the lens first. If that fails you're supposed to use the sanding pads and lubricant. It took about 10 minutes of rubbing but the compound alone was enough to completely clear the lens. It worked so well I had to polish the other lens to make them match. I never even had to use the sanding pads.



It's been 2 months since doing the repair and both headlights still look almost new. Definitely time and money well spent.

I used this on a 1995 Mazda Protege where the headlight on one side had yellowed much more than the other, presumably from the car being parked in the same place all the time and having different exposure to the sun.



This kit didn't work very well on the extreme yellow ... I went from the cream to the pads to my own fine-grit (800, I think) sandpaper and various buffing compounds. The final result after a couple of hours, on ONE headlight, was only OK -- but good enough to pass Virginia inspection.



I don't know if it was the age of the car, or Mazda's type of plastic lens, or something else. But if your car is old or heavily yellowed, you might try a Plan B.

So, I actually had already purchased two new headlights for my wife's 1996 Ford Contour to the tune of about $200 when I came upon this product. Two hours later, I had shipped the headlights back and had two, crystal clear, gleaming, "like-new" headlights. Yellow crustiness was gone and they look better than I've ever seen them. Granted, and like everyone else on here has said, you have to put some "elbow grease" into this, but it is very much worth the time, energy and money. Be sure you have some car wax on hand after you're finished to complete this project per the instructions. Also, another guy on here said to grab a stool or something to sit on while you do this and to him I say "Thank You".

In short:

Saved: $190.00 (mailed new headlights back)

Spent: $8.49

Time: About 45 minutes

Results: Excellent.

Until a few short years ago, yellowed, hazy plastic headlight lenses meant one of two things: Have them professionally restored, or, replace them. Either way, the solution wasn't cheap. As the major players in do-it-yourself car care have produced and marketed their individual products for headlight restoration, I've tried them just to see which ones are worth a damn and which ones aren't and so far each has performed well with the end result being largely the same: clear or clearer headlight lenses. There are two main differences in the products across the board. One is obvious and the other not so obvious. The obvious difference is the price of the respective restoration kits. The Turtle Wax kit is the least expensive and while Flitz will set you back about $30.00. Meguiar's and 3M are right in the middle at around $15-$18. But if all of them do a decent job, why spend the extra money for the more respected names? I mean, that's really all your paying for right? No. The other difference I mentioned, the not so obvious one, is the strength of the product and ease of use. Depending how bad your lenses have become, the Turtle Wax kit will have you spending quite a while exerting a fair amount of energy sanding and rubbing and buffing to achieve the results you desire. If your lenses are the color of a cloudy urine, you're in for a good hour or more to get your lenses clear/clearer. The 3M kit comes with a drill attachment which eliminates the need for sanding by hand but, in the wrong, over-aggressive hands, will surely mean burned or badly damaged lenses very quickly. The key to the kits which employ a sanding disk which attaches to your drill is to keep the RPM's low and to minimize the amount of heat while still applying a fair amount of friction. All of the kits do one common thing. They remove a small amount of plastic from the outer portion of the lens via the use of sand paper and chemicals. Another BIG consideration when choosing which kit to buy is the long-term performance of the clarifier: the clear liquid which is applied as the final step in the restoration process. The clarifier does two things: Its shiny, clear makeup clarifies or virtually erases the dull appearance the plastic lens has very much like the way acrylic floor finish brightens up and shines a dull floor. The other thing the clarifier does is provides UV protection to the lens. I don't have enough data yet to state whether any of the brands uses a superior clarifying solution to any of the others. I can tell you that no matter which one you choose to purchase, you need to go one step further and apply a good, heavy coat of Caranauba wax to your freshly restored lenses. This will help resist the yellowing exponentially as well as to help protect the micro-thin layer of clarifier you applied.



The bottom line is this: You will achieve the same results no matter which of the brands you choose. The amount of work you will be required to do is in direct proportion to the cost of the product.



TIP: No matter which brand you choose to purchase, it's vital that you do not get the freshly restored lens wet for several hours after applying the clarifier. It's best to let it cure overnight and then apply the wax I mentioned above prior to the lenses being exposed to water. - Headlight - Clean Headlights - Car Care - Turtle Wax'


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Samsung Lcd


The picture on this TV was stunning right out of the box. After a few minor adjustments it was as close to perfect as I could imagine. It came with the SQ01 panel and it would be hard to differentiate the color depth and quality from some of the plasma sets I looked at. The TV is in a very bright room and the matte screen cuts out glare with no picture degradation. The viewing angle is very good, though we are never more than 25 to 30 degrees off center. The picture is very stable from channel to channel with no change in the back lighting that I can see, and the standard definition picture is almost HD quality when using the 16:9 picture format. It has separate settings for processing speed and anti-judder for motion blur when using the Custom view mode, unlike the majority of sets that combine both settings into one. I watch a lot of sports and really don't notice motion blur at 60hz so its certainly not an issue at 120hz. I'm not a gamer, so for my viewing habits I see no need to spend more for a 240hz option. The sound is very good for normal TV viewing. It can be connected to a home network and I have also hooked it up to my laptop using the VGA connection to watch Netflix and even that produces an acceptable SD picture. There are multiple picture settings you can use to suit just about any programming source, including watching at 120hz without the "soap opera" effect that some people find so annoying. There are 4 HDMI and 2 USB connections, plus one for headphones. There is no S video so you may need cables to hook up older external equipment. UVerse is the programming source.



One thing about settings. The first evening the picture suddenly got much darker and even though I would reset the brightness, it would get dark again once I left the menu. I spoke with Samsung and they had no idea why this was happening. It turns out this set automatically adjusts the picture to your room brightness in the Standard viewing mode, which is the factory default. You can change this in the Eco portion of the picture menu to never go below a certain brightness level or you can turn it off completely. This is not an issue when using any other viewing mode.



The last time I bought a LCD I continued to look around in case I found something better. That will not be the case this time as I am completely satisfied. Pilot shipping through Amazon was great. They delivered on time, set up the TV and swivel stand, and had everything working in 5-10 minutes.



Added note on Warranty: If you purchase an item with your Amazon Visa, or pretty much any credit card from a major bank, it extends the manufacturer's warranty 100% over the original duration (one year to two, etc.) at no cost. Amazon verified this but check with your bank if you use a non-Amazon card. Samsung LN46C630 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

Firstly, it's important to point out that I was shopping strictly for a high quality 1080p display. I have a home theater with external speakers and an advanced learning remote so the TV's audio quality and stock remote played an insignificant role in my decision to purchase this model. Now then, the LN46C630 was the best 46" 1080p display I could find that had all the features I was looking for. My criteria were for a model with 120hz, an adequate amount of HDMI inputs (4), a pc input, largely tweakable picture controls, excellent black levels, an absence of motion blur, and a cost of under $1000. This TV possesses all of those things, and beat out the competition of similar LG and Sony models because of what I deemed to be the cleanest, most well defined image, along with superior black levels. The only thing I felt lacking on this TV was the screen texture which is more prone to glare. Though, because my room is quite dark that was of no real concern either, but could be to others with more ambient light in there viewing room.



Here are a couple features I learned about only after I had the set that may be useful in making a decision.:



-The TV has Eco Sensor which will automatically adjust the brightness of the TV based on the ambient light of the room. No worries, this CAN easily be turned off, and is definitely something to be aware of.



-In the Advanced settings menu there are 2 expert patterns that you can use to dial in your picture settings. One is a contrast / brightness pattern, the other a color pattern.



-If you'll be using the TV's speakers there is volume equalization which adjusts the volume automatically as you switch channel to channel.



-You can stream media to this TV through your wired LAN or from an external USB storage device. if you want to do wireless, you'll need Samsung's optional wireless adapter.



-The stock remote has a very narrow IR stream. You'll want to point it not at the center of the screen as most people do, but at the bottom right corner. It works fantastic once you learn to do that.



Some other important notes I'd mention to those that purchase this model:



-At default levels the contrast is maxed out to 100 for every input. I and many others refer to this as "torch mode". That setting will shorten the life of your TV immensely and it needs to be adjusted first thing for each input. While properly calibrating your TV is more than I care to get into here (and pointless since every display is different as well as every input), a setting of 50 contrast and 50 brightness is good place to start for those that don't have any other means of calibrating it more precisely. I also lowered the back light from a default 14 to 10.



-Under the picture options there is a setting called Auto Motion Plus. This is what controls motion blur. Familiarize yourself with the effects of this control. If you are like me it's going be disturbing to have this control on "Standard' to view bluray movies because it removes the natural blur of the camera moving and panning which to me is an annoyance. I use the "Clear" mode or just turn it off for movies.



-Also the effects of the sharpness control only add noise to your image, use the sharpness control very judiciously. I have mine all the way down to a setting of 9.



All in all this is a fantastic set for the price. The very minor issues it has are far outweighed by the price, the amazing picture quality, and the tremendous control you have over adjusting the image to your liking.'


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Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma - deal, 3d


Like everyone else interested in making the big screen purchase, I spent hours every night reading reviews, shopping around, comparing specs and prices, and trying to decide whether I should go lcd or plasma. Ultimately, I ended up just going to the local BB and seeing which one looked and felt right to me. I purchased this beautiful 55in plasma and I couldn't be happier about it. I've had it for over two weeks now and I don't have a single complaint. The picture is great and the sound is just fine for my living space(apartment). The 2D-3D conversion is alright but you should not expect much from any television's conversion. The 3D Blu-Ray is a different story - The Ultimate Wave Tahiti is AMAZING (I had to watch it twice because I didn't follow a word because I was so blown away by the picture) and Resident Evil Afterlife was fun to watch (the 3D at least).

I realized that all the hours I spent reading super detailed reviews was somewhat a waste of time because when it comes down to it, I don't really care about or even notice the subtle differences that so many people compare. I just wanted a solid tv with great picture at an affordable price and this was it.

The setup was beyond easy. The remote and on-screen menus are very user-friendly.

The widgets all work just fine. Watching youtube videos on a 55in can be entertaining.

My roommate and I are traveling surfers and licensed skydivers so we have plenty of GoPro HD videos that we watch on this tv using the SD card slot(we also watch them through the youtube widget)and they look phenomenal.



BOTTOM LINE: If you want a solid big screen with great picture at the right price then this is it. Highly recommend. If you have any questions then just leave a comment. Panasonic VIERA TC-P55ST30 55-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV

Let me start off by saying I am a pretty critical viewer. In the last month I have demoed, previewed and tested the following models almost to the point where my wife was thinking I was a little crazy.



1. pn50c7000 - Black levels were not anywhere close to what I would expect for a current Plasma but very clean image with accurate colors. This TV buzzed quite a bit as well



2. p50gt25 - This TV buzzed, had great black levels which apparently rise over the life of the panel. Good colors but had a ton of noise in any HD format that was compressed such as cable or satellite. The noise filter on this set to me, appeared to be inferior to the Samsung.



I had ordered the pn51d7000 (2011 model) thinking it would have great black levels and the clear picture only to find that it's black levels are being measured higher than last years pn50c7000.



So, needless to say, I was getting very frustrated. I could not find a set that met my needs. I recently acquired the p55st30 and the minute I turned it on I was amazed. The image noise was completely gone, the black levels were deep and revealing, it did not buzz and had great color saturation and had the POP you would normally associate with an HD signal.



My wife who is just a normal TV watcher commented about the clarity of this panel. "It is almost like looking through a window," "It is like the actor is here in the room with us"



I also game a lot and I have not noticed ANY image retention whatsoever, smooth motion, 0 lag. The other two models I tested above had obvious bouts with image retention which is to be expected on a new plasma. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the st30 handled that.



The internet features work great (not something I would be using a lot) So far I have not found one thing to not like about this TV. The image quality is vastly superior to the other two TVs I returned. I don't see how anyone could go wrong with the st30. I am extremely picky about image quality and this TV has surpassed my expectations. GO GET THIS TV. The fact I have taken the time to write this review goes a long way to show how impressed I am with the st30.



I also wanted to thank Amazon for being so understanding though my ordering and return process. They are THE BEST ONLINE retailer I have ever worked with. After selling and ordering thousands of dollars of items via Amazon, and not having a single complaint, it goes without saying how great Amazon is a a company.

As with most guys buying a new expensive electronic toy I did weeks worth of research on TV's. My previous TV was a 2007 Samsung plasma (720p) and I really loved it for the time that I had it but I was intrigued by the new LED line of TV's. Before doing research I thought that this was the future and that plasmas were going to be phased out but I soon found out this is not the case. In fact LED TV's are no more than LCD TV's with LED backlighting while true LED's (OLED) being thousands of dollars for 42" models and scarce availability.



Regardless I went out and bought what I felt was a bargain, a 60" Sharp Aquos Quattron 60LE832U from BJ's for $1,799. It was thin, had wireless connectivity built in, 60", and cheap for what you got. The picture was good but I soon noticed a lot of artifacts in the picture. The color from the factory was overly bright and oversaturated. I am usually one who likes a slightly less realistic picture in favor of slightly more saturated and vivid images too but this was over the top. No matter what I could not get the picture quality right and there were definitely motion issues even with the claimed 240Hz aquamotion. Turns out it isn't truly 240Hz and it suffers from the same motion issues that all LCD's are plagued with. Frustrated I looked over to the plasma side but was apprehensive because in the store plasmas always look horrible. Their pictures are dull and over-brightened to where the blacks look gray and they are always next to shiny LED/LCD's that look so good. I had enough in my account to grab a second TV thankfully to see what it looked like next to the Sharp and figured I would take back the one that looked worse. In this case I was losing 5" in picture and was worried that the ambient light in my living room would drown out the plasma picture because this had always been a problem with plasma.



The second I hooked up this TV I was blown away! The color even out of the box was breathtaking and the blacks were spot on. There was a golf tournament on and I felt like I was there looking through a window. The Sharp had good resolution but it felt fake since the picture was so bright (even when turned down) and the motion unrealistic. I immediately packed up the Sharp and took it back. I am telling you if you are thinking of LED/LCD don't do it, plasma is where it's at and you cannot beat the picture on this TV for the price, it is unbelievable!!! LED/LCD just hasn't been perfected enough which is why there are so many different types such as edge-lit, full array, etc.



I do want to mention for those of you looking to get this TV that I highly recommend you break the TV in for the first 100 hours by not displaying any static images such as logos or game HUD's. I also recommend running the slides that can be found here:[...] for the first 100 hours of the TV to age the phosphors in the TV evenly. The best way to do this is to put these slides on an SD card and run them through media player making sure to run the slideshow on loop mode and continuously. This allows each pixel to age at the exact same rate so that after the 100 hours each pixel has the same color saturation. Early on phosphors are soft and get hotter than normal, making them more susceptible to burn in and image retention but as they age they harden and their colors become more normalized. After this time burn in is less of an issue and your TV will calibrate much better as each pixel has a normalized color to the one next to it. The best settings for the TV can be found here: [...]Issues-Thread but must not be used until AFTER the 100 hour break in time! Remember not to use vivid mode for the first 100 hours either as this can increase chance of image retention although on newer TV's it isn't as much of an issue anymore.



Now on to the actual review:



Pros:

1) Picture quality - Absolutely stunning, the picture is as realistic as it comes with good saturation and the brightness is perfect. I have put this TV next to everything out there include the GT30 and VT30 and there is absolutely no different from what my eyes can see. All you get is THX mode and 1 HDMI and USB port on the other models and anyone who tells you the PQ is better on those is just being overly critical and properly a complete calibration nut because I just can't see it nor can most people.



2) Black levels - Any deeper of a black and it would look fake, even when the brightness is turned up they stay completely black, it isn't not a stupid balancing act like it is with LED/LCD where you have to tradeoff black levels for other things like brightness.



3) Internet apps/connectivity/networking - Comes with a wireless dongle to allow connection to your network and it is much more useful than I thought. DLNA works 1000x better than the Sharp which was clunky, slow, and didn't play all media types. The ST30 even previews your video files on your network as you are scrolling through them, it is a very cool feature and is very responsive. The apps are great too with pretty much everything you would be looking for such as Pandora and Youtube.



4) Price - As I mentioned before you cannot beat this PQ for the price. $1499 at most places and it can even be found a tad cheaper. The Vizio 4SV 55" model is almost $2000 and is large, ugly, and has a myriad of problems such as randomly turning off. This is a documented problem that you can search for and Vizio is apprehensive to fix it for anyone.



5) 3D - I'll admit I wasn't really big on this and the Sharp I bought didn't even have it because I could care less about it but this one did (and was cheaper, go figure). I am really glad now that it does have it as the 3D is simply breathtaking and there is little to no crosstalk at all! All the other makers (except maybe Sony) had a lot of crosstalk, especially Samsung. The Sony I viewed had great 3D but it was also running on a demo in the store hooked to a bluray which is a bit deceiving compared to watching it on DirecTV or something. Also be aware that Vizio TV's are not listed (right now) as a supported 3DTV with DirecTV!





Cons:

1) Only con I can think of is that the 60" model is almost $600 more, which is a bit ridiculous. I was hoping it was more like $300 more as I probably would have jumped on it if so.



2) Nothing else, this TV absolutely rocks!





Bottom line:

If you are on the fence with which TV to get or you are debating plasma vs. LED/LCD please take this review seriously and try the plasma, I am almost going to guarantee that for this price that you are going to like it more. The new Samsung 55" LED/LCD is $2650, while this amazing 2011 plasma is $1499, no need to spend $1200 more! - Deal - 240hz - 3d - High Definition'


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Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma - deal, 3d 3d Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma - deal, 3d

Bathroom - faucet, shower


Was a little confused by description "Tub-Wall Mount " but found out from plumber this NOT a tub mount. It is a wall mount. There may be a way to tub mount it but it would require a work around, My plumber said to return it and get a tub mount one (Inlets are 3/4 IPS and are on 3 3/8 center to center). Which I easily installed by myself. Kingston Brass KS266C Victoria 3-Inch to 9-Inch Wall Mount Tub and Shower Faucet, Polished Chrome

This faucet is awesome! It was average price, not super expensive, but not cheap either. The construction of the faucet is great...very sturdy! Easy to install and use! It doesn't not include the drain and pipe! So you must be prepared to buy that too. But again, it is perfect on my refinished clawfoot tub! I love the vintage look!!!

I absolutely LOVE this beautiful faucet. It's a bit pricey but well worth every penny. The water flow is excellent. The handles are easy to use. The hand held faucet is what sold me on this item. And I LOVE IT! Even the plumber commented on what a good purchase this was.

If you're in doubt don't be. This is a stunning item. Works beautifully. I love that I am able to rinse my toddler's hair with the handheld.

First of all, GREAT SERVICE from the supplier.

Shipped right away and arrived in perfect condition.



The faucet combination came with all the parts and they appear very sturdy.

Mounted well to the wall of the bathroom that is one inch thick. The wall composed of 1/2-inch Durock, 1/2-inch plywood, all covered with Hydro Ban (a professional waterproofing paint.)



Both the faucet and shower wand yield good water pressure from the supply line.

The faucets only need 1/4 turn for full on/off.

The chrome finish appears nice, shinny and thick. With proper care, I have hope that the finish will last a very long time. Since being installed one month, there have been no problems.

Great price on a quality faucet. Looks wonderful on our antique clawfoot tub and everything

works great on it. Love the shower attachment - works flawlessly. Also the nickel looks

rich and not cheap. Nicely done!

I purchased this to replace a similar off-brand that developed a crack that leaked and could not be repaired. I am very pleased with the appearance and craftsmanship of this faucet. Handles act smoothly and positively, and the valve that actuates the hand shower works just as well, totally diverting all water to the hand unit. Pleased with purchase and price. - Shower - Faucet'


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Bathroom - faucet, shower faucet Bathroom - faucet, shower