Guy Low Price Electronic: 25 Dec 2008

Thursday 25 December 2008

Yoga Mat Bag - manduka mat, yoga mat bag

This is a good bag as it's well ventilated and large enough for my 71-inch BlackMatPro. I like that it's made of canvas and easily washable (it smelled when I got it new).

One big flaw for the high price: The metal links of the strap dig into the shoulder and HURT! It has a strap pad but if you're carrying the bag vertically up and down your back, the position is so that the metal clasp is right on the meat of your shoulder. It's tolerable for walking from the car to the studio, but if your trekking from home, you may need to cover it with foam or something.

This is one of the most expensive bags available, so for ~$50 I'd say it's okay; I haven't found one any better. Manduka Mat Sak (Large, Graphite)

and worth it but if you're most concerned about price there are much less expensive, functional bags out there, albeit not as good looking. The bag lacks a secure place to store small items such as ID, cell phone, keys, etc...but has a generous sized side compartment which comfortably fits a towel, strap and bottle of water.

The bag is very well constructed and (mostly) well designed- plenty of space for the large mat and one change of clothes thoughtful pocket for keys, etc...but the zipper jams on the interior lining if you're not careful.

I loved it for the first three uses...but then the zipper jammed for the 3rd time.

Fumbling for my keys through the jammed zipper opening, I triggered the car alarm. Then I just ripped the bag open.

That is all.

Namaste.

I bought and then returned this bag. It's cute, but the zippers wouldn't open fully (they got stuck about two inches from the end). Since I own a large mat, not being able to completely open the zippers was a major problem.

I bought this to carry my new extra-long Manduka yoga mat. You can't see it well from the pictures, but there are two zippers...one side for the mat, the other side for extras. That other side is a great fit for my yogitoes mat towel and there's also a smaller zippered compartment inside for keys and such. Very practical and the padded shoulder strap is nice.

The bag is very sturdy, but the only thing negative about is that the yoga mat has to be rolled immaculately so it fits in the bag snugly, otherwise you will have to keep re-rolling the mat to make it fit in the bag.

I bought this with my extra long Manduka mat. It holds the mat on one side and holds a pair of jeans and a polo shirt easily in the other. Not much room for anything else though but that's good I suppose otherwise it would look like carry on luggage. Zippers are heavy duty and strap is comfortably wide. I like the handle on the side, too...comes in handy when I pull the bag from my backseat.

I am really glad I bought this bag. I have the 85 inch mat and this bag holds my mat, manduka towel and eye pillow. There is also a mesh pocket where I keep my keys and cash.

I would highly recommend this bag. The manduka mat is heavy and the padded shoulder strap is great! - Manduka - Yoga - Manduka Mat - Yoga Mat Bag'

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Orson Scott Card - classic science fiction, fantasy

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This is a much better than average Ace anthology. Typically Ace, it doesn't quite live up to its hype. The twenty six stories collected here are not the "Best Science Fiction of the Century" by anybody's count, even Orson Scott Card's own. Card himself describes his selection process in the Introduction: these are stories he loved at the first reading, enjoys on repeat readings, and "[a]bove all, these are stories that I cannot forget."I, however, *can* forget several of these stories - and already have, a mere few days after reading them. Most of the forgettable stories are the more recent ones, which is probably not a coincidence. Early science fiction (pre-1960s, let's say) is almost inherently more worthwhile than most later science fiction, and the stories selected here are cases in point. Terry Bisson's "Bears Discover Fire" is a meandering inanity. "Dog Fight" by William Gibson and Michael Swanwick is a drugs and sex tale, "appealing" only in the way that Trainspotting was "appealing." "Rat" by James Patrick Kelly is similar.There are, however, some truly, truly great stories here, which more than merit four stars. "The Tunnel Under the World" by Frederick Pohl, for example, ends with a revelation worth the price of admission. "Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven is full of emotional impact as two individuals adjust to the thought of the sun going nova. George R. R. Martin's "Sandkings", despite being relatively recent, is a story that would might expect from Stephen King at the top of his game. Heinlein's "All You Zombies-" is a time-travel story to make the head spin. James Blish's "A Work of Art" puts Richard Strauss into the 22d century. Perhaps the most enjoyable of all is "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Biggle, writing in 1957, the dawn of the television age, predicts a society where commercials have subsumed all other forms of art, until a gifted musician appears to save society. A surprisingly moving story, and finely crafted, skilfully bringing the reader full circle without the reader ever suspecting that he was moving....if you truly want "masterpieces," you should pick up Silverberg's Science Fiction Hall of Fame, volume one, or even the Best of the Nebulas edited by Ben Bova. But if you want several excellent stories by talented writers, you would do much worse than this collection of Card's favorites. Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century

Don't be fooled by the title. There are very few "masterpieces" in this book. Even the stories by "masterpiece" authors are not their best (Asimov, Heinlein, Silverberg, Ellison, and Aldiss, for example). Where are Bester, Wolfe, Zelazny, and and Robert Reed? -- writers whose genius was at its best in shorter venues. Almost half of this book (which is "The Best Science Fiction of the Century") is from the 80s and 90s, much by unheard of authors. On top of that Card's introductions are very sloppy. In one he uses the phrase "science fiction" three times in one sentence. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that Card actually edited the book. It looks like Ace decided to put together an anthology to boost residual sales, putting the focus on more contemporary work and getting a popular author to put his name on the cover.

This latest "best ... of the century" actually consists of twenty-six tales from the second half of the twentieth century and one story from the 1940s. Either that means science fiction matured considerably after World War II, the editor is too young to appreciate the early years, or the anthology should be labeled differently. In either case, the contributions are all aces and represent the wide gamut of the genre divided into three classifications: "The Golden Age, "The New Wave", and "The Media Generation". Though I enjoyed the other two periods, my favorite stories are from "The New Wave" because I cut my molars on several of these including having read some while working on a masters thesis involving science fiction. Regardless of nostalgia or other reasons for personal taste, each entry is powerful and shows how enlightening the genre can be when written by masters like those who rendered entries to MASTERPIECES: THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE CENTURY.Harriet Klausner

Masterpieces is the most accessible anthology of great science fiction short stories I have ever read. Every piece was easy to get into, yet not lacking in depth. Only the Niven and Asimov pieces were even vaguely familiar -- well, I've read absolutely ALL of Asimov. Each author was carefully and, in my opinion, well selected. I was especially impressed by George R.R. Martin's menacing "Sandkings", C.J. Cherryh's "Pots", set in yet another invented universe, and by "Dogfight", the most readable Gibson (written with Michael Swanwick) I've ever encountered, but still illuminated by narrative from within cyberspace. I thoroughly enjoyed every story.

This title of the book is wrongly chosen, which I don't believe, or some people wanted to betray other people.It's of course a tricky business to choose _the_ masterpieces of the century. I think that Card could/should have invested more time in seeking pieces that actually deserve the title best.I have nothing against Card, but I hope that some editor will soon make a defining best of anthology.Still three stars. Why? Let me explain. This isn't all mediocre.The good: Call me Joe, All You Zombies, Nine Billion Names, Repent, Eurema's Dam, Passengers, Who Can Replace, Le Guin story, Niven story, SANDKINGS, dogfight and Snow of Crowley.That's a lot of good stories. I didn't like the recent ones.Most others were very readable. If this anthology wouldn't have featured such a title it would get four stars.If somebody would lower the price and remove some stories from this book it would get five stars.Now, if I would create an anthology bearing this name your eyes would roll out of their sockets. It would include Cordwainer Smith, Henry Kuttner, Kornbluth, brown etc. My reference book will therefore remain The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, vol. one, ed. by Silverberg. For now.If you really want to own these stories then by all means buy this book. But remember its setup. The editor and publisher lured you to buy this book. Don't stink into it. Look beyond the sausage and go hunt some other best of....Just my thoughts. Hey, just to keep things straight: I didn't buy this book. I know its contents. - Orson Scott Card - Classic Science Fiction - Fantasy - Intelligent Sf'

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Arts And Crafts - rotary tools, disappointment

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Dremel has really upgraded with this new plunge router attachment for the rotary tool. It fits all the usual corded tools and even the new Li-Ion cordless!Great new features like: Plunge capability, clear base, bigger base, rotary tool mounting is very sturdy and rigid, depth stop, big edge guide that goes all the way to the bit.The locking handle takes a little getting used to. Because it locks with one handle and plasic was used for the base there is a little flex back after locking. Plastic for the base to be clear is a benefit, but the plastic for the top plate was probably to save cost so they could price it closer to what the old router was. Anyway, when I really want to be accurate with my depth, I make sure to measure the distance from the bottom of the base to the bit with a metal scale. That way I know the depth is what I want. If it was all metal I'd give it a 5, but then the cost would probably keep me from buying it. It's great for the small router jobs I do(signs, door striker plate installation etc.) and I would recommend it! Dremel 335-01 Plunge Router Attachment

Fine tool for "small delicate projects" mainly because the wing nuts used to tighten the guide bar (for straight and circular routing) are made of plastic with a metal screw. It is impossible to tighten them enough to keep the tool working straight. On a solid wood project the tool jumped around because of the way it loosely sits in the plastic base. Because of the vibration the screws that are meant to retain the depth of cut unscrew them selves, changing your settings unless you really lock them in place. Yes; for small delicate projects, but be ready for a lot of troubleshooting and make sure you practice on some scrap so you totally know what you are getting yourself into :)

Making a plunge cut is chancy without a base of this nature. A Dremel tool is a petite router great for delecate operations. The base on this attachment is as large as one used in 1/4hp routers, negating an asset.

The attachment points of the router to the base are close together near the bottom end of the router. It is easy to wiggle the tool even when screws are firmly tightened.

This is a useful concept; it can do what it is supposed to do, but is less than ideal.

I almost didn't buy this thing because of Frederick Jurewicz's review saying you have to completely remove the Dremel each time you need to change a bit. But I did end up buying it and now I don't know what that guy was talking about. You can easily remove and replace bits on the tool without having to detach everything.

This is a great product for small applications. I am using it to route guitar cavities. Pickups, neck pocket, control cavity, etc. I can see what I am doing and can go slowly. Yes it takes more time than a huge router, but this works for me. It fits my dremel perfectly and you can see and have access to change the bit. I read another review that said you needed to remove the dremel to change the bit. That doesn't apply and is not correct unless the person had a mis match with the dremel. It specifies which dremels fit this rig. Be sure yours is on the list.

I love this thing. If you are doing small jobs try it. This is also the best price I found including ebay.

The Dremel plunge router base is a great accessory, but you have to recognize its limitations and live within them.

Rotary tools work at high speeds, but they produce low torque. This means they just won't chew through lots of hard materials very well-- or at all. The trick is to let the bit shave away the wood. This means routing in a series of passes, not all at once. When you use it this way, this plunge router base is a real winner. You can do decorative work with a Dremel freehand, but this base is the only way to achieve consistent depth in straight lines. With a little practice-- and some good luck-- it's even possible to "write" cursively with it on wood.

A real issue is the price of the bits. Dremel brand bits are very high quality, but they're also pricey. Brand X bits are cheaper, but they tend to wear out more quickly. Of course, this is an issue with all Dremel tools and accessories, not just this plunge base, but it is something to think about.

So, as is the case with all tools, you have to understand and live within its limitations. I'm very happy I bought this accessory, and I'd gladly do so again.

I do a lot of solid guitar body work and this attachment works very well for the tremelo cavities. Sturdy enough for my application but a little too much play between the two vertical posts and their sleeves for real detailed work, but that's probably not what this was designed to do. I am very pleased with the performance here.

The Dremel 335-01 plunge router base does work as advertised, up to a point. It does turn the Dremel tool into a small lightweight router. Side to side motion is easy to control, and freehand routing is possibile with this base. It could also serve as a tool holder for other applications, e.g., grinding.

I bought the plunge router base for inlay work. I intended to use it to clean out the recess for the inlay. It can be used for that purpose, but barely. The depth adjustment requires fussy trial and error, and once set is still imprecise & unreliable. The base is made of plastic and is too flexible. Therefore, the depth stop cannot control the depth of cut. As a consequence, the plunge feature is useless for precise work.

This a major problem for inlay that is, for example, 1/32" thick. The depth stop has to be adjustable to within 1/64" or so, to leave the inlay a bit proud, so it can be smoothed flush with the workpiece.

I cannot rely on this tool for inlay work. Inlay is the last step before finishing, and there is a lot of time and money into the workpiece by that step. A ruined recess could mean a ruined workpiece. Instead, I use a Veritas Router Plane (a hand tool). It is very precise and stable. People looking for a power tool for precise inlay work should consider the Stewart-MacDonald base. It costs twice as much, and is not a plunge base, but apparently it can be adjusted precisely.

If precise depth adjustment is important to you, keep looking. - Rotary Tool Accessories - Woodworking - Rotary Tools - Disappointment'

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Cordless Drills - compact, driver

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As a long time Milwaukee fan, it was worrying a few years ago when ownership of Milwaukee changed. With that change, there was a concern that the longstanding quality of their tools would diminish. With this 2410-20 drill, there seems to be little to worry about!

The straight and true: the tool is SOLID, fit/finish is excellent, there is no flex in the handle (other than the comfortable, soft coating). The battery has zero slop in the handle, works for longer than expected and charges quickly. Given the compact size, torque is also better than I hoped for with high speed being a great choice for driving screws (took the tool to work for moving audio equipment in a bunch of sound racks).

The wobble: there is only one part that I've found to deserve criticism - the chuck. It seems great and very similar to the excellent chucks on the V18 drills (minus the carbide grip inserts). While there is very little run-out in mine, the chuck auto-loosens. Driving screws in results in the momentum (on high speed) loosening the grip a little bit each time a screw hits bottom (or the brake of the drill is used when letting go of the trigger). Really cranking the chuck tight helps in delaying the loosening but does not seem to eliminate the problem with the screwdriver bit dropping out after 15 to 20 screws. Although this is a huge problem, the tool is good enough otherwise that it is still a keeper.

After experiencing the positive qualities of this Milwaukee tool, I'm very curious to try out more of the M12 line (especially the impact driver for use with screws). Luckily, the new Milwaukee seems to have done a lot to increase the engineering and design speed of tools and seems to have not lost the high quality that makes older Milwaukee tools legendary.

Edited 9-6-2009 to add: Turns out mine is not the only sample that self-loosens the chuck. This is something to be very aware/wary of and it probably would help if each of us with faulty chuck operation went to [...] and communicated to them through their system. It does not take much imagination to see a decent size, sharp spade bit drop from the chuck and poke a hole in a leg of someone working while wearing shorts.

Edited 7-26-2010 to add: Between my experience with 3 of these drills and reading the comments to this review, it seems clear that Milwaukee has a product where they have failed in both design and testing. Given the time they have had to fix the problem but have not, I suggest passing over the M12 tools until Milwaukee demonstrates production of tools that work 100% properly.

New Rating - One Star - what good is a drill that can't hold a bit?? Milwaukee 2410-22 M12 12-Volt 3/8-Inch Drill/Driver

just purchased the 2410 Milwaukee drill as a kit with two batteries 2 months or so ago from Amazon . first impression good . recent experience quite disappointing.

i have used the drill moderately but often during this time. the major problem it he batteries. first charge good. followup battery performance renders the drill only good for small short duration jobs. charges quickly,so far, but no staying power. now i learn that to overcome this problem Milwaukee has brought out a "heavy duty" battery to be bought separately.

i noticed the problem a few days after the amazon full replacement policy.

i had read several reviews before purchasing- most were good. after my problem i read reviews just on the battery and discovered that many people have had the same experience.

Be careful with this one. It is not an inexpensive mistake.

I purchased the 1/4" hex chuck driver a while back and can't say enough good things about it. When I saw this slightly beefier cordless drill from Milwaukee in the same product family I couldn't wait to get it. It's a great size for light duty work. I like the 3/8" chuck because finding a drill bit with a 1/4" hex shank for the other non spade bit drivers that produces a hole larger than 1/4" is not as easy. Having a higher speed range for drilling and having the clutch are also pluses above the basic driver. I have a Bosch 1/2" 18v hammer drill for heavy duty jobs but it's WAY too much drill for light jobs around the house. This Milwaukee drill/driver is a great intermediary range tool. The trigger pull is smooth and consistent and makes controlling the speed of the drill easy, the clutch has enough range to handle plenty of diverse needs and the size is very convenient to have in a holster if you're working on a ladder or wearing it on a tool belt all day. The life of the lithium ion batteries is great and the recharge is pretty quick at 30 or so minutes. The battery technology has clearly come a ways from my old DeWalt 18v NiCd setup. (which was stolen and is the reason I branched out to different systems such as the Bosch and the Milwaukee) The only down side I can find on this drill (and the 1/4" hex driver as well) is that when I'm using the drill in reverse, my index finger on my right hand tends to hit the "forward" button. It's not a large problem, just something I have to consciously think about when using it in reverse. That's a large hands issue though, not really a fault of the drill.

And I thought my chuck problems were isolated! Reading other reviews here shows me it's common!

I've been using cordless Milwaukee 18 volt tools for about 8 years on a daily basis, and am lucky enough to have a service center fairly close by - I've burnt out the switch on a 18v sawzall, brushes in the 1/2" 18v drillmotor ( and yesterday the swtich!) and the parts are readly available - they've given REALLY good service (though the sawzall is probably on it's last legs - it makes a LOT more noise than it used too!).

But I'm re-thinking - it's about time to replace these guys, and my experience with this little drill motor makes me wary about buying all Milwaukee. How hard is it to spec a chuck that holds it's grip? Who the hell wants to climb off a ladder to fetch the bit that you thought was secure in the chuck, only for it to dropout after one use????????? Not only do I not have time for that, I'm getting creaky and it really ticks me off to get up & down for something so stupid - I've NEVER had a chuck with this poor performance in all my 58 years!

And I won't start on the styling business - it does look cool but the little non-functional rubber piping on the side became halfway detached by day 2 and now just flaps around - I should cut it off!

Hope folks from Milwaukee read this & actually pay attention to business - how many customers can you afford to have defect to another brand? - Driver - Compact - Lithium - Drill'

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Political Humor - amazon oddities, gag gift

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I had previously purchased the Chia Pet President Obama, and on the day it arrived there was controversy on the news about it being racist (I personally didn't think it was racist, but I guess it's a matter of opinion). Because of that controversy, my mother did not want me to open it because she figured maybe one day it would become a collectible. I told her I would sell it to her for the price I paid for it, and I went online and bought this instead. The hippo is very cute, and I did enjoy growing him. It was a fun experience and maybe if I ever decide to buy more chia seeds, I'll regrow him again. Chia Hippo Collectable - Barack Obama - Political Humor - Gag Gift - Amazon Oddities'

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Cookbook Stand - large book holder, study aid

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I have degenerative disc disease in my cervical spine and I can hold my head in only one direction for longer than 5 minutes--straight ahead. I am a student and have a lot of reading to do. This bookstand has saved me a lot of pain and discomfort, allowing me to maintain good posture while I study. I highly recommend this product to anyone with neck pain. Jasmine Book Stand (Bookstand / Bookstands / Holder / Cookbook / Music)

I needed a book stand that could handle large heavy books for research I was doing. I ordered this stand and have been very pleased. It easily holds books that are much larger than its size and is very sturdy. I liked using it so much at home that I bought a second one for my office.

This book stand is so amazing! As a graduate student, it has made all the difference in the world with my reading and research. It makes it much easier to take notes; it can accommodate quite thick books; it is very sturdy; and, it is a great size. My reading and note taking are happening with greater ease and speed. This is a wonderful product!

The product works flawlessly, as users have overwhelmingly indicated. However, the price point seems inconsistent with the quality of the materials. The stand is comprised of two wooden boards. The back board (on which the spine rests) is a mere quarter inch thick, perhaps less. The adjustable stand is made of plastic. The only metal parts are the screws that hold the stand together and hinges that allow the stand to fold up.

Five stars for functionality, but an unreasonable price turns what would be a great deal into a questionable buy. I am a law student and don't have the money to justify spending so much on something that isn't built to last, and a drop on the floor could easily be the end of this bookstand.

So one of the first things that caught me by surprise was how fast the shipping was. Maybe I got lucky or something, but a couple of hours after I ordered this item it was shipped and two days later it was at my house.

I can't believe I didn't think of using something like this earlier. Although this stand can hold just about any book, it is particularly useful with large textbooks as it not only allows you to read them much more comfortably, but allows you to take notes with much more ease as well. I wish I had thought of buying one of these earlier.

As far as portability goes... it's portable, but it's not. It's portable for me because I can just stick it in my backpack and study with it at the library, but it's kind of big, so I can only really do that if my backpack isn't filled with a lot of books already. I'm a fairly healthy student in college though (no spinal problems or anything), so the portability issue wasn't really a problem for me. If you plan on using it at home or carry around some sort of backpack you should be fine.

I am a law school student and this stand is a life saver. You get into terrible postures when reading for a long time and this really helps. Also taking notes onto a laptop is so much easier with this book stand. I use large books all over 1000 pages and a lot of reference books and this stand handles them beautifully. I have actually purchased two stands from this company. The other one i just got so i cannnot review it yet, but this one is great.

I am able to highlight or write in the book with ease because this stand is so sturdy. I would not recommend for the casual reader as it is bulky and best accommodates larger books. but that having been said i am very happy with this purchase.

I'm back in school after a number of years and needed to maximize my study efficiency and determined that a bookstand would be just the thing. I couldn't find anything locally except a flimsy plastic stand that started breaking the first week. This thing looks great, works great, and is lighter than I expected. It's also wider than my old stand and holds the overly large textbooks effortlessly. It also has page holders that I do not intend to use, but they flip out of the way and I'm not forced to use them if I don't want to. I love this thing!

I wish I had purchased this years ago! I am a graduate student and I needed something that would help ease my neck strain from so much reading. This stand does a great job of keeping the book in an easy to read position and the way it holds the books open is perfect. I wish it could go even more upright, but it's still a great stand and is adjustable. I highly recommend this for reading or keeping a book handy for reference.

I have gone through a lot of book stands. I was using them since the late 90's when Amazon weren't selling them yet. My very first was the Fellowes plastic book stand. It was designed to be portable which was available from Office Depot. Fellowes was flimsy and could not take heavy books but it was good at being portable. I searched the internet and bought the Atlas heavy duty book stand. This one was a pure desktop book stand, it can be disassembled and taken with you. Atlas book stand was not wide enough. When I place a heavy paperback manual such as the Gliem and Becker CPA books, the outer pages would sag. I placed a wide cardboard at the back of the book to support it. The lip of the Atlas book holder was very deep compared to the Jasmine book stand.

Then Amazon started selling book stands and I found the present book stand. The misgivings I have with this product is that the lip is not deep enough to hold the thickest of books. The back is wide enough to accommodate wide books. There is also the matter of balance. The design is such that the book hangs on the book holder for support. It has not affected me much but if the calibration is not exact, the book would be out of balance. The theme I found with the design of book stands is that it be portable. Jasmine book stand is designed to be portable but it is no very so. Jasmine is a desktop book stand. The nearest competitor to this product is the INP-103 Book Stand (Bookstand / Bookstands / Holder / Cookbook / Music). It is similar but has different clips to hold pages, I don't have experience with the competitor but the clips seems to be better in holding pages since it is out of the way of text. I already have a book stand and I am content to use this one but the INP-103 Book Stand could be better for your needs.

For portability I would go with the Fellowes Booklift Copyholder,Platinum (21100) book stand. It is not wide enough to hold the outer pages but if you have a hardback, the hardback will support the outer pages plus its cheap. But I will find alternatives. - Book Holder - Bookstand - Study Aid - Large Book Holder'

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Anderson

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Anderson Power Poles have become *the* standard DC connector used in Amateur Radio in the US, to the point where most emergency organizations specify them to facilitate interoperability. They are strong, reliable, genderless, easy to wire, and easy to reuse. The contacts' ability to handle amperage is limited primarily by the wire size they will accept, i.e., they will safely handle more amps (from surges or whatever) without self-destructing. The contact area is actually the same for the 15, 30, and 45 amp contacts. The contacts are self-wiping and rated to over 100,000 cycles.

The housings slide together in a variety of ways to form connector blocks as needed. The resulting blocks may be left as-is, pinned, cable-tied, glued, or fastened together using special Anderson clips. Most recommend strongly against using pins as they can fall out given enough vibration. Note also that some dealers substitute standard roll pins for the Anderson spiral pins. Anderson's bite into the plastic and hold better, but can still fall out. If you glue, use a drop of superglue between the housings (Anderson's recommendation) or model cement.

It is better to crimp than solder the contacts. While it is perfectly possible to solder the contacts, any solder on the contact face lowers the connect/disconnect cycle rating, as can overheating the contact. Solder can also interfere with the contact to housing fit. Finally, as these connectors are generally used with stranded wire, soldering forms a failure point where the flexible wire meets the stiff, soldered wire and connector. UL requires soldered Power Pole connectors to use a strain relief as a result.

You can use a plier-type crimp tool, like GB or Klein - both available at the big box home centers, but a die-type tool works far better. The GB will work on the 30 amp contacts, but crushes the 15s and won't work at all on the 45s. The Klein does better, but still won't do the 45s. The 45s must be crimped properly, even if subsequently soldered, as these are ear-type contacts, and the ears have to be crimped INTO the wire.

Anderson sells a crimp tool, but it's several hundred dollars. The best tool on the market for the money is the ratcheting West Mountain crimp tool specifically made for Power Pole contacts, and costs about $50. It produces an aerospace quality crimp and can be adjusted to produce crimps within a few thousands of a given specification. It can be purchased at any ham radio store or website. It handles the 15s, 30s, and 45s on a single die. 30A Power Pole Connector (4 Black, 4 Red) Anderson-Sermos

There were so many options including Molex connectors until a good friend recommended the Anderson Power Pole. Upon ordering and setting up a two 20 amp connections, it was immediately clear how well these work and how easy they are to assemble. I prefer soldering over crimping which is why these work so well and can be easily soldered and assembled. They can be slid together or kept apart. When connected, they are solid and handle the amperage well. Black and red coloured cases makes it easy and no more red/black sharpie painting. Whether it's low are high (don't exceed the rating) amps, these connectors do it well and are a joy to use. You'll appreciate them and will wonder why you didn't use them before now.

As a Ham Radio operator, I need to make a lot of connections. Having standardized on Power-Poles has made it easy to interchange power supplies and batteries whenever needed. It takes a few minutes to learn how to apply the connectors, but once done, they are made forever. Excellent product and very well made. For some reason, Amazon has this as a toy when it comes to giving star ratings. It is most certainly not a toy. Therefore, I didn't rate it.'

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Dance Games - fun, fitness

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The original Just Dance was the first dance video game to feature "real moves" to popular music. Before it, dance games were basically exercises in timing--stomping your feet on a mat or moving your hands to match an on-screen pattern. But with Just Dance, you weren't just playing a video game: you were learning real dance moves that you could take anywhere. And as you played the game over and over, you got a great workout without even knowing it. The game was a smash success, selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The game wasn't without its faults though, the biggest of which was the accuracy of the motion control. Even if you did the moves perfectly, sometimes the system wouldn't register them.

When you start out the game, the starting menu is refreshingly simple. There are three options: Dance!, Store, Extras. When you click "Dance!", you see three options: Just Dance, Dance Battle, and Just Sweat.

The "Just Dance" option gets you right to dancing to individual songs, just like in the original. Up to four players can play, each holding their own Wii remote. As in the original, you try to follow a mirror image of a silhouetted figure on the screen. Stick figures scrolling along the bottom of the screen will help you prepare for the next move, an indicator on the screen will tell you how well you hit your moves, and a "score gauge" will fill up with each correct move you make.

There's a great selection of 44 new songs, with something for everyone. Whether you want to dance to Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" or Outkast's "Hey Ya". I like Ubisoft's approach; while other music games tend to focus on just one genre, Ubisoft included something for all ages and tastes.

Some of the songs feature "Duet Mode". These songs are identified by circle icon with two figures standing with their back to each other. This is a neat new feature that allows two players to dance alongside each other with each doing different choreographed moves, so you end up dancing a neat little routine together. For example, in Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend", the dancers start by pointing to each other. Then, one makes air guitar-like moves for a while while the other swings her arms. Then, the two go back to synchronized motions. It makes for a cute dance routine.

The "Dance Battle" option takes players through five rounds of competition. Up to four players can compete against each other, and the winner of each round gets a point. The player with the most points at the end of rounds is the winner. You can mix and match from these modes to create different competitions:

- Classic: In this mode, players "just dance". The player with the highest overall score gets a point.

- Duet: This mode consists of all the "Duet Mode" songs. The player in the pair who scores the highest gets a point.

- Simon Says: In this game, while dancing an icon will appear randomly for each play while dancing (Stop, spin around, clap). The player must perform the action accurately to score points.

- Medley: In this mode, each player has to dance to five song samples.

- Race: This is a frenetic mode where each player has to fill their score gauge to win the round.

"Team Battle" is the same as "Dance Battle", except that it allows up to 8 players to play in two teams (they don't all play at the same time, the system will separate the players in the teams and display the players' names when it's their turn). This is great to have at parties where you have can get lots of people playing together and rooting their own team on.

My favorite new feature, of course, is "Just Sweat" mode. In it, you set an objective of calories you want to burn, and then you just dance away until they're burned off. 30 minutes dancing sure beats 30 minutes on a boring treadmill or exercise bike, as you not only burn calories away, you get practice learning the choreographed dance moves. And after dancing to the fast part of "Proud Mary", let's say I have newfound admiration for Tina Turner!

The new "Store" option allows you to buy downloadable content, which will even further expand the playability of this title.

And now the answer to the burning question you've been waiting for: did they really fix the poor motion tracking?

The answer is, happily, yes! Even though the game still uses only one Wii remote, and still doesn't even need MotionPlus, I'm happy to say that the motion tracking picked up my motions almost perfectly. It was even accurate not just to my timing, but also my arm movements and angles. The game developers made a vast improvement over the original in this department.

Overall, Just Dance 2 is a worthy successor to the original. The improved motion tracking is just what the doctor ordered, and they made the game even more fun for people playing together. Highly recommended. Just Dance 2 - Exercise - Fitness - Fun - Dance Game'

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Impact Wrenches

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I was removing the plastic bag from the tool when then head broke off the handle. The very flimsy plastic casing had a crack that went all the way around the handle at the switch and completely separated when I picked it up. Even so, it would operate, though required two hands; one holding the motor section and the other on the grip only connected by the power supply wires.

I had to test it to decide if I wanted full refund or replacement. It would not even remove a lug nut that could easily be removed with a regular lug wrench (<90 ft/lbs or force needed). It certainly wouldn't be capable of removing the crankshaft bolt (130+ ft/lbs) I had intended to use it on.

It might deliver 10% of the stated torque, but I doubt it. Neiko Heavy Duty Cordless 24-Volt 1/2-Inch Dr Impact Wrench - 350 ft-lbs - Monster Torque

So far, this impact wrench works as advertised. I've only tested it on a few wheels. The real test, brake checks and rotate&balance, is a few thousand miles away on my three vehicles. The tool has good weight to it and feels of superior construction (same for the included accessories). One thing I would have liked is a variable speed trigger. This wrench's trigger is either all or nothing. If it doesn't live up to my expectations during the "real test", I'll leave an updated post.

The torque is great, only once had to use a 4ft breaker bar, but thats the exception, removing Heavy Duty rims and tires off trucks made like a summers breeze with this Neiko tool. This is my second first was given as a gift, great service from sellers E-tools in CA as well.Fed ex lost the second package, E tools replaced it no fuss.

I was pretty amazed by the fact that how quickly it can undo pretty much any bolt/nut. Not sure if it can break a bolt. I used it to work on my truck; unbolting 19 through 24 mm bolts at various different locations. Love the portability factor as it comes in a bag. The plastic shell seems to be little weak. The first one I bought was broken into two prices; basically the top portion of the tool broke off of the handle piece due to bad shipping and handling. Awesome customer service; I received the replacement in a day or two. It doesn't seem to need much of any maintenance but if taken care of properly (i.e. No throwing/kicking around or dropping) it can last a long time.

I have only used the wrench once and that was only to try it out (test run). It did not remove the lug nuts from my old pickup truck, but then again I don't know how tight they were torqued at the garage. The wrench did however remove the lug nuts from my SUV (2003 X5) with no problem. So far I am happy with the product but have not really put it to the test yet.'

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