Guy Low Price Electronic: 2 Jul 2010

Friday, 2 July 2010

Powered Usb Hub - powered hub, 10 port usb hub

I must say, I have two of these USB Hubs by Plugable. I liked the first one so much I got another.

I have been through 5 hubs this year trying to find one that will power my external hard drive and charge my iPhone. It doesn't sound like too much to ask. Well, I finally found what I was looking for in this USB hub.

First the Fit and Finish. Everything looks good on this hub. From the piano black finish to the tasteful, blue, glowing bar and sweet blue light coming out of the ports. It's just enough light to let you find the ports in the dark.

There are 8 fixed ports on this hub and two ports that swivel out. There are 6 fixed ports on one side and 4 ports on the other. The side with 4 has the two swivel ports. From the logo and text printed on the unit, the swivel side is the top and the 6 come out the bottom. I have turned mine vertical and the ports come out the sides. The swivel ports are SO HANDY! I like the fact they put all the ports on just two sides. I dislike the hubs that have ports on 4 sides. Two sides is handy, four is crazy because you have cables coming out of all sides. All the ports are usable on this hub.

I mounted one unit to the wall behind my laptop in my shop. Some 3M Scotch 4010 Heavy Duty Clear Mounting Tape worked well. The other unit is mounted, using the same tape, by my desktop computer in the house.3M Scotch 4010 Heavy Duty Clear Mounting Tape

All in all, I appreciate that this USB hub just works. If you need more power and more ports, this is it. I have been looking at USB hubs since they came out with USB 1. I know quality when I see it and I really like the quality of this USB hub. Plugable USB 2.0 10 Port Hub (with Power Adapter)

This is the best full-powered USB hub I've found anywhere. Retail stores stock USB hubs with only four or five ports, and even then, most of the hubs I tried have problems powering all the ports, all the time. This ten port hub is a great solution to having many USB devices that need to be connected at the same time. This hub has fully powered ports, which means that it charges attached devices, cell phones, iPods, and other USB charged devices, even when the computer it's connect to is not powered on.

I have been needing a USB hub for a very long time. So many of my devices use the USB ports that I have to constantly plug and unplug them. I needed a hub, but I was worried about them having enough juice to power everything. No need to worry. This Plugable USB hub can be plugged into an outlet, and I can have all the power I need. So far, so good.

This unit can also be powered exclusively by the computer's USB port, so that it can be used without being plugged in. If you don't have many devices demanding power through the USB connection, this is a nice option and makes the unit more portable.

There are six hubs in the front and four in the back (two of which swivel upwards). I no longer have trouble finding an available USB port. I can keep everything plugged in and they all work as expected. I am happy with this purchase.

____________________________

UPDATE: I've had this hub for a month and the ports on the front side suddenly died. I can still use the ports on the backside. I suspect it's static electricity, since I reached in to handle it and a powerful shock emanated from my finger. I've contacted the manufacturer and will update here with their response.

_____________________________

2ND UPDATE: Warranty service was nearly instantaneous. I emailed them on a weekend and did not expect a response. Not only did I get a response, but they shipped a replacement right away. Talk about service! My new unit is now up and running. I will update again, if necessary.

As a computer engineer with many, many USB peripherals I could not be happier with this hub. This hub provides very easy access to 10 ports that can sit right there on your desk- no more getting up and searching for a free rear port (if your front ports are already full of course). It works very well without the power supply when devices connected to it are self powered (printers, external HDDs, etc), but don't expect to be able to run all of your USB powered devices (iPods for example) from this hub without it being plugged in to its own outlet. The glowing blue light on top is a very nice aesthetic which also illuminates the inside of the ports (except the two pivoting ports) providing for easy visibility in the dark. I highly recommend this hub.

The Plugable hub does the job for which I purchased it. It takes up one USB 2.0 port on my computer and gives me 10 powered USB 2.0 ports. The price was reasonable and, I must say, I like the blue thin light down the middle of the hub which also lights the interior of unused ports. That makes the ports easier to see if you have the hub stored on a dark shelf under your desk and you need to plug in another device. I gave power supply 4 stars as I would have liked to have seen an on/off button included so as to turn the hub off without having to unplug the AC adapter cord from the unit. - Powered Hub - Usb Hub - Usb - 10 Port Usb Hub'

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La Crosse - nimh, battery charger aa or aaa

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Why should you get this charger instead of some other charger?

5 words: CHARGE, DISCHARGE, TEST, REFRESH and LCD!

CHARGE

Choose the individual charging rate for each battery, (200/500/700/1000/1500*/1800*mA).

Why choose the charging rate?

If you're rushing, charge fast and hot. If you're charging overnight or over dinner, charge more slowly. Slow charging is almost always gentler on the batteries, giving you a longer useful life.

Why set the charging rate individually?

You want this ability in case you have batteries of different capacities, partially discharged batteries, mixed brand/quality or any number of other reasons.

* Note

1500/1800mAh only available in Charge mode and only when charging 1 or 2 batteries in terminals 1 and/or 4.

DISCHARGE

This mode discharges the battery down to 1 volt then recharges to full capacity using Delta V measurement, at a user-selectable charging level*, of course.

Why discharge then charge?

This is the older technique developed to avoid capacity-robbing memory effect encountered when recharging NiCad-based batteries (which by the way are compatible with this charger, unlike the Maha mentioned below).

Why Delta V?

This is the modern measurement adopted by most "fast/rapid" chargers. While not quite as accurate as simultaneously using Temperature measurement and/or detecting Zero Delta V, as the Maha/PowerEx C-204W can do, it should be enough to prevent battery damage and insure complete, consistent charging.

* Note

Discharge rates are 1/2 the selected charging rate (max 1000mAh charging in this and other modes). Some batteries can take discharge rates this high, others can't. Most electronics don't drain batteries this fast continuously, so most batteries won't be any "healthier" if discharged too fast. Since this mode will probably take several hours to complete, do it overnight at the gentler 200mAh or 500mAh charging modes (and corresponding 100mAh/250mAh discharge modes).

TEST

Did you think that those little power strips on alkaline batteries were a good idea? I did, who doesn't want to know how much juice is left in a battery. The problem is the indicator bars weren't very meaningful and couldn't measure voltage too accurately.

Now, this charger can tell you more accurately the voltage output of your batteries (which you may interpret as an indication if it's fully charged > 1.40V or discharged < 1.20V). Still, that's just an indication of charged capacity. Why not a direct measurement?

The Test mode does just that. It measures the capacity of each battery and reports it. It initially charges each battery, discharges it (simultaneously measuring the mAh) and then recharges it, leaving you with full batteries and a record of how much juice it discharged during the test.

Why Test?

You ever pull open a drawer, find a rechargeable, wonder if it's "still any good," recharge it and then use it just to find out? This baby will do it all for you, giving you the answer for each battery as it finishes.

Another good reason is to verify the capacity of newly bought batteries. I'm using it now to check each battery in a brand 24-pack of Lenmar 2000s. It's found some clunkers which I'm saving for the next mode, which is...

REFRESH

If you're thinking this mode refreshes batteries, you're right. I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but you know I will. I've got some great candidates too, brand new clunkers from Lenmar, some good old "state of the art 1400mAh" Sanyo and Nexcell NiMH's and even some older NiCads (it may be cheaper in the short term to return them to service than to dispose of them).

You can't use this charger on alkalines or rechargeable alkalines, so don't even think about "refreshing" those in this charger.

One thing about the Refresh mode. Refreshing NiCads manually may take several cycles of charging and discharging. Not only does this charger perform the charge/discharge cycle as many as 20 times, it measures the capacity of each discharge cycle and stops refreshing when the capacity of each battery isn't improving anymore. With other chargers, you're probably overcharging some of the batteries just to get the others back up to snuff.

LCD

One thing the Maha doesn't have is an LCD readout (though their C-777 model does, maybe next year?). The BC-900 has an individual LCD readout for each battery, which you can set to alternatively display any of 4 different measurements (hours, volts, mA charge/discharge, mAh), in addition to continuous displaying the particular mode each battery is in. The LCD readout retains it's reading (e.g. tested mAh) until the battery is pulled out, making overnight "tests" possible. The LCD makes all the other charger modes informative and practical.

Shame on those other chargers that have LCD indicator bars but no numerical display (some even cost more than the BC-900).

Understand, as great as all the different modes and options of this charger are, without an informative LCD display, they would be "shot's in the dark". With the individual displays, I'm happily recharging batteries, checking the quality of each, refreshing some while storing the "truly" fully charged ones.

With the LCD, I'm getting an idea of just how good a pack of batteries (and hence brand) is.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Transformer

The current power brick is oriented so that it may block adjacent outlets, so put it on the end of a powerstrip or AVR/UPS unit. My Nokia phone charger has the plugs on the edge so it's really low profile on the outlet.

While the transformer is thankfully a bit slimmer than most external units, it is also a bit longer than most (about 1.75in by 3). It is however Autovolt from 100-240V, although another reviewer mentioned the 3V DC output was sort of a pain.

I wish this charger had a built-in power transformer and a retractable cord.

Cooling fan

Batteries get hot from charging, they'll read hot too. A built-in cooling fan would keep the batteries cooler during charging and probably give a more accurate "just-charged" reading on the LCDs. Some other high end chargers have fans built-in, so I'd hate to see this "ultimate" charger get upstaged by lacking such a common-sense $1 feature.

Free Bag

The unit comes with a free bag which is much roomier than necessary. I could fit my Casio Exilim camera, dock & transformer for the Casio, backup compact film camera along with the battery charger, C/D-cell adapters and 24-pack of batteries in the bag. While I feel sort of silly mentioning a quirk about a free item, the bag is hardly usable as a belt bag since it is so ... baggy.

CONCLUSION

If you ever invest in rechargeable AA/AAA technology, you'll multiply your investment by getting this charger.

UPDATE 7/6/2005:

I've REFRESHed about 8 clunkers so far, 2 NiCads an officemate brought for me to work on (about 2 years old) and 6 Lenmar 2000 batteries.

The results?

NiCad

1 rated at 700, first TESTed at 256, REFRESHed to 677.

2 rated at 700, first TESTed at 344, REFRESHed to 741.

NIMH - done REFRESHing.

1 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 448, REFRESHed to 1507.

2 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 527, REFRESHed to 1820.

3 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 680, REFRESHed to 1488.

NIMH - still REFRESHing.

4 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 435, REFRESHed to 1270+.

5 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 436, REFRESHed to 1713+.

6 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 349, REFRESHed to 1813+.

More Room for Improvement?

Charging Rate Limit (wrt Terminal 1)

The charging rate selected for Terminal 1 (1-4 left to right) is the highest rate you can select for each of the 4 Terminals. I didn't think this would be a big deal, but when you REFRESH batteries at the gentlest rate (200mah charging, 100mah discharging) and the cycle may repeat as many as 20 times ... well, you do the math. I know I didn't have to set it at the gentlest rate, but I figured I shouldn't stress already marginal batteries.

Now, when the battery in Terminal 2 read full (as in Fully Refreshed), I took it out to charge one of the other batteries I had already used up. Enter the Charging Rate Limit. I am limited to 200mah charging (the current setting for the still REFRESHing battery in Terminal 1) and it's driving me nuts! I wish each Terminal had it's full 200-1000mah charging rate available independent of the settings on the other Terminals. La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger - Charger - Battery Charger Aa Or Aaa - Rechargeable Batteries - Nimh'

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Cord Organizer - cable organizer, cable management

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As others have noted, this is a great product that does exactly what it says.

The adhesive is strong and long-lasting, and the clips are easy to install.

HOWEVER, (put on your "remembering" cap now because you need to remember this 10 years later when you un-install these things!!), REMEMBER, you cannot remove these by just "yanking" them off the wall.

As with all of these 3M wall hanging strips, you need to (a) pull up on the plastic clip so that it comes off and exposes the adhesive backing, and then (b) pull the little tab (it looks like the rest of the adhesive pad, but it's not actually stuck to the wall) directly downwards (pull just along the wall, NOT away from the wall). Then, the adhesive pad will stretch to about 8x its normal length, and in the process will gently un-stick itself.

It's a really elegant way to remove the pads, and it's the reason they can have such strong adhesive power without removing paint. But, IF YOU FORGET and in 5 years you just yank off the plastic from the wall, you will remove paint and it will all have been for naught.

3M has a variety of related products for hanging pictures and posters and what-not. I recommend them all. Command 17379 Cord Organizer Pack

I ordered these for training cables at the office but love using them at home as well. They stick forever but come down by just pulling the tab. No marks left on the wall.

This is one of those items that just does what it is supposed to and nothing less.

Order these if you need to train cables at home or office. I HIGHLY recommend.

This is a really nice assortment. You will probably want to go ahead and order 2-3 of this item. You'll love using them.

Still sticking. I had used these in my old place,too. They are easy to remove, and do not damage the surface. The loop holders can brake if they are exposed to too much force. Forces like being walked on a lot(took me 2yrs.), but even then they can still hold in place.

The only time I have had problems with the 3m Command Cord Organizers not adhering to a surface is in my kitchen (On oily Formica/oily paint-cleaning could not remove all the old tenant's worth of oil). When these pads do not stick, they really just do not stick at all! I pulled out my magic eraser, removed some paint layers with lots of oil. Then the cable holders seemed to semi-stick to my kitchen walls.

If I wanted the normal strength stick I'm use to, I'd buy new adhesive pads and try fresh. So, watch out for cooking oil! Other wise, I've bought these cable holders more then once, and will look for them again when I move to a new place.

This 3M hook removal system is wonderful. I've been using some of the decorative hooks and velcro-like pieces for a few years now, so when I started looking on Amz for wire management, I started with 3M. Beside the handy removal tabs, these little hooks are easy to open and close, while still being very sturdy. They don't have a huge amount of extra plastic, so they look OK on the wall. They also don't stick out very far. The large loop piece is downright cool. I have an extension cord with two adapters - one very heavy - hanging from this loop. For the smaller clips the package comes with small and medium sizes. They could use a large.

I bought a pack of small wire clips at our local hardware store to use in hanging a new Moravian star light on our front porch for Christmas. Before installing, I read the instructions on the package and saw they're not recommended for use under 50 degrees, meaning basically indoor use only. Ruh-row, it was about 28 outside when I was running the wire. I decided to try them anyway because I liked how the little clip fastens shut around the wire. Figured I could always use some heavier duty mounting tape if they came loose.

The light had a 5' cord so I needed to run a light extension cord up the corner post on my front porch to complete the connection. Needed three clips at the top to run the wire along the aluminum soffit along the porch roof. I made sure the soffit was clean where I was attaching the clips. Then, per the instructions, I pressed the pad firmly for 30 seconds when attaching to the clip, and again when I attached the clip to the soffit. They seemed to be holding solidly, and I couldn't pull them off while tugging on the wire.

To run the extension cord wire down the post, I attached four clips about 2' apart onto the white aluminum downspout next to the post. I used a white extension cord, so the job was nearly invisible when done, and the clip was just large enough to close around the extension cord wire.

After 3+ weeks of exposure to wind, rain and single-digit temps, the clips are still holding firmly. I'd originally intended to use this as a temporary fix for this holiday season, and put in more permanent hooks and wire channeling during the summer. But if these things are still holding when warm weather arrives, I'll leave them up and see how long they last.

These worked great to organize all the wires behind our entertainment center that run to the stereo and TV. Just make sure to let the hooks seat themselves onto the surface of where ever you install them before you put the wires in place. We waited several hours.

This cord organizer pack works pretty good for routing cables and cords along a desired path. I love how the adhesive is removable and won't damage walls, which is a great improvement over standard adhesives and nails. Easy to use and looks fairly attractive too. I would recommend this product. - Cable Management - Cable Organizer - Cord Organizer - Wire Management'

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Home Theater Systems - dvd home theater, home theater speaker systems

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This system is wonderful for a starter set. If you're a college student, new to surround or looking for something simple for a smaller room, this is a great choice. The biggest plus about this system is that I can hook up my Xbox (RCA hook up or digital). Keep in mind that If you hook it up with RCA you can't get surround, but the stereo sounds amazing. I was afraid of Coby from all bad reviews on other systems. This one really exceeded every expectations. Very clear sound, great price and a great DVD player make this perfect.

I'm 21 and live in an apartment so the rooms aren't that big. I have a 100 sq. foot living room. This system is just right. When you finish setting it up (took me about 30 min, running cables and all) you need to put in a DVD like Lord of the Rings to test out the sound. If you leave everything at the default you'll notice that there's almost no bass and the center speaker is WAY over powering. Play around with your setting for a while, you CAN get bass out of it, just look through the menus. Coby DVD938 5.1-Channel DVD Home Theater System with Digital AM/FM Tuner (Black)

I view the Coby DVD938 from a "Value" perspective. Based on the relatively low price I do not expect top of the line performance; however, I do anticipate solid quality from a set of basic features.

The Coby DVD938 delivers on this criteria. Nothing fancy, just basic features with decent sound quality.

I would not recommend this for your main home-theater setup. Instead I would recommend it for a secondary system.

My only "Beef" with this unit is the way in which the audio source defaults to DVD each time the unit is powered off and back on. Add to this a really long delay on the Coby when switching between audio source input (approx. 3-5 seconds) and three audio input sources (DVD, Radio, Line). My primary use is for audio from my Dish satellite receiver. This is the "Line" audio source on the Coby. So, each time I power the unit on I trudge through the process to switch to "Line" audio input... My work-around solution to simply mute the Coby when powering down, then un-mute when powering back on (saves lots of time, but wastes some electricity I suppose).

On the surface, this product seems to be pretty good at first. Then once it is all hooked up, things change a bit. The first thing you have to do is make sure you get all the settings correct or you won't get Dolby Surround on the external input.

The second thing I found out and it still bugs me is that it won't hold the last "source" setting after you put it on standby. There are three source settings; DVD, Radio and Line. I use Line 90% of the time. But every time I shut the system down at night and then start it up again the next day, I have to change the source to line again. This is really just poor design.

The third problem is on some DVDs it will skip and not play them. I thought I had a bad DVD until I bought my Blu-ray player a few weeks later and the DVD played fine on that.

Overall, the sound is great but I wouldn't count on it for playing all DVDs well.

We bought this unit based on price, and it is great, for the price. It is a basic unit with basic features.

I wish there was more customizability in the unit. It is a pain to always have to walk through the controls from DVD, to Radio to Line input, just to watch cable TV. But what can you expect for under $100?

Well worth the price.

The sound is mostly what I bought this for, since most LCD TVs have weak or poor sound. I've been pleased with the audio quality, but the AM/FM receiver is very weak. I ended up supplementing it with an FM antenna just to be able to get some stations that didn't sound like 30-70% static. The DVD player is also poor. Dark scenes cause my screen to flicker as the player is somehow not transmitting a true black to my TV properly (this doesn't happen with dark scenes on cable, so it's not the TV). I'll probably end up buying a DVD player to supplement this, which means that I'll have spent a minimum of an extra $80 between the FM antenna & DVD player supplementation. If you're looking for an all-in-one unit, look somewhere else. If you just want to get better sound for your TV, then this will do fine.

Somewhat easy to install. Hard the hardest time getting it into surround sound but after playing awhile and using the TV to see the prompts, it was a breeze. Sound is awesome. Did not need the to run extra wire for antennea. Over all a good unit for the price

Not a bad product. Sounds good after replacing 20g wire with bigger 8g. Does not remember settings after turned off(including volume). Volume very high when turned on and no control for about a minute. Quality of speakers and sub ok. Very not up-to-date for connecting to modern hi-def tv's. Your old school rca jacks. Worth it to spend more on a more quality, up to date system.

Alright So I bought this system a while back for my PS3. When I hooked it up with RCA and component cables, only 2 of the speakers worked. Then I bought a fiber optic cable, and a Fiber optic to Digital Coaxial converter and tried that and now I don't get any sound. Idk what to do. What do I do?

This was a great buy on a surround sound system. It was

a gift for my son-in-law who loved it. I had shopped around

this was the best price I found, it was delivered quickly and

in great shape. Thanks Amazon.com.

I have this set up in my small living room and it is perfect for the area

Pros:

-Sounds great for a small/med size room

-Good quality sound that you would expect from a system at this price.

-Hooks up to x-box

-Easy to set up

Cons:

-Only supports up to component video cable hookup (lacks HDMI)

-Dvd player only supports up to 480p HD (can be avoided by playing dvd through xbox or other player)

-Only supports up to Coaxial digital audio cable (lacks optical you would see on newer models)

Despite not having the most up to date hookup system, this is a great buy. Work around the minor kinks and the result is a quality low budget system with a crisp sound. Great addition for a college student or anyone not looking to empty their wallets. - Home Theater Speaker Systems - Dvd Home Theater - Coby - Home Theater System'

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Decorative Concrete

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I was really disappointed with this book, for one almost half of it is pictures of countertops, if I wanted that I could just look it up online. I paid to get tips on how to make countertops, and that is one thing this book is lacking. Some of the information isn't even correct, such as the part where it says that Eclipse additive is used to waterproof the concrete, but in reality Eclipse is a shrinkage reducer. Also there are tons of spelling and grammatical errors, which wouldn't be a big deal if there was actual useful information, but it just shows how they apparently didn't put too much time into this book and only wanted to get it published quickly. There isn't one mix recipe in the book, which is something that would be good to know if you are making this kind of countertop. If you want a picture book, then this is a book for you, but if you need to know how to make countertops I would keep looking. Cast-in-place Concrete Countertops: A Guide for Craftsmen

Excellent overview with good illustration. I was disappointed in lack of completeness of detail on how the framing is done and particularily if the bottom of the frame is left in place after the cement is pourd or if and how it is removed. I did not find this detail readily availabe. I am sure others would have other questions but this was the one most important for me. I still do not get it.

I found this book fairly informative, but it lacked adequate details to be a useful manual for anyone making these to a commercial quality. Most of the information given is familiar to anyone used to working with concrete, but I have made a few concrete tops before reading the book and was looking for something to refine my skills and perfect the finish. Advice on the best ways to screed and trowel to avoid colour variations and undulations that only appear after drying for instance.

It would also have been useful if metric conversions to all the weights and measurements were included in brackets.

What I mean by work-book is that you have to work-through-this-book, with patience. Having read the other books on the market by Cheng and Rhodes, and various others (of which I easily devoured) I found myself having to put this book down time and again because i simply felt a bit bored with it. Sure, it has useful information, but the instructional pictures could use a bit of work and the text of the book could have been slimmed down a bit. I am not impressed with the designs in this book either. Aesthetically, form and function do not dance here. If you're angle is the cast-in-place method, not necessarily a waste of time and money.

Even in the introduction the author admits a pre-cast in melamine will create better results than a cast in place.

Don't bother with this if you want professional results. No DIYer will be able to trowel nearly as smoothly as a precast. Cheng or Buddy Rhodes books address this style.

Tom Ralston is both a passionate artist and a technical master when it comes to custom colored concrete work - and in his book he instructs everyone from the novice to the experienced contractor. And it's a fun read - kind of like a friendly conversation as he takes you on an intimate walk through the homes and gardens of many of his clients for whom he and his eclectic staff of artisans and masons have created art pieces that are as functional as they are beautiful. The book also details planning, preparing, estimating and constructing cast-in-place countertops and bathtub surrounds with lots of photos of the process. If you are a professional contractor or a homeowner designing a new home, remodeling or landscaping a yard, this book will give you lots of ideas that don't need to be expensive to add highly creative pieces to your plan. - Patty Damron'

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Fishing Gear - fishing gear, travel rod

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My wife and I use "telescopic rods" for fishing out of our kayaks. This rod collapses to a good managable size, and is only 4'6" extended (perfect for our use). The problem is this item is described as having "stainless steel guides with smooth ceramic inserts"! It absolutely does not have inserts, ceramic or otherwise!! This was one of the main reasons for buyingShakespeare® Telescoping Spinning Rod this rod over Eagle Claw's "Pack it". Very disapointing as this was bought for specific trip; too late to get something else. Shakespeare Medium Action Travel Mate Spinning Rod (6-Feet 6-Inch)

Even the guides in the picture are not ceramic. They are very thin and look like they would put a lot of pressure on the line. I got an email back and they said I could pay for shipping both ways and they would give me my money back - not worth it.

That was a couple months ago and they have still not changed the description. The rest of the rod is great but the guides ruin it.

I bought this rod as a combo 6 or so years ago. I have caught a ton of trout in streams, rivers and even on the lake with it. It is not my primary rod when fishing a lake, but I do use it as a backup. Also caught smallmouth and bluegill out of ponds and local private areas. I sometimes keep it in my vehicle and it works great for that.

It fits perfectly in the backpack with a small tackle set, and that is what I got it for. Have caught lots of trout on this rod, up to 4lbs no problems. It finally broke off the tip when I lent it to my brother, but his 4 year old is pretty hard on things and he didn't break it fishing, just around camp somehow. Still works, but without the end segment it is even stiffer than before(see my Cons below). I feel I have gotten my money's worth 2 or 3 times over.

There are two cons I find to this rod:

1: It is not as flexible as standard rods. Don't expect it to bend like a 4' Ugly stick. It simply won't. That's not to say it is not flexible enough, it is, but it's not the same. Once you are used to it there is no problem.

2: If you pull the extensions out too tight, they are a real pain to get it collapsed again. Just don't pull it out more than needed to keep the rod from sliding back and you are good to go.

Because of these two things I give it 4 stars, but it's not that I feel it is a bad product, I just reserve 5 stars for truly flawless gear.

Pretty much you either use this as the cheap option, or bring a rod protector for your nicer setup when hiking.

I bought this rod as a combo about 7-8 years ago. It lived in the glove box of my old truck and now lives in a side pocket in the door of my new truck. I keep it with a small tackle box. I use it mostly for trout and have caught fish to 20 inches with it. This rod has never failed to perform less than perfectly. It casts well and sets hooks well. I love this rod.

Purchased 4 of these for a trip to the Bahamas fishing in the Sea of Abaco. These FAR exceeded my expectation for the price. We used 12 lb test on them and pulled in countless 1-2 lb yellow snapper off junk structure. At one point we started getting hits from somthing that was snapping our lines, so we tied on 40-lb leaders. We then hauled in two ocean triggerfish that were in the 3-5 lb. range. Finally, one guy hooked onto a monster that we'd guess was ~5-8 lbs. We didn't have a net big enough to handle it. He fought the fish for 3-4 minutes with the drag screaming and rod at some points bent over 180 degrees. I would have expected a fish like this to snap the rod. We got it to he boat, took a picture in the water, and then cut the line. We later had a bigger net with us and landed a 5 lb snapper as well.

The rod does flex a lot at the tip... we found it cast well for 1/4-3/8 oz. lures. The rod guides showed zero corrosion after 2 weeks out on the boat in saltwater never being rinsed off. Overall, I am incredibly satisfied with this purchase.

ps - as others noted, it is not a combo at this price - just the rod. We purchased ~$30 reels and am glad we did - I'm not sure the combo reel would have survived some of the larger fish. During a couple of those fights, the reel was still the part I was most worried about holding up.

The 4'6" model works real well for kids. Too small for adults. Well made product, stores real easy for travel. Only 1' long when fully broke down. Bought one of these a couple years ago and like it so I ordered a few more online.

I ordered this rod for my husband. He keeps it in his golf bag so that he can fish on the course ponds. This rod is perfectly sized so that it is easy to transport, but functional enough to fish small ponds.

The description states:The Travel Mate comes with a seven-piece, 6-foot-6-inch medium-action telescoping rod, along with a size 35 graphite spinning reel with a single ball bearing and line. The rod and reel cast just like one- and two-piece rods, but collapse into a 15-inch footprint for storage in the handy Travel Mate case. The case also includes six built-in, adjustable storage compartments for your tackle, so you don't need to bring along a separate tackle box.

When ordered I only received the telescoping rod.

NO size 35 graphite spinning reel with a single ball bearing and line.

NO handy Travel Mate case.

NO case that also includes six built-in, adjustable storage compartments for your tackle.

I am a bit surprised. i didn't think it would be as good as it is but I needed a collapsible rod for easy travel in my kayak. So far it works great!! My only complaint is that it does not have lined eyes, just bare steel. Regardless I have really enjoyed it and caught quite a few fish. - Telescopic Fishing Rod - Backpack Rod - Travel Rod - Fishing Gear'

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Swim Gear - goggle, swim goggles

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My daughter swims summer swim team for 8 weeks at a time, and she has had the same pair of Jr. Hydrospex for 5 years. Yes, years. I don't know how they have lasted that long, because we also swim at an indoor pool about 20 times the rest of the year. Only now, as a teenager, does she need the adult size Hydrospex.

That's a pretty good recommendation. Speedo Junior Hydrospex Swim Goggle (Pink)

One of the problems with goggles that feature silicone cups is the limited lifetime they offer. Usually, such gaskets simply won't last for more than 9-12 months unless you take extremely good care of them, and most swimmers I know usually don't.

I had a pair of these and generally enjoyed them for the first few months. They had minimal leakage and zero fogging whatsoever, which really is the hallmark and strongest feature of speedo goggles. I chose the Jr. Hydrospex because of the narrower nose piece and the smaller profile gaskets, which will fit anyone with a narrower face better than the respective adult version. The soft silicone cups make them much more comfortable to wear than swedes if you're not into that sort of thing. The strap on these goggles is one of the best I've ever had on any brand, ever.

Now for the bad; getting a good seal with these goggles will take some coaxing, especially after a few sessions in the pool. The gaskets begin getting brittle after a few swims and the unadjustable nosepiece is a MAJOR hinderance. Tightening the goggles forces the inner corner of the gasket out of place, which soon becomes necessary as the gaskets wear out. This increases leakage and discomfort for the wearer as the goggles shift out of their ideal position on the face and toward the inner corner of the eye. The nosepiece will not keep the goggles where you want them if you tighten them too much, which means leakage is almost guaranteed. After extended use, the gaskets will actually begin separating from the lenses, and at this point the goggles pretty much need to be replaced (if used daily without perfect care, this can happen after as little as 4 months).

These are the best pair of speedo goggles I've used recently, but thats not saying much. I'm simply not impressed with the quality of the eye gaskets on many speedo products lately, but if you're a speedo purist, then I would recommend these over most of the other styles. Basic Sprint style goggles are probably somewhat better, but not everyone enjoys the foam cups. IF speedo had the foresight to make the nosepiece adjustable, I think these goggles would have been much, much better.

I purchased 2 pairs of goggles for my 10 and 12 year old children. They used them for a week on vacation in Mexico swimming in the pool and ocean. Both of my children said they were the best goggle's they have had and were able to play in the water for hours at a time without having any eye irritation. Both my children have light blue eyes which are very sensative to chlorine and sea salt. I highly recommend them.

My two boys, 8 and 10 are on the local swim team and a lot of the kids use these goggles. They work well for my boys. I like the previous versions of these better when you could pull on the straps to adjust them while you had them on. Now you have to take them off and unlatch, adjust and relatch but other than that, they are great. We've owned a few of these and have to keep buying more, not because they wear out, but because they get lost.

These are the best goggles for kids! Only one adjustment needed when they are new... then they are perfect for the rest of summer. Other, less expensive goggles require so many adjustments and the straps are always fallling off. Get these goggles and you won't hear, "Mom fix my goggles!" 100 times a day at the pool! The kids love them and never complain- a big plus!

We had gone through three pairs of goggles each since last year for our children. They are on the swim team and none of the goggles would stay on them securely while diving in the pool. I overheard a mom telling another mom about the Hydrospex Jr goggles being the best goggles out there. I ordered a pair for each of my children and they work wonderfully! All three of them mentioned to me that these goggles are awesome. I would definetly buy these again in the future.

My 11 year old daughter is petite and most kids goggles fit too small and adult fit too big so she has a hard time getting a good fit. She loves these because they fit perfect. She is on swim team and needs goggles she doesn't have to stop and fix every other lap and these are great. Best of all she doesn't end up with the ring around her eyes most other goggles give her. - Speedo - Goggle - Swim Goggles - Goggles'

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Polishers - polishers, concrete

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We purchased this tool and the pads in order to finish our DIY concrete countertops. We used the Cheng products for pretty much everything else.

The good: It was the least expensive wet polisher we could find. We have ground nearly 40 linear feet of countertop through all 8 passes without a problem. Even without the motor heating noticably, despite the fact it bogs if you put too much pressure on the head. The supplied pads are tougher than you might guess and only the 50 grit (which has been engaged on the concrete surface for about 40 hours - we were grinding pretty deep) shows any wear at all, but even it looks as though it could grind at least 2 more sets of tops as big as ours.

The Bad: The water feed system is pretty much crap. The "valve" does not allow much in the way of fine adjustment. There is not quite completely off, more than you probably want, and fully on - all within about 3 degrees of rotation from the stop. The parts are thin and cheap. We have had to completely replace the hose attachment that came with the tool. It brust 4 times before the remainder became too small to cut back. The brass nut that is supposed to keep the feed tube elbow cracked and then broke off. The Switch is rather awkward to operate too. Finally, the velcro separated from the pad, and I had to glue it back down with some tougher adhesive.

The Ugly: Yes, it is double insulated and has a GFCI attached, but you really need to wear rubber gloves when you operate it. The GFCI is not sensitive enough to actaully pop the circuit when a stray current (which emanate from the switch and the hose connection) gives your bare hand the occasional, disconcerting, buzz.

Within all the above limitations, and if you don't mind the occasional soaking when the hose bursts, or zap through your hand, or small repair job to get it going again - it did do the job. Since we aren't very likely to need the tool again... well, ever... and since we could not locate one to rent in our area, it gets a good rating despite it's issues. I wouldn't recommend this tool if you are planning to get into the business, but for a 1 shot DIY, it didn't suck. SECCO WV5GRIN 5-Inch Wet Polisher Kit

I had the same problems with the water connection. Went to the hardware store and bought the cheapest 3/8" air line, a set of quick disconnects and a 3/8" pipe to 3/4" garden hose fitting. Cost me $22.00 but now I have a very flexible, 25' hose that does not leak under any water pressure. Would have paid the extra $22.00 and rate the grinder with 5 stars if the company had supplied the setup at their cost, but now the local hardware store made a couple bucks and I have a tool that works just fine.

This is a nicely built grinder that comes with a assortment of grinding pads. The problem people have with the water feed line can be easily solved by getting a piece of 1/2" ID clear tygon tubing with reinforcing. Make it about 8-10ft. long so it will flex easily when you're using the grinder. And you don't need a lot of water for effective grinding. Turn the hose on so that you get just a trickle of water sufficient to flush. More pressure doesn't make it work better. If you do these things you'll find that this grinder is quite effective. Probably not the best choice for high production work but more for the semi-pro doing custom work.

Overall I am very satisfied with this polisher.I am working on an outdoor kitchen and my pour was 30 days old when I received the polisher, I was concerned with how the pads would hold up and was surprised after a half an hour to 45 min of grinding the pad looked like it had just came out of the box. While the water connector is poorly designed it functions pretty well once you turn the water pressure down to a slow stream, which is all the water you need to keep the pads cool anyway. If your not afraid to get wet to save a little money this polisher gets the job done.

Purchased this kit to do first time concrete countertops. I purchased it based on reviews and price. As noted in some of the reviews, the waterfeed system is very cheap and leaks at fitting consistantly which did prove frustrating. Spent about $30 on new parts at Home Depot to rebuild this part of the tool and now have a very satisfactory tool / system. Considering the original price it was worth the hassel of the modification. If this is not something you are willing to do you may want to look elsewhere.

I thought this worked great! well worth the money...I did have to go over the counters more than once and I would not call it glass when it was done...but very smooth. Not issues at all with the water connection...it was fixed on the updated model and I called the company for assistance on how to use and they told me to use very little water...the less water the better the shine! I love this product!

Have not used the grinder yet but was dissapointed that no where in the specifications was it mentioned that the grinder operates on 110V. I live in Australia and the voltage from the wall is 240V. Now, I have to fork our another $113 to buy a step down transformer.

Looking forward to use the grinder though, as soon as I get the transformer.

At 1/3 the cost of comparable product, this wet polisher has proven to be very effective in a variety of stone and concrete DIY projects. The water line is a little tricky to attach properly and should be improved to accommodate individuals who lack common sense. The tools price and performance makes it a great value for the money and a helpful service department and full warranty makes this kit a winner for me. - Concrete - Polishers'

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Dash Mount - tomtom, dashboard mount

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If you read the other reviews for this product, many of the positive ones were written by California residents, as California does not allow window mounts. These positive reviews led me to purchase this product, but unfortunately, I haven't had the same results. This product worked wonderfully during the warmer season. (I am a resident of Maryland.) I normally keep the dash mount under the seat of the car and pull it out whenever I need to use my Magellan 3140 GPS. When winter came along, however, the mount from my GPS would not stay attached to the Nav-Mat. The mount works fine on the window all year-round, but often fell off the Nav-Mat when it was cold outside. When driving in unchartered territory, you really don't want your GPS to fall onto the floor of your car. If you live in a region where temperatures drop, consider bringing the Nav-Mat with you so it is warm when you attach the mount, or be prepared to have the GPS unit pop off the Nav-Mat. I'm sure if I lived in California, I would have given the product 5 stars as well, as its performance when ambient temperatures are not freezing is perfect. Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad

Update 13 May 2011:

I'm back to this mount. As a replacement for my sliding Bracketron I purchased a Garmin Portable Friction Mount. That lasted about a year and it too was all over the place. I went back to this product since I know it works well and lasted twice as long as the Garmin mound did.

Update April 2010:

The mount has lost its stickiness. My GPS now slides all over the place, even in mild to moderate turns. Figure about 2 years as the life of this mount.

Original review:

I've used this mount in a minivan and a MINI Cooper and found it to be absolutely stable. It never moved in the minivan, no matter how hard I cornered or braked (and I tried to get it to move). In the MINI, it only moved once, when I went flying around a corner into a parking lot and hit a hole...the mount moved about half an inch.

If you have a little GPS unit like a Garmin i3 (or i2 or i5) you'll find the unit sits low which makes it a little difficult to use the wheel or button. The Nuvi 350 sits at a nice height in this mount. Another plus is the mount looks much nicer than Garmin's 3-legged mounts. This item is made in China.

I bought this mount for use with my Mio C520 for my trips to California, where it is illegal to use a mount on your windshield. (California Vehicle Code section 26708(a)(1) provides that "No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows.")

It is a no brainer to use. Simply place the Nav-Mat on your dash and attach your GPS's windshield suction mount to the flat disk on the Nav-Mat. The Nav-Mat has a non skid surface.

It is very stable and works great. Actually I find it more convenient to attach my GPS to the Nav Mat than the windshield.

I have posted a picture of it in use under customer images.

I received my GPS Dash Mount today. It works great with my Tom Tom XL and positions the GPS better and easier than the windshield mount. I have a sports car with a relatively small dash area, but it fits no problem and sits very stable. It is also much easier to pick up the device to program it and to remove it from the dashboard to tuck it out of sight when parked. Also, it does not get in the way of the windshield sunscreen. I am very happy with it and it arrived much quicker than I expected. I think we will be ordering another one for our second car.

This GPS mount will work great for ANY system. Here's how: It's a free standing holder with a heavy beanbag rim. It has a very smooth, slick, flat center disk. You simply use the suction mount that came with YOUR particular GPS system, by locking it into the center of the disk - then place the bean bag unit anywhere you want. The bottom of the unit is made of a non-slip material that assures it will sit and stay put - anywhere you choose. Adjusting the viewing angle needed is easily accomplished (again) with "your" suction mount arm. I actually place mine on my console and angle it up toward me. Storage: Since thieves commonly target cars whose windshields have a GPS suction "mark" on them (even though you've hidden the GPS) this makes placing it out of sight even better, because you just slide the entire thing under a seat. When you get back in the car - you just bring the whole thing back up and there's no re-attaching it every time. It's a little pricey, when you add shipping, but it's made well, and there's no question as to whether it will work with your make or model - if you have a windshield suction mount that is! It's black, and about 6 inches in diameter. Hope this helps. PS - I have a Magellan Maestro 3100 - Garmin - Tomtom - Dashboard Mount - Gps'

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Sata Cable - sata cable, power cables

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Do not but this item!!! One side of the SATA connetor is so thin it's like a piece of tissue. Broke off when I plugged it in to the drive and would not stay plugged in. Just fell out of the mating connector. What a POS!!! Cables Unlimited SATA Right Angle Power Adapter Cable

Inserted into a drive this sticks out about 1/2 inch. By comparison, the right angle SATA data cable next to it sticks out just over half as much. In my case this sticks out just a bit too far for the case to go back together. Drat. Functionally it works just fine, the drive is working away with the case open.

I have a Western Digital My Book external drive in which the drive failed out of warranty. The external drive unit is built with the old Molex power connector, but the replacement drive I purchased only has a SATA power connector, thus the need for an adapter.

When replacing a power supply (so we would have enough watts for a new graphics card) we found that a regular connector wouldn't fit into the computer cabinet. This right-angle cable was just what we needed.

The cable works as needed, and is short enough not to get in the way. I didn't have any problems connecting it to my harddrive, but I was extremely delicate, so I can't speak to its idiot-proofing. It does the job. - Sata Cable - Power Cables'

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Corded Rotary Tools - hobby tool, attachments

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Dremel doesn't help much making the decision to pay the price for this package or the one that's half the price. I have both. This is the best deal if you want to use the EZ-Lock system or need a new EZ-Lock arbor, which makes sense if you cut a lot of metal. or do a lot of sanding or polishing. The real parts count in this kit is sanding drums and disks and polishing wheels.

The case is OK, but it's plastic and won't survive a drop. There's a small amount of unused space in the case.

The Dremel 697-06 doesn't include any EZ Lock parts, but does include a good selection of metal cutoff wheels that mount on a standard arbor.

If you already have the EZ-Lock arbor, you may be better off buying only the parts you need.

If you don't use the EZ-Lock system, 697-06 is a much better value. Dremel 710-05 160 Piece Accessory Kit

One of the smartest purchases I've ever made. First of all the "EZ lock" accessary alone is worth $15.00, and you get that plus 7 different types of wheels to use with it. Assortment of mandrels is great, you won't need to buy sanding accessories for a while too, 35 #60 grit drums, 35 #120 Grit, Sanding, polishing, cutting, buffing, sharpening, etc. Not to mention all the sanding disks, This is the one kit you need for your rotory tool. Beleive me you won't need anything else, even if you just get the kit and store it awaw for "just in case" it will not be a waste of cash, you "will" need something from this set maybe at a later time, but you will need/use it. I'd bet on that.

The cutting blades are not that durable. But I have enough sanding wheels for my whole life. Everything works good at Low to Medium speed. Watch out when cutting on high speed because you will have shrapnel flying at you from the cutting wheels.

I got this item at my local home depot for under $30+tax. If you don't know what you need, this is a great value for just testing out the things that a rotary tool can offer. Currently using it with the Black & Decker rotary tool. Since this kit contains a great variety, there will be things inside that I will most likely never use, but than again, you never know what comes up. From what I used so far, the cutting discs do last quite a bit; one of my sanding drums exploded on me from too high of an rpm most likely and pressing too hard against the surface. Just let the tool do the work, and should be fine.

this review is for the 160 ..

I wont list all the items in the box like everyone else has . Ill just say that anything you need will probably be here. Anything from engraving to cutting, polishing metals is in the box. Its a great sturdy box that opens like a book.. although the bottom folds down. Tons of sanding and neat tools for around the house . Ive polished my gold, sharpened my lawn mower blade... you name its there. I used this with my B&D RTX and 8846 chuck and it works great! Its worth it, get it!

I have not had the opportunity to use the accessories as of yet, but I am anxious to do so. I do have several small delicate projects for which I will be using the Dremel tool and some of the accessories.

The Dremel 710-02 160 pieces is worth the money. It was delivered promptly. However, my complaint is that I was looking for accessories for the Dremel trio and this product was suggested. It is the WRONG accessories. And I am very disappointed because it was a Christmas gift. I was embarrassed because Amazon recommended the wrong product. Going through the return was a hassle. - Hobby Tool - Rotary Tool Accessories - Attachments - Corded Rotary Tools'

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