Guy Low Price Electronic: 3 Apr 2011

Sunday, 3 April 2011

Network Switch - network switch, gigabit switch

I needed to wire an ethernet switch to expand the single ethernet jack in our family room to allow my Tivo Premiere XL, my LED TV, my BluRay player and main receiver to all connect to our network. Didn't want to go wireless and so needed to install a switch. (smart hub) So many products out there, looked for a Gigabit switch that wasn't going to cost $$$'s. Picked this one. So far, can't say anything bad about it, its too bad all products aren't this easy to setup. Take it out of the box, plug in a Cat 5 cable from wall to any one of the 5 jacks, plug in 1 - 4 device ethernet cables, plug in AC adapter and plug the adapter into the wall. Auto sensing for input and output cables and can use std. cable or crossover cables so no chance to screw it up. As idiot proof as possible. Tivo found the net and so did the other devices. Done. Doesn't come with any Cat 5 cables to so order what you need. Medialink - 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch

Is and does exactly as you'd expect: small, gigabit speed and set it and forget it!

These things (any brand) wouldn't win any beauty contests, but that's not what they're for. I have 4 Macs and they're all gigabit ethernet capable, for $25 it's well worth watching those files fly through the network!

Bought this because I needed a few extra Ethernet ports than my Airport Extreme possesses. While it's easy enough to install, its data transfer speeds from a cable modem using CAT 5e and CAT 6 cables were *very* sluggish - turned a Pandora music stream into a collection of freezes and hiccups! Even my wife, who mainly uses the Internet for e-mail and icanhascheezburger.com, noticed the slowdown.

Have sent it in for a refund - that's how bad it is - and got a less expensive TP-Link 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch which works MUCH better.

All i did was run the ethernet cable to my room, hooked it up to the switch, ran the ethernet cables to my bluray player and to the xbox 360 and im connected online. great product! netflix works alot faster now on my xbox 360. - Gig Switch - Network Switch - Gigabit Switch - Gigabit'

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Auxiliary Input Adapters - auxiliary input adapters, peripherals

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I bought this to go along with the PAC aux input adapter for my Ford F150 factory radio. This gives the aux input jack a nice clean factory installed look. The cable is big and appears to be very good quality, almost a little overkill for this use. Clarion CCAAUX Female 3.5mm Stereo Mini-Jack to Male RCA Extension Cable with Integrated Cover

the plastic screw, which is joined by a plastic bolt...isnt very strong.

when you tighten it, i basically skips a thread because both pieces are plastic and flexible. Be prepared to glue, or use some other sealant that will help it stay secure...problem is, you cant unscrew it again.

This cable arrived at my doorstep today, and I have to say that I am awfully impressed. I already have installed in my pickup and it looks like it in OEM (with the exception of the cover clearly reading "Clarion" on the front). I actually purchased this because I saw that someone had already uploaded pictures of an install in the same vehicle I have, and it looked great. As long as you have a flat space and the room for a 3/4" hole, it should mount up easily and look sharp. I installed this product in a 2006 F-150 and am using it as an alternative AUX input with the USA Spec PA15-FORD1 iPod/iPhone interface. Not sure when I will actually use it, since I have an actual iPod cable that comes out of my glovebox, but I figured I should run the AUX just in case, you know?

The pros: Looks good, nice sturdy cable (maybe a bit of an overkill, actually), better quality than most of the other similar products out there.

The cons: The retaining nut on the 3.5 mm end is a little difficult to slip over the RCA plugs on the other end of the cord. If the cable split out to the R & L RCAs a couple inches farther up the cord, they would be much easier to jimmy through the retainer nut. The plastic retainer nut also is kind of cheap, so it can easily cross-thread itself when you start getting it snug against the back of the panel you mount it on.

This cable works great! Easy to install and looks like it belongs in my truck. I use it in my 2006 Ford F350 to connect my iPhone through the factory stereo aux button. Now I can listen to my iPhone music and take phone calls hands free through the stereo system. Works great! Highly recommend. - Audio - Miniplug To Rca Adapter - Peripherals - Auxiliary Input Adapters'

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Speaker Cables - aux cable, audio cables

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This cable would be OK for a set of headphones but you should not use it in the signal path between a source device, like an MP3 player or computer, and an amplifier. The shielding is so poor in this cable that it will pickup a considerable amount of 60Hz EMI (aka hum) and you won't like the results.

I bought this cable to connect my high-end Dell portable computer to the Sony pre-amplifier unit of my home entertainmenet system. I wanted to use my portable as an MP3 player since it's a lot easier to program and create playlists on a 17" computer screen than any of the portable MP3 players I've seen. When I had everything hooked up I experienced a very noticeable hum from my stereo speakers even before starting the player application on the computer. At first I thought I had a ground loop so I removed all other external cables (power, usb, ethernet) from the computer, running it on battery only. Still the hum persisted. Even with the AUD-1100-25 cable unplugged from the computer the hum persisted.

I then replaced the AUD-1100-25 with a pair of RCA cables w/ RCA to 1/8" stereo adapters and the hum went away. The RCA cables were hand-made with some quality shielded cable with the connectors hand-soldered by me. What a difference. So, that's what I ended up using.

Although I think Monster Cables and the like are a way over-priced, this product has gone too far in the other direction. I don't recommend this item if you're going to use it in an application that will amplify the signal (and noise) coming through the cable. It's easy to see why this cable is so cheap. Cables Unlimited AUD-1100-25 3.5mm Male to Male Stereo Cable (25 Feet, Black)

I bought this cable 4 months back. I noticed few days back it is playing only one side of speakers. Not working for stereo. Only one side at a time. Even tough I used this cable very rarely for my Creative speakers.

Now I will look for another cable.

Whenever the cable bends near the connector the audio crackles. Tried with different cable and it doesn't crackle. I wish I got a higher quality cable.

**update** Crackling is tolerable if you don't move the cable near the connectors. Works but not highest quality. added 1 star to 3 stars.

You do get a lot of cord (25ft) but for it costs less than what you can find in most stores for the 6ft cord. It works great for car ipod/auxillary jack which is what I purchased it for. I would recommend it. Just keep the extra cord tied up unless you need the full 25ft unravelled.

This was a perfect solution for running audio from my PC in a bedroom to the stereo in the living room. This, coupled with HDMI-M to DVI-M Cable, 25 FT / 7.6 M and Logitech Wireless Desktop MK320 with Keyboard and Mouse along with RiteAV - 3.5mm to RCA Stereo Female Cable - 6 inch have allowed me to use my primary PC as an HTPC without spending all the money on a separate system.

There isn't too much you can say about a stereo audio cable. It works fine and I haven't been able to hear any discernible distortion. I have 3 of these running from my desktop under a rug and past an unshielded 10in sub-woofer to my Z-5500's and it sounds great.

Pros:

+ Really long chord, I didn't quite realize how long 25 ft was.

+ Thin cable, easily hidden under rug

+ Black chord, easily hidden

+ Low cost

Cons:

- Some concerning reviews talking about distortion that worried me

- No Amazon prime free shipping?

Amazing product, shipped within two days arrived in a week. Packaged in a gray bag and inside was plastic bag with the cable.

It's 25ft long, I underestimated it's length when I purchased and it ended up being longer than needed. Nevertheless the sound quality from ipod/mp3 players etc are crystal clear.

No complaints only complements,

Thank you for a wonderful product!

-Kain Ravenix - Video Games - Aux Cable - Audio Cables - Audio'

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Hoover 5914-900 Clean Surge - hoover, carpet cleaning

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If your new machine LEAKS, see note #2 below. I am just amazed at how many people write that their machine leaked from day one, and they returned it. It will leak if you skip a crucial one-time set-up step.

Paid $170 at Best Buy. This is my first carpet cleaner so I have nothing to compare it to except my own expectations. Even though the name is SteamVac, like all the others in this class of cleaners, there is no Steam to it. That's just false marketing, but all the manufacturers do it, so no particular knock on Hoover.

First, let me say I'm ashamed to admit that our carpet hadn't been cleaned in 4 years, and that we live in the country where lots of dirt gets tracked in from outside. So the carpet was pretty darn dirty. The Hoover F5914-900 did a very nice job the first time I used it - a drastically noticeable difference in the appearance of the carpet. The water in the dirty water receptacle was black. Did it return the carpet to new condition? No, impossible. Did it take another treatment or two to really get it clean? Yes, that is the price I pay for ignoring wet-cleaning the carpet for years. One of this cleaner's best features is the ability to dry the carpet quite thoroughly. Since the front of the machine is made of clear plastic, you can see when you're vacuuming up water. If you want to dry the carpet as much as possible, keep vacuuming until you no longer see water being pulled up. As time has passed, the SteamVac has done an excellent job of maintaining my carpets.

My only gripe is that the dirty water container fills up too quickly and should be a little bigger. Ideally, the dirty water receptacle "should" be full right as you run out of clean water. Then, you shut down, empty the dirty water, refill the clean water and back to work. But this process gets out-of-sync with the dirty water receptacle filling up before you run out of clean water. So this can be a little inconvenient, but not a show-stopper.

The machine is well constructed but it IS plastic, with lots of compartments and latches and hose holders, etc, so one must simply be careful or those things will no doubt break off.

A few other notes:

1. If you are not the type to read manuals, do read this one. Assembly and operation are easy if you sit down and read the manual through before starting. It's not like a vacuum cleaner where you just plug it in and go.

2. My machine leaked badly BUT it was my own fault. There is a one-time only setup procedure where you squeeze the trigger and push the Clean-Surge button to lock a rod into place. Push the Clean-Surge button firmly. There may be a loud SNAP which sounds like you broke something, but you didn't. Until you get that snap, the Clean-Surge (which releases extra water-cleaner solution) is on all the time, hence the leaking. I didn't push the button hard enough initially, so I had the leak problem.

EDIT December 2007

Apparently many people are assuming that without a loud snap, the Clean Surge will not work. All that matters is that your machine doesn't leak. If your SteamVac doesn't leak, it is assembled properly and the Clean Surge will work!!! The only reason I emphasized the "snap" was because so many people were having leak problems, which are easily solved. And it's possible that Hoover has changed the design after getting so many returns from people who didn't read the instructions in the manual. So don't get hung up on the snap. If your machine does leak after assembly, you know what to do.

3. ANY time it seems like there is no suction, the problem is that something is not seated properly. It is easy to snap the lid onto the dirty water container without lining it up properly, which causes a vacuum leak. If there is a vacuum leak, there is no suction at the bottom of the machine, where it is needed to suck up water from the carpet. Plus you'll see that the brushes aren't turning, as they're driven by vacuum. So recheck the dirty water lid. Carefully line up the hinges at the back. The front should snap closed very easily. If you have to force it a little to snap it closed, it means the back is not aligned properly and you'll get no suction.

4. If you have velvet or velvetine furniture, do NOT use the powered tool, use the utility tool. The powered tool is too strong for delicate fabric.

5. Like others have suggested, find a cheap alternative to the Hoover brand carpet detergent. One gallon of water doesn't clean a lot of carpet, and at 5 oz of soap per gallon, you go thru it fast.

6. Always be sure to dry vacuum your carpet with a regular vacuum cleaner first before using this machine to wash it. Be sure to remove and clean the brushes when you're done using this machine. Otherwise hair, thread, and balled up carpet fibers will dry on them and between them. Then the brushes won't turn. These are not "use and put away" machines like vacuum cleaners, they're "use, clean, and put away".

7. Here's something I do which you *might* want to try. For a very dirty carpet, I fill a cheap plastic 2 gallon watering can (or smaller for a smaller carpet) with hot water and a tablespoon or 2 of Oxy Clean. I then sprinkle the carpet heavily, being careful not to soak it. Then use the Hoover normally. Of course, this fills up the waste water receptacle long before the soapy water container is empty, but it still saves trips to the sink to load up on clean, soapy water.

8. Others have suggested using boiling water. Not for me, thanks. Too dangerous to handle and unnecessary, unless you've spilled or tracked in grease.

After reading countless reviews here, I have concluded that the problems people have encountered are from failing to properly set up the machine initially, failing to seat the dirty water lid properly, or failing to clean the machine after use. I recommend this Hoover. It won't perform miracles, but I think if it is not abused it will last a long time and do an excellent job of maintaining a carpet. Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge, F5914-900 - Hoover - Steam Cleaner - Carpet Cleaning - Hoover 5914-900 Clean Surge'

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Hunting Knives - ka-bar

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This review is for the SHORT Kabar, in the NON SERRATED version. If you want the big Kabar, order it. The short Kabar is for folks who prefer a smaller knife than Kabar's original full-size USMC Knife.

Everybody knows the BIG KA-BAR, originally designed in the 1940s. It was and IS built from top quality, well-tempered high-carbon steel, has a full tang, a very durable pressure-compacted leather disk handle, etc. This design is still considered by many to be one of the best rugged duty knives in the world.

The "Short" KA-BAR is identical in every respect to the original but downsized to exactly three-quarters of the big KA-BAR'S size.

The short KA-BAR's size & rugged build quality, to my way of thinking, puts it "in the ball park" as a basic survival blade. The 5 1/2 inch blade is long and strong enough for heavier tasks, like splitting kindling while also being light enough to be manageable, for camp or survival tasks requiring more finesse (whittling a snare trigger, for example).

The Ka-Bars, though, were designed primarily as FIGHTING knives. Their ruggedness makes them suitable for SURVIVAL use also but to make the short Ka-Bar "all it can be" as SURVIVAL knife, I recommend some easily managed modifications:

1 - The finger guard at the base of the handle extends to both the dull and sharpened sides of the blade. When you try to rest your thumb on the back-side of the blade (desirable during some tasks) the finger guard is in the way. Using the file on my L-man, I removed and smoothed off that side of the finger-guard.

2 - The ringed leather handle gives a pretty decent grip but this can be easily improved upon. Just roll some heavy rubber O-rings (of the sort used in faucets) down into each of the five grooves that are cut there.

3 - If you like a lanyard, one can be fashioned from paracord by throwing a clove hitch over the end of the handle and then covering it over with a doubled "ranger band" (cut from a 700 x 35 x43c bike tube).

I have used this blade for just about every camp or survival task you can think of and it has held up well. As a point of reference, I also own a Cold Steel Carbon V SRK. The SRK is well known as a first-rate (and not inexpensive) dedicated survival blade. Aside from size and weight, the Ka-Bar (as described above) and SRK are functionally equal. I am fairly certain that if I were TRYING to break them, the Cold Steel's greater heft would prevail but trying to break your knife isn't a technique I have seen covered in any of the standard survival manuals.

The "short" KA-BAR is a lot of knife for the money.

Just a couple of things to wrap up:

1 - Like any other carbon steel blade, the Ka-Bar (or SRK) needs a bit of TLC. High Carbon steel takes and holds a scary sharp, razor edge very well but is more subject to rust than the more expensive stainless steel formulations of similar quality. If at all possible, wipe the blade dry before sheathing it. Also, lubricants like WD-40 or Sentry Solutions Tuf-glide applied to the blade will protect it from rust.

2 - You can use that hammer head styled butt cap for driving tent pegs if you like, but unless your aim is better than mine it seems like a good way to bust up the small bones in your hands. That butt cap certainly has some utility; discouraging mean dogs that you don't want to skewer, for instance. For hammering tent pegs, though, I am going to look for a nice rock. KA-BAR Short Kabar US Marine Corp Knife, Straight, Leather Sheath

This is a great Knife.Some people have said it is to short.Yes it is short and it's just the right size.

No it's not a full size knife but it has it's use for small things.I have a full size K-Bar also.This is the best price around.If you are looking for a good knife and a good price this is the place to buy from.Fast shipping,Good packing.Very Happy.

Thank You

Rob - Ka-bar'

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Disposable - retractable, gel

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My office has been buying these Pilot G-2 07 pens for the last couple years in blue and black ink and I'm not sure if I have ever used a simpler and better pen. The black ones for some reason don't seem to work consistently and run into the typical pen problem of going through times where nothing will come out, but the blue ones have always worked amazingly. The blue ones write SO easily that I refuse to grab any other pens from our supply cabinet and I even buy these at home now. In my opinion the grip feels great and the pen is easy to grab onto and keep in your hand. The ink in my experience comes out very thin and dries very quickly and only smears *immediately* after writing. After 2-3 seconds it is already dry and you're good to go. It is a click pen, and it doesn't appear to be any louder than other click pens; it may be slightly quieter.

I cannot recommend the black pens because they are not as reliable, and I have not used the two other colors, but I can tell you that the regular blue pens are my go-to pens now. They are simply awesome. Pilot G2 Fine Point, Black Gel Ink Pens, Box of 12 (31020)

I have been using this model pen with different points exclusively for several years.

Attributes include:

1) Click system (No caps to pull and get lost) which allows for fast one-hand use.

2) Comfortable grip

3) Gel ink allows for soft writing

4) Cheap enough that you will not mind too much when your coworkers walk away with one of them. - Gel - Pilot - Retractable - Smooth'

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Garmin Ac Charger - garmin nuvi, gps system accessories

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I ordered this along with my Garmin nuvi 765t and it never worked.

Thankfully, Amazon did it's usual superb job of replacing it with just a few mouse clicks.

When the replacement arrived it was of a much simpler design and worked just fine.

Detail:

The original version I got had a slot in the back of the plug-in unit into which various plugs could be inserted to adapt it for the appropriate country/voltage/etc. My guess is that the connection between the adapter and the unit were not good and so it just didn't work.

The replacement unit which I received was made with the North American prongs already built in and no adapter was necessary for use here. The unit was packaged with adapters for UK and European use if needed. The just plug onto the NA prongs.

If you order this, see if you can determine which type will be sent to you or if you get the older-style version try to exchange it. Garmin AC Charger with International Adapters for nüvi

I was happy with this product, the shipping time was quick and the price was great! When I searched for this product in several different stores, it was never available and if I wanted any of the stores to order it in for me, the price was much higher than what I paid for it on Amazon.

The back of the packaging lists: StreetPilot i5, i3, i2, nuvi 680, 670, 610, 370, 360, 310, 270, 260, 250, 200, 250W, 200W. Only by checking the Garmin website for the nuvi 750, and in particular the item number 10-10723-00, was I sure that the AC charger I received was in fact for the nuvi 750. It was a little confusing.

The charger is convenient since I use my Nuvi 650 most frequently as a pedestrian. Who wants to have to get it in and out of the car or keep the computer on for charging? So it is worth the price for me. Product quality is excellent - what can go wrong with a charger? It should have been included with the original purchase along with a carry strap and case since Garmin promotes the Nuvi for handheld use.

Very happy with this product. I charge my Garmin 260w at home and pretty much use it all day without having to hook up the auto power cable.Garmin A/C Power Cable for nüvi Portable GPS Navigators (010-10723-00)

Works fine, allow my Nuvi 760 to be used while charging, instead of going into USB mode.

One thing I have learned by chance is that when you use a standard USB cable to connect to a computer, you can get it to go into non-USB mode like the charger, but it's not always straightforward. I've done it by disconnecting, then reconnecting the cable after a few seconds - I guess it gets confused. - Gps System Accessories - Garmin Ac Charger - Garmin Accessories - Garmin Nuvi'

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Folder Accessories - file, office supplies

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Personally I feel these are as durable as other hanging file folders I have used -- other may think otherwise but for me these are excellent. Clean cut lines, smooth surface and appear very durable.

These are by far better looking than the typical office hanging folders.

I am using them with Seville Classics OFF42569 Heavy Duty Office Utility File Cart, Chrome. So they are quite visible in my office.

Very happy with this product and planning to purchase other similar products. Ampad Envirotec 100% Recycled Colored Hanging File Folders, Letter Size (8.5 x 11), Assorted Colors, 20 per Box (35117) - File - Office Supplies - Pendaflex - Folder Accessories'

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Office Supplies - bic mechanical pencils, mechanical pencils

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My highschooler will only use mechanical pencils. In this day and age teachers don't usually like students to sharpen pencils during class anyway. There a variety of colors. The grips are comfortable. She hasn't complained about the lead breaking like she usually does with mechanical pencils. The plastic seemed a little thin or flimsy to me but she hasn't said anything about them breaking and she is hard on her supplies. She seems very satisfied with them. I would buy them again. BIC Matic Grip Mechanical Pencil, Fine Point (0.5 mm), 12-Count - Pencil - Mechanical Pencils - Home Office - Bic Mechanical Pencils'

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Sharpening Knives - how to, sharpening

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Ooooh what a book ...All the positive reviews made me want to know more, so I asked about it at a local woodworking shop and they said, "This is THE best book on sharpening." It is essential to have sharp tools, I do all my work with handtools but the book goes into great detail on ALL tools, machines, different shapes of tools, the advantages of different techniques ... great detail, but it is also concise, VERY easy to read and understand, and has excellent placement of photos within the text - if you are reading about something on page 30 the pictures will be on page 30, not page 29, not page 35. Also the large pages are broken up nicely with tidbits of fascinating historical and scientific information. In parts, I actually laughed out loud!There are electron microscope photographs of the edges of blades that have been sharpened using various methods. You can actually see the effects ... you will gain appreciation of lapping and rust prevention ... you will know how to select good tools, good sharpening aids ... you will learn about the structure of wood and how to cut with a blade. Part of the way through it I thought, "this is great, but I wish it told me how to sharpen my kitchen knives" - wholah! in a few pages it did, it showed me how to use that stupid thing that came with the set of knives, and the method worked very well.I could not be more pleased with this book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in sharpening, especially woodworkers, these are essential skills. Sharp tools will enhance your entire woodwork experience. You will produce finer work with greater ease, even if you use mostly power tools.I give it 6 stars out of 5.If it had all colour photos and was bound in leather, I would give it 10 out of 5 AND it would be a fantastic coffee table book as well (warning: that does not mean it is insubstantial, just that many non-woodworking visitors would very much enjoy it) The Complete Guide to Sharpening

This is genuinely the most exhaustive volume I have ever seen in the world of woodworking. Leonard Lee (who is the president of Veritas and Lee Valley Tools) has made every effort to leave out none of the minutia of the world of sharpening. I'm making fun a bit, but there is no question but that this is 'the complete guide ...'

Lee starts right out with the definition of sharpness, the physics of cutting wood, metallurgy, abrasives and equipment. Then he gets down to tools and techniques. Everyone expects chapters on chisels, planes, and knives, but Lee goes on to tweezers, Phillips screwdrivers, claw hammer claws and several other things that you may have never thought were dull.

For all the density of information, Lee's delivery is clear and he makes good use of illustration. And there is a great deal of pleasure to be gained from owning a book that really does live up to its title. Whether beginning or expert sharpener, this is certainly the text to own

This book by Leonard Lee (who also owns Lee Valley / Veritas tools) is probably the most complete book on sharpening on the market today. He covers metalurgy, composition, tempering and heat treating. He not only discuss's angles for sharpening but why these are the proper angles. Quite a bit of time is spent discussing diffferent edges or degree's of sharpness and why you want to achieve them. You begin to realize he is trying to take a somewhat dry and often confusing process and turn it into something you can fully understand from beginning to end. The fact that he is very passionate about sharp tools comes thru. I especially appreciate the wide selection of sharpening aids that he has included in the book. From the old standby oilstone to the ultra modern complete systems. He offers alternative methods and shows how to achieve that perfect edge.

I also have the cd/dvd companion to the book. It is almost as complete, with a lot of hands on demonstration.

I have always been able to get a good edge on my chisel's and turning tools (except the mini's, old eyes ya know), but was never happy with the edge I would get on my planes. Now they cut those beautiful "curls" everytime. His book makes it simple and easy for me to achieve this.

Recommend this book to everyone, woodworker or not, who needs to be able to get that "edge" on their cutting tools. Can't give it a high enough rating.

The cd/dvd rates way up there also.

I checked this book out from my local library, and read it cover to cover. It is so full of practical and useful information, I think I will have to purchase it to add to my library. Lee covers theory, research about metallurgy and how wood reacts to sharp edges, with very practical applications of this theory and research. His writing style is very clear and understandable, and his knowledge base is clearly built upon a lifetime of woodworking experience. He points out that, no matter how much you spend for fancy stones, wheels and jigs, and top end tools, you will not get a sharp edge and satisfying result without a basic understanding of wood, metals and abrasives. The book is nicely illustrated with clear photos and beautiful electron micrographs and very well edited. Essentially all hand woodworking and power tools are covered. It also includes appendices covering research results of how wood reacts to cutting edges and useful reference tables about abrasives. This is one of those uncommon books that brings together science, art, and craftsmanship is a very pleasant-reading text worth keeping for reference.

Having read over a dozen books on this topic, this is the best book on how to sharpen every tool in your shop. Lee includes a good review of the different kinds of sharpening stones and alternate methods such as using sanding papers. There are many illustrations to help explain the text and special jigs you might need to perform a job. I am particularly interested in hand planes. The chapter on them includes information on blade angles and how to true and flatten the sole plate that is integral to getting good results after you sharpen the blaade. This is an example of how complete the information is in this book - Sharpening - Hand Tools - Knife - How To'

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Hybrid Bike Fender - fender, bike fender

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I purchased this fender set to install on a TREK 4300.

The installation of the front fender was very easy, took no alterations of the mounting hardware and took less than 5 minutes.

The back fender required bending of the mounting bracket. The rear bracket is bent to a 90 degree angle and meant to mount to a rear facing threaded hole. My bike has the threaded hole pointing down toward the tire, so it required the bracket to be bent so that it was straight. It also appeared to require removal of the rear rim to get to the screw to install it. I did find that by letting the air out of the rear tire, I could get the screw mounted with a right angle screw driver (one of those small ones that have a bend on each end for reaching tight places).

In all, it only took about 15 minutes to bend the bracket and mount it, so the installation was still fairly easy.

The front fender is very stable, however because the rear fender is longer and only has one mounting point, it tended to slip out of alignment. I also mounted a Topeak rear rack on the bike, and I found that I could mount a small 90 degree angle bracket to one of the holes that was intended for a light, and then attach it to the rear of the fender. It now is very stable, however, it would be harder to remove. I leave my fenders on all of the time, so it doesn't create any problems for me.

Generally, I think the fenders are great and do an excellent job, even with the wide tires (2.00 x 26). I will mention that since the fenders are intended to work with either 26 or 28 inch tires, they are curved a little less than might be desired for a tight fit on the 26 inch tires. I heated them with a heat gun and found that I could bend them to a tighter curve, so that they fit the tires a little better. SKS Beavertail Bicycle Fender Set (26 and 28-Inch Bikes)

Bought these for my wife's bike, a Trek Pure. They fit very well. The only problem I had was the screw for the rear was not going to work on this bike, they supplied a 1/4-20 bolt and the bike had a 10-32 thread. Took me a while to find a screw the right size, but other than that, it went together well, and looks good too. It should do the job nicely which is keeping the rooster tail off her back on our weekend rides. I only gave it a 4 star because I thought they should at least supply a couple of different bolts for different bikes. But for the price, it really couldn't be beat.

6-13-2010 update. My wife rode this morning for the first time with these fenders on. She has the Trek Pure step thru. Because the seatstays are angled down more than a standard bike, the rear fender doesn't go back far enough around the tire and subsequently doesn't stop all the water, as the water lines on her back attest to. It does stop most of it, but I noticed, from riding behind her, that if she goes through the water slowly, about 6-8mph she gets wetter, if she goes through faster, around 12mph, I get wetter :-)) as I get some back spray from her fender.

For this reason, I downgraded my rating to a 3 star. I am sure they would be better at keeping the spray off her back if she rode a bike with seatstays at a normal angle. So keep this in mind if you own a step thru bike. I may have to buy another set of fenders that have a longer reach around the rear tire.

6-30-10

Yet another update. I took these fenders off, they just don't work with this bike, the Trek Pure Deluxe. I bought a set of Planet Bike Cascadia Front and Rear Bicycle Fender Set with Mud Flaps, silver color. Now these ones I absolutely love, as does the wife, which is even more important. Yes, they cost a bit more, but really are worth the price. I bought mine at the LBS.

I installed these on my Giant mountain bike (26" tires). I chose these over the alternatives because the others seemed to have some sort of clip/screw combo on one end of the rear fender that would not work on my bike because the frame is not built to those standards. The brackets on these fenders were perfect. They also bend easily so you can customize the fit. I do not get any spray from the tires in the rain any more. I was able to install them in about 15 minutes (max) and I have had no major problems with them yet. Sometimes they shift one way or the other a bit and rub the tire, but it's easy to bump them over a bit by hand if they don't kick back after riding around for a minute or two. Overall? Enormous success. I would recommend these.

For a solid frame or front suspension bike these fenders work great. I was sketchy about their quality, but when mounting them on my bicycle I found them to be very sturdy.

Pros : - takes care of almost all mud and water

- easy to instal

- quite inexpensive

- mountable on most bicycles

- front fender works amazing

Cons: -Depending on how you mount the rear fender, it will not catch everything (I had to put on a different sks fender over top of the beavertail to catch an extra four inches. This was because I had the beavertail follow the tire all the way down to the bottom of my bike and that took the extra coverage that would have been had up above.)

- though easy to install, it is still time consuming

- tricky to fit in and around brake cables

Very quick and easy to install. I just have an inexpensive Costco mountain bike (Motiv) with fat tires and was concerned about fenders fitting inside the frame, but the fit was fine. In ten minutes I was outside riding through all the puddles on our dirt road. The performance of the fenders fully met my expectations.

As of yet, I have not installed my fenders because the screws don't work with my bike. Before purchasing, I saw others post similar complaints, but I wasn't sure why the screws didn't work. Here's why they don't work on my bike - they are just barely too wide and definitely too long. The screws seem to be made for a bike that has a hole that is open on both ends. My bike does not have this. I plan on keeping the fenders regardless because they seem like they will provide good coverage and they seem pretty sturdy. I just have to find some screws that will work. - Cycling - Fenders - Fender - Bike Fender'

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Battery Operated Tv - lcd tv, dtv ready portable tv

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If, like me, you live in a medium-fringe TV area, and you are going to be using the supplied (or other external) antenna, one of the first things to do when you receive this cute little TV is to connect it to the best antenna available to do your auto-scan. That's easy because it has a standard antenna connector, and necessary because this TV will_not_tune to any channel not previously found by auto-scan. Manual tuning just selects a channel previously auto-scanned. At my location, the attached rabbit-ear antenna is virtually useless. But with my large, amplified home antenna connected, I easily picked up all the digital stations I usually get, plus one more, and with no problems from the many big trees around my home. So the tuner is very sensitive and not very subject to multipath interference. With the supplied external antenna connected, I eventually managed to get all the stations received using the big antenna, which was a nice surprise, although it took some fiddling with antenna position (Two inches can make all the difference). The digital TV picture provided is very good, with very nice color, resolution and contrast.

I didn't expect great sound, since the speakers are tiny (about 1 inch diameter, on the front). It's certainly not high fidelity, but it is intelligible at least. The sound from earphones is somewhat better.

Other surprises include no volume and no power on/off switch on the credit-card sized remote (No big deal. Gotta be almost within reach to see the picture details anyway). And the internal battery cannot be charged on the car adapter -- It's charged only when the TV is connected to AC power.

The Axion web site is listed in the manual as [...]

Follow-up 2/4/09: Still like this TV, but I'm now on the second one -- The first stopped responding to the remote control after about two weeks, and was quickly replaced for free by Amazon. The second one performs at least as well as the first. Further thoughts: This TV is intended to be placed on a table top, like a picture frame, but if you must mount it elsewhere, well, there is a threaded hole like a tripod socket on the bottom. It doesn't look very strong, and appears to be just molded into the plastic. The manual says nothing about it. Also, the AC adapter does generate some electrical noise (so does the TV), so AM radio reception may be affected, especially if the radio is close by. Axion AXN-8701 7-Inch Widescreen Handheld LCD TV with Built-In Tuner, Black

I had a 5" black and white in my kitchen and knew with the digital conversion, I would need something else. I ordered this based on the 2 reviews out there at the time and I am so pleased with this TV. I live in Houston so there are almost 40 channels available between the digital and the analog, I get channels on this that I don't even get on my standard cable! initially I had trouble with some of the digital stations, I kept moving the TV around trying to pick up the signal (my problem was that I want the TV to sit under my cabinets and I guess that was interfering with the antenna picking up clear signals). I was getting frustrated and then remembered the other antenna it comes with. I unplugged the internal connection and plugged this extra antenna in and placed it on my window sill and all the channels came in perfectly without having to adjust anything. The cord on the extra stand up antenna is long enough to put it rather far from the TV which is very convenient because you can move it around to find the best reception. The picture is clear as a whistle and the sound is very good, not muffled or fuzzy at all. The wide screen is another bonus, most of the digital HD channels are in wide screen mode so it works out well. This is a no brainer to set up and I am so glad I took the plunge and bought it!

Update: I have not had to use this yet in a power outage but have occasionally unplugged it and brought it to the table to watch during dinner when I wanted to see a show I was in the middle of. The 1 1/2 hr. battery now barely works for 1/2 hr. and I have not used it often. I really bought this to use in my kitchen but also just as importantly, to work during another hurricane after having a small black and white that took batteries and worked beautifully last time I needed it. With the new digital change, I had to find something else to have on hand and apparently, this won't be it. There is a new one coming out in August that does take regular alkaline batteries, I would suggest you go for that one if you want something to work in emergencies. Will still use this in my kitchen but now I will probably have to buy the other one just for emergency use since I live in a hurricane prone area. Very disappointed.

Update #2: Found a solution to the low battery power. The new TV that has the battery option is not well rated and apparently to get the battery power, you have to buy an additional $70 piece. After some research, I discovered that Duracell makes an 100 watt inverter power to go unit, it is a supplemental battery that can be charged from any outlet and/or from your car as well, and it will provide additional battery power not only for this TV but for cell phones, ipods or any other small electronics. Not only will it provide power, it will recharge your devices as well. It provides 44 hrs. of charge for an ipod, 12 days for a mobile phone, and 2 hrs. for a laptop. And, it has several outlets on it so you can use more than one device at a time with this battery. This item sells for about $40 and is a good solution for anyone who worries about being without power for any length of time.

Was asked for a link for the power source so here it is: Duracell 852-0281-07 DC to AC 100 Watt Inverter & 4.0 Amp/Hour Lithium Ion Mobile Power Source and I have this one which I picked up for about $40 but it is currently $99: Xantrex Technologies 852-0281 XPower PowerSource 100 Watt Inverter

UPDATE #3: Finally found a real old fashioned battery solution that this TV will work with. You just need D batteries and can keep replacing them for long term outages. This will also work with other small electronics with the right cords (like cell phones and ipods and anything with a car charger). Unfortunately Amazon doesn't sell it but here is where I got mine:

[...]

This should finally solve a lot of the problems with these digital TVs! - Lcd Tv - Battery Operated Tv - Portable Tv - Dtv Ready Portable Tv'

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Cordless Tools - combo, makita

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I received this product via free shipping, and like the other reviewers, mine was poorly packaged. No box in a box, just the mfr box. Corners were dented, box was torn up, looked like it had been dropped on one end a few times. Inside, I found all the tools, but some of the items had shifted and were scuffed up a bit. Some items were floating around, like the screwdriver bit, and the sawsall bit.

However, all the tools functioned properly, and I got this set for a good price. These are top quality tools. Even the radio sounds decent, with a aux input for a MP3 player. Would have been nicer if the radio played CD's, but it doesn't.

For the price, this is a great deal, so just refuse the package if it arrives beat up so you can avoid the return shipping charges and get another one.

A little unrelated, but when I first found this item it was priced at $494, but when I checked out about two hours later, the unadvertised "sale" on this item ended, and the price went up to $549. Called Amazon directly, and they wouldn't budge. A little cheesy in my opinion, but still a good deal at the new price.

Would be a five star with sturdier packaging. Makita LXT702 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 7-Piece Combo Kit

Absolutely love the tools!! The shipping problems also appear to be fixed, mine was shipped placed inside of a stronger exterior box with everything intact. I would also agree with previous reviews that I'm not too keen on the duffel bag, it has pockets for two drills, the recip saw, and the charger, most everything else just lays loose in the bag. I did find that if I packed the radio in the bag as well things fit snugly and didn't get banged around too much. A solid case would have been nice but on the other hand most likely would have been extremely large. Quick review of tools -

Drill - better than awesome

Driver - Even better than the drill, already survived a drop off the ladder unscathed

Recip saw - Very strong, yet soft to operate

Angle Grinder - Like it but rpm seems slow, doesn't back down though and it has a cool overload indicator

light

Circular saw - Great for a battery powered saw

Flashlight - Bright, but would have liked to see LED and also a flexible goose neck design

Charger - maybe time to update to a more modern looking design but works well

Radio - Compact design is very nice, much smaller than other job site radios and it isn't an odd shape so it packs well. Looks very sturdy. Would be cooler if it could charge a battery.

I wanted to get a good set of cordless tools for about under a year. I figured there are so many little side project around my house, one of my biggest deterents is set up, making sure the extension cord is long enought or sometimes requireing two, finding the right plug; then there is the packing up. In all the time it would take me to set up my work station, I'd talk myself out of doing my side projects.

I had settled on the Makita combo set or the Milwakee 28V. I hear great things about Milwakee, plus my dad corded Milwakee sawzall has been going strong for over 15 years.

But, this was the kicker for me in my decision making. I got more tools from this 18V set than I would the Milwakee 28V set. If I needed more power, then I could just get the corded tools which I happen to have. i.e. this hammer drill could not drive a screw through some old wood, I could neither back out the screw or drive it in. So, I brought in my Corded Porter Cable screw gun, and it drove the screw no problem at all. I know I could have drilled a bigger pilot hole, but needless to say, by that time, the screw was stuck.

The set from what I found cannot replace your corded tools power... But, that is if you have a good set of corded tools already. If you need max power in a battery pack, you should do more research on the 28V tools.

Quick run down of tools:

1) flashlight... Tremendously bright. Will light up a room even if you have it on the ground.

2) Sawzall... Tooless blade change is great. Has quite a bit of power. You could have endless uses for this sawzall even if it isn't construction handy work. I could see situations where I can trim 5" tree limbs with the right blade, no cables to cause dangers.

3) Circualr saw, cuts 2X4's well. I was able to cut several plywoods as well. Of course I'm not contractor so I'm not going to drain the battery with my small use of it.

4) Impact drill will screw a screw in with authority - the screw will be pipping hot when you take it out. I tried using this to remove the above mention screw, but the hammering action was eating the head of the screw.

5) Grinder, I haven't worked with it, but seems to give a good kick when you push the trigger.

6) Hammer drill... I had problems with utilizing as a screw gun. But the drill works quite well. The Hammer drill option works good as well.

7) Portable radio... works well. But, I find you have to move it around in order to get optimal reception. When I put it in certain places, the static will be bad, but if I move it around, I can put it where the reception is crystal clear. The MP3 plug is a good option, but the "SOUND IS LOW" in comparison to the normal radio option. You won't have to squint your ear to hear, but you will notice the difference.

Side note, you get all or nothing power, which is good. When the battery runs out, the tool just will not work. But you will get power up until the power drains enough not to operate the tools.

In short, I love Makita, I really like their products, but I would have chosen the 5 piece combo without the radio. Also, if you are undecided on Makita, depending on your needs, you might want to choose DeWalt or Milwaukee.

Pros-

-Great battery life. I used the skill saw and drill and screw gun to cut and install 8 different shelves in my garage and did it all with one battery.

-Grinder is great. The whole reason I got the kit was because I needed a battery operated grinder, and the price of it as a singular item is almost half of the price of the kit. So I got the kit. It will last for 15 min straight with decent power on one battery.

-Circular saw is impressive for being full sized. All of the adjustments are super easy to use and as long as you don't try to rip too fast, it works flawlessly.

-Battery charger has a fan in it to cool battery while charging and before if it is too hot to charge.

Cons-

-The batteries. A couple things. 1. They have a computer chip inside which is ok, but I driped some water on my grinder and the grinder survived, but the battery is dead now. So I have a twice charged paper weight. Older battery systems could get wet, dry out and be fine. Not now, so if you work with or around water, think twice.

-Even though they charge quickly, it would still be nice to have a dual charger to charge two at once. If I'm out in the field, I don't want to have to come home and worry about switching them to charge them both. I don't care about price, but there should be that option. Also, a replacement charger is over 100 bucks. Which is a little pricy for a charger.

-Power. Although I have not desired more power. I have been happy with the tools, my father has a DeWalt set and there is surprisingly more torque when you punch the trigger of the drill and screw gun. That might not be a concern, as it is not with me. But if you really need the hammer features, you will get more "hit" with another brand. Other brands offer dual chargers.

THE RADIO..... the radio is the biggest waist of 100 dollars that I have ever seen. In theory it is good, but the speakers are so small, and its top volume distorts and isn't very loud to begin with. I really wish I had saved the 100 bucks and gone with the 5 tool set instead of the one with the radio. There are cool features, like an internal aux jack in the battery compartment so your mp3 player can be shielded and clean. It has a great antenna, but it is supposed to be a job site radio, and it is definitely not that.

Conclusion.

I am not unhappy that I got this. I `m buying two more batteries and another charger. Even on Amazon, it is cheaper to buy the two drill set (which comes with those) than to buy just the batteries and charger. So I guess I'll have a spare drill and screw gun. - Makita - Combo Packs - 18 Volt - Combo'

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