Door Stopper - door stopper, door lock

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Purchased this last week for an upcoming trip to Europe for use as an added measure of security in the hotel rooms we are staying in. Received extremely fast using Amazon Prime.



Tested this portable lock in my home with 2 different doors and works wonders! With this lock on, it will make it extremely difficult for an intruder to come in to your room. Though the red piece is plastic it is reinforced with a metal plate underneath it which makes it really solid! This makes the entire portable lock made of metal! Once installed, it was difficult for me to go in the home. I think that I would have to kick the door in to jar this portable lock loose.



Great extra measure of security! I'll sleep better knowing that even if an intruder manage to pick the locks of my hotel room, they would have to kick the door in to open it with this portable lock in place!



Great buy! Thanks... Add-A-Lock

bought this so that i don't need to drill holes in my front door, however it doesn't work... the gap between the door and wall is to small for me to slip the metal part i.. it's not as easy as it claims..

Very good invention... No "installation" necessary in terms of screws etc. Slips in between just fine, super simple. For the occaisional tighter fit, just turn the knob first, and then close it in... Simple. Have'nt tried this in a hotel yet... I believe it will work in most Motels though. Had a RIDICULOUS "landlord" and workman that would just go into people's apartments whenever they flippin' wanted! Almost killed a guy during one of these events. Bought cameras, and rigged all kinds of barricades to keep these nuts out and myself out of jail because of them. Wish I had just ONE of these during that truly miserable time. Now, no matter where I go, I have a few of these no matter what. I'm a very large man with serious combat training, and I would much rather let these babies do a terrific job as opposed to having to resort to setting up booby traps ever again, or ending up in court for mangling some fool for foolishly intruding.



Though not really useful for when you are OUTSIDE, it is funny to set it up backwards just to show there's something at instant one they probably don't want to mess with when it comes to you insisting on your privacy.



As stated in the beginning, I wish I had just one of these awhile back, but I have learned alot from such ridiculous circumstances, and have since learned much more civilized methods to guarantee my privacy which to me is priceless. This little rig does help quite a bit... you will like it. It is also adjustable and again just pretty neat, though you would be wise to pick up a few other security tools and enjoy peace of mind without possibly harming some stupid intruder, deserved or otherwise.



UPDATE:

Picked up yet another, and it is designed very differently. It is difficult to explain how, given the very unique/clever design... Best way I can describe it is that it's depth adjustability is dramatically different, the ones prior being much more versatile. Still great to have, and you can be sure they do the job right. I'm glad I have some of the adjustable ones... different doorways simply do not fit the most recent design. I'd write in beforehand asking if these are the 4 notch adjustables (ideal) or the less versatile tringular notch design, Sidenote- I found a GREAT place... everything is clean especially the water (thank god) but sure enough, a workman who was not aware I happened to be home that day (I male sure *everytime* now always being certain of when they decide to drift by) tried to come in without prior notice/permission... but this did the trick beautifully. He tried for nearly two minutes (as hidden video also shows) trying the right keys first, then thinking he must be using the wrong ones, trying others, and then trying the correct ones again, turning the knob and pushing with no luck at all. I fought myself from confronting him on the spot, as I am really trying to not let this kind of thing make me as upset as it once did (albeit for appropriate reason) and instead decided not to, opting to see if he was going to mention anything about it. Not a peep... as I expected. Did ask me later alot about my expensive electronics and reminded him I'm pretty good with stocks, have all my financials to prove it and offered him a discounted rate for some investment consultation. Shut him up entirely after that. In any event- It just goes to show you.., if someone else has keys to your place, nosy utterly wacko girlfriend (the i intial reason I became interested in things like these) workmen, landlords, don't be shocked... happens every day and almost certainly to everybody- save your peace of mind and right to prevent nosy weirdos from bothering you. Get some good locks... they exist for very good reason, and there are few if any good reasons not to use them.

This Add-A-Lock works as promised. It was easy to install and has a handy nylon carrying case. If you put this product in your cabin luggage, be sure to include a copy of the instruction sheet in case airport security officials as you what the Add-A-Lock is. The only minor improvement suggestion is that the one page instruction should have been more than a color printout from an inkjet printer that is not water resistant. Overall, this is a simple device that is solidly constructed and did the job in securing my hotel rooms while I was on an extended trip to China.

When it fits, it provides a sturdy barrier, quick to put on or remove. It can be particularly helpful when renting vacation houses or condos where some realtors, property managers, or maintenance men tend to enter without even knocking at times. Too many people seem to have keys, and feel entitled to enter whenever they please, at such places. Unfortunately, it only fits traditional doors, and only when the door and lock fit the frame perfectly.



I have never been able to use it at a hotel, and too often find it won't work in regular doors. Unfortunately, housekeeping and maintenance staff have keys to ALL locks, even deadbolts, and can even get into rooms with security bars easily. I would like to see a new version of this for hotels, and some change that would make it easier to use on "imperfect" doors. - Door Stopper - Door Lock - Security - Lock'

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Aube By Honeywell - intermatic, timer

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As far as I know, there is nothing even close to this on the market.



I have had a few of these for many years. None have ever failed. Setup is straightforward and programming is reasonable.



Having the lights automatically adjust for sunrise/sunset is great. If we leave the house at 4pm and come back at 9pm, the front lights are on.



There is a little bug in the programming (TI034). It screws up if it is programmed to turn on before midnight and turn off after midnight. I forget now how it screws up, because I changed mine to turn off just before midnight. I think it just stayed on.



I would like more flexible programming, but that usually comes with complexity. There isn't much space there for a display.



1. Be able to set an offset (sunset +/- nn minutes).



2. A random feature where it would vary the actual on/off times by +/- nn minutes. This is a minor point, because it already vary some because of changing sunset/sunrise times.



3. Automatic adjustment for daylight savings. That may be a problem, because they could change the cutover date, so maybe it's better as it is.

This also allows me to synch the clock twice a year. The timer does not keep perfect time, which is surprising. I would think it could use the 60 Hz from the grid to stay perfectly in time. Maybe an upgraded model could include a received for the time signal from Colorado? :-)



This is one of my favorite gadgets. It used to be very hard to find. I am glad that Amazon is now carrying it. I often give them away as gifts.



07/30/10 Update: Aube makes quite a few models. It took me awhile to figure out the differences and I bought one wrong model. Some of them are designed for more heavy-duty work and controlling motors (033 & 035). I see that they now have a few new models with more programming options and higher wattage ratings. Most of mine are the 034. These are fine for porch lights. Our front porch light is also wired in with the front outside plug so it can control external Christmas lights. The 500 watt max for the 034 is limiting. I may get the new 071 or 072 to replace that one.



Here's a summary of the model from the Aube website (aubetech dot com). Please excuse the (. . .). That's the only way I could find to make a table.



. . Model . . . . . . . . . . . Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Programs

. TI032-3W . . . 500 W @ 120 V, 40 W minimum . . 7 manual

. TI032-3W-5 . .500 W @ 120 V, 40 W minimum . . 7 manual

. TI034-3W . . . 500 W @ 120 V, 40 W minimum . . Sunset/sunrise

. TI070-3W . . . 500 W @ 120 V, 40 W minimum . . 7 manual + Sunset/sunrise

. TI073-3W . . . 500 W @ 120 V, 40 W minimum . . 21 manual + Sunset/sunrise

. TI033 . . . . . . 2400 W max., 1 HP @ 120 V . . . . 7 manual

. TI035 . . . . . . 2400 W max., 1 HP @ 120 V . . . . Sunset/sunrise

. TI071 . . . . . . 1800 W @ 120 V, 0 W minimum . . 7 manual + Sunset/sunrise

. TI072-3W . . . 1800 W @ 120 V, 0 W minimum . . 21 manual + Sunset/sunrise



The 3W means 3-way. The -5 is almond color. Aube by Honeywell TI033/U 7-Day Programmable Timer Switch, White

I installed more of these timers after a lighting guy used one doing our landscape lighting. I've used Intermatic wall timers before and had them crap out on me. These switches are reliable, easy to program, and discreet when replacing a normal wall switch.

I used this to replace my ST01C, controlling a whole house fan. The ST01C has a problem that it would randomly reset the clock to 12:00. This is much better with a neutral line. It's also easier to program. Highly recommended.

I was looking for a timer to control my outdoor lighting. I was first drawn to this product because of the name Honeywell, which is well known quality proven name in the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) business. So if Honeywell could make such a great PLC, then their timers should be par excellence. It turned out that some research after my purchase discovered that Aube was a company all of its own which was acquired by Honeywell in 2008. So this product, given the time frame, may have no Honeywell technology at all.

It turns out that it works great none the less!



NOTE: the key to making this Aube TI033 work in a standard size box with all this wiring is NOT to use the supplied connectors, they may cause the wiring to break and they take up extra space in the already cramped box. Just peal away the ends of the wires to be connected, bind them together by twisting with a pliers and shield the exposed wires with electrical tape - which is flexible and takes up a whole lot less space than connectors!



Pros

-Backed by Honeywell, a well known, well established PLC brand



-The Manual Mode is controlled by the door itself which is also itself a button; push to turn On, push to turn Off. (The On/Off switch shown in one of the pictures behind the door that hides the buttons, turns On/Off the entire device, although it gives the illusion that this is the manual mode switch).



-The door button can be used to switch between manual and automatic mode by just holding down the button for 3 seconds.



-The door button can be used to temporarily override the automatic mode (the follow the programing mode) to turn On or Off the device and this temporary override remains in effect until either the button is pushed again or the next turn on cycle in the automatic program starts.



-To the other reviewers who said this device was too big to fit in a standard size box, I say what standard are you following? I'm using this Aube TI033 to control 3 compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). I took out the triple switch (3 switches in one box), combined the 3 outputs to connect it to the single output of the Aube TI033; then had to run a neutral for the device (that's a lot of wiring in that box!). The box fit, tightly, with all that wiring but it fits well.

In short, take one box device out of box, put another into box.



-Requires a neutral so that in case of shorts, the danger to you would be diminished, the current would prefer the low resistance path back to your panel box and trip your circuit breaker.



-Displays Time (as set by you) in 24hr or 12hr, Day of week, current program running in auto mode and status of output device (On or Off).



-The Aube TI033 has up to 7 programs. Which means 7 times On and 7 times Off. Each of these On and Off times can be set individually to Day (Mon - Sun) or everyday and time of day.



-Has a built in rechargeable battery which can hold the programing data for up to 30 days! More than enough for even a very severe power outage.



-Aube TI033 Can control:

2400Watts (20 Amps @ 120V) (P = IV) (Resistive Loads - incandescent lights, halogen lights, block heater or Inductive Loads - fluorescent lights, compact fluorescent lights, sodium lamps, electronic ballasts)

1 HP (pool filter pumps, water pumps, ceiling or other fans, any motor up to 1 HP)

5 A tungsten (I don't know much about this!)



Cons

-May not actually have Honeywell tech in it.



-Does not have a short timer function in which you can push a button to turn on a device for a set period of time (eg. 5, 10, 15, 30 mins)



- Requires a neutral - depending on the wiring and the output device you are connecting the Aube TI033 to, you may not have a neutral. For instance with my wiring, my lighting was done with a simple circuit design so that the switch only breaks the live wire and the neutral is connected directly to the bulb, so in order to make this device work, I had to run an additional neutral wire inside the switch box. It will NOT work without this neutral.



- the actual wire than the neutral wiring for the device is made with, is a soft metal so that if the connectors supplied are used and turned a little too tightly, it breaks, as happened with mine and I had to remove it and connect it using a pliers and electrical tape.



NOTE: this device will NOT work without this neutral! When I was attempting to use mine with the broken neutral wire, it wouldn't even turn On!



There is another theoretical solution, in a simple circuit design mentioned above, where the neutral is connected to the bulb/device, the other end of the wire at the switch is theoretically a neutral so you could bind the neutral and output wires of the Aube TI033 and connect it to the live going to the device. I didn't test this to see if it will work, that's why I said theoretically... the reason why I didn't and why I don't recommend it is because if there is a fault, the fault current would have to pass through your device. In this case with say a filament bulb, the filament would act a fuse and burn under heavy current causing the fault current afterward to find an alternative route which could be through you!!!



NOTE: It doesn't come with a faceplate, the one I bought was;

Leviton 021-80401-00W Decora 1-Gang Wallplate, White

There was a small color difference but not noticeable from a small distance... say about 8ft away. Fits perfectly with the face of the Aube TI033 and flush with the wall. - Aube By Honeywell - Intermatic - Timer - Programmable Timer'

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Dividers

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These were advertised as the size I needed - 4 1/2 by 8. When I received them, they seemed smaller than that so I measured - they were actually 3 1/2 by 6. Just a warning so others don't make the same mistake. I bought them to separate and organize letter-sized and legal-sized files (folded in envelopes) and these are too small to stick up above the files. Coupon Organizer Divider Index Cards 125 LB Stock 24ea

This coupon organizer and inserts have streamlined my organization (used to carry two separate organizers, now all categories fit in this one!)and made my shopping (and saving) life easier! This wallet is thicker than many I've seen in the past so you can have more categories (for serious couponing, I like to have sub categories like instead of just toiletries, I have a separate section for razors, hair care, etc) It is durable, looks and seems as if it will last a long time, and came in my favorite color! Red!!!

I appreciated the pre-labeled stickers, however I do wish there were a couple of extra blank cards that you could write in for certain things that I would find useful. I probably won't find much use for both labels "SNACKS" and "DESSERTS". As I had already labeled all the cards with the stickers, I'll just go back and flip the "DESSERTS" card and write in a title for something that I'd find more useful. Other than that, the cards are great.

The organizer that I got this for already had index cards, but the description didn't state such. At least I have a back-up.



Otherwise, good quality. I like that the cards are numbered in alphabetical order, so that I can take them out when I'm sorting coupons.

Works great in my coupon organizer.I tried making some home made ones with my paper cutter and some manila folders but they looked cheesy compared to these. They have gotten a litten worn on the tabs but thats to be expected.'

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Digital Baby Monitor - baby video monitor, gift idea

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Ok, I have a type "A" personailty and I reserched the heck out of several monitors. I have been shopping around for the "perfect" monitor for months buying and returning until I have found what I want. (My son is 6 months old) I have tried several brands/types of video monitors such as Sony, Summer Infant monitors, and a Costco brand that can be used via the internet and Iphone/Ipad2. This Motorola monitor is the BEST that I have found. Money was not an issue for me as I wanted a video/audio monitor that just worked well. I do recommend spending a little more and buying the 3.5 inch monitor.



Ok, what to say that has not been covered in other positive posts.....The resolution at night is awesome as I can see my baby breathing. (VERY important) I can see everything in great detail. The camera views best when mounted on the wall close to the crib-this way it can scan straight down and straight up viewing the entire crib and room. I originally placed it on a "wall shelf" but when I scanned down I could see a bit of the shelf instead of the entire crib. Also important when you have a child that rolls all over the crib as they sleep! You need to see every inch of the crib. (On the back of the camera is a tiny hole to hang on a nail or screw.) I hung mine on my wall just above a shelf and to blend it in I placed stuffed animals on either side-very nice looking and discreet. I painted the white cord to match the wall to blend it in. When scanning from the monitor it makes absolutely no noise and doesn't wake the baby. The sound is great!



I am a light sleeper and wake at his every roll and whimper at night. I used to get NO sleep. With this monitor I can put the volume up loud to hear every little move or put the volume down low to only wake when he cries loudly. The monitor has a light indicator on top to inform you of the "loudness" of the baby's cry. Also, I live in a two story home with wireless everything (my house is Grand Central with all the wireless technology.) and this monitor does great with cell phone, wireless router, and computer reception. There is no interference at all. The battery on the monitor, when fully charged, lasts 8 to 10 hours but I recommend it plugged in to the power cord at night. There is no delay. What you see is what is happening, allowing you to get to your baby fast!



The only thing I would add is a clip to the monitor to be able to strap it to you and the time. Sometimes I like to know what time it is for feeding purposes. Awsome monitor and well worth the money as now I finally get some sleep and peace of mind at night!!!



You can buy additional cameras online at Bed Bath and Beyond for $99. If you have their 20% off coupon you can use that towards your purchase making it around $79. Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 3.5 Inch Color LCD Screen

This monitor is amazing. Over the last 3 and a half years I have bought and returned probably 5 monitors. We ended up with a Summer monitor for the first 2.5 years, then it finally broke and replaced it with a Summer Bestview. The only problem is that model (bought in January 2011) is discontinued and with a second baby on the way we need a second camera which is no longer available. I have been researching for weeks now, reading every review on Amazon and other sites and decided to order the Motorola MBP36.



When I wrote this review a few weeks ago, a second monitor was not available anywhere. Although they are not available on Amazon yet (as of 9/1/2011), they are available online at other major baby stores where you "buy" stuff for babies (hint hint). I just ordered one today, which now makes this the perfect monitor.



PROS

- LCD Unit

First of all, the LCD screen is huge. It is 3.5" diagonally. For reference, and iPhone is 3.7". The aspect ratio is a bit more square than an iPhone, but you get the idea. The unit is very thin, its about as thick as a typical men's wallet. It is lightweight, has a nice kick stand that seems very sturdy and nice, grippy rubber feet on the bottom that are very unobtrusive but work great. There is an antenna across the top back that can flip up if you need it to get better reception, but we have never needed it, even when two floors away. There are 4 buttons on each side of the screen, 4 directional that control camera, volume, menu navigation, a menu button, an "ok" button, a video on/off button and a microphone button. They are well placed, it is not a huge problem to have to hit the menu to get to volume, we had to do the same on the Summer Bestview and it is the first menu option (i.e. hit the menu button and it is already in the volume option, so just hit up/down from there).



As you can tell from the pictures, the unit has pretty good industrial design too, which seems to be the trend in baby monitors now. Battery life is decent, it works enough to have a daytime nap and then use it again in the evening without charging in between. Your not going to get more than 3-4 hours out of it if you use the LCD a lot though. There is a series of LEDs across the top that indicate how much noise your kids are making, and there is a very accurate temperature display (based on reviews, sounds like Samsung temp is off by 10 degrees, but this unit matches the thermostat outside the room so I'm assuming spot on).



- Camera

The ability to scan and pan is great, very quiet and no likely to disrupt your kid. There is a small green LED on the front of the camera, but you can't see the infrared lights in the dark (unlike our Summer Bestview which looks like 10 little LEDs in the dark). The zoom is not great, kind of hard to get to on the menu and it is only a digital zoom that crops the center of the picture and doubles it. It is small and can be placed pretty much anywhere. The picture that it sends to the handheld unit is great (as far as baby monitors go). It isn't going to win a technical Oscar, but it is very clear. The huge LCD screen helps. In daylight it is incredibly crisp and vibrant. I haven't noticed any interference with WiFi, but haven't really tested either. It operates at 2.4GHz and we mostly have 5Ghz 802.11n devices, so we are in a different bandwidth that doesn't conflict.



If you have additional cameras (up to 4), you can set the monitor to manually scan through them, it will stay on each one for 12 seconds based on what it says in the manual. You can have up to 4 cameras, but there is no ability to see multiple ones on the the screen at once (like the Lorex).



CONS

I guess a minor quibble might be that you can't put batteries in the camera, but the old monitor had this functionality and we never used it in 2.5 years so not an issue for me. One other possible thing worth mentioning is that the monitor unit takes a proprietary battery, very similar to what a lot of cordless phones have. One other minor thing worth mentioning is that the infrared LEDs at night are not very bright from 10 feet away, we are just going to put a shelf near our 3 year olds bed so that it will be closer (think of the LEDs around the camera as flashlights for night vision).



I can say without reservation that this thing deserves 5 stars after a 3 full weeks with it. My wife loves the size of the screen, the light weight monitor, the portability, ease of use etc. Its a very cool product.



*Update 8/24/2011* minor spelling correction (sales to sails) and added clarifying point in final paragraph "even though it supports 4 cameras", which was already mentioned above but needed reiterating.



*Update 9/1/2011* Removed comments about additional cameras not being available since I bought one today. Added a few minor updates to the review. - Baby Monitor Video - Baby Monitor - Gift Idea - Baby Video Monitor'

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Home Exercise - core, birth ball

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This short ball workout works not only your core but also your lower and upper body using fun unique moves. I am an intermediate/advanced exerciser and my abs are so sore it hurts to laugh. The included ball is good quality not thin like other balls I have used. Keep in mind it takes about 3 days to reach full size. You will need to pump it up and let the rubber relax before continuing to add air. I really enjoyed this workout and the time flew by. The Firm Stability Ball 65cm

I got this workout, loving the FIRM workouts, but wanting something a tad easier then the weighted workouts...something for variety. I got it and figured I'd play a bit on the ball, it'd be fun. Well, Allie isn't playing. She really incorporates a lot of moves and works various body parts in this short 30 minute workout. And I felt it in my core all day long. This workout will stay in my routine, and while it's not as easy as I thought, it was still fun.

The ball that comes in the kit seems pretty sturdy (thick outer shell, should hold up well). I ordered the 65cm (because I already have a good quality 55cm FitBall), but it seems small to me - it isn't any bigger than my FitBall to be honest. I note another poster said it took over three days for her ball to relax enough to fill it to full size, so maybe that is the problem (although I got this on a Friday and it is now Sunday...). The workout starts with alot of lunges, which I absolutely detest (I don't mind squats, but Iunges bother my knees, even though I do use proper form). Once you get past the lunges, the rest of the workout seems pretty good. The music was kind of bland and boring - something livelier would have been nice.

I had actually been in a toning class previous to ordering this ball, so I knew how to use this ball to increase my workouts. I ordered my boyfriend each one, and use it on a regular basis, along with occasionally using it for a computer chair (great for improving posture). There is a size recommendation standard for it, 55cm, 65cm, 75cm. I didn't realize that. Since I'm 5'2 that I was supposed to get the 55cm, but instead got the 65cm. It still works great! In fact, I can't really tell the difference between the 55cm ball from my class to the 65cm ball at home.



Very good quality, I have two kids (8yrs and 4yrs) that are constantly bouncing around on it. I pumped it up when I first got it, and just like the directions said, 48 hrs later I pumped it up some more after the rubber relaxed. It comes with a little hand pump that easily pumps it up, it took me about 5 minutes and you actually get a small workout pumping for the 5 minutes. You don't have to wait 48 hrs to use it, you can pump it up and use it right away. I've only had to pump it up a little that one time (I like my exercise balls extremely firm) My dad even does his stretches on it, to release tension.



The video that comes with it is kind of cheesy, but I think it would be great for beginners. It doesn't make me break a sweat, but I have read from other reviewers that they have, so it is a good thirty minute workout. Definitely worth the money, not a disappointment at all.

Amazing invention- really! I started with this and the dvd and fell in love with this piece of equipment. Besides getting into shape, I've moved onto other, more challenging stability workouts (Pilates, cardio and weight training), used it as a chair for several months, used it for lower-back pain relief and stress reduction not to mention random other uses around the house. I've inflated/deflated it countless times (it's great at taking a lot of pressure and keeping it even after weeks), used it for yoga therapy w/ a friend, and after almost 4 years, it finally gave up the ghost, but only after I dropped a 5 lb weight on it when it was deflated. It made a dent on the inner material that eventually turned into a hole. It was getting pretty beat up. I've ordered another one exactly like it...I cannot live without it and I look forward to more years of heavy use from this durable ball. Oh and BTW, I bought another one from a different maker, have used others from different makers and I hate them all. There really is no replacement for this. If used diligently and creatively it can just about replace any piece of gym equipment (except for weights) imaginable. Enjoy!

I ordered this ball to use as a chair in my office occasionally. I liked the color so I decided to pay a little more and get this one. The pump that comes with it works fine and I was able to pump it up without much of a problem although it does take a while. I was disappointed that the ball was not the shiny green color it looks like in the picture, it is actually a pearlescent paler green but still not bad. Originally the ball blew up to only 50cm, but it does indicate that the ball will grow over the first few days. Basically over the course of the next week, by sitting on it and stretching it I was able to get it to about 60cm but it was still smaller than advertised and way to small to use as a chair for a person who is 5'8.

The product is just as described. The video is a bit limited if you want variety, but I bought the product mostly for the ball and the video was just an addition to my collection. The ball is good quality, stays inflated more than I expected.

I love using the fitness ball! I needed to get ready for vacation, and everyone knows that when you work all day, have to make dinner and then do laundry and clean the house, its really hard to get to the gym! The fitness ball broght the gym to me!!! It hit EVERY area that I needed it to, and when I was done with the included video, I felt like a million bucks Every Time!

I have a few of the older Firm dvds, so I knew the one that came in this kit would be great, and it is! However, the ball is too small to do some of the exercises properly. I'm 5'3" and ordered the 55cm ball as recommended, but I'm returning it to get the 65cm. The moves using the ball in your hands are fine, but when you have to lay on the ball, it's just too small and you're too close to the ground to get an effective range of motion. - Body Ball - Birth Ball - Core - Stability Ball'

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Scrapbooking - pencils, color

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First of all, the guy above who was dissatified, you can't use a reg. pencil sharpener to sharpen Prisma's, becuase what happened to you, will happen. Prismacolor pencils come w/ a special sharpener just for these pencils. Inside the box it explains why you can't use a reg. sharpener on these pencils.



As for my review, I draw tattoos. Every tattoo artist i've ever talked too all use Prismacolor Pencils, and all have rave reviews... I didn't believe them until 1 of the tattoo artists let me try out his set. After i tried his out for a few hours (cuase i was that happy w/ them), i had to have my own set. Once i went Prismacolor, i never went back to the crappy crayolas i was using before. Crayola differs from Prisma becuase most pencils in your store are chalk-based, while prisma's are oil based... They blend like paint..



These are the greatest pencils i've ever seen and used. Though they are expensive, it's well worth it.. It's better to buy a bigger set, like starting out w/ the 48 color set or more. Sanford Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil Set, 72/Tin with New Colors

I own these pencils and I personally think they are great. I have the 72 color set and I think the creamy leads are excellent because they are soft and free of impurities that cheap colored pencils have. I have not had trouble with blooming or layering so far. I really like the fact that you can reorder specific colors through the Prismacolor website. Be sure to buy an appropriate pencil sharpener. The Prismacolor Colored Pencil sharpener is a good one but you can only sharpen one or two pencils before needing to clean it out. That is the only drawback I have found.

A beautiful way to prevent your prismas from breaking or cracking the lead is to use an Xacto knife to sharpen them and avoid dropping them if at all possible. The lead is very fragile, and a fall may break them. Using a knife is a really gentle way to take care of the lead and prevent the wood around the pencil from wearing down so fast. It will give you about twice as long life for each pencil, because you can shape the wood around the lead instead of shaving the lead off. Granted, a bit of practice is needed, using a crayola pencil is probably the best way to assure your coordination with the knife.

There are many excellent colored pencil brands available today, with some of the premier labels being Caran D'Arche (Switzerland), Conté (France), Faber Castell (Germany), Talens (the Netherlands) and Koh-i-noor (Czech Republic). Each pencil brand has its own loyal following, and it is certainly true that the performance characteristics of each leaves a unique "signature" on paper (i.e., the experienced eye can sometimes tell which brand of pencil was used for a different piece of artwork by examining luminosity, reflection, depth of color, and others). I have used all these brands myself, having brought back from Europe entire sets from various manufacturers, and often in different sub types ("artist," "student," and so on). Some also have added touches that really make a pencil set shine, including rounded triangular shafts with subtle inlaid grips, bonded coatings between the lead and the pencil wood to minimize lead shattering, and soft textured surfaces for improved gripping and comfort. Some sets are now even beginning to adhere to the lightfastness specifications as developed by the Colored Pencil Society of America.



So, what should we think about a set of American made colored pencils when they are competing with these premier brands, some of which have been in business for centuries? The answer might be surprising to hear: after using all these brands for an extended period of time, I can say that these Prismacolor "Premier" pencils easily hold their own against the world's best colored pencils.



What are the characteristics of the Prismacolor "Premier" pencils that make them so good?



1. Smooth, silky, and rich laydown of color

2. Little smearing, even when laying down dense patches of color

3. Ability to blend colors as needed

4. Wide range of available colors

5. Relatively inexpensive (by comparison to other premium brands)

6. Availability of the Prismacolor "Verithin" pencil sets, which duplicate the colors of the "Premier" line pencil by pencil (matched by color codes), but in an extremely hard lead that permits a high level of sharpening for detail work which will not quickly wear down.



At first glance, it might seem that these Prisamacolor pencils are expensive, but when one reflects on the fact that some of the more "esoteric" (for lack of a better word) pencils can run upwards of $3 - $4 per pencil, the Prismacolors are nothing short of a bargain. (If you hunt long enough, you can even find the large set of 120 pencils that comes in a two tiered wood case with lining to house your collection and you'll still be paying far less per pencil than other high end brands.)

But the proof is certainly in the putting. Get one of these in your hands, and lay down some color on a sheet of paper and see if you don't experience the very thing I am describing here. These are rich and smooth leads with an almost creamy feel. That's not to say you can point them up to a needle: you can, but you just must be careful not to press too much when doing so in order to keep the point from breaking. You can also use these in a duller point to lay down large swaths of rich, deep color. (Again, pairing this set up with the "Verithin" set can be very helpful for detail work.)



Are these pencils perfect? No. There are a few issues, some minor, but nevertheless relevant for this review:



1. Lead shattering seems to be an issue for the company. My first set had no less than 10% of the pencils shattered all the way down to the end, rendering all those colors useless. This is either manufacturing problems, or some improvement in the cases in which the pencils are transported and sold is required to further reduce shock from transport. It is an unacceptable result when purchasing a large pencil set.

2. Along those same lines, it would be wonderful if Prismacolor could look into a similar technology such as Staedler uses in its colored pencils, which is a coating of inner material between the lead and the wood to reduce breakage. I've never had a single Staedler pencil break on me yet. Not one.

3. The triangular shaped shafts of both the Faber Castell and Staedler pencils is in my view a superior design than the round format of the Primscolors, allowing greater control and improved comfort.

4. The Prismacolors do not use any type of friction coating on the outside of the pencils to help improve grip. Both Staedler and Faber Castell do (and in different manners), and this adds immeasurably to their performance characteristics.

5. The printing on the shaft of the Prismacolor to identify color name and code can be almost illegible, with blurry, imprecise lettering. In some lighting conditions, the markings are nearly impossible to read. (The newest editions of the Prismacolors seem to have addressed this, but don't count on getting those in the boxed sets anytime soon until existing stock is sold and replaced with new models.)

6. The Prismacolors are not "finished" on the end with any type of cap or closure, and the pencils also arrive unsharpened. (Compare the Faber Castells, which both come fully sharpened and are mounted in a manner that makes them resistant to any type of breakage during transport; these also, as most other brands, have a nice finishing cap on the end of the pencil.)



Let me be clear. These minor quibbles all fall away once you get one of these in your hand an experience how they perform. These are simply a delight to use, and many artists swear by them. After using them myself, I can see why. I still am extremely impressed with the best of the offerings Europe produces, but these Prismacolor pencils deserve to be counted right among them. If they ever addressed my minor quibbles above, they might vie for a role as a de facto standard with one or two of the other most expensive brands three times their price.

Five stars for performance. Five stars for price. Five stars for fun. And five stars for rich , creamy, deep color!



Note: Although these pencils come in many sizes of sets, I recommend the 72 color set. This gives you a wide range of colors, and does not run you into issues with the larger sets where you have multiple colors so close to one another you cannot easily see the difference. Of course, if you want the beautiful wood case, you'll need to get the 120 set. - Pencils - Color - Colored Pencils - Art Supplies'

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Composite - iphone, video

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I bought this in the hope that it would work with an iPad. It works like a charm to play movies or to use Netflix or YouTube.



It won't work to display your general iPad so don't try. Make sure you plug it in before you start Netflix or the movie or it won't work. Composite AV Video/USB Cable for Apple iPod, iPhone, iPad (6 feet)

Keep in mind this is a generic product (not made by apple). There may be many sellers claiming to sell the exact same item ... which is kind of true but kind of not, here is what I mean. They will claim they all sell a cable that looks like the one in the picture. The question is what circuit design did they use inside the cable. These video cables need a small circuit to work properly. If they are not build the cable correctly then the cable will not work properly. This is why you get reviews that seem to conflict as I am sure they purchased from different sellers, therefor each received a slightly different variation of cable. In short when leaving a review it is helpfull to mention who the cable was purchased from.



Now on to the review:

I purchased this cable from 'BrainyDeal', the cable worked ok on my iphone 4, ipod touch 3gen, and iphone 3GS. My only complaint is an warning will pop up when the cable is plugged in saying "this accessory is not optimized for this iphone" ... but the cable still worked.



More about the warning: The fix is fairly simple to implement to prevent the warning pop up, but I am guessing that 'BrainyDeal' doesn't have the know how or ability to fix the warning as I am sure they are just buying a cable off the shelf from a foreign manufacture ... if they did understand the product then the warning would have been fixed ;)



Happy Shopping!



Update: the cable will not charge my ipod touch 4th gen :(

I have an iPod 3G, and the cable works great for items stored on my iPod. However, it will not transmit video from any apps to your television, INCLUDING NETFLIX. Netflix will only transmit video via cable for iPod gen 4 and beyond. This is not a dysfunction of the cable, but of Netflix software. However, if you rent a movie from iTunes or download episodes from iTunes or have movies that are saved to your iPod it works great! You can also watch slideshows of your photos as well.

Plugged my iPad into my LCD TV RCA jacks and didn't get video at first.



Figured out that it doesn't display the main iPad video screen, the videos have to be played from iTunes or iPod icon.



Tested with video podcasts and these play fine, though a bit jaggy because of the video enlargement.



Detailed instructions should have been included so someone else doesn't make the initial mistake I did.

I found the price attractive as an alternative to the Apple one.



However, two caveats:



- USB and other connectors cannot be more 20 inches / 30 cm away from each of them (so your TV composite entry should be very close to a power socket.

- when the cable is connected to the audio output and the power socket but the iPad unplugged, you have a loud noise going in the audio, signed of a poor shielding of the cable.

Tried this cable with my iphone 3gs running 4.1 and it would not work. Audio was being outputted but no video. I got the "This accessory was not made to work with iPhone" message. To make it work I had to install the 'resupported4' app on my jailbroken iphone. Might work out of the box for others but needed some tweaking for me. Works fine now with good picture and audio quality. Also, charging does seem to work through the attatched USB cable and iTunes seems to recognize it fine.

This product works great. I received it last night and I was able to watch YouTube, Netflix, and stored videos on my TV.



The only reason why I am not giving this product 5 stars is that it didn't work right out of the box. I just so happened to update the version of my ipad to 3.2.2 because I read online it was available. After doing so, it worked like a charrm. Would have been nice if some instructions came with it to let me know that the was required. I was very close to returning it before I lucked out on the upgrade fix.



After that, no complaints and have been enjoying it since. Good product for great price, especially compared to the Apple offering. - Ipad - Video - Iphone - Av'

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Rotary Tool - hand tools, crafting

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Tool was fairly versatile for the first three times I changed bits, however, the fourth time I changed the bit, the plastic chuck-stop, the device you press in to lock the the chuck so you can tighten or loosen the collet broke. Upon disassembly, it turns out the chuck-stop pin is metal and the chuck-stop button that holds it is plastic. Once this breaks the tool is nearly worthless. With the amount of torque normally put on for a bit, using plastic is a decision to construct something not intended to last. If you want a reliable tool, you may consider going elsewhere. Calling the company, even after expiration of the warranty, worked well and Alltrade promised to replace the tool with one that had a working button chuck-lock if I send in the broken tool. Thus two stars for the tool design and four stars for Alltrade. I'd give them five if they get the plastic button replaced by a metal one. Kawasaki 840589 190-Piece Rotary Tool and Accessory Kit - Crafting - Dremel - Hand Tools - Hobby Tool'

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Easy Raw Food - raw, raw foods

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I like a lot of raw things; though I eat a regular diet, I've preferred a lot of my foods raw for years--definitely fruits and vegetables, and some other things that would probably upset a vegan or two.



Cornbleet's book was recommended to me by another Amazon reviewer, and I have to say, this is one book of recipes on raw foods that doesn't require a kitchen full of obscure appliances and a direct pipeline to Whole Food's exotic produce section. You can make most of these recipes from things you find in any grocery, with perhaps the addition of raw nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews from the Indian grocery store (because they carry them in reasonably good-sized bags and are priced well, too.)



I tried the "Creamy Tomato Soup." This is a kind of gazpacho made simply with tomatoes, avocado, basil or dill, olive oil and some seasoning like salt, onion powder, garlic cloves and pepper. I made a batch, using Adobo powder because I was out of onion and garlic (this is a garlic salt with herbs used in Latin American cooking.) And, yes, think of it, I was out of onion salt and garlic but I did have an avocado and fresh basil. Pretty strange, I'll admit it. I tossed in the best of extra-virgin olive oil we had. Result? A creamy, frothy pink soup, served chilled that tasted like a buttery version of gazpacho. I had to keep from eating the entire batch in one sitting. It was refreshing and soothing. This soup can be lightly warmed if cold soups don't float your boat.



The book has attractive photography, which helps you choose some recipes like raw wraps, either in kale, cabbage or nori wrapping or you might go for the desserts which were numerous and very luscious-looking (fig cake, key lime mousse, berry crisp.) The "spaghetti" made of spiral-cut zucchini with a raw coulis of tomato, dried tomato and other herbs was served with walnut pate "meat balls." We can't eat wheat, and this was a beautiful presentation. Only problem is ONE of us doesn't eat nuts and this book is chock-full-o-nuts. I suppose you can use hemp seed or sunflower seeds if you are anti-nut, but this WILL present an issue for those who are allergic.



The author points out that raw food can be made with a blender and not much else but a cutting board and can be good for campers or motorhome travelers who may not want to go nuts with a stove.



This book has some very tempting but healthy recipes and is a nice way to get your five servings of veg a day without pounding down boring salads or boiled cabbage. Recommended!! Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People

I LOVE Jenny's new book! I have dozens of raw foods books, but this is the only one that makes raw foods cooking successful for me (and my family). The prep time that other books require is what has historically overwhelmed me (I work 80 hours per week) and this book requires virtually none of that. So far, we have fallen in love with Walnut Pate Sandwich, Garden Vegetable Soup, Spinach Apple Soup, Zucchini Hummus, and Brownies. As we try others, I'm sure we'll love them all! This is the book that will change our lives and I HIGHLY recommend it!

I've been reading about raw foods for years and acquired several books and recipes on-line. I attended the author's demonstration at Karyn's. Unlike some (not all) raw foodists, she looked very healthy and was amiable and non-judgemental. I must use this cookbook 3-4 times a week. I may have to buy a new copy because it is getting so dirty! I have made smoothies, salads, desserts and even actual entrees. With other cookbooks I might have made a smoothie or a soup here or there, with this one I'm creating full raw food courses meals. The zuccinni pasta is great as is the raw chocolate flourless cake and the blueberry tart is genius. It's nice to be able to make things for yourself vs. having to buy them from raw food restaurants (which I'm lucky to be near two). Since I have bought this book I have eaten more raw foods than ever before. I think the author is smart to realize that if the raw food trend is going to catch on, it needs to relate to busy people and communicated in a pleasant, non-preachy way. I can't wait for the next book she writes!

I went (mostly) raw a couple of months ago. I'm STILL excited about being raw (and I'm fairly creative in the kitchen), but when I needed/wanted recipes to expand my repertoire, I began to explore books. I think I've read/tried about 12 now. I love different books for different reasons, and I've learned something from each one.

THIS one I love because:

* It's the first one I've found that's written for a REAL person with REAL lives (we're not all chefs, we don't all have fancy/expensive equipment, we don't all have oodles of extra time, we don't all have easy access to exotic ingredients). It makes being and staying raw more do-able.

* Her instructions are CLEAR. She's a teacher, and it makes all the difference.

* I LOVE that she doesn't get preachy. Although she explains the benefits of raw foods in the intro, she doesn't go overboard and say the all the problems of the world will be solved if everyone ate raw foods. (I get so tired of that! It's not a religion, folks!) It's all about the recipes. She's just giving you great, do-able recipes.

* Even though the title says "for 1 or 2" I am doubling many of these for my family of four and they work great.

I've been turning my mom onto raw foods, and this will be the first book I give her.

My 3-star rating is relative to my level of experience preparing healthy food (very experienced). A beginner may rate the book higher.

Pros:

1) portions are geared for 1 or 2 - the sub premise for this book

2) Offers reason and how-to for food preparation (how to soak, clean, store foods).

3) Equipment needed is basic and low-cost. Great if your have limited space, income, time and/or food prep experience.

4) Recipes are laid out well: Yield, ingredients, equipment, variations and suggestions are included for each recipe.

5) Ingredients are readily available at most supermarkets

6) Glossary - explainations are a good education. Other indices of resources are Books and Videos, Educational Resources, etcetera.



Cons (sort-of):

The simplicity of some of the recipes make this book great for a beginner yet so obvious for someone like myself that is very adept in a healthy kitchen. Example Recipe -> Apple Juice: 4 apples - cut into chunks. Juice and serve immediately.



Overall Ms. Cornbleet delivers on her title. She gave me new ideas on how to use avocado -> Chocolate Mousse. Not bad! - Raw Food Recipes - Raw - Vegan - Raw Foods'

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Hard Drive Docking Station - usb, esata

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Having owned one of the Thermaltake BlackX versions of these type of docking solutions before, I was eager to try one of these new dual unit stations.



These are a pretty solid product and I found them much cheaper (by about 25% or so) on Amazon than Newegg. The only negative I have in comparing this to my last docking station is that the Thermaltake was a snug fit. The 3.5" drive felt very secure and stable in it. There was no room for wiggling.



This docking station is not as snug. In fact, once you've docked your drives in it, they can still wiggle if you nudge them. These do not detract significantly from the quality, but I would be more careful with placing them in an undisturbed area than before. If I had paid the full price Newegg and others were charging, it might be enough to make me return it and look for something with a tighter fit.



I would absolutely not hesitate to recommend this to someone looking to attach extra storage, backup drives, or even someone like myself who has a shelf full of 3.5" drives that they only occasionally need to retrieve something from. It beats the solution I had years ago with two or three dozen large isolated external cases with power adapters, fans, ribbons, USB cables...



Now... when does the triple and quadruple dock arrive? Startech eSATA USB to SATA Hard Drive Docking Station for Dual 2.5 or 3.5-Inch HDD SATADOCK22UE

Pros:

-works great as plug and play with Win7

-comes with 2 SATA cables and 1 USB Cable (only one needed for both HDD's)

-AC cable comes with a brick

-individual power buttons for each bay



Cons:

-a tad large in size

-power cable is a bit short

I wanted a dock with separate eSATA connectors for each drive rather than what I found in most docks--one eSATA connector with an internal port multiplier. With this dock I can connect each drive to a different computer, or use an operating system that doesn't support multipliers. Each drive gets the full available throughput with its dedicated connection. If you use USB, then both drives show up separately via the single USB connection. Drive performance using eSATA is not at all degraded, resulting in the same speed as my internal drives.



I expected the drives to be a bit wobbly or insecure, but even newer shallow 3.5" drives fit well, as do 2.5" drives. I've been completely satisfied with this unit. It is larger than I expected having not carefully read the dimensions, but that lends to its stability. I still would have bought it.



The drive power buttons are right to left (drive 1=right button, drive 2=left button), probably because of its country of origin. Not a problem. The eSATA connectors are solid, and the cables haven't given me a single problem. This is a great product for versatility without the need for trays.



** Update after 1+ years



Still an awesome unit, and I noticed the comment made regarding my review. The review is on the correct product--see the photo for the dual power buttons, and I rechecked the part number. Sounds like Amazon sent at least one person the wrong product.

I have owned this product for about a year, and it has been absolutely perfect over that time. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who manages a collection of external hard drives.



I'll try to explain the use of this device, so that the many misconceptions posted here can be cleared up.



This device is for attaching one or two external hard drives to your computer, keeping each drive separate, both physically and how they appear to your operating system. The thing has two slots simply because many people want to attach more than one drive to their PC -- not because it somehow merges the hard drive space between the two drives.



If attaching the device to your PC via USB, both drives will be recognized by your PC using one USB cable. You cannot use the eSATA connection if you are using USB. In other words, you can't have a scenario where one drive is connected via USB and the other connected via eSATA.



If you are doing something like occasional backups or other tasks that don't require the drive to read and write quickly, USB will work very well, and is certainly the easiest way to get things connected. However, if you find yourself transferring huge files or needing better performance, eSATA is the only way to go.



If you want to use eSATA, you'll need to use two separate eSATA cables. The unit does come with two eSATA cables, but they are only about 3 feet long each, so you may want to get some longer cables if you want to put some distance between your PC and the unit. I personally think 6-foot cables are the perfect length.



Although USB connects both drive slots using one cable, the eSATA connection does not work that way. You need to connect one cable for each slot.



Some reviewers have mentioned port replicators. If the unit itself had a port replicator built into it, then yes, you could use one eSATA cable to connect both drives. However, having a port replicator in your PC does not eliminate the need for two cables. In fact, it would do nothing to help your situation here. So please ignore the reviewers who say, "beware: you need a port replicator." That's bunk.



You do, in fact, need two separate eSATA ports on your PC if you want to connect this unit via eSATA. (Unless you are only using one slot, in which case you could connect just one of the eSATA ports -- but then why are you buying a 2-slot device?)



So, if your computer only has one eSATA port on the back, you'll need to invest in an eSATA add-on card. There are many available for both PCI and PCIe slots.



If for some reason you want to set up RAID across two disks, be sure to buy an eSATA card with RAID functionality built in. But why in the world someone would want to do that with this kind of unit is beyond me. So, assuming you want to keep the drives appearing as two separate drives to your operating system, buy a cheap eSATA add-on card with at least two external eSATA ports. The only real requirement would be to make sure the card has drivers available for your operating system (and of course you're buying the right connection for your PC -- PCI or PCIe). Other than that, it really doesn't matter. Don't worry about port replicators or anything like that.



The eSATA function works very well and is very fast. If you read reviews here saying that eSATA is flakey or slow or only works some of the time, then the reviewer has something hooked up wrong, or else does not have the correct drivers for their eSATA cards.



BTW, I use Windows 7 64-bit. - Hard Drive Dock - External Hard Drive - Esata - Usb'

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Lcd Wall Mount - lcd wall mount, cheetah

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I bought a 50" Plasma and decided it would be best on my wall. I went looking through stores and found higher prices than this one and bulkier designs.



I love the articulating arms!! I can pull it away from the wall to access the wires, etc. and adjust the left to right tilt for best viewing. It seems very sturdy and has worked great for me the last six months.



It was easy enough to mount to the wall but if you are not good with tools seek experienced assistance. You will need someone to hold it up for you unless you are good at this sort of thing. The hardest part was hanging the TV and that was only due to the weight of it.





Note: Make sure you have wall studs with 16" centers if mounting to drywall!! I bought it not realizing I had 24" centers on that one wall. This caused me to mount it to a steel plate so it could get anchored to the studs (The 50" TV weighed 125lbs!!) Cheetah Mounts APDAM2B Plasma LCD Flat Screen TV Articulating Full Motion Dual Arm Wall Mount Bracket for 32 to 55-Inch Displays Up To 165Lbs (Black)

Mount itself - http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1387/82287344396999171260088.jpg

Load testing it (215 lbs!) - http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6553/82287344397498171260088.jpg

Final installation - http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/6895/82287344397697771260088.jpg



WOW. I bought a cheetah mount that only tilts for my 52" SAMSUNG LCD TV. But the configuration of my living room/kitchen area had me thinking I'd rather go with an articulating wall mount, so I can turn it if I'm cooking or if I have people over on the sectional sofa I can turn it that (the opposite) way. So I bought this puppy (I kept the other tilting-only mount for my bedroom LCD TV which I haven't purchased yet). After taxes and S&H, it came out to $106. A similar product at BestBuy and hhgregg costs well over $300 (bestbuy has some that articulate and tilt that are up to $750!!!)



I'm a civil engineer, I work on designing things as a career. When I opened the box and saw the structural bulk of this thing, I was very impressed. I knew my brand new TV would be secure hanging from this thing. It came with a BUNCH of extra hardware in case you needed to use it (I ended up using the screws they supplied for the connection to the TV, since mine were too short). I also used their spacers to help ensure full thread engagement.



I wanted to install the TV on the wall and run the cables through the wall, so I had a lot of work cut out for me. Also, I live on a first floor condo unit, so my studs were in groups of 3 and only 12" apart. So I had to cut a whole in the drywall and add another adjacent stud to it. The lag screws they supplied are more than efficient. Just be sure to have the right sized screwdriver head to avoid stripping the heads.



Once I got the TV up I load tested it. I brought it out about 3/4 the total extension distance and first pulled down on it a bit. Then I slowly transferred all my weight to the mount. I heard a little bit of stress in the wood, but after all 215lbs of me was hanging from it, I knew that my 66 lb tv would be just fine. It's only upon writing this review that I see it's rated for 180 lbs. so it's a good thing that I didn't see that before load-testing it. (even though, being an engineer and all) I know things are derated all the time. The instructions were a little fuzzy, but it's still pretty easy to not screw up.



Feel free to ask me any questions about the TV or the wall mount, i'd be glad to answer.

Bought this mount for a Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color also purchased at Amazon.



I was impressed with the sheer weight of this mount as it weighs nearly as much as the TV I mounted to it. It left me with the impression it could hold what it claims (165 lbs.). I weigh around 260 lbs. and leaned heavily on the empty mount after I put it on the wall (before attaching TV) and it didn't budge.



Its appearance is somewhat stylish for what it is. I have it tilted out fairly well so there is quite a bit showing to any who enter the room, yet it blends w/ the back of the TV and looks professional.



The instructions were a bit flaky, but it got the point across as I was able to mount it and this was the first time I have installed a wall mount. Although, I do consider myself fairly intelligent and do DIY stuff all the time so I'm not new to such things.



The range of movement is awesome...this thing will move any which way you try and with a fair amount of ease. I didn't mess with any "settings" as the instructions didn't say much about any of the levers on it. It did what I wanted by default.



Altogether a good buy and I recommend this mount to anyone.

I have a 50" Samsung plasma that weighs just over 80 pounds, so the specs are well within the range of this mount. The directions are OK, but lack some detail and any illustrations would be helpful. That being said, it is not rocket science to figure it out. Spending some time looking over the product, the tv and the mounting location, I figured out the items I would need.



The mounting hardware was a collection of items that did not work with this mount, such as: wood lag screws too short and smallish; no screws to mount tilt arms to back of tv; dry wall mounting inserts (per instructions & common sense, this should never ever be installed just to drywall); and a plethora of various other screws, washers, spacers, etc. that could not be used with this application or mount.



So, I made a trip to my local Home Depot & Lowe's to pick up the necessary items.



I bought some M8 (1.0 threads) x 30 mm machine screws, 5/16" x 1" flat washers (could not find M8x1" washer, but these work) & M8 locking washers to mount the tilt arms to the back of my tv. The instructions suggest using the screws that previously occupied the mounting holes on the back of the tv, but when you add the tilt arms and both washers (which are necessary, flat washer to distribute the load more effectively across the width of the arm & the locking washer to make sure the screw will not back out at all), the screws were not nearly long enough to mount. My tv will accommodate a 600x400 Versa mount. The tilt arms have various mounting holes on the bottom of the arm and slots on the top. Based on the size and weight balance of your tv (i.e. where the heaviest areas of the tv are, mine is in the bottom), you need to move the arms up or down to position where on the wall mount the bulk of the tv weight will rest (more on this later.....). Unfortunately, the slots have dividers in them (separates into three slots and they limit the number of holes that are usable on the bottom of the tilt arm). The importance of having flexibility to move the arms up and down on the back of the tv is not limited just to the weight distribution of the tv, but also to slightly adjust the vertical position of the tv on the wall. No matter how many measurements you make, you never know exactly how the tv will rest as it is so much weight to support that it will pull down slightly and affect the vertical position and there are various tilt options (which is critical if you are trying to center it in a specific location-mine is in a custom built wall/cabinet unit). My suggestion to the manufacuturer would be to make both the top and bottom mounting positions with open slots for their entire length to give ultimate flexibility.



Now, on to mounting the wall bracket. My mount came assembled, arms attached to wall plate. Together, they are very heavy and awkward to hold with the arms extended. My initial plan was to mark my first hole, have my wife hold the mount up and I would screw the upper left corner screw in, level the wall plate and then drill the upper right hole. My wife said, "I can't hold that up, why don't you just take the arms off......." What a great idea (which I can honestly say I did not have).......Just a simply ratchet on four screws and off the arms come and you are left with a wall plate that weights much less and not awkward at all to hold for install. The hardest part of this was putting wood screws all the way in........I bought four 1/4" x 2.5" galvanized wood screws, 1/4" x 1" flat washers & 1/4" locking washers to mount the wall plate to studs. The biggest issue here was not the mount itself, it was the location of the studs relative to where the center of my built in cabinet was. The wall plate allows for some flexibility by having slots for the mounting screws. The wall plate is made for 16" O.C. studs (standard for home construction), but the slots are wide enough for about 18". Additionally, the bracket that the tilt arms hang on is wider than the wall mount and gives you an additional couple of inches of flexibility. Unfortunately in my situation, I was still approximately 1.5" off center.......but again, this is all based on the stud location, not the mount itself. The mount is solid on the wall, and when you hang or pull the tv out, you can hear the wood creaking a little bit but there is no sag.......and with 80+ pounds extended about 2'from the wall, to not sag or twist is impressive.......the mount will hold. As several of the other reviewers have suggested, mounting plywood to the studs or solid blocking between the studs can alleviate this issue........Once the wall plate is on, I just reinstalled the arms very easily.



Now, the biggest issue I have.....the tilt........I followed the instructions and tightened the center bolt and nut on the tilt arms as tight as they would absolutely go. I also tightened the plastic knobs as tight as they would go. When we placed the tv on the bracket, the tilt was automatically pulled all the way down so the tv was all the way at the bottom of the tilt angle and did not work for my location. We must have taken it off the mount a half dozen times, retightend the bolt and knobs, moved the arms up and down on the various mounting holes (on mine, I can only use about 3 of the 10 holes as discussed above) and nothing worked.........no matter how tight, due to the weight of the tv, it would always slide to the lowest tilt angle. So, I logged on yesterday afternoon to start scouring the reviews.......and low and behold, others had suggestions........I have to give credit to Joseph from IL for his fix of this problem (thanks Joseph)........I bought various diameter Cleve pins (machine screws will work as well, these Cleve pins are smooth so they sit flush and won't scratch the arms) to slide into the tilt slot to limit it's motion.......They have to be at least 2" long to pass all the way through.....I tried 1/2", 3/8" & 1/4" diameter and settled on the 1/4" as it had just the right amount of tilt. This is a permanent fix, granted it removes your ability to adjust the tilt frequently, but due to the difficulty to grab and tighten/loosen the knobs (the mount bracket gets in the way) and how hard you have to crank down on the knobs, I do not believe that you actually can use the tilt function on the fly.....you pretty much have to take the tv down, set the tilt and put it back up.......you can very easily pull the tv away from the wall, and rotate it side to side, but tilting is difficult........although, my thought is that you can set it and forget it on the tilt angle for the most part.......



The final issue I have is that after getting through all of this, my tv is about 1/2" out of level from left to right (which is really bugging my wife)......not sure exactly the cause because I know the wall plate is dead level (I checked it many times).........I believe it is a combination, of sliding the tv to one side of the hanging bracket to try and get it in the center of my built in cabinet and maybe the mounting holes on the back of the tv being a little uneven.......just not quite sure, but understandable.........I am now going to move the mount over slightly (to center it on the built in cabinet) and mount the wall plate to accomodate the amount that it is out of level.........kind of a pain at this point, but after all this I (ok, my wife) really wants it right........



Unfortunately, it is impossible to diagnose many of these issues until you actually have it hung on the wall........you really need the entire weight of the tv to be supported by the mount and see what gravity does. So, you are likely going to mount the wall bracket twice, unless you have a smaller tv on the lower end of the specs for this mount.......



Overall, my only issue with this mount is the tilt angle issue.....but that is very easily over come with a couple of pins that cost about $4.......I did have to adapt to my specific install and buy some additional hardware, however, all said and done I have about $15 in additional hardware and the initial cost was less than half of what a similar (with less features) one cost at Best Buy........this mount is extremely sturdy and well built.......hanging a 80+ pound tv about 2' from the wall is very impressive.......I would recommend this mount, for the cost and features, it is hard to beat.......Just thought I would pass along some tips to make the install easier..... - Lcd Wall Mount - Cheetah - Wall Mount - Tv Wall Mount'

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Pc Vga To Tv Converter - adapters, connectors

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This amplifier is being used to send images to a projector 100 ft away and through a VGA switch. It has worked very well, the case is metal and the item is extremely easy to install and use. Well worth the purchase price. 2-Way SVGA VGA Splitter Amplifier Multiplier 400 MHz - Black

I bought this video splitter to run a VGA cable to my 56inch Samsung DLP and one to my computer moniter. I Didn't want to lose any video quality so i decided on a powered VGA splitter and this did the trick. I don't lose any picture quality on my samsung or monitor. This is a good product and is worth the money.

I just wanted an affordable way to extend and split the video signal comming out of my laptop when I'm djing with Music Videos. This does the job. Let's see how long it lasts, but you can't go wrong for the price.

I purchased this splitter so that I could have a mirror image of my monitor on my 42 inch plasma tv (which has a VGA input, obviously), and it works great. The image on the TV is definitely high definition and the monitor image quality was unaffected. Each cable running from the splitter is <15 ft, and I used gold plated VGAs. There is no lag between video and audio. Even streamed shows from fox.com (simpsons) come in beautifully. Email text on my tv is crisp and very readable, even from the couch. It truly delivered everything I expected. As for the unit itself, it is metal casting and seems very durable. The female connectors, and all three, are very sturdy and allowed for a tight, secure fit. Also important to note is that the unit has remained cool to the touch (so far). Overall, I am very satisfied. If you are looking to project the same image to two monitors, or one monitor and one high def TV, then this is your answer.

i purchased the unit to split a vga signal and push it through one 10 and one 25 foot length of high-quality cable. when operable, there was very slight, but noticeable ghosting. i had problems with the ac power source which eventually led to catastrophic failure. still, for 23 bucks i would say it's worth the money. I'm off to buy a splitter to match the quality of my cables, like i should have done in the first place.

I bought this because i wanted to split my moniter to my TV so i could get a better view of movies on my cpu. after i hooked it up i still had an issue with darkening on the TV but i fixed this by adjusting the screen resolution. But over all my only problem with this is there is not power light or anything to signal that this thing is even on, so did i just pay $22 to adjust my screen resolution?

I read and re-read the description of this item before purchasing this item. I ordered it thinking that I was going to be able to view and extended desktop throughout 2 monitors. Instead, I got a mirror image of 1 monitor. It's a great product for those who want the same image shown on a television or projection screen but it did not serve the purpose I needed it for.



Just a tip. Please make the descriptions of your products a little clearer.



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