Cobra Nightwatch 29WXNWST 40-Channel CB Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had my Cobra 29 for over five years now. It's been in four different trucks, and traveled over 500,000 miles with me. Once I added two wilson antennas and a power mic, I can get out over four miles on a good night. My personal record is a line of sight 130 miles from a mountainside. I love it. I was thinking of getting a galaxy, but why? I have a great radio here.

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Product Description:
This sleek, compact mobile CB radio has the classic design of old CBs and can access all 40 CR channels. The radio also picks up 7 NOAA Weather channels so you always have up-to-the-minute weather news. The easy-to-read display shows the LED channel number and meters for incoming signal strength. The unique dimmer control illuminates the display with a glowing green at night. The radio's PA capability lets you use your radio as a public address system in conjunction with a PA speaker (not included). The tactile control design allows you to easily feel and use the dials while driving. The Cobra 29 WX NW ST also gives instant access to emergency channels 9 and 19 for emergency announcements.

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Motorola Signal Booster 2-Port BDA-S2 Cable Modem TV HDTV Amplifier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the 2-port version of the Motorola Signal Booster, combining that product's excellent 15 dB cable/antenna drop amplifier with a 2-port splitter so you can use it with both a digital cable (HDTV) signal and a cable modem without having to buy a separate splitter.

So who needs one of these things?Anyone who is having difficulty receiving a consistent cable TV or cable modem signal is a candidate for this amp, but first check with your cable company to confirm that they have done all they can, in terms of getting high quality cables and splitters into your home. If they've done that, and you still notice frequent outages of your cable internet service, or pixelated (distorted) images on live or recorded TV shows from cable, then you may very well need a drop amp like this one.

The amplifier is particularly helpful if you are splitting a cable signal coming into your house to multiple rooms for multiple TV feeds (and this is perfectly legal to do, per the Cable Act of 1992).Any time you split a cable signal, you lose approximately 3 dB (decibels) of signal strength.Split a signal enough times and it can cause you to lose your cable modem feed or get sporadic distortion on your digital cable channels.Insert a cable amplifier like this into your cable feed right where it enters the home and it will boost the signal enough to survive multiple splits and, in most cases, will allow you to enjoy a glitch free cable TV signal throughout your home.

Why is this amp's "two-way" or "bi-directional" feature important?A two-way feed is necessary in order to support a cable modem (upload/download) and to support interactive cable services such as PPV (pay per view).

This amp won't work miracles.Again, always check your incoming signal, cable and connector quality first.But if you've done all that and are still having trouble, this little cable signal amp can be a real life-saver.It also works fine for OTA (over the air) HDTV signal distribution, but only if you're starting with a decent quality signal to begin with.A full review of the Motorola Signal Booster is available on Big Picture Big Sound's web site.

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Product Description:
There is nothing worse than having a great TV to watch your favorite programs, while having a grainy or pixilated (digital cable) picture. Motorola BDA amplifiers give your TV signal a boost while maintaining full compatibility with all of your cable services. Simply install the BDA-S2 where your cable or antenna comes into your house and begin enjoying a better picture, faster downloads, and a more reliable HD or Digital TV signal. With a name like Motorola, how can you go wrong? The BDA-S2 is fully compatible with all cable TV standards, cable boxes, cable modems, routers, HDTV and more.

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Motorola 53866 Earbud with Clip Push-To-Talk Microphone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)first day i used it, the earpiece has a slight crackle in it.. it is something i use daily and I think I would have went with a single wire setup, two wires get tangeld one is to long while other seems to short..Ear piece itself isn't all that comfortable and if you move around to much it tends to fall out..
But it gets the job done..
I think I may look into the spiral ones that hook behind your ear next time

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Product Description:
This headset/microphone combination allows you to talk and listen without removing your Motorola radio from your belt--it's a great solution when you're on the move. Compatible with Motorola XTN, AX and CLN -series two-way radios, this accessory allows you to communicate in quiet environments without disturbing others. The earbud design combines true subtlety with clarity, allowing you to focus cleanly on the conversation without bulky accessories or noticeable headgear. The microphone attaches to your clothing with a durable spring-loaded swivel clip, and includes a push-to-talk button on the side of the microphone, making it unlikely that it could be accidentally pushed. Motorola includes a 90-day warranty.
What's in the Box:
Straight cable with connector plug, earbud, clip-on microphone, user's manual, warranty and registration card

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Midland WR-100 WeatherAlert All-Hazard Weather Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm posting this review in the listings for two supposedly different radios, because Amazon's descriptions are totally mixed up.
First, the Product Details section for the WR-100 says the model number is "MDLWEATHER." Yet, on the bottom of my radio, the model number is clearly WR-100. And the Product Description for the W-100 model references the WR-100B, not the WR-100.
Second, the WR-100C Product Details section lists the model number as WR-100, not WR-100C, and the Product Description references the WR-100, not the WR-100C.
Either Midland gave Amazon screwed-up product information, or Amazon screwed up what they were given. (Not to mention the radios look identical to me.) The only WR model Amazon lists for Midland that DOESN't seem to be screwed up is the WR-100B. Regardless, I don't know which radio is supposed to be which, and that's why I'm giving both the same review. And here it is:
I had no complaints with the radio itself ... while it worked. We bought it in April 2008 for the short period we lived in Kansas, and once I figured out how to program it, everything was good. For two years we used it, even after leaving Kansas. As far as I know, we didn't miss any alerts during that time. But two weeks ago, we had the first tornado-producing storms blow through central Illinois, and we didn't get one peep out of the radio ... not even an alarm telling us it wasn't receiving. When I tried changing the channels for the NOAA broadcasts, all I got was a piercing squeal on every channel -- no reception whatsoever. So that evening, Friday, April 23, I emailed NOAA and Midland at the same time, to find out (a) if NOAA was having trouble with their broadcasts and (b) to find out whether Midland could shed any light. I didn't expect to hear back from either of them until the following Monday, and I was right; NOAA got back to me Monday morning: no problems with their broadcast, so it had to be the radio.
To the date of this review, Midland has not responded to my email. I had to telephone them that Wednesday to get an answer out of them. After 20+ minutes on hold, I finally got a live person and described the problem. It took the "customer service" rep less than two minutes to tell me I had to buy a new radio because the audio chip in the old one was fried. No "sorry about the inconvenience," no "when did you buy it," nothing. Didn't even try to sell me another Midland radio! Wow, that's some confidence in your product, eh? And by the way, I didn't mention to him that I'd also sent an email, so why have they still not responded to it? Not quite the worst customer service I've ever received, but pretty dang bad. If you're not going to answer emails, why put the address on your site?
As for the quality of the radio, wouldn't you expect ANY radio you bought to last more than two years? I don't know what the standard lifetime of a weather alert radio is, but to me, two years seems a little short for something that only gets used when a weather or civil alert is issued. Not the best indicator of quality, IMO. If someone has more details on alert radio life expectancy, I'd be interested in reading it.
A couple more details you might find useful:
I swapped emails with the NOAA rep several times. One of the things I found out is that my atomic clock, which has an outside receiver, doesn't affect alert radios. It was one of the things I thought about when we first noticed the problem with the radio. So if you're concerned about that, don't be.
Lastly, I asked the NOAA rep what alert radio he would purchase if he were buying one for himself. Let's just say that Midland was not on his personal short list, even though they are on the NOAA "approved" manufacturers list. 'nuff said. I bought a First Alert and a Reecom -- one for the bedroom and one for the rest of the house.

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Product Description:
Stay up to date on all the latest weather, hazard, and civil emergency information with the Midland WR-100B monitor. Capable of receiving seven National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA) channels--each of which receives emergency advisories on tornadoes, floods, severe thunderstorms, civil danger warnings, and more--the WR-100B is a must for people who live in high-risk weather areas, such as the Southeast or Midwest. Plus, the seven NOAA channels offer coverage for roughly 93 percent of the U.S., so most people are well covered regardless of where they live.

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RCA VH48 Splitters (3-way) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In order to evaluate splitters, it is important to understand how they work. A splitter is not an amplifier. It takes a signal and divides it, so the sum of all the outputs must be less than 100% of the original signal strength, assuming even the slightest bit of signal loss. The goal is to have as little signal loss as possible.

Splitting a signal is like splitting a bowl of cake batter. If you split it in two, each new bowl would have 50% of the original, but some of it sticks to the original bowl, and some sticks to the mixing blades or spatulas. You might get 48% in each bowl, but if you were hoping for 76%, it's impossible. If you split one of the two new bowls, you will get two more with less than 25% each. A "78% batter loss" in one of the new bowls would be reasonable and is 88% of the maximum that is theoretically possible. (22 out of 25)Those who claim to be getting an 80% signal loss with splitters are in reality getting 80% of the theoretical maximum, and getting only a 20% loss, if the signal had been split twice. If they needed to add a new cable to use the splitter, it could also be part of the signal loss.

Some reviewers got a stronger signal from the port closest to the input. That means that internally, the signal is split once, half going to port one, and split again for the next two. A 7 db drop would be in the expected range for the second and third. My testing confirmed that the first port had a signal strength in the expected range for a two way split. The other two ports can do nothing more than divide what is left.

My setup consisted of an attic antenna with a two way Monster Cable splitter. It had very low signal loss. Replacing it meant that if the first port of the RCA splitter worked as described, the best I could expect from it was a signal level close to what I was already getting. I connected the first port to a cable that went to the family room, which is the farthest connection. I measured the signal before, and again after I changed splitters. I found that the signal strength was essentially the same as before for each TV channel. Any differences were within the margin of error caused by atmospheric conditions.

The signals remained within a percentage point in most cases, some higher than before.The signal to noise ratios were in about the same range as before, but there was a measurable difference in the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) levels. They were consistently about 1% higher (bad) but it's unlikely to be relevant for digital signals unless you start off near a 50% AGC level. You don't need to know what AGC is, only that the splitter does not cause a major problem for it.

The family room cable goes through a two way splitter before getting to the TV. That meant that the TV really got the same signal level as the other two outputs from the RCA splitter, just as it did with the previous splitter. The two way splitter also fed a media center PC, giving it the same signal level as the other outputs. Windows 7 Media Center allows users to measure signal strength, but does not give numbers. Each channel showed the same number of bars as before the change, as expected. In both cases, I got the maximum number of bars, all green.

Since the circuitry to split the other two ports is identical to that used with the first port, and since the connectors are the same on all ports, it's reasonable to assume that the quality is equally good for all ports. I don't have hard measurements from the other two ports but my bedroom TV now works the same with half the signal, and my office PC now has a strong connection.

In my case, nothing but the splitter changed between the antenna and the family room for these tests. If you have a cable going to your TV and you add a new splitter, you end up with three cables instead of one, and four more connectors. Unless you know how much signal loss there is from the cables and connectors, you can't tell how much is from the splitter. My signal loss dropped significantly when I stopped using the RG-59 coax that came with the house, and ran more direct RG-6 quad shielded cable throughout the house, both inside the walls and out. I used Steren Permaseal-II connectors, which minimized signal loss.

If you get this splitter and it does not perform to your satisfaction, getting a better one may not be the answer. Make sure that your cables are all of top quality and have top quality connectors. Don't use cables with twist-on connectors. Make sure that all your connections are tightened with a wrench. Make sure that you don't have splitters anywhere with more outputs than you need. And if that still does not work, look into getting a signal booster.

Some reviewers have criticized this splitter for its frequency range. TV frequencies go from 54 MHz to 890 MHz. This splitter goes from 5 to 1000 MHz and covers the entire spectrum. There are many uses for splitters, but if you are not splitting a TV signal, this may not be what you need. Cables that go into your set top
box might not be carrying TV signals at all but carrying digital data that the set top box can decode. Some data may be in higher frequencies.If you have cable TV, check with your provider. They might even give you splitters and cables for free rather than risking signal leakage.

Overall, this splitter worked almost as well as a much more expensive one, and the "almost" part was so small that it did not make a difference. If you need a three way splitter for TV frequency signals, I'd recommend this one.

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Product Description:
Splits a coaxial video signal from cable TV antenna or a VCR for connection to two TV's/VCR'sFrequency: 5 to 900MHz

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SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Sandisk Sansa Clip 1GB is a great value MP3 player.It has the same capacity as the iPod Shuffle at $35.It also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more.You can get the 2GB version for $25-40 more.

Pros -
+ good sound
+ nice capacity for a decent price
+ light-weight
+ FM tuner (20 Presets)
+ voice recording
+ nice design with color options
+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, DRM WMA, WMA, Audible)
+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity
+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage
+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via software
+ 15 hours battery life is better than Creative Clip Plus

Cons
- larger than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles
- for just $20 more you get the 2GB Clip with added features

The new Sandisk Sansa Clip has the advantages of the iPod shuffle with some of the compatibility, feature, and price benefits of other MP3 players.Unlike the Sansa Express, which you can plug in directly into your USB port, the clip uses a standard USB B cable.

The Clip is definitely a little bigger than the iPod shuffle, but not by much.It has a great feel and a nicer clip. It is also priced VERY well for the holidays.It fills the market for a starter MP3, workout unit, or gift.

The rechargable battery seems better than the Creative Zen Stone Plus and gives you a respectable 15 hours. The sound is nice. The earbuds are passable for beginners but most people will replace them.As for durability, only time will tell; so far it's holding up nicely.

The Zen Clip also has a larger 2GB option. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the Creative Zen, Sandisk Sansa View or new iPod Nano.All of those units have higher price tags.
Sandisk 2GB Pink Sansa Clip
SanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player
SanDisk Sansa View 16 GB MP3 Player
Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)
Sandisk SDMX4-4096 Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot
SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)
Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)

Overall, an awesome starter unit that deserves a try. Enjoy!!!

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Product Description:

Product Description

Sansa® Clip 1 GB MP3 Player


Clip it on and roll
For the movers and the shakers who want to shed the baggage of a bigger MP3 player-it';s time to get the skinny on the Sansa® Clip player. Offering five colors to choose from, this lightweight MP3 player delivers major sound for its matchbox size, and storage capacity of up to 2GB*. And with its smart design, you can clip your Sansa® Clip player to your bag, pants or sleeves, allowing you to enjoy all the perks of an MP3-hands-free.


Listen
Keep up to 1,000*** songs at the ready wherever you go. Or tune into FM radio for news and fresh music anytime.


Record
With the built-in microphone, you can record memos, lectures or all those unexpected, mic-worthy moments throughout your day. When you're ready, transfer your files to your PC for listening and sharing.



Get together
The Sansa® Clip player plays MP3, WMA, secure WMA and Audible file formats. Connect via USB cable to your computer for charging or synchronizing.


Sort it out
A compact MP3 player with a screen, the Sansa® Clip player makes navigation simple, so you can sort your music, FM stations and audio books ease.


So what's in the box?
Sansa® Clip MP3 player, Clip accessory, USB 2.0 transfer cable, earphones, promotional inserts, and quick start guide.


* 1 gigabyte (GB) =1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.
** Based on continuous playback at 128kbps; actual life and performance may vary depending upon usage and settings; battery not replaceable.
*** Approximation based on 4-minute songs at 128kbps.



Choose Sansa®, a smarter way to play
Sansa® products are brought to you by SanDisk, the minds behind flash memory. Around the world, wherever people take pictures, listen to music, use cell phones-or do much of anything at all with digital devices-you';ll probably find SanDisk products. Maybe that';s why, after more than 20 years in the business, SanDisk has never stopped innovating.


END

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Midland Regatta RG1W VHF Waterproof Two-Way Marine Radio (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a waterproof low cost vhf radio. It is easy to install. Comes with a loooooong wiring harness. The display lighting is golden so it is easy on your night vision. It is rather bright and can not be adjusted. If you plan on mounting your radio on the control panel, you may need to consider another radio.

With 2 watts of output, the audio is quite good.

The digital calling is a little cumbersome. There are no provisions for speed dialing an individual boat. You must enter a 9 digit number every time you call. (I just thought in my life I have gone from asking an operator to connect me with a person to speaking a name into my phone to get it to dial. I guess all those dialing methods in between were just a waste of time.)

This radio does have a weather alert feature that you can set to automatically alert you to weather warning.

Bottom line this is a cheap, tricked out radio that will serve most casual boaters well. Would make a great second radio.

The instruction manual is ok.It is specific for the RG1!

For me the one big downside is that every time you switch channels, it beep. This feature can not be turned off.

Midland seems to think it is a well built radio as they give a 3 year repair or replace warranty. (Keep your receipt.) They will repair your radio after the warranty is up for a flat rate of $[...]. Visit [...] for the full warranty.

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Product Description:
Midland Regatta 1 Marine Radio VHF... WATERPROOF! This waterproof Radio could be the difference between being stranded and getting quick help! Receives all 10 NOAA weather alerts that sounds an alarm if severe weather is on the horizon. The rundown: All USA, International and Canadian Marine Channels; Switch between 1 and 5-watt performance; External speakers / microphone jack; Tri-watch and unlimited memory; Instant channel 16; Distress button for dire situations; Large, bright, backlit LCD display is easily viewable at night; Comes with powerful lithium ion battery; 12 volt accessory charger plugs into your cigarette lighter; Channel scan; Signal strength meter; Your "ace in the hole" in precocious situations! Order your Radio today! Midland Regatta 1 Marine Radio VHF

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