Batteries Reviews

These radios sound great - they are clear and crisp and the battery life is great. I also like the way the lock feature works and the fact that you can select high/low power at the touch of a button.

However, I bought a set of two of these, and at one point or another, both of them have refused to turn off. Turn the knob to the off position, it clicks to off, but the radio stays on. One of them works pretty well, only exhibiting this behavior occasionally, but the other one never turns off. Put the batteries in, it's on until they die (luckily that's a long time with these radios).

Secondly, they don't handle cold weather well at all.
Try this: Take one snowboarding, but leave it turned off. After about an hour or two of boarding you'll feel a vibration in your pocket. Yes, the thing has turned itself on, kicked itself into vibrate mode and started vibrating. But there's no display on the LCD! It still thinks it's turned off.

So Cobra, if you are listening, getting the thing to turn off shouldn't be a big technical challenge for you - engineers have been very successfully designing devices that turn off going all the way back to the invention of the light bulb.

See other relevant reviews under the item "Cobra GMRS Two-Way Radio Pair (PR 950-2 DX)." (Unlike the pair, this product has NiMH batteries and a charger.) I agree with those reviews, which basically say that these radios have great sound quality and range. Just a few more points for people who are trying to decide whether to buy one:

SIZE: About the same size as the competitors. Without the antenna and belt clip, it's 11 cm high, 6.5 cm wide, and 2.5 cm thick. (That's about 4-1/2 inches x 2-1/2" x 1".) The antenna adds another 6.5 cm (2-1/2") to the height on one side, and the convenient off/on/volume knob 1 cm (1/2") to the other. One unit weighs about 180 grams (6 ounces) with the batteries.

SCANNING: The PR950 has 22 channels: 7 FRS (Family Radio Service, channels 8-14), 8 GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service, channels 15-22), and 7 FRS/GMRS (channels 1-7). It has CTCSS (Continuous Tone Controlled Squelch System) with 38 codes per channel. Unfortunately, it can scan only the main channels, the codes within one channel, or the up-to-ten codes in its memory. For example, let's say that someone is transmitting on channel 6, code 17; your scan would be able to find that channel 6 is active, but then you have to do a second scan to determine that code 17 is the one being used. I find simultaneous channel-and-code scanning easier to use. Also, it takes five presses of the "mode" button to start scanning; I would have preferred a separate button.

BATTERY LIFE: In the manual, is given as 24 hours in a "1:1:18 ratio" (I think that means that it is tested when transmitting 5%, receiving 5%, and doing neither 90% of the time). That's a pretty long battery life compared with the competition. The selectable high/low (2 or 0.5 watt) power output on GMRS channels helps save the batteries.

OTHER NOTES: The LCD display has a lot of information, such as signal strength meter, whether power saver is on, etc. A button on the side toggles the backlight and also toggles the monitor-a-single-channel feature (called "Maximum Range Extender"). The wrist strap attaches to the bottom of the PR 950. There are speaker and microphone jacks at the top and a charger jack on the side; all three jacks have rubber covers. The 10 outgoing call tones are useful; when people call you, you can choose to be alerted by call tone, by vibration, or both. The voice activation (VOX) mode with five sensitivity settings worked fine for hands-free transmissions. The end-of-transmission tones or "roger beep" can be turned on or off. You can turn off the keystroke tones and can lock the Channel, Mode, and Enter buttons.

CONCLUSION: Buy this excellent 2-way radio at Amazon.com!

This is one of three different brands and/or models of rotary toothbrushes I have recently purchased. ( Three kids = three different toothbrushes!) Reasons to like this one are that it is very portable, the cool blue color makes it easy to tell from other toothbrushes that may be in your bathroom, and it is fun. (Anything that encourages toothbrushing and is effective can't be bad, can it?) On the downside, I am having difficulty locating replacement heads for this brush. Supposedly, replacements are available, but where to find them is a very important question to ask yourself before you purchase the toothbrush.

With a new battery, it has the power to clean and polish teeth without any discomfort. Keep it at the kitchen sink and find it handy to brush after meals. Also, I found a new use: to clean a crevice in my blender cover. It has no cords to plug in, so it is easy to store in a handy place, ready for use.

NiCad batteries have had their day in the sun - it's sunset now. Not only do they have memory, their power output and charging speed is inferior to later battery technologies, and when they die and get tossed they are a heavy-metal hazard to the environment. We've moved beyond these things, high time to stop making them. I bought this one because I could not find a NiMH replacement for my 12-V Makita drill. I tried, believe me. AT (...) bucks a pop they're no bargain, either.

I HVE 2 OF THESE THT R ABOUT 11 YRS OLD THEY STILL WORK WELL BUT 1 IS STARTING TO GO WEAK BUT STILL WORKS FINE FOR AVERAGE TASKS

No you can not use this charger to charge Non Ni type Batteries. See Duracell site for more Info.

I purchased this charger along with a few AA NI-MH batteries for my digital camera.

While I've never timed how long it takes to recharge the batteries, I usually plug it in overnight and does a pretty good job.

Even though I don't own any NiCd batteries, the charger is able to recharge those also, as well as 9V rechargables.

My only complaint is that I'm often "closing" the bottom terminals to keep a tight grip on the batteries. They've never fallen off while recharging, but when you insert them, you get the feeling that they may fall off.

Works well. Get a good charge every time. To answer the question about alkalines. On a very rare occasion, you will find a product that requires 1.5V. For these products, the rechargeables won't work, but for 95+% of electronics, the rechargeables work as good or better.

I bought one a few years back and had to have it replaced after 6 months.

The replacement I received needed to be replaced 8 months later.

Today the replacement is needing a replacement.

The only fun thing is calling Tech Support and hearing someone named "Steven" speaking English with a Indian accent. They are however very professional and quick to fix the problem.

The problems were mainly bad battery time, loss of tracking ability, inability to work off a USB hub, and a handful of other hardware issues.

Knowing what I know I'd give it a pass!

This product looks good and works well, but what is hidden in the image is the block backend of the mouse. Because it of this the mouse is too small for large hands and is uncomfortable for small ones.

The scroll pad is ok, but if you like the feel of a wheel, this mouse isn't for your. One nice feature with the scroll pad is the ability to leave your finger in the up or down area, and just let your page scroll.

Over all, the price is to high for only a three button mouse.

I don't really understand all the bad reviews here on this mouse. It puzzles me because I have had 0 problems with mine. It's asthetically pleasing & functionally brilliant. I have both the wired and wireless versions of this mouse and love them both. The only reason I give this 4 stars is because it is not great as a portable due to the power adapter for the base. For desktop use, or for laptops in their main area of use (i.e. office or home, but not for travel) it is perfect.

I love the satisfying click it gives and the amazingly comprehensive programming (via mac system preferences pane). You can make this mouse do anything, design configurations for specific programs (I particularly find the button under the scroll pad to be useful for double click function and left+right buttons for "find"). You can set different speeds for slow or fast movement (!) and scrolling speed.

The scroll pad is NOT a touch pad, as mentioned by other reviewers, but it does not require you to press hard (come on folks, I am a scrawny 130lbs and it doesn't require "effort"). It scrolls as you drag your finger down and if you press either end it continuously scrolls. Very cool.

I also have had no problem (as others have mentioned) with installing software, getting it to work perfectly, optical tracking, clicking, etc. Again, I am completely puzzled because I love this mouse!

Contrary to the product review, this battery pack does not have a long life. The only reason I'm buying a new one is because it's what my camera uses. If I had known then what I know now about this battery pack, I wouldn't have bought the camera.

Yes, the rechargeable battery is necessary for saving the $8 each on disposable batteries. But no, it is not a panacea. I was amazed when my rechargeable battery went dead after just 1 year of occasional use. If I'd known it went dead this early and there was only one manufacturer (Canon) to buy from, I would not have bought the camera. Grrrr.

These are OK when new, but after a while they suddenly fail and then are only good for a few shots. This often happens if you leave them in the charger too long, but it is not convenient watching the charger for 2 hours to see when it is done. All 3 I have bought have failed in this way.

It seems that there is a diode inside that fails allowing the charge to leak out throught the center contact. When this happens, just stick a piece of duct tape over the center contact before you put it in the camera and it is as good as new. Remove the duct tape to recharge it.

The Mag Instrument S3D016 Black Heavy Duty 3 D-Cell Flashlight was another of my past favorites that got a lot of use. Now a days, there is a lot going on with the technology of flashlights. LED, Lithium batteries, focus bezels, etc. The Maglight brand has fallen behind a bit technologically, but is still a great flashlight for minor emergencies NOT involving looking for criminals, terrorists or signalling for a chopper pick up. The Mag Instrument S3D016 Black Heavy Duty 3 D-Cell Flashlight is perfect for a tool box but a bit too big for a deep pocket. The product is very durable and they are proven reliable. Don't get me wrong. I've depended on Mag lites of all sizes for years. But head to head , the Surefire brands have quickly surpassed Mag lite in every important aspect of flashlights - usable light power, size, durability and weight. The Mag light brand just isn't keeping up with the new technology. And that's too bad for us who value product loyalty.
The Mag Instrument S3D016 Black Heavy Duty 3 D-Cell Flashlight is STILL a good value and I have several in the house and the vehicles. But they're being replaced by Surefires as they wear out.
John Row

I've bought some Mini-Mag's before, but even though Streamlight and Pelican were coming out with these new terrific lights, I realized that dealers were hard to find, and although Maglite is the older kid on the block, they are easy to find, and it's still a great light. I bought my second 3-D size at my local "Wally Mart" and went to work the next night (I do mobile security). I've owned a 3-D size before and always found it better than anything I've ever used, aside from a super Coleman 9-V lantern. Sometimes I end up in alleys, corridors, and even my favourite, fields that are growing new but under construction houses. Still, nothing makes me feel safer (super boof on the head if under aggresion by a hoodlum) and well prepared with it's great power, both in spot and flood modes.

Here comes the bad news. I almost forgot that my other light died from the same reason this one did. I have dropped both of them a few times (clumsy me), yet was reminded that these are shock resistant. Well, on a fateful day in an office building, with new batteries too, I accidently dropped my Mag and as it hit the 'carpeted' floor, it went off. I tried to turn it back on, but after a few tries and even changing the bulb just in case it was burnt out, I realized that my Mag had expired. Terrific. The other downfall is that if you drop it and it switches off while you're in the dark, good luck finding it if you're in the woods. That happened to me once, but I ALWAYS carry a backup Mini-Mag, so I found it later (it's black, and trying to find it in the woods with dark branches around isn't easy, so it's hard to find).

Take this as good advice: buy it if you are in the woods or on softer ground-two of mine died falling onto carpets. The other thing is to at least get the "silver" or "light blue" coloured versions. At least they're easier to find in moonlight. I just got the black since the black looks best. Ah, still. Hats off to Mag.

Come On!!! Many people have said that this brand is just ot heavy, and that you shouldn't by it because other brands are lighter. Well, unless ur a cop, these lights are great! Perfect for camping and blackouts, especailly the mini maglite. I would recommend the 3 Cell, its not to heavy, unlike the 4, 5 and even 6 cell ones. Also, remember to register yours at Maglite.com

I'd have to agree with other reviewers that these batteries HAVE MEMORY and last nowhere near as long as Black and Decker would like you to believe. I have probably 20 of these batteries and always charge them correctly, rotate them, keep them in matched sets, and they just die after a couple of years. In many cases, it's cheaper to buy VersaPak tools (with batteries) and throw away the tools. Luckily, the tools don't last either ;) You really have to view the VersaPak line as disposables.

Batteries seem smart, but they don't last long when new (except in the flashlight) and they gradually just die off completely (and are not cheap to replace). Be forewarned.

I am in housekeeping at a camp and we have the VersaPac for our ScumBuster. It is so convenient and fast to change out because, we are very business and don't have time to spend on trying to change out batteries. With the twin charger we always have a battery ready to go. Thank you Black & Decker for making our day.

i can't believe the people at sony are producing this junk. The only place this thing works is right next to the transmitter, with static and hissing. it doesn't even work in the next room 15 feet away. this thing blows - don't even bother with it. i'll be sending it back asap.

I don't think there can be much of an argument that the sound quality is well below a wired speaker system but its not an unreasonable tradeoff to give up a little sound quality for the freedom to put the speaker anywhere.

I'm going to send it back for three reasons:

1.) There is an audible hiss which, depending on how far away from the base station you are and how much wireless interference there is can be extremely loud. For me, the sound quality tradeoff is too much. I tried the noise reduction feature and switching betwen the 3 channels the base station offers but couldn't get an acceptable audio result. It could be my crazy neighbor who has a massive HAM radio polluting the airwaves. Your mileage may vary.

2.) Needs more speakers. There is only one speaker and when you place it in a room the first thing you notice is the lack of a stereo sound. I think the speaker itself may actually be stereo and the curvy plastic piece is attempting to spread the sound around but it fails for me. I wanted another tower.

3.) The battery life on the speaker is really poor. It charged all night and worked for all of 15 minutes before I had to plug it in. Maybe there is something wrong with mine because this seems impossibly bad.

Its too bad because this is a great idea and if you're like me and all your music is now stored on the hard disk of your computer, it would be a great way pump music anywhere in the house.

The prouct itself is really quite beautiful and has this blue light that makes it look like a piece of art but I was looking for a higher quality audio result.

I don't want to totally discourage you from trying it out especially if you have a small place and you're not a total audiophile but if you like your high quality sound, beware.

I've researched these and found Amazon to have the best price. (including shipping.) The system sounds great and had really notable seperation and rich sound. I was very pleased.

I bought this thinking it'd be the panacea to the brevity of the iPod's battery life. It is. When it works.

Pros:
•More time to listen to music.

Cons:
•Bulky. Power connector should be integrated, and the device should somehow fit around the iPod. While I have not had any bad experiences with suction cups holding expensive equipment, they are simply illogical considering that you are entrusting them with a $3-500 piece of equipment full of your life's work and all of your music.

Here's the kicker, and I realize that I'm not the only one who has had this problem:

I thought it was just a fluke when my battery pack's springs melted and I smelled burning plastic. Fortunately I haven't seriously burned myself, but cbBut it happened three times. Belkin phone support was no help, e-mail support didn't even address the issue, they just said "call us for help", and Belkin refused to replace the product.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been helpful(I recently filed a complaint/report), but Belkin is still quiet. Oh well. The Voice Recorder for the iPod is also pretty bad. Stay away unless you enjoy getting burns and wasting batteries.

Lets face it: The IPOD battery just doesn't measure up. It is supposed to last for up to 8 hours of music, but hasn't survived past two hours before it dies. Thats why this Belkin external battery pack is so attractive. It's been on my wishlist for months, and when I finally got it, I was disappointed. Although it has increased my battery life over 6 hours more, it still is not as streamlined as the IPOD itself. It just adds some "dead weight" to it. This being said, it is NOT very portable. This Backup battery pack is great if you are stuck with long delays at an airport somewhere. However, if you are planning to use this on your morning jogs around the block, skip it.

Overall, this Battery Backup is a helpful addition to the IPOD, but it's size and weight really are limiting factors.

I really like this device for my travels. I often run out of juice on the ipod (only 8 hours won't work for a 12+ hour travel day) itself and since I'm just sitting in the cramped plane seat anyway, the extra weight isn't an issue. I don't recommend it if you want to run with it or use it for walking around since it doesn't really attach all that well to the ipod...espcially if you use a case with the ipod. Even if you use your ipod naked (how could you!?!), it doesn't really attach all that well either. But remember, Belkin designed it so really, it's not apple's fault they have idiots in the belkin design dept.
Overall, the utility is great for long travel times and design sucks
Adds considerable weight to ipod - if you run with it, your shorts may be dragging on the ground as a result of the battery pack
The batteries seem to last longer if stored in the off position when not in use

Why are most of these reviews not even about the damn battery pack?!? If you want to attack the ipod itself, go post it on the ipod product review page