Life Gear LGTF38 LED Flashlight with LED Reading Lamp, NOAA Emergency AM/FM Radio with Alert and Weatherband Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this for my mother initially after a storm knocked out the power and we had tornados in the area. She had neither a battery-powered radio nor a functional weather radio (her house has a large hill blocking all the National Weather Service signals from reaching her).
It is rather nice in that it includes a lot of features that are handy.
1. It has a plug for a cellphone charger. At least at this time, you can order a charger plug for many different cellphones directly from the website and just pay shipping (around $5) so that you can charge your cellphone off of the hand crank. Very good idea.
2. There is an LED flashlight on the front and an LED area light that flips up from the side. These are not going to blind anyone, but they will adequately light up a room or help you navigate through a dark house.
3. The FM/AM/Weather radio is functional and adequate for the intended purpose.
4. It has a build-in clock and alarm. Unfortunately, the alarm on/off button is located on the top of the unit and will easily get bumped such that you are turning on/off the alarm accidentally any time you reach for the device.
5. It includes the rechargeable battery in the package, and it will also run off of regular batteries. The hand crank can be used to charge the rechargeable battery or you can charge from a wall plug, also included.
6. It is not a heavy device and would be very easy to carry around. It does have an included carry handle that flips up from the side opposite the lamp. Unfortunately, it's not that robustly built, either, and wouldn't survive a lot of abuse.
7. There is a built-in hazard alarm/light, but it's of dubious usefulness. As mentioned above, the flashlight is not very strong (though adequate for a flashlight), but it is flashed on-and-off with the alarm and likely wouldn't be spotted all that far away unless in pitch black darkness. It also plays an alarm noise over the built-in radio speaker, but again, the speaker isn't very loud. You could easily talk over this and carry on a conversation without yelling with this alarm going off. You'd be better off just yelling.
Overall, this a great emergency utility that should be in anyone's kit at home or in the car trunk. The hand crank can help make up for not having fresh batteries in or having forgotten to charge it with the wall plug. I'm so impressed with this unit overall that I'm investigating Life Gear's other devices. This is great for Tornado Alley residents, coastal folks who are subject to hurricanes, earthquakes, or even blizzards. I can't think of any natural disaster this wouldn't be at least somewhat helpful in.

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3 super-bright LEDs flashlight4 LED reading or map lampCell phone charger NOAA emergency radio with alert AM/FM and weatherbandAlarm clockEmergency signal flashers and siren3 power options: crank AC or DC

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Stanley PC809 800 Watt Inverter Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this to power some of my photography equipment in the field and wanted one with a display so I could monitor the battery. It seems to work for some things. I tested it with vatious loads nad it provides sufficient current but as soon as I plug a PC in it shuts down and starts beeping even before I turn the PC on.
I have tried 3 different PCs. With one I can run either the PC or the LCD monitor but the inverter shuts off as soon as I plug both in (without turning on either). With the other two errors out as soon as you plug the power cord in.
I have tried two other inverters using the same battery and cables. A 400w Xantrex and a 500w Black & Decker. Both work great and will power my PC with no problem but this one just doesn't work.
I am going to return this ASAP.

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Stanley 800-Watt Inverter has 800 continuous watts of power, 110 power outlet and a USB power outlet. It consists of a digital display that has a power usage indicator and a battery power reading. This inverter features 4 position mounting grommets and direct battery mounts. It offers an overload protection, battery alarm, short circuit protection and has a fault interrupter.

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Mitaki-Japan (Emergency Natural Dasaster) Wind-Up Radio/ Flash Light/ Alarm Review

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(More customer reviews)I used this flashlight for a few days to test it out and now the batteries no longer hold a charge, no matter how long I wind it. I am sure glad I didn't wait until a "dasaster" to test this out! (Perhaps the typo in the product name should have been a warning to me about this company's attitude to quality control!)

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The perfect companion in emergency situations. Features FM radio, three LED lights and alarm. Includes earphone jack and DC output socket (DC cord not included). One minute of winding gives you approximately 30 minutes of all 3 lights, 7 minutes of radio and 10 minutes of alarm. Gift boxed.

Get 56% OFF

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Xantrex 852-2000 XPower 600 HD Powerpack Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After spending my vacation in Florida during hurricane Wilma, I learned the value of being prepared for a prolonged power outage. This unit would have been just the thing.
This is essentially a big 12 volt battery and an inverter that produces 120v AC from the battery. While this unit won't power a heater or an air conditioner, it can power a small fan overnight so you can sleep. It can also charge your cell phone and laptop. (After all, your laptop's DVD player might be your only entertainment.) The XPower can power a lamp so you can read or play cards, or you can watch a small TV for a few hours. You can plug in just about anything so long as the total number of watts drawn is 480 or less. (The 600 watt rating is a 5 minute rating, you can only draw 480 watts continuously.) Keep in mind, if you do pull 480 watts, you'll only get 15 minutes of run time. It's best to think of the 600HD as a way to keep small essentials going.
There's an emergency light built-in. if you place the unit so the light bounces off a near-by wall, it makes a nice low-level room light. With the backside facing you, you see the built-in clock radio. It's not hi-fi, but it's not horrible, it has good volume and it can wake you in the morning. There's also a 12v outlet and a connector for attaching the supplied jumper cables.
You do have to be mindful of the number of watts you pull from the unit if you want the battery to last. It's easy to know how many watts you're drawing because the unit tells you on it's digital display. It's a good thing you can charge the XPower from a car cigarette lighter. During my adventure in Wilma's wake, I would have used the XPower by night and charged it in the car while driving during the day. The digital display also shows the percentage of charge left in the battery.
The best thing to have during a prolonged power outage is a gas generator. But generators require periodic maintenance. And you have to store fresh gas and remember to change the gas periodically. With the HD600, you just find an out-of-the-way corner, plug in the AC charger and forget all about it until the lights go out.
The XPower has a big 28 amp-hour battery which is good for capacity, but makes the unit heavy, almost 30 pounds, so you won't want to carry it very far. Xantrex makes smaller units, but I think the 600 is the best compromise between capacity and portability. The XPower's construction is robust and it looks like it could take some hard knocks.

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There are many times when extra power is needed, but not available. If an outlet is not within reach or plugging into the dashboard cigarette lighter is simply not an option, you'll be pleased that you have the Xantrex Powerpack 600HD. This 600-watt device is an all-in-one unit that is not only powerful enough to start your car, but robust enough to provides portable power for small appliances -- it even comes with a built-in air AM/FM radio and digital clock.
Enough Power to Jump-Start Your Car Powered by a rechargeable battery, the Powerpack 600HD can jump start most 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines, and will operate a wide range of DC-powered products. It also has a built-in emergency light for extra illumination to keep you out of the dark and to provide light so others can see you if you're stranded.
Runs Multiple Appliances at Once With three AC outlets and one DC socket at your fingertips, the 600HD is the right power solution for people with demanding applications or the need to run multiple loads simultaneously. Use it to operate small power tools or at your outdoor worksite so you can get the job done even without an outlet nearby. It will also charge cell phones so you can stay connected.
Built-in AM/FM Radio This unit also has an integrated AM/FM radio and digital alarm clock that provides access to music, talk radio and news, weather, and important information in critical emergency situations.
Rechargeable Battery The XPower Powerpack 600HD is powered by a sealed, non-spillable 28AH battery that can be conveniently recharged from any household AC outlet or DC cigarette-lighter outlet so that it can be made ready anytime, anywhere.
Great for Outings The Powerpack 600HD isn't just for times of need. It is perfect for taking on camping trips or outings where some extra power is needed to run camcorders, video games, televisions, even your espresso machine.
Safety Mechanisms The feature-rich Powerpack 600HD has a built-in 600 watt inverter and a reverse polarity detector to prevent accidentally clamping the cables onto the wrong terminals. A barragraph LED indicator monitors the Powerpack's battery charge level, so it won't overcharge, and an audible alarm signals unit overheat and battery under-voltage conditions. An overload and over-temperature protection is built in to ensure longer inverter life.
Whether it's a job site or a camp site, the XPower Powerpack 600HD is the ideal portable power solution.

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