My Product Reviews and Thoughts: 2017

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Hoicmoic Hidden Spy Camera, 1080P HD USB Wall Charger Mini Camera, Spy Camera Adapter with 32G Internal Memory Motion Detection Review

This hidden spy camera from Hoicmoic couldn’t be any easier to setup and use. Just plug it into a wall outlet and it just works. It will record video and sound anytime it senses motion in front of it. This looks and works like any other USB wall charger and unless you see the red and blue light flash on the front of it when you first plug it and it gets started, you wouldn’t know this wasn’t just a wall charger.

This is awesome. It has a 32 GB internal memory that will loop record and replace the older video once it gets full so it never stops recording until you unplug it. It does come with a USB to USB cable so you can plug this into your PC and view, copy or delete any stored videos that are on this. This camera shows as just another hard drive or device on your PC that will allow you to see the files on it under My Computer or File Explorer.

This camera also works as an actual USB wall charger as well which also helps sell this as a wall charger and not as a hidden camera. Just make sure the cable plugged into this doesn’t hand down in front of the camera lens on this and that the camera lens is on top of the plug when plugged in to the wall outlet.

The video and sound on this are excellent and look and sound very good for such a tiny camera. You also get a 90 degree field of view, so it covers a good part of a room or area that you want to watch and record.

Overall. for the price, easy of use and for what you get, this cannot be beat. If you need to watch someone or someplace (parents in a nursing home) and need it to be hidden, this is what you need. The only problem I see with this, is it does just plug in and anyone could just unplug it and take it and it does take an outlet to be plugged into. Most plugs are down low or are hidden behind furniture and stuff, so location is also a thought when using a device like this.

DISCLAIMER: This was offered at a discounted rate in exchange for an honest review. I rely on reviews from the community when making purchases, so I believe in giving honest and unbiased reviews to help others. I am not obligated to leave positive feedback and receive no compensation for doing so. I am not associated with the seller in any way.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Hoicmoic-Charger-Adapter-Internal-Detection/dp/B0776W284P/ref=sr_1_1?m=A3S4JXLDVYB7BT&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1512704995&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+spy+camera&refinements=p_6%3AA3S4JXLDVYB7BT

Shuremaster 8mm Black Tungsten Carbide Engagement Rings for Men Two Tone Brushed Finish Comfort Fit Review

This Tungsten Carbine ring from Shuremaster is a standard 8mm wide ring with a two tone black and silver color finish that looks and feels awesome. I went with an 8.5 ring size so it not only fits my pinky finger but also fits my wife’s ring finger so that both of us could wear this ring if we chose to.

This ring feels amazing, the edges on this and the inside of the ring are so smooth and nice feeling, that I wouldn’t mind wearing this all the time. So this rings not only looks good, but feels good. The weight on this ring is a little heavier than my actual silver wedding band with a four diamonds in it but doesn’t feel too heavy or bulky when you have it on. It makes it feel like it is well built and worth way more than I paid for it.

Overall, this ring does come in different color choices and can be worn by either a man or a women and for the look and feel of this ring, is well worth the price and would be a great choice for anyone in the market for an engagement ring, wedding ring or just a ring to be worn on a daily basis. I am very happy with my color and choice and this ring by Shuremaster.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BP63DF/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tenergy Solis Digital Meat Thermometer, APP Controlled Wireless Bluetooth Smart BBQ Thermometer with 6 Stainless Steel Probes and Large LCD Display, Cooking Thermometer for Grill and Smoker Review

I have a meat thermometer from Measurepro and it’s pretty nice but lacks the extra features that this one from Tenergy has. It only goes up to 392F (if you go over this, it stops working and locks up and is ruined) where the Tenergy one goes up to 572 and the probes can take up to 716F. If you have something that hot, you don’t want to eat it anyway.

Love that this comes with not one, but six probes, so I can measure different things for different temperatures at the same time. Great for my medium steak and the wife’s well done steak. These probes and the main meter all have a nice, sturdy and well-built look and feel to them. Also love that the probes are color coded to make it easier to know what goes to what.

The screen on the meter is large and easy to see and read and comes with a magnetic back to allow you to attach it to something metal (stove, grill, frig) to keep it out of the way while being used. There is also the “Solis Thermo” App you can download and install on your phone or tablet (both Android and iOS) that will give you notifications and readings so you don’t have to constantly be checking the meter while you are cooking. Not sure how they do it since most bluetooth is only good for about 30 feet, but this one can go about 100 feet and that is awesome. There are 11 preset temp setting for different meats, but all can be tweaked and adjusted to make them what you want or need to meet your preference.

This does run on 2 AA batteries that are included and I will use them until they die, but I prefer rechargeable batteries for equipment like this.

I have used this on both the grill and oven and have to say, I got really good steaks out of both using this meat thermometer. The notifications are a great help not only on when things are done, but also help me remember to check and flip things when needed as well.

Overall, I really like this thermometer and I never thought I would want or need one, until I got a good one like this one. I use it all the time now. Always hated guessing and getting my food either under or over cooked.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077821Z4C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_DrTkAb4TK4XAZ

Monday, November 6, 2017

Aurosports Golf Laser Rangefinder 5.4 Yard-600 Yards/550M Range Finder with Rechargeable Lithium battery Pocket Size Fit For Hunting, Golf, Outdoor Activities With Carrying Case Review

The rangefinder by Aurosports is pretty awesome and very easy to use. This comes with a cloth carrying case with a magnetic closure, wrist strap, micro USB charging cable and cleaning cloth.

The small size of it makes it very portable and to be able to fit in and operate via one hand. Most other rangefinders are bigger and a little hard to use with one hand. This is light weight and real easy to hold in place without much shake while scanning for a speed or distance.

I was a little confused with the description showing this can be used for everything and the instructions also show seven modes but only two have check marks next to them, but at closer inspection, this model only has two modes (speed and distance) and not the seven it looks like it could have (by the pictures and instructions). Not that is a bad thing, this will still do what you need but makes you wonder if the golf mode would be better that just the distance mode.

With only two buttons to operate this, it can’t get much simpler to use. One button turns it on/off and activates the scan to take the measurement and the mode button, switches modes between speed and distance when short pressed or between yards and meters when long pressed.

You can short press the on/off button to take a reading or press and hold it to take a continuous scan and reading. The display on this id big, bright and easy to see and will display a circle when scanning and display the reading on the bottom right when done. It will also display unit of measure or the mode in the upper right corner when you are changing it.

I have tested the accuracy of this, one measuring the distance from the back of my house to the fence in the back yard and this is pretty darn accurate. I also compared it to my Gamin G3 golf range finder on the course and again this matches it or is pretty close. The G3 does measure to the middle of the green and I was measuring to the pin placement with this rangefinder. Any difference was negligible and wouldn’t really matter for my golf game. It is close enough for me.

The feel and build of this is a plastic and rubberized and that makes it easy to hold on to, waterproof and dustproof. Just what I need on the course. The rechargeable battery is also a big plus. This thing last all week and a few rounds of golf before needing recharged. Also much nicer to use my power bank (I bring for my phone anyway) to recharge on the course if needed than to have to remember to bring and carry extra batteries with me.

I would recommend this for anyone in the market. It is just as good as some of the higher priced one but a third of the price.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075TYRWKR/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Tenergy 900W/1500W PTC Ceramic Heater w/ Auto Shut Off, Portable Space Heaters with Adjustable Thermostat for Home Bedroom, Personal Desk Heaters for Office Review

The Tenergy is pretty impressive for such a small ceramic heater. Like all ceramic heaters, there isn’t any wait once turned on for heat to start coming out of this thing. The base of this is made from a hard plastic that makes it light and very portable and a metal grill over the heating elements.

The controls are all on one side and are easy to see, use and very simplistic and self-explaining. You have the thermostat knob and the fan only, low (900w) or high (1500w) heat knob and that’s it.

The face of this does only tilt up 15 degrees, so the heat doesn’t hit the top of the base that it is housed in and this works unless you place this on the ground and want the heat to hit you in the face, then it doesn’t tilt up enough unless you move it further away from you. Put it on a table next to you and this isn’t an issue at all.

The thermostat on this works very well and will turn off/on the heater to maintain the room temperature where set and there is a safety feature that will shut off the heater if it gets too hot during use. I know it is room dependent, but I do wish they had temperature readings on the thermostat knob so I had an idea of the temperature I might get when set there instead of guessing and adjusting until I find what I like. It will shut off when you pass the current temperature of the room, so you can go up or down from there to set your desired temperature.

For such a small heater (10.6wx9.8hx5.3d), this does really put out a good deal of heat in an average size room. I tested this in my living room that is 15dx23wx9h and I actually had to turn the thermostat down when it started to get too hot in the room. It’s not quit winter here yet, but still pretty impressive for this room size.

Overall, a great ceramic heater that is very portable, easy to use and operate and should work anywhere you may need it to. With the build quality of this and the simple knobs, this should last a long time and a few winters.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Portable-Adjustable-Thermostat-Personal/dp/B0757XK1BW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1508778945&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=energy+space+heater&psc=1

Friday, October 6, 2017

Tenergy T20 Bluetooth Headphones

The Tenergy Bluetooth 4.1 Headphones come in a very nice and professional looking box with a magnetic flip top with a picture of the headphones, armband and specs on the headphones on the front and back of the box. In the box are the headphones in a carrying case, Mini USB charging cord, extra ear buds and instructions.

After getting these out of the box, I wasn’t disappointed. These are made with a pretty solid rubberized plastic body and shouldn’t break with normal wear and tear and shouldn’t have a problem with sweat while you are working out. This also comes with a hard case to carry these around with, which is a great feature because I hate having to find a place to store the extra ear buds and USB cord, let alone the headphones.

I was excited to try these out and they turned on and worked right out the box without charging them. Used them for about an hour or so and then it took about an hour and a half to charge them the first time. The charging cord (mini) is really short, so I used my own. There is a LED light on the side of the right ear piece that turns red during charging and blue when completed. This light also flashes blue/red when in pairing mode.

There are two buttons on the top of the right ear piece. The volume up (next track) and the volume down (last track). The on/off button is on the side and is a bright red bar that is easy to find and push. The mini charging port is on the side of this ear piece as well.

These headphones have voice, so they talk to you and tell you when they are powered on/off and when paired. This didn’t take long to pair with my phone and I didn’t have to scan for it multiple times before it showed on my phone to pair with it. Once paired, it connects automatically now when I turn them on. Couldn’t be any easier.

The ear pieces are surprising nice and fit in my ear really well and are comfortable to wear for hours while I am at work. Lasted my full 8 hours at work without recharging them. There are extra ear pieces if you need to find the right size for you. The wings that are built into these, go around your ears to help hold them on. These are bendable and fit around your ears pretty easily compared to alot that are hard and can’t be moved.

I had no problem with the Bluetooth dropping or getting choppy when wearing these when I got ten to fifteen feet away from my phone and the sound, even at full volume, sound great. The volume at max is loud enough I did have to turn it down a little not to hurt my ears.

I have an equalizer app on my phone that I can tweak the sound with, but the bass and overall sound on these are superb out of the box, I didn’t need to do that. I have these for listening to music, but the wife did call me one time while I had these in and I had no problem hearing her or her hearing me. There is a built-in mic on these. These are noise cancelling but are not a high-end headphone, so they are ok but they do allow some noise leakage at lower volumes.

The armband is a nice touch and really does help when working out or running. It’s your typical phone armband and comes with a strap on the back to wrap it around and tighten on your arm. It feels pretty comfortable and stayed in place when I used it. The clear front makes it easy to see and use your phone when needed.

These are a really nice somewhat cheap sports earphones and would be great for anyone looking for a Bluetooth headset. Pricing and technology has gotten so much better now.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Bluetooth-Headphones-Sweatproof-Earphones/dp/B0757V12B3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507122005&sr=8-1&keywords=Tenergy+T20+Bluetooth+Headphones%2C+IPX7+Sweatproof+Wireless

Thursday, September 14, 2017

6pcs Tenergy 3.7V 220mAh 30C LiPo Batteries

These six 220 mAh lipo batteries from Tenergy are awesome. I have a few of their bigger batteries and these are built just like those and work and perform great. The 30C discharge rate in these are some of the highest rates I have seen on a 3.7v battery in this class and price range and getting six of them for the price is a steal and a no brainer.

These are direct replacement batteries for anything that has the Molex Picoblade 2 pin connector on it. These are shaped a little different than most square or rectangle shaped Lipo batteries. These are long and skinny compared to most and may not fit in all battery compartments and you may need to do a mod, use velcro or use a strap to keep these in or use them depending on your setup. These also don't have a wire and the connector is right on the end of the battery which may also cause a problem if your device doesn't have enough of a wire lead to reach the battery connector.

These definitely increase your flying time when replacing the standard battery that came with my Makerfire RTF Micro FPV Lite Quad Tiny Whoop Based on Eachine E010. I went from 7-8 minutes of flight time to about 12 depending on if I am using the FPV camera or not on it. It also increased the power and punch to this tiny little drone.

With seven batteries now (6 new plus the original) I get all kinds of flying time now with out much break. I do have to let the motors cool a few minutes in between each battery just so I don't burn them up faster with all this extra flying time now.

If you need or want more batteries, these batteries by Tenergy are a great buy for the price. These and the others they make are all top quality and work great.

My rating on these: 5 Stars

Can be found on Amazon at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074BNYV64

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Skytoy Mini Quadcopter 3D Flip 2.4Ghz 6-Axis Gyro Racing Drone for Beginner Black Review

Color: Black

The mini quadcopter by Skytoy’s is a fun little flier and just a little bigger than the palm of your hand. With two speeds, this can go slow or fast and is fun for both a beginner and a more advanced quadcopter flier. This is made more for indoors, but works outdoors in a no to slight wind.

This has a pretty cool design with the props on the bottom and the prop guards as the landing gear. But with that design you do have to watch out for carpet fibers and hair getting twisted and stuck around the motor shafts and you should check and remove any before each flight if found. This can slow or stop the props from turning and burn a motor up if it gets too hot.

This does take about 30 minutes to charge and flies for about 6-7 minutes depending on how hard you fly it. It does have headless mode, which is great for beginners and does flips, which is always fun for everyone. The range on this isn’t bad either for such a small quadcopter at 90-150 feet. It gets pretty hard to see at that distance anyway, but in headless mode, is no problem to operate and control when you can’t tell the orientation of the quadcopter.

I love the look of this with the LED eyes in front. Makes it look like a bug or the head of a snake when you are looking at the front of it.

Overall, this is a great quadcopter that comes with everything you need to get out there and fly, except the 3 AAA batteries needed for the transmitter. This is easy enough for the beginner to fly and start with, but is also a fun and great flier for anyone a little more advanced.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Skytoy-Quadcopter-2-4Ghz-6-Axis-Beginner/dp/B01FC46ZSE/ref=sr_1_443?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1499991271&sr=1-443&keywords=mini+quadcopter

Gizmovine Mini Foldable RC Drone Altitude Hold RC Quadcopter 2.4Ghz 6-Axis Gyro Good Choice for Drone Training Review

Color: Normal

Model: 901H

This mini quadcopter by Gizmovine comes in two models. One without the camera (901H) and one with a camera (901HS). This is the 901H.

This is a foldable mini drone with altitude hold that works pretty well and stays at the height it is at when you let off the sticks. I love that the arms fold in and out and this fits inside the controller to be stored and carried around in. You can also recharge the battery of the drone from the batteries in the controller if you aren’t around a place to charge the drone with the USB cable that comes with it.

This model has a bright LED light in the front where the other model has the camera. Makes it real easy to tell which the front when flying it is. On the one side is the charging port and the on/off switch.

For such a little drone, this is packed with features. You have one button take off, one button land, headless mode, altitude hold, flips and one button return. The range on this is about 300 feet if you have the room, but you can’t really see it at that distance for the size of this. This is a great little indoor flier when the weather is bad and you can’t get outside but works just as well outside with a slight wind or less.

Overall, a great little flier that is easy to fly and use for training for the beginners, but has enough zip on it to be fun for more advanced fliers.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Gizmovine-Foldable-Altitude-Quadcopter-Training/dp/B072Q18K5D/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1499999874&sr=8-6&keywords=Gizmovine&th=1

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Potensic F181DH 5.8GHz RC Drone Quadcopter With 720P HD Live Camera

Color: Electric Blue

This F181DH quadcopter is another great drone made by Potensic. This is a great flier, has a great metallic blue color and comes with two batteries and an FPV screen. With the altitude hold, just about anyone can fly this drone.

The props are different from most other drones and are more of an S-shaped prop compared to all the standard props out there. I think this gives this a little more power and stability when flying it.

This also comes with a 4GB class 10 SD card so you can record video or takes pictures right out of the box when you get this. You only need to supply the four AA batteries needed to run the transmitter. The transmitter is really well labeled and easy to read and operate, so you may not even need to ready the instruction if you have flown one before.

This is advertised as RTF (ready to fly) and the batteries and FPV screen are charged and ready to go, so no waiting when this baby arrives to fly this thing.

The 2-megapixel camera does take pretty good video and pictures and the alt-hold really help you get smooth and great looking shots and videos without all the jerking and bouncing. They also include a USB card reader to help you get the videos transferred to your computer when you are done flying.

The FPV screen works really well, with a great video screen so you can see what you are taking video and pictures of and also see where you are going or just to get that bird’s eye view from the ground. It really is awesome to see places from the air.

This does have some pretty good range on it and big LED lights on the bottom, so this could be a pretty good night flier if you prefer as well. This also has a safety feature built in that will limit how high you can fly when the battery gets too low. It will also auto land once the battery is too low to fly anymore as well.

Overall, this is a great quadcopter that comes with everything you need to get out there and fly. This is easy enough for the beginner to fly and start with but is also a fun and great flier for anyone a little more advanced.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Potensic-Quadcopter-Altitude-Function-Monitor/dp/B01N05V061/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Tenergy Syma X20 Pocket Quadcopter (Tenergy Exclusive Black) Review

Color: Black

The X20 quadcopter from Syma is just another great quadcopter that Syma makes. They continue you keep making things better and better. I have other pocket or palm size quadcopters, but this one is the first to have all these features.

This one will make a wonderful beginner quad for anyone wanting to get started with a drone. Just the altitude hold would be enough to make this one great for beginners, but throw in the one touch take/land and the headless mode and this couldn’t get much easier to fly. They threw in the flip feature and low and high speeds just for your enjoyment as well.

It is also only about 4 inches by 4 inches in size, so very portable and easy to carry and take with you and to fly anywhere. The USB port on the back of it also makes it very easy to plug in and charge when needed and works with any standard mini USB charging cable. Everyone has one of those nowadays.

The transmitter is a little different than most that I have, but again, that makes it easier to carry and transport with you when needed. It’s only about a 1 inch thick and slides in a pocket or bag with no problems.

The battery is built-in and cannot be changed (bummer) and is only an 180mAh rechargeable battery that gives you around 5 minutes of flying time (I have gotten about 8 minutes out of it sometimes) depending on how hard you fly it. It does take about 20-30 minutes to recharge it each time.

This is also limited to about 66 feet of distance before the transmitter drops and you no longer have control. That isn’t bad as this is only four inches big and gets a little hard to see at that distance anyway. Specially which way is forward.

Overall this is the best mini quadcopter in this class of drones. This a great for both beginners and well-seasoned vets at flying drones. This also makes for a great indoor flier and should work well outdoors as well in very little to light winds.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N130X0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ARCHEER Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Over Ear Headphones with Mic (Upgrade Version) Review

Model: AH07

The Archeer wireless headphones are sweet. I am totally amazed at how wireless headphones have gotten and how far and better the technology and pricing has gotten over such a short time frame.

These are truly wireless and connect using Bluetooth unless you want to plug them in, you still can with the included 3.5mm cable. When you plug them in, the become a wired headset and stop consuming any batter at that point.

I had no problem connecting these to my phone right out of the box and they connect automatically now when I turn them on. These do only have three buttons on one side, so you need to learn when and how to push them to operate the different functions these have. The instructions are in English and are easy to read and follow.

I do wish these came with a carrying bag, so I don’t have to find a place to store everything when not in use. Also helps protect it when travelling.

The sound on these are loud and just to that point I don’t put them at 100%. I do have an equalizer app on my phone and do tweak the sound on these and they sound very crisp and clear. The noise muffling is just that and these are not noise cancelling and do allow leakage from outside noise. The bass is actually better than most but even better when increased with my app.

The battery lasted a long time and easily gets me thru the work day. Only takes about 1.5- 2 hours to recharge this and lasts for about 14 hours depending on how high you keep the volume on these.

Overall, a great set of headphones and for the price, a great quality and buy for anyone.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/ARCHEER-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphones-Headphone/dp/B01N1PPUO5/ref=sr_1_1?m=A65F3AFZ1DIWL&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1483933658&sr=1-1&keywords=AH07

KINGEAR D009 2.7" 24MP HD LCD Screen Digital Camcorder with Night Vision Review

Color: Black

I have been wanting to get a camcorder for some time now. Yea, your phone is nice, but the zoom isn’t that good and the quality really gets downgraded once you zoom in.

This isn’t one of those beginner digital camcorders at half the price. This one does take excellent pictures at 24MP and also will take wonderful video at 1080P@15fps or 720P@30fps with 16x zoom.

It’s small, light-weight and very portable and fits in my pocket with no problems. This also comes with a hand strap and pouch to carry this in when not in use. As a bonus and very helpful in doing selfies or allowing you to get in the pictures and videos, this one also comes with a nice little remote control that can control and change most of the setting on this camcorder from a distance. First one I have seen that included a remote.

For a pretty inexpensive camcorder, this does have some pretty good features and settings on it. It also has a 1250mAh battery that takes about 3 hours to charge and will last between 3-4 hours depending on how much you zoom and or use the light. It also has a night vision feature where if you push the front part (left side) of the power button will turn the inferred lights on and you can see and film in complete darkness. Very cool and works great.

The menus on this are easy to see, read and use on the 2.7 inch touch screen that rotates 270 degrees and for the most part, are pretty intuitive to use and understand if you know anything about a camera and the main setting on them. If not it is all in the manual that is in English and covers all the menus, buttons and operations of this camera and remote. Love the touch screen and not having to push all the buttons to get around or select things on the menus.

If I had to find a fault on this, I would say the recorded sound is a little soft and there is no port to be able to plug in an external mic, light or other device into it.

So, if you are looking for a great camera to carry around with you and use when needed or need a present for the upcoming graduation and wedding parties, this would be a great one to get. #ad

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Camera-KINGEAR-Screen-Camcorder/dp/B01MQ1VPL8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1492833730&sr=8-9&keywords=digital+camera+by+kingear

DROCON Blue Bugs 3 Quadcopter Review

WOW, this has easily made my top three drones that I own. Maybe top two. The Bug 3 from Drocon (manufactured by MJX RC) is the first blue Bug that I have seen on the market. The red one looks pretty cool, but this one looks awesome.

With its brushless motors, this thing is a beast in the wind and I have had no problems flying in medium to heavy wind. This is a very nice and sporty drone for the big size of this. It has some get up and go on it.

The 3.7v 1800 mAh 25C lipo battery is good for about 15-18 minutes of flight time depending on how hard you fly it and is a proprietary battery and is in a case with the smaller newer T30 connector on it. It does have a high and low-speed rate on this drone and that will affect the flight time from this battery.

I have plenty of action cameras and never had any drones that they could be used on until now. This is awesome to be able to get HD video now from my drone. Yea, there is no controlling from the transmitter, but it still takes get video. I have not seen any jello in them as of yet so the camera mount works pretty well. There may be just a little vibration shake to it but you could swap out the camera mount for a better mount of you wish.

The range on this is awesome at 1000-1600 feet and the 2.4 GHz two-way transmitter also talks to the drone and gets the drone status back to the transmitter and will sound an alarm when the battery level gets too low or there is interference and signal loss. If you hear a warning beep, you have a problem.

This does come with two sets of self-tightening props in case you crash or damage a prop or two, which could happen when in level two speed mode and going full out forward if you are not careful at as the pitch on this will cause it to drive itself into the ground if you are not careful and keep raising it as you are flying.

If you use the camera mount and camera and use the bigger legs, you can remove the smaller landing gear below the motors and save about 12 grams of weight if you want or don’t and save even more weight without the camera, mount and bigger legs. You will get a little faster drone and longer flight times this way as well.

Overall, I love this drone. Not a lot of features, but an excellent choice for your first brushless drone at a really decent price. Maybe the next version will have all the bells and whistles of the high priced drones.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/DROCON-Powerful-Brushless-Distance-Quadcopter/dp/B06XTNS8HF/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Suaoki Self-Leveling Cross Line Laser Level Review

Model: L22R

This laser level by Suaoki is awesome if you have any upcoming projects to get done. This is light-weight, well built, very portable and easy to set up and use.

What is has:

- 3 levels (horizontal, vertical or both (cross lines)

- Comes with the needed 4 AA batteries to operate it with

- Accurate within +/- 1/14 of an inch at 30 feet

- Can work up to 66 feet with just the line or 164 feet with line & detector

- Can last up to 20 hours with all lasers turned on the whole time

- Comes with a rotary mount

- Is rated at Ip54 water and dust resistant

- Has magnetic bracket or ¼ inch tripod mount

- Lockable pendulum with on/off switch to change between manual and self-leveling

- Comes with a cloth carrying bag and manual in English

Overall this is a pretty sweet level that should meet and exceed your needs. I know it has mine. Thinking next tile job should be a lot easier to get straight. #ad

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N130X0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thursday, April 27, 2017

ZettaGuard S25 Wi-Fi Smart Socket Review

The ZettaGuard WIFI electrical outlet is awesome. I love everything automated, electronic and futuristic. Just remember you need a router, WIFI, the Internet and a cell phone to use this. Would be a waste to just use the on/off switch on the plug itself and not all the other great features this has.

Plug this into the wall and your device (lamp, TV or whatever you want) into it, push the on/off button on the plug and the plug LED light will flash red telling you it’s in configuration mode, download and install the app for either IOS or Android onto your phone (if not done earlier), make sure your phone is connected to your networks WIFI, open the app and enter the WIFI password into the app and hit the start configuring button. The app will configure the smart plug to connect to your WIFI and then you are good to go.

Congratulations, you can now control this appliance from anywhere in the world from your phone. You can set up three different types of timers (countdown, scheduled, repeated) if you wish (Multiple of each if desired or needed) or you can manually turn it on and off with the app or use the on/off button on the plug itself if you wish.

This works really well for turning say a light on and off at the same time each day so you don’t have to do it and remember to do it, but you also have the option to manually turn it on or off using the app. So if you are coming home late from a party and the light is already turned off, you can turn it on so you have light when you get home.

This works really well for a rental property or vacation home to make it look like someone is there all the time as well as you can control it remotely if needed. I also have a WIFI thermostat and love that as well to be able to change the settings remotely.

I have this turning my living room light on every day from 5 pm to 1 am. I want everyone to think someone is home at night each night. Especially on the weekends when we are gone most nights and don’t get home until we early in the morning. I have to remotely turn this light on most weekends before we get home so I can see when I get home.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071CXB3TY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492728267&sr=8-1&keywords=B071CXB3TY

Magnetic Shoelace by Vanker Review

I got two pairs of gym shoes for my birthday and I have always left my shoes loosely tied so I can just slip them on and off and that has been a problem a few times in the past, so I thought, I have two pairs now, let’s try something different on one of them. So I found these magnetic shoe closures by Vanker and gave them a try.

These are a little bit of work to get set up and installed but work great once you get the right feel and position. I am older and don’t run or do any sports, so I can’t attest to that, but for everyday use and walking around, these work great for me. The magnets on these are really strong and don’t come undone unless you want them too or you hook them on something and they get pulled apart.

I can now have the best of both worlds and have my shoes tied and untied at the same time and just close them with magnets now. Makes putting on and taking off your shoes so much nicer and faster. No more bows or untied strings to trip on anymore.

To tell you the truth, no one has even noticed that I have them on now.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KJU81UQ

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Syma S39 RC Helicopter with GYRO Toy 2.4G 3Channel, Red Review

I had one like this before at about half this price and it just didn’t last or fly very well and it got thrown in a drawer somewhere. Once I saw that Syma came out with the Red S39 and with their reputation on RC toys and drones, I had to give it a try.

They have upgraded this and gave it a gyroscope like all the drones have nowadays. This makes this so much easier to fly and handle compared to the older models that are out without it.

This is more like a drone than they used to be. This has the same battery and transmitter that most drones have, so if you have flown one of those, this is a piece of cake and if not, it is really pretty simple and easy to learn. They recommend this for 14 and up but I have seen much younger kids learn and fly pretty fast.

They do show a 7.4v 1500mAh battery in the pictures that charges in 120-150 minutes with a 6-7 minute flight time and thought that is not right and down below in the description it says it is a 3.7v 300mAh battery with a 90 minute charge time and a 6 minute flight time and that makes more sense now. This really is the smaller battery and is in the bottom back of the helicopter and can be removed and replaced if you have spare batteries or for charging or can be left in and charged while still inside the helicopter.

I am really surprised how easy this is to fly compared to the old one that I had. The gyroscope in this really does make a big difference.

The transmitter does operate on 2.4 Ghz frequency and is limited to just over 300 feet or the size of a football field. It also requires 4 AA batteries that you must supply. It has the standard two stick flight controls for up/down, left/right and turn left/right and the four trim buttons to get the helicopter steady when hovering to keep it in one place. It also has a small LCD screen on the bottom of it and some other buttons, but they are all fake and don't do anything.

Overall, this has become one of my favorites now and I really like flying it. I have drones and some of their batteries work in this, so I get plenty of flight time now. As an added bonus, throw in a steel commander helicopter for you to put together and play with as well.

Note: make sure to get the battery plug snapped all the way into the helicopter. It will push in partially and you can get power but you will not have control of it with the transmitter once in the air. Make sure you hear it click all the way in before flying it.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Syma-Helicopter-GYRO-2-4G-3Channel/dp/B01FZ4YJLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492568289&sr=8-1&keywords=asin+B01FZ4YJLG