Garmin nuvi 465/465T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Trucking GPS Navigator

• Garmin's first navigator designed for the trucking industry - navigate routes based on your truck's type, load, and physical restrictions
• Pre-loaded with detailed, street-level maps of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico; speaks street names so drivers will receive turn-by-turn
• Lane Assist guides users to the right lane at the right time, built-in FM traffic receiver gives free alerts about traffic delays and road construction, hands-free calling with Bluetooth and built-in mic/speaker
• Specialized routing to support truck-related restrictions, customizable by height, weight, length, width, and hazardous materials
• NOTE: Model number on the box is 465T because the traffic receiver is included; however, the model number on the device itself is 465 as the "T" in 465T refers to the additional component

Let me start by saying my review is just like others its my opinion! Myself ive been using Garmin GPS systems for 3 years plus. I own a garmin nuvi 660 and me buying the 465t was based on my experience with the 660 no cons if you ask me!

The first thing i noticed about the garmin was the light weight not bulky ,very sleek looking which is a plus in my book. Before going on the road with it i did the necessary updates to the 2010 north America 2.0 takes a while but is expected. The easiest way for the maps is the SD card just stick in and you are good to go will do that in future as i did this with my 660. Ive heard alot of complaints about the volume if you have a radio and CB going then no you will not hear it! The screen is big enough if your vision isn't awful. As far as sending on wrong routes Ive not experienced this problem its pretty accurate. I myself use mcnally my gps and sometimes google maps to compare. Thats the smart way of travel but i did do some runs where i solely used the 465t and had no problems. The truck specific features are nice and was nice to see you can switch back to car mode! So this isn't just a big truck GPS its an all around GPS. The detail of the maps is very good i was also worried when i seen it was a internal attena however it picks up 4 bars most the time it is 5 unless bad weather but never had a reception problem. If you have never used a GPS garmin is by far the easiest to pick up and use. But realize GPS aren't fool proof so use with caution . But hands down the 465t is for any trucker that needs that extra help. Hope i helped anyone debating on buying this product. UPDATE.... Garmin has released firmware updates that fixed some bugs people where reporting! Also the 2010 version 3.0 maps was released and it has proved to fix some bad mapping in a few areas ive noticed! Hands down im still very pleased with the unit and i know with time it will only get better because in the 2 months ive owned they have fixed alot of bugs. So i hope i help someone make a sound decision on this unit. Its by far the best unit for truckers!

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Ok. I've had this GPS for about 5 days now. I'm a truck driver and so far I've traveled with it to Sacramento, CA, Albuquerque, NM, and Denver Co.

I've done research on a couple of different trucker GPS out there and decided on this one. I never left a review before, but I'm gonna do so now since I myself use other peoples reviews before I make a final decision to purchase something.

Packaging: No this item DOES NOT come with the suction cup to place on window. Luckily for me, I bought a GPS Garmin 1350t from walmart and took it back to purchase this one. Well, lets jus say I kept the suction cup and returned the rest to walmart. :) I believe they're like $10 or so....

Download: When you register this product with garmin, they'll give you a free maps update. Give yourself a couple of hours for it to complete. Its not that big of a deal. Just download it and go clean or watch a movie or something til its done.

Features:

LANE ASSIST

I love this feature, Especially of you know about traveling thru CA, they have highway exits to left and right. So this lets me know well in advance which lane I need to be in.

SPEED LIMIT

This is really cool and pretty accurate. Jus know that when there's construction and they change speed limit in that area, GPS won't pick that up. (common sense). Also in area like CA, truck speed is 55mph, but rest of traffic is 65mph. GPS will recognize the 65 limit. Not a big deal to me.

SCALES

This is nice. I'll get a notice of scales about 2-5 miles in advance. it missed a couple of scales. Both in CA. But one looked like it was closed down. BUT, out of 8 or so scales I've passed, it missed one and recognized it after I already passed it, I'd say its pretty accurate.

ROUTING

Is good to go, accurate re-routing as well. OHHHH!!! I was in CA and I attempeted to get on freeway. GPS told me there was a weight limit of 4.5 tons on that highway. Sure enough about a half mile on that freeway a HUGE sign was posted and said jus THAT!! I got off the next exit. In truck mode the GPS will route you away from that type of situation. You'll all get notices from gps when an downgrade is about and also sharp curves. It doesn't tell you EVERY downgrade. From what I can tell, ONLY REALLY STEEP downgrades.

VOLUME

There was some complaints about this. To me its not that bad. I mean if you have your radio BLASTING, then you can't hear it. But having radio at respectable volume, even my cab noise, I can hear it just fine. Should the volume on this unit be improved? Probably so? Its not as bad as some people is making it out to be.

What I'm I forgetting........

I believe that it. You can switch to truck or automobile. There's other features like favorites n stuff like that. I mean that is what it is, you either use it or you don't ya know?? But I think I touched on main features. If I forgot something, I appologize. Hope my review helps.

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The 465T is not quite there yet. It feels like a car gps with a couple truck features thrown in.

PROS:

Nice Display w/auto night/day.

Free Lifetime traffic.

Categorize your favorites.

Excellent signal reception.

Multiple vehicle profiles.

Bluetooth speakerphone.

Multistop routing.

CONS:

Favorites limited to 1,000 entries.

Custom POI's are downright painful and can't be modified without a computer.

Can't route with a via only with stops.

Crashes alot if you aren't sticking to the route. (reboots quickly on its own though).

No way to filter out car only points of interest.

Can not rely on its route to be legal. (It has tried to route through truck restricted areas)

Missing many truckstops and weight stations, and has no rest areas or designated parking locations.

Doesn't seem to use the weight limit settings.

And Many, Many More....

SUMMARY:

If I'd known better, I would have stuck with my TomTom One car GPS. It was more reliable and not nearly as expensive. If Garmin would fix the map truck data and add a couple of features like navigate via and turning off the car stuff, it wouldn't be too bad. But as it stands now, you should save your money and wait for something better. This is a very disappointing product.

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I drive a 40' motor home and live in it full time as well. We like to travel on the 2 lane highways and the 465T has helped me avoid low clearances and narrow bridges. I would recommend this unit for all RVers. Lots of features. I even used it on our trip through Canada. Switched the units to metric and I had a digital speedometer that let me know what speed(in kilometers) I was traveling. It was great.Garmin nüvi 465T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Truck GPS Navigator

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I drive a truck in 48 states and this thing never loses signal not sure why this other guy is. maybe he needs to call garmin. I never lose signal and when going threw a tunnel its able to calculate were i shold be and keep showing me on map screen without me ever knowing it lost signal in a tunnel. I have used other gps brands and they all are terrible. Even though this is not perfect it is still the best brand of gps's on market. Screen size is ok for me even when i'm sitting way back but i guess some people have weaker eyes. The only thing you should know is on all brands of gps always read ahead on what it wants you to do. that way when merging all over the place you know ahead of time what you need 2 do. on a garmin push top left to get a pic of next turn and push top center to get a list of written directions on what it wants you 2 do..

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D'Addario EJ45 Pro-Arte Nylon Classical Guitar Strings, Normal Tension

• D'Addario's best selling Pro Arte set, Normal tension offers balance of volume and comfortable resistance
• Laser sorted clear nylon treble strings for consistent, precise intonation
• Precision wound basses for warm, projecting tone and the utmost consistency
• Made in the U.S.A. for the highest quality and performance
• String Gauges: Trebles .0280, .0322, .0403 Basses .029, .35, .043
• Set of Six strings Musical Notes E,B,G,D,A,E -
• Item Diameter Tension *J4501 - 0.028 inch (0.711mm) 15.3 lbs (6.94 kg) *J4502 - 0.0322 inch (0.818mm) 11.6 lbs (5.26 kg) *J4503 -
• 0.0403 inch (1.024mm) 12.1 lbs (5.49 kg) *J4504 - 0.029 inch (0.74mm) 15.6 lbs (7.08 kg)
• *J4505 - 0.035 inch (0.89mm) 15.0 lbs (6.80 kg) *J4506 - 0.043 inch (1.09mm) 14.0 lbs (6.35 kg)

There are so many guitar strings out there most people don't what it's all about & can be confusing for anybody pro, intermediate or beginner. I spoke with D'Addario about some of their strings & here are the details along with a few other things I've learned over the years:

(1) The first nylon classical string from D'Addario is the EJ27 line. These are "Clear Nylon" & Du Pont's original Nylon 6,6. The word "student" applied to them is now misrepresented & was only used because they offered short scale string length sets in this line: EJ27 1/2 & EJ27 3/4 for smaller guitars, & not because they were any lower quality than other strings. The EJ27N & EJ27H are professional high quality sets & the brightest out of the 3 basic nylon string types: "Clear", "Rectified" & "Laser Checked". These strings & terminology have been misrepresented & misunderstood.

(2) Then came "Rectified" strings EJ29-31. Same basses as above, just ground & polished trebles to cut the higher overtones [???] & harmonics for a "warmer sound" [???] & make em feel more like Catgut because that's what strings were always compared to back in the day with feel & sound [not sure if these are Nylon 6,6 or Nylon 6]. Savarez String Co started rectification & D'Addario came up with their own rectified products EJ29-31 line for that market place [Andreas Segovia & students also wanted treble string tone difference from steel string acoustic guitar tone & cut the higher overtones & harmonics, Augustine String Co simply used a soft nylon but thicker strings for their dampening method influenced by Segovia].

(3) Then came the Pro Arte "Laser Checked" trebles EJ45-52. These are checked for assurance that "They're Round". Their treble gauges are lighter than the EJ27 line. I believe these to be Nylon 6, with softer feel, tension & tone

"Clear Nylon" strings don't need to be laser checked because it's perfectly round from the supplier DuPont who have their own high quality checks. Many think the laser checking makes a better string & checks for general integrity & evenness in manufacturing, but that's only good if you do something extra like rectification & that costs, it's not needed if you don't want a "warm" string that cut the overtones.

The bass strings are all silver coated wound, but the earlier sets I suspect are Nylon 6,6 core & the Pro Arte line Nylon 6 core. Now many people complain that the trebles "aren't bright enough" with sets like EJ45-52, well then stop using those strings & that type of Nylon 6. Also Rectification dampens the overtones, but ironically then luthiers started to brighten their instruments with many techniques, woods & engineering & also flourocarbon & other materials were introduced for strings.

You can start with the strings first in a very simple way: don't use nylon strings that are designed to not be bright. The bottom line is a "Clear Nylon" [Nylon 6,6] is brighter than "Rectified Nylon" or "Laser checked" regardless of manufacturer. & they're also less expensive. But if you want the best La Bella makes the absolute best sounding nylon strings & most balanced gauges. D'Addario's bass strings are a little too thick & tense with all their nylon string models compared to their treble strings. La Bella uses the highest quality & densest nylon for the best tone & most intelligently balanced gauges for feel & tone with their bass & treble strings.

All these choices with strings are not well understood by the public & most music store personal don't know either. A lot of goofy & crazy things have happened in the classical guitar world because of string engineering & manufacturing. Guitar players simply experiment til they find something they like, which is amusing to a certain point, but you can cut to the chase by eliminating strings that you don't want if you know what they were manufactured for in the first place.

A lot of people are using rectified strings that cut the high overtones, but then use higher tension gauges to get brightness, power & volume for that exact purpose that would be easier achieved with a clear nylon? This foolishness makes no sense & other guitarists influence each other like "the blind leading the blind" through a labyrinth of idiocy. (a) You need to simplify (b) & understand what you're dealing with (c) with what it was designed for (d) in order to make proper choices from facts.

If people like the bass strings from the Pro Arte line but want brighter trebles, start with going back to basics & try the EJ27N (Normal Tension) or EJ27H (Higher Tension) trbles, these give the original classical nylon sound [old school] of many decades ago & are very balanced across the sound spectrum. Nylon isn't supposed to sound like Catgut, because it's not Catgut! The density is different, but Nylon 6,6 has it's own unique beautiful "modern" sound with it's own overtones & harmonics. & if that doesn't work then maybe try Titanium Trebles, Fluorocarbon or Nylgut.

Combine rectified strings with an ebony fingerboard guitar & you have a very limited guitar when it comes to sound. Ebony is the most dampening of woods & a deadening fingerboard for guitars. Most guitar tonal & volume issues classical guitarists have is because of Ebony fingerboards & rectified Nylon strings. Ebony was used for three reasons in classical stringed instruments:

(1) Durability. Since strings were in direct contact on the board ebony was used because of its density & look. Guitars are fretted & strings don't touch the wood, so almost any hard wood can work.

(2) To cut overtones. Since many classical stringed instruments played together, instruments were created with more fundamental note emphasis, because when multiple instruments play together they have a chorusing effect, overtones & volume are created in conjunction with the other instruments. That's why maple another dampening wood is also used for backs, sides & necks of many classical stringed instruments. When large groups of stringed instrument play together if they all had many dynamic overtones, the group as a whole would sound too blended together, so focusing on the fundamental is for that environment. Violins had to play above the orchestras, ensembles or groups, so their instruments were designed with more overtone activity. In the book Science & Music by Sir James Jeans explains how the difference between a Stradivari violin & modern or cheap one is the overtones & harmonics. The Stradivari is much more sonically rich. The same thing with a Harpsichord or Clavichord, the modern piano evolved from them because they wanted to dampen the notes, which were much more sonically rich with overtones & harmonics.

(3) Placebo Effect. Today a high end classical guitar is expected to have ebony. No matter what Luthier creates an instrument [many are overpriced junk] the woods themselves setup parameters that already lay the tonal foundation. Build two identical guitars one with ebony & one with Rosewood fingerboard, the Rosewood one will have better overall sound & will be louder. For example Cordoba's Iberia line which are designed by Kenny Hill but built in China by a top Asian Guitar company proves it. The C5, C7 & Flamenco guitars all with Rosewood fingerboards are designed perfect & louder than many $800-$10,000 instruments. I have literally compared especially the C5 & C7 [which are good standard classical guitars at 650cm scale length & for serious performance] to many hand built expensive instruments & the volume & sound is quite noticeable & dramatic. I've done this with many Rosewood fingerboard guitars of various price ranges.

A guitar is a solo instrument. Much like an orchestra to itself. So more overtones & harmonics brings out the most of it with great effect. Rosewood or other hard woods are better for a fingerboard than ebony & no dampening of the guitars spectral dynamics tones, Rosewood adds to it [that's why it's used for back & sides]. Torres himself made many Rosewood fingerboard guitars. Luthiers only use ebony because that's what guitarists want based on a false impression & reputation of being better. But it's not, & all kinds of interesting guitar engineering went into hand made guitars that could easily have been remedied by using a different fingerboard & different strings other than rectified Nylon or Pro Arte Nylon 6.

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I've been using this model of strings since I first started playing in 2003 and they've been awesome! They're good not only for beginners but intermediate classical guitarists, as well.

I plan on switching to the composites for this model just to see how they stack up, but I don't really have any complaints about them. I had bought these strings on recommendation from a fellow classical guitarist who I had very much respect in (I haven't talked to him in a while, but I'm sure he's still a great guitarist) and multiple sites I browsed regarding buying strings and installing them were fans of the D'Addario Pro-Artes.

I'm not an expert on different kinds of strings so I don't have much else to compare to other than guitars I've played in stores or that friend have owned, but I felt like these strings have had great longevity for me as long as I wiped them down after practices/performances and washed my hands before picking up my guitar. Even when they were past their prime they actually held pretty decent sound, but obviously not at the quality that they do when they're fresh. I get really nice, rich sound quality from them when they're fresh.

As I've gotten better guitars these strings have still continued to serve me well as they provide as loud a volume as the quality of guitar I'm playing on should provide, and they've just felt really nice on my fingers overall. Part of why I don't like steel string acoustics is that they're kind of harsh on my fingers, which is really bad for when you can't practice every day because you're on vacation or something, whereas I'm able to pick up my guitar with these strings easily after a break in practice.

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(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)Despite having played ukulele and guitar as a youth, I didn't realize that strings matter; so when I pulled out a guitar that belonged to my late husband, I remembered that (a) I never liked that guitar, a classical Yamaha model, nothing special and (b) my recent experiments with various ukulele strings have resulted in a respect for what the right strings can do for any instrument.

I bought a set of these strings and strung up the Yamaha. The instrument went from absolutely bland mediocre to a rich, deep, ringing tone, especially in the lower registers.

The strings are well-marked; labels are glued to the ends of the string to tell you who's who. The E string has a thinner area at the end, to allow you to tie off the end on your bridge. (The rest of the wound strings do not have this.)

I'm used to playing with normal tension; I don't like slack tension, but your feelings on this may vary and depending on the kind of guitar you play, you may want the high or low tension instead. The bottom line is that strings are very individualistic and can change the character of your instrument. I now have a very playable guitar and I think these strings sound wonderful.

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These are good strings for the amateur or student classical guitarist. You can't beat the price vs performance. One nice thing about these strings is that they are packaged in an air tight bags filled with an inert gas which inhibits corrosion. So if you buy several sets you won't have to worry about them while they sit in a drawer for months.

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I presume these are designed and tested by engineers and there are many variables that may account for my experience. My experience was that EAD the metal wound strings were quiet compared to the clear nylon. I think these lower frequency strings should have more tension or less stretch so they are louder.

The Pro-Arte strings came on my Portugese all solid wood cedar top classical with firm tuning gears. It took several tunings before the the strings settled down. I got it the day after Christmas and it still lost a semi-tone of pitch from last week. I think they finally hold pitch. Their surface is too smooth and slippery to hold a knot. I worried that the strings would snap out of their harnesses. They didn't but perhapes the company can experiment with special texture or rosin on the knotted section of the string to grip saddle and tuning pegs.

One the positive they are very flexible and stretch a mile.

I will play these strings real hard to work in my newly made guitar and later try a set which is the next gauge up.

This is 19 days into breaking in on both strings and guitar. I will edit this if the the strings ware unevenly and will keep them in constant EAD GBE tune until standard tune Egan values have worn into the varnish indicated hopefully by a noticable increase in volume.

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VideoSecu CCTV Home Video Outdoor CCD Bullet Security Camera Day Night 24 IR Infrared LEDs

About 420TVL CCTV cams. First off, let me say that I read all the reviews on this camera. Twice. I could not believe the positive glowing things being said, since this is only a 420TVL cam. I usually turn my nose up at anything below 540TVL's. But since I was getting one more cam for the inside of my garage, I surmised that I could bump my high requirements down. I own 10 cameras (I have a 8 channel DVR, and a 4 channel DVR---watch out! once you get into installing CCTV cams around your house, you just might get bit by the "bug"....Camera Acquisition Syndrome!!) LOL!! I also installed my entire system. I really enjoy educating myself on the details of this. Since I am retired (ex-NASA employee) I have plenty of time to putter around. But, back to my review...the camera arrived in just a few days. I unboxed it and first thought...what a small camera! And I really didn't think that 26 IR led's would suffice to even see anything in a dark garage! ( I have installed motion lights in my garage to cut down on the electric bills. I've got them set to five minutes of inactivity. There are always those family members who 'forget" to turn off the lights after exiting the garage. Anyways, I got the camera mounted, went to my DVR room in the house, and plugged in the included 12volt adapter. (By the way...this is a 'switching" 12Volt 500ma adapter, so they ship a qualilty ac adapter. ALL of my cameras have the regulated switching adapters plugged into an uninterruptible supply. Yes, I am kind of anal. haha.) As soon as I inserted the adapter's plug into the camera cable...WOW! This camera seems to be sharper than my Sony 540TVL Super HAD camera!! Yes, the reviews are true! These are not fake reviews! This camera is razor sharp. I don't know how 420TVL can produce such a wonderful image. very, very detailed. I am running this through an Insignia LED/LCD TV ("hybrid"). It is a 32" TV. And the night vision is remarkable. Extremely clear and sharp.

As a final write up, I have always made it a point to refuse to buy the 1/4" CCD chip. I always went for the 1/3". Nowhere in the listed "specs." on this camera does it say that it is 1/4" ccd. So, I just "assumed" it was. When I opened the box and read the sheet, there it was-1/4" ccd. I felt that I had made a big mistake. Well, after seeing what this camera produces, I have also changed my mind on the 1/4" ccd. By the way, this camera is IP55 rated. Just for those who want to know. Here is what IP55 means, for those who really want to know:

"Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact.

Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects." Wikipedia.

So, it seems like it's good enough for my application. But my other cameras are at least IP65 rated. However, they are outside, not in a garage. The first IP rating digit (5 in this case) is for dust, the second (also 5) is for water.

I am extremely happy with this camera and might even order another to put under the tree. For myself! LOL. BUY THIS CAMERA IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN INEXPENSIVE SOLUTION TO FIGHT CRIME. You will see how the UPS guy really delivers all your packages. haha. WORTH EVERY PENNY. Free shipping sealed the deal.

The only that I don't like is the color. White. But, that's just nitpicking. I can easily remedy that with a spray paint job. Now, where did I put my X-Acto knife!

LoJack

Unfortunately, the people with whom we live around seem to think we're in old west Deadwood. There are so many criminals on our block,it's astounding! After the crazy cat hoarder next door continually vandalized our property we bought this and it works great! We've had one inside for about six months and recently installed one outside, each facing different directions. The night vision is clear and everything records nicely. The range of this camera is spectacular, about four houses in each direction per camera. Aside from knowing when people are messing with our property, we find it somewhat amusing to watch the drug dealer across the street as a never-ending stream of cars make quick stops. Anyway, the cameras are easy to install/use. If you live near trashy, uncivilized people, this is a good option until you can move.

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Pros: Clear picture, both in color(daytime)& in B/W (nightime).

Strong infrared LED's, nightime vision 40+ ft.

Well built. Good bracket.

Price.

Cons: Audio would be nice.

From experience I can tell you that for the price you will not find a better product, so much so that after receiving this camera just yesterday I ordered a second one today.

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This camera is about 1/3 the size of my other CCTV camera but looks exactly the same otherwise.

I set up both cameras on my DVR and let them record all night long. The next day I reviewed the video and the only difference I noticed was this camera recorded a "little" bit darker due to having a few less LED infrared lights (26 as opposed to 30).

I unboxed the camera, screwed on the base, connected the RCA cables and attached it to my DVR in under 5 minutes and it was recording. Has a nice wide field of view. Due to the fact this camera comes bundled with an AC power adapter this is a really great deal. Solidly built and works very well.

I may post some video in the future. Highly recommended. Don't let the small size fool you because it is VERY small.

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so far this unit is working great, easy to setup and solid metal case suitable as a outdoor camera. It also has a "cap" cover useful for rainy days. The wiring might need to be made a little bit longer. It's a great value product.

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Ultimate Arms Gear Tactical 4 Reticle Red Dot Open Reflex Sight

After shooting in Level 1 Production and Single Stack USPSA matches for the last two and half years, I wanted to try out the Open Division using a "race gun" (i.e., a highly tuned, accurate, and expensive pistol with an optical sight, recoil compensator, 28 round mags, etc). But I did not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a Burris or C-More red dot sight, nor hundreds more for a Docter Optic.

So I thought I would give this UAG Tactical 4 Reticle Red Dot Open Reflex Sight a go (FYI: These EXACT same Chinese red dot sights are sold under many, many other brand names at many -usually higher -price points).

PROS:

1. I was impressed with the isolation platform that the Red Dot is placed upon, which helps mitigate some of the recoil and vibrations that might harm the unit.

2. I was also impressed that, unlike some earlier low cost red dot sights, the red-emitting diode itself is not adjusted when you sight your weapon in for windage and elevation; only the isolation platform is actually shifted, which is a much sturdier and repeatable method.

3. Very sturdily constructed of aluminum.

4. The red dot at its brightest setting works just fine even when shooting on a bright summer's day.

5. I liked it that green was NOT included with this sight, since I have found that green on low cost sights is useless, and far too dim to be useable.

6. The selection of four different reticles is icing on the cake, and works great (I find that the cross reticle helps me find the dot much more quickly than just using the dot alone).

7. The mounting screws and mounts seem sturdy, and did not strip-out as some low cost units do.

8. The price is really low!

CONS

1. Parallax is always somewhat of an issue with low-cost sights, and probably always will be: While shooting, just try to maintain the red dot as close to the center of the sight as possible.

2. There is a set screw directly beneath the "R" windage adjustment, with apparently no function. However, its purpose is as part of the suspension system for the sight, maintaining an even up/down movement of the red dot as it rides out the recoil, and is comprised of a set screw, spring, and a metal or nylon nubbin. But for some reason known only to the Chinese, they do not use Loctite on these threads. This will cause the entire assembly of set-screw, spring, and nubbin to fly off into the great unknown after a certain amount of shots. (In fact, most people who own these sights do not even know that this assembly is missing, and that only a threaded hole remains.) Do yourself a favour, and Loctite the set-screw and/or use finger nail polish on the outside of the set screw to force it to remain where it should be, which is in the sight and not spread out all over the range.

CONCLUSION:

If this sight keeps holding up to my 1911 9mm and my .22LRs pistols and rifles for another, say, five thousand rounds (and I see no reason it shouldn't), then I will be a happy camper indeed.

I was a bit skeptical about buying a Holographic Sight with such a low price tag. Wow! I am impressed! This sight ranks up there with the $100+ units! Great bright and crisp reticles, very good quality plating and machining. One noticeable great feature is the ease of changing brightness settings. Unlike other low-cost sights, the detents for the brightness settings were not unreasonably hard and the wheel turned smoothly.

This sight comes with TWO batteries, one installed, and a spare, an adjustment tool and mounting allen wrench, and reticle cover for protection during storage.

If you were unsure, trust me on this one, you won't go wrong at this price!

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Well built, doesn't have that CHEAP feel that you would expect for the price. Fast and easy installation, and even easier to adjust. Only took 3 shots to zero it in. I'm using this on my Remington 870 12ga and after 25 shots it was still zeroed in. Reticule seems a tad fuzzy at times and tends to ghost (see double reticule) when the brightness is turned to higher settings but isn't really a big deal. Well worth the price, definitely recommend.

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I ordered this sight for my 9mm rifle and was pleasantly surprised with the product works great in the bright sun light as well

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Unlike some of the other negative reviews, I think this was actually a decent sight for what it costs...while it worked.

It was relatively easy to get zeroed. It didn't move around much once it was set. It was adequately bright to shoot with outside on sunny days. I was generally very pleased on my first trip to the range with it.

Unfortunately, it didn't keep working through the second trip to the range. The battery compartment is loose and the recoil from my 9mm is enough to keep it from staying powered consistently now. The battery compartment is an absolute pain to get on/off due to it being part of the infinitely rotating brightness dial, even when working properly.

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Westcott Forged Nickel Plated Straight Office Scissors (Black)

• High Performance Forged Steel
• Resistant to corrosion from acids, chlorides and salt water
• Cutting edge stays sharper-longer
• Contoured soft grip handles
• Resists the stickiness of tape and glue

I like old-fashioned, heavy duty scissors with no plastic parts. If you do too, I recommend these.

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After my last pair of plastic handled scissors broke, I decided to look for the classic, all-metal, black handled scissors I remember my parents having when I was a kid. The blades close tightly, there's not a lick of plastic to be found, and they're not made in China ..... they're made in Italy. That last part was a surprise, but after eating their cuisine for many years, why not give their cutting implements a try ???

Used them for the first time today to cut up an old pair of Levi's for shop towels. They're very sharp and cut through the thick denim seams without any flexing of the handles. Most of the plastic handled scissors I've owned would have flexed significantly and possibly broken. These scissors allowed me to use a lot of pressure to get the job done.

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These are just like those metal scissors I used in school as a kid. They are solid metal, very sharp, and don't bend at the hinge when you try to cut something thick like cardboard or multiple sheets of paper. I highly recommend spending a little more to get these versus regular scissors if you want a pair that will last decades instead of months.

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I ordered 2 of these scissors and I am very satisfied with the quality .Not like the Made in China scissors that usually lasts a year or less. These are top quality made in Italy scissors. We use it in the kitchen, to cut paper, fabric and everything else. I truly recommend these one of a kind scissors.

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These scissors are heavy, metal, and unbelievably dull. The workmanship that went into producing these scissors can best be described as mediocre. But it's the dullness of the blades that bothers me most. I've bought numerous pairs of scissors and shears through the years and these are the worst I've seen in a long time. If there was an attempt to sharpen these at the factory, it must have been fairly halfhearted one. I am disappointed. Maybe I'll like them better after I sharpen them.

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Epson LabelWorks LW-300 Label Maker

• Amazing variety - 14 fonts, 10 styles, 300+ built-in symbols, over 75 frames and more
• Less waste - smaller margins compared to other brands for up to 62% less waste
• Large built-in memory - store up to 30 files
• Specialty print models and labels
• Easy to use - automatically printed with a split back for easy and fast peeling

We've all used label makers, or at least most of us have, so I don't feel the need to go into the basics. Instead, I want to talk about what makes this new Epson unit better (for me at least) than any other I've used.

First, a caveat: my label maker is a P-Touch that's a few years old. I don't know how much the market has matured, so some of these features may be in other machines.

The box includes the labeler, instructions, a printed symbols list, and a sample 4 meter cartridge 12mm black-on-white tape (standard cartridges are 9 meters). It requires 6 AAA batteries which are not included. It can also run off an optional AC adapter.

First and most importantly, Epson has dramatically cut down on label waste at the margins which means big savings on cost. With my Brother, there is a full 1" of waste on each end of the label (I understand on some models this can be modified, but on one end only). Many of my labels consist of 1-3 words, so they might use up .75" to 1.25". For me, that meant I was essentially using 3 times as much tape as necessary. Calculated with 1.75" text length per label (larger than my average), the Brother will make about 84 labels per 26.2' cartridge.

The Epson, on the other hand, has .375" margins (3/8"). Using the same 1.75" of text, that will net about 142 labels per 29.5' cartridge. Based on list prices for cartridges, this translates to 22.6 cents-per-label for the Brother vs. 13.9 cents-per-label for the Epson. NOTE: I understand some Brother cartridges are sometimes discounted but since the Epson units were not yet available at the time of this writing, it's impossible to know how much they will be discounted in comparison. You'll pay list at an office supply store though, and even with the big discount on *some* Brother cartridges on Amazon, it still nets out about a penny cheaper per lable on the Epson.

Other things I dig about the Epson: a wide variety of fonts, styles and sizes; a well thought-out group of symbols that suit a large number of uses; the size and weight is less than my Brother (partly due to the lesser weight of 6 AAA vs. 6 AA batteries); I prefer the way tapes are loaded; tape cartridges come in 9 meter sizes as opposed to 8 for the brother, making changing tapes necessary less frequently (especially considering the many more labels I can generate with the Epson); a really nice selection of cartridges, including clear, checkerboard, glow-in-the-dark, and iron-on (which I've never seen).

All in all, a far better labeler than I've ever used before. In fact, the only one I'd prefer would be the LW-400, which adds a two line display and backlighting (as well as expanded fonts, the ability to do barcodes and a few other goodies) that I wish the 300 had.

Still though, I'm not complaining this is a great unit with a ton of flexibility. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could, but only because another 10 bucks gets you backlighting and a two-line display, which points out what I thought were the only flaws in a great machine. But I've round up to 5 based on the extreme waste savings versus other units. If you can spring for the extra 10 bucks for the LW-400, do it if you can't, you'll still be extremely happy with the LW-300.

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I really wanted to love this label maker, but unfortunately was disappointed in the output. The LW-300 was easy enough to use and has some really great features ... best of all, it centers the print on the label without the annoyingly wasteful one-inch blank space before and after that my Brother P-Touch adds. However, the Epson labels looked like they were typed on an old typewriter with a bad ribbon. When I set the font to "bold," some characters were bold, some not so much. The letter spacing was also uneven, with some of the letters running together. I was also surprised that every time I turned the LW-300 on, I had to re-do all my settings (font size, style, etc.) because they had reverted back to the factory default. There might be a way around that glitch, but based on the so-so looking labels, I decided to return the LW-300 and go back to using my P-Touch instead.

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This little label maker from Epson is Easy to set up, and easy to use. My disappointment with it is that the edges of the fonts are jagged on the labels. I would expect sharp clean edges on the letters, but the printouts look almost like the old dot matrix printers. I understand that these are just labels, but I would have expected crisper letters.

Pros:

Easy to use

Easy to load labels

Lots of choices on fonts/sizes

Easy to peal back off the labels

Reasonable to use for a small keyboard

Cons:

Jagged Edges on fonts

Options menu a little confusing (had to read the instructions)

LCD display a little hard to read

Basically, I would have loved this device if the labels would have had crisper edges on the letters.

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Out of the box, the machine was slightly bulkier than I expected; but it had a nice aero-dynamic shape and fit nicely in the palm of my hands. The LCD screen is kinda small and not backlit but still clearly visible. The plastic on the unit is of good(but not great) quality.

The rubber buttons on the unit are placed kind of close together so it might be easy to mispress an unintended button. There are many different options for styles, borders, sizes, and colors. With the middle navigation button, it is a breeze to shuffle thru the variety of font options and sizes.

The machine automatically stores/saves up to 30 different label designs. Installation of the print cartridge is quick and easy. You just pop open the back compartment and pop in the label cartridge. The unit has an A/C adaptor slot but does not come with an A/C adaptor.

There's an included symbol list illustrating all the designs available in the machine. The actual printing is pretty quick. The results look nice and solid. The label protective paper is a little tough to peel off from the label sticker.

The label itself sticks securely to most surfaces. The only potential negative is that the machine does not come with an A/C adaptor. Overall a versatile machine that is fun and nice to play around with. You might end up spending a lot on replacement cartridges though.

4.5 stars

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Purchased this at a fantastic price (19.99). I wanted a labeler that would do iron on labels and was tooing and froing between this and the Brother equivalent. I have a Brother P-T90 and have been very happy with it (but unfortunately it can't do the 'iron ons'), so thought i'd give Epson a try as this LW-300 had great reviews plus i wanted to see the difference between the 2 labelers. I admit the length of the label wastage is less on the Epson, but to be honest, i'd rather have the waste than the flaw in the fonts! I am in the media world so focus a lot on fonts and the look of things, and this Epson LW-300 has blurred characters, as well as irregular spacing between characters. I've played around with it a lot, on various settings and can't find one that i'm happy with. I know it's just a labeler, not expensive, but wish i had gone with the Brother alternative and paid more. My brother P-Touch prints sharply and puts even spacing between each character. On a plus note for Epson, their labels are much easier to peel as there is a split horizontally through the tape. Forget that last line, i have just discovered that Brother now do similar peeling on their new tapes.

disappointed.

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Sony BDP-S590 3D Blu-ray Disc Player with Wi-Fi (Black)

• 3D Blu-ray Disc Player with Full HD 1080p playback
• Built-in Wi-Fi, Digital Audio Output(s): 1 Optical (Rear), 1 Coaxial (Rear)
• AVCHD, GIF, JPEG, MP3, MPEG-4, MPEG1, MPEG2, PNG; Media Remote app for iPhone/iPad & Android phones
• Region: Blu-ray: A, DVD: 1, 60Hz
• Power requirement: 120 VAC, 60 Hz

This isn't a super in depth review, but will give you more info that most will in a fairly brief summary:

First off, I am a Sony TV guy who bought TWO Panasonic Blu-Ray players last year due to their seeming superiority(reviews, pro and online stores).

First step for any modern electronic device, update your firmware. My initial update took over 5 minutes. I also recommend registering at internet.sony.tv as in the past some Sony products won't connect to certain services until you do. I connected to AmazonVideo on Demand and Netflix, BEFORE I registered it, so they may have responded to complaints and dropped the requirement, but incase there is a service that require it get it out of the way, it only takes a minute if you have a Sony account already

Netflix app(they upgraded! Sony fans rejoice!):

One glaring fault with (past/pre-2012?) Sony visual products is their Netflix app, as for years Sony decided to have a proprietary interface, and if you have researched it, a LOT of people had Netflix streaming issues. I guess Sony finally took note, as the new interface is like a across between the Wii interface and the Panasonic interface, as in it looks like you avgerage Netflix app now. I watched the Norwegian film TrollHunters, and it took about 15-20 seconds to load the movie, 10 seconds for the Netflix stream to stabilize to the bandwidth( this is mostly on Netflix's end I believe), with the unit 10 feet from my router. For the entire movie, it never reloaded or refreshed, or froze, and was in 1080 with 5.1 sound. I also paused the movie and rewound several times with no reload or delay. Truly the smoothest Netflix experience I have had yet on any of my devices. If your getting the S590 I assume this will be important to you. And yes, it has a dedicated Netflix button, and the app loads faster than my Wii or Panasonic Blu Ray players, and my Sony TV's, so I assume they have "fixed" it, but I haven't done a lot of viewing yet.

Blu Ray performance:

Another reviewer said it won't play Disney movies, but I didn't have a problem, more later. First I put in the Star Trek (2009) Blu Ray, which has great visual beginning. I didn't have any performance issues that I could tell, and the menus are VERY fast and responsive, almost to a fault as there was a bit of shutter on the pop up menu, but unless you watch the movie with the pop up constantly going up and down I don't see this as a big issue. It was roughly 30 seconds from hitting the eject button to close the tray to the Paramount intro screen going, not bad.

I then tried a 3D Disney Blu Ray (Tangeled, a true Disney made film), as one reviewer had said Disney BR does not work. Seeing as how this player is VERY new( a few weeks to a month on market), My guess is there was a firmware issue, disc issue, or user issue. That said, Tangeled played flawlessly in 3D as I skipped around chapters trying to cause an issue, but it all worked great.

Also, this player, in my opinion, works very fast when skipping chapters or loading a scene from menu, where some playera seem to pause or lag. It was also quick to fast foward and "rewind", with little to no pause when hitting the button. A noticeable leap over my 2011 model panasonic bdt-220.

Network set-up:

As usual for modern Sony products, if you have a WPS router, took roughly 2 minutes, from the time I started the set up on the TV, walked to my router in the next room and hit the WPS button, and then walked backed to tell the TV to begin connecting.

The Media Remote app for Android worked very well, but you must first go to the settings menu on the TV and scroll down to the Media remote section, and "register"(aka activate, a button push) the feature(an unnecessary step IMO but I guess they are worried about people with an unprotected router have their TV taken over by pranksters?).

Now some people are complaining about build quality. It's true it doesn't feel as sturdy at the Panasonic Players I bought last year, but is by no means flimsy. Unless you are planning on dropping it regularly, or letting your dog chew on it, I don't see a problem with this. It does look nice, with a brushed metal "look" on the case.

As with seemlingly EVERY Blu Ray player, it does not come with an HDMI(which baffles me, it isnt expensive to make a high quality HDMI cable, don't get fooled by the HDMI cable prices).

6-Month Update

I have now owned this product for 6 months. If I were to again compare it to the Panasonic's , although they are a generation older, the Sony absolutely blows them away. It loads movies faster, it streams Hulu and Netflix faster, it updates firmware MUCH faster, and I have not had any streaming or Blu Ray video problems at all.

I have encountered one issue, but won't change my rating. On Fast Boot mode, while the boot is nearly instant, I did encounter an odd issue where it boots itself. If you have your TV HDMI control function, it will turn on the TV also. It's a bit unnerving when you are asleep and you are awoken by your TV turning on and seeing a Main menu. This COULD be an HDMI control issue with my TV though. There are two ways to solve it: Turn off fast boot(it's still much faster than most Blu Ray players), or turn off HDMI control so it can't turn on your TV itself. Also, while some Sony TV's do not, this player will also auto zoom/strech the screen when you are watching a 4:3 format video on netflix, to fit your widescreen, so there aren't any bars on the side. I know many people want to use every inch of their TV screen.

Also, Sony has been fairly quick lately to keep the Internet Video Apps up to date/ recent versions, So no TiVo-style glacier slow Internet Application User Interface updates to worry about.

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This is a awesome Streamer/Bluray/DVD player. I haven't experienced any issues whatsoever playing back Bluray disks. Boot times are very good with the disks I tested. Everything played back perfectly with stunning picture quality. However, I really purchased this player for its streaming abilities. Sony players were dinged in the past for a poor Netflix experience. Sony have fixed this with a updated Netflix interface that supports 1080p and Dolby Digital+ streams. Similarly Amazon VOD supports Dolby Digital bitstream audio, and VUDU and HULU+ are unchanged from the 2011 players, but work fine. Its also nice to have "crackle" on there so you can watch the odd Seinfeld episode when you fancy.

I also tested the player with a DNLA server. Sony seem to recommend Serviio (free) so I think they must test the DLNA features of the player with this software. I tested photos, music and video and everything played back perfectly.

Anyway, a great streamer/disk player. Highly recommended !!

** update **

Had a need to play a Disney BD disk on this player the other day. A comment here suggests that Disney BDs won't play. Complete nonsense. They playback perfectly.

** Update (8/27/12) **

Sony added support for watch lists with the amazon Vod app.

Cinema NOW is now supported.

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I've been looking for a Blu-ray player for awhile now and my purchase was delayed a bit due to so many conflicting feedback entries over products. I finally decided to go with a brand I trust, Sony, that had the features I was looking for and just see what happens. The S590 is 3d capable, but I have no interest in 3d and that is why I do not address it in my review.

Out of the box the player is a bit plasticy. (Is that a word?) Yes it feels a little cheap, but on the upside it is light and matches my other equipment. I don't need a Blu-ray player that is built like a tank. After all, it is just going to sit there on my media shelf playing movies. I don't get why people complain about it. Do they take their players mountain biking with them? So yes, the case is plastic, but I could not care less. One important note, an HDMI cable is not included with the unit, so be sure to have one if you want an HDMI connection.

I plugged in the player via HDMI and turned it on. First thing I established a wireless connection so I could update firmware. My router, in the next room, was seen immediately, along with routers from neighbors. I entered my password and was connected. Next, I updated the firmware. That took less than five minutes to do. Amazon Prime connectivity was next, then Netflix. No issues at all. I then decided to stream an Amazon Prime movie, Mission Impossible 3, as it is hi-def and I wanted to see what performance was like. The movie started up within 30 seconds, I saw I was getting between 8.4 and 10.2 megabits per second. The picture was clear and smooth. Over the weekend we streamed from Amazon Prime and Netflix and were very happy with the speed of connection and quality of video and sound.

I also tried playing Blu-Ray and DVD movies, both with no issues. I did not time how long it took to get a movie playing, but I can (very unscientifically) say that it was faster than what I have seen with several units. Everything played as expected.

Boot up time is acceptably fast. I chose the slower boot process as I don't want the player in standby mode all the time. When I turn the player on, I am able to choose what I want to do in about 15 20 seconds. More than acceptable.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the player. It is responsive, boots quickly and has handled my needs, (Blu-Ray disks, DVDs, Amazon Prime and Netflix.) I have not tried other features, so I can't speak to them. Given my experience, I would expect they would work as advertised, but you never know until you try them.

If I have friends looking for a Blu-Ray player, I won't hesitate to recommend the S590!

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At this point, I have made the rounds. I first bought a refurb Panasonic BDT210, thinking the black flashes would be fixed. They weren't. Sent it back. Then, I ordered a Panasonic BDT220. Very nice player with great picture and sound quality, and excellent streaming. Problem was there was a soft, distinct, rhythmic, gulping sound when playing discs, especially with DVDs. Exchanged it for another. The second machine had wireless connection issues. Return it rather than face a headache. Heard really good things about the BDP S390 and 590. Skeptical at first since I have been a diehard Panasonic player fan. Hooked up the Sony. Smooth as silk setup with wireless. No problem at all. Zip, zip, zip. That made me instantly happy. Very user friendly. Quiet player too. Not silent, but no disturbing sounds. Then there was the picture quality. Wow. The Panny is great, but the 590 is photographic. Beautiful picture. Great sound as well. Quick disc loading (though the Panny may be an insignificant touch quicker). Excellent streaming with a fine picture (extra hi/HD even with wireless). Navigating apps is smooth and quick. Amazon's user interface could use some tweaking when it comes to search and selection, but I get my Prime movies with no issues. I can't comment on USB and external files because I don't use them. The PQ on this player along with the smooth and friendly user interface got me to such a degree, I ended up ordering a second one for my other TV. I'm very happy with how things turned out. It's been a long haul, but Sony gets an A+ from me on this player.

Please note: Updating the firmware on this player can take a few minutes. It's quicker when the player is hard wired. The player has to be turned on again after the update is completely finished. Also, Sony customer support was friendly, responsive, and helpful when I called asking about the update. :) Panny needs to improve the quality of their customer service. Rather cut and dry in my experience.

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In April I decided that although I loved my LG blu-ray player for Netflix and watching blu-rays, I wanted a new player that would let me watch Amazon streaming and have an updated and easier to use Netflix interface. My old player worked perfectly for what it did, I just wanted something that did more.

First, based on my great experience with my LG player, I ordered the LG BD670. I liked the interface, liked how it played blu-rays, loved that I could search Netflix from the blu-ray player itself (the old player would only let you view your queue and a few of the specific categories that it chose, you had to go to another device if you wanted to search or even browse beyond that) and I loved Amazon streaming. But it did not play Netflix well: during the course of pretty much anything I'd try to watch, whether it was a 2+ hours movie or a twenty minute tv episode, it would lose the sound and have stuttering picture for anywhere between a few seconds to several minutes. After less than two weeks I contacted Amazon and sent it back. I put my old blu-ray player back and it worked with no problems, for Netflix and blu-rays both.

Then, based on glowing reviews, I tried the Panasonic DMP-BDT220. Initially it seemed great. I liked it even more than the LG. Then it started having connection issues. Actually, it started having connection issues the first day, but I didn't realize right away that it was going to be a *constant* problem. There was not one day that it did not lose the internet connection. Granted, where it was set-up is as far away from my wireless router as it can be while the two devices are still the house, so some connection issues are understandable, but it would lose connection when nothing else in the room it was in had lost their connection and beyond that even, it would not reestablish its connection until I'd cycled it off and on, sometimes several times. I really wanted it to work, since when it was working, I loved it. I did not contact the company, in fairness, so I cannot say if they could have helped me or comment on their customer service. I did check online reviews and message boards and found that I was not alone in having internet connection issues with it. I tried some fixes that were posted but nothing worked. I read more than one person complaining that they *had* contacted Panasonic and were told that the wireless in the player just wasn't that strong, and the only real cure for connections issues was to move the player closer the router. That wasn't an option for me so, incredibly frustrated, after almost a month of it, I contacted Amazon and sent it back. Again I put my old blu-ray player back and it worked with no problems.

Finally, as a last resort, I tried this player, the Sony BDP-S590. Tentatively, hesitantly, I would say it *seems* I've found my player. I admit, I held off on the Sony because it was more expensive than the LG, and at least at the time I was first looking, the reviews weren't as good as for the Panasonic. But for me, it's working. It sits where the Panasonic sat (and where the LGs sat) and doesn't have any connection issues except when there is genuinely an interruption that is affecting everything else that's connected to the router--and even then as soon as the router is doing its thing again, all I have to do is hit "Retry" and the player is connected again, no turning it off and on repeatedly. It has no problem playing Netflix, or Amazon streaming, or Crackle, or Youtube, or good old blu-rays. I appreciate that it's got the only remote that actually controls my not-that-old Toshiba tv, which isn't a big deal, but it's nice. I'm not an audiophile or videophile or whatever, so I can't comment on the technicalities of the sound or picture; it sounds and looks fine to me. The loading times aren't long enough that I get impatient, but I'm not the sort of person who times those things as long as they aren't long enough to make me take notice.

As far as I'm concerned, if you just want to watch stuff, it works. And if you have any sort of distance constraints on where you can place it (like if you don't want to/can't put it in the same room with the router) this is your best bet. I waited to write this review, paranoid after the first two blu-ray players, but after about a month of this, I'm still pleased with it.

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