5 comments about Channel Master 4221 Mid-range outdoor rooftop UHF HDTV antenna.

1. I had bought a 37 element TV antenna about 5 years ago for local channels. Never preformed like I though it should. With the up and coming change to digital change over, I needed something better. This is a great product; I have a large brick church blocking my line of sight to the TV stations I was wanted to receive. This antenna does great and actually receiving stations up to 50 miles away with a Philips PH61112 antenna amp added to it. The only problem I had was it got a little roughed up durning shipping



2. Buying an antenna for your digital TV receiver? It can be difficult, eh? If you live in the city near the transmitters, it's fairly easy -- any small, truly omni-directional antenna will do fine (perhaps the Antennas Direct DB2). If, like me, you live 50+ miles from the TV transmitters and they're in different directions, it becomes a challenge. Here's some tips:
   
   - No antenna is totally "omni-directional" (receives from all directions) no matter what the ad says. Every antenna receives better in one direction than another, and the high-gain antennas are the most picky. Your TV's rabbit ears antenna might do better than a fancy high-gain antenna if it's pointed in the wrong direction. If you buy a "uni-directional" or high-gain antenna, be prepared to spend a lot of time tweaking the direction.
   
   - Don't believe the high-gain ratings, they're mostly marketing hype. There are independent web sites by antenna nerds that rate antennas fairly, so do some research. What you'll find is that every antenna receives some channels better than others -- for instance, it may have great reception ("gain") for channels 30-60 but be terrible for channels 1-20. Ideally, buy an antenna that has has good gain for the channel(s) you're most interested in... if you know what those are.
   
   - Antennas are highly sensitive to position, direction, and things nearby that might interfere with the signals (trees, houses, traffic, the family dog, etc). So what works for me or your neighbor might not work for you. Even a slightly different location may have a huge effect on your reception.
   
   I have a Channelmaster 4221 and an AntennasDirect DB8, one pointed at distant Seattle and the other pointed at Canada, both connected to an RCA A/B antenna switch. Both antennas are excellent; the DB8 is slightly more sensitive but extremely hard to point. I would rate it 5-stars except it didn't come assembled and the assembly instructions are a bit puzzling. Construction and materials are good. The Channelmaster 4221 is somewhat easier to point but still highly directional; it came mostly assembled. Gain is good in my location. I'm only rating it four stars because the construction is less solid. If you're looking at these same two antennas but don't know what to buy, I'd start with the 4221: it's much cheaper and more forgiving about the pointing direction. If you find yourself needing better reception, perhaps buy a preamp to go with it; if that still doesn't work, maybe move up to the DB8 or a higher mounting location.
   
   Good luck!



3. I bought a channel master 4221. It comes form Polsteins Home & Beyond. They sent me a damaged antenna. I returned it and they sent me the exact same antenna back in the exact same box. It even had the note I wrote to them in the box. They just put it back in stock and then resent it to me. A very dishonest company. I still have yet to get my money back. DO NOT BUY anything form Home & Beyond.



4. This antenna is working excellently for me. I have it installed in the attic and it works fine. It's getting all the HD channels that I should expect to get. Actually, I'd give the antenna itself 5 stars, but the shipping (as purchased here on Amazon) was bad. Amazon sells on behalf of some other company, who actually ships the product.
   
   The box it came in was smashed on one end, and the antenna itself was mangled. But not only that.... I believe those who shipped it actually bent the antenna to make it fit in the box! That is, one end of the field, the wire matrix, was curled up to make it fit in the box.
   
   So, you can simply straighten out the wires and make it work... it works fine for me. But if you're picky about this, or if you plan to mount it outside and want it to look pristine, be aware.



5. I bought this on hype and the sad notion that I would mount this outside. I got it from Polstein's (stay away) and was deterred from mounting it, once I got a load of all the "you can die" sticker warnings. I set it up indoors without a pre amp and got diddly except, KPIX. I know it probably rocks once its in an attic sweet spot or happily on the roof, but I don't see it happening on a widescale in the future with people looking for hdtv from an ota. I found a rocking indoor antenna (RCA ANT706). I recommend finding the indoor antenna that rocks for you.

5 comments about IOGEAR USB to Serial/PDA Converter Cable (GUC232A).

1. I *had* good success with this device on my older Dell Latitude laptop. However, under Windows XP on my newer Thinkpad T43p this device can be "flakey", depending upon exactly what you are doing with it.
   
   In particular, at 115,200 baud using Zmodem, the device tends to "retry" packets, and sometimes fail completely. Other times it has yielded a Windows "blue screen", causing the PC to reboot. This behavior is not restricted to port COM1/COM2 (i.e., "renaming" the default serial port or not makes no difference in the bad behavior).
   
   I've tried many other "no-name" USB-to-serial dongles, including a number that use the Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm port driver, and all tend to give similar bad behavior, especially with high-speed Zmodem transfers to an embedded Linux system.
   
   The only exception so far has been the Keyspan USA-19HS, which has been flawless with the Thinkpad T43p under all conditions. It includes the ability to configure (and self-test) the USB device, allowing one to "tune" the serial port transfer parameters to maximize throughput. It also has much larger FIFO queues...also configurable. It's only drawback is its package size, which is much larger than dictated by the electronics it encloses.
   
   These things are designed to emulate "legacy" PC serial ports...but not all of them are up to that task...and clearly this is one of them!
   
   Best regards,
   
   Bruce D. Lightner
   lightner@lightner.net



2. I have two of these adapters and they DO work in XP unlike the reports of the other reviewers here.
   
   I have one connected to a Sony EVI-D30 camera by way of a VISCA cable which connects to the back of the camera and terminates in an RS232 connector that plugs right in to the IOGEAR adapter. Plug that into a free USB slot and XP recognizes the adapter and loads drivers. The EVI-D30 control software sees the connection as a serial port (COM3) and works as it should.
   
   The second one is attached to a Wacom Artz II graphics tablet that has a standard RS232 serial connector. Again, attach the IOGEAR adapter to the Wacom connector, plug it into a free USB slot and it's recognized in XP.
   
   So there may be a driver issue for the other reviewers or they have not updated XP with the latest and greatest updates. This IOGEAR USB to SERIAL adapter has worked perfectly for me right out of the box.
   
   I guess your mileage may vary, but this product definitely DOES work in XP and has been foolproof for me so far.



3. After some research it appeared the serial to usb adapters were not all equal. They vary in how much of the serial signalling protocol they support. I bought the IOGear converter to hook up my laptop to a Cisco 678 DSL router. It worked great. No problems.



4. Works great with Sky Caddie. Just plugged it into my DELL Vostro and it worked right off the bat. Drivers autmatically install.



5. We bought this to replace one that we had to give to my brother. It is overpriced but works fine

5 comments about Eforcity Replacement Battery for Your Creative Zen Micro Mp3 Player Lithium Ion Battery.

1. I didn't want to keep plugging in my zen micro at the office just so there's juice on the ride home. After a while I guess all rechargable batteries start to loose charge. Eforcity ship to me quickly, zen replacement batteries are more expensive than ipod but eforcity has the best price. After replacing my Mp3 player plays longer then when it was brand new on a single charge. Manufactures should just make electronic devices take standard AAA batteries. Anyway its all good.



2. After two or three years, my original Creative battery got to where it would only play for 45 minutes after a complete recharge. I bought this replacement battery, and while it's not Creative brand, it is brand new and it works wonderfully, for about 1/3 the Creative price. If you're looking, I'd seriously consider this one before paying for the Creative name. I couldn't be happier.



3. I had this product only about two months before it died completely.



4. The battery was purchased for my son's Zen, as a back-up. It works great. Amazon shipped everything quickly - I couldn't be more happy with their service



5. Does not last quite as long per charge as the OEM battery but the difference is not large. Most noticeable is that the charge indicator shows a low charge too early. If one ignores this, a near normal use per charge is possible.

5 comments about Plantronics Audio 625 USB Headset with Inline Volume and Mute.

1. The product was as advertised and arrived early. I just don't like wearing headphones. They bother my ears!



2. I love this headset. I use it for a work at home job and I love it.



3. This set works great and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. My only complaint is that the headphones are too tight. If you will be wearing it for most of the work day, like I do, it might cause you some headaches.



4. I can't review this product because it was never received. It was sent to my previous address. I tried changing my address on the order and was unable to. I called Amazon immediately to change the address and spoke to someone who said she'd take care of it. When I went back on line later, my address had not been changed to the new address. I also called the manufacturer to correct the address. None of this has worked, and I never received the headset, though I have been charged for it. This is unacceptable. Please forward the purchased product to my current address: 5055 Carrington Ct., Summerville, SC 29485. And please correct the address on my account, as I am unable to do so.



5. Got the product quickly and it works great. A little feedback at times, but nothing too serious

5 comments about Belkin F8V3080 TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter.

1. Well, this was a lesson in shopping before you buy...I found the item cheeper in Target, but wasn't able to cancel the order even though the item hadn't shipped and wouldn't for almost a week, nor had the charged been put through my bank yet.
   Additionally, when I got the item, the quality wasn't that good and the volume has to be turned up to max to hear your music (the same MP3 sound just fine when used with a plug in tape player adapter without cranking the volume)
   So all and all I wasn't too happy with this purchase, but hopefully I learned a lesson.



2. I returned this the day after I bought it. I know sound quality is never perfect with transmitters, but this was beyond terrible (and I've used them before, so I know how to pick a good station!). I couldn't even listen to it. It also just kept turning itself off after a few minutes! If you're going to buy a transmitter, spring for a good product.



3. I bought this item on an idea to enable the GPS to interface with the Harley radio while using sat radio. Works like a charm and allowed me to pocket $400.00+ over the commercial applications. (any $$$ helps) I since then have recommended to a fellow rider and he has purchased one. The product works well!



4. I bought this at the same time as I purchased my Zen Plus. I actually bought two of each, one for the wife and one for myself. No matter which station I select, the signal is bad. I placed it outside, next to the antenna, no deal, static was louder than the music. I have two vehicles I tried both tramsmitters on, a Nissan Versa and a Chevy Venture. Ended up buying wife a new stereo for the van with aux front input and bluetooth for the phone from Crutchfield.com.



5. This worked fine until one day out of nowhere it just stopped working. So now I am looking for another suitable FM transmitter. These things should only cost pennies and come with a recharable battery. If you buy this product be prepared to buy a new one in a few months. Look at the difference between how many bad reviews it has compared to the good ones. Your not too smart if you intend on buying one. Save your money for other Amazon.com items.

5 comments about Pioneer Car CDR55 Remote for Select Pioneer Mobile Units.

1. Works great with my AvicD3 a bit big but slim, controls radio great. When it comes to CD's I thought I could punch in the actual number on the remote for a certain track cause visualy it leads you to beleive that you can, having a 10 button for selecting double digit tracks on the remote. Well you can't. It does however control my DVD player great! It also does not control any of the MAIN menus or the navigation menus including the bluetooth menu. BUT for the price very satisfied would purchase again!



2. If you are wanting to purchase this for a pioneer navigation unit, (.i.e., AVIC D2), please reconsider. This remote only controls very basic functions. Useless in my opinion.



3. The unit is for my Suburban Pioneer DVD unit. Remote works great, looks great, fits perfectly in my top console for use.



4. control is useful and works well, but we can not handle audio options, and functions from remote cotrol.



5. i was told this remote works for the AVH DVD, but when i used it only the volume and source buttons work. check functions first

5 comments about Fellowes CD Sleeves 100 CD Capacity Clear Vinyl Double Sided (50-Pack).

1. As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.
   
   Double-Sided CD Sleeves, Pack of 50 (FEL90659)
   
   Those that have purchased this product or any other brand and experienced something odiferous have made valid points. In order to circumvent this situation if you are purchasing any of the CD/DVD sleeves in a store they usually will have a date the item was placed in inventory with the price.
   
   If you are purchasing from an on-line vendor please don't hesitate to send them an email and see if they will be honest enough to let you know when the last shipment was received. I have used paper sleeves a plethora of times and have been able to get packages that have not been in storage long.
   
   The sleeves when new are very good and often sold at a terrific discount. You will want to make sure at all times the CD's/DVD's are protected from light and dust. Please keep in mind that since these are double-sided if you have CD's or DVD's in both slots it can be a tight squeeze at times to remove either of them. Be gentle and take your time and it will be fine. You don't want to defeat the idea of protection by having your hand prints all over the laser side.
   
   The window style is perfect for easy viewing of the inside contents without having to remove the CD/DVD.
   
   Enjoy the music and be well,
   Craig Fenton
   Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"



2. Saves LOTS of space. Easy to use (easy to get disks in and out). Do you have data archives in your office? Liberate all those jewel cases! Do you buy multiseason television DVD box sets? Liberate your shelf space! These are the best sleeves to buy.



3. I like these sleeves and I ordered them along with the Ideastream CD storage boxes. But the actual dimensions of the sleeves are 5.75"H X 5"W (including the title tab at the top). The Ideastream boxes are 5"H with the lid. This means that if the CD box is full, the titles have to be folded back in order for the lid to fit securely. Other than that minor nuisance, the system works well and saves lots of space.



4. These are the very best way to keep a large number of CDs and/or DVDs. It has the least bulk and provides excellent protection for the disks and holds two disk for each sleeve.



5. I have too many cds and dvds, I need something that wouldn't take too much space and keep me organized. This product was the perfect solution for me. I thought the quality was pretty good, enough space to write the labels and it's easy to take out and insert cds. I initially bought two then I bought 4 more! I recommend!

5 comments about DVD Refill Pages, Capacity 20.

1. After much research I settled on the Case Logic DVD Wallet (140 Capacity) and refill pages to add to the capacity. The price was way less expensive then any others on the market and I am thrilled with the quality and ease of use (it even stands up to my 2 year old's flipping through)...I highly recommend this line for anyone looking to organize and/or save space with their DVD collection.



2. I agree that this is the best DVD refill page I have seen available. They fit two different types of bindings; the band-type and also the standard 3-ring. However, I was fooled into thinking there were 10 refill pages in the package. Would that be too much to ask at this price? Apparently so because there are only 5 pages in this package. That makes room for 10 title notes and 20 discs. I still can't figure out why the DVD storge cases cost more than the CD cases do. Binders are still the best way to go if you have a ton of DVDs, for sure, if not the most economical. -1 star for price.



3. It is impossible to find these pages anywhere other than Amazon and they are a lifesaver as far as organization goes. Some DVD pages aren't big enough to hold everything properly but these are the right size and good quality. I'm glad I could find them on here.



4. Ok - I only get 5 pages for $11.99. My DVB80 came with 20 pages to start with - and the album for $29.99. So - if I wanted 20 pages to use in my many albums - then it would cost me $47.96 (4 x $11.99 refill cost)!!!!
   
   I could purchase 2 NEW DVB80 albums for $59.98, get 40 refill pages and get 2 binders to use for other purposes!!!
   
   Does Case Logic think it's customers are idiots???



5. This is a terrific product. I'm still working on sorting all of my DVDs into this format, and will definitely need another filler to make it work. The DVD is well protected in the sleeve and there's a great place to see the filler notes/cover page, making it a quick way to find things. Once I'm done, it will really steamline my entertainment area, and allow me to find things quickly. And, this makes it easier when we travel to pull out our collection for the kids to go!

2 comments about Link Depot Cable 10 Hdmi Male To Dvi-D Male.

1. I have ATI x1950 Pro graphics card and i connected it to Olevia HDTV...works like a charm.
   
   I don't know really what else to say...it works. You can spend 10 times more on cable but the image will be the same (not better, not worse...that's the beauty of digital world).



2. I've been using this cable for about 4 months now. It works excellent with my monitor viewsonic Q20 and my PS3. The system picks up the connection instantly and it works up to 1080p (though my monitor is 1680 x 1050 so I don't know how that works).
   
   A warning and It may not concern the actual cable but for those of you who are looking to connect your ps3 to your monitor (specifically the Q20) in analog mode my monitor has been showing everything but in a bluish hue.
   
   In digital mode (PS3 mode) works perfectly fine. Though I don't know the root cause of the problem it began around the time I connected my ps3 to the monitor. Just a heads up

5 comments about Terk Technology AM-1000 Advantage Passive AM Indoor Antenna.

1. I bought this antenna from an ebayer in California because Amazon cannot sell to Europe where the Terk Advantage is not available. I agree with all the other positive comments about it.
   It works best during daylight hours, pulling in weak AM stations from transmitters in the UK, up to 500 miles from my home on the West coast of Ireland.
   It does a great job clearing up the noise on the stronger signals. For anyone who enjoys Dxing or listening to AM radio, I would highly recommend the Terk AM Advantage.



2. I bought this for my father on Fathers Day, he listens to AM stations from his clock radio in the mornings and late at night. He loves it and was very impressed that the antenna just had to be near the radio and not connected to it. I finally got him a gift he can use and likes.



3. The Terk AM-1000 passive AM Indoor Antenna works Fair for local stations but at $39.00 is a little pricey.Probably should be priced at $20.00 TO $25.00 range.



4. I selected this antenna based on the Amazon reviews, and I am quite satisfied with it. The antenna is well made and works well to bring in stations which were marginal. Distance reception is at best, variable, of course.



5. Wanted the critter to function. Longed for decent AM reception. Sadly, despite use with several radios, including a GE SuperRadio, I could detect NO improvement with reception.
   
   Nebraska, Missouri and California... used in each state with the same results.
   
   Portable radios, large shelf receivers, separate tuners... the Terk did nothing for me.
   
   Hooked it up two different ways with no luck.
   
   Fiddled about, fiddled about, fiddle... fiddle. fiddle... with the Terk's passive tuner knob and though it helped make a station be heard better the improvement was no better than reception obtained when the Terk was not attached or in close proximity.
   
   Me wonders if those lauding the device are not deluding themselves in some way due to my years of use at several venues with nary any success in AM broadcast reception improvement.