FlexSolar 8.5W Solar Charger Review

Categories Battery Banks

This is listed as an 8.5W solar panel online, but the specs say 10.6W. Little solar panels like this can be alright in direct sunlight but I’d advise, for most cases, to buy something a bit bigger otherwise you’ll just get 1A (standard speed charge) max. That’s not taking into account light fluctuations and whatnot that happen with the sun. This one also made an audible whine at lower current outputs. But otherwise it seems to work fine in direct sun. This power bank does not store power, so a separate USB battery bank would be required if you want to keep energy overnight.

Viofo A118C2 vs A119

Categories Dashcams

Overall, in my opinion, it is worth the extra money for the A119 until Viofo releases a firmware update to improve the exposure rendering of the A118C2 and even then the performance can only be improved so much. The video on the A119 is sharper and it has 1080p60, as well as 1440p.

Viofo A118C2 Dash Cam Review

Categories Dashcams

Overall, my recommendation is to spend a bit extra and get the A119 over this camera. The video quality is higher in daylight, because the A119 does a better job with colour, shadows and highlights, and the night video is close enough to call it a draw. The A118C2 is an OK camera, but there is better value available for just a little bit more money.

Dash Cam Basics: Mounting Hardware

Categories Tech Talk

For most users, who want a dash cam in their daily driver, the adhesive mount is the way to go because it is very low profile, stands up to heat and is semi-permanent. The downside is that it is difficult to remove, if needed. The suction cup mount is good for a first dash cam or for one that will be used in multiple vehicles. Just keep in mind that if you have these little black dots it is hard to hide the camera behind the rear-view mirror. Rear view mirror cameras, I wouldn’t currently recommend getting but that may change in the future.

Akaso EK7000 Action Cam Review

Categories Action Cams

This is a review of the Akaso EK7000, a low end action cam that uses deceptive marketing techniques in order to generate positive ratings. Well, put it this way: the camera does take video at 1080p, and it’s actually OK. But this camera does not take nice still images and calling it 4K capable is an absolute joke.