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December 2008 Archives

Best headlamp: Petzl e+LITE

By
Dave Cortright
on December 29, 2008 12:00 AM
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petzl-e+lite.JPG
This is so far ahead of the headlamp competition, it's almost not even fair. The Petzl e+LITE was officially designed as an emergency light -- something you'd keep in your car or kitchen drawer to use when you're stranded, when the power's out. But this little thing is far more capable than that.

Like all modern LED lamps, it's bright and has great battery life. But what makes this one stand out:
  • It's small: less than 1 cu. in.
  • It's really light: less than 1 oz.
  • And because of the previous 2 points, it's really comfortable.
  • It points anywhere you want it with its ball & socket mount.
  • It has many lighting options, including dim (battery saving), bright, blinking, and even a red light for seeing in the dark without ruining your night vision.
  • The switch is easy to use simply by feel when it's strapped to your head.
  • It's inexpensive.
Get a Petzl e+LITE from Amazon

Best digital/HD TV antenna: Winegard MS-2002

By
Dave Cortright
on December 24, 2008 12:00 AM
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Winegard-MS-2002.jpgI'm getting rid of my satellite TV service. I've had DirecTV for nearly 10 years now, and I'm tired of paying $64/month for a service I use so infrequently. Now with so many TV shows and movies available on the internet (such as Hulu and Amazon's Video on Demand service), there's a lot less need for TV subscriptions.

However, one may want TV for things like local news and breaking news. For that I'm going back to over-the-air service. But gone are the rabbit ears and fuzzy reception from last century. I'm upgrading to the digital age, and the Winegard MS-2002 is the ideal antenna for the job.

From all of my research, I chose this antenna for several reasons:
  • It's omni-directional, making installation easy. There's no need to aim it for best reception.
  • It's amplified, so it will pull in weaker signals with ease.
  • It's mounted outdoors, which means a bit more work on installation, but a better signal overall.
  • It's inexpensive. At only $67 shipped, it's about the same price as one month of my current TV service.

They sell a version of the antenna with 50' of coaxial cable, if you don't already have one. (I simply used one of the cables from the satellite dish on my roof; it works perfectly.) However, the difference in price is over $40, and you can get 50' (or even 100') of cable for a lot less than that.

Coupled with my government-subsidized digital TV converter box, this makes a fine backup for internet TV. And the beauty is, once I finally get an HDTV, this antenna will work perfectly with it as well.
Get a Winegard MS-2002 from Amazon
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This page is an archive of entries from December 2008 listed from newest to oldest.

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