Archive for the ‘Work’ Category

L.A. Police Gear's Operator Tactical Pants

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

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On a typical fire scene, jeans are our standard “uniform”. In the winter, no problem, heck we usually add coveralls to keep warm. But in the summer, they can turn a guy into a hot, sweaty, uncomfortable mess pretty quick. So while searching for an alternative, I came across the Operator Tactical Pants by L.A. Police Gear. They look like a winner for several reasons.

They are cheap, just $20 a pair. They come in 5 different colors, including khaki for say around the office and both black and olive which are good colors for hiding all the dirt from a scene. I also like the fact they are loaded with pockets. With 10 in total, we should be able to easily carry everything from our pocket knife, wallet and flashlight to multiple cell phones. My only question is durability. At $20 bucks I don’t need them to last for years, but I don’t want them to fall apart after the first wash either. Anyone out there with a pair? Let us know in the comments.

Link: L.A. Police Gear Tactical Pants

Warn Pullzall

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

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The Warn Pullzall is a very cool tool I came across this morning that will be very handy to have around the shop. So what it is? A 1,000 pound portable pulling/winch system. Warn offers two models, AC or DC. The DC model includes a 24v rechargeable NiMH battery pack with rapid charger. In the shop we have a huge rack of storage shelves stretching 50 feet across and 30 feet high. While we don’t storage super heavy stuff on the top shelves, the Pullzall mounted to a track on a ceiling joist could be a really cool way to lift bigger boxes that are a pain to hump up a ladder ourselves.

Beyond that, I am thinking it could be a huge help on a scene if we need to move furniture, appliances or even debris out of our way or into our trucks for transport. Considering the pretty reasonable price, getting an AC version for the shop and the DC version for the vehicles is a realistic option.

Amazon: Warn Industries 685000 PullzAll 110 AC Corded Electric Pulling Tool

Corporate: Warn Industries

Autonet Mobile Hits Amazon

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

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With the death knell of the auto industry sounding loud and clear, Autonet Mobile is looking to expand is customer based by offering is in-car WiFi router to the mass via Amazon. The idea is sound, but in my opinion the execution sucks. The box runs off of any EV-DO and/or HSDPA network (i.e. Verizon/Sprint/AT&T, although the published coverage map is VZW’s EVDO coverage) and allows you to connect up to 10 devices within 150 feet of the vehicle at average speeds of 400 Mbps.

What I find lacking in the service is the sky high monthly fees paired with the minuscule data allowances. 1 GB for $29 or 5 GB for $59 with a 1 year contract. That is inline with the typical national wireless carrier aircard fees, but with the Autonet you are tethered to your car to use the service, at least with an aircard, you can use your data anywhere. Plus the Autonet rings up at a hefty $299 after a $100 rebate. Most aircards can be found for free after discounts and rebates. Sure it sounds nice to be able to have 10 users on the “network” at any given time, but if you really need that functionality, the MiFi is a much better option.

Link: Autonet Mobile KT-ANMRTR-01 Automotive Wi-Fi Router

Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD Kit

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

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High speed internet is a business necessity, not luxury. But depending on your set-up it might extremely difficult to hardwire in access or even get a WiFi signal. If this describes you, then Belkin might just be your savior with their new Gigabit Powerline HD Kit. While turning your electrical wiring into an internet gateway is not new technology, the trade off in loss of speed for convenience was not worth for someone with any other options.

But with the introduction of Gigabit Powerline HD Kit, speed loss is a thing of the past. The system is rated for speeds up to 1000 Mbps compared to past iterations that could only reach 200 Mbps. Of course if you have crappy wiring you most likely won’t top out, but you should still blow past the competition. The system includes two adapters for $150 and is available today.

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Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

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We are a Nikon shop for all of our high DSLR cameras and accessories, but if you are ready to put down the point and shoot model and graduate to a “Professional Grade” camera the choices can be pretty overwhelming. In our opinion, if you are spending less than $1,000 on your camera most brands will not produce a discernible difference in quality.

One factor to consider are the accessories. You can easily end up spending more on your add-on’s then the camera itself. That is one of the reason we like the Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash. It small, but packs plenty of power, has a wonderful range of motion including swivel and a recharge time of less than 4 seconds.

The best part is at about $150 the Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash is half the price of other comparable models. Plus as you get more comfortable and want to explore other options Canon has a whole family of EX flashes available suitable for just about any need.

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Kobalt SpeedFit System

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

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About a year ago, Kobalt (Lowe’s in-house tool brand), decided to rename and repackage the venerable multi-bit screwdriver as the SpeedFit System. In addition to the standard screwdriver bits, other tools including picks, files, an adjustable wrench and sockets were designed and launched to all fit in one universal handle topped with a standard quick change connection.

What initially intrigued me about the SpeedFit product line was its versatility and portability. Any product that can lighten the travel tool bag without compromising functionality is definitely worth a look. That is where the rub lies, the SpeedFit’s functionality. It just is not professional grade. Something that I found surprising, considering its Kobalt pedigree. While a relatively new line of tools, especially when compared to Craftsman, I have found the brand to a worthy competitor when comparing professional/contractor grade durability across other manufacturers.

The SpeedFit lives and in this case dies with its ability to quickly change bits on tools on the go. The problem was, this connection was also the weak spot of the tool. It was not as solid and secure as it should have been, allowing for a little “travel” in the bits and leaving concern of breakage in high torque applications. So for us the promising system was a no go. But we do see merit in it for the typical homeowner or as an emergency car toolkit considering the variety of combinations the system comes in and its reasonable price points. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Bosch Digital Angle Finder

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

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Stop being a sucker, finding angles the old manual way. Step up to the Bosch Digital Angel Finder instead. With its new Miterfinder Mode you get an angle memory for repeated use, simple miter cut calculation, and expanded input range for compound cut calculations. Plus it has built-in level and comes with carrying case. What more can a guy ask for?

Grab It: Bosch DAF220K Miterfinder Digital Angle Finder with Leg Extension And Case

PogoPlug

Friday, April 10th, 2009

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The PogoPlug makes a lot of sense. It is a wicked simple and affordable way to share and access your files over the intrawebs. Just plug in any USB drive (flash or external HDD plus you can use a USB hub to support multiple drives) setup your Pogoplug account and you are good to go. The downside? The interface is web based so if PogoPlug crashes and burns as an enterprise your are left with nothing more than a paper weight. Still its much cheaper and just about another other NAS solution out there and requires no additional hardware a la Windows Server so it is definitely worth the look. Oh yeah, it has an iPhone app too which mean you can do cool things like stream your entire MP3 collection to your iPhone…pretty sweet.

Grab It: PogoPlug

Akro Mils 44 Drawer Cabinet

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

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Keeping the shop organized can be a tough thing with different people in and out all day. Pretty soon, stuff just starts getting misplaced which along with being quite annoying is a huge time suck when you have to stop what you are doing to look for a particular part or tool. To help keep our stuff organized we like the Akro Mills line of small cabinets. They come in a variety of sizes and drawer styles and can be mounted right to a wall or tool bench. Check them out for yourself, we are pretty sure you will dig them too.

Grab It: Akro Mils #10744 44 Drawer Cabinet

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AC to 5-USB Power Adaptor

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

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This is one super charger if you ask me. The convenience of a larger multi-tap outlet in a much smaller and sleeker package. Since just about all of my gadgets and phones charge via USB, I ordered several for house, shop and travel bag. If you are feeling especially industrious, pair it with your own custom super cable.

Grab It: AC to 5-USB Power Adaptor

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