One day I got in the car with my cousin and as we began tooling down the Interstate I noticed he had a radar detector.  I looked around and failed to see where he had it connected until I finally realized it was a cordless/wireless radar detector. I commented on it and he said he previously had another model with a cord which had problems reaching the power source in his car and it kept disconnecting.  He said he tolerated it because he did not think a wireless unit would have the sensitivity the corded unit has since the range for detecting a radar signal can be compromised due to battery life.

He said he looked around for a radar detector that would allow for long battery life without sacrificing sensitivity and he found the Escort Solo S2 Radar which he appeared to be very happy with.  I liked the low profile look of the unit so I asked him if I could investigate and he said “Yes, but after we pass through the speed traps.”  As we went through the speed traps there was ample notice before you could actually see the police car in view which I really liked.  As I went through the unit further I found a lot of interesting benefits. When I was finished I also went through other radar detector reviews when I got home to compare the Escort Solo S2 with other units.

Escort Solo S2 Features

I especially like the fact that you can use the Escort Solo S2 in both your vehicle and for your motorcycle and as I investigated further, I found that a lot of cyclists use it for motorcycle radar and when their bike is not in use they move the unit to their vehicle.  It also offers a standard headphone jack which provides an interface for an audio system designed for a motorcycle helmet.

Another nifty feature I liked was the fact that the mute button is located on the top of the unit where it is easy to operate.  The mute button also offers battery indicator capabilities that you can read when you press the button twice.  You can also monitor the electrical system in your car when you use the optional power cord to ensure there are no malfunctions which may cause you to get caught speeding.

The LCD lights up whenever you use the buttons and stays lit long enough for you to use the functions and then the light goes off to save on battery power.  If you are using the optional power cord then the LCD stays lit. You can also view the strength of the signal through a succession of lights which are displayed in the form of a bar graph and by beep frequency.

User-Programmable Options

There are ten program options which allow you to set the unit to low sensitivity for city driving and deactivate the S and K-band as well as the Escort Solo S2 Ka band feature which is capable of detecting Ka-band radar from over 5000 feet away.  Ka-band was designed to get around radar detection systems which only have X and K band.  The manufacturers of radar detectors such as the Escort Solo S2 raised the stakes be implementing Ka-band in their units which provides super-wide band technology for detecting Ka-band radar.

I also like the self test sequence and automatic shutoff options which will notify you if the power is disconnected and then you can press any button on the unit and it will reset the power and follow up again with a series of tests to verify the power is connected.  And if the area where you live is infested with laser radar detectors you can connect the Escort Solo S2 to a laser jammer to block law enforcement from reading your speed. The unit also blocks law enforcement from identifying your radar detector.  Escort Solo S2 false alarms are kept at a minimum without sacrificing long range warnings on all types of radar bands thanks to the patented Digital Signal Processing (DSP).

Excellent Detection

I found the Escort Solo S2 to have excellent detection when riding in the car with my cousin even when we clipped it to the visor.  We were riding down the Interstate with the unit attached to the visor when the Ka-band signaled that radar was ahead.  My cousin slowed down and we did not see any sign of a police car and then when we came up over a blind hill there he was hiding behind a group of trees. And might I add that the Escort Solo S2 picked up the radar signal from over a mile and a half away.  Not bad for a wireless unit which would be considered exceptional for a unit powered with a cord.

Overall Good Buy

Overall the Escort Solo S2 is a great buy considering all of the features you are getting and its ability to detect a radar signal from a significant distance.  I especially like all of the safety features that ensure the power is always connected so you do not get caught speeding.  The Escort Solo S2 also comes with a one year limited warranty with a two year extended service plan which is optional.  After reviewing it and shopping around I decided it was well worth the money when I considered what I would probably rack up in traffic ticket violations.  After doing some research I found a terrific price on the Escort Solo S2 here.

Remember the days when cassette tapes were considered high tech?  Even if you were born into the CD generation cassettes are still not defunct and there are an amazing number of people who are looking for ways to preserve the content that they have stored on cassette tapes.

I encountered someone recently who was desperately looking for a way to reminisce by preserving meaningful music and other content they recorded onto a cassette tape.  This person said they had boxes of cassette tapes that followed them from place to place and wanted to be able to find a way to make their cassette tapes more portable. They had also given up on the idea of ever being able to enjoy the content on “new fangled technology” as they referred to it and at the same did not want to depart with their cherished recordings.

I mentioned that I read about a device which will allow you to capture your audio cassette content on your PC and allow you to enjoy it without having to sift through your boxes of cassette tapes.  As they asked me more questions, I decided to take it upon myself to find out more about this device so I started off on my search.  I gave the Ion Audio Tape2PC a test run and it seemed to have all of the features this person was seeking.  Here is an Ion Audio Tape2PC review which will outline some of the features I found:

How the Ion Tape 2 PC Works

The Ion Tape2PC allows you to have easily access the content on the cassettes without having to carry around all of your cassette units.  You simply connect the device to your PC with the USB cable that is included and install the Ion Tape2PC software on your PC. With the device connected via the USB cable you can simply capture all of the audio content to your PC.  You can then use the digital files right on your PC or transfer them to your MP3 player, iPod, or CD which provides more versatility than some of the cassette to CD units.  Also, there are no special Ion  Tape2PC drivers needed.

Audacity and EZ Audio Converter

Ion Tape2PC provides two different recording applications for converting your cassette tapes.  The Audacity application contains comprehensive features with an interface that takes a little time to get used to but is full of many different capabilities.  Audacity contains settings for adjusting your tape conversions to many different types of formats and you can control the sound quality through a variety of multiple settings.  This application also provides a way for you to divide your sound files into individual tracks based on the silent space on the cassette tape which separates one song from the next. Audacity also provides noise reduction tools to eliminate the tape noise that is typically associated with cassette audio quality.

The EZ Audio Converter offers an easy to use interface for converting your audio cassette tapes to digital files. Unlike Audacity this application does not provide a way for you to split the tracks between songs and instead you must accomplish this by using the track button to record each song separately.  When you have completed recording the tracks a screen will appear which allows you to enter the name of the artist, title of the album and the name of the song.

Ion Tape2PC Software CD

The software CD which is provided with the Ion Tape2PC is easy to load and walks you through the setup process with tech support provided for both the Audacity and EZ Audio Converter applications.  The software is compatible with the Windows operating system and Mac OS X.

Ion Tape2PC Manual

The Ion Tape2PC comes with a manual included or you can download the manual in PDF format from the Ion Audio website.  The manual is about 24 pages and includes a Quick Start Guide.  It is very easy to comprehend and contains clear diagrams of the device with a clear explanation for how to use each function.  The instructions for playback and recording are step-by-step and include diagrams to enhance each step.

There is no Ion Tape2PC troubleshooting section in the manual however they have a technical support service which is available during business hours five days each week.  You can contact technical support via telephone and email and they request that you have your product information when you call; a description of the issue, and you should have the Ion Tape2PC turned on and running at the time of your call.

Ion Tape2PC Sound Quality

Overall, the sound quality of the Ion Tape2PC is quite good considering that you are converting from a cassette which was produced in an era where digital recordings and files were non-existent.  Additionally, you can alter the recording quality during dubbing and set the noise reduction features to clear up the audio quality from the cassette tape. Also, if you have cassettes from your childhood which you have played repeatedly you can use the software applications to eliminate the scratchy sound that comes with normal wear and tear on a cassette tape. Although EZ Audio Converter does not offer any editing enhancements, you can always use the Audacity application which is included in the software to clean up the tracks you have converted to digital files.

Overall, if you are looking for an easy way to preserve your cassette tapes by converting them to digital files the Ion Tape2PC may be your answer.  What’s more is you can connect the Tape2PC to your home entertainment system and use it as a standard dubbing cassette device as an added option.  The unit is very lightweight and does a good job of importing cassette tapes. When doing some research I came across a great deal on an Ion Tape2PC here.

I was recently out motorcycle riding with my best friend and we somehow wandered off the beaten path and had trouble finding our way back to civilization.  My friend grumbled and said he should have brought is car GPS navigation system however he said it was extremely difficult to use it on his motorcycle.

On a recent excursion to the electronics store I reviewed a few GPS navigation systems when I came across a few of them that were specifically designed for a motorcycle.  I reviewed a few of the systems and came across the Garmin Zumo 665 motorcycle friendly GPS which is an upgrade from the previous 550 model I reviewed.  I took a closer look at the 665 and found some great features to share with my friend that seemed to deliver some of the things he was looking for.  He was very appreciative so I decided to share my research with other motorcycle enthusiasts.

Garmin Zumo 665 Motorcycle Friendly GPS Features

When I took a closer look at the Garmin Zumo 665 I was completely blown away by how motorcycle friendly this unit is and its convenient use in your automobile and finding your way around on foot. It is equipped with both a vehicle mount and motorcycle mount and comes with a convenient carrying case. Since my friend wanted to bring his automobile GPS navigation system with him I thought this was ideal and provided him with more bang for the buck.

It is also evident that this unit was designed with the motorcycle enthusiast in mind with its waterproof durability, glove friendly touchscreen design, fuel spill resistance, and resistance to ultraviolet rays.  The Garmin Zumo 665 GPS receiver design also withstands vibration from the road and extreme weather elements.  All of the buttons are designed for use with your left hand to make it safe when operating your motorcycle on the open road.

Garmin Zumo 665 Navigator

The navigation on the Garmin Zumo 665 is state-of-the-art with complete mapping coverage for the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico with a preloaded database which contains an impressive 6 million points of interest that includes many locations for accommodations, restaurant locations, fuel stops, and area attractions.  You can also install optional points of interest from a CD and customize points of interest.

Another impressive feature I found was the nifty 3-D building view feature which allows you to visualize the location more closely and the lane assist feature which will tell you in advance when you need to change lanes with real life views of what upcoming intersections look like and locations where you make turns.  It also contains voice recorded directions and text to voice capability to help you navigate safely.  There is a feature which allows you to calculate your routes, digitally monitor your fuel level, and locate detours to get around interstates and construction areas.

The mapping feature has 2D or 3D capability with customized colors to view the map by day or by night.  There is also a sensor feature that detects when dusk it approaching and will automatically switch the map lighting from day mode to night mode.

If you have found a great route or you are planning a trip you can take advantage of the trip planning tools to create custom routes on your PC and then load them into your Garmin Zumo 665.  When you are finished with the trip you can view it in Google Earth and share it with your biker buddies thanks to the microSD card expansion feature.

Add Weather, Traffic, and Radio with Garmin Zumo 665 Navigator

I was amazed by the ability of this little device to allow you to stay ahead of a storm with the optional XM NavWeather with Garmin Zumo 665 NEXRAD radar.  Not only does it provide you with up to the minute information on the weather conditions you can also view radar graphics on the screen to help you avoid a storm.

The unit also comes equipped with the Garmin Zumo 665 XM Antenna which allows you to receive radio entertainment in real-time with an impressive 170 digital channels offering the latest news and entertainment while you are traveling the open road. You must also purchase the subscription plan to acquire this service and you also get the Garmin Zumo 665 NavTraffic feature which helps you to avoid traffic delays and construction sites.

Garmin Zumo 665 Entertainment and Wireless Technology

I found it very easy to stay in touch with all of the latest innovations in communications included in the Garmin Zumo 665.  The unit is equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology which allows you to use your phone safely through a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth enabled helmet with the capability to call points of interest through the Bluetooth interface.  You can also receive voice prompts for direction through the wireless technology to make navigation safe and easy.

As I investigated further I found the Garmin Zumo 665 had an all-in-one entertainment center which included an impressive MP3 player with SD sound card and next generation Bluetooth A2DP technology which provides state-of-the-art stereo sound and includes the XM radio with subscription.

These are only a few of the features that are packed into the Garmin Zumo 665.  When you look at everything that is included in the specs the list seems to be miles long.  Overall, it is a great all-in-one unit which you can use on your motorcycle, on foot, or in the car which makes it a great value for the price not to mention all of the features you get.  I had to do a little homework to find a great price for this all-around unit and after doing a lot of research with price comparison I found a great deal here.