Best Fiber Optic Products
****Recommended Accessories: B016B39EPQ \ B01D9KISHY (Search "B016B39EPQ or B01D9KISHY" in the Amazon search box) Package Quantity: 1. Dupont Jumper Wire Cable Male Pin Connector x 210Pcs. 13. 10Pcs x 40 Pin 2.54mm Pitch Single Row Right Angle PCB Pin Headers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent assortment of connectors."
"These are good quality."
"It arrived exactly as described and works exactly as expected."
"Quality product."
"Good kit, no problems."
"A great selection of connectors!"
"I needed these parts for a nema 17 stepper motor."
the TEG-MGBSX Mini-GBIC Multi Mode module works with standard Mini-GBIC slots on most switches. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These modules were immediately picked up by my Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch and EdgeRouter."
"Work great so far paired over several Cisco SG300 and SG200 switches."
"They have only been in service a day or so, but I plan to come back in a few weeks, good or bad, to update this review."
"This SFP module works, and that's about as far as I care."
"I use this in a TP-Link gigabit media converter."
"worked perfectly at a great cost in my netgear pro switches."
"Great product!"
"Connects up every time, seems to be reliable, but haven't run this model for very long yet."
Hook can be used to install cables and wires up to 3⁄4" (19 mm) diameter.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I looked all over for something like this."
"I work in the Motion Picture Industry as a lighting technician and have known many people who use these."
"Most of the time you have to extend the hook completely, then reach farther along the shaft in order to manipulate the wire(s) you are after."
"This thing is great, and I use it frequently."
"Really nice working hook when working on instillations."
"Great product!"
Best Fiber Optic Connectors
****Recommended Accessories: B016B39EPQ \ B01D9KISHY (Search "B016B39EPQ or B01D9KISHY" in the Amazon search box) Package Quantity: 1. Dupont Jumper Wire Cable Male Pin Connector x 210Pcs. 13. 10Pcs x 40 Pin 2.54mm Pitch Single Row Right Angle PCB Pin Headers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent assortment of connectors."
"These are good quality."
"It arrived exactly as described and works exactly as expected."
"Quality product."
"Good kit, no problems."
"A great selection of connectors!"
"I needed these parts for a nema 17 stepper motor."
Best Fiber Optic Transceivers
TRENDnet’s 100/1000BASE-T to SFP Media Converter; model TFC-1000MGA; is a reliable Plug-and-Play Fiber-to-Ethernet converter in a compact form factor. Mini-GBIC port accommodates Multi (SX) or Single-Mode (LX) fiber networking standards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What this means, is that you can match any 10/100/1000 wired network to any mini-gbic compliant SFP module, a 100m copper network to a 1.25g fiber module for instance, where many other converters would only let you go 1g copper to 1g fiber."
"Assume you put a pair of these with a fiber in the middle - either Ethernet port on either end can be 100 or 1000 mb. Another nice thing is the way the LEDs work - if there's a fault (either a down link, etc) a yellow light will appear."
"We ran a continues ping and unplugged our switch, plugged it back in and connection was restored."
"Have 2 to convert a 600ft fiber run between 2 houses."
"The TrendNet fiber converters are great!"
"Upgrading our older 100Base fiber converters with Gigabit."
"I use them to test my Fiber runs to make sure the connectors work!"
"Works great with fiber optic transceiver."
Best Fiber Optic Transmitters
Greenlee 501 Features: -Traces the path and determines the depth of wires and metallic pipes on active or dead systems without having to deactivate the system. Generic Dimensions: -Measuring Depth: 7 feet [Max]. Includes transmitter assembly, receiver assembly, inductive coupler (clamp), built-in inductive antenna, two 8-Feet (2.4 m) test leads with heavy-duty alligator clips and durable polyethylene case. Traces the path and determines the depth of wires and metallic pipes on active or dead systems without having to deactivate the system.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When you swing the wand back and forth over the wire it beeps at the wire not like the other ones that you listen for the null (those drive me nuts)."
"While this is a nice basic kit, I tried this but ultimately purchased Ridgid's Navitrack 2 locator, a SeeSnake CS6 Pak, Ridgid Brick transmitter and 4-in Seek Tech inductive coil for my professional locating needs."
"it basically injects a tone into the wire or metl pipe on one end and you have a probe (antennae and receiver) to locate the tone. the tone injection is done using three methods: directly wiring tone generator up to conductor or pipe (not recommended for live wires), a loop clamp which opens to clamp around any conductor or metal pipe (works very well and only method really needed IMO), or a box mounted, high powered inductor (not needed unless deep, long run or used to locate utilities that you dont know where they start or end but takes two people - one to carry the inductor and another to carry the wand 20 ft away and parallel to the other person as you walk)."
"Not exactly the best you can buy, but for my application, it is the best for the money."
"Very very good tool."
"After receiving my Tracker II, I located the utilities and found there was a 2ft difference."
"I use it in my landscape lighting business and it's saved us a ton of extra work."
"Benefit to cost ratio can't be beat wth this tool- highly accurate, easy to use."
Best Optoelectronic Products
Specification: Power input:120v/60Hz. Power Source:Plug in. Bulbs: 15 Watt E12 Socket Incandescent Light Bulbs. Safer Touch Dimmer Switch(US 120v only): Definitely safer than other brands that has potential fire hazard.It comes with patented touch dimmer switch to adjust brightness and match the ambiance.It has 6.6ft power cord and two extra 15 watt bulbs. 2 Years Warranty, 2 extra replacement bulbs included（the replacement bulb is in stock for purchase,just search:levoit light bulbs). The Natural Salt Night Light: When lit with the included 15 watt incandescent light bulb, it gives a warm amber glow, creating a romantic vibe and boost your mood.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I also have the Natural Solutions salt inhaler which has helped with my breathing issues."
"Ours is rather flat on the top, but I realize the shape is bound to vary with each item, so not much can be done about that."
"I purchased this as a second salt lamp since I like the one I received for Christmas so much."
"I received my first salt lamp from my daughter as a Christmas gift."
"wasn't broken or smashed to bits like some other lamps - it's much bigger than others I have purchased."
"Also, the light is more red than pink and does not produce enough light to replace a traditional lamp for those curious."
"At first I loved this salt lamp and even bought more as gifts but then after I had it about 4 - 5 weeks the dimmer switch quit working and so now it doesn't work and hasn't since last September/October 2017."
"This salt lamp was incredibly light in color, which resulted in a bright light rather than a soft glow."
Best Semiconductor Products
Introduction： This decoder is designed for professional audio signal processing.It can easily convert Coaxial or Toslink interface to RCA analog audio interface and 3.5mm headphone jack.Professional audio amplifier chip and volume adjusting switch are designed for driving your headphone directly and adjusting the output volume. Specification: Support Audio Format: PCM. Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 105DB. Separating Degree（1KHZ）: 94DB. Response Frequency: 20Hz~20KHz -0.2db. THD+N: -90DB. Total Harmonic Distortion(THD): 10Hz~20KHz 0.25-0.065%. Blocking Time: 0.577Fs. Sampling Rate: 32~192 KHz. Bit Rate: 16~24 Bit. Input Electrical Level: ±0.3V. Output Electrical Level: 3V. Maximum Output Power: 0.3W. Earphone Output Power: 0-250mW. Storage Temperature Range: -60-150℃. Operating Humidity Range: 10% - 80%RH（No Condensation）. Storage Humidity Range: 5- 90%RH（No Condensation）. ESD Protection Human Body Model: ±8kV(Air-gap Discharge) ±4kV(Contact Discharge). Case Dimension: 70×60×20（mm）. Weight: 120g. Product Shell: Metel Case. Product Color: Black. 【192KHz DAC Converter】PROZOR Digital to Analog Audio Converter, Converts coaxial or toslink digital PCM audio signals to analog L/R RCA and 3.5mm Jack audio simultaneously ( not capable of being reversed).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This converter box is all you need to connect your stereo headphones to a TV that does NOT come with a 3.5 mm port but instead features a DIGITAL AUDIO OUT port. After removing the caps, you plug one end into the port labeled “digital audio out” or “digital optical audio out” or “SPDIF” on your TV and plug the other end into the port labeled “SPDIF” on the Prozor box."
"This allows me to keep my HDMI cable plugged in to the monitor and send a stereo cord to the PC to share the speakers on my desk."
"MBP (mini toslink audio out) --> (toslink audio in) PROZOR DAC --> (RCA in) JBL SPEAKERS. If you want to use this DAC to connect external speakers like the JBL above, then you need to check some things. Check if it supports optical out by going to About this Mac --> System Report --> Hardware Audio and check to see if you see S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio Output. Also, don't make the mistake of purchasing the little brother version PROZOR Digital to Analog Converter DAC Digital SPDIF Toslink to Analog Stereo Audio L/R Converter Adapter with Optical Cable for PS3 XBox HD DVD PS4 Home Cinema Systems AV Amps Apple TV if you want to be able to control the volume!"
"Since the optical audio output is a line level output, there is no control for its level (volume) on the TV. The audio amplifier in the Prozor takes care of that and provides a volume control."
"I did have an issue with the included optical cable."
"At the last minute I plugged the usb power cable into a usb charger and it worked."
Best Circuit Protection Products
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: Providing you with the friendliest customer service is our number one goal.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Always good to have extra fuses for vehicles and RV's."
"The OCD in me also likes that it's in a box rather than what you get at the auto store in blister packs."
"Fuse installed in my internal fuse box, the installation is no problem."
"The name GlowGeek still makes me think they would glow when blown, these are not that type though."
"Not the greatest quality case, but the fuses worked fine."
"Fuses work perfect, packaging was perfect, nice compact size."
"Great set of auto fuses."
Best Electromechanical Products
Designed to work with the wires you already have, Sensi thermostat does not require a common wire (c-wire) in many cases, so it is compatible with most heating and cooling systems* (U.S. and Canada only). Set your Sensi thermostat to automatically adjust your homes temperature for location-based temperature control with geofencing, or quickly create a 7-day schedule to reduce wasteful heating and cooling when no one is home. Integrates with Amazon Alexa for voice control and Wink smart home platforms, and works with Google Assistant and Google Home using the free Wink app.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In my research I learned that my primary complaint the Nest - that the temperature swing was too wide - was addressed by Sensi's "cycle rate" setting. Nest's no-button design is cool, but using a thermostat is not a lecture in UX minimalism, and black-and-chrome doesn't really disappear into the background of my home (white trim and all). Granted, we didn't also install a second Nest to have more temperature sensors, and we didn't buy their $200 talking smoke detectors which also report environmental statistics back to the thermostat. Most people won't care about this but being a network security engineer, I'm impressed that the thermostat has exactly 0 open TCP ports, outbound communication is with one IP, and total traffic is very modest."
"--. I had been wanting to get a WiFi Thermostat for a long time now, but I held off because I was worried that I would buy one that wouldn't be compatible with my home or that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to install it. You select the wires that your current thermostat has, and then the app tells you what to label them and where they will go in the new thermostat. I had never replaced a thermostat before, and it took me under 30 minutes (which includes unboxing, looking for screwdriver, looking for AC unit shut off switch, watching how-to videos included with the app, etc). The app is handy because it also tells you your local Hi and Low temps from the forecast as well as the humidity in your home, upcoming schedule, set temp, actual temp, and the background is either blue, red, or grey depending on if your system is on Cool, Heat, or off at the moment. The only thing this is missing is a few more advanced options for the app, such as specific alerts (like if the temperature is changed manually, I would like to be able to get an instant alert on my phone) and an air filter change reminder that can be set for a certain amount of time (like 1, 2, or 3 months)."
Best Thermal Management Products
The NH-D15 features two of Noctua's premium class NF-A15 140mm fans. 6 heatpipe dual radiator design.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I installed this cooler on my ASUS Sabertooth X99 along with ADATA DDR4-2800 32GB RAM. Using silent PWM profile from the Motherboard I had I can keep my 4.2GHz 5820K cool with merely a 240RPM. The cooler may have some fitment issues with tall RAM heatspreader."
"HUGE, it's HUGE. Does it's job as described."
"What a difference over the stock AMD cooling fan (that sounded like a small jet engine in my living room). No big deal, just do not unscrew the 4 mounting screws at the same time, the back plate will fall off."
"I have: - ASUS X99-A/USB 3.1 LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. - Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3GHz LGA 2011-v3 140W Desktop Processor BX80648I75820K. I went through 2 heat sinks on my Intel i7."
"Knocked 20C degrees off my CPU temp vs. the Intel RTS2011LC liquid cooler for my overclocked i7-3960X, even without the optional second fan."
"My system makes minimal noise but I can't tell if any is from the cpu fan as the case has 2 fans and two disk drives always running."
"I was about to get a different brand of liquid cooler when I read the Maximum PC "Best of the Best" article and they recommended the Noctua as the best air cooler. I've lost count of the number of boxes I've built over the years and the corresponding number of coolers I've installed. I was able install it in no time and immediately noticed that my PC was not only quieter but also ran cooler by about 6 degree Celsius."
Best Interconnects
Just plug a device into the Smart Plug and connect to your Wi-Fi network.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I set this up on my Alexa and the Kasa app in less than 30 minutes start to finish."
"TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug HS100 Review. A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a Smart Plug (HS100) to confirm that the product works with Alexa (Amazon Echo) and provides easy, reliable, secure remote control of plugged-in devices. A Smart Plug contains a microprocessor which can be programmed and controls a power switch which may be monitored using an app. * * *. [...]. How to connect my TP-LINK Smart Plug to my home network via Kasa? If you want to use the Smart Plug with Alexa (Remote Control), setup a TP-LINK (Cloud / P2P registry server) account; and, after receiving an email activation message, login; otherwise, you may Skip setting up an account for just local control. With your iPhone on a local 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, open Kasa and then: (a) plug Smart Plug into an AC outlet; (b) Add Device > SMART PLUG and follow the instructions; (c) which say to go to your iPhone's Wi-Fi settings and connect to the Smart Plug's Wi-Fi network and then return to Kasa; (d) customize your Plug -- with a unique name, etc. ; and (e) connect the Plug to your local Wi-Fi (with or without Remote Control, but Alexa requires Remote Control enabled). To use a Smart Plug with Alexa: A. B. Scroll down Smart Home and near the bottom tap Discover devices (search your Wi-Fi LAN) to add your named Smart Plug, which will then be listed. • Covers both outlets if plugged into bottom outlet; covers upper edge of bottom outlet if plugged into top outlet, making bottom outlet unusable. I searched UL's Online Certifications Directory (database) and found a listing: XACN.E481494 Miscellaneous Controls Operating Control, Smart Plug, Model(s) HS100, HS110 Last Updated on 2016-03-29. The manufacturer stated: "In order to control your Smart Plug remotely, a TP-LINK Cloud Account is required. Your Cloud Account is safe and secured, and remote access to your Smart Plug is controlled solely by you through the Kasa App. Cloud accounts and Cloud servers are an industry standard for Smart Plugs and Smart Home devices." "The Smart Plug does not hand over or transmit any password information to us; It receives Wi-Fi profile information from your phone during setup, in order to connect the Smart Plug to your router." New packaging has UL certification mark, as well as new graphics and description: old "Wi-Fi SMART PLUG" vs. new "Smart Wi-Fi Plug;" old FC and RoHS marks vs. new UL and RoHS marks; model and part number unchanged. The Smart Plugs work with Alexa."
"Go to the TP-LINK support site for full instructions and to the Alexa app if you're using an Echo to control the switches. That menu is accessed in Kasa with this process after the controller is initially set up: From Kasa's home page tap the device name; a screen for that device appears, with selections for Schedule, Away, Timer, an off/on button and at the top right corner an icon that looks like three little sliders."
"In comparison, the Leviton switch was 20 degrees warmer which is warm enough to notice. It works great, but isn't as intuitive as the Leviton switch which allows you to use the upper/lower section to turn it on/off. I found the power to be about 0.5 W when the switch is off or 1.62 W when the switch is on. This was 3 times less power when the switch was off when compared to the Leviton switch (1.86W whether on or off)."
Best Lighting Components
They are pre-paired with the Hue Bridge, which allows you to control smart-bulb-equipped lamps and overhead lights via the Philips Hue App.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Searching Amazon for additional WHITE bulbs that were compatible with the HUE Bridge was confusing and ultimately pointless (and I've never felt like that - they usually have everything). In case you are struggling to find the white wireless bulbs for the HUE Bride, search for Model: 455295 / SKU: 4374300. If you are using with Echo, make sure to create "Groups" and name the groups something simple, like "Living Room"."
"You can either install smart switches, which would in turn control all of the bulbs connected to that switch. First of all, these bulbs are the white spectrum dimmer bulbs in the Hue set. It offers things like bulb grouping (for designating rooms, mainly), time programming (turn the lights on to 25% at 5:30pm, for the cat :3), and location/proximity triggers (when you detect my phone is nearby, turn the lights on. The one thing the app does right is that it offers a master on/off switch for all of your bulbs at the top no matter where you are in it. If the source for the bulb is turned off and then back on, the bulb will behave as a normal lightbulb. There are things that I could envision doing with the Hue switches, color bulbs, motion detectors, voice commands etc."
"I recently decided to see what the whole commotion was in regards to an "Automated Home." It's quick, responsive, pairs with Alexa in no time at all, and the best thing yet; it's almost endlessly upgradable (for the normal sized home, that is.). if you have been throwing the idea of automating your home around, and have a couple houndred dollars lying around (I automated pretty much everything for around $400 which includes the Amazon Dots for a few different rooms), pull the trigger."
Best Decade Boxes
Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I tested this against a calibrated resistance decade box with a calibrated meter."
"Resistance levels were spot on, at every level."
"very good, no problem it all."
"Works really well for occasional use."
"This is a great item to have when prototyping electrical circuits."
"Basically every decade is within 1% precision scale."
Best Passive Components
Antenna reception range is based on a line of sight signal path from the TV broadcast towers to your home. Watch FREE High-Definition TV broadcasts from networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, Univision, CW, PBS and more!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Also bought the 4 Port Cable TV/HDTV/Digital Amplifier Internet Modem Signal Booster Internet AMP for another $26.17, then off to Home Depot for 25 feet of electrical wire, an outlet box, GFCI outlet, and outlet cover. Now I have ALL the local channels over the air (OTA) and Netflix, Amazon Video, and a bunch of other streaming apps on my smart TV if I want them."
"I picked a heading with the most antennas and then averaged the heading from all of the antennas in that general direction. Now a lot of these channels are terrible, but they're also free, so... All in all I'm very happy with my purchase. I pick up all of the major broadcast networks, a few cool random networks, and some junk channels."
"There are a couple of towers a bit farther out (down in the Akron/Canton area- I'm in Northeast Ohio in Chardon). Before I installed this GE antenna in the attic, I tested it on the main floor of the house. On ground level, in the front room, I pointed it out the window toward the broadcast towers and I could not believe the signal I got! I had to move and adjust the antenna to get signals for other channels, but it demonstrated that it's reception was quite good. I hooked it into my antenna's signal amp (it only gives me a 10 dB bump) and went back downstairs to test. Because I have a long cable run from the antenna to the splitter, I need the signal amp. For its size and lightweight design, I was extremely surprised at how much signal this antenna collects. So, my antenna is pointed at approximately 240 degrees in order to receive broadcasts from Cleveland stations. (My antenna is pointed approximately in that direction - WSW - and I'm receiving broadcasts from Cleveland, Akron, and Canton stations). It'll be interesting to see how the performance of the GE 34792 antenna changes as the weather warms up and the trees fill in. Update 2/18/2015 - Channel 33 out of Youngstown is no longer being consistently received (the signal comes and goes). This certainly can be chalked up to atmospheric conditions because the antenna is not pointed toward that broadcast tower. However, with the antenna pointed toward Cleveland and Akron towers, I'm getting rock solid reception. This explains why I was always adjusting the RCA ANT-751, a more directional antenna whose signal reception was more narrow and focused. In fact, it's more in line (west) with Cleveland towers (where the antenna is pointed) than 17 and 23 (which are farther south). So, it appears the solution to grabbing Channel 49 is to simply upgrade my signal amplifier (due to my long cable run from attic to basement). Still, it's nice to know if the signal amplifier stops working, I don't have to run out and purchase a new one right away. Again, the only Cleveland station not received (signal amp disconnected) is 55 (CW Network). Update 12/10/2015 - A rather large fog blanketed the area last Saturday evening. I realize that atmospheric conditions can come into play and this particular change in the weather had me scratching my head."
"paired along with PCT 1-PORT BI-DIRECTIONAL CABLE TV HDTV AMPLIFIER SIGNAL BOOSTER WITH PASSIVE RETURN PATH to get an extra 15DB i crossed my fingers, ordered and shipped to her aunts place. on 12/27 i went over then and pulled her cable line from the splitter, added 25 feet of coax and ran it into the attic over head."
Best Electronic Component Sensors
Cut down on wasteful spending with the help of the Thermal Leak Detector from Black and Decker .The TLD100 is an infrared sensor that finds these leaks along walls, molding, ductwork and more. The Black & Decker thermal leak detector helps you increase the efficiency of your home's insulation by finding leaky areas that can lead to higher heating and cooling bills. Easy-to-Read Color Coding and Screen The thermal leak detector makes it easy to monitor your home's energy efficiency by finding areas that let heat out and cold air in. Cut Energy Bills and Improve Your Home's Efficiency Sealing the leaks and improving insulation in your home can help you save as much as 20 percent on your heating and cooling bills. Sold with a 5-step guide to fixing basic energy leaks and comes with the thermal leak detector.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In fact, I am adding a photo from a $250 thermal camera that works with an iPhone 5 to show an example of insulation failure on a high wall in my house that I would have zero chance of finding with the Black and Decker."
"This thermal detector was an essential tool while we were insulating and sealing our drafty old house in New Orleans. After that he was the first one to grab the thermal detector, and he has since purchased one for himself and expanded his business to include thermal sealing!"
"The final straw before I returned it was when I could feel gusts of cold air in my basement coming out from around a wooden panel board that wasn't doing jack, and this thing was acting exactly like it did every other time, showing a degree or two colder."
"Pros. Measurement field lights up with red when fluctuation is detected. There is also a temperature reading on the detector. You can adjust the temperature fluctuation. battery operated. It is eye opening to see the place were heat/cool is escaping. Cons. You have work to do to get problems corrected."
"The color coding that it uses helps one grasp easily temperature difference around what is being measured."
"Find out if any machine at work has cooling problems from across the room, just by shining the light on each."