The one issue with my Sony A 7II is that the 28-70mm lens is slow, shooting at the equivalent of F 3.5 to 5.6. In indoor light, some lighting enhancement is desirable. And in outdoor situations where bright sun and objects create half-shaded faces and scenes, some fill-in light would be useful. Enter the Neewer® NW320 TTL LCD Display LED-Assistive Preview Focus flash Speedlite for the Sony A 7II. It fits onto the camera's hotshoe and operates with TTL (Through the Lens) logic, adjusting camera settings for the amount of light, leaving you with a nearly perfectly exposed shot, most of the time.
The Neewer NW320 is only rated at 32, which is a modestly powered unit (compare speedlites at up to 180 or more), but it is great for portraits, small groups, museum objects, plants, flowers in the shade, and so forth. The light power is great up to about 8 feet.
For the entry-level price, this unit is great for those who want to experiment with an on-camera flash before committing to a $400 one. The flash head tilts up and includes a diffuser for adjusting results.
Four Stars
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Oxygenics PowerMassage Model 88446 Showerhead Review
Description
The Oxygenics PowerMassage Model 88446 Showerhead provides five spray patterns, all of which offer robust sprays. The company claims that its "dual Oxygenics Engine" creates the impression of greater spray pressure than standard design showerheads. There would appear to be some credibility to this claim since the 88446 uses only 1.75 gallons per minute, far less that the "water saver" showerheads that use 2.5 gallons per minute.
Installation
Oxygenics also gets bonus points not only for printing easy installation instructions on the box, but for including Teflon tape as a needed item in the parts. Labels on both ends of the connecting hose ensure that the correct connections will be made. Installation is simple, easy, and straightforward. However, if you have problems, there is support through a Web site, an email contact, and an 800 toll-free telephone line. There is also a QR code on the box, promising video of the spray patterns and features.
All the needed installation parts were included in the box. If your old showerhead is stuck on tightly, or if the threads on the pipe are seriously stuck with teflon tape, you might need some slip joint pliers and an awl (to help dig out the old tape). Otherwise, the installation is a hands-only, fifteen-minute job.
Performance
The five spray patterns are well chosen: multi, wide stream, focused stream, flood, and massage. The selector handle turns easily but gives a solid feel to the head. The water sprays with plenty of energy, feeling at least like a 2.5 gallon-per-minute head. The head works well, as advertised, and adjusts easily.
Cons
The only quibbles we could discern are: (1) The hose connecting the faucet to the showerhead is very stiff. This five-foot hose needs to be worked with so that it doesn't stick out sideways from the wall. It might be that after a sufficient amount of hot showers flow through, the hose will soften and relax. Meanwhile, some bending is needed to help out. (2) The proprietary "pressure chamber" that mixes the water and air together drains when you turn off the shower in the same way those outdoor hose bib anti-siphon valves drain when you turn off the hose.
Bottom Line
Showerheads grow increasingly fancy with multiple spray patterns (I saw one at the store boasting 35 patterns) and various features. Some heads are huge, approaching ten inches in diameter. A few are metal and quite heavy. The Oxygenics PowerMassage Model 88446 is made of a sturdy plastic with a beautiful brushed nickel finish. It's light enough for anyone to handle easily. It works very well.
Highly Recommended. Five Stars *****.
The Oxygenics PowerMassage Model 88446 Showerhead provides five spray patterns, all of which offer robust sprays. The company claims that its "dual Oxygenics Engine" creates the impression of greater spray pressure than standard design showerheads. There would appear to be some credibility to this claim since the 88446 uses only 1.75 gallons per minute, far less that the "water saver" showerheads that use 2.5 gallons per minute.
Installation
Oxygenics also gets bonus points not only for printing easy installation instructions on the box, but for including Teflon tape as a needed item in the parts. Labels on both ends of the connecting hose ensure that the correct connections will be made. Installation is simple, easy, and straightforward. However, if you have problems, there is support through a Web site, an email contact, and an 800 toll-free telephone line. There is also a QR code on the box, promising video of the spray patterns and features.
All the needed installation parts were included in the box. If your old showerhead is stuck on tightly, or if the threads on the pipe are seriously stuck with teflon tape, you might need some slip joint pliers and an awl (to help dig out the old tape). Otherwise, the installation is a hands-only, fifteen-minute job.
Performance
The five spray patterns are well chosen: multi, wide stream, focused stream, flood, and massage. The selector handle turns easily but gives a solid feel to the head. The water sprays with plenty of energy, feeling at least like a 2.5 gallon-per-minute head. The head works well, as advertised, and adjusts easily.
Cons
The only quibbles we could discern are: (1) The hose connecting the faucet to the showerhead is very stiff. This five-foot hose needs to be worked with so that it doesn't stick out sideways from the wall. It might be that after a sufficient amount of hot showers flow through, the hose will soften and relax. Meanwhile, some bending is needed to help out. (2) The proprietary "pressure chamber" that mixes the water and air together drains when you turn off the shower in the same way those outdoor hose bib anti-siphon valves drain when you turn off the hose.
Bottom Line
Showerheads grow increasingly fancy with multiple spray patterns (I saw one at the store boasting 35 patterns) and various features. Some heads are huge, approaching ten inches in diameter. A few are metal and quite heavy. The Oxygenics PowerMassage Model 88446 is made of a sturdy plastic with a beautiful brushed nickel finish. It's light enough for anyone to handle easily. It works very well.
Highly Recommended. Five Stars *****.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector Review
The Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector is an excellent tool, and I haven't even tried it for its designated use yet. The TLD100 s positioned as an air leak locator, finding temperature irregularities that signal heating or cooling leaks.
In actuality, the TLD100 is an infrared thermometer. It can read the surface temperature of objects in a range from minus 22 to 302 degrees Fahrenheit, from a few inches to four or more feet away. Understanding this, you can see the versatility.
1. Say you microwave some leftovers for thirty seconds or a minute. Did they get hot enough? All over? I nuked some refrigerated casserole for six minutes. The TLD100 reported that the food had reached only 115 degrees. So I rezapped it for a couple more minutes and the TLD100 said it had reached 165, which is perfect.
2. I bought the TLD100 as an adjunct in locating a water leak. Yes, I realize that this is "off label," but think about this. I might be able to locate, say, the hot water pipe under the slab by noting floor temperature differentials. The unit is designed to compare questioned area temperatures with reference temperatures.
3. Open the fridge or the freezer and check their temperature.
4. Is the parking lot or the beach sand too hot to walk on in bare feet? Check the temp with the TLD100 and find out.
5. How cool is the air coming from your air conditioning vent? Measure the surface temp of the vent as a proxy.
6. How hot is the air coming from your heater vent?
7. Maybe measure the surface temp of your pool water. Bathtub water?
8. You can even use it for its intended purpose!!!
Bottom line: At the reasonable price it sells for, I recommend getting one of these TLD100 Thermal Leak Detectors. If you have kids, you could teach them about temperature and various surfaces. (Plants will have a lower temp than asphalt, for example.)
In actuality, the TLD100 is an infrared thermometer. It can read the surface temperature of objects in a range from minus 22 to 302 degrees Fahrenheit, from a few inches to four or more feet away. Understanding this, you can see the versatility.
1. Say you microwave some leftovers for thirty seconds or a minute. Did they get hot enough? All over? I nuked some refrigerated casserole for six minutes. The TLD100 reported that the food had reached only 115 degrees. So I rezapped it for a couple more minutes and the TLD100 said it had reached 165, which is perfect.
2. I bought the TLD100 as an adjunct in locating a water leak. Yes, I realize that this is "off label," but think about this. I might be able to locate, say, the hot water pipe under the slab by noting floor temperature differentials. The unit is designed to compare questioned area temperatures with reference temperatures.
3. Open the fridge or the freezer and check their temperature.
4. Is the parking lot or the beach sand too hot to walk on in bare feet? Check the temp with the TLD100 and find out.
5. How cool is the air coming from your air conditioning vent? Measure the surface temp of the vent as a proxy.
6. How hot is the air coming from your heater vent?
7. Maybe measure the surface temp of your pool water. Bathtub water?
8. You can even use it for its intended purpose!!!
Bottom line: At the reasonable price it sells for, I recommend getting one of these TLD100 Thermal Leak Detectors. If you have kids, you could teach them about temperature and various surfaces. (Plants will have a lower temp than asphalt, for example.)
Saturday, August 27, 2016
(Almost) Always Save the Screws
When you buy a new door knob, hinge, switch, wall outlet, or other hardware item that includes screws, always save the old ones. (The only exception might be if the screw heads are slotted and filled with paint and the screw is a common one.
Why? Have you priced screws recently? And have you tried to find exactly the screw you need that fits some arcane or 50-year-old item? I even take the wiring screws out of old outlets, since you never know when you might need one, and such an unusual, stubby screw would probably cost a dollar or two at the hardware store. I've found that those "screw assortments" have none of the commonly used screws in appliance or electrical repair.
I just installed an outdoor cover for a GFCI and the accompanying screws did not fit--too long. I had to scavenge the screws from a wall plate cover because I didn't have any spares.
You'll end up, of course, with a jar filled with an amalgam of miscellaneous screws, but think of the pleasure of fishing through it sometime in the future and finding just what you need.
Why? Have you priced screws recently? And have you tried to find exactly the screw you need that fits some arcane or 50-year-old item? I even take the wiring screws out of old outlets, since you never know when you might need one, and such an unusual, stubby screw would probably cost a dollar or two at the hardware store. I've found that those "screw assortments" have none of the commonly used screws in appliance or electrical repair.
I just installed an outdoor cover for a GFCI and the accompanying screws did not fit--too long. I had to scavenge the screws from a wall plate cover because I didn't have any spares.
You'll end up, of course, with a jar filled with an amalgam of miscellaneous screws, but think of the pleasure of fishing through it sometime in the future and finding just what you need.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Air Conditioner Manufacturers Ranked
In the continuing saga of choosing the best, most reliable central air conditioner brand, after looking at what appeared to be nonrepesentative reviews (every brand I looked at was rated one star out of five), I decided to find some overall rankings.
And now it's time for some more cautions.
1. If you search on "best central air conditioners," you'll get lists and reviews of the fanciest, most feature laden, and expensive units made. "Best" here doesn't necessarily mean "most reliable" or even "highest quality."
Here's a list of "best" air conditioning systems.
1. Lennox
2. Frigidaire
3. Trane
4. American Standard
5. Carrier
6. Bryant
7. Coleman
8. Another Carrier
9. Amana
10. Goodman
Now, here are the rankings by an air conditioning contractor, who has field experience with all these brands:
1. Day and Night
2. Goodman
3. Carrier
4. Mitsubishi ductless split
5. Bryant
6. Amana (lowered simply because it is the higher priced Goodman, which makes Amana)
7. York
8. Trane
9. Rheem (not recommended)
10. Lennox (not recommended
And here the top three and bottom three from a famous consumer magazine:
1. American Standard
2. Rheem
3. Trane
. . /
8. Amana
9. Goodman
10. York
And here from an anonymous YouTube posting (that repeatedly spells "category" as "catagory"):
Best
1.Carrier
2. Byant
3. Payne
4. ICP
. . .
7. Day and Night
. . .
9. Goodman
10. Rheem
11. Ruud
12. Trane
13. American Standard
14. Amana
Worst
. . .
3. Lennox
Since no reasons are given for the rankings and since we don't know who has posted this or why, such a list is essentially useless, except for me to point out that anonymous ranking lists are useless.
Bottom line: There are dozens of brands made by a handful of manufacturers all using parts made by the same suppliers. It's just like automobile manufacturing. Of course, there are differences. If you are in the market, see the next entry for what to look for when you shop. Oh, I almost forgot. The bottom line is to choose an honest, reliable, knowledgeable installer. Watch a few YouTube videos about A/C installations, good and bad. Reliability of your air conditioning system is directly connected to the how properly it was installed.
And now it's time for some more cautions.
1. If you search on "best central air conditioners," you'll get lists and reviews of the fanciest, most feature laden, and expensive units made. "Best" here doesn't necessarily mean "most reliable" or even "highest quality."
Here's a list of "best" air conditioning systems.
1. Lennox
2. Frigidaire
3. Trane
4. American Standard
5. Carrier
6. Bryant
7. Coleman
8. Another Carrier
9. Amana
10. Goodman
Now, here are the rankings by an air conditioning contractor, who has field experience with all these brands:
1. Day and Night
2. Goodman
3. Carrier
4. Mitsubishi ductless split
5. Bryant
6. Amana (lowered simply because it is the higher priced Goodman, which makes Amana)
7. York
8. Trane
9. Rheem (not recommended)
10. Lennox (not recommended
And here the top three and bottom three from a famous consumer magazine:
1. American Standard
2. Rheem
3. Trane
. . /
8. Amana
9. Goodman
10. York
And here from an anonymous YouTube posting (that repeatedly spells "category" as "catagory"):
Best
1.Carrier
2. Byant
3. Payne
4. ICP
. . .
7. Day and Night
. . .
9. Goodman
10. Rheem
11. Ruud
12. Trane
13. American Standard
14. Amana
Worst
. . .
3. Lennox
Since no reasons are given for the rankings and since we don't know who has posted this or why, such a list is essentially useless, except for me to point out that anonymous ranking lists are useless.
Bottom line: There are dozens of brands made by a handful of manufacturers all using parts made by the same suppliers. It's just like automobile manufacturing. Of course, there are differences. If you are in the market, see the next entry for what to look for when you shop. Oh, I almost forgot. The bottom line is to choose an honest, reliable, knowledgeable installer. Watch a few YouTube videos about A/C installations, good and bad. Reliability of your air conditioning system is directly connected to the how properly it was installed.
Air Conditioning Brands--A Cautionary Tale
So you want to choose the highest quality, most reliable new central air conditioning system for your home? Why not look at the reviews? Well, here are some cautions.
1. First, reviews can be faked. Review sites try to reduce the fakery, but it's difficult. Amazon distinguishes between "verified customer" and not verified. Just remember, an unhappy owner can post more than one negative review out of spite, a company across town can abuse a brand the competition uses, even a regional wholesaler might get into the act.
2. Second, and this is the most telling, unhappy customers are much more likely to post negative reviews than happy customers are likely to post positive reviews. We are a society that lives inside a culture of complaint. There is a bias toward criticism. And with air conditioning in particular, disgruntled customers are especially angry--because they are hot and miserable. (I talked to an A/C repairman once who told me it was not uncommon to be greeted on a house call by an angry customer who blamed him for the unit's failure.
To return to selecting the best air conditioner brand, here is a classic example. I wondered what the reviews were like for various brands, and hoped to pick out the best. So, I go to an evaluation site and pick Trane, a well-known brand.
Trane: (61 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: "This is the biggest [piece of junk] I have ever owned in my life."
So I think, that's not good. Let's try Lennox, a popular brand at warehouse stores and hardware stores.
Lennox: (38 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: ". . . unit goes bad . . . class action lawsuit. . . ."
So I think, that's not what I was expecting. What about Carrier? They are a very old, experienced, reputable company, right?
Carrier: (81 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: ". . . service calls every year for the last three years. . . . Carrier's quality has gone way down."
Well, that brand sounds risky. How about Goodman?
Goodman:(63 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: ". . . total system failure . . . very, very low quality."
Now, I'm beginning to get suspicious. This brings us to the next caution.
3. Manufacturers don't deliberately junk. I don't think I'm being a Pollyanna here. Manufacturers want to (a) stay in business (b) make a profit (c) have a good reputation and more sales by word of mouth. It is self defeating to build junk. Even if you're cynical, can you believe that all of the manufacturers above are "one-star" companies? If one or two were rated one star while others were rated three, four, or five stars, that would be more plausible. But all of them one star?
4. Individual experiences get generalized. This is the logical fallacy of hasty generalization. "I bought a Brand X air conditioner and it was no good; therefore, all Brand X air conditioners are no good." Remember the "your mileage may vary" warning? Same here. Your experience may be unusual. If the company that installed your system did a poor job, you're likely to experience a poor air conditioner.
See the next posting for some comparisons of A/C brands.
1. First, reviews can be faked. Review sites try to reduce the fakery, but it's difficult. Amazon distinguishes between "verified customer" and not verified. Just remember, an unhappy owner can post more than one negative review out of spite, a company across town can abuse a brand the competition uses, even a regional wholesaler might get into the act.
2. Second, and this is the most telling, unhappy customers are much more likely to post negative reviews than happy customers are likely to post positive reviews. We are a society that lives inside a culture of complaint. There is a bias toward criticism. And with air conditioning in particular, disgruntled customers are especially angry--because they are hot and miserable. (I talked to an A/C repairman once who told me it was not uncommon to be greeted on a house call by an angry customer who blamed him for the unit's failure.
To return to selecting the best air conditioner brand, here is a classic example. I wondered what the reviews were like for various brands, and hoped to pick out the best. So, I go to an evaluation site and pick Trane, a well-known brand.
Trane: (61 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: "This is the biggest [piece of junk] I have ever owned in my life."
So I think, that's not good. Let's try Lennox, a popular brand at warehouse stores and hardware stores.
Lennox: (38 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: ". . . unit goes bad . . . class action lawsuit. . . ."
So I think, that's not what I was expecting. What about Carrier? They are a very old, experienced, reputable company, right?
Carrier: (81 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: ". . . service calls every year for the last three years. . . . Carrier's quality has gone way down."
Well, that brand sounds risky. How about Goodman?
Goodman:(63 ratings) One star out of five. Sample review excerpt: ". . . total system failure . . . very, very low quality."
Now, I'm beginning to get suspicious. This brings us to the next caution.
3. Manufacturers don't deliberately junk. I don't think I'm being a Pollyanna here. Manufacturers want to (a) stay in business (b) make a profit (c) have a good reputation and more sales by word of mouth. It is self defeating to build junk. Even if you're cynical, can you believe that all of the manufacturers above are "one-star" companies? If one or two were rated one star while others were rated three, four, or five stars, that would be more plausible. But all of them one star?
4. Individual experiences get generalized. This is the logical fallacy of hasty generalization. "I bought a Brand X air conditioner and it was no good; therefore, all Brand X air conditioners are no good." Remember the "your mileage may vary" warning? Same here. Your experience may be unusual. If the company that installed your system did a poor job, you're likely to experience a poor air conditioner.
See the next posting for some comparisons of A/C brands.
Monday, July 4, 2016
How I Chose an Air Conditioning Contractor
Circumstances have occurred that make it necessary to replace my central air conditioning and heating equipment. Both the condenser and the heater are 18 years old. So I called some HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) contractors. I found them by using reference lists (Angie's List, Yelp, Google) and I also located a couple from ads in the newspaper. Here are the results.
Newspaper ad for Contractor A said I could get "up to $6500 off" a new system. It didn't say what the system was or what the final price would be. I looked up the brand of AC system the company mentioned in the ad and learned that it has an aluminum condenser coil. Fixing leaks on aluminum coiols is expensive (one reviewer said it cost him $1000 to have a leak fixed). Yelp was not very helpful because it had many five-star reviews (mostly about service calls rather than installaions) and many one-star reviews, some of which the contractor had responded to by saying they are fake. One person said he was quoted $17,000 for a new system installation.
Contractor B's newspaper ad promised a super special price. However, their Better Business Bureau rating was D minus because of unresolved disputes.
Contractor C gave me an estimate over the phone after a one-minute explanation of what I thought I needed. I wondered if that was one of those "slam it and cram it, fill it and bill it" contractors.
Contractor D came out and had his assistant look at the existing furnace in the attic. He measured the access hole to the attic to make sure the equipment would fit. I asked what brand he installed an and he said Tempstar. I had never heard of that brand. Looking at the reviews on furnacecompare.com, I noted that they were, like many others, almost equally divided between one star and five stars. Contractor D gave me a price more than triple the lowest price. It was a hot day and he had said he could use 40 more employees to take care of all the calls. That made me think that he was giving me a price that would really make it worth his while if I accepted, and if I didn't, he had all the other business anyway. He also said that the price he quoted was "without permits," and that it was up to me whether or not I got one, even though they are required. He said an air conditioner permit would be $1000. I attempted later to find out online what the permit fee will be. It seemed from what I could tell that it would be under $100. We will see.
Contractor E didn't specify any equipment, only a price, which was only slightly below Contractor D.
Contractor F came out and looked over the situation, including a look in the attic. He gave me three options, a good, better, and best, with increasingly more elaborate equipment, each with prices broken down by condenser and furnace. This contractor installs Goodman and Amana, the latter of which was in his proposal. Ratings and reviews on both are the same as the other brands: half one star and half five star. Contractor F has all kinds of certifications and so on. The company is rated A by the BBB (not A+ because of one complaint in the last three years).
So which did I choose?
I chose Contractor F for several reasons:
1. Three contractors and four Web sites all said that for reliability, proper installation is more important than the actual brand because much of the equipment is the same or very similar. This contractor knows what he is doing and has trained his installers to know how to do it right.
2. Amana has an excellent warranty.
3. Amana condenser units (in the ASX16 series) include high and low pressure cut out switches which help protect the unit.
4. The price was competitive.
Bottom line take away: Find a contractor who will give you detailed hardware descriptions and detailed prices, preferably with options.
Newspaper ad for Contractor A said I could get "up to $6500 off" a new system. It didn't say what the system was or what the final price would be. I looked up the brand of AC system the company mentioned in the ad and learned that it has an aluminum condenser coil. Fixing leaks on aluminum coiols is expensive (one reviewer said it cost him $1000 to have a leak fixed). Yelp was not very helpful because it had many five-star reviews (mostly about service calls rather than installaions) and many one-star reviews, some of which the contractor had responded to by saying they are fake. One person said he was quoted $17,000 for a new system installation.
Contractor B's newspaper ad promised a super special price. However, their Better Business Bureau rating was D minus because of unresolved disputes.
Contractor C gave me an estimate over the phone after a one-minute explanation of what I thought I needed. I wondered if that was one of those "slam it and cram it, fill it and bill it" contractors.
Contractor D came out and had his assistant look at the existing furnace in the attic. He measured the access hole to the attic to make sure the equipment would fit. I asked what brand he installed an and he said Tempstar. I had never heard of that brand. Looking at the reviews on furnacecompare.com, I noted that they were, like many others, almost equally divided between one star and five stars. Contractor D gave me a price more than triple the lowest price. It was a hot day and he had said he could use 40 more employees to take care of all the calls. That made me think that he was giving me a price that would really make it worth his while if I accepted, and if I didn't, he had all the other business anyway. He also said that the price he quoted was "without permits," and that it was up to me whether or not I got one, even though they are required. He said an air conditioner permit would be $1000. I attempted later to find out online what the permit fee will be. It seemed from what I could tell that it would be under $100. We will see.
Contractor E didn't specify any equipment, only a price, which was only slightly below Contractor D.
Contractor F came out and looked over the situation, including a look in the attic. He gave me three options, a good, better, and best, with increasingly more elaborate equipment, each with prices broken down by condenser and furnace. This contractor installs Goodman and Amana, the latter of which was in his proposal. Ratings and reviews on both are the same as the other brands: half one star and half five star. Contractor F has all kinds of certifications and so on. The company is rated A by the BBB (not A+ because of one complaint in the last three years).
So which did I choose?
I chose Contractor F for several reasons:
1. Three contractors and four Web sites all said that for reliability, proper installation is more important than the actual brand because much of the equipment is the same or very similar. This contractor knows what he is doing and has trained his installers to know how to do it right.
2. Amana has an excellent warranty.
3. Amana condenser units (in the ASX16 series) include high and low pressure cut out switches which help protect the unit.
4. The price was competitive.
Bottom line take away: Find a contractor who will give you detailed hardware descriptions and detailed prices, preferably with options.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)