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I see the carpet concern, but honestly the unit has enough airflow that I wouldn’t overthink it. I ran mine on a pretty standard bedroom carpet for a few weeks before moving it to a different spot, and the cooling felt basically the same to me. The feet lift it enough that the carpet pile never seemed to matter.
I’ve had mine sitting in the car since last fall and honestly I think it’s tougher than people give it credit for. We get some pretty extreme heat here in the summer and it’s been through that plus freezing mornings without any visible damage. The masks still fit fine and the plunger moves smooth. I say go for it, just maybe toss it in the trunk or under a seat where it’s not sitting in direct sun all day.
I can see why you’d assume it might come with one, but I think you should just plan on buying a card. I had a similar situation with mine and honestly it worked out better because I got exactly the size I wanted without paying the markup for a bundle. The included cards in these types of cameras are usually pretty small anyway, like just enough to test it out, and for hiking or snorkeling you’re going to want more space than that. Plus, it’s not like the box is missing anything else, the waterproof case and mounts are all there. So the extra cost is just the card, which you’d probably end up buying anyway once you see how fast 4K eats up storage.
The grip and feel are different, that’s for sure. It’s got a bit more heft to it than a standard nozzle, so you can tell you’re holding something that’s meant to do more than just water plants. The trigger is also a lot more responsive, which makes it easier to control the spray when you’re trying to hit a spot on the car without blasting the whole panel.
Ash is one of those things where it works, but you have to be ready to clean the filter right after. I’ve done it a few times and it picks everything up, but that gray dust coats the inside pretty quickly. If you’re okay with tapping the filter out over a trash can, it’s manageable.
I would say don’t expect it to work like a motion sensor that covers the whole yard. I tried mine from about halfway across a small backyard and it did trigger when the dog barked, but there were also times it didn’t seem to react until the dog got a bit closer. The microphone is decent, but the ultrasonic sound itself gets weaker the farther away the dog is, so even if it detects the bark, the effect on the dog is probably not as strong. For a neighbor’s dog that’s moving around, you might end up with it working sometimes and not others. I think it’s better for a spot where the dog tends to stand and bark, rather than expecting it to cover the entire yard.
Weirdly mine has been fine with this exact situation. My roommate and I are within maybe 1.5 kilos of each other and it’s never logged us wrong. I think it uses more than just weight, maybe the body composition readings from the handle scan, because we’re built totally different and it seems to tell us apart. Might just be lucky though.
I can see why the surge protection angle would be the deciding factor for you. That was actually the part I was least sure about too when I got mine. I figured the energy savings were the main selling point and the surge stuff was just there to make the price tag feel more justified.
What I can say from my own experience is that I haven’t had any issues with my appliances during storms since I plugged it in. But honestly, I had a pretty basic surge protector strip before that I used for the important stuff, and I never had problems with that either. So it’s hard for me to say if the StopWatt is actually doing anything for surge protection or if I just haven’t had a big enough surge to really test it.
I live in an area that gets its fair share of summer thunderstorms and we’ve had a few flickers and dips over the months I’ve had it. Nothing has fried or reset unexpectedly, but I can’t say for sure the StopWatt is the reason. It might just be that I got lucky with the weather so far.
If surge protection is your main concern, I’d probably look into a dedicated surge protector too. The StopWatt’s main benefit in my eyes is the stabilization and efficiency part. The surge protection feels more like a bonus that you hope you never actually need to rely on. Hard to know if it’s truly working until you get hit with something serious.
I’ve had mine sitting on a low shelf with stuff around it and it’s been fine. The air blows out the front, so as long as the front is clear it seems to do the job. The cord is definitely not generous, so I’d measure from your outlet before planning a spot.
I remember messing with an old one at a friend’s place and it took some real effort to pull. That’s actually what made me hesitate before getting the AlarmTag. But mine came out way easier when I tried it, enough that I don’t feel like I’d be fumbling around with it if I actually needed it.
I feel like the carpet thing gets exaggerated. I’ve used mine in different spots around the house and honestly the numbers have been pretty stable for me regardless of surface. Maybe a tiny wobble on softer flooring but nothing that would make me think it’s broken.
I mean, the case thing seems pretty irrelevant to me. The way I see it, the card just needs to be paired once and then it does its own thing through the Find My network. It’s not like it’s relying on your phone being in your pocket all day. The whole point is that it pings off other people’s devices when you’re not around.
The power bank thing really depends on how chatty you are. I took mine out for a full museum day with a bunch of stops for coffee and food, and it made it from morning until we got back to the hotel around 9pm. That included a lot of short exchanges, not long conversations, so it was mostly sitting in my pocket between uses. The screen is the thing that drains it, I think, because the battery seemed to drop faster when I kept checking the screen instead of just using the voice function. I didn’t charge it overnight for a couple days and it still had juice left the next morning, which surprised me. That said, I also had a day where I was out in the sun and the screen was on a lot more, and I could feel it getting warmer and the battery dropping noticeably. So maybe carry the power bank if you’re the type to fiddle with it, but for basic talking to people, mine held up fine.
I actually use the mirroring more than the streaming apps when I’m on the road. It worked fine from my phone to a hotel TV, no real lag that I noticed for basic video and photos. The only thing is it seems to depend a lot on whatever Wi-Fi you’re connected to. It handled it better than I expected for the price.
I’m noticing the same thing with mine. The remote works fine if I’m within maybe 8-10 feet, but past that it’s a gamble. I just keep the unit on a lower setting and use the onboard buttons when I’m across the room, which is a bit annoying but not a dealbreaker.
I think it probably depends on the exact chain, mine is a small electric too and it clamped on okay but it felt a bit snug. Not sure if that’s normal or if yours would be the same.
I mean, I wouldn’t go straight to glass with it even on the lowest setting. I tried it on a small window once and it seemed fine, but I still felt like I was pushing my luck.
It does overwrite the oldest clips on its own, so you don’t have to delete anything manually. I’ve had mine a few months and haven’t touched the card once since I put it in. That said, I still format it every couple months just to keep things clean, but it’s not really necessary.
I’ve seen a few people mention it works fine with older wiring, so I’d probably just give it a shot if I were you. Not totally sure how much it really changes things, but seems like it doesn’t hurt to have it plugged in.
I was actually wondering about this too but more for a living room setup. The remote seems like it would be nice but Im not sure how much I trust the quiet operation claim for sleeping.
I’ve wondered the same thing honestly. From what I’ve seen, they can take the edge off but don’t expect it to feel like central air or anything. I think it really comes down to how picky you are about the temperature.
I kind of wonder if it’s overthinking it a bit. If the humidifier already stops the dry throat, the tape seems like an extra step that might not change much for you.
I’d guess the fan speed is the main factor since the motor for oscillation is pretty small. I run mine on medium without oscillation and it lasts maybe 5-6 hours, which is enough for me.
I mean, it’s just a cloth, not some harsh chemical. Single stage paint isn’t that fragile. I’d just try it and not overthink it.
I think it really depends on what you’re expecting from it. The CoolCove might help take the edge off if you point it right at yourself, but it’s not going to warm up the whole room if there’s a draft constantly coming in. I’ve seen people say it works okay as a personal heater, just not as a room-wide fix. Not totally sure it’s worth it if you’re hoping to fight a leaky window or door.
I haven’t noticed much softening on mine, but I also tend to only use it with cold water so maybe that helps. Still seals fine when I toss it in my bag though.
Honestly, I just stuff mine in the closet with the rest of the pillows and it squishes down fine. The wings aren’t stiff enough to get in the way or anything. Doesn’t seem like a big deal either way.
I’ve seen a few people mention that. I mostly stick to music and podcasts so I never really tested video through mine. Probably just a minor quirk with wireless streaming.