I provide honest ratings and reviews on tech, toys, and consumer home goods that I've purchased and used. Reviews are based on hands-on testing and personal observations. All opinions and comments are my own.
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Takeaway: My first laser session: June 30th, 2016. Follow me on my 6 month journey to see if I can get my hair to grow back in thicker and stronger.
Takeaway: Not bad as an MP3 player/FM radio, but poor screen resolution for videos/photos. The MP4 player includes a micro USB cable and a set of headphones. The player is made of a brushed aluminum shell and has a 1.75" diagonal LCD, but note that the screen is not a touch screen. On the right hand side of the player, there is a slot for loading a microSD card, but the unit also has 16 gb of built-in storage and a card is not required. Along the bottom is a microUSB charging port, the microphone, and the headphone port.
To turn the player on, press and hold the center play/pause button. The menu displays a list of options that you scroll left and right through. Note that the controls are a click wheel and not a touch sensitive scroll wheel. To select an option click the menu key in the top left corner of the control wheel. In Music mode press the up and down keys to adjust the volume and then the Menu key to accept the setting. The included headphones are not that great, so I recommend using your own set. Once you use a decent set of headphones the music quality is pretty good. Loading music to the player is easy using the included cable and you simply drop all the files into the root folder.
To exit out of a mode press and hold the menu key or use the back key in the top right corner of the controls. In video mode this player only supports AMV files, so you'll likely have to convert any files to get them to player on this player. The screen is awfully tiny, and the colors are somewhat washed out with fairly low resolution. There is a voice recorder on this unit and I recommend that if you do use it, to set the recording type to 256 kbps for better sounding quality. You'll have to go to a separate menu option to listen to the recordings. The radio mode functions and picks up a lot of stations in my area. The photo mode is as expected for such a tiny screen and the contrast will change depending on your viewing angle. In e-book mode you can read text files but not word documents, pdfs, or ebook formats. LAstly, there is a game mode with 1 game "Boxman."
Overall, for an inexpensive unit, it works as an MP3 player and portable radio. I wouldn't recommend it if you primarily want to view photos, videos and e-books. With 8 GB of storage and also the option to add an SD card up to 32 gb, you can also use it as a portable drive and card reader.
Takeaway: Fits 16" or 24" studs, sturdy bar, multiple pull up grips, install can be done by one person. This set includes a paper mounting template, installation instructions, 2 support brackets, the pull up bar, and a bag of hardware that contains: 6 lag bolts, 6 flat washers, an Allen wrench, 2 Allen bolts and 2 curved washers. The bar measures 41.5" from end to end with a curved section in the middle and downward sloping ends. The bar is wrapped in a firm neoprene foam that feels dense and has a soft non-slip texture. The support brackets also have two parallel bars for neutral grip pull ups.
For installation, you'll also need a pencil, a level, a tape measure, power drill, 5/16" drill bit, 17mm socket wrench, tape, and stud finder which are not included. First, you'll need to determine whether your studs are spaced every 16" or every 24". If your studs are spaced 16" apart, the brackets will curve inward towards each other, if they are 24" the brackets will curve outwards away from each other. Mark the center of each stud at the height you want to install the bar. Loosely attach the pull up bar to the two support brackets using the Allen wrench and curved washers. For this assembly, you want the curved side of the washers to face the brackets, away from the screw head. If you installed the bars in the wrong orientation (e.g. 16" vs 24"), rotate them both 180 degrees and they will be in the correct width. When assembled the parallel grip spacing should be 20" allowing you to targets lats, rhomboids, and traps.
The template lets you easily mark where to drill the holes for the lag bolts. I recommend pushing a sharp bit through the paper to mark the holes rather than drilling through the template itself, that way you can use the template again if you move the bar. Make sure to set the bar indicator line on the template to your desired height; the bar should be about 7' from the floor, more or less depending on what's comfortable for you and your ceiling height. You'll want 14-18" of clearance to the ceiling. Pre-drill the 6 holes to a depth of 3" using a 5/16" bit. Attach the support bars to the wall using the 6 lag bolts and washers. This was a bit tricky because it was awkward to hold the whole assembly up with one hand while trying to fit the bolt in the hole with the other. Having a second person hold the bar for you would be helpful here. Finally, tighten the Allen bolts on the pull up bar and check your level. Make sure the bar is secure before you attempt to use it.
The pull up bar was pretty easy to install (about 30 minutes) and comfortable to use. It feels strong and sturdy. The black paint will help the metal resist rust and corrosion, however, I don't recommend installing this bar for outdoor use. I think the grips would get moldy and if the paint chips the unit will likely rust. Overall, the construction is solid and the setup straightforward with well-written, easy to follow instructions. This bar is a great addition to my home gym and provides me with a variety of options for upper body strength training (standard grip, wide grip, neutral grip, chin ups).
