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: Durable all-metal locks, easy to change the combination, smooth rolling tumblers. You'll receive a pair of identical TSA007 combination padlocks and an instruction sheet. The lock is solidly made from an all-metal housing and shackle and weighs about 2 ounces. The standard tumbler allows the TSA to open it with a special key to inspect your luggage without cutting/breaking non-compliant locks off. I've made the switch to TSA locks as the last time I was using an older suitcase with a built-in zipper lock, and they literally cut the zippers off my bag (even though they didn't have to) rendering it useless for future travel. Not only did I have to get a new suitcase, but I made sure to get these compliant locks to go with it.
The initial combination code for the locks ‘0000.' The numbers each roll smoothly and gently 'click' into place. To change it, pull on the shackle to open it, turn it 90 degrees towards you and press down until it clicks. Then just turn the tumblers until your desired code is lined up on the side with the little arrow and re-lock the shackle. These locks are light duty but enough to keep the zippers on your bag from opening, preventing easy access theft. However, note that these probably won't hold up to a bolt cutter or a hammer if your entire bag gets stolen.
Takeaway: Fun and easy to fly, great balance, durable, RC car option. The drone comes with 4 replacement rotor blades, a remote control, 2 batteries, USB charing cable, a power adapter, mini screwdriver and instruction manual. The drone is made of a lightweight plastic and weighs only 4 oz with the battery installed. The rotors do not have blade guards on this unit. There are 4 foam wheels which makes the landings on this quadcopter pretty soft and it can also be driven like a car. There are two models of this drone: one with a 2.0 MP camera and one without. The camera is mounted in front and angled slightly downward and can take still photos and video. The version with a camera comes pre-installed with a 4GB microSD card. Be sure to charge the batteries before first use, which takes 20-30 minutes. Each battery will last 6-8 minutes of flight time. While the battery is charging, there will be no indicator light on the USB charger, but when the battery is full, a red LED light will illuminate.
The remote control requires 4 AA Batteries which are not included. Use the included screwdriver to access the battery bay on both the remote and the drone. When the drone is grounded, the left joystick (rudder) will act as the control for the car. The other buttons on the controller can adjust trim, take photo/video, change the acceleration speed (short press left-shoulder), turn on/off the LEDs (long press left-shoulder), and activate 3D flip mode (right shoulder button).
To bind the drone to the remote, turn the drone on and set it on a flat level surface. Make sure the throttle is all the way down, then switch on the remote. You'll here the remote beep and the light on the remote will be flashing. Calibrate the remote by pressing the throttle all the way forward and then bringing it all the way back. Then it's all ready to go. While on the ground, you can drive around using the rudder. I found that the foam wheels don't grip rough terrains well, and it seems kind of sluggish on asphalt and pavement. On smooth hardwood floors, however, it moved much faster.
Lift off and hovering with this drone is smooth and easy to control. I was actually impressed with how stable this drone is compared with others that I've used in its class. The drone's flight and balance were quite good and this drone would make for a great starter drone for folks new to drone flying. The camera quality is as expected for only being 2.0 MP. It's a bit grainy and at times choppy with the occasional refresh rate blur, but it's still fun to watch the videos after your flight. The only thing to note here is that the video can only be activated when the drone is in flight. You can't start a video when the drone is grounded. A 3 minute video takes up about 500 MB. The unit does record audio, but mostly you get the sound of the rotors. Keep in mind that you don't get a card reader with this unit, so you'll need to supply your own way of getting the images and video off the card. Overall, this drone is fun and easy to fly. It's well-balanced and it seems to take hard landings pretty well.
