–2 month update —

We still use the Makita LXT Blower on a (almost) daily basis. My wife loves to use it to blow off the steps in our garage. It is the useful rechargeable tool we have ever purchased.

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I was somewhat skeptical when I ordered the Makita LXT Blower. I was worried that my 1.5aH battery would not fit or even if it did it wouldn’t power the blower. I was also worried that even at full power that something this small wouldn’t be up to the job – mainly blowing out my garage and cleaning the grass of my sidewalk.

The Answers –

– While the 1.5aH battery is not optimal (although I do have two from my Makita LCT300W 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-Piece Combo Kit set), but it does work well enough. The main issue is that the battery life is about 3-5 minutes on the blower’s highest setting. However, 4 minutes will blow a lot of grass off of your sidewalks).

– Plenty of power – IF you are blowing on smooth surfaces. If you are planning to use this to blow your leaves into a giant pile you will be disappointed.

– Ultra light – less than 5lbs

– Pull-the-trigger easy – this is what really attracted me to the Makita LXT Blower since about 75% of my clean-up jobs are simple and do not require my gas powered blower. It is great to have the option to grab a light-weight blower and have the job done within a couple of minutes.

– The Makita blower can be converted into a vacuum – but the attachment is NOT included. I was puzzled for a few minutes as I looked for the dust collecting attachment. This is my only complaint, why didn’t Makita just include the dust collector?

Final Verdict – I really couldn’t be happier. I may eventually buy a Makita BL1830 18v (3.0ah) Lithium-Ion Battery but until then I will be perfectly happy with my current set-up.

5 Stars

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily

You have a problem. You want to mount your HD television above your fireplace or other remote location, but you can’t (either because of room, cable box placement, or an angry wife) find a way to plug in your other equipment into the HDMI slots. Luckily, for you, there is the Nyrius NAVS500, and while it does have one issue (more on that later) it offers you flexibility with your home entertainment center.

Notes on the device

– The Nyrius NAVS500 allows you to “Untether” your television from the rest of your home entertainment center. Simply plug the device (DVR, Blu-Ray, PS3, Xbox 360, or other HDMI device) into the *Transmitter* and then plug your television into *Receiver* and you are ready to go. The set-up is that easy, in fact, it is easier than hooking up a VCR.

– Quality – The video quality is excellent (true 1080p) with a very minimal delay – less than a second. There is one issue, the audio portion takes about 5-10 seconds to begin (the broadcast is just silent… but it is not out-of-phase). This an be an issue if you are watching broadcast tv- although a DVR can solve part of that problem (it mainly would be an issue if you switching between shows). This delay should not be a noticeable problem with a Blu-ray, PS3, or other device where immediate audio is not needed. For some users this could be a deal killer, but for others it may not even be noticeable.

– Audio and video are in sync. There are no issues where you see lips moving with a delay in the audio.

– What I really like is the flexibility and other possibilities with the Nyrius NAVS500 – with the use of a Ultra High Performance HDMI Switcher, 3to1 Switch you have the ability to run multiple devices into your television. Admittedly, it would be better if the HDMI splitter was integrated into the Nyrius HDMI directly, but external splitters are relatively inexpensive.

– Another possibility is with use of Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Cable, 6 feet you have the ability to connect your Mac directly into your television. This gives you the ability to watch Hulu, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and/or a Monsoon Multimedia 010410VL TV Tuner/Receiver on your television using only your computer (Read – you can possibly eliminate your cable bill).

Final Verdict – The Nyrius NAVS500 offers you significant flexibility with you home entertainment center. There is an issue with the delay in the audio, but for many issues this will not be a concern. If you are looking for a way to isolate your HD TV from the rest of your home entertainment equipment the Nyrius NAVS500 may be the device for you.

4 1/2 Stars

– Please note I received a Nyrius NAVS500 for reviewing purposes—–

Please Note (part 2) – All video, audio and music is used strictly for demonstration purposes only and are intended to educate the viewer on the product’s capability.

Check out the Adventures of The Assistant and Wiggles! It is our animated series featuring the Assistant, her Dog Wiggles, and science experiements! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoLQ9unpi4OHbJtfVcfgDIoyZw75FHF-E #Familyfun #Familyfunforeveryone #Theengineeringfamily