| 
 enlarge
| Brand: Black & Decker
Category: Home Improvement
List Price: $168.00
Buy New: $82.00
You Save: $86.00 (51%)
New (9) from $82.00
Rating:  76 reviews
Sales Rank: 6859
Media: Tools & Hardware
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries: 4
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 13.3
Dimensions (in): 14.2 x 14 x 9.5
MPN: SS925
Model: SS925
UPC: 028877526751
EAN: 0028877526751
ASIN: B000B8GBCC
Release Date: September 15, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Just in case! January 15, 2006
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
I gave this Storm Station to my parents as a gift. They are very pleased with it. It is plugged in and ready if needed. The light makes it very easy to find in the dark, and it is charged and ready. I plan on purchasing one of these for my husband and myself, as we are in a tonado area and it would really be nice to have.
Don't get caught in the dark December 26, 2005
113 out of 135 found this review helpful
Call me "preparedness girl." Because of my family situation over the last years I have become, if not obsessed with preparing for problems and disasters, then at least highly concerned. And over the last years I have been forced to deal with more than my share of power failures. So when I saw this item advertised on television I decided that if it did half of what it promised it'd still be a good thing to have in the house. As it turns out, it does everything as promised.
I won't say that it will give you a lot of power, but it does give you light enough to work by, will power small appliances such as a home phone, and has a recharging outlet for things like cell phones. It also provides a radio with several useful bands as well as standard AM/FM ones. this makes it an all-around great item to have standing by if you live in an area where storms can knock out your power for several hours or even a day. The charge won't last forever, so if you're in a place where outages can be long-term, this is more like a band-aid. But it's a pretty nice one. Seems sturdy, and provides a detachable flashlight that's handy to have around all the time, not just during outages. You always know where to find it and that it'll work for you. Provided you've remembered to put it back on the unit!
As a sidebar here, I'd like to suggest two things that might make this item even more useful: First, get a hand-cranked radio just for entertainment purposes. Don't waste the charge on this if you think the power outage is going to be long-term. Second, always have a good, basic telephone on hand somewhere. Just one that will run on the current provided by the phone line. Again, why waste the charge on this unit just for a phone? Let this be part of your lifeline for emergencies and use it wisely.
Great for when the lights go out! December 26, 2005
42 out of 42 found this review helpful
One of the previous reviewers misunderstood the directions for the Storm Station. The Storm Station is designed to be left plugged in.
The confusion comes from the directions themselves. Here is what they say: NOTE: AFTER THE MAIN BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, SWITCH THE MAIN POWER SWITCH TO THE OFF POSITION AND REMOVE THE AC ADAPTOR IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO USE THE STORM STATION RIGHT AWAY. ALWAYS REMOVE THE AC ADAPTOR DURING STORAGE, TRANSPORTATION OR DURING PERIODS WHEN IT IS NOT BEING USED.
Apparently, though, that means that you should only unplug it if you don't want to use it as a backup power source (i.e. if you are simply storing it or transporting it).
A better clarification comes from the Black and Decker Web Page itself: To be prepared for a power outage, keep the Storm Station plugged into an electrical outlet to maintain 100 percent of its charge. That way when the power goes out the Storm Station will have all of its battery power to help you during a power outage.
So leave it plugged in! I got mine on Christmas Eve and we had a power outage on Christmas at 10pm. The kids were scared, and I simply grabbed the Storm Station (the Find Me Light had already activated), turned on the High Powered Room Light, lit a kerosene lantern, turned off the High Powered Room Light, and charged my cell phone. We used the rechargeable flashlight as well (the other flashlight by our bed died within 5 minutes). I then called the power company to report the outage. After the power came on an hour later, I plugged the Storm Station back in. I'm going to keep it plugged in and rely on it again!
I'm very happy with the Black and Decker Power Station. Thanks to my girls for giving it to me!
Scared fo the dark? December 20, 2005
16 out of 38 found this review helpful
The B & D Storm Station provides an immediate light source when the power goes out. It gives you time to find candles, flash lights etc. to weather the long haul. You'll be able to plug in your cell phone and cordless for continued communication during long outages w/o having to go start your car to charge your cell. A much needed product during these uncertain times.
 Not as useful as purported December 20, 2005
243 out of 295 found this review helpful
We bought several of these for gifts for the holidays, but when using the one we got for ourselves a couple of issues became obvious. Primarily, it's not as "set it and forget it" as it should be. Once the battery is fully charged, you are then supposed to uplug it and turn it off -- which makes its automatic "find me" light pointless. If you know in advance that the power is going to go out, it might be OK, but then how is that different from having to get some flashlights and candles ready?
Secondly, it's construction reminds me of a child's fireman toy.
It has its uses, but these design oversights prevent me from actually recomending the product.
|
|
|
