World traveler … 41 countries and counting; Professional chef … studied for 3 years in Pozzuoli, Italy; Published author of reviews, editorials, articles, a popular blog, and producer of a highly successful YouTube channel. On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocre, Overpriced Travel, Food and Accommodation … Follow Me To TravelValue … Thank You for Visiting My Blog! CombatCritic is Yelp ELITE '14 and '15 and TripAdvisor "TOP CONTRIBUTOR" … Follow Me To TravelValue!
Being a gym rat, avid golfer and frequent traveler, fitness is important even while on the road. With aerobic machines rarely available while on vacation, a fitness monitor provides a quick and easy way to ensure I get enough exercise, at a glance, so I bought the Misfit Flash through Amazon.com.
When the Flash synced with the Misfit app, it seemed to work well enough. The “points” (steps) were sometimes off (low) and sleep stopped tracking if I awoke after 5am, even if you go back to sleep, but for $30 it was acceptable until it stopped syncing altogether. The instructions that came with the Flash were totally inadequate and their website provides little, if any, technical information or support (for example, they do not bother telling you how to change the battery).
Even though I had the Flash for a little over 30 days, 32 to be exact, Amazon at first refused to allow me to return it. The device worked OK in the beginning, but recently only synced intermittently with the Misfit app. I had bought one for my wife a few days after getting mine (because it seemed to work OK at first), but her’s did not sync for weeks and then would not even pair with the Misfit app via Bluetooth.
I contacted Misfit on numerous occasions (February 4th, 6th, 27th, 28th and March 2nd to be exact) about a fix, but they either refused to respond or sent me the same lame cut and paste instructions that are available on their website. They dragged their feet long enough that I was 2 days out of warranty by the time I got around to contacting Amazon about a return. Fortunately, my wife’s Flash, also bought through Amazon, was within the 30-day return policy, but I thought that I was apparently out of luck. I ended up returning my Flash in the same box I was returning my wife’s in, even if I would not receive a refund, contacting Amazon (not an easy thing to do by the way) and letting them know of my dismay. Low and behold, I received an email the very next day telling me that they were processing a refund for my former Flash in addition to my wife’s. Maybe their motto, “We’re Building Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company”, is true after all!
The Misfit Flash is junk and Misfit obviously doesn’t care about their customers, so do not waste your money.
CombatCritic Gives the Misfit Flash (and Amazon.com’s published return policy) 1 Bomb Out Of 10 and a spot on my Wall of Shame … More Bombs Are Better!
One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:
Yelp – Elite ’14/’15/’16 TripAdvisor – Top Contributor Tabelog – Official Judge (Bronze) Zomato – #1 Ranked Foodie
Maybe you like to travel in your motor home, RV, 5th Wheel, or camper and watch TV along the way. A portable, amplified antenna with a range of 50 miles would come in handy in many locations around the U.S., eliminating the need for an expensive satellite dish. Enter the Mohu Leaf50, just the thing you need and only $70, what a bargain … WRONG!
The Mohu Leaf50 is advertised as a small, portable amplified multi-directional antenna that gets great reception with a range of 50 miles. I beg to differ. After paying $70+tax for this piece of plastic the size of a laptop screen, 10 feet of coaxial cable and connectors, and a USB that plugs into your TV, I have had nothing but problems. Watch the video below for proof. We are less than 40 miles from all broadcast towers in Kansas City and Topeka, well within the “50 mile” radius of the Mohu Leaf50, but reception is poor, sporadic and frustrating even though the terrain between us and the towers in relatively flat.
Having bought the Leaf50 at Best Buy, Best Buy and Mohu refused to refund my money even though even though I am only 5 months into the one-year warranty. Mohu also requires me to pay shipping if the product is defective, which it is. The Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna by Mohu does not work as advertised. Ten feet of coaxial cable connects to a piece of plastic the size of a laptop computer screen and it is supposed to get “great” reception with a “range of 50 miles”. We are not on the road, but live in Lawrence, Kansas and it is a straight shot (flat) to Kansas City and Topeka with transmission towers 35-40 miles away (see FCC photos below) and the signals fade out constantly, a real irritation.
I bought the Leaf 50 at Best Buy in August because of the reviews and figured that being an amplified, multi-directional antenna with a 50 mile radius, 35-40 miles of flat Midwest terrain should be a breeze. That dog won’t hunt Mohu!
It worked “OK” for a couple months with intermittent but tolerable cut-outs, but when winter started to set-in, the cut outs became more frequent and longer on all channels. We have a few trees around the house so you would think that with the leaves being gone reception would get better, but it got worse, a lot worse.
FCC Transmission Tower Locator Screenshot Based On Our Location
I took the Mohu Leaf 50 back to Best Buy in December, but they would not honor Mohu’s 1-year warranty, telling me “sorry, it’s outside our 15-day return policy, you’ll have to deal with Mohu”. That is exactly the reason why this was the only thing I had purchased at Best Buy in seven years, their lousy return policy, and it will be the last thing I ever buy at Best Buy! There are too many web-based retailers out there to have to shop at a store that cares so little about their customers.
TV Reception Maps – Transmission Tower Locator Website
$70 plus tax for this cheap piece of plastic and co-axial cable is absurd and I cannot recommend that you buy one unless you are very close to the transmitters. Even though the FCC online digital reception map indicates that Fox (WDAF – 35 miles), CBS (KCTV – 35.7 miles), and ABC (KMBC – 39.3 miles) are all in the “green” (strongest) signal category, the constant loss of signal and reception is an aggravation I can live without. What a waste of $75. Our $7 rabbit ears get better reception than the Mohu Leaf 50.
As directed by Best Buy, I contacted Mohu on January 11th, asking for a refund. Here was their response:
“Dear Combatcritic, We would like to acknowledge that we have received your request and a ticket has been created with Ticket ID – xx360. A representative will be reviewing your request on and will send you a personal response. This usually happens within 24 hours. Please remember should you need troubleshooting assistance or if you would like to know what channels you should receive at your location you will need to send us your complete address so we can provide you with the most accurate assistance on the first contact. Should you need to provide us with any additional information such as your address, order number, etc. simply visit your inbox and reply to the email confirmation. You may also be able to find immediate help using the links below. Sincerely,
Mohu Sales and Service
Business Hours: Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm EST”
I sent them my address that same day as requested, but after ten days (January 21st) I still have not been contacted by a Mohu Representative. So much for doing what they promise. Here is the warranty and return verbiage from the Mohu website:
“Mohu Warranty and Returns
Warranty Details Mohu warrants our products against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one (1) yearfrom the date of purchase. During this period, the products will be replaced or repaired at no charge. This warranty does not cover damage due to acts of nature, commercial use, accident, misuse, abuse, or negligence. This warranty is valid only in the USA and Canada.
There are no implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purchase except to the extent that implied warranties of either sort are required by applicable law, in such case, each warranty is limited in duration to the one year.
Return Procedure If you cannot locate your packing slip, please contact us via our Contact Us page http://www.gomohu.com/contact/ or by phone at our toll-free number 1-855-4GOMOHU (919-896-7696, 8am-5pm EST, M-F) about items you would like to return. Include your name, order number and approximate date of purchase for faster service.
Customer is responsible for all return shipping charges.
Items should be returned to the following address:
Returns sent to any other address will not be accepted.”
I sent Mohu Customer Support the following message on January 17th:
“I disconnected the amplifier as your website suggests, but our reception only got worse. I have a strong signal on most channels, just like the FCC website (and yours) says I should based on our location and that of the towers. Here’s a video showing the problems:
As you can see from the FCC website’s data and our TV’s signal strength indicator, the signal is very strong, but the picture fades in and out. Please let me know how to troubleshoot because I am not paying shipping to return your defective product. If we cannot fix this quickly, I’ll take the $70 loss and publish my review for Moho and Best Buy based on my experience.
I have moved the antenna everywhere in the room based on the limitations of the cables provided and nothing has helped. I also unplugged the amplifier from the TV because Mohu said the amplifier could be faulty, but I had pretty much the same reception with the amplifier disengaged. Mohu finally contacted me and they refuse to fix the problem or stand behind their product:
“I apologize the below reply was not received, unfortunately this antenna will not work for your needs.
Unfortunately the reception at ground level is weaker than shown of the FCC due to hills between you and the broadcast towers.
At ground level the signal strength for most of the transmitters are in the low 30 decibel range which is typically too weak for the antenna to receive. To improve reception or have signals similar to the FCC database the antenna needs to be elevated. You should try the Leaf 50 antenna on the second floor or in the attic, you can use an extension coax cable after the amplifier to the TV less than 20 feet.
The Sky 60 antenna is the only Mohu antenna that can be mounted on the roof for the best signal reception as well as connect more than 1 TV through a splitter. This antenna is also the best option for customers interested in recording the TV shows.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
So why does Mohu now claim that I have the wrong antenna? Here was my response to Michelle:
“Then why does your website recommend the Leaf50 for Lawrence, Kansas residents (66044) like me, falsely advertising 25 channels received?
Your company has some serious integrity problems, false advertising included, and I will report you to the FCC as well as the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
I will eat the $75 I wasted on your product, take it with me to the firing range, and use it for target practice with my 9mm Beretta, posting the video on my popular YouTube channel with a link to my review of Mohu on my highly rated blog: http://www.combatcritic.com/2016/01/traveltech-mohu-leaf50-antenna-with-50.html. Can you say “viral” video? Sure you can!
Good luck with your lousy products and deceptive business practices. What goes around, comes around Mohu!”
I have already lost $75 on this product and I am not about to waste another minute dealing with this unscrupulous company. Their product is defective, not my fault, so why should I pay for shipping or another antenna? Most reputable companies cover shipping and send pre-paid return labels when their products go “tits-up”. I guess that tells us what kind of company we are dealing with at Mohu. Their warranty is a joke and, well, I am not exactly laughing about their product. Excuse me while I go buy a real antenna from a reputable company … and it WILL NOT be Best Buy. CombatCritic Gives Mohu, The Mohu Leaf50, and Best Buy 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My ‘WALL OF SHAME”… More Bombs Are Better!
One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:
Yelp – Elite ’14/’15/’16 TripAdvisor – Top Contributor Tabelog – Official Judge (Bronze) Zomato – #1 Ranked Foodie
Review: Apple 60W MagSafe Power Adapter (for MacBook and 13‐inch MacBook Pro)
If you like to travel as much as I do, a computer is a necessity in your home away from home and I take mine wherever in the world I go. Having heard wonderful things, propaganda, about Apple products, I took the leap less than two years ago by purchasing a Macbook Pro, then an iPhone 5C. What a mistake!
Just shy of warranty expiration, my Mac’s OS went TANGO UNIFORM (military speak for hard‐broke), causing me to spend countless hours on the phone with support, wiping my hard drive clean, reinstalling the OS, and recovering everything from backup … several times. Then my 6 month old iPhone died while on vacation in Puerto Rico, stranding us in an unfamiliar area while using Google Maps to navigate the island, losing my ability to take vacation photos/video and unable to contact relatives back home over the holidays.
Most recently, my MagSafe power adapter’s (plastic) “L” connector head broke off. After removing it with a pair of pliers, I super‐glued it back on, allowing me to charge my computer for a couple weeks, but now it will not charge at all. Having paid close to $3500 for three Apple products (including my wife’s computer), I would expect better quality, but what should I expect from overpriced products Made in China? I was shocked to see that Apple wants $79 for a replacement MagSafe adapter. Where else would you pay $80 for a power cord other than Apple? Nowhere! Based on the reviews this product has garnered, it is a piece of $80 junk just like the rest of Apple’s products, I can see that my problem is fairly common. I will buy a new adapter from another supplier for just $30 and I will never buy another Apple product again.
CombatCritic Gives Apple, Inc. and their MagSafe 60W Power Adapter A Dismal 1 Bomb Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!
Do you need cloud storage for all of your travel photos? I do! Do you not want to pay the ridiculous monthly or annual fees for years on end for Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, or Amazon Cloud? I know I do not! The best and most cost-effective alternative is a “personal cloud”, a wireless external hard drive (or drives) connected to your home wireless network with tons of storage space (up to several terabytes – TB – 1TB = 1,000 megabytes) that you can access either at home with your computer (or mobile device) or remotely anywhere in the world.
After my old personal cloud failed, a 4 TB Western Digital (WD) MyBookLiveDuo, I had to find a replacement, so I decided to give WD one more chance only because of the decent price and good reviews on their new My Cloud products. I purchased a WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage device on Amazon for $269.99 plus tax, hoping that it would “connect effortlessly” to my network as advertised.
The WD MyCloud would not connect to my network when it arrived and after spending an additional 3 hours on the phone with tech support, 5 total, they could not help me and told me to return it to Amazon. The only reason I chose Western Digital again after having two other products that failed, a 1TB MyPassport and a 4TB MyBookLive Duo, was because of the dearth of available products out there and the poor reviews on Seagate products. Never again WD!
CombatCritic Gives WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage 0 Bombs Out Of 10 … Can’t Get Any Lower Than That … And A Spot On CombatCritic’s Wall Of Shame
If you love to travel like I do and hate it when your smartphone dies in the middle of the day, the IOGEAR High Capacity Portable Battery (GMP6600P) is a excellent choice for the price!
My first day in India, I had traveled 30+hours, gotten 3 hours of sleep, and being in one of the craziest places on Earth (Old Dehli), my iPhone battery was depleted by 3pm. Wonderful! This shithole (Old Dehli) was not the place you, or I in this case, want to be without Google Maps (between TripAdvisor and Google Maps, I would have been
For $40.00, it charges smartphones, tablets, and notebooks on the go and has incredible capacity.
I can recharge my smartphone 4-5 times off one charge! I have not tried to power or charge my notebook computer yet, so I cannot tell you how that works, but for smartphones it is well worth the price.
I have an app for my phone called GolfLogix that gives me GPS data for golf, including ball position, distance to pin, etc. for whatever course I am playing. Before I bought the IOGEAR battery, my battery would die after less than 9 holes and that was using power sparingly. Now i can play a whole round with JUICE to spare…I can even make phone calls on the way home or make a reservation for dinner on Open Table!
Great little battery, it PACKS A POWERFUL PUNCH!
CombatCritic gives the ASIN:B005IY8AZ0 IOGEAR GearPower High Capacity Portable Battery for Smartphones/Tablets/Mobile Devices GMP6600P (Gray) 9 BOMBS OUT OF 10 (BOMBS ARE GOOD!)
Read more travel, restaurant, hotel, destination reviews … AND MORE … on my blog:
World traveler ... 41 countries and counting; Professional chef ... studied for 3 years in Pozzuoli, Italy; Published author of reviews, editorials, articles, a popular blog, and producer of a highly successful YouTube channel. On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocre, Overpriced Travel, Food and Accommodation ... Follow Me To TravelValue ... Thank You for Visiting My Blog! CombatCritic is Yelp ELITE '14 and '15 and TripAdvisor "TOP CONTRIBUTOR" ... Follow Me To TravelValue!
CombatCritic's "TravelValue" 