Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Otium adapter with 3-socket cigarette lighter and 4 USB ports - Review

My car has an "always-on" cigarette lighter, but I plan to plug a few things into it and wanted to have it turn on when the car does.  I know I could do a custom setup using a relay and some wiring, but I wanted a quick/easy setup for now.  After digging around online I narrowed in on an Otium adapter that had the following features:
  • 3-Socket cigarette lighter: This was important because I am using a FM transmitter until I decide to replace the radio
  • 4-port USB charger: This will allow my phone, passenger phone and two other devices (one being a dashcam probably)
  • On/off switch: Of course this was the most important aspect
  • Volt meter: This was more of a nifty way to see if the power was on or off, but also would allow me to monitor the voltage.

Once the unit arrived, I unpacked it and took a few pics.  Lately many of my blog posts have been apps/websites so I was looking forward to putting up a hardware post again.

Box

Device - Simple and clean design

3 sockets and 2 USB ports on the front
The red things are where the double sided tape is

Interesting design for the sockets

4 USB ports total (2 front, 2 side)

Next, I took it to the car to test it.  Everything seemed to work fine, and the cigarette lighter powered FM transmitter worked great. 

Installed


Close up, notice the voltage


I need to tidy up the cables at some point

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Plenty of ports: The 3 cigarette lighter ports allow you to use items that must plug in directly or have their own adapter, and the 4 USB ports should cover any other devices.

On/off switch: If you have an "always-on" cigarette lighter, then this is a must-have.

Volt meter: This is just a neat way to know the unit is working, and keep an eye on your battery voltage / charging system.

Bottom line: So far I am very happy with this little unit.  I need to see if I can hide the wires and tidy up the install a bit, but I don't plan to use the double sided tape to mount it to anything just because I want to avoid residue being left behind if I remove it.   I will update this post if needed as I continue to use this adapter.

Otium Product Page
Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07169DMHM/

RushCard Free $30

NOTE: I no longer refer this card, so I don't know if my link even works or if the referral program terms have changed.


I have seen various posting about the RushCard, but I never got around to actually trying it myself.  Considering you can get free money ($30) for trying it, I figured why not.

NOTE: If you are ready to sign up and get $30 free, scroll to the bottom of this post for directions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RushCard has changed the terms, you have to load $50 now.

My Thoughts on RushCard

There are other debit card options ( such as the ones I reviewed here http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/10/online-bank-prepaid-card-alternatives.html ) that seem to be better options, but $30 free is a great incentive to give this card a try.  From what I can tell, the RushCard has a wider range of options to load money than I have seen on other cards.  For someone who is dealing in cash often, this might be an advantage over the other options that are out there.

Sign-up / Setup

I signed up online (scroll to the bottom when you are ready to sign up), and it took just under two weeks to get the card.  The sticker on the card gave a few options to active the card (app, web and phone).  I decided to use the Android application.

Click on "Activate New Card"

Put in your card info

Once it is activated setup an account and enter the required information

Once you are done, your card is active and ready to go!
Activating the card was fairly easy, and once the card was activated I setup an account in the application.

Loading Funds

Now I was ready to load money.  There are multiple options listed, which might be one of the reasons people use this card.  Most of the options also have fees, but ACH/direct deposit does not.

Many load options
You can link apps like PayPal (or probably any other option that uses ACH) by using the routing/account number that is in the app, or on the paperwork that came with the card.  The details below explain PayPal steps, but the same approach will likely work with other apps.

PayPal Linking

Option 1 "Bank Account": One of the papers that came with the card has a bank name, routing number and direct deposit ID number ( account number ) on it.  If you don't have that paper go into the app, choose direct deposit and select your card.  This will give you the same routing / deposit ID number.  Go to PayPal, and add the account using the routing/account number.  Within a few days, you should see two small credits and one debit on your RushCard.  Once you see that, go back to PayPal and confirm the account.  Once you are done you can transfer money from PayPal to your RushCard.

Option 2 "Debit or credit card": You can add the debit card number to PayPal, which allows you to transfer money quickly but there is a fee (for example I paid 25 cents to put $4.75 on the card).  You should only do this if you need the money on the card quickly and don't want to wait for the normal ACH method.  Update: This method works, two people tested it and they got their $30 within a few hours.

Adding funds via PayPal

Once you completed linking (above option 1 or option 2), you can put enough to cover the $3.95 card fee.  You should be able to go into your PayPal balance and choose "transfer to bank".  Option 1 will show up as "Metabank" and Option 2 should show up as a debit card.  Since there is a $0.25 fee, you will need to transfer $4.20 to cover the $3.95 and 25 cent fee.

Free Money?

So the bottom line you are probably wondering, did it work?  Yes it did!  Since you have to load $3.95 on the card to cover the card fee, you are basically getting $26.05 free!  You can get an additional $30 per person you refer ($600 max I think).


IMPORTANT NOTE: After 90 consecutive days of zero transactions or loads each month, you will be charged a $1.95 fee each month until you use the card again.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RushCard has changed the terms, you have to load $50 now.

Sign Up Steps

To sign up and get $30 free use my referral link below.  A few things to keep in mind:
- Pick a card design with a $3.95, do NOT pick "Sequin KLS" that has a $9.95 fee.
- Select the "I want to pay as I got for each purchase" option
- Make sure the "Enter Referral or Promo Code" field has my code ( VICTORJIMENEZ8 ), if not put that code in.

Sign up link: https://apply.rushcard.com/start?urid=VICTORJIMENEZ8

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html