Last month I took a look at the TrickleStar TV TrickleSaver and it’s a product that I like quite a bit and still use to this day. Today I’ve got another review of TrickleStar products, two actually, the PC TrickleSaver and the PC TrickleSwitch. The PC TrickleSaver does for your computer what the TV TrickleSaver does for your TV, it senses when the power goes off and then turns off anything else connected to it so they don’t use any power in standby mode, therefore saving you a bit of money. The addition of the PC TrickleSwitch adds more functionality to this setup in that it allows you to manually power on or off the devices attached to the PC TrickleSaver. So read on for  a brief review of tow very useful products..

Specifications:

PC TrickleSaver

The TrickleStar PC TrickleSaver reduces the standby energy consumed by PC Peripheral equipment. The product connects to a PC via a standard USB connector and detects the power status of a PC via the USB port.

When a PC is powered the product will switch On all peripheral devices. Conversely when a PC is switched Off, the product will switch Off all peripheral devices. The product is easy to install and provides simple automation to reduce wasteful standby energy consumption.The product is suitable for residential and workplace PC applications.

The product can be connected directly to equipment or connected to a standard electrical powerstrip with a number of connected devices.

PC TrickleSwitch

Whilst a PC TrickleSaver ensures that PC accessories are switched Off when the PC is Off, often a User does not require the PC accessories to be On whilst the PC is being used. The product allows a User to manually switch PC accessory devices On/Off and to supply power to devices as and when required thus significantly reducing the amount of vampire power consumed when a PC is On.

The product connects to a PC via a standard USB connector and a PC TrickleSaver plugs into a USB connector on the Product.

The product is easy to install and provides Users with increased ability to reduce wasteful vampire energy consumption.

Unboxing:
We’ll start off with a video unboxing for you of both products:

Next up is the still pictures of the products and their packaging:

Here are several shots of the PC TrickleSaver itself:

and here’s the PC TrickleSwitch:

Installation, Performance, Comparison
I don’t have any pictures of it installed for you, it’s just a jumbled mess of wires under and around my desk.

Installation though is simple for the PC TrickleSaver, plug the USB cable into your PC and then plug a powerstrip or single peripheral into the PC TrickleSaver itself.

When you turn your computer off the PC TrickleSaver senses the power has been switched off via the USB port and then switches off power to whatever is connected to it. The reverse happens when you turn your PC back on.

It’s a simple idea that could save you some money in the long run.

I run three LCD monitors, one is 23” and the other two are 22” in size and I hooked them up to the PC TrickleSaver so that when I power my computer down they shut down as well instead of going into standby mode and using energy even though I’m not using them.

To further enhance the usability and power saving function of the PC TrickleSaver you can add on the PC TrickleSwitch.

The PC TrickleSwitch goes in between the PC TrickleSaver and your PC. it has a female USB connection on it, that gets connected to the USB cable coming from the PC TrickleSaver, then the male USB connection on the PC TrickleSwitch gets plugged into your computer.  The idea with the TrickleSwitch is that you’ll have full control over the power of the peripherals attached to the PC TrickleSaver.

For example you may have your printer hooked up to the PC TrickleSaver, well it will turn on and off with your PC, but you may not need your printer on all of the time. So what you do is push the button on the PC TrickleSwitch and you can manually control the power of the printer that way.

That’s just a single example, but you could have several things hooked up to the PC TrickleSaver and TrickleSwitch and turn them all off or on as needed in order to save some power by not using the standby power of the devices.

For my uses the PC TrickleSwitch doesn’t work well, I have no need to power off my monitors when the PC is on, but like the example, there are many other uses besides what I used the PC TrickleSaver for.

Both of the products seem well made like they’ll last for quite some time to come. The PC TrickleSaver is essentially a solid plastic box that will sit wherever you put it and most likely never move from that spot really. The PC TrickleSwitch is just a small button that will also just be sitting around, you’ll most likely want to keep it out of the way though since you could accidentally hit the button and turn your stuff off or on when you don’t mean to.

Installation is very easy, if you can plug thing into a power outlet and USB port then you can handle this setup.

Conclusion:
The PC TrickleSaver by itself is a great product, I for one don’t like seeing my monitors on in standby mode when I turn off my computer. The PC TrickleSaver effectively kills  the power to any devices attached to it when you power off your computer thus saying you some money by no longer having these devices in standby mode.

The PC TrickleSwitch is a nice optional add-on for the PC TrickleSaver if you’ve got a use for it, it will all depend on how you configure the POC TrickleSaver though.

I like both devices truly, but the PC TrickleSaver is the one that’s most useful, at least for me.

If you’re looking for a way to save some money on your electricity bill then this is a product that you might want to look into.

Pros:
+Will save you money in the long run
+Very easy to use
+Works perfectly

Cons:
-None really

Ratings
Overall: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Aesthetic: 5 out of 5
Build Quality: 5 out of 5

I would like to thank TrickleStar for the opportunity to review the PC TrickleSaver and TrickleSwitch and for their support of Bona Fide Reviews.

Disclosure: This product was given to Bona Fide Reviews for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products.

I’ve got a family, three kids and well, money is rather tight, but I think that’s the same for most people out there. So I try and save money whenever possible, especially on my utility bills because it seems that they go up every year, but yet I’m not making anymore money. If a product comes along that claims it will save me money I’m naturally skeptical as many products claim that, but the one I have for review today truly will save you money on your electricity costs.

Today for review I’ve got the TV TrickleSaver from TrickleStar and it’s an ingenious little gadget that is so simple, yet so effective in that it will help you save money on your electricity costs. The TV TrickleSaver is simple to use, just plug your TV into one of its outlets and then your other devices into its other outlet and you’re ready to go. It works by sensing when you power your TV off, then it turns off anything else that is connected to it, no more stand-by power means a lower electric bill.

Specifications:

TV TrickleSaver

The TrickleStar TV TrickleSaver reduces the standby energy consumed by TV accessories  The product has inbuilt current sensing circuitry to sense when a TV is on or Off. When the TV is on the product will switch On all peripheral devices. Conversely when the TV is Off, the product will switch Off all accessories  The product is easy to install and provides simple automation to reduce wasteful standby energy consumption. The product is suitable for residental and workplace  applications. The product can be connected directly to equipment or connected to a standard electrical powerstrip with a number of connected devices.

Key Features:
-In-build relay for switching off devices that consume standby current.
-Adjustable sensitivity for sensing TV status.
-Rear mounting holes for wall, under desk mounting.

Product Warranty:
The product is supplied with a 1 year product warranty against defective manufacturing and components.

Unboxing:
We’ll start off with the unboxing video for you:

Then of course we’ve got some still product pictures as well:

Installation, Performance, Comparison
Installation couldn’t be much easier than it is for the TV TrickleSaver, you just need to plug your TV into it and then plug your powerstrip or whatever other device that you want to go off into the other outlet. Very easy, very simple to install. You’ll have to excuse the mess in the following picture, I’ve just never go around to cleaning up my wiring..I know I should get on it, and eventually I will.

I’ve got the TV TrickleSaver installed with my HDTV permanently. I noticed that things like my surround sound system and Wii always stay on, in standby mode yes, but they’re still drawing power, and that’s something that I never liked. With the TV TrickleSaver these devices and others will fully power off to no longer draw power from the outlet and theoretically that should result in a lower electric bill. Not theoretically, it will result in a lower bill, these things not drawing power will help keep my electric bill that much lower, sure it might not be that much, but if you’re one  a tight budget like I am, any little bit helps.

It works and works well, I did not have to adjust the TV TrickleSaver at all, it worked as soon as I plugged it in at the default setting on the dial. The dial is there to let you adjust the TV TrickleSaver in case things don’t work as they should, meaning that if your devices don’t turn off when you turn off your TV you can adjust the dial to fix it so they do.

The TV TrickleSaver is a great product overall, but there is one small complaint that I could have about it though. it doesn’t have an integrated surge protector, meaning that you’ll have to have one floating around or go out and buy one to use with it. Now most people will have one handing around their house, so it’s not that big of a deal, but it would be nice if it was built into the TV TrickleSaver.

So this is a short review, but it’s a review of a product that I truly like, and one that truly works as it should. It can and will help you save money on your electric bill in the long run.

Conclusion:
The TV TrickleSaver is one of those products that is so simple, but yet truly does work. It’s easy to install and when you’re done you’ll be saving yourself some hard earned cash.

Pros:
+Easy to install
+Works as it should
+Will save you money

Cons:
-No Built-on surge protection

Ratings
Overall: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Aesthetic: 5 out of 5
Build Quality: 5 out of 5

I would like to thank TrickleStar for the opportunity to review the TV TrickleSaver and for their support of Bona Fide Reviews.