My favorite thing about this emergency radio is that it has 3 different ways to charge it: cables, solar, and hand-crank. I tried all three ways, and they all work well, but my favorite is using the hand-crank. It's not difficult to crank it, it doesn't take long to charge, and when you're finished, the crank tucks into the back of the device. The strip on the top allows the device to be charged by placing it in sunlight. Solar charging seems to take a while, but I think it's awesome that I have that option. I've even noticed the light on, when it's in indirect sunlight. When the device is charging, a little red light comes on. I love that there's no need for batteries, since the thought of running out, during an emergency, makes me nervous.
Wow this unit was better by far than what I expected. I would say this unit was worth two or three times what they charge for it. We got really excited as we look them over and tested them and saw what they could do and we're just amazed that this package is small as it is could do so much. The light was bright and carried a long ways. The weather stations, and I say stations because it picked up more than one, came in as clear as a bell. The regular radio was clear and crisp. We cranked each one for just a few seconds and everything worked perfectly.
After retiring as a middle east correspondent, and watching events unfold in Syria and other hot spots I am beginning to see that proper preparation for man made emergencies is a wise idea. I live about twenty five miles from a first strike nuclear target, and have my camper trailer ready to move with just a few hours notice. This radio is a great addition to communications when no standard power is available. I live in a rural mountainous area close to the West Virginia border, and it is difficult to get a number of AM or FM radio stations. This little radio was able to receive a number of stations I could not even access on my car radio system. I left it outside in the sun for an afternoon and when I brought it in it showed a full charge. The crank back up is light to use. I have seen a similar radio a few days ago at Walmart for twenty dollars more. I hope the only time I need it is with a power loss due to an ice storm or other weather event. But sadly I fear it might also be needed in a man made disaster. Let's hope not.
Great little device. I haven't tried charging anything yet but I've tested the flashlight and radio functionalities, and I'm very impressed. With 20 or so cranks (and the crank goes either way) the flashlight was already bright enough to help find my way easily in a dark room. And then after testing the flashlight for a minute or so, the battery still had enough juice to tune through radio stations for a couple minutes. I have no doubt that with a solid 2 minutes or so of cranking, the radio would last 15+ minutes. Get a few of these, give them to your loved ones, and stash a couple for yourself. Everyone should have portable shortwave radios, and these are a fantastic value in my opinion.
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