Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator (Red)
by Eton
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator (Red)
Customer Review: Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator (Red)
Summary: 5 Stars
A well designed quality product.Every household should have one. A small price to pay for communication during a disaster.Customer Review: Exact same review as for the 200 model, but more compact ...
Summary: 5 Stars
and ... it has "nice lines," has a smaller footprint in Emergency Kit, great for the car where space is a premium.Customer Review: Exactly as advertised.
Summary: 5 Stars
In these uncertain times I have felt a need for an emergency radio, and this fits the bill quite well.Customer Review: A rugged and proven emergency radio...
Summary: 4 Stars
To start with, we received the Eton FR400 Emergency Radio as a gift a few years ago. The antenna had been snapped off (as can happen with any radio of this type), but a quick visit to Eton's website and a replacement was quickly obtained, which is far better customer service than many of its competitors.
Simply put, this radio does everything that's expected. Had occasion to use it earlier this year when we had a power outage that lasted for a little more than 24 hours, and cranking the generator for about 90 seconds resulted in use for about an hour. Haven't had occasion to use its noisy emergency siren or its 1 flashing red LED emergency light, but its 2 white LED flashlight is handy, though one might wish for more light.
When it comes to radio reception, have had occasion to use all of its AM/FM/NOAA/TV1/TV2 (VHF channels 2-13) bands, and reception has been just fine. Have used it on the NOAA weather bands, and the alert function for emergency broadcasts works as expected. Should also mention that the radio is sturdy but very light weight, and only 1 lb 4 oz.
This sturdy emergency radio might not be "waterproof" in the classic sense, but it easily qualifies as an all-weather emergency radio, though I would recommend this only under battery power, and not with an AC adapter!
For those who want to use it as an emergency cell phone charger, check the documentation that came with your radio. You should find instructions on how to obtain the proper tip for your cell phone, or you can contact the company at etoncorp.com and you'll find the directions online... it's that easy. You'll find replacement parts there as well, including NiMH 3.6V rechargeable battery packs (like I need to order) and such.
As far as ruggedness, usability, quality and reception go, this is a 5-star product. However, on February 17, 2009 all full-power broadcast television stations in the US will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital. This radio (and most of the others that have TV bands) will not be useful on the TV1 & TV2 bands due to this changeover, so I feel it's only fair to post this as a 4-star rating, with full faith that Eton will come out with a digital product in the future.
But if the TV bands mean nothing to you, then please do consider this to be a 5-star rating.
Others worh considering are the very similar American Red Cross FR400 Emergency Radio, White, which appears to be almost the same. If size is a consideration, then the super-small and full-featured American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Portable Radio or the similar Etón FR150 Microlink Portable Radio are well worth your consideration. If the addition of shortwave receprion is importent to you, the Etón FR500 Solarlink has that, along with an array of encapsulated solar cells that can also run the FR-500.
Customer Review: Just Right for the Price
Summary: 4 Stars
I originally bought a "Jeep" all weather radio for my husband for Christmas - I thought paying more might mean a better product; not so, the hand crank broke on 2nd use. I then ordered this one - my hubby loves it. It contains everything we would want for an emergency radio; we have no problems picking up any of the t.v., National or local stations. The light is sufficient for an emergency and the Alert would definitely get you out of bed. The only issue we have seen is that we had it on one night and the alarm went off for no apparant reason...If not for that I would have given it 5 stars. I think this is a must for any household that lives in a storm prone area (which seems to be just about anywhere now a days): I definitely feel comfortable going to bed if severe storms are predicted using this radio rather than spending the entire night watching the t.v. which is what I always did in the past...A good buy in my book.