Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio (Red)
by Eton
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio (Red)
Customer Review: Has Several Significant Flaws
Summary: 3 Stars
While I am a fan of Etón portables -- not least because they frequently turn up at tiny fractions of their MSRPs -- I found the FR200 pretty disappointing for several significant reasons that are overlooked by most reviewers here.
First, it is not a true dynamo radio like the Baygen, but a battery-powered radio recharged by a dynamo. This would not be as significant an issue if there were not potential problems with battery longevity. There is no AC adapter included and the use of a generic adapter of the appropriate voltage but higher amperage apparently will result in over-charging and damaging the battery, according to the supplied documentation. The Etón AC adapter (only optionally available) is very low-current unit. The life of the battery pack is also limited by the number of charging cycles, so one may not use this unit routinely as a daily radio with the crank without reducing the life of the batteries for subsequent emergency use. The FR200 FAQ on the EtonCorp site somewhat evasively addresses this:
"The rechargeable battery/dynamo-crank system is best used purely for emergency use, but it's not explained well in the owner's manual...When the emergency use factor is understood, this product is excellent for that purpose."
So, as supplied, the only way this product should be routinely used is with the normal AA battery option.
The shortwave analog tuner is adequate at best, but will get strong signals if they are available, which they generally are not in most daytime hours in some seasons. Users who are not experienced with shortwave listening are usually shocked by the difficulty with which audible signals are typically obtained. Shortwave, usually dismissed as an obsolete technology, is often critical in disasters -- I was in a major earthquake in the US years ago and for many hours the only accurate information locally available was from the BBC on shortwave. More expensive Etón SW portables come with a retractable longwire antenna, something that can be approximated with the FR200 simply by clipping a very long wire to the telescoping antenna.
The emergency crank seems relatively sturdy, but was broken on the display model where I purchased mine, so caution is advised.
Etón portables are coated with a thin, rubbery goo for non-slip handling, but this tends to wear off fairly quickly, giving a somewhat mangy appearance.
The mechanical analog tuning is, as always on a small portable, imprecise and approximate -- especially with shortwave. The fine-tuning knob helps this situation a bit.
The AM/FM sound quality is quite pleasant and much richer than one would expect from a unit of this type.
Assembly, fit and alignment are crude compared to other Etón products, but are adequate.
An additional oddity is that the included cloth case has magnetic snaps, so be cautious in placing these next to credit cards or other critical magnetic media.
Customer Review: Good but not great
Summary: 3 Stars
The reception is strong and clear on AM and FM, but virtually non-existent on shortwave. That's fine, because I didn't plan to use the shortwave feature anyway. Build quality is average.
The dynamo crank is cheap and I suspect it will break at some point. Following directions EXACTLY (90 seconds vigorous cranking, no flashlight, low volume), I was able to achieve between 20 - 30 minutes of use time. Nowhere near the 40 - 60 minutes specified.
I got mine on Ebay for $27.95. That's about what it's worth. It will go into my emergency kit and who knows, maybe someday I'll be glad I have it.
Customer Review: Customer service non-existant
Summary: 3 Stars
I recently purchased this item and I've attempted to contact Eton Customer service via their email link on their website. I have not received a reply for the past two weeks. I emailed them again last week to confirm that they got my email and no luck. I enjoy the radio but do not buy this product if you expect any customer service from Eton.
R.
Customer Review: crank radio
Summary: 3 Stars
I was not totally impressed with this radio. It is staticky. havent really put it to the test yet in a power outage so it should be okay.
I did see it elsewhere for $10 less.
Customer Review: Great Idea, but Crank stopped working
Summary: 3 Stars
Still OK on batteries and very efficient, but lasts only a few seconds on the human power.