Weather Radios: Reviews

The Eton FR300, highly rated by expert reviewers and consumers alike, can be powered by four sources, including its own internal crank-driven generator. As such, the FR300 can provide an indispensable lifeline during an… emergency. The radio receives both standard broadcasts and all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather channel signals. Extra features include a built-in LED flashlight, flashing warning/location light and cell-phone charger. However, the Eton crank radio lacks Public Alert certification or even Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology (which lets you fine-tune which alerts you receive), so it's not a great choice as a primary weather alert radio. The Eton FR300 is also sold under the Grundig and American Red Cross brands.

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The Midland WR-300 is the overwhelming choice of experts and users. Public Alert certification means that the Midland WR-300 desktop radio meets certain technical standards and has all of the features that the NOAA… considers important in a top-performing weather radio. That includes SAME technology, which eliminates the problem of receiving alerts for situations that are far removed from the listener's location. Defeatable alerts also keep false alarms to a minimum. Performance on the weather channels is widely regarded as excellent. One fairly consistent negative is that the WR-300 fails to perform as well as an AM/FM receiver or a clock radio. Although it can run on battery or electrical power, it doesn't offer a hand crank.

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The Oregon Scientific WR602 offers SAME technology, but lacks the ability to block out specific types of alerts. Rechargeable batteries are the only power source for this handheld weather radio, although it is compatible… with the Oregon Scientific weather docking station (*Est. $100), making it useful as both a desktop and portable model. Preloaded codes make programming the unit possible without searching for codes on the Internet. On the downside, some users say the battery doesn't last as long as expected. This radio can also run on three AA batteries.

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