Emergency Crank Radios

Manual power generation keeps you informed without batteries

Weather-alert radios can warn you about dangerous weather, natural disasters and other emergencies ahead of time. But what about when you are in the middle of a disaster -- when the power is out and your batteries are dead? To fill that need, a number of manufacturers have introduced self-powered radios. Most use a simple hand-crank generator that can supply about a half-hour of power for 30 seconds of cranking.

Eton is the most prolific maker of crank-powered radios, but while users love some models, others come in for quite a bit of scorn. Among current Eton emergency crank radios, the FR160 (*Est. $30) seems to garner the most respect. It can draw its power from the built-in crank dynamo or from solar cells, but standard batteries or a power adapter are not an option. That makes this an emergency radio in the strictest sense. Coverage includes all seven NOAA weather channels plus the AM/FM band. In addition to the radio, the FR160 can be used to charge a compatible cell phone in a pinch via its USB port and has an LED flashlight.

The Eton FR160 lacks SAME and is not Public Alert certified, but the absence of these features does not keep the radio from collecting some very positive reviews at Amazon.com and elsewhere. Construction and sound quality come in for some kudos, and most -- but not all -- are pleased with how long the radio will play once cranked for around a minute. Eton says that battery life can be extended by keeping radio volume low; you can also add some play time by using headphones, though those are not included, instead of the built-in speaker.

Though the Eton FR160 is limited, it fares much better than some other emergency crank radios. The Eton FR360 is larger, and more feature packed. It draws positive recognition from some bloggers, but users that have spent more time with the radio are largely an unhappy bunch.

Compared to the Eton FR160, the FR360 is feature packed. Extras include a digital rather than analog tuner, alarm clock function, flashing beacon and a NOAA alert function that monitors the weather frequencies and turns on the radio if an emergency alert is issued. However, that's not enough to outweigh the negatives, earning the crank radio more pans than praise at sites like Amazon.com. Poor reception is a big issue for many. Others say that cranking does not provide power for very long. A few report radios that went dead after a period of non-use. Some complain that a power adapter, while available, is not included.