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Showing posts with label crank radio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crank radio. Show all posts
1/07/2012
8/07/2011
Kaito Electronics Inc. KA500BLK Voyager Solar/Dynamo Emergency Radio - Black Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I tested the KA500 along with several other self-powered radios for a project I'm working on in rural Sub-Saharan Africa.I found that the KA500 is a very capable shortwave receiver it's just not nearly as rugged as its competitors. Here are my thoughts:
What I like about the KA500:
- Solar Panel--the KA500 is one of the only portable shortwave receivers out there with a built-in solar panel. The panel is effective enough that it will power the radio (if in direct sunlight) without batteries and produce a reasonable amount of volume through its built-in speaker.
- The 5 LED reading lamp -- This reading lamp is impressive. If the batteries are fully charged, the lamp works for VERY long periods of time. I'm also an amateur radio operator and found that the reading lamp is bright enough that it lit up my large radio table.
- Good shortwave sensitivity -- For a self-powered analog radio, I was impressed with the shortwave sensitivity. I also found the AM broadcast and FM bands adequate/average.
- Good selectivity -- When a station is tuned-in well, you don't often hear adjacent signals.
- Good frequency coverage -- I like the fact that KA500 covers the NOAA weather frequencies, FM, AM and a very large portion of the SW spectrum (from 3.2 MHZ to 22MHz, missing only a little used piece between 8 & 9 MHz)
What I didn't like:
- Quality -- Though the radio feels solid in your hand, I found through my testing that the quality of the KA500 is actually quite poor. More than once, the tuning mechanism would slip and the needle would get stuck in the middle of the dial. The worst part, though, is the poor quality of the hand-crank mechanism. The dynamo and crank arm feel cheap. Well, they are cheap.After only a month of occasional testing--and with me being very careful with the hand crank--the dynamo started showing signs of failing. The crank became less fluid to turn and would rub the side of the radio chassis. One day, while slowly cranking, the crank arm just snapped in half. No more crank power.
- No Fine Tune control -- Kaito fits the whole SW1 and SW2 spectrum on a small dial. There were a few times I wish this radio had a fine tune control like the Grundig FR200.
BOTTOM LINE:
I sent my KA500 back and did not get it replaced. It's a shame, really. I loved the radio's features and overall performance, but was very disappointed with quality.
I could only recommend this radio to someone who plans on tucking it away and using it on rare occasions or someone who wants a basic full-featured radio but never plans on using the hand-crank.I'd also keep the receipt handy for the return (and buy from an authorized dealer like Amazon or Universal Radio).
For my purposes, I will be using the Grundig/Et
5/28/2011
Crank Radio with 3-WAY Power Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Radio features seem to work as advertised except for the weather radio portion.Great for emergency radio for when the power goes out, which is why I bought it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Crank Radio with 3-WAY Power
Product Description:
SIMA FIRST ALERT ER CRNK
Want to read more honest consumer review about Crank Radio with 3-WAY Power now ?
4/05/2011
American Red Cross FR1000 Voicelink Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Two-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger (White) Review
Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)No question, this radio "looks good", seems like strong construction, and has quite a list of features.Yes, the flashlight, siren, and SOS beacon work well. The NOAA Weather channels seem to work, depending on your location.The GMRS/FRS radio performance is dismal.But most important to me as an emergency source of information - this unit fails its primary function: AM/FM radio reception.AM reception is nearly non-existent, and I live near very powerful AM stations.FM reception is very weak and includes a lot of static which I have never heard before on FM.Yes, I have tried the AM/FM radio bands in numerous locations - home, lake, mountains, flat lands.Little or no reception.One would think that with a digital display of radio station call signs that you could precisely tune in stations -- not so.For $150 - $200 and with a reputable name like ETON/Grundig, I expect MUCH more and much better performance.Like nearly all things these days, these units are made in China - so I believe ETON needs to look into their quality assurance process to ensure they are using top quality components and that assembly is complete.I have returned my unit - makes no sense at all to keep a radio which costs $150 but will not even tune in AM and FM radio stations.Also, I see many identical and similar reviews now across the internet - "pretty, feature rich unit; but very poor radio performance".I would advise against purchasing this unit until such time ETON acknowleges the problem and fixes it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: American Red Cross FR1000 Voicelink Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Two-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger (White)
Product Description:
Self-Powered Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather/2-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger. Stay connected with the Voicelink FR-1000. This emergency crank radio combines two-way radio with GMRS technology, built-in flashlight, cell-phone charger and access to weather channels to prepare you for any emergency situation. Get prepared and get connected with the Voicelink FR-1000 today.
Want to read more honest consumer review about American Red Cross FR1000 Voicelink Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Two-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger (White) now ?
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