Kaito Electronics Inc. KA500BLK Voyager Solar/Dynamo Emergency Radio - Black Review

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(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

COBY CX-CB12 AM/FM/LW/SW 12-Band Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)For most people, Coby isn't the first name that comes to mind when you think of bang-for-the-buck electronics, but if ever the company had the opportunity for a turning point, or at least a shining exception, the CX-CB12 could be it. Know ahead of time that this radio doesn't break any new ground in sensitivity or selectivity - it picks up the same AM and FM stations at the same strength as any other under-$50 radio you've ever used. That being said, this radio has some big advantages.

A quick glance at the wider-than-tall analog display gives you an idea of it's expansive shortwave band coverage. There aren't any other radios in that under-$50 class that let you listen in on the 60 all the way to the 13 meter bands. Any and all of the major international SW broadcasts can potentially be received by this radio.

The control surfaces belong on a much more expensive unit - the power and band selection switches on the front move with luxury car smoothness, and the large, open tuning and volume wheels on the right side have clearly been designed for comfortable long-term listening.

Add to this incredible battery life. With only the little "Tune" LED contributing to power drain aside from the actual radio circuit (the power and band selection indicators are all mechanical), you can enjoy several hours of listening a day for literally months without replacing batteries.

Should you purchase one of these gems, you should also pick up a $10 pocket reel antenna (available here on Amazon and anywhere else radios are taken seriously), which will exponentially improve your SW reception. I have picked up several numbers stations (Google "numbers stations" if you don't know what those are) using only this $10 radio and $10 antenna setup. You won't be able to use a bare wire or large antenna, as powerful and/or nearby AM stations will flood the dial at all bands and frequencies, rendering reception impossible (yes, you'll have to spend more than $20 to hardcore DX). Accessory-wise, the included earbuds are of course cheap, but this makes sense as the purchase price should go towards the actual radio itself, not earphones. A quality set of headphones will result in quality sound.

And all of this for *ten bucks*. It's an ideal first SW set - if you or someone you know is interested in what the buzz is about shortwave, you can get your foot in the door here for the cost of lunch. At this price, losing it on vacation or having a curious youngster immolate one isn't such a big deal. It's quite possible that this is the low-cost mass-produced Model T of shortwave radios, and hopefully Coby will take note and build on this example in the future.

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Product Description:

The Coby CXCB12 World Band AM/FM/LW/SW Radio is a simple multi-functional solution for your portable radio needs. Its sleek yet classic design features an integrated full-range speaker and headphone jack for private listening. Digital LCD display and capability to receive SW 1-7 world bands are just a few of its many features.Features:

Sensitive AM/FM analog tuner
Receives LW/SW 1-9 world bands
DX/Local switch
LED tuning lock indicator
High-performance telescopic antenna
Integrated full-range speaker
3.5mm headphone jack
2-way power with AC/DC operation
3V DC jack (adapter not included)
Requires 2 x "AA" batteries (not included)

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Kaito KA009R - Portable radio - black Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, I really do like this little radio and I am definitely happy I bought it!The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I bought THIS model due to the cell phone charger, but in receiving this model, it did NOT have a charge set up for MY CELL PHONE the LG 8400 and that was the reason I bought it for $20 more than the other one.
I also bought the flashlight that cranks.I feel that this was a very worthwhile buy especially when you have several choices for power.I especially like that if the a/c runs out, you have AA batteries, solar and if all else fails.......hand crank power!This is a worthy buy!
Oh by the way, it is also a short wave radio so you can listen to the world when all of the lights are out and you are bored!

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Product Description:
Stay prepared and informed with the KA009R made by KAITO. If the power goes out and batteries aren't available, the KA009R can function for up to an hour with only two minutes of hand cranking or an hour's exposure under direct sunlight Its built-in generator means that even in the most desperate situations, you'll still have access to local news and information--as well as to news from around the world. This radio is a newly released and improved version of Kaito's widely acclaimed emergency radio KA009, it has all the nice features that a KA009 can offer, plus it comes with six different adapters for charging cell phones, so you can use the radio to power up your cell phone to make important phone calls when the battery is out. The unit's 10-band tuning receives AM, FM, SW 1-4, TV 1/2, weather and aviation stations. AM:525 ------1700KHz; FM:88 ------108 MHz; WEATHER Band: 162.40 - 162.55 MHz; TV1:Channel 2 - 6; TV2:Channel 7- 13; Air Band (Aviation): 118 - 137 MHz; 4 Continuous short wave 4.00 to 26MHz (Covers most of the world stations). Accessories include AC/DC adapter, cell l phone charging adapters, Earphones, Soft Antenna and User manual included.

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Kaito Electronics Inc. KA500GRN Voyager Solar/Dynamo Emergency Radio - Green Review

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(More customer reviews)KAITO KA500 VERY VERSATILE
If considering the Kaito KA500, you want ahighly portable radio that does it all.I did.I wanted a radio with versatility in (a) sources of power input and (b) radio signals received.
Public radio served me well weathering Hurricane Katrina's aftermath with a plain boom box.But what if things get dicier?My solution was to put together a disaster/camping/survival pack.And I needed a radio.
I settled in on the Kaito KA500, because nothing else came so close to providing abundant sources of power and station signals.Internet searchings I did indicated sales to military, a good sign.I bought one with the optional antenna you reel out for 23 feet.Here's what I found.
FEATURES
1.Multiple sources of power:It's powered by 3 AA batteries you buy, or crank to charge the built-in Ni-MH battery pack, or use solar panel on back with tilting hinge for charging the battery pack, or connect computer USB to charge the battery pack, or use the AC adaptor to charge the battery pack.
2.Multiple sources of signals:AM, FM, all 7 NOAA weather channels on crystal (NOT analog knob) tuning, SW1, and SW2.
3.Bonus features beyond these basics:White LED flashlight, red flashing LED emergency signal light, 5-LED reading light built into the reverse side of the solar charging cells so it tilts up and down to adjust, and ear bud earphones.These LED light features are powered as is the radio, so they can work with multiple sources of power with no filament bulbs to burn out.The KA500 also includes a USB output jack with wire that fits onto five different cellphone and personal electronic devices to charge them, and all these items come with the unit.
4.Optional features:Long 23 foot antenna you can string out and clamp to the stick-up antenna that reels back into a closed spool 3 inches in diameter, AC adaptor, USB cable for charging the KA500.
EVALUATIVE REVIEW OF FEATURES
1.Sources of power
a.Before putting in any bought batteries, I cranked the radio up for about a minute, and the small light on the front said it was fully charged.It ran for 10-15 minutes without any problems receiving an FM station before I put in the store-bought batteries.
b.The store-bought batteries worked fine.
c.I have not yet used the solar charger, nor ordered the optional AC charger, nor ordered the optional USB charger that charges the battery pack.I have no reason to believe any of these would not work, as everything else has worked.
2.Sources of radio signal
a.FM signals came in fine.The output is mono but quite acceptable.
b.AM signals also came in fine, the usual many signals.
c.SW bands pulled in a lot of stations, somewhat more clearly than AM (I did this testing at night).I got perhaps half foreign language stations, mostly Spanish.
d.NOAA weather was great in another city, mediocre but intelligible here on the Gulf Coast.A separate knob is devoted solely receiving just the seven weather stations, which are received digitally using crystals.
3.Tuning and sound
a.The tuning knob worked fine, as did all other controls.
b.Sound quality was OKWhen MPB public radio played some vintage Earl Skruggs it was pleasant over the small built in speaker.The earphones actually added some bass.I count decent sound as a bonus, as I did not buy the KA500 for excellence of sound quality.I bought it for getting any intelligible signal under duress.
4.Bonus features
a.The LED flashlight does what one LED does, the same as the one on my keychain and 1/3 as bright as the three on my cap clip-on light.
b.The red flashing LED worked well.It is likely visible for an unobstructed mile or more, probably farther over water.
c.The reading lamp is a real jewel.I turned off all my lights and tried to read.Reading was easy, so this radio can also be a good tent light, has a strap up top.
d.The long antenna boosted reception a bit, not greatly.It improved marginal signals.
CONCLUSION
The Kaito KA500 gives me amazingly versatile sources of power and radio signals for its price.The bonus features make it real bargain.If you want an emergency portable radio of modest price, the best chance of powering up under duress, the widest variety of signals of practical use in a disaster/camping/survival situation, plus a bunch of bonus features, I'd say the KA500 is your best bet by far.
HINTS
1.Keep the bubble wrap the radio comes in and tape the flap shut with duct tape for protection in your pack.Put it in a gallon glad bag and you're set.
2.If preparing for emergencies, online resources offer a lot.I liked:
a.Doug Ritter's many recommendations and supplies.He has set up a foundation "Equipped to Survive" and truly has his heart into survival oriented outdoor gear.You can even download his survival sheet free on that foundation website.You can also spend about a half hour reading the details about his Pocket Survival Pak, which I bought on Amazon.You can spend another half hour reading why he included the items he did in the pak and how he selected his survival instructions.You gotta love this guy.
b.Good survival manuals sold by Amazon, Wiseman's usually topping rankings.

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Product Description:
The Kaito KA500 Voyager is the next generation emergency radio. It comes with all the features that you need in an emergency situation. The KA500 packs in a multi-band AM/FM and shortwave (SW) radio, 7 NOAA weather channels, five LEDs adjustable reading lamp, a multi-function LED flashlight - the super bright LED flashlight can be Bright Color or Red Color for normal or emergency use. All these features can be operated indefinitely without external power thanks to the high quality hand crank AC brushless generator. The solar panel powers the radio by itself and charges the built-in batteries as well. To maximize the sunlight, the solar panel is tiltable with at any angles to face the sunlight to receive the energy during daytime. Furthermore, it can be used with 3 AA batteries allowing you to play the radio the old fashioned way, plugged it in an electrical outlet with the optional power adapter, or charged it from an external USB power source. The Kaito KA500 is a perfect radio for any emergencies and disasters. So put one in your household emergency kit and it will be ready for you to use in any emergency situations or get one for your families and friends.Weather Band -7 NOAA Weather Channels - PLL crystal control circuit for stable reception Weather Alert -To be activated by weather alert signals5 LEDs reading lamp for camping and emergency use White LED flashlightRed LED blinking for emergency alert 6 Ways of Power -Dynamo Cranking Power -120 turns per minute cranking will power the built in Ni-MH battery pack with strong current and voltage / Solar Panel Power - under the direct sunlight, the solar panel will power the radio with no question /AA Batteries -You can use 3 normal AA batteries to run the radio with maximum reception (optional) / The built-in Rechargeable battery pack - the Ni-MH battery pack will run the radio for over 12 hours when fully charged / AC adaptor charge fro

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