Rating: Summary: Hurricane Isabel Survivor Review: Picked up this radio a couple of days before the storm hit. It's nice to have the option of cranking the radio for power and to have batteries. Batteries were in short supply around Richmond when Isabel hit. Just had to crank it for 90 seconds to have it play for an hour. Strong reception. I had no problems tuning in all the local stations. For the money this is one of the best radios I have found.
Rating: Summary: Good radio! Review: Pretty good for an emergency radio. I would agree that it isn't for general use, especially since the sound quality from the small speaker isn't great. But it is useful as an emergency radio or for a radio to tote around the house and yard doing chores and work.
My biggest gripe is that I was never able to get a lot of playing time by charging the battery using the crank. 100-200 turns got me only 5-10 minutes of FM playing time. Batteries are a must!
Rating: Summary: To Good to be true! Review: Purchased this unit some months ago and can't say enough about it. It works great! Wind it for two minutes and it operates for almost an hour. The short wave stations also come in. This was not the case with their high end "Yught Boy" Which I received yesterday and returning tomorrow.
Rating: Summary: "Just what I wanted in a radio" Review: The Grundig FR 200 was just the small type of camping / emergency radio that I was looking for to carry on short camping trips etc.It is lite weight and has a smooth band search with a good sound.The light is an extra touch for those times in the tent when you need it.Its just what it says it is "An emergency radio,constructed well".I'm listening to the Baseball game now as I send this message.
Rating: Summary: Good for its purpose - and then some Review: This is an interesting product from Grundig. It is a wind up radio with a small flashlight included for emergencies. It also has the shortwave bands you need for the BIG broadcasts such as BBC, Voice of America, and Radio Canada. I was also able to receive Radio Netherlands. The trick is to listen at night - at 7 PM and after - as that is when shortwave comes in best. You won't want to use the crank every day as you want to save that for true emergencies. Install three AA batteries for daily use. Daily use? Yes. I was surprised at the very good AM and FM reception. Even in my concrete and steel office I was able to get stations that usually come in weakly on other radios. This is a neat little radio and I am going to get another one for my emergency pack (I live in Florida where we are subject to hurricanes but with the world in the state it is in, my pack now may have several uses). Buy this for emergencies but don't be surprised if you use it every day. I didn't give it five stars because I think they could have built it a bit sturdier for 40$.
Rating: Summary: Not just for emergencies; Great Everyday Radio Review: This radio has found a permanent home in my kitchen, as a wondeful receiver not only for local FM and AM stations, but also for its shortwave capacities. Sure, I read some people's complaints about jammed frequencies, etc, but it's really hard for me to find anything to complain about. The tuning knobs allow you to find what you're trying to pull in without any real problems. I wasn't even planning to buy this, but since the GE Superadio is so hard to find, this was the radio I chose. It's a good radio for picking up distant AM stations at night, without buying a $100-plus radio like the CC radio. For example, I want to listen to WCBS at 880 AM, but with a radio station at 860 in my own city, some radios won't allow me to bring in the New York station. This radio brings it in as clear as a bell, which made it worth its purchase price. Plus, listening to BBC World Service and its good schedule of dramatic programming has made this a real treat to own. The crank is easy to work, the light is fine, and it works wonderfully on AA batteries. Considering I was looking for another radio when I bought this, I can't say enough about how much I enjoy this radio!
Rating: Summary: Good Emergency Radio Review: This radio is billed as an Emergency Radio, and it suits that purpose well. It is small, built ruggedly, and comes with a nice case. The crank generator does a fine job at powering the receiver and small light. You won't be using the light to signal ships at sea, but it is adequate to find your way around a dark house to locate a candle or oil lamp.Combining a SW receiver with the AM/FM was a good idea, as you can get news from far away in the event of a large-area power failure. However, the radio lacks a weather-band receiver, which would be a useful feature in an emergency radio. For general use, the receiver is somewhat lacking. We have a strong FM transmitter nearby, and it "spills" onto several places on the FM band. SW tuning can be a little tricky, even with the fine-tuning knob. Also, sideband reception is not available for SW. I would not recommend this radio for someone looking to get into SW reception "on the cheap." Overall, however, it is a very good radio for its intended purpose and price. I'm glad I added it to my emergency kit.
Rating: Summary: Actually got to use it a few days after I got it. Review: We had a short power outage, so I "cranked it up" in order to listen to "A Prairie Home Companion". It works as advertised, about 3 minutes of cranking lasted an hour or so. The sound quality was what you'd expect from a speaker this size. Not a bad little radio, but I wonder how the rechargable battery will hold up over time. Probably best to leave it in the disaster kit...but it's a great addition to a disaster kit. Update - it came in REAL handy after the December earthquake out here. Yep, put one in your disaster kit.
|