Red Grundig Fr200 AM/FM/Snow Emergency Radio

Rating:
Summary: For when the batteries run out.
Review: This neat little unit is built upon the work of British inventor Trevor Bayliss, who came up with the idea of a hand cranked powered radio for use in Africa, and remote parts of the world, where batteries were almost impossible to get a hold of. In less difficult circumstances, the ability to use one’s radio after the batteries have died - for whatever reason - is a handy thing to be able to do. And at this price point, this Grundig unit’s performance shouldn’t disappoint.


Rating:
Summary: So great! Small, light and completely useful...
Review: This thing is so great! With only 90 seconds of cranking the handle, you get up to an hour's charge... the flashlight part is not big, so it won't light a large area, but it's perfect as an emergency device. Radio works perfectly and there is even an earphone jack should you need to use the radio without disturbing others. This may sound geeky, but it's a perfect thing to give every family member to keep in their rooms in case of emergency. For the price, it's a really smart thing to get BEFORE you need it. If you are in a hurricane or tornado-prone area, you should really get one for your home. The red color actually has a little bit of a metallic sheen to it, so this thing is not only very practical, it looks cool, too.

Another good Grundig product is the Blackout Buddy - a smaller, plug-in device that you leave in a wall socket until you need it ... it's a flashlight, radio and clock all in one.



Rating:
Summary: Good emergency radio and light
Review: With about a minute of cranking I got over 30 minutes of power (it may have lasted much longer but I turned it off after that). The built-in light is very bright. The radio reception seems ok and there are course and fine tuner adjustment knobs that make it easy to dial-in a station.

You can power it with the crank, with batteries, or there are models with AC.

My only quibble is that the product feels a bit flimsy. The knobs especially worry me. The crank seems better but is still plastic. Overall though a nice thing to have around the house or for camping.