Cingular Go Phone: Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Review

I got this specifically for emergencies. In the big fires we had here a couple years ago, radio was pretty much useless on the first day - several stations were off the air due to power failures and the press conferences with the police and fire chief were all on TV.Eventually, the radio stations advised people to watch their TVs.This unit gets good audio reception on three local broadcast TV stations plus a whack of AM and FM stations. Another reviewer indicated that the FM tuning isn't great. They're right - it isn't. That's the missing star in my rating.The NOAA weather stations come in well too.Once there's no more free broadcast TV signals, I guess this will be an expensive hand-cranked AM radio.

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Product Description:
With a dependable hand-crank power generator that powers the unit's AM/FM/TV/Weather radio, built-in LED flashlight, cell phone charger and emergency siren, the lightweight and portable Eton FR300 is an excellent and economical choice for anyone in the market for a radio that can be relied on in emergencies or in environments where there are limited power sources.

FR250
FR300

FR400 Hand crank Cell phone charger Emergency lights Siren AC adapter included Water resistant Tuning AM/FM, SW AM/FM, TV-VHF, NOAA weather AM/FM, TV-VHF, NOAA weather Size (inches, WxDxH) 6.5 x 2.5 x 6 6.5 x 2.5 x 6 8.75 x 2.25 x 4.5 Weight 1 lb. 3 oz. 1 lb. 4 oz. 1 lb. 4 oz. Power Crank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC Crank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC Crank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC If you want a water-resistant radio, check out the FR 400.

Power When You Need It
At the heart of all of Eton's emergency radios, including the FR300, is an internal generator that recharges the internal Ni-MH battery pack and powers the radio, siren, and light. Also, by plugging your cell phone into the jack on the back of the radio, you can use the crank to power your phone. In our test, after draining our cell phone of power, we recharged it using the FR300 enough to make a few calls. The rate of cell phone recharging will vary greatly depending on the cell phone and the state of its battery, but the FR300 can provide your compatible p!hone with power in a pinch.

Important Note: Until this year, Eton provided a package of several different cell phone adapter tips with every radio. In 2007, Eton began instead including a coupon for a free adapter for whatever phone you have. So, the first thing you want to do when you get the radio is fill out the card with your cell phone's make and model and send it in to make sure you have your adapter.

According to the product manual, to achieve 40 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted power to the radio, you must turn the crank at a rate of two revolutions per second for 90 seconds. In our test, after our initial 90 seconds of rigorous cranking, the FR300 powered right up and was still going strong with radio reception after an hour. At the hour mark, we briefly turned the flashlight on, and that too was at full force, with no perceivable drain on radio reception. In fact, the FR300 was still going strong over 75 minutes after we recharged t!he battery pack. The FR300 can also be powered via an AC adapt!er which , to our dismay, is not included, or from three AA batteries, also not included. The dynamo crank tucks itself nicely into the side of the radio and offers little resistance as you turn the handle. (Don't let the cranking requirements frighten you! While it's true that a full 90 seconds of turning the crank can be tiring and may not be for everyone, we were able to recharge the radio with less than a minute of cranking and achieved over 40 minutes of continuous power.)

Design and Controls
At slightly more than a pound in weight, and with dimensions of 6.5 x 6.00 x 2.5 inches (WxHxD), the FR300 is made to be tucked neatly into its handy nylon carrying case, and stored in an emergency box, or packed neatly for a camping trip. A white LED light is set on the front of the radio, just to the side of the analog tuner. The light is designed to help you down an unlit stairwell or enclosed hallway in a pinch, but it is not directed or strong enough to help you much in a pitch-black forest or other open area. The FR300 also includes a red flash!ing LED light that can be used as a distress signal. The radio and light can be operated simultaneously, though of course at the expense of power.

The large tuning knob and other controls make the FR300 a breeze to use. View larger.
The hand crank generator tucks neatly into the rear panel. View larger.
An emergency light is located next to the tuning dial. View larger.