Best Hand Crank Radio Flashlight
A radio is an important gadget in your day to day chores. It will provide you with entertainment and keep you up to date with the information it will offer you. It can be of more use if it is a hand crank radio flashlight. This hand crank radio can save you in times of emergencies, disasters such as fired and tornadoes to Amber Alerts and chemical pills.
Here is a list of the Best Hand Crank Radio Flashlight
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The emergency and weather alerts are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is also a useful kit during camping since provide you with light, apart from entertainment and providing you with information. All hand crank radio flashlight radios are however not the same because they come in different sizes and shapes. Buying one is not a simple task.
Tips on how to choose a reliable hand crank radio flashlight wisely;
Stick to the basics - Most people need a radio that provides them with other warnings and NOAA alerts, so before spending on this hand crank radio flashlight, consider whether you need any other service.
Search for a radio that offers Specific Alert Message Encoding (SAME) - SAME allows you to specify particular areas for emergency warnings.
Look for the "NOAA, NWR All Hazards" and/or "Public Alert" Logos - The Public Alert sticker notes that the radio has met the specific technical standards, including the ability to hear a tone before an alert, receive are specific signals and plug in external devices such as vibration machines for the blind, and lights for the hearing impaired people. Make sure your radio is branded by either one or both of these.
Buy a Radio that supports multiple power sources - If your radio has other extra features, you increase the decrease power level. You will be forced to keep it alive so it can fulfill its primary duty, which is to keep you alert. If anything else, make sure the hand crank can charge your radio.
Choose your optional features - Look for the additional features you want in your hand crank radio flashlight. Some add-on features include; ruggedized exteriors to survive drops and falls, feature flashlights, solar panels for extra charging, and even multiple programmable stations and locations. Some are designed to be used with earphones only while others are portable. Consider your personal needs that best suits you and your disaster kit. A waterproof model should be at the top of your list if you live on a flood plain.
I have an experience with my best hand crank radio flashlight, Eton FRX5, and I would recommend you to buy one.
Eton FRX
>>>View Eton FRX5 Hand Crank Emergency Weather Radio here<<<
It is a Gold Award winner, and it has outperformed all other hand crank radio flashlight I tested in my thorough crank test. After two minutes of cranking the hand crank, the radio ran for thirteen solid minutes, outlasting all other radios I tested.
Battery Charging
Most hand crank radios available on the market today can be charged without the hand crank. Some feature USB ports that can be charged anywhere, while others offer solar panels for charging. ETON FRX5 offers both USB port charging and solar panel charging. A car charger is in the box as well, allowing you to charge anywhere anytime.
Safety Features
Crank radios are two parts emergency alertness, one part radio. Most crank radios include features like Morse code sirens and beacons, emergency weather updates. This Gold Award winner Eton FRX5 is equipped with a Morse code beacon and automatic weather alerts.You should use the siren which is built in to send a high pitched signal to help other people find your location.
This crank radio offers you with additional battery charging methods, shortlist of emergency features and a durable crank charge, this radio is sure to mesmerize and impress.
Eton FRX5 Hand Crank Radio Key Features
Why you should choose the Eton FRX5 Hand Crank Radio Flashlight
The top performers in my review are the Eton FRX5 the Gold Award winner, the Eton Scorpion, the Silver Award winner and the Sangean MMR-88, the Bronze Award winner.
Crank radio is not just your typical radio. You do not buy a crank radio to listen to music, as you are pulling out weeds in your kitchen garden or listening to latest hip hop as you work in your garage. Audio quality unlike most devices with loudspeakers is not a priority when it comes to crank radios. This radio is capable of receiving your top list FM stations, but it is not a tool for your entertainment, but rather a means for survival. Imagine this scenario, It is in the middle of the night and the power suddenly goes out and there is a humongous thunderstorm outside.Your roof is about to tear due to the wind that is blowing so hard. Has a hurricane stricken? Do you live in a flood plain?With a crank radio, you will get to know what exactly is going on, whether it is an earthquake, tornado, hurricane or any other environmental emergency. You can make it easier for people to find you in case you are lost or stranded, as well as stay informed.
Crank radios are used in two ways: for back-country camping and emergency preparedness. Contingency plans are essential for both uses. In case the disposable battery dies, you should have another option to power your crank radio. Every emergency radio is equipped with a crank generator that creates electricity through spinning a wire coil around a magnet. This concept is similar to water and steam turbines and wind though your hand is the moving force. This ensures that the emergency hand cranks radio flashlight always has access to power, for emergency preparedness. Consider other power options to charge the internal battery as well such as a car charger, a solar panel or a USB port. The best crank radios are told for survival and can have flashlights, thermometers, sirens, compasses and more.
To find the best crank radio, I tested three major characteristics - reception, rechargeable battery and the speaker. The hand crank radio flashlight needs to be efficient when recharging the battery. The reception is your lifeline to the outside world. Even when in remote areas, you should be able to hear the weather alerts from your hand crank radio flashlight. The inbuilt speaker is your lifeline for help. Not only does your hand crank radio flashlight project weather alerts, but it also signals people of your location so that you can receive their help in times of need.
Rechargeable Battery
To test the dynamo crank, I started by draining the batteries of each radio so that I was starting with a dead battery. Once the receivers lacked enough power to turn on, I spun the crank for two minutes. To ensure each dynamo crank received the same number of revolutions, I turned the crank to a metronome that clicked off at one hundred and twenty beats per minute, which is the standard industry recommendation for dynamo hand crank radio flashlights. After spinning the crank for 2 minutes, I turned the radios on and adjusted the volume to the loudest point. I set the timer from the time I turned the radio on to the time the battery died. I performed this 2-minute hand crank test five times with each of the radios to calculate an average. The amount of battery life the two minutes of cranking provided was between three to five minutes for most radios.
Some radios that I ranked the worst fell below the two minutes mark, meaning you will exert more energy and time cranking the radio than you will get in return. The best crank radio had an average of 14 minutes, 20 seconds, almost five times more than the second most reliable hand crank radio flashlight. Initially, I was going to test how long it would take to charge the radio entirely using the hand crank.
This, however, proved to be an impossible endeavor, even with the Eton FRX5. After two hours of spinning the crank, I could not reach the second bar on the battery meter. I decided to test how long the radios charged when fully plugged into a direct current instead. Most emergency radios were fully charged between four to six hours. However, some reached full bars after few hours while another did not reach a full charge after more than two days.
Once I timed how long had tested the time each weather radio would arrive at a full charge, I then tested the battery life. I played each radio at full volume until it died. I found out that the recharge time does not always correlate with the battery life, just because a radio takes a longer time to charge, does not mean it has a longer battery life.
Long-Range Reception Quality
I tested the each radio's reception quality from several perspectives, upcountry and city, AM nighttime and AM daytime, and general PM. I found out that NOAA weather band reception is equal to every radio in the back country or the city setting. I also discovered that if a radio scored high marks during the day, it did too at night, and vice versa.
To test the reception, I tested each radio within the same time, in the same location so that the environment would not tamper with the reception. I carried this out in the city and the back country. In both settings, there is a vast disparity in the AM and FM stations quality. On many of the stations, several crank radios had distortion, including the city, while the best weather radios were clear consistently.
Maximum Volume Level
To test the maximum size, I used a decibel meter to measure the volume, one meter from the radio's speaker. The loudest hand crank radio produced 90.3 dB of volume while the lowest weather radio reached 76.2 dB, as loud as any ordinary conversation. The Eton FRX5 passed all the tests and proved to be the best.
The best hand crank radio flashlight is the Eton FRX5. Its main features are;
Harness Natures Power
With a two thousand mAh rechargeable lithium battery,hand crank power generator and a super-duper solar panel, it is an essential for every emergency kit, in the great outdoors, at work or home. It is installed with the SAME technology and can charge your smart phone not to mention splash proof.
On Extra Alert
The radio automatically broadcast NOAA emergency weather alerts for your region such as tornadoes, hurricanes and severe storm when the "Alert" function is on. The FRX5 features the SAME technology, customizing alerts for your exact location. Enter your SAME county code if a warning is there, watch and you will see it with orange, red or green lights and hear about it. You can set up to 25 locations to be safer wherever you are.
Listen up
Stay in tune with this AM/FM/NOAA emergency radio with alarm clock and display. You can play your own music using the AUX- input. Plug in your headphones when you want to listen to your tunes alone.
Quad-power
The FRX5 powers up in four ways, via a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, hand crank, three alkaline batteries or solar panel.
All Powerful
The super sized solar panel charges the battery fully in five to six hours. You can alternatively crank the hand turbine, which will produce weather and news or one minute of talk time, or enough power to play music for 10-15 minutes. You can also choose to use the micro-USB cable to charge its built in rechargeable battery or if you want to go old school, pop in three of AAA batteries.
Say Hello
Plug your smartphone into the 5V 2.1A USB-port to charge it. The FRX5 fully charges most smartphones as well as tablets.
Light the night
The FRX5 has an LED flashlight to help you find your way. The illuminated buttons and the glow-in-the-dark locator are useful when you are in the dark.Flash the red emergency beacon when in a big time emergency.
Add some Ambiance
Use the, top mounted, built in, dimmable ambient light to light your tent in your next camping expeditions. This light can also be used to enjoy a relaxing conversation or dinner even with the raging storm outside.
Weather or not
- The FRX5 has a splash-proof rating of 2, so neither snow nor sleet or even rain can influence its performance. It is ideal for river and camping trips.
- It is drop proof from a 3.3ft height. Drop protection depends on drop conditions.
- It is not waterproof and should therefore not be immersed in water.
