Emergency radios are small radios that receive AM, FM, and shortwave bands to stream in news, music, and emergency bulletins.
Emergency radios can be powered by electricity or batteries, but most are operated by solar power or by hand cranking, making them ideal to use in areas where there are no electricity and telephone lines.
About two minutes of hand cranking gives crank powered emergency radios about 15 minutes of power. Some are equipped with emergency light for use during sudden power outages. Most models have AC adapters and battery compartments for different powering options.
Solar powered emergency radios
Solar power emergency radios come with small solar panels that are rechargeable by AC adapters. Indicator lights that show if the solar panels are fully charged.
Portable emergency radios
Portable emergency radios resemble walkmans and are small enough to fit in shirt or jacket pockets. They are normally powered by at least two alkaline or rechargeable batteries.
Features: Choose emergency radios that are packed with features. Consider emergency radios that have flashlights in order to have instant light during blackouts. Go for emergency radios that can pick up a wide frequency of AM, FM, and shortwave channels so you can listen in on more news and weather updates.
Power: Choose emergency radios that can be powered in different ways, so you can use them under different conditions. Consider emergency radios that have AC adapters, battery compartments, and solar panels. You can opt to use their AC adapters when electricity is available. If electricity is not accessible, you can opt to operate them using their solar panels. If they run out of solar power, you can operate them through batteries.
Storage: Keep emergency radios accessible at all times. Consider placing emergency radios on top of bookshelves, refrigerators, and other elevated surfaces. Keep them visible so they can easily be turned on during emergency situations.
