GUIDE TO EMERGENCY RADIOS

Innovage Outdoor AM/FM Emergency Battery Free Crank Radio

Manufacturer : Innovage
In Stock : 5

List Price:	$29.99
Price:	$14.50
You Save:	$15.49 (52%)

Features

AM/FM/weather bands
Earbud headphones
Fold-out crank handle charges radio in about 60 seconds
Can also operate on two AA batteries or 6V AC adapters (not included)
Lightweight design with built-in carrying strap

Product Description

A must-have for every emergency kit, this AM/FM radio never needs batteries, working instead by simply being cranked up. Includes earphones. 3 1/2" x 2" x 6" high.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating of 3.00 out of 17 reviews

Rating :
Innovage Outdoor Radio - Dennis R. Rachlin, Dec 01, 2007

This is my second radio. The first one still works but I perhaps was a little to aggressive with the crank and it came off. This is the only thing I would caution people about. The radio works great especially with rechargeable batteries. Just treat the device delicately and it should work for you very well. Cheers.....

Rating :
Worked, but didn't last long. - Michi, Sep 22, 2007

I bought this from Target under a different name. It came in a set with a crank flashlight. The radio actually worked for me in the beginning. I used it for about 4 months. Then the crank broke. To be precise, the gears inside broke. When it worked, this was really a decent radio with good reception (well, for $10) but I threw it away after it broke since it really had no use anymore. If they would have only spent a few more cents on it, and put in metal gears, this could have been a useful, sturdy little radio.

Rating :
does what it is supposed to do - labwitch, May 04, 2007

i picked up one of these at a local bed, bath & beyond because it seems mother nature is out to get us here in northeast texas. it works exactly as the package states and had included a small led dynamo powered flashlight. for an emergency i don't really care if the radio does fifty different things, it holds a charge and has been playing for fifteen minutes after just a couple of minutes of cranking. does exactly what i purchased it for and the price was right. $14.99 flashlight included.

Rating :
Well designed unit - Richard Cantor, Apr 05, 2007

I bought the AM/FM Hand-Powered Emergency weather radio for two main reasons - the first being the battery free operation by way of the hand-powered crank handle, and second, for the relatively good sound for a transistor-sized portable radio.

As some other posts have said, there are some drawbacks to the unit. Of the several radios I tested (all under the "LifeLong" brand name, a different name than the Innovage name, but essentially the exact same model), some never powered on even after 30 seconds of turning the power handle. All radios that did work, including mine, require the volume switch to be moved a ways before the volume comes on. I have yet to hear the emergency weather band station. All I get are FM and AM stations. At the lower end of the FM band, selectivity between the 90.1 FM and 94FM bandwidth is poor in one regard - a strong station that broadcasts near 94 FM is heard again near 90.1 FM, overpowering the signal of the weaker station that should be heard at that frequency. Other than that problem, most other FM stations are heard fine. The telescoping antenna does not extend up as far as I would like. I associate length with greater receptivity. So far, even with the shorter length of the antenna, the set does pick up FM stations adequately - even inside a store with heavy floresent lighting. Selectivity on AM stations at night is average - some stations that I can pick up on other radios only can be heard when I turn this radio in one specific direction and hold the unit there.

Now the strong points - the handle fits snug into the unit and is easy to pull out for cranking. The radio station numbers appearing in the small horizontal window near the top of the front side of the unit can be seen rather easily, albeit closeup (due to the small-sized lettering), but at least the station indicator dial is in red and is easily visible. Switches are intelligently separated so as to not be confused with each other as far as functions go - volume and tuning dials are on the top, on/off on the side, as are the band switches. The product description indicates that this unit is water resistant. I still wouldn't want to have water coming down on the top of the radio where the tuning and volume switches are!

This unit is deeper than most small portable transistors, and for the extra width, the listener gets a bonus of deeper bass which is normally sacrificed in transistor sized radios. In fact, for a set this small, this offers one of the deepest basses I have heard. The treble sound is average at best. Sometimes the "s" and "t" sounds, audible on sensitive radios can barely be heard on this set.

The feel of the set (the portion that is in black) is excellent - the material feels like soft rubber, not hard plastic. The set comes with a carrying strap attached to the back of the unit, as well as ear buds.

After cranking the set for about 15 to 30 seconds, I received at least 30 minutes worth of power. I installed two AA batteries just to makes sure the set worked with those. It did. Next, I plugged in an adaptor (DC 6V), and while it was plugged in for about 30 seconds, the "charging" light stayed lit. I did not touch the set for another few days. I was shocked to learn that one week later, with no hand-cranking of the power handle, when I turned on the volume switch, the sound boomed out.

A friend suggested that there may be built in Ni-Cad batteries in the unit to hold the power. I thought that the unit would only run for a short time, and then with lack of use, it would be totally out of power. My set seems to have held the charge all this time.

This is a fine backup radio for when you don't want to bother with batteries and also want a slightly better than average sound for a transistor radio.

I bought this unit on sale, but even at the normal price, it offers good value - decent sound, and three ways to generate power - by hand, battery, and by adaptor. Make sure that the unit you buy works! Not all of these models do. It may be that my set will never be able to pick up the one emergency weather band, but given all the other features it has, I am happy with those.

Rating :
DID NOT WORK; NOBODY CONTACTED ME - James L. Greenstone, Jan 09, 2007

BAD PRODUCT. DID NOT WORK. ALTHOUGH I EXPECTED SOMEONE TO CONTACT ME OR TO SEND ME THE PRODUCT THAT WORKED, I HAVE HEARD NOTHING. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT I WILL PURCHASE AGAIN. YOUR COMPUTER SKILLS ARE OKAY, YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS ARE NOT.

DR. GREENSTONE

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