Eton FR250 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Red
By: Eton Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 15
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 On: 2008-07-26
This unit performs as advertised and considering the dollar spent is a good investiment for anyone looking for an emergency crank radio. The sensitivity on the short wave bands is on the light side during daylight hours however increases considerably during night time hours. Good quality audio on all bands.
On: 2008-07-06
I will try not to be a crank (my humor) but give this radio a good review for: 1.) best sound for music and voice for its size, 2.) variety of ways to power it, and even a hand crank to charge it up (takes 90 cranks to get it going for just a half hour,) two AA batteries or the NOT INCLUDED AC ADAPTER (dont forget to order it - its a rare type and 4.5v) and, 3.) fine tuning knob really helps bring in those hard to get stations. All in all Im very pleased, it is my favorite portable radio. I wish it had plug-ins for an iPod or an iPhone, but it doesnt. Come on radio people - Please realize that lots of people have their music on mp3 players now, We need more mp3 plug-ins on our electronics we buy, especially portable products (HINT HINT.)
If you just need a portable radio, this is a great one. All the other gadgets that come with it are worthless to say the least.
 On: 2008-06-28
First of all I believe that all portable products should include a AC adapter if the product runs on AC or DC. Period. I bought the radio to take along on camping trips and possible power outages at the house so after receiving the radio I decided to put it through the test by using the crank only to see how well the radio would perform in the event that batteries and electricity were not available. I was impressed in that the radio ran very well and very long (around 40 minutes or so) with only 3 minutes of cranking. The stations came in clear with or without batteries although the SW stations were annoying and hard to find. Unfortunately the radio stopped working after the first couple of weeks. I never took the radio outside, dunked it in water or banged it around so Im at a loss for knowing what happened. I returned the radio to Amazon and am still awaiting a refund. I believe that this radio is able to do the job that I needed it to do and feel saddened that it went kapoot. If you expect room filling stereo sound buy yourself a stereo. Remember its a portable. I intend to get another one and I would have rated it higher if it didnt die on me.
 On: 2008-05-14
After a 14-hour power outage several weeks ago, it was high time to finally set up a good emergency kit (actually, to update the one we had). We live in earthquake country.
I have always wanted a crank radio, and this little guy fits the bill nicely. Love its compact size, siren and light. Havent fully tested the reception, but I did get some strong AM stations with the crank. Didnt realize it came with a case...a nice surprise.
As usual with Amazon and its suppliers, the radio was beautifully packed. Nice instruction booklet. If I were to quibble......it was hard getting the battery cover to fit properly after plugging in the rechargable battery.
In all, who knows? This could be the best fifty bucks anybody ever spent.
 On: 2008-02-21
I purchased the Eton FR250 Emergency radio and it is that just barely. It is neithor waterproof nor is it sturdy being made of very light plastic construction. The tuning is erratic and difficult to fine tune and the whole product lacts that feel of quality. It does have a light and flasher and a siren that could possibly be heard by your neighbors if your windows were open and they were out in their yard. As for reception it is grainey and is in the classification of perhaps a childs toy as it is difficult to get a good clear sound and it is not for lack of stations as I live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area and there are many AM / FM stations to choose from. The crank does work and charges the battery pack and there are a number of cell phone adaptors for recharging, however, the light will work only off the battery pack and will not work off the three AA batteries that are one of the alternative power sources. I will probably keep it for an emergency radio in the home, however if you intend to put it in a vehicle oir boat I would look elsewhere for one that is better constructed and waterproof.
On: 2008-01-28
I bought this Eton Crank radio for emergencies. We get a lot of snow during the winter and often lose power. I wanted a crank radio so that I could keep informed as to current weather conditions and the news. I am extremely pleased with this little radio. After 60 seconds of cranking, I immediately had a radio, light and flasher. Have not tried out the cell phone charger yet, but so far am impressed with this well built and well running little radio.
On: 2008-01-20
I bought this radio for my son as a christmas gift. Best money Ive spent on electronics for him to date! It recharges itself...no battery dilemas! He cranks it and hes got radio...its a perfect size for his back pack and he can listen to his over-seas games...especially soccer!
So far...unfortunately...hes dropped it quite a few times, from a good distance too...and it hasnt been a problem! I wish like all teenage boys he would be more careful with his stuff...but, real life, he can break just about anything! So far...it has taken the abuse just fine!
Im thrilled with it...cant find one complaint about the radio...I wish they made a tape player thing too!
Thanks...A satisfied Mom!
On: 2007-12-20
The Eton FR250 is my favorite of their emergency crank radios. The sound quality is actually better than the pricier FR3xx radios and it has coarse- and fine- tuning knobs for the radio which help tremendously! Cranking your own power is a great idea...save our environment, and your wallet (utility bills and batteries). The radio pulls in difficult stations and this has become the radio of choice for my wife and myself. Its a convenient size to take around the house and really cranking it is kinda fun! This would be a smart tool to keep in the car, too. The LED light is very bright and the red blinking LED could be useful if you got stranded!
On: 2007-12-18
Weve had our radio for several years. The 3 AA batteries last about a month, being in use about 2-3 hours per day. I bought this one for my sister in Tulsa, OK, during the great ice storm that left her without power and no way to keep abreast of the news and weather. This is something every household should have, because even if you dont have power to charge it, it will still be able to work with the dynamo (hand crank) charge.
On: 2007-03-13
I spent a lot of time reading reviews of radios with AM capabilities and I am pleased with my choice. This little one is light, works well and has a lot of extra features which could prove to be helpful if we get any more storms here like we had recently.(Flooding and power blackouts caused a lot of inconvenience.) Reception is good and sound quality is excellent for such a small radio. Because I have a substantial hearing loss I especially appreciate that. So far I havent had to use the cell phone charger, the flashlight , short-wave reception or the siren(!) but its nice to know they are there, if needed.On top of all that good stuff...the price was right!
On: 2007-02-21
Living in central California, the most probable emergencies we face in OUR AREA are earthquakes and power outages. The Eton FR250 should suit our needs best - as long as radio & cell phone towers are still standing! The FR250 has 7 shortwave bands that might provide information from outside our area if local communications are lost. I let the built-in rechargeable battery (a replaceable 3.6 volt portable telephone battery) completely discharge and then cranked the dynamo the recommended 2 turns per second for 2 minutes (with a short break in between). It provided enough power for the radio to play at a moderate volume for 95 minutes - RATHER IMPRESSIVE and the 2 1/2 inch speaker provides very clear and pleasant audio. Another nice feature is the fine tuning knob.
With the built-in battery charged or with the 3 AA batteries, the flashlight will light in very dark conditions (tho not brightly), a path approximately 50 feet.
This little radio packs plenty of features at a reasonable price. A must for disaster kits, emergencies, camping or even giving as a gift.
On: 2007-01-09
We bought everyone in the family one of these for Christmas. Wind it up and power away. The cell phone charger converters that come with it do fit most of the cell phones in the family, but it did not fit a Fire Fly or a newer Nokia (the model with the FM radio capacity). But it fits other Nokias and a Sony Ericson. Weve lost power here in St. Louis twice in 2006 for DAYS. We had no radio, no tv, no bateries, nada. Now, we are prepared. It does pick up tv somewhat, but this is not what we got it for. If there is a HUGE national crisis I doubt the tv towers, stations, and power outages will support any tv or radio. But we will have light. The flashlight is not the brightest, but its sufficient. When the power goes out and the sund goes down, its DARK. We feel better knowing we wont have to rely on candles and batteries. We bought orange and white ones. They are plasticy and i wonder how long the windy thing will last, but with careful use this radio will certainly come in handy until Ameren UE tunes the lights on.
On: 2006-08-09
for my personal application this product could only been improved if it would have had a weather channel as an added feature. I will have to purchase a weather radio seperately since it does not.
On: 2006-04-06
Sounds nice, looks nice, and sturdily built. Another reviewer "bet" that it was not made in Germany... hes right, its made in China. Not sure why that matters except for snobbery. Winding the dynamo for 60 seconds or so results in a charge for a few minutes. Not bad, but only useful in emergency situations. Put some AA batteries in and youre set. The light is pretty bright, the siren super annoying, so youre set to drive each other crazy when the world ends.
On: 2006-04-05
Sounds nice, looks nice, and sturdily built. Another reviewer "bet" that it was not made in Germany... hes right, its made in China. Not sure why that matters except for snobbery. Winding the dynamo for 60 seconds or so results in a charge for a few minutes. Not bad, but only useful in emergency situations. Put some AA batteries in and youre set. The light is pretty bright, the siren super annoying, so youre set to drive each other crazy when the world ends.
On: 2005-06-21
I have a previous model of this wonderful radio & just received THIS model for fathers day. It is by far the coolest, neatest, most useful item around. Radio (fm, am, shortwave) flashlight, cell phone charger (with lots of adapters), siren and red blinking lights. Best of all - the hand crank works great. Needs about 1-2 minutes of cranking for 45 minutes or more of use (roughly). I keep it in the car for camputs and for storm situations and the like. Has a slot for headphone and an optional power adapter and takes regular AA batteries but I never bother. Just crank it up a mintue or so and its works great.
If you are stuck on a present idea for ANYONE, ths is THE gift to get. Fun and very useful. I also get a kick explaining to the kids how the hand crank dynamo works.
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