Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Red
By: Eton Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 107
More Information
 On: 2008-10-03
There are already some great reviews here, so I will keep this relatively short.
Bottom line: The radio works well and does what it says it does. This being the case, Im giving it 5 stars.
I have read and appreciate some of the more negative reviews. Some of the points made are valid while others are misinformed as some commentators have noted.
For me, all I can say is that the day after I received the radio from Amazon, our power went out for the first time in four years. Now, living in southern California, this is not what I would consider an emergency. However, the power was out for a few hours, it was late in the evening, eery, and boring. After setting up my emergency lighting, I basically got to sit around until I remembered I had this radio. I say THIS radio because, I have others, but I never use them because where I live, in the midst of canyons and hills, I have yet to find a radio that got any channels worth listening to.
Anyways, I turned it on and tuned it in and, to my surprise, I was getting virtually every channel that I listen to in my car, on this radio. That was exciting for me, not least because now I can listen to my Angels game on the radio in the house. : )
Suffice it to say that I was pleased. As for the other features, here is my two cents.
The light works fine, but you should have other lights in your kit anyways. the strobe is probably useless, but you should have another strobe in your kit anyway. The siren may never be needed, but it works and could come in handy (not worth marking the radio down for). The alert feature combined with the weather stations is nice if you live in certain areas. The crank feature works well and does what it claims. Still, if you are stocking up on emergency supplies, stock up on batteries too. It only makes sense.
As I mentioned, the stations came in better than any other radio I have used where I live. The was truly surprising.
On: 2008-09-16
Im so happy I got this before the hurricane, and it came through like a trouper. After losing power at the height of the storm (in Houston), this little baby has been our lifeline to the outside world. Great reception and lasting power. Im buying another one for the hurricane kit.
On: 2008-09-13
So far, we are happy with this radio and thank goodness we havent had to use it yet! I really appreciate that there is a button that just puts the radio on the NATIONAL EMERGENCY & WEATHER SERVICE. You dont have to rememeber what chanel its on which would be hard to do in an emergency.
 On: 2008-09-05
I bought this radio on 12/13/07. I tried it when I received it & it worked OK. I took it camping (pop-up) & when I needed to get a weather report (9/2/08), the weather band was completely non-functional !!!! Of course, we had heavy rain & thunderstorms that night !
What good is a so-called emergency radio that doesnt work the 1st time you need it ?
Im glad I bought the AC adapter because 15 minutes of cranking gave about 1 minute of radio use !
I wasted $50 on a piece of electronic junk ! I hope I can buy something else that is dependable & actually works when you need it !
I also never received the cell phone adapters from Eton after sending them the request card !
Dont buy this item !
On: 2008-09-04
I purchased this radio to take on fishing trips in the midwest and Ontario and have been very pleased with the weather channel reception as well as the AM & FM bands. I just recently tuned in to the TV channels it picks up and was again plaesantly surprised at the reception considering we were away from any major city. I like the "dynamo" and my boys enjoy cranking it so it runs on its own juice instead of the batteries. I highly recommend this unit.
 On: 2008-08-31
As all the positive reviews note, it is a great product in every way as far as I can tell... except that it broke in no time, even though it was used gently and very infrequently. The crank just flat out stopped working, after maybe 3 uses... As I said, we were careful with it and didnt handle it roughly. You just turn the crank, so I cant see any way to mess it up... Perhaps this was just one defective unit... In any case, for what we paid, it shouldnt break so easily.
On: 2008-08-22
I love this thing!
This is my second Eton product and believe that they are making a great product at the right price. It has a great form factor and does not eat the batteries. The alarm function during weather alerts is loud (scared my wife at 11:30 at night!) The light is good and the blinking red is also bright. The body is rubberized which means a no slip radio when having to crank it when wet. I give it a 9 out of 10. Great job Eton!
On: 2008-08-17
I bought two of these...as I live in California, needed something that did
not need power...in case of eArThQuAkEs! Seems to hold a pretty good wind
up charge, my husband liked his quite a bit.
On: 2008-08-11
switches are sloppy and difficult to set where you want them. Quality is not what I expected. There are better radios out there !
 On: 2008-07-17
Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic SilverA very good product. Only flaw is the adaptors supplied for recharging cell phones are outdated so that feature was therefore useless.
On: 2008-07-14
Some good ideas on what to include in an emergency radio but the quality was not! The radio tuner was very bad, could not tune in clearly even a local station. Returned this radio.
On: 2008-07-04
Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Silver
I got this radio due to the Hurricane season now upon us. I have not used it but I tested it and it appears to be a good product.
On: 2008-06-29
Product was all that we expected and more. Would advise it to anyone interested.
On: 2008-06-20
I like the size of the radio and it seems to work quite well. I bought it to have when the power goes off and I think it will be great for that. I have also used it outside and plugged it in to a power source.
On: 2008-04-10
This little radio is just so so cute. And my husband, the owner, takes it with him everywhere! Its just a lot of radio for the money. Love it!
On: 2008-04-08
Good reception on all bands, easy to use, and a good charge using the hand crank. (Maybe an hour or more of radio play from about a minute or two or cranking.)
As mentioned previously, it does not come with an AC adapter, and the brand-name adapter is not easy to find. You could just drop in a Radio Shack and buy a compatible adapter there for a few bucks. For me, I dont know why you would want one. I mean, it does crank and take AA batteries besides; and its more of a little companion radio. Id rather just crank it now and then when I want to use it.
The little speaker is pretty good sound-quality wise. The only real problem is that it does not charge all cell phones, and in fact, out of the box, it doesnt charge any cell phones ... you need a separate adapter, that may or may not be available for your phone. Even then, you would only get a minute or so of talk time from a whole lotta cranking.
Im very happy with the radio for the price features.
On: 2008-03-29
Good product. Worth the money. I live in Tornado Alley and hope it is never used.
On: 2008-03-22
I have had this unit for a few years now. Like most reviews said, it isnt the best, but it has come in handy. The led light is nice, the speaker is clear and the cell phone charger is amazing assuming you put some effort into it. I converted one of the cell adapters to USB female, with that, i can charge usb gadgets with the hand crank. It requires a lot of cranking but to be able to charge a cell phone (or any usb gizmo I got, which is loads) it is very nice.
During a recent power outage I was able to entertain myself with the tv reception (which unfortunately is gone when the digital tv switch happens)and use the light to illuminate the area I was in.
Would be a 5 star rating but no AC adaptor, and the fm is kinda poor. I got mine clearance for 20ish So i am happy with the purchase.
 On: 2008-02-24
Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Red
We lost power the other day and realized that we had no way to hear news. We have phones and could call someone but wanted to hear news about what was going on. We ordered this multi-function radio. All features work fine. However, in 2009, TV is going digital and the TV audio reception feature will no longer work. There are also plans to digitalize FM radio broadcasting at a later date. The digitilization of AM radio has also been proposed for an even later date. At that point, this radio will be a battery/hand cranked siren/flashlight/weather radio. But then again, are they planning to digitilize the weather broadcasts too? I spent the $50 anyway. It will at least hold us for a few years.
On: 2008-01-26
Neither Amazon nor Eton mention that the TV1 and TV2 channels will go silent after February 2009.
On: 2008-01-18
On the surface, this radio seems to have everything: compact size, am/fm radio bands, tv and weather bands, and the ability to crank it for power and charge your cell phone in a pinch. It does have those things, however, it does not come with a ac/dc cord to plug it up (which is not mentioned) or a converter to plug a cell phone charger into. So now we are trying to find both and not having much success. A great emergency radio, but dont count on being able to charge your cell phone or plug it in during non-emergency times.
On: 2008-01-14
The first time we received this product, it worked fine. Great to use when power fails. So, we gave it as a gift for Christmas. It did not work. We paid postage AGAIN to send it back and have to wait 6 weeks to see whether the replacement will work. Not happy at the moment.
On: 2008-01-12
This little radio worked well and was all that kept us in touch with the outside world during a recent 3 day power outage. My only criticism would be that it takes quite frequent cranking to keep it receiving.
On: 2007-12-31
The shipping and delivery was on schedule. The recipient seems to like the radio, etc. but I do not know how it works since he lives in another state.
On: 2007-12-22
In 2006 Seattle, and western Washington, suffered through a major windstorm. The windstorm knocked down trees and power lines resulting in mass power outages. Remote areas in western Washington were without power for weeks.
We used the Eton radio during the windstorm and the recovery period to stay in touch with the latest news. The ability to tune into the news and hear was an amazing for how isolated and disconnected we felt with every day amenities like the Internet and satellite TV.
The radio worked as advertised. We could listen to the local AM station for about 30 minutes after cranking the handle for 1 minute.
A good emergency radio is an essential piece of gear for all 72 hour kits.
On: 2007-12-21
During the winter of 2006 Seattle and western Washington suffered through a major windstorm. The windstorm knocked down trees and power lines resulting in mass power outages. Remote areas in western Washington were without power for weeks.
We used the Eton radio while our power was out to stay in informed with the latest news. Just knowing what was going on was an amazing antidote for the isolation we felt. With power and telephone lines down we were unable to access every day news sources like the Internet and TV.
The radio worked as advertised. We could listen to the local AM station for about 30 minutes after cranking the handle for 1 minute.
A good emergency radio is an essential piece of gear for all 72 hour kits.
On: 2007-12-21
During the winter of 2006 Seattle and western Washington suffered through a major windstorm. The windstorm knocked down trees and power lines resulting in mass power outages. Remote areas in western Washington were without power for weeks.
We used the Eton radio while our power was out to stay in informed with the latest news. Just knowing what was going on was an amazing antidote for the isolation we felt when disconnected from every day amenities like the Internet and TV.
The radio worked as advertised. We could listen to the local AM station for about 30 minutes after cranking the handle for 1 minute.
A good emergency radio is an essential piece of gear for all 72 hour kits.
On: 2007-12-18
Cranking for 90 seconds gives you loads of power and the radio is compact so it packs well too.
the only thing about this product that id change is the carry case, which is a little clumsy in design.
On: 2007-11-26
We live in Florida and I bought these for my family members in case we were out of power. We know the value of getting information immediately and these radios give us that. Fortunately, we havent had to use the emergency features on them this year, but thats a good thing.
On: 2007-11-25
We live in Florida and I bought these for my family members in case we were out of power. We know the value of getting information immediately and these radios give us that. Fortunately, we havent had to use the emergency features on them this year, but thats a good thing.
On: 2007-11-15
Not sure I understand other complaints about quality of reception. Maybe its a location thing? I get better FM, AM on this small radio than on any other I own. Also good reception of TV channels and adequate reception of local weather channel. Love it! I may take it out of my disaster box and use it regularly. Besides, its so darn cute.
On: 2007-11-04
Seems to work well as described in the instructions, but after a month I am still waiting for the free connection for charging my cell phone. Will have to recontact them which is annoying.
On: 2007-11-02
The Eton FR300 is a good buy for price offered. It seems to be everything that was advertized. Everything works and it will be the perfect radio/light in the event of an emergency. I ordered the cell phone tip for my Tilt cell phone and have not received it yet. Hopefully it is available. Other than that, I am pleased with the purchase.+
On: 2007-10-31
Superb device that will add information and light when you most need it. I bought four and gave two to my friends. This emergency radio will more than pay for itself the first hurricane, tornado, or bad ice storm you go through. I like the durability and case it comes in. Need to change the color to Red or Orange or add reflective tape or marking , to both the radio and case. That can be for the next product improvement cycle, for now, this one more than does the job
On: 2007-10-30
Superb device that will add information and light when you most need it. I bought four and gave two to my friends. This emergency radio will more than pay for itself the first hurricane, tornado, or bad ice storm you go through. I like the durability and case it comes in. Need to change the color to Red or Orange or add reflective tape or marking , to both the radio and case. That can be for the next product improvement cycle, for now, this one more than does the job
On: 2007-10-20
everything works fine as advertised. 90 seconds of agressive cranking yeilds approx. 90 minutes of radio use.. great for listening to the RED SOX games while barbquing on the patio. great little radio.
On: 2007-10-16
This radio is pretty well made for its price range and has some nice features. I put it to use during an extended blackout after some serious passed through my area. I did not have to crank the radio much to provide a longer-than-expected time to listen to the radio. I could get weather reports, and a bit of entertainment, and even used the light during the night. At home, it wasnt a complete lifesaver, but I wanted to try it out before I really needed to rely on it.
Unfortunately, I broke the antennae right after I got it, but luckily the manufacturer sent me a replacement right away. That was good customer service.
Overall, I have been quite pleased. I rated it a 4 instead of a 5 because the antennae was fragile.
On: 2007-09-27
High quality radio with good reception. Ideal for use during power outages. Advertises that it can be used to recharge cell phones, but the adapter cables do not come with the radio and are not available at the manufacturer.
The radio was smaller than I expected, but that is a plus.
On: 2007-08-26
We have had this radio for about two years and didnt use it much until camping this year. It was really handy for checking the weather reports and charging cell phones. Dont expect to charge a cell phone without a lot of elbow grease, but it does work. The radio has pre-programed weather frequencies which gave us a choice of regional weather reports. Also it was educational for the kids who learned that even without household outlets they could generate their own electricity and run a radio.
On: 2007-08-17
I purchased this for the potential of being hit by Hurricane Dean and the major purchase consideration behind it being the ability to power my cell phone(s.) Come to find out they ONLY mail the tips now after registering the product. Their customer service was good - theyre sending the cord and tip out expedited mail. Would I have purchased this again - yes. BUT if youre expecting to use it immediately after opening the box, be forewarned.
On: 2007-08-13
I bought this for my parents when they went cruising on their sailboat. It was a good back up for them with cell phone charging.
On: 2007-08-11
I have problems with my FM reception because I am close to some foothills. I was expecting this radio to be the same as all my other ones. Surprise! It provides great FM reception. It is also a wonderful size for travel. Now when the storms come, Ill not worry when I lose all my electricity.
On: 2007-08-10
excellent radio. Reception is far better than what we would normally get in our valley. Works great and like the option of being able to charge your cell phone. With power outages and hurricane season, its well worth the $$. Like the convenient carrying case too. Bright orange color makes it easy to find in a rush!
On: 2007-07-28
The FR300 radio is perfect in every sense. We use it for storm alerts but also with the aid of headphones I listen to TV or radio and my wife can listen to the same programs without blasting her ears off. We couldnt be more pleased. We are both in our eighties. Bob and Elaine
On: 2007-07-25
arrived in a timely manner and no surprises as to expected features. Therefore, rating is very positive. Had to purchase separated A/C battery charger for $10 but again ad and information provided before purchase did indicate this was extra.
On: 2007-07-23
We live in Florida and need a radio because of frequent power outages. This one works just like its suppose to. We havent had any trouble with tuning it in or things breaking on it. I made sure we had cell phones that were compatible before I bought it. My husband likes it because its small enough to take places. There is a measure of comfort knowing the flashlight and other emergency features are there "just in case".
On: 2007-07-20
I needed this thing immediately because of storms and power outages in our area. However, I ran into snafus. It was described as coming with 5 cell phone charger adapters, but when it came the adapters were missing. The adapters are not something you can go out and buy. I emailed Amazon, and they said they could not send the adapters but would send a replacement radio, and I would then send back the first one. The replacement came, and the adapters were missing in the second one, as well. In the second box was a card from Eton Corp to contact them, to tell them what cell phone I used, and they would send the adapter. I emailed them I had 2 different cell phones, might have more because we might change cell phone companies, so wanted the 5 adapters as advertised by Amazon. Eton replied that they no longer supplied the 5 adapters because there were so many brands of cell phones. They are sending the adapters for my 2 phones, have yet to arrive, and I am sending back the replacement radio to Amazon. I hope that there are no more snafus in this order. In the literature in the box, Eton warns that 15 minutes of cranking may only supply 1 or 2 minutes of cell phone time, and that should have been stated in the product description at Amazon before people decide to order. Other than this snafu, this product works fine, the radio bands, including weather, are strong, and a few minutes of cranking gives about 15 minutes of radio time. The siren is loud, the red light bright, but the white light is rather weak and diffused, but good enough for seeing closeup in an emergency.
On: 2007-07-18
Im unable to say how this radio performs as the antenna broke at the base the first time that my husband attempted to use it. This same thing happened to the Grundig, earlier model that I bought for him the year before. This replacement proved to be equally disappointing. I have to add that he enjoyed the earlier model before the antenna broke.
On: 2007-07-06
This item worked as advertised and is a good item to have in any home that could be in a storm area.
by: benjaminreish On: 2007-06-05
My overall opinion of this radio is very good.
Although I have only had this radio for a few weeks, I believe that it serves the function that was intended. The sound quality is not fantastic, but for a 6 inch square by 2 inch thick radio, it is pretty good. If you crank it for a minute, the radio will last about ten minutes. I have mainly used battery power and have had no problems with it dying. The TV section does not pick up every broadcast station. While in the TV mode it will pick up quite a bit that is not TV, too. The siren is loud and capable. I have not tried the cell phone charging feature yet.
From the reviews I read (and I read a lot of them), this model appeared to be the best and I am glad I chose it.
by: mad_shopper On: 2007-05-04
My biggest complaint with the radio is that the manual mistakenly promises over an hour of listening time for 60-90 seconds of cranking. You only get 10 minutes of listening time which would be fine for emergencies but youll definitely need to run this on batteries for regular listenting. I called customer service three times to ask about this and never recieved a call back. Otherwise, a nice radio with very good reception.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-04-30
This is the Swiss Army knife of radios. It has great AM reception, decent FM reception, and I was able to get the three VHF TV stations (2, 4, & 7, though there is some radio station "spill over" on to the VHF bands) and one weather station in our area. The fine tuning knob really works and the headphone jack is a nice addition. I like that it can be powered four different ways (crank, rechargeable NiMH battery, 3 AAs, AC adapter; the latter two not included), but I will probably use the rechargeable battery most. Mine came with seven different adapter tips for the cell phone charging feature. I havent found a phone yet that it cant charge. I purchased a FR200 for my Dad and its a nice radio, but unless you want shortwave, I recommend spending the extra $10 or so and getting the FR300. In addition to the TV and weather bands, the FR300 has a better flashlight (2 white LEDs vs. 1), a red flashing LED (good for changing a tire at night) and a siren (not sure what youd use this for other than to annoy someone). The cell phone charger seals the deal. The radio has a cool retro look and the black one reminds me of the Mattel agent zero radio rifle from the mid `60s. It also looks good in red. This would be a great thing to have for power outages or camping.
P.S. I had to call Eton customer service for a new bulb on my Dads FR200. A real person (sitting in California, not overseas) actually answered on the first ring and then transferred my call to parts, where someone answered on the first ring. How often does that happen?
by: Anonymous On: 2007-04-16
Reviewing the FR-300 weather / news radio. Do not buy this radio. It is cheap, made in China, and is a lousy radio. You cannot tune it into a station...it slides all over. The tuning capacity is zero, reception on any band is terrible. The T.V. settings are all mixed up...again, reception lousy. Weather band too. This radio is really the worst....do not buy it. Waste of money....and very overpriced. It does NOT live up to what is written about it. Rating "horrible".....do not buy.
by: hgfase On: 2007-04-08
I just recieved my new Eton FR 300 Emergency Radio. Right out of the box I was able to function all controls. FM stations pulled in better than my home stereo. I was able to pull in my local Television station, as well as the weather stations. This unit puts out a remarkable sound for its size. Also the emergency light and siren work well. The hand crank also seemed very sturdy
As I was checking this unit over I was thinking "this is kind of cool" I like the design and controls
The true test is though, I bought this for use at the beach this summer. So far it has met my expectations
On: 2007-04-07
This emergency radio is aptly named - used only for emergencies! Rich in features but cheap in construction = keeps it affordable (~$50) so you can have one at home and one for your aging mother. Were in the SF Bay Area and no stranger to quakes. If my rickety old Victorian building does not crush me then this radio will make life more than bearable. The Eton radios are great w/ the mobile phone charger tips - so what if you get RSI from all the cranking? I chose the FR300 over all the other Etons for the weather bands, not having an inherent need for water resistance, and not having a power supply (if the powers out... its out, buddy). And who can resist high-visibility orange??
On: 2007-03-27
I BOUGHT 3 RADIOS FOR MYSELF & 2 OF MY KIDS. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA AND NEED STORM WARNINGS. THE RADIO WORKS AS EXPECTED AND INCLUDES A CELL PHONE RECHARGER AND FLASH LIGHT. ALL CAN BE POWERED BY A CRANK OR BATTERIES. THE RADIO COME WITH VARIOUS CELL PHONE ADAPTERS BUT NONE FIT OUR PHONES. WE EMAILED ETON & THEY SENT US 3 CORRECT ADAPTERS AT NO CHARGE.
On: 2007-03-24
Very well built, right down to the battery compartment! This is a very sensitive receiver, with DEPENDABLE analog tuning. The LED light source is bright. The switches are logical in their placement. I own SIX of these radios. These are stored for emergency use. Think about this the next time you have a power outage at your house: A radio with a light source is not only useful for you as an adult to listen to the weather and news, it comforts children with that light! It also gives them something to do, learning about radio and electricity in general. One radio for EACH child means that you will always have a working unit on hand--here redundancy counts! And GUESS WHAT! IF you break a whip antenna, ETON CARRIES REPLACEMENT PARTS that you can order right from their web site!!! Now, how many times have you seen a radio manufacturer that actually carries parts? I havent had such parts availability since about the 1960s!
On: 2007-03-14
I received this radio as a gift, and I keep it handy in case there is an extended power outage, or severe weather coming through. We have a local radio station that tends to bleed out most other stations on the FM dial, but this is true with most analog tuning radios I have. The features seem like a perfect combination of what you would want for communications in an emergency.
For those whose cell phones do not fit any of the included adapters, it is relatively easy to find a cheap used cell phone that does fit. In that case you could keep it with the radio for 911 calls, as that would not require activation with a cell carrier.
On: 2007-03-09
I purchased this radio thinking it would be a little bit better quality than it turned out to be. However, I bought it for emergencies (I live in So. Cal) and use it occasionally to listen to the weather and surf reports (I live 100 feet from the ocean). It works great when hand-cranked and the cell phone charger works very well- my daughters have put it use on their tired cellies. Ive taken it camping and have enjoyed listening to local high school sports radio stations and talk shows...and tide, weather, and ocean conditions reports on NOAA.
Anywho, the FR300 could stand to be better quality for $50.00, but it does the job as intended and its kinda fun and my kids love it.
On: 2007-03-09
I am very pleased with the product. Even ordered on for a family member for them to use in case of emergencies. Thank you for making this product available and at such a reasonable price.
On: 2007-02-17
I really like this radio the only drawback it does not have the correct plug for the Motorola Razor for charging
On: 2007-02-15
Sound quality is not great, and the knobs do seem flimsy. However, the reception is fine, and product works as described. I am overall happy with the purchase.
On: 2007-02-05
The tuner sections on this radio are terrible on all bands. You tune in a station and the same exact station can be heard again, a little further down the dial. The mark of a poor tuner. The LED flashlight is nice and the blinking red emergency light works perfectly. For a small speaker, the sound is superb. That is, in my opinion, the one shining quality of this radio. Now for the really bad part: While cranking the dynamo on the radio one night, the crank suddenly had no resistance, like it broke off internally or something. Since Im pretty handy, I decided to take the back off and have a peek inside to see if I could do something about it. Theres about 4 gears inside that go from the crank to the metal pinion gear on the dynamo motor. Theyre all plastic! The plastic teeth on one of the gears had worn right down to form a rounded surface. Why have a metal gear connected by 4 plastic gears? Can you say "designed for failure"? We have a strong weather radio station in our area and this radio did a good job of picking it up. There is also a second weaker weather radio station in our area that I have picked up on other weather radios but not this one. Really disapointed in this radio and am thankful it was a gift and not my purchase.
On: 2007-02-04
The tuner sections on this radio are terrible on all bands. You tune in a station and the same exact station can be heard again, a little further down the dial. The mark of a poor tuner. The LED flashlight is nice and the blinking red emergency light works perfectly. For a small speaker, the sound is superb. That is, in my opinion, the one shining quality of this radio. Now for the really bad part: While cranking the dynamo on the radio one night, the crank suddenly had no resistance, like it broke off internally or something. Since Im pretty handy, I decided to take the back off and have a peek inside to see if I could do something about it. Theres about 4 gears inside that go from the crank to the metal pinion gear on the dynamo motor. Theyre all plastic! The plastic teeth on one of the gears had worn right down to form a rounded surface. Why have a metal gear connected by 4 plastic gears? Can you say "designed for failure"? We have a strong weather radio station in our area and this radio did a good job of picking it up. There is also a second weaker weather radio station in our area that I have picked up on other weather radios but not this one. Really disapointed in this radio and am thankful it was a gift and not my purchase.
On: 2007-01-31
Everything about this radio exceeded expectations except that the weather bands dont work.
On: 2007-01-19
I got this radio as a gift. I havent had to use it in an emergency, but I have tried it out to make sure it works. Cranking the handle around about twenty times gives you approximately 10 minutes of listening to the radio at a moderate volume. The weather band is pretty neat to listen to. I tried the TV bands but didnt get much because of my rural location. Overall this is a nice radio to have tucked away in case we are without electricity for an extended period of time. Oh, by the way, the radio comes with several adaptors to fit various cell phones so that they can be recharged by cranking the handle around. Unfortunately, none of them fit my particular phone. I looked on the internet to see if I could buy one but havent had any luck yet.
On: 2007-01-13
This radio does exactly what it was designed to do. I gave several of these for gifts and one has already been used due to a power outage. I recommend this radio for emergency standby or for everyday use. The TV sound is especially nice to have when the weather gets severe or a power outage is encountered.
On: 2007-01-12
Purchased it for a trip to the summit of Mt Baker, but didnt need to use it and did not try it out yet.
On: 2007-01-12
I purchased 4 of these as safety items for our extended family. Power outages have become too common in the northeast, and response time suffers with the conglomerant power companies. The combination of radio - weather reporter - light and siren - phone charger etc. in a self-powered package, gives a feeling of security in an unsecure world. The analog dial is maneuvered by a smooth vernier tuning mechanism, and the speaker produces clear voice and music tones.. The only doubtfull feature is the cranking mechanism. I also have an original (So.African Mfg) "freeplay" radio which has a MUCH MORE STURDY crank.. Time - and careful use - will be the judge.. This radio also is available with shortwave - but local weather news seemed more important..
On: 2007-01-11
This radio is perfect for an area that loses power frequently due to storms, etc. If you happen to be out of batteries, you just crank the handle. It was a good price too, with no postage added. In Hawaii, thats a bonus.
On: 2007-01-09
Very happy with this product and hope I never have to use it. Especialy like the cell phone charger.
On: 2007-01-09
I bought these crank phones (3) as gifts but Ive had one for a couple of years and although Ive never had to use it in an emergency I believe its a MUST in any household. I especially like the items ability to charge a cell phone. What a great feature!! Ive tested all its possibilities and have found that the crank is easy to turn and all its functions work "as advertised". I have the radio, in its carrying case (included), hanging by my door so that I know exactly where it is if needed.
On: 2006-12-29
I think the radio is very cool but it just comes up a little short in a couple of areas. I have purchased cheap cassette recorders that came with ac adapters. I dont think it would have hurt Eton to include one with this unit. Also, my cell phone does not work with any of the included adapters but another reviewer reminded me I could just hard-wire my phone in the case of a real emergency. I may do that ahead of time and just throw it in the bag so it is ready. Anyway, other than these two things I think this little radio is just fine. I get the channels, the weather and the handle and carry strap are both great. The lights are nice and bright at full charge.
On: 2006-12-27
I was given this as a gift. The radio reception is worthless; the tuning scale is inaccurate and my unit could only pick up 1 TV station (there are over 15 in the area that my TV can pick up) and not a single wetaher channel (and my other wetaher radio can pick up at least 2 channels). It doesnt come with an AC adapter nor any method to acquire one and the specificcations for providing your own are difficult to meet. So you can either crank away or use AA batteries, but AC isnt a likely option. Without AC youre not likely yo use the "alert" feature as the batteries will drain down long before the next alert sounds (assuming you can actually reliably receive a wetaher station.)
Save your money. Maybe the Midland unit works better? At least it runs on AC and will work as an alarm clock so not all will be lost.
On: 2006-12-07
My father gave us this little radio a couple years ago for Christmas. That Spring, we really started to appreciate it when we had frequent tornado warnings in our rural Missouri area south of St. Louis. If we were under a tornado or severe storm watch at night, we could go to sleep, knowing the alert (siren and flashing light) would most definitely warn us, whereas before we would have to try to stay awake to watch broadcasts in case the warnings were in our area, or go to sleep and pray that if the nearest tornado alarm went off, we might possibly hear it. When we were holed up in the basement, we had a link with the outside, whether weather station, radio, or television broadcasts - and, of course, the light is invaluable.
We never imagined it would come in handy in the Winter, but now, going on our sixth day without power after a record-breaking ice storm, we have come to absolutely depend on it. We have used it constantly and it has been worth its weight in gold - and still on the same set of batteries. We have to play a bit with the antenna and location of the radio, sometimes, but we are still able to pick up every broadcast we might want. And the light - well, did I mention that it is invaluable? An emergency radio is a must, and this one has served us very well.
I think we tell my father at least once a month how much we use and appreciate the radio. So once again, thanks, Dad! (and hope we wont be using it much longer this time around . . .)
On: 2006-11-27
This is a good radio for 50 dollars, my radio arrived in excellent working order. I get two weather stations Newport and Astoria. Great AM tuner and FM tuner. I really like the light function for when the power gets knocked out, its great for finding your way around the house. I have used it for 3 weeks now and have yet to change the 3 AA batteries. The rechargeable battery pack lasted about an hour after cranking or several hours after I recharged with the adapter. Also if you shine a flashlight on the tuner dial it glows in the dark for an hour. It doesnt have all the adapters for all cell phones which is kind of impossible considering cell phone manufactures change all the time so you have to buy new. If your in a desperate emergency situation cut the charger cord off your phone and hard wire it to the charging cable for the radio. The siren and red light are cute and may come in handy in the event of a large scale disaster. The handle on this radio is also a good feature, it helps hold it stable while charging with the dynamo. I bought three more for Christmas gifts. I found nothing else I liked better.
On: 2006-11-14
Everybody keeps complaining about the sensitivity of this radio. I am not in the boonies, I am in the city and the tuner picked up all of the radio stations and tv stations that I would be interested in listening to during an ememergency. Others have also complained about the fragile nature of its construction. I didnt buy it to use on a regular basis. I bought it to be used when the electricity is out and I want to stay informed. I hope I never need it, but I probably will and I expect it will serve its purpose at that time.
On: 2006-11-10
This is a fantastic radio. It even came with a carrying case which wasnt mentioned in the description. It works great. I was very impressed by the style and workmenship. A great buy. Ill be buying 4 more.
On: 2006-11-03
The radio worked, but the built-in flashlight did not. Called Elton and the only fix was to mail back to them for repair, which I did not do. Disappointed that it was defective when received.
On: 2006-11-03
Does not live up to expectations. Sound is tinny. Hard to find stations, very narrow band of reception...plan to purchase a grundig.
On: 2006-09-10
I am getting the "72 Hour Emergency Kit" together and this is one of the items.
I have checked out all the features and they work very well.
The TV stations came in clear, including a PBS station! It is good to have a radio that has the TV. Sometimes it is needed in an emergency. Radio stations might be down, TV stations might be down... Gives you more options.
Radio stations are clear.
Weather stations are clear.
The reception will be different in your area.
Even though the light, flashing red light, siren and alert setting may never be used... one never knows!
I could see me sitting there unable to blow a whistle or... because I am busy building a fire or looking for shelter -or something...
with the siren doing the "flagging someone down" work for me.
I am planning to use this for emergencies only, though if I wanted to I could use it at the beach. So, I checked out all
the features and now it is going into the Emergency Kit.
It is a small and powerful radio, perfect for the kit.
You have to remove the piece of paper in the battery compartment the first time you use the radio. It is there for shipping.
To open the battery compartment you put your thumb on the round indentation that says OPEN and has traction on it (I use my thumb nail on the traction bits) pull with your thumb towards the bottom of the radio, that releases the "lock" like cover. Then you plug in the rechargeable battery.
I am buying more of these for other family members.
I think it is a good idea to have more than one and AT THIS PRICE
you can.
I got red for the brightness, in an emergency or camping,
having a bright color can help Emergency Crews find you.
Also, if you are looking for your radio... you can find it.
I would not want Emergency Equipment in camouflage colors!
This radio does not come with the AC adapter. That is all right for the emergency (or at the beach) use. I prefer not to have it, it would be yet another adapter to store...
I really like the internal power only idea!
It seems that every color of the FR300 radio has its own review
and number of review stars.
Funny. Same radio different colors -different ratings for each color. Here is one for Metallic RED!
On: 2006-09-06
I bought this radio for my hurricane kit. Weve had the power go out for a week or more, so the crank power was appealing. I also like the TV tuner (the TV stations have bigger news teams) and the weather radio.
The TV tuner picks up the three networks fine in Raleigh. Down at the NC coast (where the stations are farther away) I could pick up the station 20 miles away, but could not get the stations 90 miles away.
The weather band picks up fine (both stations less than 20 miles).
I would buy this radio again.
On: 2006-09-04
Yes I like the AM reception-- But after using the Eton Fr-300 for thre months. The hand crank generator failed. With an inspection internally I found it was due to a Plastic reduction gear. Untill that point and time I was happy with it.
I was disappointed to find the Cell phone adapters fit only a very few phones. So I did not get a chance to try that feature.
with my kyocera phone.
I would suggest if you want to be emergency ready with this radio. To looking for the Solar adaptor from c.crane radio.com.
But myself I have not been very happy with how long the hand crank lasted before it failed.
But when it was working. I was able to get over 24 hours of playing. After I cranked the radio for 30 minutes. If I cranked it for 15 minutes. The radio would play for 8 hours.
On: 2006-09-03
Yes I like the AM reception-- But after using the Eton Fr-300 for thre months. The hand crank generator failed. With an inspection internally I found it was due to a Plastic reduction gear. Untill that point and time I was happy with it.
I was disappointed to find the Cell phone adapters fit only a very few phones. So I did not get a chance to try that feature.
with my kyocera phone.
I would suggest if you want to be emergency ready with this radio. To looking for the Solar adaptor from c.crane radio.com.
But myself I have not been very happy with how long the hand crank lasted before it failed.
But when it was working. I was able to get over 24 hours of playing. After I cranked the radio for 30 minutes. If I cranked it for 15 minutes. The radio would play for 8 hours.
On: 2006-08-29
For both emergency and regular use, which I covet both reasons based on where I live, this Eton FR300 is a minor, but otherwise not bad, upgrade to the dependable FR200. It looks and feels durable right out of the box comparable to the FR200. With NOAA Weather bands instead of Short Wave channels I will never use, Im kept up to date with any weather emergencies. The T.V. channel feature is also solid; I get my channels for news and information up here. With the crank handle I will never really need an adapter or batteries in the case of an emergency.
There was some short comings. Reception on the FM bands are great, but AM is bit cluttered compared to the sharpness of the FR200. The lack of an AC adapter for charging up the battery or just simply playing the radio is missing. However these shortcomings can be overlooked based on owners needs, which in this case I can.
I recommend this if you want something more than just the Gundrig FR200.
On: 2006-08-14
This Eton FR300 is a very good product, especially in metallic silver. I purhased it as a gift for a 16 year old grandson. The night of his birthday, there was an extended loss of power due to the west coast heatwave in late July. My grandson, his mother & father and young brother made great use of that hand crank emergency radio during the two days of power outage in the Rosemead, Calif area. They used every feature including recharging of cell phones, listening to favorite TV programs and tuning into local weather channels.......as well as a much needed flashlight. Of course, the siren and blinking emergency lamp was entertainment for the 7 year old brother. I would recomment this product as a necessity for all households to have available along with other emergency supplies such as water, dry foods, etc.........and the price and service by Amazon was excellant......Richard M. Alenbaugh
On: 2006-08-13
This Eton FR300 is a very good product, especially in metallic silver. I purhased it as a gift for a 16 year old grandson. The night of his birthday, there was an extended loss of power due to the west coast heatwave in late July. My grandson, his mother & father and young brother made great use of that hand crank emergency radio during the two days of power outage in the Rosemead, Calif area. They used every feature including recharging of cell phones, listening to favorite TV programs and tuning into local weather channels.......as well as a much needed flashlight. Of course, the siren and blinking emergency lamp was entertainment for the 7 year old brother. I would recomment this product as a necessity for all households to have available along with other emergency supplies such as water, dry foods, etc.........and the price and service by Amazon was excellant......Richard M. Alenbaugh
On: 2006-08-01
This came in very handy during our recent power outage. I was amazed how well it worked.
On: 2006-07-19
My wife and I both love the emergency crank radio. Just the item we were looking for in case of bad weather or just going to the beach.
On: 2006-07-14
Living in South Florida, I have been (as most South Floridians) relatively lucky until last year. Last year, most of us went for extended periods without power, some in excess of three weeks.
The Eton radio is just what every single South Floridan needs, period. The device is compact, has a high-quality feel to it and the sound quality is surprisingly good considering it is a monaural single speaker unit. It does not sound tinny or weak, but rather has depth and volume. The controls are easily laid out and simple to operate. Having TV channels in South Florida is good during a hurricane (albeit depressing, as anyone who has watched or listened to TV during a hurricane down here can attest to). Television and FM/AM radio keeps you up up to date as well as the Weather Band channels. There are 7 of them to choose from, and if you have NOAA broadcasts in your locality (which we do here, and it is Channel 7 on the FR300), you will receive 24-hour broadcasts from the NOAA and even emergency alerts, if the radio is set to receive them via the "Alert" knob.
The other options of the radio are very useful, such as the bright 2-LED lamp built in. They are VERY VERY useful for navigating the pitch black furniture-filled rooms of your house during a power outage. LEDs are very bright and use an extremely small amount of power. Other features include a red strobe LED and a siren, for emergency use.
The radios most unique feature is a hand-crankable power generator. The radio itself will run on three AA batteries, but it has a 3.6V rechargeable battery (such as those used in most cordless telephone handsets) which is charged when you crank the generator crank on the side of the radio. Cranking it for a few minutes gives you a considerable amount of time to listen to the radio or use the flashlight feature. This is VERY useful if you havent planned ahead and stocked up on AA batteries, OR if you have been without power for weeks and cant GET batteries. A true life-saver.
On the back of the radio is a cellular phone charger connector, and the radio includes a cable and several adapters for the most common cellular phones out there. I connected my Motorola phone to the radio, and when you crank the radios power generator crank, it charges your cellular phone. You must continually crank the crank to charge your phone, but its very handy when you have no other way to charge it.
I can honestly say that after last years hurricane season, this radio has been worth its weight in gold. It is very reasonably priced, includes a comprehensive manual and a carrying case to protect it. If you live in a part of the country that is prone to power outages or natural disasters, for $50.00 you really cannot afford to be without one of these radios.
On: 2006-06-16
I first bought the FR200 with shortwave band. It worked great, but I realized that when the power was out, I wanted local TV. The FR300 is just what I needed. I got over 5 minutes out of a minute of cranking time when I tested it. Chances are, I will never use the crank as we have batteries around, but if it was an extended power outage, I would be thrilled to be able to access weather band, radio and TV without worry of running out of batteries. The phone charger also would be handy in certain situations. I get good reception on 3 of the 4 major local TV stations. This came in handy when our power went out during the season finale of Lost last month! I really like the fact that the FR300 can be set up as a weather alert radio. I have purchased one for my son to have in his new home, and also one for my father. These make great gifts, especially during the storm season.
On: 2006-05-17
Let me start by stating that I live in/on Miami Beach, Florida and, in addition to that, spend a great deal of time at my house in the Keys and in the tropics. Last hurricane season, when we blew through every letter of the alphabet, and became so very familiar with the Greek system of naming hurricanes, as well as had a few hurricanes do quite a number on us here in Miami-Dade, Monroe and even Broward counties (though I generally avoid Broward at all costs), this baby (and its forefathers) came in as God-sends. When power was out for days and weeks at a time, radio was all we had. And, since I had evacuated my house in the Keys in many instances, I could no longer rely on VHF very easily. So crank up this baby, and my wife and I knew what was going on. At the time, I did not have this one with a cell phone charger, though that would have been a blessing. For a while, even cell phone lines were down, but after they came up, my battery was effectively dead with the only remedy to attempt to go make sporadic calls from my vehicle with it plugged into the lighter. I only wish I had had the charger feature here.
Bottom line, this radio was our peace of mind, our informant, our life-saver in many senses of the word. When we were in pitch black conditions, with freight-trains wind blowing out our windows and we were locked in a bathroom with a mattress over us, we had this with us. No lie. We then cranked it up (and a good crank provided well over 30 minutes of radio and light time) and we knew exactly what was going on and where we stood with regards to the monsters that were falling upon us. It was, as the commerical goes, priceless for us. So much so, that we bought one for each member of our family.
You really cant go wrong with this baby. Get one and you will thank yourself should you ever need it. You will also simply enjoy its use should you never need it in an emergency, something I hope is the case for you. But, if not, you really cannot be out with this.
On: 2006-03-27
I dont see what the griping is about. I live in tornado ravaged SW Missouri, and I wanted a radio that could run on battteries and yet still be used if the batteries were old; would tune radio and our local TV stations and emergency weather stations, was small and didnt cost an arm and a leg, as it would only be used rarely. This radio really fits the bill. During tornado alerts, our local TV stations seem to have the best real time information on the tracks of approaching twisters, but we dont have a TV in our "hidey hole". So a radio that will tune in Channel 3 was a must. This unit gives crisp, clear reception of our stations, no static or "ghost" problems, and its just as good below ground level as in the kitchen. FM reception was also excellent with stations fairly close to where they should be on the dial. The hand charger works well. The sound is what you would expect from a small speaker - pleasant, but not much bass. My only criticism, as others have mentioned, is that an external charger is not supplied. I would highly recomment this radio. Chris S.
On: 2006-03-26
I dont see what the griping is about. I live in tornado ravaged SW Missouri, and I wanted a radio that could run on battteries and yet still be used if the batteries were old; would tune radio and our local TV stations and emergency weather stations, was small and didnt cost an arm and a leg, as it would only be used rarely. This radio really fits the bill. During tornado alerts, our local TV stations seem to have the best real time information on the tracks of approaching twisters, but we dont have a TV in our "hidey hole". So a radio that will tune in Channel 3 was a must. This unit gives crisp, clear reception of our stations, no static or "ghost" problems, and its just as good below ground level as in the kitchen. FM reception was also excellent with stations fairly close to where they should be on the dial. The hand charger works well. The sound is what you would expect from a small speaker - pleasant, but not much bass. My only criticism, as others have mentioned, is that an external charger is not supplied. I would highly recomment this radio. Chris S.
On: 2006-03-16
FR300 Eton Radio - I use it daily for the morning news and weather. I had occasion three nights ago to use the Weather Alert function; that worked very well.
One disappointment - I find I must rely primarily upon batteries for power. The hand-crank feature does not perform nearly as well as advertised. It takes a close to a full minute of cranking to get 4-5 minutes of operation. This clearly is not sufficient to use the hand-crank power feature to depend upon weather alert broadcasts throughout a stormy night.
On: 2006-03-16
I purchased this radio in March of 2005. It worked fine for about 6 months. Then it quit working. It no longer received the broadcast of the test emergency signals in my area every week. I found an internet site and contacted the company via email. They helpfully told me how to return the unit and gave me a return authorization number. I returned the unit at my own expense. After two months and no word I emailed again and asked the status. No one answered, but the radio was returned to me about 2 weeks later. It still does not receive the test alerts and the reception is now filled with static. Since I assume I have to pay to mail the unit back to the company each time, I do not believe this is a cost effective transaction. I would not recommend this unit.
On: 2006-03-15
I purchased this radio in March of 2005. It worked fine for about 6 months. Then it quit working. It no longer received the broadcast of the test emergency signals in my area every week. I found an internet site and contacted the company via email. They helpfully told me how to return the unit and gave me a return authorization number. I returned the unit at my own expense. After two months and no word I emailed again and asked the status. No one answered, but the radio was returned to me about 2 weeks later. It still does not receive the test alerts and the reception is now filled with static. Since I assume I have to pay to mail the unit back to the company each time, I do not believe this is a cost effective transaction. I would not recommend this unit.
On: 2006-03-02
I am totally and absolutely happy with this radio. The quality of the sound compared to its size is pleasantly impressive. It is perfect for listening to arround the house and portable enough to take from room to room or where ever? The generator feature is simple and easy to use. Ive used alkaline batteries in it as well and Ive yet to use up the 1st pair after 3 months of heavy use. I originally bought it as an emergency radio but ended up it using every day for 3 to 4 hours. I highly reccomend this product.
On: 2006-02-25
I have long been a fan of Grundig/Eton radios, but had to carry a separate weather radio when traveling, and while I like shortwave, its just not practical to string a longwire antenna from your tent to get a stronger signal while out camping with the FR-200 I already own. I find the AM/FM/TV/WB choices to be pretty much what I want in a travel radio when I am mainly seeking quick news and local weather, and I am once again impressed with the sound quality Eton puts in a non-audiophile radio. The generator works well, the battery can be replaced with a generic phone rechargeable when it dies (about 6 years in my FR-200), and the flashlight shines much brighter than in the older models while eating much less battery.
Thanks to Consumers Energy, I have had several opportunities to use this radio during recent power outages, and it worked like a champ, with runtime depending largely on how loud it is played and how much you use the flashlight. The only reason I dont give it a fifth star is the requirement to use a hard-to-find very low-powered wall wart (standard ones can ruin the battery) to recharge the battery from the wall socket, and their steadfast refusal over the years to offer one with their radios, making the charger a rare special-order item.
On: 2006-02-22
Everything works as advertised except for the cell phone charger. None of the adapters fit any of my phones. Being able to charge my cell phone during a power outage was the main reason I purchased this model. I should have bought the less expensive one. At least I can still listen to the news and weather.
On: 2006-02-02
I survived Hurricane Rita, but barely (I evacuated 200 miles INLAND and ended up stranded there with relatives in miserable conditions.) I wouldve faired far better with this emergency unit!
After going through hellish 100 degree heat and using my last batteries to operate a mini fan rather than being able to find out what the heck was going on for two weeks without electricity, I went in search of a radio with weatherband and a flashlight with a crank, instead of having to use up precious batteries during an emergency.
I must say that my experience would have been greatly improved if only Id had something like this. Now that I own it, I am more than pleased.
We had no idea how long wed be without electricity and I can tell you from experience, it is frightening at the speed in which batteries are used up and not knowing when the lights will come back on when your home and your whole geographic area for hundreds of miles, has no electricity. With this radio, you wont have to worry about losing electricity so much. So long as someone can crank it, you will have a trusty light, radio, siren, flashing beacon, and cell phone charger.
A lot of people talk about this not being of heavy weight, but then again it probably shouldnt be. It is for emergencies like natural and man-made disasters. Hopefully, you dont live in an area that experiences those kinds of disasters every single day. It is meant for occasional use and to be reliable in an emergency and I believe it will be of great comfort to me the next time.
Do not wait to put your familys physical and emotional well-being, first. Provide your family the comfort of knowing that no matter how long the electricity is cut off, you will have light and radio receiving capabilities---WITHOUT BATTERIES. Being cut off from the outside world becomes the worst part of any disaster and the stress inducing moments of having to continue to change out dead batteries for new ones (until you run out of batteries) is not something I care to relive anytime soon!
On: 2006-02-01
We are very pleased with our Radio. We ended buying another for a friend of ours too.
by: fignetti On: 2006-01-07
I have read the other reviews (especially the long one) and agree to some extent. However, I have had no problems and actually like the radio.
The main reason I purchased this radio was the cell phone dynamo charger. I tried it out and it does take a long time to charge the phone enough to use it. But it is an emegency radio. If you have nothing else (no power and cell phone dead), I dont think I would be complaining about how long it takes to charge my cell phone. Get it?
On the other hand, before you buy, make sure it has a cord tip for YOUR cell phone.
I like shortwave features of other radios, too. However, I use them more for entertainment while in an emergency I would be listening more to the local TV stations. I have a hand-held TV, but it is battery operated, not dynamo capable.
The sound is clear, but has no real bass. I could not expect more from such a radio. It is not a boom-box. I did like the fact that you can hear the mono sound from both headphone speakers. Nothing is more irritating to me (with radios) than having to listen with one ear. Its like being dizzy. And who thinks of getting one of those mono headphones fro radio shack? So I was pleasantly surprised (maybe that reveals my lack of radio expertise).
There is some garbage in tuning FM and AM. However, I was able to find all my local stations AND some stations 250 miles away (at night). This makes for a cluttered dial, but did not really bother me.
The NOAA dial has several selections and several picked up clear channels.
The alert function is nice. I would not leave it on all the time, but if I expect some weather problems, I can leave it in the alert mode. If signaled by NOAA, it will set off the alarm, then start broadcasting the weather information. I tried this during a test broadcast. It worked. On the other hand, it went off on its own one night and alerted me to nice weather. I eventually got my eyes to shut again and fixed the body-shaped dent in the ceiling. Dont leave it on all the time, trust me.
The knobs are a little cheap. Id bet they will break under heavy use. I dont plan on using them that much, this radio is part of my emergency kit. However, they worked well.
The siren and red flasher may be a bit gizmo-ish, but if you were trapped somewhere, they might be useful. The white LED lights have not only low battery drain, but VERY low battery drain. In my experience with other LED flashlights, I get 10x (or more) battery life on LEDs. I left a 2xAA single LED flashlight on accidentlly in my closet. It was still on after 3 days. Not all emergency radios have LED lights. A radio shack model I invesigated had an incandescent flashlight bulb. Now, two LEDS wont give you a tan, but it will get out out of a dark place. AND more would do little more than waste battery time.
The radio comes with a nice carrying bag, which protects the radio while in storage. This is a very nice feature for a when you need it radio.
Overall, this is not an everyday radio or a home entertainment system, but that is not its intended purpose. As an emergency radio, I think it has made the right compromises and has the right features. I cant think of anything else I would need. Even so, if they worked on beefing up the externals to make them feel more substantial AND if they cleaned up the radio reception (without losing range) it would be nearly perfect, in my opinion.
On: 2006-01-06
This radio is poorly constructed. The knobs are loose and flimsy. The tuning accuracy is poor. The reception is inadequate. The general concept of the radio, broadcast television and weather stations is good but the execution of this device is poor. Dont waste your money. Look for a sturdier radio. It is not easy to find - Im still looking.
On: 2006-01-06
I have read the other reviews (especially the long one) and agree to some extent. However, I have had no problems and actually like the radio.
The main reason I purchased this radio was the cell phone dynamo charger. I tried it out and it does take a long time to charge the phone enough to use it. But it is an emegency radio. If you have nothing else (no power and cell phone dead), I dont think I would be complaining about how long it takes to charge my cell phone. Get it?
On the other hand, before you buy, make sure it has a cord tip for YOUR cell phone.
I like shortwave features of other radios, too. However, I use them more for entertainment while in an emergency I would be listening more to the local TV stations. I have a hand-held TV, but it is battery operated, not dynamo capable.
The sound is clear, but has no real bass. I could not expect more from such a radio. It is not a boom-box. I did like the fact that you can hear the mono sound from both headphone speakers. Nothing is more irritating to me (with radios) than having to listen with one ear. Its like being dizzy. And who thinks of getting one of those mono headphones fro radio shack? So I was pleasantly surprised (maybe that reveals my lack of radio expertise).
There is some garbage in tuning FM and AM. However, I was able to find all my local stations AND some stations 250 miles away (at night). This makes for a cluttered dial, but did not really bother me.
The NOAA dial has several selections and several picked up clear channels.
The alert function is nice. I would not leave it on all the time, but if I expect some weather problems, I can leave it in the alert mode. If signaled by NOAA, it will set off the alarm, then start broadcasting the weather information. I tried this during a test broadcast. It worked. On the other hand, it went off on its own one night and alerted me to nice weather. I eventually got my eyes to shut again and fixed the body-shaped dent in the ceiling. Dont leave it on all the time, trust me.
The knobs are a little cheap. Id bet they will break under heavy use. I dont plan on using them that much, this radio is part of my emergency kit. However, they worked well.
The siren and red flasher may be a bit gizmo-ish, but if you were trapped somewhere, they might be useful. The white LED lights have not only low battery drain, but VERY low battery drain. In my experience with other LED flashlights, I get 10x (or more) battery life on LEDs. I left a 2xAA single LED flashlight on accidentlly in my closet. It was still on after 3 days. Not all emergency radios have LED lights. A radio shack model I invesigated had an incandescent flashlight bulb. Now, two LEDS wont give you a tan, but it will get out out of a dark place. AND more would do little more than waste battery time.
The radio comes with a nice carrying bag, which protects the radio while in storage. This is a very nice feature for a when you need it radio.
Overall, this is not an everyday radio or a home entertainment system, but that is not its intended purpose. As an emergency radio, I think it has made the right compromises and has the right features. I cant think of anything else I would need. Even so, if they worked on beefing up the externals to make them feel more substantial AND if they cleaned up the radio reception (without losing range) it would be nearly perfect, in my opinion.
On: 2006-01-06
This radio is a very valuable item when an emergency arises.It has a built in flashlight. It has a built in RED flasher for road emergencies . It has a cell phone charger which works on many cell phones not all. The radio section is surprisingly good especially the AM. This is NOT however a good radio for everyday usage . The control knobs are not made very well and will break if you use it everyday ....its made for an emergency, only! The additon of TV and Weather ( minus SW) was a clever move since in an emergency you most likely want to hear those stations.It comes with nice carrying case for protection but the radio itself is not a very sturdy item . In an emergency you might give this radio 10 stars. For everyday , not so good. I would buy it and store it away for a rainy day.
On: 2006-01-05
This radio is poorly constructed. The knobs are loose and flimsy. The tuning accuracy is poor. The reception is inadequate. The general concept of the radio, broadcast television and weather stations is good but the execution of this device is poor. Dont waste your money. Look for a sturdier radio. It is not easy to find - Im still looking.
On: 2006-01-05
This radio is a very valuable item when an emergency arises.It has a built in flashlight. It has a built in RED flasher for road emergencies . It has a cell phone charger which works on many cell phones not all. The radio section is surprisingly good especially the AM. This is NOT however a good radio for everyday usage . The control knobs are not made very well and will break if you use it everyday ....its made for an emergency, only! The additon of TV and Weather ( minus SW) was a clever move since in an emergency you most likely want to hear those stations.It comes with nice carrying case for protection but the radio itself is not a very sturdy item . In an emergency you might give this radio 10 stars. For everyday , not so good. I would buy it and store it away for a rainy day.
On: 2005-12-11
I looked around at what was on the market. This unit looked good. I went with it over the Oregon Scientific products because I wanted to have a regular radio as well. First the unit is much poorer quality they you would expect by the brand name and pictures. It works OK but the design of the front panel controls is poor. I am always bumping on the light or some other function or bumping off some function. The front selection knobs stick out and move easily. I can not recommend another unit that has both weather and regular so I bought this one. Think carefully before you buy this unit.
On: 2005-11-18
Product is a good emergency ideal that includes a cellphone rechargers. HOWEVER, it does NOT recharge many cellphones! Their tech support group (1-800-872-2228) confirms this. I reported that it wont recharge the Nokia 3595 (for example), and would they publish a list of non-compatible cellphones on their website. They said no, that they just wanted to sell as many products as possible and if the units didnt work, then consumers can return the units. This is a stupid and greedy product strategy. Theres no reason that the company couldnt put a list on their website to confirm or advise to buyers if there are known incompatabilities.
On: 2005-11-17
Product is a good emergency ideal that includes a cellphone rechargers. HOWEVER, it does NOT recharge many cellphones! Their tech support group (1-800-872-2228) confirms this. I reported that it wont recharge the Nokia 3595 (for example), and would they publish a list of non-compatible cellphones on their website. They said no, that they just wanted to sell as many products as possible and if the units didnt work, then consumers can return the units. This is a stupid and greedy product strategy. Theres no reason that the company couldnt put a list on their website to confirm or advise to buyers if there are known incompatabilities.
On: 2005-09-22
This is the best investment Ive made and I urge everyone to purchase this radio. It is top of the line and worth the investment. There are imitations out there but they cannot compare to the safety, security and peace of mind the Eton FR300 Emergency Radio provides. It works! Even in a high rise building, the sound is crisp and clear. And in these changing times, it offers 100 percent, around the clock, uninterrupted vital information. It not only provides weather, TV and radio but it also includes a mini light, an emergency siren and the capacity to charge your cell phone. So, if anything happens, you have security witin your reach. All without batteries. Dont think twice. Buy it! You wont regret it.
On: 2005-09-05
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 isnt great. Theyre right - it isnt. Thats the missing star in my rating. The NOAA weather stations come in well too. Once theres no more free broadcast TV signals, I guess this will be an expensive hand-cranked AM radio.
On: 2005-09-03
Great product. During the Florida hurricanes of 2004, we were cut off from the news for a few days. Now, with this radio, were ready for the next power outages.
On: 2005-08-30
With its crank recharger, this radio is especially useful as an emergency unit. The unit we purchased performs as claimed. The construction is relatively cheap plastic, but seems usable provided it doesnt get too rough handling. Shortwave bands would be nice, but those are apparently only available on higher-priced models.
On: 2005-08-03
THIS RADIO IS SO CHEAPLY MADE IT IS NOT WORTH HALF THE PRICE. THE KNOBS ARE SO CHEAP I ALMOST BROKE ONE THE FIRST TIME I USED IT . THE TV STATIONS DO NOT COME IN WELL. WORSE THEN THAT THE NOAA WEATHER STATIONS CAME IN ONCE AND NEVER AGAIN. YOU ALSO CANT TELL IF THE CRANK UP ELECTRICITY IS WORKING UNLESS YOU PUT DEAD BATTERIES IN IT( I THINK AS I HAVE NOT DONE THIS ). IF YOU WANT A QUALITY WEATHER RADIO BUY ONE FROM MIDLAND , THEY ALSO COME WITH EMERGENCY ALERT FEATURE ON SOME MODELS
On: 2005-07-24
I purchased this, and used the crank steadily for 5 days, about 8 hours a day up at my cabin. On the 5th day, I had to crank for 2.5 minutes to get 45 minutes of playing. Its been getting less and less as I go along. I am really not happy w/ this product, since I bought it exclusively for the crank. If youre buying it for that reason, dont buy it.
On: 2005-02-18
At first glance the FR 300 (sold under several names including Grundig and Eton) appears to be a modification of the very successful FR 200. It seems to use the same case and it has similar looking controls including a hand crank generator. However, with close inspection it really is quite a different radio. The FR 300 eliminates the 2 shortwave bands of the FR 200. It their place it adds the VHF TV reception (audio only) and the weather band. In addition it adds a number of gizmos.
I love the older FR 200. No one would say that the FR 200 was the height of radio engineering and it certainly has a few electronic warts. With that said its pleasant sound, sensitive receiver and cool hand crank generator makes it a winner in my book (see my review in epinions). When the FR 300 came out I was anxious to give it a try so it was off to Circuit City to pick one up.
The Box: The radio appears to be housed in a case very similar to the FR 200. The box is approximately 5.5 inches square and around 2 inches thick. Like the FR 200 it has a nice handle and it some with a nifty nylon case. One side of the radio has a hand crank to charge the rechargeable battery pack. This pack appears to be of the common cordless phone variety if you ever need to change it. The other side of the radio has a volume control and a ganged course/fine tuning control, which operates the analog slide rule dial. Instead of using the primary color theme of the FR 200, the ABS plastic is a classy silver and the speaker grill also has a more polished look. Because the FR 300 has more gizmos than the FR 200 it has a few more controls on the face of the radio. This may add a little more confusion to the technically challenged. With that said, the controls and operation are very simple. Instead of using the flush controls of the FR 200, The FR 300 has a number of raised controls. These may be easier to grasp but they also add some additional thickness to the radio. The addition of all of this spit and polish makes the radio look like a baby version of the popular Grundig S350 rather than a twin of the FR 200.
Power Source: Like the FR 200, the FR 300 can be powered up in a number of ways. You can use 3 AA batteries, which should give you a very long playtime in this energy sipping radio. In addition you can charge the separate battery pack by vigorously turning the dynamo (generator) handle. 90 seconds at two turns per second should give you over an hour of playtime at low volume. You can also use an optional adaptor. Circuit City did not have the Grundig adaptor when I bought the radio. You can use a third party adaptor, but this must be done with caution. If the adaptor is under 200 milliamps it will power the radio and trickle change the battery pack. You can leave the adaptor permantetly connected. If the adaptor is over 200 mg , leaving it connected can overcharge the battery pack and damage the radio. You can remove or disconnect the battery pack and leave a larger adaptor plugged in, but this defeats the "emergency radio" concept.
Gizmos: The FR 300 is decked out in a variety of cool sounding gizmos. Lets take a look at some them to see if they have merit.
Flashlight: Like the FR 200 you have an LED flashlight built in. LEDs are great because they are very durable and use less power than a traditional flashlight bulb. The FR 300 has a 2 LED system providing somewhat better illumination than the FR 200. Think of it as a penlight. It would be OK to change a fuse or even read a newspaper. It wont light up a room. All in all, a useful feature.
Strobe: There is also a bright, flashing red LED. It is very cool, but I was wondering what you would use it for. A warning for a disabled car? A cheap reflective banner would work better. A beacon to attract airplanes if you are stranded on a deserted island? Sorry no trips planed. How about an emergency signal to attract the Good Humor Man? Hmmm.... Anyways, I would rate the strobe as a gimmick.
Siren: The FR 300 has a very loud siren. This seems to be a popular (cheap?) addition to a number of emergency radios. This is another feature that leaves me scratching my head. Lets say you were hiking and got lost. A simple whistle around your neck would do the job nicely. Lets say you were trapped under a building that collapsed. Well maybe, but you would have to have the radio at your side, which seems sort of unlikely. The Siren would preclude giving this radio to most pre-adolescent boys, unless, of course, his parents gave your kid a drum set for Christmas. Another gimmick.
Cell Phone Charger: The FR 300 comes with a number of adaptors that could allow you the ability to charge your cell phone by turning the radios dynamo. Pretty cool. You could also use a AC power adaptor (not supplied) to charge you phone through the radio. Frankly, in the later case you should use the charging set up supplied with the phone. The question is, can you charge your phone using the dynamo? As mentioned above, The FR 300 is designed to sip at the energy bar. My LG cell phone has two separate LCD displays, one in color. It also has a keypad that lights up and (being a cell phone) a transmitter. The FR 300 manual wisely omits crank times for cell phones, but you can assume that it would be a bicep building experience. I can image that there may be very rare times when this feature could have some utility, but not often and probably a means of last resort. Likely a gimmick.
All radio testing was done with fresh AA batteries.
Sound: Like the FR 200 the FR 300 has a 2.5 inch speaker. There isnt much base but the sound is pleasant and clear. Plug in some headphones and you get wonderful sound out of both earpieces. The sound is mono, however. It is clear that the FR 300 amplifier section is of a higher quality then what you would find in a cheap pocket radio.
AM (medium wave): Like the FR 200 the FR 300 has a very nice AM tuner. You can hear some weak images of stronger stations on the dial but they arent too objectionable. Tuning accuracy is approximate, but it does the job. Sensitivity is very good and I was able to hear a number of out-of-state stations with ease. AGC was average. Reception was similar to the FR 200. All in all a nice little AM radio.
Weather Band: The FR 300 picks up the 7 channel weather band which is used in the US and Canada. I was able to pick up 3 channels on the radio, two very clearly. My car radio was able to pick up 4 weather channels (as a comparison). As a bonus, a nice, big knob controls the channels. In addition you can use an alert function. You leave the radio turned on and this function keeps it mutes the audio until the radio picks up a special signal for the weather service. Sounds nice, but dont forget this radio does not come with an AC adaptor. Leaving the radio on and then cranking it or changing the batteries doesnt make a lot of sense. Overall, I would rate the weather band as very good.
VHF TV Reception: Chicagoland has 5 VHF TV outlets (channels 2,5,7,9,11). The FR 300 allows VHF TV reception via two separate bands. One for channels 2-6 and the other for channels 7 and above. Using the FR 300 to pick up TV was a painful experience. As I would turn down the TV band I would encounter image after image of blaring distorted FM stations. On the lower VHF this garbage obliterated band channel 5. This problem was also present on the upper VHF band, but less so. Channel 9 was obliterated here. Changing rooms or reducing the length of the antenna did not help this problem. I also tried the radio at my office (further away from local FM broadcasters and more shielded from RF). It was still horrible. I exchanged the radio and the second one was slightly better, I now could get channel 9 but not channel 5. There was still tons of garbage from FM on these bands. TV performance was not acceptable.
FM performance: The FR 200 had a flawed but quite useable FM section (see my epinion on the FR 200). I thought that the FR 300 would offer similar performance, but I was very wrong. First off, the FM section occupies only one part of the tuning dial with the low VHF TV channels occupying the rest. I was estimate that the FM portion is only about 1/3 of the dial making any tuning difficult. When I first tried FM I was shocked at the incredibly poor reception. Our two local FM broadcasters were imaged all over the dial, and I mean everywhere. Even a flea-powered local college station was imaged up and down the dial. Every once in a while I could tease another station out of the mess. It was truly horrible. Reducing the antenna length, etc did not help. I took the radio to my office, which is much farther from our local broadcasters. In addition, the building shields lot of RF. Here I still heard the local broadcaster smeared over the dial. The flea-powered college station was absent but now the local junior colleges station was popping up everywhere. FM was unusable. I saw one user report on the FR 300 noting good FM reception (Circuit City web page) so I thought I might have a defective radio. I exchanged it hoping that radio #2 would redeem the Grundig name. This radio had it own set of problems on FM. The dial wasnt totally dominated by images from the local broadcasters, but they were present. The local college station at 89.1 obliterated the FM spectrum below and all the way up to 92 MHz. Similarly, the local oldies station at 95.9 smeared itself to WMFT at 98.7. It also smeared downward, but it was such a mess I couldnt tell what was what. It was clear that the way that this particular radio "fix" the multiple image problem was to turn down the sensitivity on FM, so even when I could get a Chicago station the reception was poor. Even more bizarre was what happened when I tuned around 100 MHz. There, I started to receive VHF aircraft traffic, I dont live near any commercial airport.
I love radios, I collect them and play around with them. The FR 300 has, by far, the worst FM reception of any radio that I have ever used, including cheapo pocket radios. This appears to be partly due to poor quality control (two radios with two different problems) but I also suspect design flaws.
As a radio collector Im about to do something that I never do, Im going to return this radio for a refund. All the bells and whistles and gizmos are useless if you cant use a major portion of a radio (the FM band). As more people review this radio I will be curious with the results. If lots of people like the FM portion of the radio it is likely that this is a QC issue that will eventually get resolved (and I just happened to get two bad radios). I addition, I have to wonder about the logic of including functions, like the weather alert option, but not including an AC adaptor as standard equipment. With the myriad of portable radios available, including the nice FR 200, I cant image why anyone would buy this radio. Definitely, not recommended.
On: 2005-02-17
At first glance the FR 300 (sold under several names including Grundig and Eton) appears to be a modification of the very successful FR 200. It seems to use the same case and it has similar looking controls including a hand crank generator. However, with close inspection it really is quite a different radio. The FR 300 eliminates the 2 shortwave bands of the FR 200. It their place it adds the VHF TV reception (audio only) and the weather band. In addition it adds a number of gizmos.
I love the older FR 200. No one would say that the FR 200 was the height of radio engineering and it certainly has a few electronic warts. With that said its pleasant sound, sensitive receiver and cool hand crank generator makes it a winner in my book (see my review in epinions). When the FR 300 came out I was anxious to give it a try so it was off to Circuit City to pick one up.
The Box: The radio appears to be housed in a case very similar to the FR 200. The box is approximately 5.5 inches square and around 2 inches thick. Like the FR 200 it has a nice handle and it some with a nifty nylon case. One side of the radio has a hand crank to charge the rechargeable battery pack. This pack appears to be of the common cordless phone variety if you ever need to change it. The other side of the radio has a volume control and a ganged course/fine tuning control, which operates the analog slide rule dial. Instead of using the primary color theme of the FR 200, the ABS plastic is a classy silver and the speaker grill also has a more polished look. Because the FR 300 has more gizmos than the FR 200 it has a few more controls on the face of the radio. This may add a little more confusion to the technically challenged. With that said, the controls and operation are very simple. Instead of using the flush controls of the FR 200, The FR 300 has a number of raised controls. These may be easier to grasp but they also add some additional thickness to the radio. The addition of all of this spit and polish makes the radio look like a baby version of the popular Grundig S350 rather than a twin of the FR 200.
Power Source: Like the FR 200, the FR 300 can be powered up in a number of ways. You can use 3 AA batteries, which should give you a very long playtime in this energy sipping radio. In addition you can charge the separate battery pack by vigorously turning the dynamo (generator) handle. 90 seconds at two turns per second should give you over an hour of playtime at low volume. You can also use an optional adaptor. Circuit City did not have the Grundig adaptor when I bought the radio. You can use a third party adaptor, but this must be done with caution. If the adaptor is under 200 milliamps it will power the radio and trickle change the battery pack. You can leave the adaptor permantetly connected. If the adaptor is over 200 mg , leaving it connected can overcharge the battery pack and damage the radio. You can remove or disconnect the battery pack and leave a larger adaptor plugged in, but this defeats the "emergency radio" concept.
Gizmos: The FR 300 is decked out in a variety of cool sounding gizmos. Lets take a look at some them to see if they have merit.
Flashlight: Like the FR 200 you have an LED flashlight built in. LEDs are great because they are very durable and use less power than a traditional flashlight bulb. The FR 300 has a 2 LED system providing somewhat better illumination than the FR 200. Think of it as a penlight. It would be OK to change a fuse or even read a newspaper. It wont light up a room. All in all, a useful feature.
Strobe: There is also a bright, flashing red LED. It is very cool, but I was wondering what you would use it for. A warning for a disabled car? A cheap reflective banner would work better. A beacon to attract airplanes if you are stranded on a deserted island? Sorry no trips planed. How about an emergency signal to attract the Good Humor Man? Hmmm.... Anyways, I would rate the strobe as a gimmick.
Siren: The FR 300 has a very loud siren. This seems to be a popular (cheap?) addition to a number of emergency radios. This is another feature that leaves me scratching my head. Lets say you were hiking and got lost. A simple whistle around your neck would do the job nicely. Lets say you were trapped under a building that collapsed. Well maybe, but you would have to have the radio at your side, which seems sort of unlikely. The Siren would preclude giving this radio to most pre-adolescent boys, unless, of course, his parents gave your kid a drum set for Christmas. Another gimmick.
Cell Phone Charger: The FR 300 comes with a number of adaptors that could allow you the ability to charge your cell phone by turning the radios dynamo. Pretty cool. You could also use a AC power adaptor (not supplied) to charge you phone through the radio. Frankly, in the later case you should use the charging set up supplied with the phone. The question is, can you charge your phone using the dynamo? As mentioned above, The FR 300 is designed to sip at the energy bar. My LG cell phone has two separate LCD displays, one in color. It also has a keypad that lights up and (being a cell phone) a transmitter. The FR 300 manual wisely omits crank times for cell phones, but you can assume that it would be a bicep building experience. I can image that there may be very rare times when this feature could have some utility, but not often and probably a means of last resort. Likely a gimmick.
All radio testing was done with fresh AA batteries.
Sound: Like the FR 200 the FR 300 has a 2.5 inch speaker. There isnt much base but the sound is pleasant and clear. Plug in some headphones and you get wonderful sound out of both earpieces. The sound is mono, however. It is clear that the FR 300 amplifier section is of a higher quality then what you would find in a cheap pocket radio.
AM (medium wave): Like the FR 200 the FR 300 has a very nice AM tuner. You can hear some weak images of stronger stations on the dial but they arent too objectionable. Tuning accuracy is approximate, but it does the job. Sensitivity is very good and I was able to hear a number of out-of-state stations with ease. AGC was average. Reception was similar to the FR 200. All in all a nice little AM radio.
Weather Band: The FR 300 picks up the 7 channel weather band which is used in the US and Canada. I was able to pick up 3 channels on the radio, two very clearly. My car radio was able to pick up 4 weather channels (as a comparison). As a bonus, a nice, big knob controls the channels. In addition you can use an alert function. You leave the radio turned on and this function keeps it mutes the audio until the radio picks up a special signal for the weather service. Sounds nice, but dont forget this radio does not come with an AC adaptor. Leaving the radio on and then cranking it or changing the batteries doesnt make a lot of sense. Overall, I would rate the weather band as very good.
VHF TV Reception: Chicagoland has 5 VHF TV outlets (channels 2,5,7,9,11). The FR 300 allows VHF TV reception via two separate bands. One for channels 2-6 and the other for channels 7 and above. Using the FR 300 to pick up TV was a painful experience. As I would turn down the TV band I would encounter image after image of blaring distorted FM stations. On the lower VHF this garbage obliterated band channel 5. This problem was also present on the upper VHF band, but less so. Channel 9 was obliterated here. Changing rooms or reducing the length of the antenna did not help this problem. I also tried the radio at my office (further away from local FM broadcasters and more shielded from RF). It was still horrible. I exchanged the radio and the second one was slightly better, I now could get channel 9 but not channel 5. There was still tons of garbage from FM on these bands. TV performance was not acceptable.
FM performance: The FR 200 had a flawed but quite useable FM section (see my epinion on the FR 200). I thought that the FR 300 would offer similar performance, but I was very wrong. First off, the FM section occupies only one part of the tuning dial with the low VHF TV channels occupying the rest. I was estimate that the FM portion is only about 1/3 of the dial making any tuning difficult. When I first tried FM I was shocked at the incredibly poor reception. Our two local FM broadcasters were imaged all over the dial, and I mean everywhere. Even a flea-powered local college station was imaged up and down the dial. Every once in a while I could tease another station out of the mess. It was truly horrible. Reducing the antenna length, etc did not help. I took the radio to my office, which is much farther from our local broadcasters. In addition, the building shields lot of RF. Here I still heard the local broadcaster smeared over the dial. The flea-powered college station was absent but now the local junior colleges station was popping up everywhere. FM was unusable. I saw one user report on the FR 300 noting good FM reception (Circuit City web page) so I thought I might have a defective radio. I exchanged it hoping that radio #2 would redeem the Grundig name. This radio had it own set of problems on FM. The dial wasnt totally dominated by images from the local broadcasters, but they were present. The local college station at 89.1 obliterated the FM spectrum below and all the way up to 92 MHz. Similarly, the local oldies station at 95.9 smeared itself to WMFT at 98.7. It also smeared downward, but it was such a mess I couldnt tell what was what. It was clear that the way that this particular radio "fix" the multiple image problem was to turn down the sensitivity on FM, so even when I could get a Chicago station the reception was poor. Even more bizarre was what happened when I tuned around 100 MHz. There, I started to receive VHF aircraft traffic, I dont live near any commercial airport.
I love radios, I collect them and play around with them. The FR 300 has, by far, the worst FM reception of any radio that I have ever used, including cheapo pocket radios. This appears to be partly due to poor quality control (two radios with two different problems) but I also suspect design flaws.
As a radio collector Im about to do something that I never do, Im going to return this radio for a refund. All the bells and whistles and gizmos are useless if you cant use a major portion of a radio (the FM band). As more people review this radio I will be curious with the results. If lots of people like the FM portion of the radio it is likely that this is a QC issue that will eventually get resolved (and I just happened to get two bad radios). I addition, I have to wonder about the logic of including functions, like the weather alert option, but not including an AC adaptor as standard equipment. With the myriad of portable radios available, including the nice FR 200, I cant image why anyone would buy this radio. Definitely, not recommended.
by: ellisgodard On: 2005-02-07
Its water-resistant and doesnt need batteries, runs on a hand crank, weighs nothing, and is much smaller than I expected - perfect for our in-case-of-evacuation bag (we live in fire and earthquake zones), but probably also great for the beach.
The lack of AC adapter makes sense. Youll want to use something else if youre near a working AC outlet, anyway. It does charge my cell phone, so itd be good for camping, too. And the NOAA-fired alert light makes it a good find for emergencies or being lost.
On: 2005-02-06
Its water-resistant and doesnt need batteries, runs on a hand crank, weighs nothing, and is much smaller than I expected - perfect for our in-case-of-evacuation bag (we live in fire and earthquake zones), but probably also great for the beach.
The lack of AC adapter makes sense. Youll want to use something else if youre near a working AC outlet, anyway. It does charge my cell phone, so itd be good for camping, too. And the NOAA-fired alert light makes it a good find for emergencies or being lost.
On: 2005-01-18
When I first saw the picture here on Amazon I was not impressed although this was a perfect product for my needs. I ordered it expecting that there was no stock as indicated.. yet a few days later it arrived!
I opened the box and was impressed with everything, it is a perfect companion to use. My only negative comment is that they do not have the AC Adapter/Charger available. When you call Eton/Grundig for support they just do not reply! I have called many times, emailed several times and no response. This is Eton/Grundig U.S. I ended up purchasing an Adapter at Radio Shack that works well and is within the specification that they state in the manual. The reason for the adapter is to quick charge the internal rechargeable batteries so that your radio is always ready. As for an extra/replacement Nihm pack again cant find it anywhere and of course no response from Eton/Grundig U.S.
I am extremely happy with the radio for the price and for the features it offers. One last item.. if you have a newer Motorola Phone... the adapters included do not fit.. I am trying to source a supplier.
When you look at my pictures at least you will have the details that you cannot see with the supplied pictures and I hope this helps everyone.
I would give this a 4.5 Stars for the lack of support but I cannot, so it gets a five star rating anyways.
On: 2005-01-17
When I first saw the picture here on Amazon I was not impressed although this was a perfect product for my needs. I ordered it expecting that there was no stock as indicated.. yet a few days later it arrived!
I opened the box and was impressed with everything, it is a perfect companion to use. My only negative comment is that they do not have the AC Adapter/Charger available. When you call Eton/Grundig for support they just do not reply! I have called many times, emailed several times and no response. This is Eton/Grundig U.S. I ended up purchasing an Adapter at Radio Shack that works well and is within the specification that they state in the manual. The reason for the adapter is to quick charge the internal rechargeable batteries so that your radio is always ready. As for an extra/replacement Nihm pack again cant find it anywhere and of course no response from Eton/Grundig U.S.
I am extremely happy with the radio for the price and for the features it offers. One last item.. if you have a newer Motorola Phone... the adapters included do not fit.. I am trying to source a supplier.
When you look at my pictures at least you will have the details that you cannot see with the supplied pictures and I hope this helps everyone.
I would give this a 4.5 Stars for the lack of support but I cannot, so it gets a five star rating anyways.
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