Probably the best thing out there for the money.

electronics:

	• Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Solarlink Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, ... Grundig / Eton Grundig / Eton average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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Eton American Red Cross radio

We felt that there was insufficient information given as to its use and had to figure somethings out by trial and error. Battery says low on the solar part but it still continues to play on the other part.

Probably the best thing out there for the money.

I rated this product using two attributes, functionality and clarity/ease of use.

Functionality: Pretty much has anything you would expect from an "emergency" device of this nature, at least for most people. I do not need to go into it, you can read the description. However, I can tell you that this product is a HUGE improvement from the FR500 model. Not only is S.A.M.E included (location based information) but the dual digital tuner makes for great if not immaculate reception. I tested it in an area that is infamous for poor reception due to the iron content in the ground. Anyways, for an emergency radio this product gets the grade of an A from me. It has been said that NOAA alerts are a bit quirky, have not come across that yet, not to say that does not exist. So if you are on a boat, maybe don't rely upon this for weather advisories. Flashlight is pretty standard LED but don't expect it to light the whole room like a cfl latern. Great long lasting flashlight though, I give it a A-. There are 3 charging option that each do a decent job. Dynamo is great at night, solar if you are hiking (needs a good amount of sun), can always charge it via the usb mini input (not the full size usb!) so don't buy the A/C charger. Can even put AA batteries in it is all else fails. Alarm is great feature to use it as a clock, and the siren is gimmicky but who knows may come in handy and probably did not cost much to include into the design. I give the charging an A+. While display saves on power it can be hard to read but because of addition of back light I'll give it a B+. I have not been able to charge an iPhone/Smartphone with the usb port which is a little bit disheartening but to be honest the battery was low, even though I was cranking away at the dynamo. Not sure why or if it was just me but I know smartphones require a little bit more amps to charge than say a regular cell phone. If it is truly usb then in theory should work, have to get back to you on that one. I give it a B- for cell phone charging because of apparent lack of smartphone compatibility.

Clarity/Ease of Use: The manual on this thing really is bad, not sure how they could have explained things better but common sense should not factor in when you might be dealing with people with a wide range of technical abilities. I give it a C+. The menu based setup is not the most intuitive and can be down right confusing at times but overall it is better than the analog version. I give it a B. When the battery is low can get quirky and you may have to fiddle with the knobs until the radio turns on. I charge it from solar to dynamo and for some reason the radio sprang to life. Again, maybe I just need some time to learn how to use it. That is why I ranked the clarity lower, because I think they user interface could be better.

Overall, the build quality on this is decent, not the best, but well within the acceptable range we have come to expect in this Made in China day and age. There is a good size solar panel incorporated into the handle. Would be great if it was a bit more weather proof but not a huge drawback since I mostly plan to use it indoors-ish. I did a lot of research looking for something reliable in an emergency situation and I think this is the best product that exists on the market today. Honestly not sure why someone would rank it low unless they were expecting a professional level product which you will not find it this price range for personal/home use.

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Overall good choice

Functionality--excellent radio reception (and that's the reason you purchase a radio for, right?) Much better than Eton's analog tuner models--don't even bother with those if you plan on listening to the radio in anything other than ideal reception locations. Pushbutton menu logic is a little counter-intuitive, but it's useable.

Construction--"rubber-like" solid case, rubber feet, and pushbuttons make the unit seem solid and well-built. However, all the plastic knobs wiggle a little and seem cheap.

Power sources--I love the multiple power input choices. As has been noted by others, though, an A/C charger is not included, and the solar cell requires direct overhead outdoor sunlight to function. The dynamo works fairly well: after cranking it quickly 200 times, the radio played at mid-volume for an hour and a half. WARNING!!!--After owning the unit for only a week, the crank broke off during vigorous cranking, and I had to exchange the radio for a new one. Maybe I got a lemon, but I recommend using care when cranking!

Overall--there is definitely room for improvement in build quality and solar capacity (I would have paid more for those things), but considering the features and functionality, I think this is one of the best choices on the market right now. Until someone comes out with a better product, I would purchase it again.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Self-Powered Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA, S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger

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