The RED CROSS Edition Eton FR300 Emergency Radio Could Save Your Life

The Eton Grundig FR300 portable “emergency” radio has a number of features that remind me of the "Swiss Army Knife" version Eton Grundig FR200 http://www.epinions.com/content_287455153796 , but actually go it one better in certain areas even while sacrificing the short-wave functions. Like the FR200, the radio has several things about it you don’t normally associate with a portable radio, but which add to its appeal and could actually be very useful in an emergency.

For example, it can be powered three ways. First, it has a hand-crank power generator which supplies power to (included) rechargeable Ni-MH-batteries. Second, you can plug it in to a 4.5V DC from 120V AC wall charger (bought separately). Or you can simply drop in 3 alkaline AA batteries. These are true for both radios.

Once empowered, the radio picks up AM/FM, and WEATHER bands, and TV SOUND bands, as opposed to the FR200's short wave radio bands, and it has a built-in LED Flashlight. In many cases, it will be more practical to have LOCAL weather information and TV sound information than to have short-wave broadcasts. For example, if you had been on the Mississippi gulf coast or near New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, access to local weather and domestic TV bands may have been much more important than the ability to listen to a BBC broadcast or even Radio Havana.

Another WAY COOL feature is its ability to power cell-phone batteries with the hand-crank charger. I have a Palm Treo 650 cell phone, and the package did not have an adapter for that unit included, but after calling the company's 800 number, the friendly folks at Eton telephone support said they would mail me out an adapter free in a few days. Pretty nice company, huh? It DOES come with a few adapters for many popular cell phones out there today, but if your model isn't represented, you can probably get the right one, and for free, by dialing the 800 number. Unheard of customer support of the kind which will build lifelong consumer loyalty.

The radio is the next-up-from-the-bottom-of-the-line product in Eton’s emergency radios, but even so it may be all the radio of its type you ever need. If you are putting together a “Storm Kit” of things to have in an emergency if your power goes out, this is an economical radio to put in along with the dehydrated food, bottled water, and the first-aid kit. It it would also make a nice gift for a boy or girl who might be or are beginning to develop an interest in emergency radios and how they are used. It is also just a nice little lightweight radio to have around the home, and it doesn’t need batteries, just a few turns of the crank to get it going. It’s a little big for camping, but its weight and self-sufficiency, combined with the LED light, could make it a good choice for that as well.

This, like the FR200, would be a nice radio to have in the trunk of your car at all times. If the power grid went out, and cell phones, lights, radios, and all other grid-dependent power sources went out, you could still probably get information from this radio. Or if your car’s battery went dead and you were a long way from civilization. Or if you needed a flashlight for a small task like, say, changing a tire in a dark place, and your normal flashlight wasn’t around.

The FR300 is one of several radios of its type offered by the manufacturer. All of Eton’s emergency radios have built-in portable power generators like this one does. Two turns on the hand crank per second for a minute-and-a-half, according to the instructions, will get you about an hour of power from the rechargeable batteries. It has a quiet whirring sound as you turn the crank. The hand crank folds neatly into the side of the unit and turns easily enough for a child who wants a little task to help with.

The radio weighs just over a pound, and hardly seems to weigh anything compared to many portable radios I have used. Its dimensions are 6.5”W X 5.75”H X 2.25” D; roughly the size of a box of granola bars. It has an inexpensive nylon case for keeping out the dust and moisture.

It should be said that at a cost of only about $50.00, this is not going to be the World’s Best Portable Emergency Radio; it is good but not what you would want on a climb of Mount Everest. But it probably is good enough to save your bacon in most short-term emergencies.

Most of the manual controls are highly visible, very functional, and simple to use. The volume control and station tuning controls are on knobs, which I much prefer to sliders. The volume control knob is a little recessed, inhibiting easy turning, but it is acceptable. The tuning knob, however, is much easier and features a delightful fine-tuning inner knob. There is an earphone jack on the back (no earphone included, but you can get them reasonably priced at, say, Radio Shack) as well as the wall-charger’s power plug jack. The ubiquitous (and often useless, from my perspective) telescoping antenna tuck down easily below a small leather carrying strap. Speaker sound is fine, but again, not surround-sound quality.

My radio is white with the symbol of the American Red Cross on it. I got it at a Fry's Electronics store.

What are the pros and cons, as far as I can see?

Nice Stuff:

• Easy hand-generated power, eliminating the power grid and batteries
• Hand-power means you can use it anywhere in the world you can get a radio signal; you are free from USA/120V power
• Small, lightweight, ready to go
* Can charge up cell phones
* Can get those arkaic NOAA weather broadcasts.
• Brightly colored (white), enabling rapid identification when needed
• Good, if not excellent performance
• Most controls very functional

Could Be Nicer Stuff:

• Performance good, but possibly not the best in emergency conditions.
• On-off switch is a little difficult to locate and understand at first
• No AC adapter included (but may be purchased separately)
• Plastic case would have been more durable and nicer if it had been metal.

I see this radio really appealing to four types of people. First, those who want an inexpensive but functional emergency radio from a dependable company. Second, those who want to give a nice radio with weather band, TV sound capability, and flashlight capability to a young person. Third, those who simply want a nice little radio that can be used from room to room about the house. Fourth, possibly to the camper who has room in his pack for it.

The hand-cranked power and the low price are real selling points to me. The Eton/ Grundig people have an above average little radio here with some unexpectedly nice features. It’s a keeper.

Oh yeah- it's supposed to be the only radio of its type endorsed by the American Red Cross, which probably says something too.

UPDATE: March 30, 2007. I had called Eton back around January 22 to ask if they could send me a cell phone adapter for my Palm Treo 650 for the plug that goes to the hand electrical generator. I am happy to report to you that about 9 weeks later the adapter has arrived in the mail and it works. Oh, and Eton didn't charge me a cent for it, and paid the postage on the mailing of the adapter. It's little things like that which truly do build customer loyalty.

Four Stars/****