Stay Connected Through Anything By Peregrinus on Apr 02, 2010 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

I had been looking for a crank powered radio to add to my emergency kit. Usually this radio retails for between $20 and $30. But when visiting Winners, they were up for $5 as an "impulse buy" next to the register.

The radio is small enough to fit in your hand (3"x2.2"x3.2") and receives AM, FM, and Weatherband transmissions. There is an extendable antenna, as well as a dial, which gives the standard frequency range as any other radio.

Solar power is a nice touch, you can set the radio down outside and just let it play. But for days when the weather is crummy, and the power goes out, there is a hand crank to power it as an alternative, even though the solar cell works on an overcast day. No batteries are required, one minute of cranking lasts about 30 minutes of play time.

There is a red indicator light on the top of the radio that shows you if the radio is able to power itself via the built in solar cell.

The first thing I noticed when I bought the radio was that the sticker with the company name fell off. But that's fine.

The frequency selector dial is a bit sticky, so it sometimes takes a bit of manipulation to get the dial where you want it to go.

The neat thing about the wideband function is you never really know what you'll hear. I live in a small town. All our radio transmissions come from the city about 25 km away. Once in a while the weatherband picks up nothing, sometimes any form of idle chatter. Today happened to be "nothing" where it was previously weather. It all depends on the broadcast range of the station.

Overall, this radio is a very nifty item, useful for power outages or even just sitting out on the patio. And for the price, you can't go wrong.