# Help Me Choose A Hand Crank Radio **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301 "2014-05-12T21:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/1 "2014-05-12T21:07:57Z")
After last night’s power outage it is now painfully obvious we need a new radio that doesn’t require plugging into the wall. The old one has been in service since, I think, 1969 so it’s fair to say we got our money’s worth. Well, we needn’t limit ourselves solely to batteries these days, right? I’m thinking a hand crank option might be good. I hear they have solar charging options as well. Mostly what I’m after is a _radio_ - AM/FM/WX. Additional nice features would be a cell phone charging capacity, flashlight, solar charging option, and ability to recharge my Kindle. I’m looking to spend around $10-20, although I might go up to 30. Unfortunately, price is a consideration as I am still poor but my initial research indicates I should be able to find something reasonable in that price range. Would be interested in hearing from people who have these, who have used these, where to find them, advice in selecting/using - pretty much anything a future user needs to know. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/2 "2014-05-12T21:17:48Z")
I have **Grundig FR200** radio which comes with a crank and a light which runs off the battery or when it is cranked. It is no longer manufactured; but you can easily find a used one for anywhere from $20-30 on Ebay or Craigslist.I have used during several power outages and one tornado and even though it’s 9 years old, it still runs like it’s brand new. Personal note: I would avoid the Midland brand as they aren’t very sturdy and their electronics tends to die after a few years whether they are used or not. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/3 "2014-05-12T21:29:41Z")
at that price range you likely won’t find quality. an alternative is to get a crank flashlight with a port to charge things. then when the generator part might die you don’t have to replace more than that part. buy a radio with a DC power input that is a good radio. i find lots of variation in quality especially for the WX portion of radios. overall best is to get a radio for WX that has alarms for weather alerts. something that can wake you up, then you can leave the radio, on during your sleep time, when severe weather is forecast. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/4 "2014-05-12T21:29:58Z")
I have a Eton FR400. You can read all about it [here.](http://www.amazon.com/Eton-FR400-Silver-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000JINNWA/ref=sr_1_14/191-0141596-4182779?ie=UTF8&qid=1399930067&sr=8-14&keywords=eton+radio+hand+crank) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/5 "2014-05-12T21:33:57Z")
I’ve heard that hand-cranked radios take a LOT of cranking, but I haven’t tried one. I’m surrounded by batteries, so even if we had a _very_ long power outage, I don’t if I’d run out for years. While we’re on the subject of emergency equipment, could I recommend [this lantern?](https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1390278627218918470?hl=en&q=colemena+lantern+battery&oq=colemena+lantern+battery&ei=6zxxU8DvLoObyASWroCQDA&ved=0CIoBEKYrMAI) Not only will the light last a long time since it’s LEDs, but you can separate it into 4 smaller hand units. When you recombine them, the small units recharge. Clever! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/6 "2014-05-12T21:40:37Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > I have a Eton FR400. You can read all about it [here.](http://www.amazon.com/Eton-FR400-Silver-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000JINNWA/ref=sr_1_14/191-0141596-4182779?ie=UTF8&qid=1399930067&sr=8-14&keywords=eton+radio+hand+crank) There’s a link on that Amazon page to the Eton NFR160WXR; hand crank or solar charging, 3LED flashlight, AM/FM/NOAA radio and cell phone charger for about thirty bucks. That seems to satisfy most of the needs in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/7 "2014-05-12T21:44:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There’s a link on that Amazon page to the Eton NFR160WXR; hand crank or solar charging, 3LED flashlight, AM/FM/NOAA radio and cell phone charger for about thirty bucks. That seems to satisfy most of the needs in the OP. Agreed. The device I have is a few years old and discontinued. There are more capable units today for less, as technology … marches … on. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/8 "2014-05-12T22:27:26Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > at that price range you likely won’t find quality. Yes, I understand that, but as I said, I’m poor. I have to work within the budget I have. $30 is two weeks of food… or a radio. Anyhow - thanks for the suggestions, everyone, and feel free to add anything that seems reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/9 "2014-05-12T22:30:53Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yes, I understand that, but as I said, I’m poor. I have to work within the budget I have. $30 is two weeks of food… or a radio. > > Anyhow - thanks for the suggestions, everyone, and feel free to add anything that seems reasonable. I’m not “rich”; I’m working class. But if you are going to depend upon this radio to work when you need it to, then you may have to save for several weeks or months and buy something of higher quality. Eton/Grundig make,in my experience, some of the best emergency radios available. Some are pricey; however, they last for years making the worthwhile to purchase. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/10 "2014-05-12T22:58:55Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > I’m not “rich”; I’m working class. But if you are going to depend upon this radio to work when you need it to, then you may have to save for several weeks or months and buy something of higher quality. If that’s what it takes then I simply won’t be able to have one, amassing any amount of money outside of rent, food, and gas money is near impossible these days. I know that can be hard to wrap your head around, but for the past three months things have been that tight and weren’t much looser before that. Maybe I’ll one day have a job again that pays a decent wage, but I’ve been without any work at all for nearly three months now. It really sucks. Anyhow, like I said - keep the suggestions coming. Maybe I’ll put it on my Christmas list. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/11 "2014-05-12T23:05:10Z")
Well, if you have a car, in an emergency, you can go into the car and turn on the radio briefly every few hours for any new information. Because if your budget is that tight, an emergency radio is a luxury. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/12 "2014-05-12T23:09:08Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I’m surrounded by batteries, so even if we had a _very_ long power outage, I don’t if I’d run out for years. Yeah this. A basic radio can be found for almost nothing. And a stash of AA batteries will be useful for torches too. It won’t charge a phone obviously. But I’d venture a guess that charging a phone from a cheap hand-cranked radio is something that is almost never successfully achieved. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/13 "2014-05-12T23:38:54Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There’s a link on that Amazon page to the Eton NFR160WXR; hand crank or solar charging, 3LED flashlight, AM/FM/NOAA radio and cell phone charger for about thirty bucks. That seems to satisfy most of the needs in the OP. [Eton FRX2 is also $30](http://weatherradiostore.com/Eton-ARCFRX2WXR-American-Red-Cross-FRX2-Hand-Turbine-AM-FM-Weather-Radio-with-Smartphone-Charger---Red.product) with the same features as described above. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/14 "2014-05-12T23:49:49Z")
a weather radio with a good alarm can be a lifesaver if your area is prone things like tornadoes. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/15 "2014-05-12T23:57:49Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There’s a link on that Amazon page to the Eton NFR160WXR; hand crank or solar charging, 3LED flashlight, AM/FM/NOAA radio and cell phone charger for about thirty bucks. That seems to satisfy most of the needs in the OP. This is the one I have. I keep it on a windowsill with the solar panel up to keep it charged. Keep watching the sales on [woot.com](http://woot.com) - occasionally they will have a massive sale of Eton and similar radios, usually under the “Sport” section or sometimes the “Sellout” section. Not the daily deal, the sales below it that clump a bunch of similar items together. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/16 "2014-05-13T00:52:06Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > > [@Broomstick](#): > > > > Yes, I understand that, but as I said, I’m poor. I have to work within the budget I have. $30 is two weeks of food… or a radio. > > > > Anyhow - thanks for the suggestions, everyone, and feel free to add anything that seems reasonable. > > I’m not “rich”; I’m working class. But if you are going to depend upon this radio to work when you need it to, then you may have to save for several weeks or months and buy something of higher quality. > > Eton/Grundig make,in my experience, some of the best emergency radios available. Some are pricey; however, they last for years making the worthwhile to purchase. Several of the suggestions have been for Eton radios available for under thirty bucks. So are they worthwhile or not? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/17 "2014-05-13T01:34:43Z")
i haven’t had the radios mentioned. other Eton/Grundig radios that i’ve had were quality radios. i’ve heard good reports from people about that brand. the Red Cross sells disaster radios made by them. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/18 "2014-05-13T02:05:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Several of the suggestions have been for Eton radios available for under thirty bucks. So are they worthwhile or not? Yes, they are very good. However, Grundig doesn’t make the inexpensive models anymore ( cell phones, especially smart phones were brutal to the radio market) and their cheapest NEW models are $50and over. That’s why I suggested purchasing a used model from Ebay or Craigslist. Failing that, if the OP wants a new model, save their money for a few months and then buy a new model. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/19 "2014-05-13T05:39:18Z")
Live through a direct hit F2-3 tornado. You will never need a warning signal again. You will come out a deep sleep if there is any chance of a tornado in your area. The trouble with alert radios is you can’t limit them to just tornadoes. You get all the warnings. You will get 3-8 alerts per hour all night when the weather is not coming your way or already past you. Like car alarms, they cry wolf way to often. End result is me ignoring, tuning out or turning off. Ever since my tornado in1974, I don’t need an alert. Been in a few dangerous places since so I know my alert system is still working. Just me, not recommending for anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301/20 "2014-05-13T11:34:28Z")
For tornadoes (plus other severe problems) the reverse 911 in my area works pretty well, and they target it by zip code or something so not a lot of false alarms. The utility, for me, is not so much “THERE’S A TORNADO COMING!!!” (and you’re right, since close encounters with them I wake up just fine when there’s one in the neighborhood) it’s the morning AFTER when I can get updates on closed roads and where to get supplies if needed while the power is out from the local radio stations. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-hand-crank-radio/688301.md?page=2)