Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Solarlink Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar and CellPhone Charger (Red)

by Eton

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 7.8 x 8.5 inches ; 1.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001QTXKEM
• Item model number: ARCFR600R
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,040 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #32 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Radios > Shortwave Radios
  • #71 in Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

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

Product Description

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

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

178 of 181 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice but has flaws, July 21, 2009

By 

JP Vic "Bee Guy" (NE, Ohio - USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Solarlink Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar and CellPhone Charger (Red) (Electronics)

Pros:

Nice features - great for camping. While outdoors in sunny weather can charge the ni-mh battery pack with solar while listening. You can also charge with a USB cable via your computer (you don't need to buy the AC adaptor).

Nice sound on the FM and AM bands - short wave nice option for those really remote areas - (but is there really anything on SW to listen too?). Digital tuning a real plus - I never could tune a station properly with analog dials

This has a 'true' hand crank generator. Yes you can charge your cell phone or anything that charges via USB cable (i.e things you plug it into your computer to charge). Good only for emergency charging (too much cranking to fully charge a cell phone) - but this is a real crank generator charger, unlike some other products I have purchased.

Cons:

Battery hog, (good thing you can recharge)

It is more rugged than most radios, but this is not really waterproof - don't leave it out in the rain

Expensive - in the end you get a mono radio, sure you get a crank generator but this thing 'aint cheep.

Solor only works in bright direct sunlight (no clouds).

Manual - what manual?

Flashlight ok - but SOS LED flasher and siren are worthless. Those are just marketing items to get you to buy the radio.

Weather alert -NOAA SAME code descrimiter is buggy and weather alerts go off (when my other SAME radio does not) randomly. Eton custom service don't know how to fix this issue, and I've even had replacement radios sent. If you buy this radio for NOAA alerts using S.A.M.E. this is a big problem. I did and a big reason why I am rating this radio low. For $80 a radio should work properly. IF you don't care about S.A.M.E. alerts, then this won't be an issue for you. For me I like to have an emergency radio SAME turned on all the time in case there is a emergency/storm etc that I need to know about. I don't care to hear about storms that are in other areas and that is what SAME does, is only give give you alers in your area.



UPDATE (April 2010) - I've had this radio for about a year now, and while it is still a battery hog and I can't use it for my NOAA weather alerts (as it gives false alerts all the time), but I do like this radio. I'm glad I bought it, it's my main radio when we go camping, or I'm working outside - but still think it's overpriced.

99 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great Idea but of no real value in execution, May 13, 2010

By 

R. Jackson (Orlando) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Solarlink Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar and CellPhone Charger (Red) (Electronics)

Bought this multi-use emergency radio for use during power outages and other emergencies. When I received the radio (loved the case and knobs) I cranked the generator for about 1-2 minutes and gave it a try. Volume was very good and dialing in the stations was quick and easy. I set all defaults then GONE - battery died. I then cranked the generator for over 5 minutes and again set things up and played with everything for about 3 minutes and the battery died again. I then added 3 AA Energizer batteries, cranked the generator again for 3-5 minutes. I set the switch to the generator mode for the evening and set the alert system to monitor for a single county. In the morning, the unit was dead again and not only the built in battery was dead, the 3 new AA batteries were also dead. As a final test, I took the unit outside and placed the solar panel in direct sunlight. (even moved it during the day to track the sun). I turned it off that evening and did the same the next day. When I turned the unit on the FM radio it died in less than 30 minutes.
NOW, here is the biggie and I would caution anyone thinking about buying this product. I emailed Eton Customer service.
QUOTE -
Thanks for the email Mr. J. I need to know if you were trying to charge it through a window. The solar charger only charges with the radio in direct sunlight, not through a window or in shade, with the power selector switch in the solar position while charging.

Cranking for 90 seconds should allow the radio to play for about 5 minutes, at low volume.
The FR600 is a digital receiver with NOAA and S.A.M.E. technology. It is therefore harder on batteries than other radios.

When you're using AA batteries and have the radio in the ALERT position, the radio is still on, monitoring for alerts. We suggest that you use an AC adapter if you're using the ALERT position. An AC adapter can be purchased for $9.95+shipping by calling 1-800-793-6542.
END QUOTE
I answered their questions but IF USING THIS RADIO IN EMERGENCY WHEN NO POWER IS AVAILABLE - Wouldn't that make the AC power adapter kind of usless????

Finally Quote from Eton CSR - I agree Mr. J, something just doesn't seem correct. Your return authorization number is #####. We'll evaluate your unit and repair or replace it, at our discretion. Our process takes 4 to 6 weeks, or sooner. ENDQUOTE
4 to 6 weeks to repair/replace a brand new radio - Give Me a Break
The radio was returned to Amazon for a refund. I am still looking for a real emergency radio that will play for at least hours upon charging with solar or crank and more using batteries

125 of 137 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Digital Radio Review, July 25, 2009

By 

G. Teruya (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Solarlink Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar and CellPhone Charger (Red) (Electronics)

This is a review of the Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Solarlink Digital AM/FM/SW/NOAA S.A.M.E. Weather Radio with Flashlight, Siren, Solar and Cell Phone Charger in Red.

My interest is usually in survival products, particularly in coolers and flashlights. In this case, I was looking for a emergency weather radio that had a NOAA feature and could be powered through various means. This product appeared to meet everything I could ask for in an emergency radio.

I actually just received the product yesterday and spent the entire evening trying out every feature at least two to three times. I did not bother reading the manual as I wanted to see how intuitive this radio is and if I could figure out how to use the features easily. Like a previous review noted, once you figure it out, it is easy to set up presets, time, and date. The display lights up with a bright, even, white backlit display. The only complaint I would have is about the backlight not staying on very long. But I understand that this helps conserve battery power.

From the appearance, this radio appears to be sturdy, having a rubberized covering that appears to be sealed well. The radio has some heft as well, and you can see deep-set screws along the body, that holds the radio together snug. The rest of the radio is made of plastic, including the knobs of the dials, which in my opinion is not a bad thing. The antenna fits in snug, which provides protection should the radio suffer from a fall. Even the solar panel is set in a little, which will protect the panel if the radio should drop. Bottom line is that Eton has taken measures to create a sturdy and practical design for this radio. I did not test this radio for water resistance due to the pricey $80 cost.

The date, clock, and digital tuner including the AM/FM, NOAA, and Short Wave features worked really well. I did not have to use the antenna much. The speaker works well and can handle the volume when it is pumped up, though the quality of sound including treble and bass is not that of my Sony ICF36 Portable Radio, which I rate as the top of speaker output for portable radios. I am not knowledgeable on S.A.M.E. system and did not know how to use that function. The siren, flashlight, and signal beacon worked fine. The solar power, crank, rechargeable battery, and regular batteries worked fine to power the radio. The radio does not come up with cell phone connections, so I was not able to test out the cell phone charger or hook up the radio to a USB port.

Overall, the Etón American Red Cross ARCFR600R Digital Radio is a comprehensive package of features for disaster/emergency situations. All of the features that I was able to test worked well. The radio has a well thought out, sturdy design. I rate this radio a 4.5 out of 5.0 score. The score could be higher if the flashlight had a brighter and efficient CREE LED and speaker could put out a little better bass sound.