Customer Reviews

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)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

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.

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

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.

This radio is useless - it only gets one or two FM stations while standing outside in the open air - and I am in NJ which is only 50 miles from NYC, the radio capital of the world... Can't get any AM stations to speak of... Manual says that hand-crank needs to be cranked for 90 seconds but that this will only provide enough power for 1-2 emergency phone calls on your cell phone.. in an emergency, when the power goes out, the cell phones probably won't be working, so that will really help! Was unable to get ANY shortwave radio transmissions. I am returning this product.

I found the Eton FR 600; on sale at my local Brookstone store for less than what I could buy online anywhere (Including Amazon). If you look at the reviews for the Eton FR 600 here at Amazon, the Eton got mixed reviews, when I was looking at this item (for example) 12 people had rated it with one star... So it seems that it was nice to actually try it out in the store before I bought it at the store [sorry Amazon] and the unit I bought worked well. Reception on all bands was good: AM, FM, NOAA. It also is supposed to receive short wave but I'm not really into SW so I can't really comment on how it does with that. I really like the digital tuner with the preset memory... many emergency radios out there are analog, which means you have to search for what you want every time... so 20th century.

The other cool thing about the Eton FR600 is this new S.A.M.E. feature which allows you to enter the code for the county you live in and the NOAA alarm will only go off if severe weather is headed toward your county (instead of 3 counties away). Real nice feature if you choose to set the radio to alert you in case of approaching severe weather; not so many "false" alarms. You have to go online to get your code and it's only for counties in the U.S. and Canada as of this writing. You can also enter multiple counties for this selective SAME feature (I guess in case you have loved ones elsewhere?).

I like being able to crank this thing for about 2 minutes and listen to the radio for about 10-15 minutes; not great but doable if you HAD to hear what was going on via radio; basically just crank it when the program "goes to commercial" and you won't miss anything important. Other reviewers have mentioned problems with solar charging through a window... It is a bit tricky, especially with the short days we have this time of year but I've had success with laying it on it's side or tilting it directly at the sun (and then moving it periodically to make sure it is still facing the sun). I have no doubt this thing would be great on a sunny day at the beach. The fact that this also uses "conventional" batteries for the back up to the rechargeable batteries is also nice. Multiple power sources means that, in an emergency, at least one of them will be working for you. The light on the side of the unit is nice as an additional feature; can't have too many lights in a power outage. It seems reasonably bright, just for kicks I shut the door to the bathroom and used only this unit's light to go through the morning routine ~ sufficient for that job.

I was disappointed that it did not come with an ac adapter (because it takes one, and a mini USB power input too) but I'll probably buy one from Eton soon. Agreeing with others who have posted here, I was disappointed with the manual, one of the many shortcomings is that it says nothing about specs to use the mini USB port to charge the unit and good luck trying to get more info off of Eton's website.

I guess my advice is to give this little radio a try, run it through it's paces. If you got a quality unit keep it. If not Amazon has a great return policy. Otherwise you could always check one out at your local purveyor of radios...

- - - - - - - - - - U P D A T E 1 / 31 / 2011 - - - - - - - - - -

I called the Eton toll free number (1-800-872-2228) and asked for technical support. After a short wait on hold I spoke with one of their tech guys, Walter Hess. I called because I had just received my Eton ac adapter and both the manual and the unit say "5V" but the adapter they sent me said "6V" and when I tried it a RED light came on the unit (when I was used to a green light when I cranked it). So Walt told me that 5 to 6 volts was acceptable and that the red light is to indicate charging via ac. Then I told him what I thought of the manual. He said that they had just updated it and he emailed me a PDF of the new manual. If you want to email Walt yourself and ask for one here is his email: whess@etoncorp.com

- - - - - - - - - - U P D A T E 11/ 29 / 2011 - - - - - - - - - -

One other tip for everyone. The unit takes 4 AA batteries but keep the batteries in a drawer nearby, not in the unit, until you need them. The batteries seem to be used if the "dynamo" batteries get low, even if you keep the setting on "dynamo."

I hope that helps. Take care everyone.

On first attempt to charge the rechargeable batteries with the dynamo, the hand crank popped loose after about 3-4 minutes of cranking. It appears that the cranking action had ground away the collar that is integral to the case and keeps the handle in place. Not impressed with the handle attachment design, but will try a replacement to see if the condition of coming loose is an anomaly or not. Radio tuned and played well, and other functions such as lights and siren worked as expected. Did not have a chance to check the solar charging function or the other features. Hopefully will have the chance to do this with the replacement. Right now cannot give this thing anything but a single star - may be able to upgrade this after having some experience with the replacement, but right now I caution people against a purchase of this product.

April 2011 review (see November update below!Problem solved) Was looking for an emergency radio to keep in the "disaster kit". This unit got good reviews. (Yes, I believe EVERYTHING I read on the interweb). Anyway, maybe it's just my particular unit but when I charge it with the hand crank, it will play the radio for about 2 minutes before I see the "low battery" message and it goes silent. The owner's manual says it will play for about 5 minutes on a charge but even 5 minutes seems useless to me. I live in the Pacific Northwest and we haven't seen the sun since the last Ice Age so the solar charging function doesn't help.
Furthermore, when the unit is working, the radio reception is weak (lots o' static). I get better radio reception with my hearing protection headset.
I dunno....guess if I was homeless, desperate, hiding under a log from zombies, it would be better than nothing but I can't say I'm really happy with my purchase.
November UPDATE: OK...here's the deal. Eton doesn't furnish an owner's manual. You can download the PDF format owner's manual but it doesn't really matter because what they DON'T tell you is you need to charge the unit battery prior to use. You can do this with a USB cord attached to your computer. I learned this from a VERY helpful customer service rep at Eton. Now that I have charged the internal battery (the square yellow solar battery thinger), it holds a charge like a champ (when I use the charging crank handle). Holds a charge for well over an hour Radio reception is stil mediocre but at least, in an emergency I have a radio that will serve it's function well.

I have other Eton crank radios. I bought this one for the solar charge so it would always be ready, unlike the crank models. It turns out that in normal daylight coming in a window the radio won't play as the voltage is too low. I got the unit to work with a 250 watt light bulb directly over the solar cell. It's winter; perhaps at noon in July with no clouds this radio will play. The case is rugged and the radio is attractive. The receiver on these Etons is very cheap. The rechargeable batteries are small. The wiring inside is cheaply done. The crank part works ok, but the solar feature is bad. I do like some of the new fancy digital alert selection choices and other features in the digital menu. On the other hand the firmware needs updating: in solar cell mode inadequate light leaves a message of "battery low", which isn't what is meant at all. Instead the voltage from the solar cell is what is actually low and it will operate the menu screen but won't charge the battery or play the radio. It seems to take a LOT of light to start doing anything. This thing needs a high efficiency solar cell. It also needs one of those charge booster circuits that are used in cellphones and newer flashlights so that whatever power is available from the solar cell is boosted up to the needed voltage for the radio. Ideally the solar mode would work like the crank mode- the radio would work off the battery while the solar cell added whatever power it had. That way if the solar power was inadequate the batteries would discharge more slowly. The way it is now the radio cannot use any battery power in solar mode.

The solar cell version isn't worth it. The crank ones are ok, though I wish the radios and electronic construction were of higher quality. The solar mode is next to useless outside of bright noon sun. Good idea but awful execution.

Freeplay Energy Eyemax WB 2009 Self-Sufficient AM/FM/Weatherband Radio, iPod/mp3 dock and LED Flashlight (Black)

After returning the third radio by Eton, I went back to a Freeplay (see link). Often, the Etons wouldn't work out of the box or soon died. Where is the three hours of my life spent shuttling back and forth returning this crap?

I was hoping to buy a solar radio that would play by itself without any other power source needed. This is not the radio. This radio has 5 sources of power, Solar, Crank, NIMH and disposable batteries you put in the radio and DC power. The power cord doesn't come with the radio nor do the disposable batteries or the connections for the cell phones. If you want to keep the NIMH batteries easily charged, I would suggest buying the DC power cord at time of purchase (unless you want to do a lot of cranking, leaving the radio in the sun for long periods between uses, or burning through disposable batteries quickly). Since many of my questions were unanswered after reading the instructions I contacted the company and talked to a tech. I like the digital tuner, it helps bring in the stations easier and you can preset several stations so they can be easily found later. The speaker can be turned up pretty loud and you should have no problem in hearing the stations. This radio also shows the date and time and weather alert status in the display window. Unfortunately, since the readings are in LCD they are difficult to see at night and sometimes during the day unless the light to the display is turned on. The light stays on for only a short period of time so you have to be quick at reading it.
Overall, the radio is pretty good once you learn how to work it and understand it's limitations. Its just disappointing the instructions don't cover everthing and the radio doesn't run on solar power by itself. The radio has the capaticy to charge cell phones and portable radios but comes with no accessories to do this, there is an extra charge for these and the DC power cord. [...].The Kaito does not have a digital tuner but has a nice reading light and truely is a solar radio, meaning that it can run off the sunlight by itself. the Kaito also comes with a variety of cell phone connections if you want to use the radio to charge your cell phone.