Customer Reviews

American Red Cross FR300 Emergency Radio, White

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Sounds to me like the folks who had a beef with this radio must have been looking for $300 quality in a $50 radio. I've been really pleased with this unit and its pretty incredible array of features.

I will concur that the plastic on the unit is not the most-durable feeling material, but it's certainly sufficient. Plus it comes with a nice little nylon case to protect it and carry it, so that more than makes up for it.

First, the quality of the TV and AM reception is superb. I love talk radio, but hate the constant fade in/out. This unit does much better than any radio I have -- a couple of which are pretty expensive -- on picking up weak signals.

The sound quality also is good for the size of the unit. Clear, good quality sound that's easy to hear and not tinny.

The plastic is lightweight, which doesn't feel so great, but it does make the unit easy to carry. And a minute of cranking generates plenty of listening time. The three-LED light array is plenty bright and a great little area light in case of emergency. The variety of power sources make this a no-brainer for emergency use -- cranking, built-in rechargeables, alkaline or lithium AAs or a power adapter, if you want to buy one.

Here's what I found best though. I use a Palm Treo, so the unit didn't come with a charging tip that would fit it. I contacted the company, Eton, by e-mail to inquire if I could purchase one somewhere. Within a few hours, they responded to say that not only was there now a Palm tip available, they would provide me one at no cost. So terrific customer service.

If you want a really thorough review of this product, I suggest you visit thetravelinsider.info. I think he's spot-on with his assessment.

Great, fun little unit -- great value. I highly recommend.

My wife and I used the FR300 during the week-long Queens blackout this past summer and this little radio delivered. One 2 minute winding lasted for an hour on medium volume. The cell phone charger is cool, but it takes a lot of winding. The light is good in a pinch, but not particularly useful.

I had a crank radio since 1999, and it finally gave out this year. I was excited to find this one at a decent price, and with the added bonus of a cell phone emergency charger! The adapters fit most phones, and it's just good to know that wherever you are, you can make a phone call even with a dead phone battery. I read some reviews about a difficulty getting the battery case open, but I had absolutely no problem with it. Yes, it would be great if it came with an AC adapter (and I wouldn't have it without); I just rigged up my own with a Wal Mart universal power supply for $15.00. It takes 4.5 -5 volts. It runs for HOURS after charging it with an adapter. Reception has been good, not only in northern Wisconsin, but in Illinois as well. NPR is great! and who really needs the TV stations! (though I do get one once in a while).Anyway, I recommend it!

I noticed that both of the negative reviews were written by owners in Hawaii. I agree that there are problems with getting a long charge out here. When I first got the radio, I got about 45 minutes with two minutes of cranking; after six months, two minutes of cranking got six minutes of radio time. I suspect our tropical climate is more the problem than the radio's dynamo. I've put batteries in mine (rechargeable, of course) and have had great reception, even inside buildings that usually interfere with reception. I can also receive several TV stations with no problem, and the National Weather Service channel comes through loud and clear. I really like this radio, and it was my constant companion during the earthquake. I just need to make sure I'm proactive and keep the AA batteries charged up so it's ready in an emergency.

I bought this radio primarily for use on the job site. I figured with the external antenna that it'd be able to pull in my favorite local station. It has a weak signal, but I was hoping... Well, it won't do the trick in most locations so far, but overall I'm happy with the radio

I also liked the idea of having an alternative source of power for emergencies, and the hand crank works just as advertised. Overall a good buy.

FR300 Emergency Crank Radio
An outstanding Emergency tool with AM/FM/WX Weather
receiving. Dynamo cranking allows one to always have
reception.Access to a TV channel sound is a plus.

Having an emergency radio on hand is prudent. Useful for primitive camping too. Sound quality is OK for a single-speaker $50 unit and perfectly adequate for what the radio is designed for - news, sports, weather, emergency info. You can certainly listen to songs, but don't expect great sound quality. Hand cranking gives quick power that lasts reasonably well. The lights/siren and would be useful for lighting or to attract attention in an emergency. Picks up a weather band at our home when my older weather band radio does not. My user guide doesn't mention TV reception and I haven't been able to find closest station - perhaps this feature ended with digital? Not a big deal for me but could be a deal breaker for others. Given the price it is fairly study and has a protective case. Fairly small and lightweight so could be carried in a daypack.

Super Radio - Bought 3 of these for Christmas...one for myself and two for friends. We had a power outage this past (2008) Fall that lasted 3 days to a week. A 1 minute crank on the radio gave it power for 30 minutes. Great sound and good pick-up. Did not come with AC adapter, so will buy separately. Good price through Amazaon.com!

I disagree with those who thought the plastic on this unit seemed cheap. I found it to be the opposite - it has a kind of rubberized/textured feel to it - not like the hard, brittle plastic you find on cheap items.

The radio works very well, excellent reception. The same is true of the emergency weather channel.

I thought the "alert" feature was particularly creative. By turning one of the knobs to "alert" while the radio is set to "weather", the unit stays off until a weather alert is given - then it kicks on. This saves the battery. Nice.

The dynamo (crank charge) seems sound and solid. The emergency light isn't anything to write home about, but will certainly do the job in a pinch.

Like others, I wish they would do two things: 1) Provide a wide range of adaptors for cell phones. You have to send in for only *one*. Well, what about when you change phones - which you inevitably will? 2) Provide the plug-in adaptor. They charge you $9.99 + $4 S&H (+ or -) for it. Seems a little high. Just put it in the package and charge an extra $5 if you have to!

The only other thing I would say is that the unit is a little smaller then I expected by simply looking at the picture. I didn't see the dimensions - the description says 6 x 5 x 4. Actually, it's more like 6 x 5 x 2.5. Not a big deal. More than large enough to do what it needs to do.

For the price, I highly recommend this unit.

This is a handy little gadget that is a perfect gift for anyone in the country - including yourself. We ordered one for Christmas last year for everyone on our list. It has EVERY THING you'll need in various weather conditions.

alienface