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Technical Details
- American Red Cross-endorsed, water-resistant emergency radio with 4 distinct power sources
- Picks up AM, FM, and 7 shortwave bands; built-in LED flashlight and cell phone charger
- Receives power from hand crank generator, NiMH battery, AC adapter, or 3 AA batteries
- 90 seconds of hand cranking produces 40 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted radio power
- Sealed 3.5 mm headphone jack; measures 8.75 x 4.5 x 2.25 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
Product Details
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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
The Etón Grundig American Red Cross FR350 is one of Etón's American Red Cross branded, weather-resistant emergency radios. With a dependable hand-crank power generator that powers the unit's AM/FM/Shortwave radio, built-in LED flashlight, cell phone charger and emergency siren -- all surrounded by a sturdy, weather-resistant casing -- the lightweight and portable Grundig FR350 is an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a radio that can be relied on in emergencies or in environments where there are limited power sources.
Other models in Etón's line of emergency radios that we tested include the Grundig FR200, an entry-level shortwave radio that also includes a flashing LED light; the Grundig FR250, a shortwave radio that also includes a flashing LED light, cell phone charger and siren; the Grundig FR 300, which includes the emergency features of the FR250, but offers television and weather station tuning instead of shortwave; and the Grundig FR 400, a water-resistant variation of the FR300.
FR350 radio, cell phone charging adapters, nylon carrying case, AC adapter and American Red Cross pamphlet.
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Power When You Need It
At the heart of all of Etón's emergency radios, including the Grundig FR350, is an internal generator that recharges the internal Ni-MH battery pack and powers the radio, siren, and light. Also, by plugging your cell phone into the jack on the back of the radio (the FR350 comes with several cell phone adapters), you can use the crank to power your phone. In our test, after draining our cell phone of power, we recharged it using the FR350 enough to make a few calls. The rate of cell phone recharging will vary greatly depending on the cell phone and the state of its battery, but the FR350 can provide your compatible phone with power in a pinch.
According to the product manual, to achieve 40 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted power to the radio, you must turn the crank at a rate of two revolutions per second for 90 seconds. In our test, after our initial 90 seconds of rigorous cranking, the FR350 powered right up and was still going strong with radio reception at the one hour mark, though there was not enough power to turn the light on. At the 75-minute mark, the radio finally lost complete power and had to be regenerated. The FR350 can also be powered via the included AC adapter, or from three AA batteries, which are not included. The dynamo crank tucks itself nicely into the side of the radio and offers little resistance as you turn the handle. (Don't let the cranking requirements frighten you! While it's true that a full 90 seconds of turning the crank can be tiring and may not be for everyone, we were able to recharge the radio with less than a minute of cranking and achieved over 40 minutes of continuous power.)
Design and Controls
At 1.5 pounds, and with dimensions of 4.5 x 8.75 x 2.25 inches (HxWxD), the FR350 is made to be tucked neatly into its handy nylon carrying case, ready to be stored in emergency box, or packed neatly for a camping trip. A white LED light is set on the side of the radio, just above the tuning knob, allowing you to use the FR350 like a flashlight. A red flashing emergency light is also included. This placement is an improvement over the designs of the FR200, FR250 and FR350, all of which place the emergency light on the radio's face. But similar to those radios, the light on the FR350 is only designed to help you down an unlit stairwell or enclosed hallway in a pinch, and is not directed or strong enough to help you much in a pitch-black forest or other open area. The radio and light can be operated simultaneously, though of course at the expense of power.
 The large band selection knob and other controls make the FR350 a breeze to use. View larger. |  The rear connections are protected by rubber seals. View larger. |  On the left, the hand crank, on the right, a flashlight, and tuning and volume knobs. |
The mechanical controls of the FR350 are extremely visible and easy to use. The volume control is fairly easy to finesse, and the tuning knob, which features a smaller concentric fine-tuning control knob, offers much greater control. A sealed 3.5 mm earphone jack is set into the back, and the telescoping antenna tucks neatly behind the handle strap. The radio's 2.5-inch speaker is set directly in front and offers reasonable audio quality and excellent volume for the radio's purpose. The tuner itself is self-illuminated, though in a darkened environment it is still somewhat difficult to pick out the bands.
Tuning and Bands
The FR350 offers nine-band tuning -- AM, FM and 7 shortwave bands. As was the case with all of the Etón emergency radios we tested, our AM reception was outstanding; we were quickly able to tune into every station we searched for. Reception for FM was also very good, though there was some extra fine-tuning on some of the stations. Our shortwave reception, however, was a mixed bag. We tested in the early and late evening, searching for signals in the more heavily populated SW3 and SW4. While we found several signals during our test, honing in on them took a bit of finesse with the fine-tuning knob. And when we did find them, there was static and background noise with most of the signals.
While the FR350 shares the same features and performance of the FR250, its sturdy, weather-resistant casing and design modifications give it a distinct edge in emergency situations that's well worth the extra cost.
Pros
- Compact and lightweight; sturdy, weather-resistant casing
- Clearly laid out functions and controls
- Excellent internal power generator; handy cell-phone charger
- Tuning dial could be better illuminated for darkened environments
- Shortwave reception inconsistent
FR350 radio, cell phone charging adapters, nylon carrying case, AC adapter and American Red Cross pamphlet.
Product Description
Improved technology, functionality and versatility, the FR350 is ideal for emergencies. The FR350 provides you with a water resistant radio, LED lights, and cell phone charger when you need it most. Using the Hand-Crank Power Generator, charge the internal rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack in times of need.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Many features, solid performance,
By
This review is from: American Red Cross FR350 Emergency Radio, White (Electronics)
Eton's FR350 emergency radio provides a solid solution for folks who want to stock their emergency kits with a waterproof, feature-packed unit. Given that I use mine primarily for listening to baseball while doing yardwork, I haven't gotten much use out of the shortwave receiver, siren, flashlight, and cell phone charger, but it's nice to know they're there.
Radio reception on this unit is solid, and while the dial is not rigorously gradated by frequency the signals from individual stations tend to be so clear that finding the one you're after is usually no problem. My only two complaints about the unit are the following: First, the hand-crank dynamo seems to give inconsistent charge to the batteries. Sometimes after the recommended 90 second crank I could listen to a whole game without recharging the unit, but other times, for no clear reason, the volume would die down and after just a couple of innings it would require another hand-cranking. Second, the position of the flashlight switch is situated such that it can be easily turned on inadvertently, particularly when the unit is being cranked for a charge. The power drain from using the flashlight is significant, and while this only requires another round of hand-cranking (and subsequent turning off of the light), it is an annoying design feature that could have easily been moved elsewhere on the casing. Those two flaws, though, are minor considering the overall performance I've experienced with the FR350, and based on my happiness with the unit, I can recommend it without hesitation.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
fragile antenna; broke first day,
By Peri Winkle (Murfreesboro, TN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: American Red Cross FR350 Emergency Radio, White (Electronics)
Great concept and probably pretty good otherwise, but antenna is stiff and broke at base almost right out of the box. Our old plug in radio's antenna has held up close to 30 years. No excuse for one like this. Technology is not new; poor execution, weak materials, something.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
So much detail in the listing but no attention to detail in the design of this radio,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: American Red Cross FR350 Emergency Radio, White (Electronics)
Very disappointed in this radio. Perhaps in a city radio reception might be better but my first transistor radio (40 years ago) did better than this. I had to keep fiddling with the antenna to get Maine Public Radio to come in. Perhaps you have an extra kid to assign to antenna duty, but mine have grown up. The siren switch looks just like the radio on/off switch, so watch what you're doing or you'll get blasted. I've yet to get close to 40 minutes using the crank charge. Perhaps that is due to being further from the city as well. The product description was right on the nail about the shortwave reception though, with "Shortwave reception inconsistent"
What a waste of $60. 2115|R3614M8WQ43N7E;2115|R1QNTZB9S7N4RH;2115|RHJ8XIY0WLD5S;
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