American Red Cross FR500 Solarlink, White

by Eton

Product Details

• Item Weight: 3 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: B0014SWPTQ
• Item model number: FR500
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,788 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #18 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Radios > Shortwave Radios
  • #43 in Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer When emergencies or outdoor adventures take you off the grid, you need a device that can fill multiple needs. The American Red Cross FR-500 is a compact unit that you can easily store in a safety kit or toss in your rucksack and take anywhere. It functions as an AM, FM, shortwave, and NOAA weather radio. Additionally, it also has a flashlight, an emergency beacon, and an emergency siren. Plus, you can use it to charge your cell phone or MP3 player. Battery and AC power are always options; however this little wonder can also be powered with the hand crank or solely by the solar panels, making it a very "green" device.

Seven bright LEDs light your way View Larger

Your Link to the World
Tackling the great outdoors can be a daunting task. The American Red Cross FR-500 is designed to keep you in touch with the rest of the world, even when you are miles away from civilization. It combines a quality AM/FM tuner with a long-range short wave radio that can pick up broadcasts from thousands of miles away; providing you with news, entertainment and public service announcements. Not only that, but it also has a NOAA Weather Band receiver that can provide weather forecasts, alerts and other emergency messages--information vital to backpackers and travelers. A telescoping antenna provides maximum range and reception for all radio functions.

The FR-500 Makes Your Presence Known
The American Red Cross FR-500 offers multiple communication options, maximizing your ability to stay connected with others no matter the situation. During the day, a built-in siren can emit a loud "SOS" tone to announce your presence. Long-distance signaling at night can be achieved by activating the bright red magnified LED signal beacon. The FR-500 also comes equipped with a bright four-LED flashlight, ensuring that you'll never be left in the dark. The red LED signal light can also be used, allowing you to see without affecting your night vision.

Rugged Design and Reliable Redundant Power Sources
The American Red Cross FR-500 is ruggedized for outdoor use, and is more than ready to go in emergency situations. Clever case design protects the analog controls from damage, while rubber gaskets and plugs help keep moisture out of the unit. The easy-to-read backlit LED screen is recessed to keep it from being damaged. It displays radio and battery status, and also incorporates an alarm clock with snooze and sleep functions.
Having a device that sports multiple modes of communication means nothing if there is no way to power it. The FR-500 was designed with that thought in mind, and it can be powered in several ways. The built-in rechargeable battery pack can be charged from the integrated dynamo hand crank, or from an optional AC adapter. An array of waterproof, shatterproof, high-performance glass encapsulated amorphous solar cells can also run the FR-500. They are efficient enough to power the unit whenever the sun is up, even in overcast weather. Finally, three alkaline batteries can be used for on-the-go convenience. These multiple power supplies can also be used to recharge cell phones with the charging cord--available by returning the included card and specifying your phone's model.

Product Description

When your adventures take you farther off the grid, the Eton American Red Cross FR500 Solarlink self-powered emergency weather radio fulfills your various needs. It features an AM/FM radio, shortwave radio and NOAA weather alert radio to keep you in touch with the information you need. A flashlight, beacon and siren are included for use in emergencies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars RECEPTION FIX, September 18, 2008

By 

F. Sudal "Dad" (Dublin, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Red Cross FR500 Solarlink, White (Electronics)

Great overall emergency radio. Read many reviews that indicated poor reception which almost prevented me from buying. Once purchased I tried the radio and was disappointed with the poor reception. Almost seemed like it was running low on batteries even though new ones were just put in. I learned that the multi-function knob (see manual) was set on "Alert". This seems to be a low power savings mode. Once I selected any other setting including "Off" the radio's reception was excellent (the radio is turned on via a different knob / see manual). I bought it at Radio Shack since it was on sale for $69. Radio Shack's site forgot to add that this radio also has Short Wave which is a plus in emergencies.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For the right purpose good product...read below for details, September 8, 2009

By 

Timothy C. Rice - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Red Cross FR500 Solarlink, White (Electronics)

I should have paid more attention to the online owners manual before I made the purchase. If you plan on using this radio for leaving in your basement or trunk in case of an emergency then I highly recommend it, for this purpose I would give it 5 star,s have no gripes in that category.

My purpose for it however was for a "ruffing it" 7 day bike trip in order to stay informed of news/weather and also keep my cell phone charged. Before I left I charged the unit in full by the usb port and supplemented it by leaving the solar panel exposed out of my pack so that it would charge as I rode. I found that on very sunny days in the second week of august in upstate ny, that although it would slow charge the battery it was hardly enough to keep up with listening to it for a couple hours a day total. Listening to it "live" off of the solar panel was nearly impossible even at noon in the direct sunlight.

As for charging a cell, it works great by cranking for emergency calls only, if you try to charge it for extended phone calls you will go crazy. Solar again even at noon was not enough to charge an LG10000, would click back and forth between charging and not and seemed to drain it more than charge it.

The solar panel needs to be much larger but otherwise the unit did what it was supposed to, but don't expect miracles from it. If you need significant power for long periods of time consider another for more solar/kinetic charging.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet another great Eton product!, September 24, 2008

By 

Mac McAuley "Mac The Gadget Master" (Alpha Centauri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Red Cross FR500 Solarlink, White (Electronics)

I have had no problems with reception, even in the sticks. I really like the added solar feature which compliments the crank function nicely. Mostly robust, though some of the knobs feel weak, particularly the "mode" knob. Excellent backlight for the frequency/clock LCD display, easy tuning, plenty of bands to select from, and the built-in USB charger is a GIANT bonus. I now own six quality Eton products, and this one is *easily* my favorite. A directional antenna vs. the current vertical-only telescopic antenna would have been a nice touch.