American Red Cross FRX3 Hand Turbine NOAA AM/FM Weather Alert Radio with Smartphone Charger - Red (ARCFRX3WXR)

by Eton

• Receives AM/FM/Weather band
• USB smart phone charger
• Hand turbine and solar powered
• LED flashlight
• Aux- input

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.8 x 2.6 inches ; 14.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B007KFLVTM
• Item model number: ARCFRX3WXR
• Batteries 1 Nonstandard Battery batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #4 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Radios > Shortwave Radios
  • #6 in Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 25, 2011

Product Description

Size: FRX3

From the Manufacturer

Hand Turbine AM/FM/NOAA weather ALERT radio with USB smart phone charger and LED flashlight

Keep your household prepared with the FRX3. The rechargeable FRX3 is a preparedness radio with AM/FM, all seven NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather band stations and the "Alert" system. When the "Alert" function is on, the radio will automatically broadcast emergency weather alerts for your area such as hurricanes, tornadoes and severe storms. Set the solar panel in the sun or spin the hand turbine for one minute to get 10-15 minutes of radio and flashlight use. There are also AAA battery and DC power alternatives (mini-USB included).

The FRX3 also serves as a renewable power source for your other critical devices because of its USB smart phone charger. Simply plug in your phone into the USB port and power will automatically "dump charge" to your phone, just like plugging into the wall. This radio has a glow-in-the-dark locater so you can find it easily at night plus a LED flashlight and red flashing beacon for emergencies. If you want more than just the radio, there's an AUX-input to play your own tunes and a headphone output for individual listening.

There are many products out there that have a USB cell phone charger, but most don't provide weather alerts and let you listen to your own music like the FRX3.

Just sit back and let the sun do the work with the integrated solar panel. Plus, surrounding the panel is a long lasting glow-in-the-dark bezel that will help you find your FRX3 in the dark.

	Digital tuning for AM/FM radio		Solar panel for recharging
	All 7 NOAA / Environment Canada weather band radio stations		Internal rechargeable Ni-MH battery
	DC input with the included mini-USB cable		Bright long lasting 3-LED flashlight, and red LED flashing beacon
	USB Smart Phone Charger		Glow-in-the-Dark locator
	Hand Turbine power for recharging without access to power on the fly		Headphone output

Included in the Box: user manual, warranty card, mini-USB cable, and wrist strap

Product Description

The American Red Cross FRX3 is a solar and hand turbine powered AM, FM, weather radio with alarm clock. There is a built-in USB smart phone charger that allows a 30 second emergency phone call with one minute of cranking. To listen to personal tunes, use the AUX-input to play an external MP3 player. You’ll never be left in the dark thanks to the LED flashlight and glow-in-the-dark locater around the rim of the solar panel.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

157 of 163 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Emergency Radio July 26, 2012

By JohnJ.

Size Name:FRX3|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've had this radio for a little over a week now and have beeen putting it thru it's paces. All three bands, AM, FM and the weather band have excellent reception. I have no problem recieving the weather stations here in Western Massachusetts and both AM and FM recieve all the loca; stations perfectly. Audio quality which I admit isn't the primary reason to buy an emergency radio is really realy good. Sound quality is more than acceptable and volume is capable of being loud enough to be heard in a noisey room without distortion. I haven't tested the rechargable battery capacity yet but have confirmed that charging buy usb, solar or hand crank work as advertised. What makes this radio unique is the way it recharges a cell phone, instead of needing to use the hand crank, you charge the phone via a battery dump from the onboard rechargeable battery pack. You recharge the radio battery then plug in the phone which means you don't have to sit there and crank. After trying a few different emergency radios I find this one a keeper and I'm extremely happy with the purchase

76 of 77 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent emergency radio August 28, 2012

By Scott Oslund

Size Name:FRX3|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just received this radio. I purchased it for emergency purposes. Here is a summary of the features: AM/FM/7 weather bands. The reception in my area for all 3 functions is excellent. It comes with a retractable antenna which tucks away nicely when not in use. The radio is powered in 1 of 4 ways: solar (takes 10 hrs of direct sunlight to completely charge the NiMH battery); an included NiMH battery which is what is charged by the solar panel & the hand cranking (90 seconds of hand cranking yields 5-7 minutes of radio use per the instructions). The NiMH can also be powered by plugging the radio into a USB port on a computer (2 hrs to charge the battery this way). The radio can also be powered by 3 AAA batteries (not included). In addition, there is an adapter for DC power, but no charger was included (I need to call the manufacturer to inquire). The radio comes with a clock and alarm clock. A cell phone can also be charged via a "dump" from the included NiMH battery--the built in battery simply trickles the charge from the radio to the cell phone. The radio is indeed plastic, but doesn't see "cheap" to me, and if basic care is taken, the radio should do fine. The crank is also made of plastic, but again, with common sense, should provide years of service. I paid $45 for this radio on Amazon, and plan on getting several more for family/friends. There is a simple 2 white LED light and a blinking red LED. Someone criticized this light, but seriously, if you want a good light, then buy a dedicated flash light!! The built in LED light is adequate for a simple task, but it's not an "uber-lumen" light--I would suggest a Steamlight or Surefire light for a great LED light.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Full Of Features September 27, 2012

By Jason

Size Name:FRX3|Amazon Verified Purchase

I own the eton FR160 Microlink, and the Kaito KA350 Voyager. Both are great for bug-out bags or camping, but I was looking for something for my home preparedness kit, and thought I'd like something a bit larger, with more to offer than the other radios. I was prepared to purchase another Kaito, mainly because it allows you to use batteries as a 3rd power source. But then I saw the FRX3 and after hours of research between the Kaito, the eton FR600, FR360, Axis, and the FX3, looking up the manufacturer's manuals rather than reviews, I decided to go with the FRX3.

The main feature that clinched it for me wasn't really even advertised. I compared this to the eton FR600 and the Axis. The FRX3 does state in the manual that it dump-charges like the Axis (and it DOES), but it's not really advertised anywhere else. The styling looks a little nicer too than the AXIS. But the FRX3 supports solar charging, and the Axis does NOT. They're both the same price, but an extra power source is a definite plus, especially if it's "free". You CAN tune the FRX3 with the knob, or the up and down buttons, a nice feature I stumbled upon. It also supports 24 hour time, but it's not in the manual. Just press SET for the hour, again for the minutes, and again for the 12/24 hour. The unit charges through a window even on a slightly over cast day, so I can leave it in the window and not worry about the battery going dead from non-use, or having to keep it plugged in. Compared to the eton FR600, you give up the shortwave capability, and the date on the clock, but the FR600 does NOT support the dump charge, nor does it use the USB input to charge - a big sticking point for me - all I need is a USB AC Adapter, a mini USB cable and a micro USB cable, and I can charge my phones, 2-way radios, GPS, and almost anything else I need, including the FRX3. Nice, instead of everything having it's own cable.

The flashlight it a little weak (I couldn't find a lumens rating, but it's only the top 2 LEDs, I'm guessing 50 - less than a square lantern flashlight), but it's good as an emergency one until you find your main light. The red LED beacon is kinda goofy, but I guess it serves a purpose. Some do SOS, this ones does not.

This radio has everything you could want, except for the shortwave capability. Like I said, you can move to the FR600, but you loose the dump charge, which makes a big difference, and you can't use a USB cable to charge it. And it's $20 more.

The only downside I've found is that you can't turn the unit off. You get ON, or STANDBY, which leaves the clock on. I guess you'd need that for the SAME function, but I have a separate unit for that and would like to shut this off to save the battery. Otherwise, LOVE IT. If you're juggling a few, BUY THIS ONE.