Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black)

by Eton

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0014SWPX2
• Item model number: FR500
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,441 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2004

Product Description

Color: Black

From the Manufacturer

When emergencies or outdoor adventures take you off the grid, you need a device that can fill multiple needs. The Etón 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 Etón 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.

Etón FR-500 Makes Your Presence Known
The Etón 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 Etón 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. Etón has designed the FR-500 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 Etón charging cord--available by returning the included card and specifying your phone's model.

Product Description

When your outdoor adventures take you off the grid, you need a device that can fill multiple needs. The American Red Cross FR500 is a compact unit that you can toss in your rucksack and take anywhere. It functions as an AM, FM, and shortwave radio with NOAA weatherband. 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mostly impressed, June 12, 2008

By 

I. Olson "whistlepig" (Laramie, WY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black) (Electronics)

We are pretty happy with our Solarlink and use it during power outages (our recent outage was 4 days in length), in the yard, and camping. I will break down the review by parts and attributes.
LED light: Quite bright
siren: Obnoxious, questionably useful
flashing LED: A single flashing red LED. Perhaps useful as a signal.
handcrank: Easy to use, has a green LED to indicate adequate cranking speed. Can crank in any direction.
reception: FM, AM, and NOAA station very good. SW is weak.
sound: Clear
weight: ~2 lbs., very light
LCD screen: Large easy to read numbers with backlighting option
clock: Easy to read and set (can read from across the room)
alarm: Clock radio, easy to set, has snooze button
power options: Very versatile. Solar, crank, 3 AA batteries, and AC. Does not come with DC power adapter, but can use a mini-USB charger (like the one on my cell phone) or a standard 5V DC connection. Many car cell phone chargers are also mini-USB
other connectors: Regular USB out for powering cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players. Two mini-HPJ's; one for earphones, one for audio-in (ie MP3 players).
Knobs: Inset knobs keep your settings steady when transporting.
owner manual: The Solarlink is fairly self explanatory which is good because the owners manual was not very useful. I would like a much more technical owners manual.

In short, we were looking for a radio that has many power options, NOAA stations, and is very portable. The Solarlink meets these requirements well. Probably not the radio of choice if you want SAME capability, good SW reception, or excellent stereo sound. Overall though we are very happy.

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pricey but it does it's job., May 21, 2008

By 

Marine5958 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black) (Electronics)

I bought this originally from urban outfitters. The signal reception for this radio is fairly sensitive outdoors but once indoors (I have a computer, halogen lights, and T.V.) I tested this radio and it seemed that weak stations like KPCC (the NPR station) don't get through. I live in S. California and one of the NOAA channels works. Indoors is probably this radio's only weakness (and the plastic crank, I got big hands). I tried to boost the signal while indoors by connecting an antenna with a signal booster (by binding the signal boosted antenna to the telescopic antenna of the FR500) and the clearer channels came through pretty well but the weak channels in FM were still silent (this is indoors still).

With the little gripe out of the way I just want to say that I loved this radio's slotted case (it comes apart in two halves). The manual told me not to open the machine but I couldn't help myself. I was curious as to whether this radio was moisture resistant. I found that most of the buttons I could see were slotted in a way that would probably resist a dip. I also saw a rubber covering that sealed the antenna fairly well. But this radio isn't meant to be submerged. It were to fall into a puddle chances are it would remain unscathed (except maybe the digital readout; that could be a problem, depending on how it fell). The speaker has to be open in order to have adequate sound so the water might affect it adversely (but people can always stick this radio in a ziplock bag/s; the solar panel works even when I put put it in a ziplock). But this little weak point could be reinforced with a little bit of caulk or water sealant(ones that don't corrode the plastic casing).

Please note that when opening this case (the manual warns you not to do so) be careful as to not let the top three buttons fall into the circuit boards below. It took me a while to shake out one of the buttons and I ended up pulling out a soldered wire but it was easy enough to solder back on. Also you need to get a 5v ac adapter (FR500 doesn't come with one) if you want to charge the battery at home or listen to it indoors.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of its Kind at Pesent, July 22, 2008

By 

WILLIAM MCLEAN "Your Big BANG!" (Medford, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Etón FR500 Solarlink (Black) (Electronics)

(What's this?)

I've spent the whole day and late into the night testing the Eton FR500 Solarlink and I am impressed. No, it is not comparable to my Grundig Sattelit 800 Millennium that now is considered a classic - and weighs 14lbs without batteries.

Grundig/Eton has united their minds to produce (or reinvent) a really decent quality emergency radio - the FR500 Solarlink. Housed in a sturdy, mar-resistant and water resistant case, this radio is well protected and easy to operate. Getting a weather report is as simple as turning the radio on and moving a knob a few clicks to find the closest emergency weather broadcast. It can also be setup to automatically turn on and play emergency weather broadcasts.

AM and FM reception, and local weather broadcast bands, are strong and clear as I would hope for. However, the shortwave setting does not meet my standards. but reception can be improved by stringing a long insulated wire from the telescoping antenna to an insulated and properly positioned object - like a tree or a strong shrub. A signal boosting antenna will improves all FM and shortwave radio reception. Anyway, this is an emergency radio and owners will be primarily interested in local weather alerts, local AM, FM, and all local emergency broadcasts. For these purposes, the Solarlink is more than adequate without adding improvements for the antenna system.

Also of importance is that the radio can be powered four different ways. The solar panel (built into the handle) will power the radio from sunshine only, and will even charge the Ni MH battery while playing the radio. The crank-able electric generator (dynamo) also charges the Ni MH batteries. However, unless the radio is plugged in via a 5-volt transformer, the radio should should have 3 AA Alkaline batteries installed. This is a good idea because rechargeable batteries go flat when not regularly recharged. Without the alkaline batteries, or sunshine during an emergency, you might be reduced to using the dynamo crank. The dynamo works, but is kind of tedious to use. However, a 5-Volt AC adapter (not included) will power the radio while it charges the NiMH battery so you will not need alkaline batteries. I know this works because I happened to have a 5-Volt transformer in my junk drawer. For the price of this radio, I do not actually understand why an AC adapter is not supplied. One can just leave it plugged-in and you would have all power requirements needed to immediately use when an emergency occurs - even without sunshine or alkaline batteries.

The digital clock appears to keep reasonably good time. I set it with my Atomic Clock, and 24 hours later it was correct within a few seconds.
It is also a full featured alarm clock with a five minute snooze. And it includes a time adjustable shutoff timer so that the radio can lull you to sleep and then turn itself off.

To set the clock, you hold down the time button on the face of the radio while you press hour and minute buttons just below the solar panel that doubles as a handle. A third button, under the handle, is for lighting up the display - handy when trying to check the time in the dark.

I don't use a cell phone, but the Solarlink is able to charge them with only power from the sun. To accomplish this, it is necessary to write, telephone, or contact Eton on the Web, and ask for the type of connection that is appropriate for your cell phone. Instruction on how to do this is enclosed with the unit. The appropriate adapter will be sent without charge. I use a PDA and an MP3 player. The FR500 is supposed to be able to charge these too. I haven't tested these features because I have other means of protection and use.

The LED flashlight works and is sufficient to find your way in the dark.

The siren is awful sounding and very loud. It should attract attention if you need to be rescued.

The emergency blinking red light (LED's) certainly could be useful, especially if your car is stalled or you are walking on a road or highway at night. Even if the batteries have only a fractiion of power, the FR500 LCD's will blink for many hours.

One could plug in an MP3 player to the FR500, but the radio plays in mono only - even when using stereo headphones. Yet, the speaker on the radio is pretty good and will allow a group to share both the emergency information and all the other features.

The rubber seals are supposed to make the radio resistant to water. I think I would walk in the rain with it, but I would try to keep it covered as much as possible. It should never be submerged. If you are worried about a little rain, you could enclose the whole radio into a zip lock bag.

I've had other emergency type radios, but they didn't come near matching the quality and functions of the FR500 Solarlink. Although it has shortcomings, I would confidently recommend this radio even to my best friends. In fact, I think it would make a great gift to anybody you really care about.

Just one more thing: This radio is also available with the American Red Cross logo. . . as if they manufactured it. Anyway, it is the same radio, selling at the same price. And since the American Red Cross endorses this radio, it suggests that they agree with my evaluation. I'm buying and making gifts of this radio to as many poverty stricken fiends as I can afford. Everyone in the world should own an FR500 Solarlink radio. "The times, they r a change-in."

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