Customer Reviews

Freeplay EyeMax Weather Band Radio - Yellow

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since 9/11 and Katrina, quite a few people have been reminded that it is a good idea to be prepared. And so a fair number of emergency radio devices have appeared on the market to satisfy the increased demand.

Most of them are crap.

This one is not.

We had a different radio in our emergency kit when a storm took out our power for a couple of days. I became disgusted with it pretty fast. The sound was fuzzy, the radio was hard to tune from channel to channel, the crank was awkward to use and the radio only stayed charged for a few minutes at a time. Additionally the crank mechanism began to wobble and felt like it would break soon. After 3 hours of use, that other radio felt like it was going to kick the bucket any minute.

A little thought reminds one that all this cranking creates lot of torque, which flexes and strains the device in ways that normal consumer electronics never have to deal with. So, if you're looking at a crank-type radio, think much about how strong the device feels. If it feels light and cheap, it probably won't last long under the forces of being cranked up every hour (or less!). If you don't think it could survive being dropped down the stairs, it's probably not tough enough to be cranked on repeatedly.

I've since replaced that junky emergency radio with this Freeplay device. And what a difference! It's S O L I D, durable, and well made - as it should be. But this is not surprising coming from a company who makes products like this for third world countries where they will be used every day. The radio is easy to tune and the markings on the tuner are easy to read. The sound is sharp and clear - and the radio will go an hour after only a few minutes cranking on the solid crank handle - which you can turn in either direction by the way. It's comfortable in the hand. A light lets you know if you are cranking fast enough for optimal charging. When you're done cranking, the handle tucks neatly into a depression in the radio body.

FM and AM reception are pretty good, but perhaps not as great as you get from a digitally tuned radio. The antenna retracts into the body of the radio; you won't have to worry about it snagging on things or getting broken off. There is an earphone jack, though no earphones are included (it will work with any standard minijack earphone). An AC adapter is included, so you can keep the device charged. There is no provision for using it to charge external devices (like a cellphone).

There's also a flashlight. It can be confusing until you know the trick - just press on the light itself to turn it on or off. It's not the brightest light in the world but it's enough to get you around when it's dark - and during a power failure you find out just how dark it can get!

There's no tuning indicator for the weather radio, but it's not needed since there's usually only one channel per area. You just tune till the voice is loudest.

When the chips are down, you want stuff you can depend on in your emergency bag. You can depend on this device. All in all, I am greatly pleased with this radio/flashlight. Having looked at most of the others available right now, I think it is the best in its class, standing head and shoulders above the others.

A final note: when critical infrastructure is down, it's usually a pretty extraordinary situation, and no one seems to know when services will be working again. So you're listening mainly to find out other things - where the shelters have been set up, which stores are still serving customers, phone-in shows where people ask for or offer neighbor to neighbor help, and so on. It's still good to hear from all the other folks trapped in the same situation. Finally your lights come back on, and you tuck away the emergency radio for next time. And there *will* be a next time!

I upgraded from my previous Freeplay model because the old unit was the size and weight of a tank. I checked out all the Eton models (and a bunch of off brand ones not worth mentioning) before buying this one. I can attest that the Freeplay brand (any model) has the best handcrank mechanisms on the market. Much more solid and better engineered - for example you can crank in either direction and the unit even tells you how fast to crank for optimal charge. The Eton's felt quite fragile in my opinion. And since the radio is for emergency use when you migth be a tad excited (I happen to be in earthquake country), a solid and forgiving charging mechanism is for me most important.

The light works well and the radio can actually be held like a flashlight. Not true with Etons. I still keep other flashlights at the ready but it's good to have as backup.

Alas, Eton can charge my cell phone, and this Freeplay unit can't, so Eton scores one.

An oddity with this radio is how you tune the weather band - it's not part of the AM/FM band, but rather on the back. Weird, but usuable. Unfortunately, the reception for the weather band is a bit spotty; better on some days than others, which may or may not be the fault of the radio.

The antenna is much smaller than my previous Freeplay, so less likely to be broken off. I actually don't need the antenna extended anyway; the radio circuitry is that good.

The solar charger will be tested this summer when I bring the unit camping to keep up with baseball. During off season I keep the unit plugged in over my workbench so its always fully charged. The charging mechanism is smart enough to shut itself off when completed.

Here's another thing to look out for - thie Freeplay unit comes with its own AC adaptor. Many Eton models don't, so if you want an AC adaptor - and who wouldn't - add another $10 to the price of the Eton and then add shipping, but only if you can find a place where the adaptors are stocked.

Yup, the Freeplay is more expensive than the Etons but worth every penny. And I like the yellow - it's hard to misplace.

I think very highly of the quality craftsmanship as well as the technological achievements present in this emergency AM/FM radio. It has the most efficient crank mechanism on the market and comes complete with an AC/DC adapter charger, a telescoping antenna, a large and good quality speaker, a single and bright LED flashlight, a separate LED for indicating the optimal charging crank-rate (that also makes a decent night-light and also shows that external AC power is being supplied to the unit) as well as a solar panel for both charging the internal batteries and also providing sufficient power to still operate the radio normally. The crank operates equally well using either a clockwise (cw) or a ccw rotation too so even if you forget, you can't damage it by turning the crank the wrong way! As advertised, 30 seconds of cranking gives 35 minutes of medium volume listening (or 25 minutes of loud volume levels) and the listening time increases proportionally if you crank it even longer.

The system is totally analog, lacks shortwave and aircraft as well as TV bands. but is nonetheless quite useful as well as readily affordable if you wait for a sale. Freeplay also makes a much more expensive digital model with shortwave bands as well, but it is very hard to build all these as quality features including a digital PLL (Phase locked loop) synthesized radio for a reasonable price that people will also buy. My advice is too stick with a much simpler, quality made device that you know will work reliably in a pinch when it is really needed. One really nice feature for example is that the FM/Weatherband antenna can be simply stored in the radio when not being used, but when it is needed it can easily be fully extended. This also greatly reduces the chances of it being broken off inadvertently in an emergency situation in my opinion.

The analog vernier dial is very easy to tune for both AM/FM and allows an extra large amount of turning to easily and precisely tune the am/fm bands. The separate Weatherband stations (operated and maintained for the U.S. Department of Commerce by NOAA- The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration at a very small output power level of only 50 watts and thus with quite a limited broadcast range) are not tuned using individual crystal-controlled frequencies, but instead must be tuned by hand with an analog dial. The small black weatherband dial is tuned separately from both am and fm frequencies on the back of the unit and is controlled using a separate on/off button (All 7 NOAA weather frequencies are available with very good volume levels unlike some of the smaller portable devices out in the marketplace). When the weatherband button is set to off the radio reverts to the last available band on either am or fm. The volume control on the side controls all available bands. It also has a jack for a earphone/headphone during quiet times. Finally the provided charger can also be left plugged in indefinitely because after the first 24 hours of preconditioning the battery pack (sealed internal Nickel Metal Hydride batteries), it will continue to keep them fully charged until the advent of an emergency by trickle charging (by applying only very small amounts of current). In the meantime you can feel completely free to use it as an everyday quality and very enjoyable listening device. Most of all I like how totally reliable and redundant the many independent systems are on this radio.

For camping and roughing it, it would have been better if Freeplay had provided a carrying strap for the radio (to attach to the provided eyelet) just for something to grab quickly, but for general household emergency purposes it is just fine. Of course you can always add your own strap if you feel that you require it for camping, etc. In a real emergency however you will be very glad to have purchased this quality instrument in my opinion.

Finally I intend to buy several more of these units for my immediate and extended family members who really need this device.

A fantastic radio at a moderate price. I gave it four stars because you can feel and hear the quality. The handle and mechanism seem very sturdy, and the casing seems very solid too. Though the speaker is small but its loud enough for a pretty big room, but not loud for working at a good distance outside.
My one complaint is you cant use the light to see the radio tuner but I suppose this is a mild inconvenience. The solar panel works pretty good I let it charge in my east window for 12hrs on a cloudy day and got 2.5 hrs listing at max volume. So all and all a good personal radio, and a lot cheaper than a Tivoli.

I LOVE my Freeplay radio. The radio picks up a lot of stations and they come in very clearly. I especially like the weather band when there's threatening weather. I like to use the radio in the yard because I can carry it with me as I move around instead of having a radio blasting from the back porch so I can hear it at the back of the yard. I'm sure my neighbors appreciate that. I like the fact that you can use the crank or plug it in to charge. I wish I'd had this when the power was out for four days last winter. I'm not sure what the case is made of, but it feels like rubberized plastic, so it won't slip out of your hand even if it's wet. Four stars because the light on the radio doesn't stay charged even for a few minutes. They might as well not have even included it.

I live in st. louis Missouri and can listen to 1200 WOAI San Antonio, Texas and 850 KOA Denver at night. I keep it in my bed room window to keep it changed.

I have there Freecharge 12V to charge up my cell phone

Absolutely the best weather radio I've found! Was essential when we were without electricity for 2 weeks... always knew what to expect when the weather turned bad. Crank handle works very well!

This emergency radio, as we call it, is a comfort to have during Hurricane season, though my husband uses it year-round. (I joke with him about that.) You just never know when, with power out, we need to rely soley on radio for very important information. Other than gas in the car, cell phone chargers...this will be our connection in case of a disaster, natural or otherwise. Feels good to be prepared.