|
Not a problem if you plan to use it plugged in or just for emergencies; but we've lived in a home with no electricity for 30+ years so this is an important feature. We now are happy with a Freeplay radio we ordered from amazon.com which plays several hours for much much less cranking than this one required per hour. We returned this Eton radio because it takes an unbelievable amount of cranking -- about 10 minutes per hour of use. Eton was fine in handling the exchange/return of product/money.
Basically the radio is just not durable - at least not the one that I received. It turns a little, then gets difficult to turn and you have to play with it to get it to turn further.PORTABILITY - This radio comes with a rather nice canvas bag with a shoulder strap, which I have not used but like. As another reviewer mentioned, this is a radio designed for things other than high quality sound. It also does not have the crank feature for power outages - but its not intended for that purpose.I'm going to get another radio for emergencies. My father has a Freeplay radio with a solar panel and crank and likes it but it is an older model and is not as portable (though he does take it outside and use it without a power cord). It is not great but not bad for the size and price of the radio. I cannot recommend it.SOUND QUALITY LOW - So far, I have only used it at the office.
A few winds and you can listen without a cord.If not for the design problems mentioned above, I actually would like this radio a lot. I would have expected it to break if I abused it or used it in harsh conditions, but that has not been the case; it hasn't seen that much use. I have since purchased another radio, Radiosophy (sp)., which I like very much so far (in fact, I like it so much, I use it at home). But I keep seeing Eton radios and the only other one I have found is Freeplay, which I will research next. Its a little too snug for the radio but is convenient and looks a little like Spock's tri-corder on the old Star Trek. But unfortunately, although it is small it is not as portable, which this one clearly is. I should add that I am still trying and researching these radios (radiosophy and freeplay respectively); so I can't say much else about them yet.If you want a portable radio and don't want to spend much, you can get this one (the FR400 or similar) and maybe your experience will be better than mine.
So for portability this radio is a good option (if its working).
For the relatively low price, I expected that the sound quality would not be that great (since its of course an emergency / portable radio).
(Think AM station quality and you'll have the right idea).ANTENNA BROKEN - What is more bothersome is that, even though it hasn't left my office and has only seen limited use, the antenna has already broken off.POWER CORD/ATTACHMENT - The power cuts out because the AC attachment won't stay connected properly (the charging light keeps cutting out until you adjust the cord, then it comes loose and the AC cuts out again.over and over).
POWER OUTAGE - The power crank and other buttons on the radio are well-designed and have certainly met my expectations.
Good luck to you.
Otherwise, you may want to search for a better radio and consider spending a little more.I'd write more but I see that the power cord is loose again.
I purchased this radio about year and a half ago to use on my desk at the office and in power outages.
TUNING DIAL - The tuning dial seems to be difficult to turn now, again even after just limited, indoor use.
It has HD and preset buttons (which this radio does not have, causing me to spend too much time turning the now failing tuning dial).
(Read my other reviews for my opinion of which ones are). It offers absolutely nothing in its design or performance over anything else I own to justify such an outrageous price. But so is "Midland" and their portable unit similar to this is more than $20 cheaper, and a whole lot more rugged as well. However for the price of it where I saw it, ($58) and the price they want it for it here, its as extremely overpriced as an AM FM weather radio can get.
Do yourself a favor and shop around. Whether you're interested in a radio for its AM or FM, or just for its weather, do not pay $60 for this unit. This is not the same Eton radio your father owned and not worth it. One of them is an Eton. My other Eton is a very capable radio but certainly not my best. It has a nice compact design and got fairly decent reception. I think Eton seems to sucker in a lot of buyers for their radios for they are one of the oldest and best known radio company's around.
There are far better choices for a lot less money. I own about 10 different weather radios of various prices, styles, and brands. This particular Eton I do not own, but was able to see and use up close in an electronics store. Take it from someone that owns a variety of such radios as this.
Audio quality is mediocre: it is it not a good radio for listening to music. There is a two-diode flashlight that provides a moderate amount of light and one red diode to serve as an emergency flasher. It runs on AC with the included adapter, runs for several hours on the built-in NiMH batteries as well as on replaceable AA cells and the hand crank generator is easy to use and provides substantial power with each vigorous cranking. I was able to receive all of them in the Chicago area. Voice is okay. Build quality is pretty high, perhaps surprisingly so for a unit of this price.
The radio receives AM, FM, TV channels 2 through 13 (audio only, of course) and 7 NOAA weather channels. Turn the switch the other way and you have an attention getting siren, though the audio isn't all that loud. That doesn't mean it can't be used everyday, as I do, but it does mean your expectations should be relatively low. You literally have to search for the station you want because the dial markings are imprecise.
Overall, this is a great radio to keep on hand for emergencies and for general use if your expectations aren't too high.Jerry There is also a nice carrying case. More often than not, you will have to adjust the radio's position, particularly on the AM band, to minimize noise and maximize signal. In fact, it really shouldn't be viewed as anything but a radio to be used during emergencies or for occasional portable use.
Everything sounds flat. But the FR-400 fulfills its promises. The reallocation of analog TV channels, by the way, means the TV channel tuning capability is now worthless. Just about all you could ask for in an emergency radio.
This is not a radio designed for the audiophile. Tuning is imprecise. There is a weather alert facility which I have never used.
The topper is that the cell phone charger failed to arrive before we left on a camping trip. As of this date, it is still conspicious by its absence.Grundig, where did your quality workmanship disappear. BIG BUMMER, all the way around. When it did work, the stations failed to come in clearly or distinct. From the other reviews it appears that I must have received a lemon, from the bottom of the basket.After the recommended A/C charging time, the radio played about 15 minutes. Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator (Red)Grundig was the TOP-OF-THE-LINE, in radios. After charging, a second time for 24 hours, it played about 1.5 hours before going stone dead. How much fun it was to be camping, during a rainstorm, with NO light, or radio.
|
