ETON ARCFR150R Solar-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Microlink Radio - Red

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the FCC and EAS public alert systems. It has a flashlight with three LEDs on the its side, providing surprisingly bright illumination, about on the same level as my Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light (Titanium Silver/Black).

If you're looking for audio attributes on the level of Bose, JBL or Polk Audio speakers, this radio isn't for you... but the sound quality of this small radio is quite remarkable. Listened to a favorite "smooth jazz" station for awhile, switched to classical then to '80s rock, and was quite pleased all around.

A number of places list this radio as having the option of an optional AC adapter, but couldn't find anything definitive on this, so made email contact with Eton's Customer Support. Received a reply within hours, where they stated that at this time, they do not have AC adapters available for the FR150 Microlink or the FR500 Solarlink, but are expecting these items to be available in about 60 days. The support rep suggested:

1. Charge by using the USB port on the computer (this requires a cable that converts USB to mini-USB, available at your local electronics retailer). I did this with the same USB cable used for my digital camera.

2. Solar power: leave the FR150 Microlink in direct sunlight for about 6 hours.

3. Use the Dynamo Hand Crank of the side of your radio (crank time of 2 minutes equals radio play time of 20-30 minutes).

Should also note that there is a registration card with the instructions inside the box, and you can mail the card in for a free cell phone adapter tip. Personally found it faster to do the same thing online with Eton.

This is one of those products that is reasonable enough to want to have more than one for household and family emergencies. Must admit to liking Eton's emergency radio products. Part of this is due to happy prior ownership of an Eton FR400 Self-Powered Water-Resistant AM/FM Radio with NOAA and TV-VHF, which has proven itself. Should also say that this little radio, which is smaller and more practical than I originally thought, has quickly become a favorite. It's about 60% of the size of its predecessor, and small enough to fit in a jacket pocket for those outdoor excursions.

It's also available as American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger, in either red or white, and those versions include an American Red Cross disaster preparedness tips booklet that's well worth the read.

Whichever version you go with, it's a 5-star choice, without a doubt.

ETON ARCFR150R Solar-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Microlink Radio - Red

...

about on the same level as my Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light. This is also brighter than some of the predecessors from Eton.

If you're looking for audio attributes on the level of Bose, JBL or Polk Audio speakers, this radio isn't for you... but the sound quality of this small radio is quite remarkable. Listened to a favorite "smooth jazz" station for awhile, switched to classical then to '80s rock, and was quite pleased all around.

A number of places list this radio as having the option of an optional AC adapter, but couldn't find anything definitive on this, so made email contact with Eton's Customer Support. Received a reply within hours, where they stated that at this time, they do not have AC adapters available for the FR150 Microlink or the FR500 Solarlink, but are expecting these items to be available in about 60 days. The support rep suggested:

1. Charge by using the USB port on the computer (this requires a cable that converts USB to mini-USB, available at your local electronics retailer). I did this with the same USB cable used for my digital camera.

2. Solar power: leave the FR150 Microlink in direct sunlight for about 6 hours.

3. Use the Dynamo Hand Crank of the side of your radio (crank time: 2 minutes = radio play time: 20-30 minutes).

Should also note that there is a registration card with the instructions inside the box, and you can mail the card in for a free cell phone adapter tip. I found it faster to do the same thing online with Eton.

This is one of those products that is reasonable enough to want to have more than one for household and family emergencies. And speaking of emergencies, there's a simple but straightforward American Red Cross disaster preparedness tips booklet that's well worth the read.

Must admit to liking Eton's emergency radio products. Part of this is due to happy prior ownership of a Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator, which has proven itself. Should also say that this little radio, which is smaller and more practical than I originally thought, has quickly become a favorite. It's about 60% of the size of its predecessor, and small enough to fit in a jacket pocket for those outdoor excursions. It's also available in white if you prefer:
American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (White)

This one's a 5-star choice, without a doubt.

UPDATE: Already received the free cell phone adapter tip from Eton, just days after registering the ARC FR150 Microlink. Plugged the tip into the cord that came with the phone, then plugged the phone in and started cranking... and the phone indicated that it's being charged as I crank!

ETON ARCFR150R Solar-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Microlink Radio - Red

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to the play time, which, according to that same tech support person, is about 2 hours. He also warned me AGAINST 'charging it up' via the sun, and then 'cranking' to try and charge it more. So it seems that a high level of play time is only available via the, as yet unavailable, AC adapter. I was going to try and charge it via the USB port, but according to the manual, you have to leave your computer on for 8 hours! So I didn't even bother. This is supposed to be a radio for emergencies. During most emergencies...which generally means no electricity in your house...who would have 8 hours of computer battery time to charge it up? And even if you charged it up prior to (let's say) a typical "weather emergency", what would you do after the radio plays and then discharges on 'day one' of the emergency? During weather emergencies, it's usually pouring rain for SEVERAL days, so, you're unlikely to get direct, daily sunlight that, if available, could give you a whole 2 hours of play time. If your only other option is the crank, that means you'll get only about 20 minutes of play time from this radio. If this radio accepted batteries, it might have given you an additional, viable, power option during weather emergencies.