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Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio

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Perfect for use during a crisis to receive emergency broadcasts, the hand- and solar-powered Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross radio also charges your cell phone/MP3 player and lights your path.

Offers full-time power via built-in solar panel on top or hand crank on face; can even be used without batteries on hand-crank power alone
Charger breathes life into most brands of cell phone batteries and MP3 players with USB adapter (not included)
Internal rechargeable NiMH battery pack stores power generated from solar panel, hand crank or AC adapter, sold separately
In addition to solar power, hand-crank power, rechargeable battery power and optional AC power, unit can also be powered from 3 AA batteries, sold separately
Tunes in all 7 NOAA weather radio channels and features an ''Alert'' function to keep you abreast of significant weather changes
S.A.M.E. technology offers location-specific weather alerts
Also picks up AM, FM and shortwave radio signals (5800 - 12200 KHz)
Telescoping antenna picks up FM, NOAA and shortwave reception; internal antenna receives AM reception
Tuning knob and digital display offer smooth dialing to zero in on finicky signals; full range monophonic front speaker delivers clear sound reproduction
5 LED lights (4 white, 1 red) on side provide emergency lighting and feature a flash mode for use as an emergency beacon
Emergency siren provides audible distress call
12-hour digital clock has alarm, snooze and sleep timer
Jacks for 3.5mm headphone input, cell phone/MP3 charger, auxilary-in and DC-in have rubber gaskets to help seal out moisture
Comes with owner's manual

Imported.

Item 789661

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Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio

1.8

(based on 5 reviews)

20%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Cons

Not durable (4)

Best Uses

- Reviewer Profile:
- Tech savvy (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (4)

REVIEWS

Reviewed by 5 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-5

Aug

2010

(8 of 11 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

All Style, Not for Emergencies

By Orvalle

from Saint Paul, MN

About Me Practical, Tech Savvy

See all my reviews

Pros

Attractive Styling
Good Feature Set

Cons

Cheaply Made
Eats Batteries
Not Durable

Best Uses

Comments about Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio:

The features are excellent and, when working the radio has good sound and works well. The problem is that is poor engineering and implementation.

This was my second Eton radio and I've come to realize they have great ideas but no idea on what will actually be needed in an emergency, especially if caught in a storm or other "less than ideal" circumstances. I will NEVER buy another.

Specific issues:

Batteries

For an emergency radio, I would not rely on this radio since it uses 3 AA (both alkaline and rechargeable) and burns through them quickly (5-10 hours for alkaline, 5-10 minutes on hand crank). Performance even worse in hot weather.

Construction

The case scratches and collects dirt too easily. It also isn't water resistant. The knobs are loose fitting and feel like they'll break off in heavy use. Turning on/off and changing stations has strange 2-3 second delay probably due to overly complex electronics.

Secondary Features

Beyond the primary radio features, the "flashlight" is amusing but not of great use. Less useful are the flashing red LED warning or "siren" that's little more than an electronic alarm (clock) noise. Given the speed at which it uses batteries it's hard to believe you would use it to power a cell phone.

Apr

2011

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

save your money

By volleybob

from colorado

About Me Tech Savvy

See all my reviews

Pros

Lots of features

Cons

Cheap construction
Not Durable

Best Uses

Sitting on a shelf

Comments about Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio:

lots of great features, but very poor/cheap construction. do not think it would last very long if you needed to bug out. not just because of the lack of durability, but also because of the weak battery. it would be nice if you could fine tune the AM tuner. (like 850.5) too expensive.

Jan

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great Radio

By TysonJK

from Las Vegas, NV

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Easy To Setup
Good Sound

Cons

Best Uses

Basic Systems

Comments about Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio:

I bought this at a garage sale. The person returned it because they didn't like the knobs. The knobs are not very well marked, but it doesn't take long to figure out how to use them. We used the radio 24/7 for 3 days. The solar works very well in the daytime. The batteries lasted us all 3 evenings without problem. The solar battery and the hand crank don't work very well, but we are going to replace the solar battery. With the hand crank, I can't get more than about 20 seconds of play, but I think it is because the rechargable solar battery is not good. We plugged in our Ipod and listened to music our whole trip. It is a great unit, and it is very light weight even with batteries in.

Oct

2011

1.0

Not impressed

By Hiker 31

from Lebanon, OR

About Me Tech Savvy

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Complicated Controls
Not Durable
Poor Reception

Best Uses

Comments about Eton Solarlink FR600 American Red Cross Multi-Purpose Radio:

It seems a bit flimsy the dials do not instill confidence and I can't figure out how to keep the time and date from resetting. Rechargable battery seems to hold a charge for only a few minutes. I've only gotten the solar to work if I point it directly at the sun and won't power the radio otherwise.