Midland  ER310PRO Emergency Crank Radio

Overall, a well thought out product that has a few improvements over the prior ER 310 model. Now, do you need a weather radio that has a dog whistle for S&R parties?? Probably not, but in certain situations it could be a lifesaver. My basic requirements for an emergency weather radio were: good speaker system that you can actually understand what is being said, smallish size for portability, legible display with backlighting, and simple to use. This NOAA radio meets all those requirements, and more. It offers AM/FM radio, ability to scan all weather channels to find the one you need for the are you are in. Weight is just over a pound and will be used for RV travel to areas prone to severe weather. This model has a very large Li Ion battery, hand crank dynamo, and ability to charge via USB C cable. No power block is provided from Midland. Overall, for our use, traveling in a motorhome, this ticks all the boxes. This can be used for day hikes or backpacking if you don’t mind size and weight. There are smaller units, with less features that Ali work well. But, the ER310 Pro can be used in about any application you need. The only weak point that I can find on the unit is the antenna. I think you need to be fairly careful extending / closing it as other reviews indicate it is not overly robust. Midland does give a 3 year warty on this item. I am happy with the unit and would recommend it.

It’s a great little radio, about the length of my forearm. You can use the hand crank it to power it up, usually 5 minutes can give you 15 minutes or so of power, use the included usb to usb-c cord to charge it up, or use the solar on top of the radio to charge. You can even plug in a low voltage solar panel to power it up as well. AM radio works well, even tho there isn’t many stations to listen to, and there is also a NOAA weather channel, a Flashlight/SOS/Emergency siren on it, and a low emitting dog whistle on it. Where you charge it at, that has a rubber closure at, is also where the on/off switch to the unit. Makes sense, since you want to keep it protected with the corded power supply. It is a bit on the heavy side, and is rugged, and comes with a clip to attach to your backpack for solar power charging. It is $100 which can be a bit pricey, but I had some rewards saved from REI and was able to have half the unit paid for by those rewards.