Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio by Eton
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Our Price: $99.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Speakers See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio
Digital camera Review: A Good Value but I'm Disappointed
Summary: 4 Stars
As an emergency radio, it works great. The "crank generator" is relatively easy to use, the case and controls are solid and the sound quality is very good. It is not the flimsy plastic emergency radio I have seen elsewhere.
However, I was looking for a radio with excellent AM reception. Grundig's reputation and reviews of other similar radios made by the same manufacturer (It is not made by Grundig) made me think this unit would meet my needs. Regrettably, the AM reception is no better than my cheap Walkman combo tape/radio. The frequency fade is average. It also doesn't have a jack to plug in an external antenna.
I didn't meet my needs, but it is a Good Value for its intended purpose.
Digital camera Review: A Must for your Emergency Preparedness Kit
Summary: 5 Stars
This little gem will light your way and keep you in touch with news sources in the outside world during power outages or camping trips. Small and lightweight it is very easy to crank for a few moments and enjoy the reward of light & radio. Great gift for family & friendsDigital camera Review: A Nifty Little Radio and Quite a Conversation Piece
Summary: 5 Stars
My need was simple- I like to go to bed to the news on the radio every night. Sounds odd I know, but since I was younger something about hearing the news or talk radio as I try to drift off into slumber always was good for me.
To go to bed to say the BBC or Radio Netherlands is even better. There has always been one problem, though- my trusty old Sangean shortwave does not have a sleep timer, and most of the high-end digitals are awfully expensive. So, this radio made complete sense to me. I simply work the crank for a minute or so before bed, tune to the right station and slowly drift off into slumber. The reception is quite good and I like the fine-tuning option. I may not get some of the more hard-to-find stations, but for a basic shortwave radio that picks up all the big broadcasts (BBC, Radio Netherlands, Radio Habana, Radio Taipei, Radio Sweden, etc), this works wonderfully.
It's an interesting looking radio too! WIth its rugged, grey, army-esque design that has cool looking knobs, nice litle crank and a big, telescopic antenna, I feel like I should be taking it up the river with me in 'Nam and checking the trees for "Charlie." When people come over and see the radio, they always inquire as to exactly what it is. No matter how far-fetched the story is that I tell them, they buy it! That's a testament to how interesting this little machine is!
The radio comes in a great carrying case and the literature provided by Grundig is actually quite helpful.
So whether you are looking for a nice little portable shortwave, or something that is healthier than sleeping pills to help you sleep, the Grundig FR 200 is a solid investment.
Digital camera Review: A Powerful Radio In A Small Package
Summary: 5 Stars
Here's a little tip on how you can "recharge" the Ni-MH/Ni-Cd batteries without having to turn the handcrank. If you have a cordless phone, check to see if the plastic connector on it's Ni-MH/Ni-Cd battery matches the battery in your Grundig FR 200. If it does, plug it in and let it charge overnight, it will fully recharge the battery and last for weeks.
The Grundig FR 200 is a powerful little radio, I judge radios by their ability to pickup out of town stations on the AM Band. And this radio passes the test with flying colors.
Digital camera Review: A decent emergency wind-up radio, albeit a bit dated
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the Grundig FR-200. It's decent, but I do have some nits.
THE GOOD:
* Sound quality: Although mono, it's adequate.
* Battery life: The unit uses three AA batteries, plus a small plasti-sealed NiCad pack (about the size of an olive) for the recharge crank. I've been able to run the radio for an hour or two each day, for several weeks, before having to change the AA's. {BTW, I use Tenergy 2600 miliamphr NiMHi AA's in this, and they work great}. I rarely use the crank-driven NiCad, but it's runtime is rather modest - a full minute of cranking yeilds 45-60 mins of listening ... at a very modest volume.
* Portability is good.
THE MEDIOCRE:
* TUNING: {minus 1 star) The pre-printed plastic frequency indicator on mine is poorly aligned to the unit's actual frequencies, so unless you happen to recognize the voice of a familiar DJ, or stumble past while a given station is doing station identification, chances are good that you'll be as much as +/- 15% away from the indicated AF/FM frequency ... and you'll get no help at all on most of the other bands. I'd happily have paid 2-3x as much for a comparable radio with a digital tuner and a minimal LCD readout ... with only a modest impact to total battery runtime.
* CHARGING: (minus 1 star) The smallish handcrank generator is clumsy to use, and having to spend 1 second out of every 45-60 cranking like a crazed chimp, charging a dinky little NiCad mini-cell, is irritating. I would have liked an additional feature that'd allow you to directly charge instead the three AA's via a built-in smart charger connected to a universal power input ... thus enabling recharging (or direct play) from things like you're car's cigarette lighter, a portable generator, a PC, a portable roll-up solar pad, etc. I'm pretty sure there are newer versions of this sort of radio that have a larger & more ergonomic crank mounted to the rear, as well as solar recharge capability/compatibility. This model, as of this writing, has fallen behind the latest technology trends.
All in all, it's still handy, and recommendable ... but there are newer and better choices available out there.
(Note: I've reposted this review because the other product AISN number it was attached to expired.)