Eton Hand-Crank Radio Provides Emergency Weather Alerts when Power is Out
OutdoorHub 08.31.12
One of the first problems most of us experience when a tropical storm comes visiting is power-outage. And without power, you have no TV, no Internet and no radio news. The rechargeable Eton FRX3 is a preparedness radio that solves the problem. It’s got AM/FM, all seven NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather band stations and the “Alert” system. When the “Alert” function is on, the radio will automatically broadcast emergency weather alerts for your area such as hurricanes, tornadoes and severe storms.
Here’s the cool part: Set the solar panel in the sun or spin the hand turbine for one minute and you get 10-15 minutes of radio and flashlight use. There are also AAA battery and DC power alternatives (mini-USB included).
The FRX3 also serves as a renewable power source for your other critical devices because of its USB smart phone charger. Simply plug in your phone into the USB port and power will automatically “dump charge” to your phone, just like plugging into the wall.
The radio has a glow-in-the-dark locater so you can find it easily at night plus a LED flashlight and red flashing beacon for emergencies. If you want more than just the radio, there’s an AUX-input to play your own tunes and a headphone output for individual listening.
It’s $59.95 from most sources; www.etoncorp.com.
