Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio (Red)
by Eton
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio (Red)
Customer Review: Has Several Significant Flaws
Summary: 3 Stars
While I am a fan of Etón portables -- not least because they frequently turn up at tiny fractions of their MSRPs -- I found the FR200 pretty disappointing for several significant reasons that are overlooked by most reviewers here.
First, it is not a true dynamo radio like the Baygen, but a battery-powered radio recharged by a dynamo. This would not be as significant an issue if there were not potential problems with battery longevity. There is no AC adapter included and the use of a generic adapter of the appropriate voltage but higher amperage apparently will result in over-charging and damaging the battery, according to the supplied documentation. The Etón AC adapter (only optionally available) is very low-current unit. The life of the battery pack is also limited by the number of charging cycles, so one may not use this unit routinely as a daily radio with the crank without reducing the life of the batteries for subsequent emergency use. The FR200 FAQ on the EtonCorp site somewhat evasively addresses this:
"The rechargeable battery/dynamo-crank system is best used purely for emergency use, but it's not explained well in the owner's manual...When the emergency use factor is understood, this product is excellent for that purpose."
So, as supplied, the only way this product should be routinely used is with the normal AA battery option.
The shortwave analog tuner is adequate at best, but will get strong signals if they are available, which they generally are not in most daytime hours in some seasons. Users who are not experienced with shortwave listening are usually shocked by the difficulty with which audible signals are typically obtained. Shortwave, usually dismissed as an obsolete technology, is often critical in disasters -- I was in a major earthquake in the US years ago and for many hours the only accurate information locally available was from the BBC on shortwave. More expensive Etón SW portables come with a retractable longwire antenna, something that can be approximated with the FR200 simply by clipping a very long wire to the telescoping antenna.
The emergency crank seems relatively sturdy, but was broken on the display model where I purchased mine, so caution is advised.
Etón portables are coated with a thin, rubbery goo for non-slip handling, but this tends to wear off fairly quickly, giving a somewhat mangy appearance.
The mechanical analog tuning is, as always on a small portable, imprecise and approximate -- especially with shortwave. The fine-tuning knob helps this situation a bit.
The AM/FM sound quality is quite pleasant and much richer than one would expect from a unit of this type.
Assembly, fit and alignment are crude compared to other Etón products, but are adequate.
An additional oddity is that the included cloth case has magnetic snaps, so be cautious in placing these next to credit cards or other critical magnetic media.
Customer Review: Fun Radio, But Not For Your Emergency Kit
Summary: 2 Stars
The Grundig FR200 (available in a rainbow of colors) is touted as THE emergency radio, primarily due to it's hand-crank power system. Never need batteries, always ready to play when you most need it. Put it in your emergency kit, and you'll be informed and entertained no matter what happens. (You DO have an emergency kit, right?). Also has a built-in flashlight, so you can read the labels on those stored cans of chili.
The problem with the FR200 is twofold - one is the reception on all bands is just barely adequate. The primary problem is the dial resolution. Trying to figure out what frequency you are tuned to (especially on shortwave and AM mediumwave) is difficult. Sensitivity to weak stations and selectivity (separating closely-spaced stations) is mediocre.
Then there is that hand-cranked dyanmo. You crank it and it charges a little internal battery. Two or three minutes of cranking that teeny little handle gives you about 30-40 minutes of playtime. It does work as advertised, but the cranking handle doesn't have the strongest feel to it, and a little too-hardy cranking will break it off. And there you are, in the middle of World War III or a volcano eruption, with no way to crank. And no way to know what's going on.
To be sure, the FR-200 is fun to play with, and as it's very lightweight, could serve as a camping radio/flashlight. Again, so long as you don't overdo the cranking.
But for true emergency use, it's not the best option. Batteries are relatively cheap, and last for years in storage. (I'm still using batteries I stored for Y2K with no problem.) Go down to Costco or Sam's Club and get a brick of AA batteries. Put them in your kit and make a note to yourself to swap them out every five years or so. (You do have that emergency kit, don't you?)
Then get an AM/FM radio with TV sound and weather band. Forget about shortwave - in a disaster like an earthquake or hurricane, Radio Havana isn't going to help you - you want local stations and TV sound. The Sony ICF-36 fits the bill perfectly. Sangean also makes a good model, the DT-210V.
Although the hand-crank-never-needs batteries sounds good, a better-performing radio and some stored batteries will save your bacon better than a broken crank handle.
I did ask you if you had an emergency kit, right?
Customer Review: 3 Years & Still Going Strong
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this (in brown) as a Christmas gift for weather emergencies; three years later it's still working great, with impressive radio life from minimal cranking. I live in a tornado-prone area and was delighted to receive this as a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. The radio reception is excellent in my area (South Central Wisconsin) and I easily get 45 minutes to an hour of reception with less than 60 seconds of cranking. It also holds a charge for long periods of inactivity -- I turned it on after 6 months of no use and immediately received a perfectly acceptable signal on our local NPR station, even without additional cranking.
A few months ago for "Earth Hour" I was fiddling with it on a lark to see if it really received shortwave. China Radio International and Radio Havana both came in quite well -- the same quality as I get on my Sony ICF-33W and Grundig YB400, when those radios are operated on battery power without an external antenna. I don't know that I'd buy this for shortwave radio specifically, but I was pleased nonetheless.
We will probably upgrade in order to receive the TV bands, which are not available with this model. The reason for this is that our "local" radio stations don't carry much weather info during tornado warnings so we really need access to the TV bands -- although I'm not sure if they'll still work when the stations go digital in 2009.
Overall this radio has exceeded my expectations and proved durable and long-lasting. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Perfect when the power is going to be out for awhile
Summary: 5 Stars
Even if you have radio with battery backup, it might not be enough to get you through several days without power (several hours may be more like it). Or you may end up stuck in your car or in another situation where you need a radio.
Think it can't happen to you? Think again. Plenty of homeowners have suffered power outages lasting for days when major transformers or generators blew or when an ice or snow storm shut down the electricity to major areas. So, yes, it could happen to you. Best to be prepared.
This radio will do the trick. You CAN buy more expensive models and (based on the reviews here) some people seem to have issues with quality. I'll say right up front that I found the FM reception to be a bit quirky but that was balanced by the perfectly fine AM reception as well as a flashlight, etc. Sound quality was fine on AM.
I'd suggest you think about WHY you'd want a radio like this before making the purchase. If you truly are buying it for emergencies, you'll be fine and it'll meet those needs. If you ALSO feel that it is necessary to have access to FM stations without sound interference, then maybe you won't want this. But in an emergency, consider the fact that you'll still get plenty of info from AM stations, have an emergency light (included on the radio), etc. In short, it ought to meet any basic purposes. It is also a fine travel or camping radio...again, depending on your needs.
Customer Review: I OWN THIS RADIO IT IS LIGHT SMALL AND VERY SENSITIVE
Summary: 5 Stars
THIS IS THE RADIO TO HAVE IN AN EMERGENCY.IT HAS A BUILT IN FLASHLIGHT.IT WORKS ON DOUBLE AA BATERIES OR RECHARGABLE BATTERIES,THAT GIVE 1 TO 2 HOURS OF USE VIA A HAND CRANK,THAT YOU TURN FOR LESS THAN ONE MINUTE.THE RADIO HAS GOOD TONE IS QUITE SENSITIVE FOR RECEIVING AM FM AND 8 BANDS OF SHORTWAVE RADIO.THIS UNIT HAS A`SEPERATE FINE TUNING KNOB TO MAKE IT EASIER TO TUNE STATIONS.THE SET ALSO COMES WITH A LEATHER POUCH TO STORE YOUR RADIO AWAY WHEN NOT IN USE.THIS IS A SET THAT IS OF HIGH QUALITY 5 STAR RECOMMENDED I OWN THIS RADIO...UPDATE 12/24/05...GRUNDIG UNDER THE ETON LABEL HAS SEVERELY,CHEAPENED THIS PRODUCT...IF YOU RECEIVE A UNIT IN A GREY AND BLACK INSIDE DOUBLE BOX,IT IS PURE CRAP...TINNY SOUND NO SENSITIVITY...TWO SAMPLES WERE LIKE THIS...THIS MAY BE WHY YOU MAY NOT LIKE THIS UNIT...I REGRET THAT THE COMPANY CHOSE TO TURN A GOOD PRODUCT INTO JUNK...WORTH NO MORE THAN 20 BUCKS...THANK YOU STEWART L. 12/24/05.update 01/03/06.I RECEIVED TWO REPLACMENT SAMPLES...THE SOUND IS STILL A LITTLE THIN,SOUNDING.THE RECEPTION IS FAIR TO GOOD..I WIOULD RATE THIS UNIT BASED ON 3 SAMPLES 3 1/2 TO 4.. IM SORRY I CANT CHANGE MY ORIGINAL SCORE...THANK YOU STEWART L.