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Hand cranked radio recommendations

4K views 30 replies 17 participants last post by  K1500 
#1 ·
Title pretty much says it all. I've seen recommendations to get one, and I have no idea where to start. But, at the same time, I have to wonder if it is really necessary. So, comments are welcome.
 
#2 ·
A basic cheap model should do you fine. I would look for one with option to charge other devices like cell phones and such too. A hand crank rechargeable LED flashlight might be a good option to have also.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I'd reccomend a 12 volt folding solar panel. The crank radio chargers need to be cranked continously to charge. The folding solar can charge several usb devices. A 12v model can be paired with any compatible device like aa/aaa battery chargers from nitecore. I use a 40 watt suakoi model to charge a battery powered ham radio. At the same time I charge aa/aaa batteries for lights, tough book lap top for ham radio enabled email. Regardless get a short wave radio that can receive ham bands in addition to regular am fm broad casts.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Sunlight is unreliable for numerous times of the year, that is why having a hand cranked option is not a bad idea. BTW, they do not have to be cranked continuously to charge, they just need to be cranked until the rechargeable cells (think the use Ni-Cads) in them are full, then they are good to go for a bit. Depends on how big a set up you need to charge. If all you need is a basic, small AM/FM set then the hand crank is good to go. You can always buy the solar set up as an addition. If the event brings down the power grid long enough I doubt the internet will be functioning, hence no need for a laptop or other computer equipment.

Technically, I don't have to worry about power, I have a 20KW back up generator set up at my home that goes on within 30 seconds of a power failure. Several times so far everyone in the area was in the dark but I had lights, heating, etc.
 
#10 ·
Sunlight is unreliable for numerous times of the year, that is why having a hand cranked option is not a bad idea. BTW, they do not have to be cranked continuously to charge, they just need to be cranked until the rechargeable cells (think the use Ni-Cads) in them are full, then they are good to go for a bit. Depends on how big a set up you need to charge. If all you need is a basic, small AM/FM set then the hand crank is good to go. You can always buy the solar set up as an addition. If the event brings down the power grid long enough I doubt the internet will be functioning, hence no need for a laptop or other computer equipment.

Technically, I don't have to worry about power, I have a 20KW back up generator set up at my home that goes on within 30 seconds of a power failure. Several times so far everyone in the area was in the dark but I had lights, heating, etc.
Let me make my pitch to you based on my plan. I have downloaded ALOT of .pdf files on a small tablet that has no cell chip, only wifi. Maps, books, manuals etc. All I need is some juice to the device and I can read the Merck manual or other medical manuals.
 
#7 ·
I am guessing that a radio might be a good thing.

But I am also thinking that a radio is not going to tell me a lot of things that I do not already know. Now it is a given that this is for when things are really bad. As an early warning system, the radio is a great resource.

It is all about perspective.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I have had one that the crank came off three times, its ridiculous. It has solar and battery, but the crank is a major minus spot report. I was glad to see the eton scorpion get good reviews. I carry one on my GHB. I am keep the on in my INCH bag in the house and replace it with an Eton.
 
#9 ·
I have a little techsun $20 shortwave that fits in my pocket. It has been run multiple hours per day in a single set of AA batteries for nearly a year. I have no idea how t is doing it, but at this rate a 20 pack of Duracell AA's would be nearly a lifetime supply. Just something to think about, as the crank seems to me to be prone to failure.
 
#11 ·
Believe it or not..... I still have the crystal radio that I built as a boy scout 40+ yrs ago....and it still works. It picks up just about every AM station around. I have an antenna wire running off the deck about 20 ft into the woods.

No batteries, no crank, no solar power required.

You old timers know what I'm talking about.

You youngsters can look it up....
 
#12 ·
My problem with the hand crank radios is that eventually the battery goes bad and it could be not easy to replace. If you even can replace the battery. I have owned several and they all worked OK. But after letting them sit for a long time the battery pack goes bad. So now you have to figure out something to replace the battery with.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I bought an Eton FRX on Amazon for $53 (Close out and on sale). It charges pretty rapidly with the hand crank as I sat for about 10-15 mins cranking it like a fidget spinner. It registered at the 1/4 charge after that. I then set it outside in the sun for the rest of the afternoon. I retrieved it that evening and it was fully charged. It has a spot light and room light and the typical radio channels.all of the controls are recessed to help prevent them from being activated or damages while in a pack or box. (The problem with my previous radio). A decent piece of kit for the money.
 
#15 ·
A 12volt solar panel, with a bicycle alternator backup. I'm thinking a shortwave radio, cb radio, am/fm radio. CD player something to drink by music. But remember to listen if you talk someone bad may track you down.
 
#16 ·
I have a little Marathon ETFR AM/FM/SW radio powered by 2xAA. It will run for 150 hours on these. Rather than getting a crank radio you would be better served with something similar and having a solar battery charger.

This particular Marathon radio isn't available anymore, but there are other choices out there.
 
#19 ·
I have a cheap crank radio, with a small solar panel on it. The solar charging works better than the crank. If I leave it in the sun for awhile it will run for hours. If I crank it for an hour it will only run a few mins.

You'd be better off getting a solar charging setup for a car battery and an inverter, or even a solar battery pack for a cell phone. You can charge alot of things off a USB port. A handheld ham radio with fm rx capability is better than most of the little crank radios.
 
#20 · (Edited)
There are many choices for portable solar.

Budget folding solar I like the 12 volt / usb charging unit by Suaoki. I got the 40 watt version to keep my ham batteries charged. Its small and powerful but the panels are fairly rigid. Also use a Nitecore battery charger for charging flash light batteries, aaa, aa, c, d, 14650, rcr 123, etc.

I also recently purchased (3) 12 watt Powerfilm units off Amazon. I choose this route over a dedicated 30 watt madel because it was cheaper and I could separate them to accomplish different tasks if necessary or barter if push comes to shove. These are very flexible and can take small arms fire and still produce power.

Charge Controllers: Budget get a Morning Star Sun Guard 4.5A 12V for less than $30.00 Its a great charger that's potted with epoxy 100% water proof combined with some weather pack connectors. Its PWM so slightly less efficient than a MPPT charger.

For higher quality get a Genasun 5 amp model for your battery type. They are MPPT for around $75.00 (lead acid model) and add your choice of connectors.
 
#24 ·
I have a pretty tough hand crank 3 band radio/flashlight/compass/clock that has a solar panel built into it and can be charged from 110 and 12vdc sources. My kid plays with it all the time all she has been able to break so far is the spring loaded attachment hook and has bent the antenna a few times.

I suppose if I were to grab a radio in a disaster it would be one of my ham’s though. Can get NOAA information and communicate with others.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Each of us must make our own decisions as to disaster preparations... and respect those decisions of others.

Just today I received an email about materials (lotions, etc.) that might be used to counter the effects of a chemical weapons attack.

I not quite a believer in a hand-crank or solar radio being truly critical to survival. Yes, it might provide valuable information and answers to uncertainties in some conceivable situations ... I totally get this. But critical to absolute survival? ... I'll stay with food, water, self defense, shelter, and possibly transportation as being my priorities.

But total respect for those who add hand-crank and/or solar radio gear to their survival equipment. Never go against your own instincts. If your instincts tell you that something might be critical for your circumstances, by all means, get it! And then test it. Periodically if it is a type of device that can fail with age.

Personal circumstances and location can significantly affect these types of decisions.
 
#27 ·
stevemaurey,

Most public service radio stations will have some source of back up power. That being said their back up source could last hours, days, weeks or months depending on what they have. Do yourself a favor and get a all band receive shortwave radio with side band mode. This will allow you to receive a wide variety of broadcasts including Ham radio HF bands. The Ham community is centered around disaster preparedness. A properly designed emergency ham station can be operate perpetually with a simple 12v battery and solar panel. Batteries can be scavenged, repurposed, they can be built into a 12 volt pack by running series circuits etc. etc. antennas can be built from scratch using all kinds of items 99% licensed ham operator know these fundamentals. Long term the likely hood of a commercial station being on the air is slim due to complexity but the likelihood of ham stations being on the air long term is very good.

One cannot make educated decisions without information. I have seen first hand how ham radio can be a game changer in a disaster (Harvey). In my opinion just as much as that new fancy 1911 or AR15 or PVS14....
 
#28 ·
^^^^

Good commentary.

Ham radio is a considerably upgraded capability, and importantly a two-way capability, in comparison to an ordinary hand-crank or solar powered radio.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Most of the radios in this class feature AM/FM and Weather band, the latter function being worthless to me since any extreme conditions are going to be all over the regular radio stations anyway. With that in mind, I set out to find a weather radio that offered shortwave receiver in place of the weather band and found the Kaito V1B Voyager

AM/FM/SW? Check
Hand crank? Check
Solar? Check
LED Flashlight? Check
USB outlet to recharge your stuff and things? Check
Compact/portable? Check

They make several more deluxe models, but you really can't go wrong at $25. It's an awesome little unit that will literally fit in the pocket of your cargo pants, let alone a get-out-of-whoville kit.
 
#31 ·
To get a small taste of ham, go to radio reference or download a scanner app. The local repeaters in so cal during the latest fires have been running a net with tons of information. Granted, a repeater based net won't last forever without power, but listening gives you a taste of what ham is capable of.
 
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