- Emergency Hand-Crank Power Generator.
- Built-in Cell Phone Charger, Flashlight, and Emergency Siren.
- Rechargeable battery pack provides reliable, renewable, internal power for everyday use Uses 3 AA batteries or AC adapter(not included).
- Stereo Headphone Jack.
- Built-in Cell Phone Charger, Flashlight, and Emergency Siren;AM/FM/NOAA.
Product Description
-------------------
This all-in-one unit offers functionality and
versatility that makes it ideal for emergencies. The FR300
provides you with radio, light, and cell phone battery life when
you need it most. The Hand-Crank Power Generator charges the
internal rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack and just 90 seconds of
cranking provides up to an hour of radio play. With the NOAA
Weather Channels, find forecasts when you're away from the set.
.com
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With a dependable hand-crank power generator that powers
the unit's AM/FM/TV/Weather radio, built-in LED flashlight, cell
phone charger and emergency siren, the lightweight and portable
Etón FR300 is an excellent and economical choice for anyone in
the market for a radio that can be relied on in emergencies or in
environments where there are limited power sources.
If you want a water-resistant radio, check out the FR 400.
Power When You Need It
At the heart of all of Etón's emergency radios, including the
FR300, is an internal generator that recharges the internal Ni-MH
battery pack and powers the radio, siren, and light. Also, by
plugging your cell phone into the jack on the back of the radio,
you can use the crank to power your phone. In our test, after
draining our cell phone of power, we recharged it using the FR300
enough to make a few calls. The rate of cell phone recharging
will vary greatly depending on the cell phone and the state of
its battery, but the FR300 can provide your compatible p! hone
with power in a pinch.
Important Note: Until this year, Etón provided a package of
several different cell phone adapter tips with every radio. In
2007, Etón began instead including a coupon for a free adapter
for whatever phone you have. So, the first thing you want to do
when you get the radio is fill out the card with your cell
phone's make and model and send it in to make sure you have your
adapter.
According to the product manual, to achieve 40 to 60 minutes of
uninterrupted power to the radio, you must turn the crank at a
rate of two revolutions per second for 90 seconds. In our test,
after our initial 90 seconds of rigorous cranking, the FR300
powered right up and was still going strong with radio reception
after an hour. At the hour mark, we briefly turned the flashlight
on, and that too was at full force, with no perceivable drain on
radio reception. In fact, the FR300 was still going strong over
75 minutes after we recharged t! he battery pack. The FR300 can
also be powered via an AC adapt! er which , to our dismay, is not
included, or from three AA batteries, also not included. The
dynamo crank tucks itself nicely into the side of the radio and
offers little resistance as you turn the handle. (Don't let the
cranking requirements frighten you! While it's true that a full
90 seconds of turning the crank can be tiring and may not be for
everyone, we were able to recharge the radio with less than a
minute of cranking and achieved over 40 minutes of continuous
power.)
Design and Controls
At slightly more than a pound in weight, and with dimensions of
6.5 x 6.00 x 2.5 inches (WxHxD), the FR300 is made to be tucked
neatly into its handy nylon carrying case, and stored in an
emergency box, or packed neatly for a camping trip. A white LED
light is set on the front of the radio, just to the side of the
analog tuner. The light is designed to help you down an unlit
stairwell or enclosed hallway in a pinch, but it is not directed
or strong enough to help you much in a pitch-black forest or
other open area. The FR300 also includes a red flash! ing LED
light that can be used as a distress signal. The radio and light
can be operated simultaneously, though of course at the expense
of power.
The FR300 includes a handy strap on the top of the radio for
easy carrying, and the tuning and volume knobs are set to the
side. The mechanical controls are extremely visible and easy to
use. The volume control is a bit difficult to finesse, while the
tuning knob, which features a smaller concentric fine-tuning
control knob, is much easier. An earphone jack is set into the
back, and the telescoping antenna tucks neatly behind the handle
strap. The radio's 2.5-inch speaker is set directly in front and
offers reasonable audio quality and surprising power for the
radio's purpose. The tuner itself is self-illuminated, though in
a darkened environment it is still difficult to pick out the
bands.
Tuning and Bands
The FR300 offers AM/FM reception as well as 7 NOAA weather
channels and a weather alert, and TV-VHF audio reception for
channels 2 - 13. As was the case with all of the Etón emergency
radios we tested, our AM reception was outstanding; we were
quickly able to tune into every station we searched for.
Reception for FM was also very good, though there was some extra
fine-tuning on some of the stations. Because weather broadcasts
are based on VHF, line-of- channels, and because we are
slightly out of range of the nearest weather transmitter in our
region, we were not able to test the weat! her reception of the
FR300. Television reception, happily, was quite another story.
Though some channels took some finessing of the tuner before we
were able to hone in on a strong signal, most of the reception
was loud and clear. In fact, we listened to the first half of the
Academy Awards while preparing dinner, so we didn't miss a single
presentation.
It became clear during our testing that the FR300 is an
emergency radio with several outstanding and potentially
life-saving features, including its emergency siren and lighting,
and particularly its self-charging functionality. So if you're in
the market for an economical emergency radio, the Etón FR300 more
than fits the bill.
Designer Colors
The images shown here display the "Metallic Red" version of the
FR300, but you have a wide array of colors to choose from.
Pros
* Compact and lightweight; ideal for emergencies or travel
* Clearly laid out functions and controls
* Excellent internal power generator; handy cell-phone charger
Cons* Tuning dial could be better illuminated for darkened
environments
* Should include an AC adapter
What's in the Box
FR300 radio, mail-in coupon for cell phone charging adapters,
nylon carrying case, and owner's manual
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From the Manufacturer
---------------------
This all-in-one unit offers functionality and
versatility that makes it ideal for emergencies. The FR300
provides you with radio, light, and cell phone battery life when
you need it most. The Hand-Crank Power Generator charges the
internal rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack and just 90 seconds of
cranking provides up to an hour of radio play. With the NOAA
Weather Channels, find forecasts when you're away from the set.
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