American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Red)

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Red)

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 1.8 x 5 x 2.4 inches ; 0.3 ounces
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B0014SWPO6
Item model number: FR150

By : Eton
Price : $28.84

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
The American Red Cross FR-150 Microlink brings together some of the most popular features of the American Red Cross FR-1000 Voicelink in a more compact design. This ultra-portable device is ideal to have on hand when you’re out roughing it. It also makes a great addition to any emergency-preparedness kit. No plugs or wires are required. Instead, turn the hand crank to power the Microlink, or capture the sun’s energy and run it on solar power. An optional AC power supply can also be used. You’ll always know what’s going on, thanks to the AM, FM and NOAA Weather Band tuners. You can also tune in to the FCC and EAS public alert systems. This, along with the flashlight and cell phone charger, make the FR-150 Microlink one versatile little device. Your Ultra-Portable Link to the World Tackling the great outdoors can be a daunting task. The American Red Cross FR-150 Microlink is designed to keep you in touch with the rest of the world, even when you are miles away from civilization. It has a high-quality AM/FM tuner, providing you with news, entertainment and public service announcements. Not only that, but it also integrates a NOAA Weather Band receiver that brings you weather forecasts, alerts and other emergency messages--information vital to backpackers and travelers. Convienient Features and Reliable Redundant Power Sources The American Red Cross FR-150 Microlink is ruggedized for outdoor use, and is more than ready to go in emergency situations. The bright white 3-LED flashlight is perfect for lighting the way at night, or for signaling to others across long distances. Additionally, the integrated headphone jack lets you listen in privacy. Having a device that sports multiple modes of communication means nothing if there is no way to power it. The FR-150 Microlink has been designed with that thought in mind, and it can be powered in several ways. The built-in rechargeable battery pack can be charged from the integrated dynamo hand crank, or from an optional AC adapter. The optional AC adapter can also power the unit directly. An array of waterproof, shatterproof, high-performance glass encapsulated amorphous solar cells can also run the FR-150. They are efficient enough to power the unit whenever the sun is up, even in overcast weather. These multiple power supplies can also be used to recharge cell phones with the charging cord--available by returning the included card and specifying your phone's model.
Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger. The Microlink brings together some of the most popular features of our Voicelink, in a more compact design. This ultra-portable device is ideal to have on hand when you're roughing it. It also makes a great addition to any emergency-preparedness kit. No plugs or wires are required. Instead, turn the hand crank to power the Microlink, or capture the sun's energy and run it on solar power. You'll always know what's going on, thanks to the AM, FM and weather bands. You can also tune in to the FCC and EAS public alert systems. Add the flashlight, the cell phone charger and you've got one versatile little device.

Technical Details

AM (520-1710 KHz), FM (87-108MHz), NOAA weather on all 7 channels. Built-in hand crank power generator recharges the internal rechargeable
From solar power, the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery that takes charge from the dynamo crank and from an AC adapter (not included).
Built-in cell phone charger, Earphone jack 3.5 mm socket, Cell phone charger output jack.
Power source: solar power; built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack
Weight: 7.5 oz. and 200 g. Accessories: owner's manual, warranty card, preparedness guide, card for cell phone tip.

Customer Reviews

First thing that should be mentioned is that this full-featured emergency radio is amazingly small. Reading its approximate dimensions of 5" wide x 2-3/8" high x 1-13/16" deep can be misleading, so imagine it placed on its side on top of a dollar bill: it's actually smaller than US paper currency, and that's just one of the things that make this small radio so appealing!
You can charge the FR150 in less than two minutes using its hand crank. You can also place it in sunlight (even on an overcast day, as I found out) and its built-in solar panel handily powers the radio and recharges its battery pack.
The radio's tuner pulls in both AM and FM stations, and with surprisingly clear reception. It receives all seven NOAA bands using a separate slide selector, so you can monitor changing weather conditions, along with tuning in to the FCC and EAS public alert systems.
It has a flashlight with three LEDs on the its side, providing surprisingly bright illumination, and for comparison it's about on the same level as my Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light. This is also brighter than some of the predecessors from Eton.
If you're looking for audio attributes on the level of Bose, JBL or Polk Audio speakers, this radio isn't for you... but the sound quality of this small radio is quite remarkable. Listened to a favorite "smooth jazz" station for awhile, switched to classical then to '80s rock, and was quite pleased all around.
A number of places list this radio as having the option of an optional AC adapter, but couldn't find anything definitive on this, so made email contact with Eton's Customer Support. Received a reply within hours, where they stated that at this time, they do not have AC adapters available for the FR150 Microlink or the FR500 Solarlink, but are expecting these items to be available in about 60 days. The support rep suggested:
1. Charge by using the USB port on the computer (this requires a cable that converts USB to mini-USB, available at your local electronics retailer). I did this with the same USB cable used for my digital camera.
2. Solar power: leave the FR150 Microlink in direct sunlight for about 6 hours.
3. Use the Dynamo Hand Crank of the side of your radio (crank time: 2 minutes = radio play time: 20-30 minutes).
Should also note that there is a registration card with the instructions inside the box, and you can mail the card in for a free cell phone adapter tip. I found it faster to do the same thing online with Eton.
This is one of those products that is reasonable enough to want to have more than one for household and family emergencies. And speaking of emergencies, there's a simple but straightforward American Red Cross disaster preparedness tips booklet that's well worth the read.
Must admit to liking Eton's emergency radio products. Part of this is due to happy prior ownership of a Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator, which has proven itself. Should also say that this little radio, which is smaller and more practical than I originally thought, has quickly become a favorite. It's about 60% of the size of its predecessor, and small enough to fit in a jacket pocket for those outdoor excursions. It's also available in white if you prefer:
American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (White)
This one's a 5-star choice, without a doubt.
UPDATE 9/7/2008:
Already received the free cell phone adapter tip from Eton, just days after registering the ARC FR150 Microlink. Plugged the tip into the cord that came with the phone, then plugged the phone in and started cranking... and the phone indicated that it's being charged as I crank!
UPDATE 1/9/2012:
I originally posted this review on July 29, 2008, so consider this a look back after about three and a half years of service. This is to report that this Etón FR150 radio is still working as well as it did when it was new, including during the bad weather in Eastern Pennsylvania during the winter and spring of 2011. The solar cell bank still keeps it charged, and the reception is still decent, which goes to show that Eton still remembers how to build a high-quality product. Should note that there's a newer version of this, the Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160R Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red), and by all that I've seen in retail stores and from the reviews posted on it, this newer version seems to be a good one. However, I'm not going to get rid of my Etón FR150, as I'm still pleased with its 5-star performance and reliability.

We purchased this emergency radio/flashlight a week before Hurricane Ike hit us in Houston. We tested it as soon as we got it and were able to receive 3 FM stations, 2 AM radio stations and the weather band. The flashlight worked well. We could not locate a cell phone charging cable for the unit, rendering that function null. When Ike hit Friday night, the weather band went to 100% static, and only one FM station was clear enough to understand. The flashlight still worked fine. By Saturday morning we could get no radio signals at all no matter how much we cranked. In contrast, our four battery-operated radios picked up several stations. But, we really didn't want to use up the batteries - the very reason we purchased the hand crank in the first place. The flashlight switch stopped operating Saturday night, remaining stuck on low beam with no way to turn it off. This morning we were fortunate to find a commercial building with a generator, A/C and wi-fi - hence the ability to write this review. The only reason it gets one star is because the flashlight broke in the ON position. Otherwise, it was extremely disappointing. I certainly will never buy another Eton product.