ZDNET Reviewer Backs $14 Emergency Radio After Testing Solar, Hand-Crank Charging
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 24
ZDNET Reviewer Backs $14 Emergency Radio After Testing Solar, Hand-Crank Charging
1 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 24
Summary
$14 bought a generic emergency radio that the reviewer said now stays in a survival kit after testing found clear AM/FM reception, a loud speaker and about 4 to 5 hours of runtime.
A 2,000 mAh unit includes USB-C, solar and hand-crank charging, plus NOAA weather-band support on the US model, an LED flashlight and an SOS siren.
USB-C fully charged the radio in about 4 hours, while solar reached 50% after a day on one try and a full charge in under a day when repositioned toward the sun.
Hand cranking proved the weakest option: 5 minutes produced about 20 minutes of radio use, and 30 minutes generated roughly a quarter charge, making it a true backup method.
The review frames the device as a low-cost preparedness tool as wildfires, heatwaves and outages raise demand for radios that can still receive emergency alerts when power and internet fail.