Eton FR250 Emergency Crank Radio Black

Power When You Need It
At the heart of all of Eton's emergency radios, including the FR250, 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 (the FR250 comes with several cell phone adapters), you can use the crank to power your phone. In our test, after draining our cell phone of power, we recharged it using the FR250 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 FR250 can provide your compatible phone with power in a pinch.

The easy-to-read radio dial. View larger.

The hand crank recharges the integrated rechargeable battery.

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 FR250 is designed 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 FR250 also includes a red flashing 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 FR250 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 excellent volume 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 FR250 offers nine-band tuning -- AM, FM and 7 shortwave bands. As was the case with all of the Eton 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. Our shortwave reception, however, was a mixed bag. We tested in the early and late evening, searching for signals in the more heavily populated SW3 and SW4. While we found several signals during our test, honing in on them took a bit of finesse with the fine-tuning knob. And when we did find them, there was static and background noise with most of the signals.

It became clear during our testing that the FR250 is an emergency radio, with several outstanding and potentially life-saving features, including shortwave reception. Its shortwave functionality, however, is not its primary selling point. However, its emergency siren and lighting, and particularly its self charging functionality, are. So if you're in the market for an economical emergency radio, the Eton FR250 more than fits the bill.

Pros

• Compact and lightweight; ideal for emergencies or travel
• Clearly laid out functions and controls
• Excellent internal power generator; handy cell-phone charger

• Tuning dial could be better illuminated for darkened environments
• Shortwave reception inconsistent
• Should include an AC adapter