Eton radio's

ratamahatta

ratamahatta

BANNED
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
2,161
Does or anybody ever take a hand crank radio out in the wood with them, I've been looking at a couple of etons and was wanting to know what's everybody's consciousness on them!!!!!
 
I keep one in the family emergency cache. I have been thinking just these last couple days about getting one for work and for camping. I'm interested in anyone elses take on this too. They are nice little radios.
 
I got one for a gift that has a port to charge your cell phone as well as the radio batteries.:thumbup:--KV
 
I purchased the one I wrote the article about a few hours before Hurricane Isabelle hit Maryland. I was pretty lucky, too. Never lost power but for a few minutes and people five miles away were out for a month for some bizarre reason. As far as I know, Eton and Grundig are one in the same.

Here is the first article: http://www.donrearic.com/grundig.htm

Ken Cook wrote the second article when they made some improvements: http://www.donrearic.com/grundig2.html
 
Yes, I've taken our Eton radio on weekend backpacking trips. It's sort of big, but for a shorter trip it isn't a big deal. We have the square one with the weather band, light, siren and various radio bands. I think it is hte FR300. Ours is orange. The cell phone charging feature has come in handy once, and it is always an unexpected pleasure when we can pull in a TV station at night to catch news and weather. Again, we only take it on shorter trips due to its size and weight.
 
I have never taken it outdoors with me, but I have an Eton in my emergency quick kit that lives in my closet by the front door, which is just a small plastic bin that holds a few essentials for an emergency without having to open up any of the BOBs or raid my camping gear. In it I keep an Eton 250, LED headlamps for every member of the family, LED lantern, spare batteries, lighters, cheap crank flashlight/radio, Uno and a couple other card games and a few odds and sods. Every once in a while we lose electricity around here, but not often, so this is just enough stuff to get me by for a few hours and if it ends up being more serious I have a ridiculous amount of gear in the cars, in each of our BOBs under the stairs by the door and in my gear closet. The quick kit just allows me quick and easy access to a few essentials and allows me light to get to more serious essentials if need be.
 
mymindisamob said:
I keep one in the family emergency cache. I have been thinking just these last couple days about getting one for work and for camping. I'm interested in anyone elses take on this too. They are nice little radios.
Click to expand...

Got one for Xmas one year. It's in the BOB. Supposedly, you can charge a cell phone with them, but I don't have the proper attachments for our phones.
 
I have the Eton FR300 I think, and mine lives in the emergency kit at home too. Haven't taken it out, but I suppose it'd be nice for car camping etc. I don't have the proper attachments for our phones either...was going to wait until I get a new cell (sometime soon).
 
hikeeba said:
Yes, I've taken our Eton radio on weekend backpacking trips. It's sort of big, but for a shorter trip it isn't a big deal.

Again, we only take it on shorter trips due to its size and weight.
Click to expand...

It's big compared to one of the little, itty bitty CountyComm pocket-sized radios but it's really not that big at all. A Baygen Freeplay, on the other hand. :D
 
rksoon said:
I have the Eton FR300 I think, and mine lives in the emergency kit at home too. Haven't taken it out, but I suppose it'd be nice for car camping etc. I don't have the proper attachments for our phones either...was going to wait until I get a new cell (sometime soon).
Click to expand...

I just emailed Eton to see if they make an attachment to charge the IPhone.
 
If you carry some #0000 Steel Wool as part of a tinder supply, you can also use the crank system and the phone charger cord as a firestarter. Just use one of the cellphone adaptors that has two exposed barbs like for the Motorola E815 which is a common adaptor in sets like these. You get your fire ready to go and then use the steel wool and hook the barbs for the cellphone charger adaptor to the steel wool and crank it quickly and you will have fire.
 
Don Rearic said:
If you carry some #0000 Steel Wool as part of a tinder supply, you can also use the crank system and the phone charger cord as a firestarter. Just use one of the cellphone adaptors that has two exposed barbs like for the Motorola E815 which is a common adaptor in sets like these. You get your fire ready to go and then use the steel wool and hook the barbs for the cellphone charger adaptor to the steel wool and crank it quickly and you will have fire.
Click to expand...

Another good reason to buy one of these radios ... as if I didn't already want one.
 
Yeah, just don't hook the barbs too far into the wool or you won't have that particular adaptor any longer. :D

If for some reason you lose the adaptors or there is not some type of "exposed" adaptor, you can take a multi-tool and disassemble one of the adaptors you don't use, just enough to plug it into the cord and get two bare wires and that will work as well.
 
The etons are generally fairly good quality. I find the shortwave sets to no have adequate dial sensitivity and lack SSB, but the 150- the AM/FM/WX flashlight radio combo with the dynamo and solar- that one is just about perfect. perfect size and form factor. Love it- it is my son's everyday flashlight and radio and it holds up to a 6 year old fine.


I won't tell you where to shop or anything but these two radios are soemthing to look at instead of the Eton:

The Kaito 500 is VERY full featured.

(I thought this was a catalogue only, but it has prices. I'm not dealspotting, just referencing another option)
http://www.kaitousa.com/KA500.htm

and the Kaito 011 is the only digital display locked loop tuning shortwave with a dynamo that I'm familiar with.

http://www.kaitousa.com/KA011.htm
 
I have three of them. It seems like every couple of years they get smaller. The most recent one is the Eton Microlink FR 160.

ShowImage.aspx


It fits in the Maxpedition JANUS Extention Pocket perfectly.

8001g1_2192_detail.jpg
 
hushnel said:
I have three of them. It seems like every couple of years they get smaller. The most recent one is the Eton Microlink FR 160.

ShowImage.aspx


It fits in the Maxpedition JANUS Extention Pocket perfectly.

8001g1_2192_detail.jpg
Click to expand...



this is the one that I've been looking at, thanks for the pic and info!!!!
 
But my kit has spare AA rechargeables and a solar charger so I can power a bunch of different stuff.

I think the Etons are a fine concept though. I wouldn't hesitate to pack one in the kit.
 
I have the little tiny one w/ no crank or light, and have used it a lot. While you can't power anything with it, it only weighs a bit, and I have used it for days on the original 2 AA batts it came with. You would be hard put to crank out as much juice in a couple days as are in 2 AA batts.

ETA, I have the M300, but man, that microlink looks pretty cool. It could actually be smaller than the radio I already have, at least in 2 dimensions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top