No need to wait for an emergency to use this handy device. Great for camping and road trips. I love the design, its multifunctional but not overly busy. It reminds me , in size and appearance , of one of my favorite old transistor radios. Small enough for me to hold in one hand. The surface has a velvety bright red matte finish, which feels good to the touch; manual tuning and volume knobs; antenna pulling in a good range of stations. easily charged with the USB charger. The flashlight works well, casting a nice bright beam of light, I plan to do as another reviewer said, to cut a hole in the cardboard box to expose the solar panel for charging while keeping the radio and its cords all together in one space. One minor improvement might be to attach a holder for the cables, so the odds of finding them in an emergency would be greater. A final plus: the radio comes in a simple to open cardboard box-no plastic.
The Esky Multifunction Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio is great to keep in your emergency kit. It’s well made and easy to use. No matter where you go, you’ll have a way to power it. Turn the crank, leave it in the sun, or plug it up and you’re good to go! It also can charge an external device in a pinch. Though this really drains the small battery so use sparingly. With decently clear FM and AM radios, I didn’t have any difficulty listening to my local radio stations.
PROS
• Charge multiple ways (USB, Solar, Hand Crank)
• Versatile
• Flashlight
• Great in case of emergencies
• AM and FM Radio frequencies
CONS
• Too many cables to connect in order to charge an external device
• USB slot to charge with is NOT the micro version, but is the older mini version (so don’t lose the cable)
• Flashlight is bright, but also has a dark ring surrounding it
I am very excited about my ESKY Hand Crank Radio/Flash Light/ Emergency Phone Charger (You can use the hand crank or solar panel to charge a USB device; slowly). Though I have only had it for a short while, my impressions are good. The machine feels well build, the plastic case has a nice matte texture and feels good in your hand. The hand crank is tight against the body, I have had hand cranked flashlights in the past with easily turned handles that hold no charge. This one feel like it is actually doing something. The radio work like you would expect a radio to work and the emergency weather band also works fine. It is a good little emergency radio/light/USB charger for the money. I would definitely recommend at the price. The one thing I will be keeping an eye on though, is that it does get a little warm around the USB port. Not hand scalding hot, but warm enough for me to notice.
No need to wait for an emergency to use this handy device. Great for camping and road trips. I love the design, its multifunctional but not overly busy. It reminds me , in size and appearance , of one of my favorite old transistor radios. Small enough for me to hold in one hand. The surface has a velvety bright red matte finish, which feels good to the touch; manual tuning and volume knobs; antenna pulling in a good range of stations. easily charged with the USB charger. The flashlight works well, casting a nice bright beam of light, I plan to do as another reviewer said, to cut a hole in the cardboard box to expose the solar panel for charging while keeping the radio and its cords all together in one space. One minor improvement might be to attach a holder for the cables, so the odds of finding them in an emergency would be greater. A final plus: the radio comes in a simple to open cardboard box-no plastic.
After spending half hour playing around with this I can say that so far it works exactly as described. The hand crank quickly charges the battery and the light is very bright; bright enough to comfortably illuminate an entire room. I am pleased with this product so far. It feels very solid and is definitely worth the price I paid.
After spending half hour playing around with this I can say that so far it works exactly as described. The hand crank quickly charges the battery and the light is very bright; bright enough to comfortably illuminate an entire room. I am pleased with this product so far. It feels very solid and is definitely worth the price I paid.
Received this free for an honest evaluation...So I will not comment on price since I received it for free. This is basically a solar powered radio, with weather band,AM/FM CHANNEL...which can be charged by cranking the generator or the solar panel. Addtionally you can charge a cell phone with it.
PROS:
- Small and simple to use..you can fit in your coat pocket and bring with you in case you cell phone battery pack fails.
- It has a weatherproof shell that could hold up to rain but not immersion into a body of water.
- The LED flashlight is pretty bright for its size. By comparison my ambient weather adventurer has a larger lens but it is not as bright as the esky. I didn't expect that.
- You can leave it in your window to charge all day long, and keep it there till you need it.
-Even though it is analog (vs. the typically digital readout) it can pick up local AM/FM stations. The WEATHER BAND stations were either on the far right or left side of the frequency band.
- The rechargeable battery is replaceable..just remove the small screw and remove cover.
CONS:
- no clock
- Analog station selector..not a deal breaker but selectivity and a small font can make it a PIA to find a specific frequency.
- NO voltmeter/indicator on the battery to tell you if it is full..especially after you have cranked the generator for a while.
Received this free for an honest evaluation...So I will not comment on price since I received it for free. This is basically a solar powered radio, with weather band,AM/FM CHANNEL...which can be charged by cranking the generator or the solar panel. Addtionally you can charge a cell phone with it.
PROS:
- Small and simple to use..you can fit in your coat pocket and bring with you in case you cell phone battery pack fails.
- It has a weatherproof shell that could hold up to rain but not immersion into a body of water.
- The LED flashlight is pretty bright for its size. By comparison my ambient weather adventurer has a larger lens but it is not as bright as the esky. I didn't expect that.
- You can leave it in your window to charge all day long, and keep it there till you need it.
-Even though it is analog (vs. the typically digital readout) it can pick up local AM/FM stations. The WEATHER BAND stations were either on the far right or left side of the frequency band.
- The rechargeable battery is replaceable..just remove the small screw and remove cover.
CONS:
- no clock
- Analog station selector..not a deal breaker but selectivity and a small font can make it a PIA to find a specific frequency.
- NO voltmeter/indicator on the battery to tell you if it is full..especially after you have cranked the generator for a while.
This is my first product from this manufacturer but third one of these overall. My others are by the Red Cross. Thankfully, I have not had to use this in an actual emergency situation or for a prolonged amount of time but from my testing it appears it will perform as intended. The hand crank seems to produce the amount of charge expected from one of these multipurpose units. The solar charge also seems decent. It's been cloudy so I imagine there is room for improvement when the weather gets better but a little red light will indicate when charging.
The flashlight gives off good, bright light. It is not a wide beam of light - pretty concentrated on the immediate area you're pointing at but the light and nice and bright white not yellow or dim.
The only weakness in my opinion is the radio. First, the tuner is not digital. The knob and frequency "slide" gauge are very small so it's a little tricky where radio stations are nearby each other. Also, it struggles to get any clear reception without using the antenna which is the old style piece of metal that you pull out to extend. I think in an emergency situation that may get bent or break off easily if things are fast paced around you.
The adapters for the ,mobile device charging are the same you see with just about every one of these. USB hookup so I just throw a charging cable in there for my phone so I don't have to mess with the older style adapter they provide if I don't need to.
Overall, good all-around tool you hopefully never need to use. Combines several devices into one to save space and money. I have one for my home and a couple for my cars. Would (probably will) purchase again.
This is my first product from this manufacturer but third one of these overall. My others are by the Red Cross. Thankfully, I have not had to use this in an actual emergency situation or for a prolonged amount of time but from my testing it appears it will perform as intended. The hand crank seems to produce the amount of charge expected from one of these multipurpose units. The solar charge also seems decent. It's been cloudy so I imagine there is room for improvement when the weather gets better but a little red light will indicate when charging.
The flashlight gives off good, bright light. It is not a wide beam of light - pretty concentrated on the immediate area you're pointing at but the light and nice and bright white not yellow or dim.
The only weakness in my opinion is the radio. First, the tuner is not digital. The knob and frequency "slide" gauge are very small so it's a little tricky where radio stations are nearby each other. Also, it struggles to get any clear reception without using the antenna which is the old style piece of metal that you pull out to extend. I think in an emergency situation that may get bent or break off easily if things are fast paced around you.
The adapters for the ,mobile device charging are the same you see with just about every one of these. USB hookup so I just throw a charging cable in there for my phone so I don't have to mess with the older style adapter they provide if I don't need to.
Overall, good all-around tool you hopefully never need to use. Combines several devices into one to save space and money. I have one for my home and a couple for my cars. Would (probably will) purchase again.