Review on 🔦 White American Red Cross FRX1 Hand Turbine AM/FM Weather Radio with LED Flashlight (Discontinued by Manufacturer) by Martin Dosunmu

I have bought three of these handheld radios/torches in the past, two are also from Eton and the third is another brand. My Etons were almost identical to this Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160WXR Microlink Radio with AM/FM/NOAA and Self Powered with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red), except it's a bit older. I loved my two little Eton radios. It lasted a decade of regular use. The commemorative was great too, although it was a bit behind in many areas. My cute little Eton's two batteries finally ran out so I had to look for a replacement from Revain. I noticed that they are a bit pricey now so I went with this model because it was cheaper and had the features I needed although the previous model didn't have some. standard on previous models. I've found over the years that I've never used these features, so it didn't bother me that they were cut. In the event of a power outage, we just charge our phones in the car, so we never used the charger. And while the solar panel sounds cool, the crank works much better and faster in emergency situations. Immediately after receiving this flashlight, I noticed several obvious design flaws. The radio disc sticks out too much and is awkward to grip and turn. In addition, the dial constantly bumps into the hand and other objects, losing the radio station on which it is located. There are no numbers on the radio's display, making finding the station a guessing game, just plain stupid. The crank handle has grooves that make long cranking painful for the fingers. This model lacks a very important hand strap that prevents falls, and you'll often find yourself dropping flashlights while fumbling around in the dark. Those are the cons, here are some of the pros. The most important thing is that everything works well. The radio catches stations well, the weather station catches the weather station well. The light is quite bright, actually about twice as bright as my previous ones. The headphone jack works well, I advise you to use it for most radio broadcasts to save power. The USB port works and charges the device well. It is well protected in a sturdy plastic case. I find out it's the same plastic as in my previous Eton units. You can drop it all day and it won't break, trust me. Although this newer model uses cheaper plastic for the radio dial and grip. Stupid choice. Don't drop it on these parts I guess. What I liked about this new model is that it works like a flashlight and sits upright. I've done this with previous models but they weren't built for it and so weren't well balanced. How the glow in the dark rim around the end of the flashlight makes sense. Comes with a USB cable for charging the device. Always good. Let me be clear that many of these reviewers seem confused. The USB cable plugs into this device and the other end into any USB port such as laptop, cable box, TV, gaming system, etc. So you can charge this radio/torch from any of them. I usually use my cable box, but sometimes I also use my TV and gaming system. I strongly recommend that you always keep it connected to something. This ensures a full charge in an emergency and significantly extends battery life. Leave it charged and it should last about as long as a cordless phone over ten years old. You might want to move it around and try charging it in different places. I use my cable box the most because it charges whether it's on or not, which is something to consider. I love walking at night and they are perfect for illuminating the floor as you walk. Keeping it charged saves me a small fortune on batteries. I also listen to a lot of talk radio so this will come in handy. We also often have power outages in the area. Just a great little thing to own Good Radio and flashlight work great Charges well with a handle or any USB port Comes with a USB cable Works like a mini flashlight when it's on end Sturdy plastic body Price Poor No solar panel for charging No cellphone Phone charger No strap Protrusions on knob make it painful to turn fingers Cheap plastic on dial and grip Radio wheel protrudes too far causing problems No numbers on radio wheel I'm quite disappointed in Eton for such a drop from previous models. So many design flaws that should have been caught in a 5 minute product test. You may also want to check out other models such as the American Red Cross FRX2 Hand Turbine AM/FM Radio with AM/FM Weather Radio with Smartphone Charger - Red (ARCFRX2WXR) or the Eton American Red Cross Multifunction Smartphone, Weather Alarm and Flashlight in One . , FR1 or Eton NSP101WXGR Scorpion ll Rugged, multipurpose, portable digital radio with rear powered and weather alerts. Or maybe you are looking for other brands on Revain, this is the popular iRonsnow IS-088 Dynamo Emergency Solar Self-Powered Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio LED Flashlight Power Bank Smartphone Charger with Leads (Red). But if you're looking to save some cash, this little Eton is good for the price. Edit: After some use, I warmed up a bit with this flashlight. The main reason is that it's very bright, about twice as bright as my other two wireless lights. Just like the feeling of it.