Review on Portable NOAA Emergency Weather Radio - Hand Crank Solar Weather Alert Radio with AM/FM, LED Flashlights, SOS Alarm, Reading Lamp, USB Charger - Ideal for Household and Outdoor Emergencies by Andrea Logan

Very impressive What I particularly like about this emergency radio is its compactness. I confess when I first took it out of the box I was worried it wouldn't be ok. I was wrong. That's great. As you can see from the photos, it's small but full of energy. First I loaded it. There are 4 ways to charge it and it's great that there are so many options.1. Solar power. The radio has a solar panel.2. USB charging3. Handle 4. Batteries 3xAAA. I charged via USB. It only took about 2-3 hours. Radio. The right slide switch on the front panel toggles between Off-FM-AM-WB. I was very impressed with the clarity of the FM stations on this radio. Usually small devices like this don't have as good reception as this one. Passed many FM stations. Even with the antenna lowered, the transmitters ran perfectly. AM doesn't have many stations but I found a few. WB Weather Band station. It came out very clearly. There may be more stations when I check outside. I'll do it this weekend so I'll do an update. The left slide switch toggles between (Lightning) Light-Off-SOS. The flashlight is very bright. I think it will be very useful.SOS. Make sure you are outside before attempting this. IT'S NOISY. How far it can be heard, I will tell you in my update. Solar panel/LED reading light. Above is a solar panel and a light. I like the idea of the solar panels. A few things are written in the instructions. "It's difficult to fully charge a device with a solar panel that's primarily used to maintain the internal battery." Glad there's another way. If you're on the go and can't charge via USB, you can at least charge the battery a little with a solar panel. There is also a hint. "The solar panel has a lifespan of over 25 years when used 6 hours a day." Hey, I'll take it. The LED reading light is activated when you fully open the solar panel bar. Very bright. It just opens. Turns neither left nor right. That's the change I'd like to see. It would be nice to be able to turn it to direct the light onto a book, for example. Hand crank When using for the first time, turn the crank for 5 minutes to activate the battery. Turning the crank for 5 minutes results in 15-20 minutes of work. Radio playback (at maximum volume). 2 hours reading lamp and 1.4 hours flashlight. In addition, this is an excellent exercise for the wrist and hand. On the right side of the radio are the USB ports, a headphone jack and a toggle switch to switch between the internal battery or 3 AAA batteries. Make sure you have it in the selection you want. The first time I tried to start the radio it wouldn't turn on after charging. Eventually I realized that I need to switch it to the internal battery. The 3xAAA battery compartment is located on the back of the radio. When you put the cover back on, slide it off and press firmly on the bottom. This will snap it into two clips. The small USB port is used to charge the radio. The middle USB port is for charging other USB devices like your phone. BUT, this is for emergencies only. This radio is not a power bank and is therefore not designed to continuously charge other USB devices. I haven't tried it with batteries yet. I'll do it this weekend and add it to my progress report. All in all a reliable emergency radio. When I hold it in my hands, it feels solid and well built. It is compact but offers many options. You will receive an excellent price offer. I love racing bikes and I like to try it out. I will add a video update within the next week or so. I know what I'm getting for friends and family this Christmas.