Red Kaito KA500IP Voyager Solar/Dynamo AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Radio with Alert and Cell Phone Charger Review

I had this Kaito KA500 for a short time and was trying to find reasons NOT to return it. Let me start with the controls to select radio band, source power, on/off, etc. Not only are the controls very small, but the stamped-in instructions for selecting your choice are REALLY SMALL, difficult to read and use. Today I put in three AA batteries and found that it would be impossible to put the batteries in without something holding them in place. The Chinese engineers who designed and built this…

Ordered this last Monday when all our other units were not giving us tornado warnings. I researched radios under $50. Most I found didn't provide real-time alerts (emergency radios) or were cheaply made. It was the only handheld device with weather alerts I could find in that area. I didn't expect much. I just wanted something that would work, I wasn't worried about the sound quality, the extra bells and whistles, or even the quality of the materials. I was over the moon when I opened it. The…

Received this radio today and have been playing with it for several hours now. It is excellent. The sound quality is excellent for a small speaker. Reception is good when the antenna is set to VHF and shortwave. Reception can seem a little patchy at times, but this might be the area I'm in as I'm in a more rural area where it's harder to get a signal. I didn't like the battery compartment either. Glaze. Looks very fragile and can break easily. I feel like they could rethink that lid a bit and…

Edited: Downgraded. Why? Because the batteries failed within 3 months. Bought in July. Tested and everything worked fine. In September when I came Dorian, I tried charging the batteries with the crank. No luck. They either won't charge or won't hold a charge. I had to put AA batteries in for it to work. The purpose of this purchase was to have a radio that could be manually started so i can use it when there is no electricity and dont use stacks of batteries can be charged without electricity…

This review is actually about two radios I bought one for my dad and mom and the second for me and my wife: First: my dad's test: highlights :( 1) Great value for money (2) Good quality (3) Good reception (4) Great shortwave sound (5) Universal charger (6) Portable and durable "Worth every penny! I waited to fully test the device and when I did I checked every aspect of usage and charging. I exceeded ALL my expectations and did even better with the external antenna I ordered for my son. The…