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Midland ER102MO AM/FM Emergency Dynamo Crank Radio with NOAA All Hazard Weather Alert, Mossy Oak Break Up Camo Review

I own several weather radios of various brands. Both desk tops and portables. This Midland unit is in my opinion the very best of the portable units. It is very solidly built, has a long thick antenna, gets excellent weather and FM reception, and even has quite a dynamic speaker for a portable. It comes with an AC adapter, can run on batteries, and has the crank system if all else fails. Although I opted to buy this radio in the "mossy oak camo" design, (which is really cool looking by the way,) I should mention that Midland charges an average of $10 or more for the "cool" look. This exact same radio in plain design is a little cheaper and can be found on Amazon as well. One must weigh the benefits individually on spending a little more just to be cool. As for the radio itself, its my opinion they don't come any better in a carry all unit..

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WeatherX FR6817DT 7-Channel NOAA Weatherband Digital Radio Review

The WeatherX is more useful than expected. I bought it to have as an off grid device for use during power outages, but have found it to have a nicer radio receiver than expected so I'll not pack it away just for emergency use. Radio has digital tuning as well as line-in and stereo headphone jack so I find it okay for casual radio listening despite only having one built in speaker. Line-in audio volume is adjustable so I've plugged in an audio line from my computer and am now using it as an external speaker.

It was well worth buying just for the LED lamp and removable LED flashlight. Flashlight may be powered on via a switch on the front panel while docked and alternately removed for use with batteries. Depending upon what type of batteries you install in the flashlight you may charge it or not while docked. Built in positionable LED lamp has several switchable light settings making it even more useful.

My WeatherX will be kept out for everyday use and a couple of sets of spare batteries will be packed away with my emergency candle supply just in case of an extended power outage. It also came with a 12v DC power cord as well as an AC power brick making it useful at home and away. It is not my best radio receiver, but it is my best radio with a weather band and was an excellent value for the price paid. I recommend it as your spare flashlight / spare lamp / spare radio for casual and off grid use whether for garage, picnic, or use during power outages. It also works well as an external computer speaker.

As the unit is portable and the LED lamp head is flexible and positionable it is suitable for occasional use as a chore light or home flashlight.

The built in clock does not display the time while you are using the radio, but does display while playing audio from the line-in. Overall it is an excellent spare flashlight / lamp / radio for use off grid and nice enough for use far more often than just during power outages.



























































































































































































































































2335t it well enough to use it much much more often. Would make an excellent back-up lamp radio for use during power outages, but offers enough neat feature


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First Alert Portable AM-FM Emergency Alert Radio Review

I admit I bought this radio on price alone. I was interested in basically just the weather broadcasts. But it is difficult to find a portable unit that doesn't offer AM and FM. The radio receives excellent reception. And the speaker sounds exceptionally well for such a small portable in my opinion. The only major drawback to this radio to me is its terrible battery compartment design. The unit takes four AA batteries, one on top of the other, rather than straight in a row. This requires that you squeeze back the little holding spring at the top to insert the battery beneath. Its always been my opinion that all battery compartments on anything are designed by the sadist on staff at whatever company is producing it. But this one offers very little lee way even by the generous standards of terrible battery compartments. In my first try at inserting the batteries I managed to break one of the little retaining springs. Rather than return the whole unit, I fixed the problem by inserting a small piece of aluminum foil to allow the battery to make contact. Since this radio will be almost exclusively used as a portable unit by most customers, I felt compelled to mention that the battery department leaves a whole bunch to be desired. One other observation. This radio is just a smidgen over and inch wide at the bottom. Although it has two little rubberized feet, it is so narrow that unless it is placed on a dead level surface, it tips over easily. This radio would be useless on a camping trip or picnic if you expect to place this on a rock, or the ground. It will continuously tip over and drive you crazy. The three star rating on this radio is for the good reception of the weather forecasts, and the excellent FM reception as well. Its overall design is however very substandard, and not very well thought out.

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Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160W Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (White) Review

The Eton 160 is an incredible upgrade on exterior design. It seems slicker and better designed than the 150, but not necessarily a huge technological advance. Being able to charge on the go and use the solar to passively charge the device is a great backup.

The three-led light is extremely bright and runs on extremely low battery power. The weatherbands tune in perfectly, with AM/FM stations sometimes requiring the antenna pulled completely out.

The dynamo crank seems relatively strong, but slightly oversized when needing to crank it for a while--as in charging a phone.

One thing has been added, a cell switch on the front of the radio, which designates all power to charging an added device. But one thing has been removed, the AC power adaptor option has been removed since the 150--it was unnecessary anyways.

I haven't worried about breaking the device and I've dropped the radio before--no problem resulted. I've already found it useful in a storm we had today in Colorado! Great device!

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Midland 18-STR Strobe Light for Weather and All Hazards Alert Radios Review

The alert unit itself is fine..but..when the radio sends an alert signal burst to activate, alarm does not really flash long enough..it goes out with the radio siren..it should be designed to stay activated until manually reset by whom ever as authority over the radio operation.

Being a safety monitor for the complex of buildings I reside around , wx alerts are of mega importance as the businesses our system monitors also have many racks of sale merchandise normally outside of the actual store.

KSMB9301


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Honeywell TE532ELW Long Range Weather Forecaster with Humidity and Atomic Clock Review

This remote thermometer and receiver indeed work over a longer distance ("range") than some similar products. It also has an alarm function which alerts, if any remote temperature gets beyond your specified high or low.

All such remotes have distance limits. Many others say 100 feet, this one says 300ft. All get attenuated significantly, when passing through various thicknesses of walls, etc. For me, this one works where other brands did not, e.g. from inside a underground irrigation control box.

Note that the same one alarm range for remote temperature applies to each remote thermometer. And the base reporting unit can monitor up to three remote thermometer sensors. If you want more than one remote, to get it, it may be worth buying more than one set of base+remote. I did not find just an extra remote alone at a lower price. This has the fringe benefit that then all sensors broadcast to all base stations. All my units were calibrated equally, so having only one alarm range works fine.

It also has a weather "forecast" feature over the next 12 hours, but this is not driven by barometric readings, nor by weather radio, but is only an estimate based on temperature and humidity. Supposedly correct 78% of the time, and in any case fun to watch the icons for sun and rain.

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Etón FR160GR Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Green) Review

Take the description "emergency radio" to heart, as this should really be used in case of an emergency. The primary problem with this radio is reception. The width of the tuning dial is miniscule, which means that all the stations are virtually on top of each other. When scanning FM stations where the stations are densely packed together, such as in the 80s and lower 90s in New York City, where there will be five stations for every whole number on the dial (i.e., stations at 90.1, 90.3, 90.5, etc.), the radio will inevitably skip over certain stations because there is not enough space on the dial to properly tune in to them.

One should also be aware that the only power sources are the solar panel and the crank. There is no battery compartment. The solar panel seems to work to some extent, although the radio will not hold much of a charge from the solar panel, so if you want to use it at night you're going to have to crank it. Sometimes you will even need to crank it during the day if you listen to it for extended periods of time.

The sound is not bad for such a small unit. Much better than our Trutech clock/radio/cd player. However, the sound is not as good as larger portables.

Overall, this radio is very small, very cute, and would be good for traveling or camping. Not good as your primary radio for any extended period of time because you will be doing a lot of cranking. Also, if you live in an area where the FM stations are densely packed together, and you're interested in being able to pick all of them up, I would recommend something else.

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American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (White) Review

I bought this for my husband, who's preparing for a major disaster. For now he just uses it to listen to games when we're at the beach. The flashlight is really powerful and bright. my favorite thing though is the material the radio is made of. The red thing is so soft feeling, but very sturdy at the same time. I love feeling it :)

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Sony ICFS79W AM/FM/Weather Band Digital Tuner Shower Radio (White) Review

I bought one of these about 3 years ago and I love it! My girlfriend and I listen to music or NPR every time we shower, so it gets easily an hour of use per day. The radio has yellowed a bit with age, and the battery connection has finally corroded to the point where it no longer works. I scraped the corrosion off the battery connection a few times but now there is almost no metal left... she's finally hitting the recycling bin.

(I'm posting some pictures of the new vs. old radio for those who are interested.)

I have owned other shower radios that didn't last more than a month, so to me this one lasted an eternity. I have mine hooked around the shower head where it receives a continuous trickle of water. If you can place yours out of the direct flow of water it would probably last even longer.

We have become so "spoiled" that we can't live without this radio! I'm buying 2 more because I moved to a place with 2 bathrooms. If I don't put a radio in the second bathroom then nobody will ever shower in there!

This radio was very handy during and after hurricane Ike last year. Our power was out for about 2 weeks. During that time we listened to the radio and TV. The radio is so energy-frugal that the batteries never needed changing, even though it had been using those same batteries for about 4 months of regular showering.

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MIDLAND 75-822 40 Channel 2 Way Radio Review

I purchased this item for two reasons, road trips and communicating while off-road. It is my first CB transceiver and although I do not have anything to compare it to I am thoroughly impressed. The key feature that drew me to this specific item was the ability to use it as both a mobile and a portable. Some of the features have proven quite useful, such as the scan and memory scan functions, last channel recall, dual watch, and backlight. I have only had the unit for a few days but have already made good use of all the features it offers and all have performed flawlessly.

Living near a highway interchange that sees a lot of commercial traffic I have been picking up signals almost constantly when scanning. I can't give exact distances on the receive and transmit ranges of this item because they will vary, but I did receive signals from the highway (approximately 1.5 miles) while indoors with the included antenna. I also purchased the Cobra HA-TA Hand-Held CB Antenna to go with this radio and it appears to extend the range somewhat. As previously mentioned I do not know exact distances, but after switching to the Cobra HA-TA antenna I picked up weak signals clearly enough to understand on channels that had only given static with the included antenna just moments before. When transmitting I've been told I'm coming through both "loud and clear" and "crystal clear". The only downside is that when inside a vehicle I cannot appear to receive much more than static with either antenna and no one can hear me very well. I had known this would happen prior to trying it and plan to purchase an external antenna for my vehicle to solve this problem. Since the mobile adapter already has a connection for the external antenna this can be fixed easily.

The only slightly negative comments I can think of would have to do with the volume and the mobile adapter. While the audio is spectacular, and by that I mean the clarity of it when you are receiving a good signal, the volume is slightly lacking when on the highway. This is easily solved by using the speaker jack to hook up to an external speaker or your vehicle's audio if you have an aux jack. For handheld use and anything under 55-60 I think the volume on the handset itself is great. The only gripe about the mobile adapter is the length of the cord. It is still new and is wound rather tight, and although I have a power source on the driver's side of my dash I am going to try and stretch the cord a little before really using it in my vehicle. I doubt it will have any problems reaching from the power source and I wouldn't want a loose cord swinging around every time I grabbed the handset anyway. This second complaint doesn't apply to me currently so I am not holding it against the product because I think the versatility makes up for this minor complaint. I just know if I still had my old pick-up I would be wishing for a slightly longer cord.

Last but not least, despite numerous references to the Midland 75-820 on the product page, the item I received was indeed the Midland 75-822.

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Honeywell TE242ELW Personal Weather Station with Atomic Clock and Dual Alarm Review

The weather around here has gotten colder, and out of curiosity I've always wanted to know how cold it was outside at any given moment. It helps especially when I'm getting dressed so I know how much I have to bundle (in the winter).

I got the TE242 as a gift. After looking at the picture on the packaging, the device is deceptively larger than I would imagine. With nothing to compare it to, I imagined it to be very compact and small. It's larger, about the height and thickness of a paperback book. The styling is nice, and the readout is decently-sized and very legible.

The device shows the outside temperature, the inside temperature, the time, and the date. It comes with a smaller remote temperature probe about the size of an altoids tin that you put outside. I hung mine up by the outside door. It receives this signal wirelessly, and also syncs the time up with the US atomic clock for accurate time. I had to set the timezone on mine (press mode until the date abbreviation is next to the time, hold up till the timezone changes).

The only problem I've had is that the unit sometimes loses the signal from the remote temp sensor, which means the outside temperature is blank. Holding up for a few seconds makes the unit search and find the signal again. A minor inconvenience, but annoying. However, it may have been due to interference since I haven't had any signal loss since moving. The remote temp sensor may have a channel selector that would help, I haven't looked at it in a while.

The main Honeywell site is hard to navigate, but finally I found the site for these devices: [...] I was able to find the manual there.

I do wish it had a humidity feature and that it didn't lose signal, but overall I'm pleased with the device. I might shop around next time, but I like this one.

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Midland WR100B Weather Radio Review

Setup was easy although I had to look around on the web to find out what counties surround me to enter into the reciever. I did not, at first, set how the receiver was to alert me. I am still experimenting on that.

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CARL 15053 Bidex replacement blades for rotary trimmers, assorted cuts Review

For Personal (CUI13100) and Professional (CUI12200/CUI12218) Rotary Trimmers, sold separately.







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Sangean ATS-505P FM Stereo/MW/LW/SW PLL Synthesized World Receiver Review

I was looking for a radio that I could take camping with the assumption that I would have difficulty picking up stations, especially out in more remote western regions. I have only purchased one table radio in the past and do not know anything about radios unlike many people reviewing these. I have absolutely no 'professional' background in radios.

I researched on the net for some time and found Sangean continuously mentioned --- not always in the best light, but generally favorable.

I have found that the radio does have a really nice, clean sound. I have a far less expensive table top radio at home, but one that has nice, and larger speakers, than the Sangean. But the Sangean is as good, if not better, sound-wise.

The Sangean also picks up far more stations than my 'average' table radio which was my primary concern. I can't tell you if it's better or worse than other comparably priced radios, just much better than my 'average' home radio.

I do have to agree with some other reviewers that the radio has somewhat of a 'cheap' feel and look. But, the radio does perform as I hoped.

My only other, small negative is that the radio comes without 'feet'. I always have the FM antenane extended, and the radio will not sit up with the weight of that turned to the side. I'm going to have to fabricate something so it sits upright on a flat surface.


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MIDLAND WR300 Weather Radio Review

We have been using the Midland WR300 for about a year now and it works perfectly. We have been alerted of a tornado in the middle of the night, even were told of a rare Winter Storm warning here in the great state of North Carolina. It was such a good radio, we bought our parents one as well.

Here are some of the downsides, yes the buttons are LOUD, you definitely can not set this thing with your spouse sleeping next to you. The clock is pretty much worthless in the middle of the night as you need to feel your way around to get it to turn on.

Overall great product, it does what it says it does and not a whole lot more!

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Eton FR100 Blackout Buddy Radio (Pearl) Review

I purchased this radio and charged it for two full days and got 10 minutes of listening pleasure. I called their 800 number to find out what was wrong. They indicated that I am supposed to charge it for 3 days (The booklet fails to mention how long to charge it yet has instructions in many different languages for your convenience). I did that, and enjoyed a full 75 minutes of play time. This was far from their 4 hours estimated play time. I returned it to the reseller and got another figuring it was a fluke. Charged it in great anticipation, and got about 70 minutes of play time for 3 days of charging. I called the 800 number again. Eton offered to replace it, but I had to pay for the shipping. I didn't think that was fair and tried to return it to the local reseller after my 30 days from the original sale was up. Luckilly the reseller took the radio back and refunded my money. Two bad radios just a fluke? Maybe so. But why penalize the the customer and ask him to eat the cost of shipping to fix Eton's problem? Plus the design is such that the bottom of the radio is rounded and the unit cannot stand up on its own. Eton said it is meant to be left in the electrical outlet. During a "blackout", I'd want it to be portable and set it just about anywhere. Go figure.

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