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

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(More customer reviews)First thing that should be mentioned is that this full-featured emergency radio is amazingly small. Reading its approximate dimensions of 5" wide x 2-3/8" high x 1-13/16" deep can be misleading, so imagine it placed on its side on top of a dollar bill: it's actually smaller than US paper currency, and that's just one of the things that make this small radio so appealing!

You can charge the FR150 in less than two minutes using its hand crank. You can also place it in sunlight (even on an overcast day, as I found out) and its built-in solar panel handily powers the radio and recharges its battery pack.
The radio's tuner pulls in both AM and FM stations, and with surprisingly clear reception. It receives all seven NOAA bands using a separate slide selector, so you can monitor changing weather conditions, along with tuning in to the FCC and EAS public alert systems.
It has a flashlight with three LEDs on the its side, providing surprisingly bright illumination, and for comparison it's about on the same level as my Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light. This is also brighter than some of the predecessors from Eton.

If you're looking for audio attributes on the level of Bose, JBL or Polk Audio speakers, this radio isn't for you... but the sound quality of this small radio is quite remarkable. Listened to a favorite "smooth jazz" station for awhile, switched to classical then to '80s rock, and was quite pleased all around.
A number of places list this radio as having the option of an optional AC adapter, but couldn't find anything definitive on this, so made email contact with Eton's Customer Support. Received a reply within hours, where they stated that at this time, they do not have AC adapters available for the FR150 Microlink or the FR500 Solarlink, but are expecting these items to be available in about 60 days. The support rep suggested:
1. Charge by using the USB port on the computer (this requires a cable that converts USB to mini-USB, available at your local electronics retailer). I did this with the same USB cable used for my digital camera.
2. Solar power: leave the FR150 Microlink in direct sunlight for about 6 hours.
3. Use the Dynamo Hand Crank of the side of your radio (crank time: 2 minutes = radio play time: 20-30 minutes).
Should also note that there is a registration card with the instructions inside the box, and you can mail the card in for a free cell phone adapter tip. I found it faster to do the same thing online with Eton.
This is one of those products that is reasonable enough to want to have more than one for household and family emergencies. And speaking of emergencies, there's a simple but straightforward American Red Cross disaster preparedness tips booklet that's well worth the read.
Must admit to liking Eton's emergency radio products. Part of this is due to happy prior ownership of a Eton FR400 Hand Crank Radio and Power Generator, which has proven itself. Should also say that this little radio, which is smaller and more practical than I originally thought, has quickly become a favorite. It's about 60% of the size of its predecessor, and small enough to fit in a jacket pocket for those outdoor excursions. It's also available in white if you prefer:
American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (White)

This one's a 5-star choice, without a doubt.
UPDATE: Already received the free cell phone adapter tip from Eton, just days after registering the ARC FR150 Microlink. Plugged the tip into the cord that came with the phone, then plugged the phone in and started cranking... and the phone indicated that it's being charged as I crank!

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Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger. The Microlink brings together some of the most popular features of our Voicelink, in a more compact design. This ultra-portable device is ideal to have on hand when you're roughing it. It also makes a great addition to any emergency-preparedness kit. No plugs or wires are required. Instead, turn the hand crank to power the Microlink, or capture the sun's energy and run it on solar power. You'll always know what's going on, thanks to the AM, FM and weather bands. You can also tune in to the FCC and EAS public alert systems. Add the flashlight, the cell phone charger and you've got one versatile little device.

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Midland ER102 Emergency Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)I hope I can give you some useful information about this radio and give you new ideas on simplifying your emergency items. I have been reviewing emergency radios for too many days, I think for most of us we want something portable for emergency AM or FM weather information and NOAA information and alerts during a loss of power that might last for a few hours or several days, I'm not looking for equipment to survive without power for months in the wilderness, just keep in touch and out of the dark during the emergency. I was considering the Eton RH500 (cool factor) but after reading about all the Eton radio models, I could not help but notice one serious concern with all of them, most reviewers said the Eton radio reception was not very good indoors... which is where I'm going to be during bad weather; an emergency radio without excellent radio reception has little value in my opinion. I opted for the Midland ER102 and I am very pleased. I like having the Dynamo feature, but I do not put a lot of value in it as my thinking is that all the emergency products I purchase must use AA batteries; they have a shelf life for 6+ years and they are cheap... aprox. $10 for 24 name brand batteries at W. Mart... The idea; one battery that fits everything! As for this radio; I live outside of the city and the AM and FM reception inside my house is excellent even without extending the antenna it picks up well, I can pick up 3 NOAA weather channels, two of them loud and clear, and one NOAA channel loud and clear without extending the antenna. Some reviewers complain about sensitive tuning; as for the tuning... the tuner is an analog (not digital) tuner with a digital display and it scrolls very smoothly (all the emergency radios that I have found use analog tuners.) To get clear reception it is not necessary to hit your station exactly (but is easy to do), as with analog tuners we have always tuned into the general area of the station then moved the knob back and forth until the station is clear, you never thought about it being sensitive since you just listened for the best spot without observing a digital display. Is the dial sensitive... no more than any other analog tuner, it might seem that way if you are looking at the digit to the right of the decimal point while rapidly scrolling, however a light touch when fine tuning and I find the tuner actually easier and much quicker to tune than if the display was the old analog type display other emergency radios have. The 3 LED flashlight is surprising bright, the backlit LCD display is very bright, AC adapter is included, the alarm is easy to use and it's kind of neat to look at the display and see the current temperature constantly displayed. I will note that I have a newer Nokia cell phone and although the radio comes with several adapters mine was not in the mix. Again this is not important to me as I don't want to crank the Dynamo for 5 minutes to make a very brief call.... Better idea; buy a portable emergency cell phone charger that fits your phone. This $5-$20 device (you guessed it.... works on AA batteries) will allow you to start using your phone within 30 seconds of plugging it into a dead cell phone and talk say 2 hours on one AA. If you want to go all out you can purchase Lithium batteries which last longer than Alkaline and have about a 15 year shelf life. Storms and power outages are stressful enough and lots of work, I say keep it as simple as possible... and a bonus, all my stuff fits easily in a small drawer in the kitchen.
My 3 watt LED flashlight (about 80 lumens) lasts 2 hours on high, my Sylvania LED Mini Lanterns (L562) last up to 200 hours on 4 AA's and they are as bright as many large lanterns, and this Midland Radio all use the same cheap AA batteries.... $20 buys 48 AA batteries and will last me a long time, how about 72 AA's on hand at a cost of $30.... I can go for weeks.


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Midland's ER102 radio is constructed to be water resistant, so it can be used in most any environment, and has a dynamo power crank to recharge its batteries without access to electricity. This radio runs on a Midland rechargeable NiMH battery pack that can be recharged while in the radio, and includes the ability to recharge devices that use a USB port including your cell phone.With a USB connector cable (not included), device may be charged either by rotating the Dynamo Crank, or when the AC Adapter is plugged into an AC source.This radio comes in a stylish black and silver color scheme, and is backed by a manufacturer's three-year warranty..
What's in the Box ER102 radio with dynamo power crank, rechargeable battery pack, AC wall power adapter, user's guide, and warranty information.

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