At first I was skeptical after reading some of the other reviews but, nevertheless, I purchased the FR160 and have been rather pleased to date. I was surprised that right out of the box the battery in the FR160 was charged; the radio and light both worked! All the controls seemed to work as they should. The hand crank turned easily and caused the charging indicator to illuminate when it was turned. To test the solar panel, I tuned the radio to my favorite station and left it on to run the rechargeable battery down. It took better than 8 hours of playing before the battery was drained enough so the radio ceased to work. Even then the LED flashlight still worked. I placed the radio in a sunny window and turned the radio on and once again it worked indicating the solar panel, in full sun, will run the radio if the battery is flat. In the literature, the operating temperature range is listed as 0C to 40C (32F to 104F) so possibly one should be aware of the surface the radio is set on when in full sun; a dark surface may cause the temperature of the radio to rise to a point that is not healthy for its life expectancy! I do not think I would buy this as a cell phone charger, it seems to require too much hand cranking for the talk time you would get, although in a true emergency, it just might do. The charge indicator illuminates even on a bright cloudy day if the radio is out of doors or on a bright window sill although the rate of charge may be low.
The FR160 is a relatively inexpensive emergency/travel radio, small enough to pack and take along. The station selectivity is limited due to its size. The sound is what I would expect from a small radio. The weather radio feature works rather well and is better than some small radios with weather tuning capability.
Like Small Size. On Nite Stand With TV Remote.Used Many Times 4 Power Outages & Weather Warnings. Has Good Sound. Solar Charges Last Well, LED Light A Plus. Gave 5 as Gifts!
I love this radio! I bought it after being without electricity for many days during the December ice storm. Our electricity goes out all the time and I wouldn't be without it. It has great sound quality for such a little radio. I keep it on a south-facing windowsill so it’s always charged, and I listen to it for several hours every morning. During a recent storm, it looked like a tornado sky and I tuned my little weather radio to the local NOAA station and found out there was a tornado watch. It's great to get the local weather, and not just what’s happening in Boston. The crank feature is good in case there isn’t any sun (like the month of June!) The crank doesn’t produce a long charge, but it would be enough in an emergency. The flashlight helps you find your way around the house during a power outage (and it fits comfortably in your hand, unlike some larger radio/flashlights). I haven’t ordered the cell phone charger yet, as I’m getting a new phone, but this is also a must-have feature for emergencies. It's great outdoors, too - I’m taking mine camping this summer. This radio has lots of features in a small package at an affordable price. I like it so much I’m going to buy some to give as gifts!
