Editorial Review:

Item Description:
Be prepared for emergencies with this self-powered, battery-free radio – featuring AM, FM and even shortwave frequencies.

• 60 turns of the crank gives you 60 minutes of battery-free power
• 4-band tuning: AM/FM/SW1/SW2
• Fine tuning control allows you to pinpoint every signal
• Built-in emergency light
• Built-in DC jack and earphone jack
• 2.5' speaker
• Runs on 3 AA batteries (optional)
• Heavy-duty, splash-proof ABS construction
• Fold-away crank handle
• Soft, nylon carrying case
• 1-year manufacturer's warranty

To help you in extra-tough situations, a built-in emergency light helps you find your matches, candles or lantern until the power comes back on. Features a durable, splash-proof ABS shell.

Amazon.com Item Description:
The Etón Grundig FR200 AM/FM Shortwave World Band Crank Radio and Light is the entry-level shortwave radio in Etón's line of emergency radios. With a dependable hand-crank power generator that powers the unit's AM/FM/Shortwave radio and built-in LED flashlight, the lightweight and portable Grundig FR200 is an economical choice for anyone in the market for a radio that can be relied on in emergencies or in environments where there are limited power sources.

Emergency lighting and radio tuning all in one compact package. View larger.

The easy-to-read radio dial. View larger.

The hand crank recharges the integrated rechargeable battery.

An emergency light shines the way.

Other models in Etón's line of emergency radios that we tested include the Grundig FR250, a shortwave radio that also includes a flashing LED light, cell phone charger and siren; the Grundig FR300, which includes the emergency features of the FR250, but offers television and weather station tuning instead of shortwave; the Grundig FR 350, a water-resistant variation of the FR250; and the Grundig FR 400, a water-resistant variation of the FR300.

Power When You Need It
At the heart of all of Etón's emergency radios, including the Grundig FR200, is an internal generator that recharges the internal Ni-MH battery pack and powers the radio and flashlight. According to the product manual, to achieve 40 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted power you must turn the crank at a rate of two revolutions per second for 90 seconds. In our test, after our initial 90 seconds of rigorous cranking, the FR200 powered right up and was still going strong with radio reception after an hour. At the hour mark, we briefly turned the flashlight on, and that too was at full force, with no perceivable drain on radio reception. The FR200 can also be powered via an AC adapter which, to our dismay, is not included, or from three AA batteries, also not included. The dynamo crank tucks itself nicely into the side of the radio and offers little resistance as you turn the handle. (Don't let the cranking requirements frighten you! A full 90 seconds of turning the crank can be tiring and may not be for everyone. With that in mind, we also recharged the radio with less than a minute of cranking and achieved over 40 minutes of continuous power.)

Design and Controls
At slightly more than a pound in weight, and with dimensions of 6.5 x 5.75 x 2.25-inches (WxHxD), the FR200 is designed to be tucked neatly into its handy nylon carrying case and can be easily stored in an emergency box, or packed neatly for a camping trip. An LED flashlight is set on the front of the radio, just to the side of the analog tuner. The flashlight is designed to help you down an unlit stairwell or enclosed hallway in a pinch, but the light is not directed or strong enough to help you much in a pitch-black forest or other open area. The radio and light can be operated simultaneously, though of course at the expense of power.

The FR200 includes a handy strap on the top of the radio for easy carrying, and the tuning and volume knobs are set to the side. The mechanical controls are extremely visible and easy to use. The volume control is a bit difficult to finesse, while the tuning knob, on the other hand, which features a smaller concentric fine-tuning control knob, is much easier. An earphone jack is set into the back, and the telescoping antenna tucks neatly behind the handle strap. The radio's 2.5-inch speaker is set directly in front and offers reasonable audio quality for the radio's purpose. The tuner itself is not illuminated in any way, which makes sense for reasons of power conservation, but in a darkened environment, it's literally impossible to see. For an 'emergency radio,' it seems that Etón might have addressed this problem with a self-illuminated background or lettering, For an 'emergency radio,' it seems that Etón might have addressed this problem with a self-illuminated background or lettering, as they did with the FR250, FR300, FR350 and FR400 models.

Tuning and Bands
The FR200 offers 4-band tuning -- AM, FM and two shortwave bands. Our AM reception was outstanding; we were quickly able to tune into every station we searched for. Reception for FM was also very good, though there was some extra fine-tuning on some of the stations. Our shortwave reception, however, was a mixed bag. We tested in the early and late evening, searching for signals in the more heavily populated SW1. While we found several signals during our test, honing in on them took a bit of finesse with the fine-tuning knob. And when we did find them, there was static and background noise with most of the signals.

It became clear during our testing that the FR200 is an emergency radio, with several outstanding features that include shortwave reception; its shortwave functionality, however, is not its primary selling point. But for a basic, entry-level and economical emergency radio to use in a pinch or during an outing where access to electricity is an issue, the Grundig FR200 more than suits the bill.

Pros

• Compact and lightweight; ideal for emergencies or travel
• Clearly laid out functions and controls
• Excellent internal power generator

Cons

• Tuning dial should be illuminated for darkened environments
• Shortwave reception inconsistent
• Should include an AC adapter

What's in the Box
FR200 radio, carrying case, and owner's manual.



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Rating: - * A decent emergency wind-up radio, albeit a bit dated ... This is the Grundig FR-200. It's decent, but I do have some nits. THE GOOD: * Sound quality: Although mono, it's adequate. * Battery life: The unit uses three AA batteries, plus a small plasti-sealed NiCad pack (about the size of an olive) for the recharge crank. I've been able to run the radio for an hour or two each day, for several weeks, before having to change the AA's. {BTW, I use Tenergy 2600 miliamphr NiMHi AA's in this, and they work great}. I rarely use the crank-driven NiCad, but it's runtime is rather modest - a full minute of cranking yeilds 45-60 mins of listening ... at a very modest volume. * Portability is good. THE MEDIOCRE: * TUNING: {minus 1 star) The pre-printed plastic frequency indicator on mine is poorly aligned to the unit's actual frequencies, so unless you happen to recognize the voice of a familiar DJ, or stumble past while a given station is doing station identification, chances are good that you'll be as much as +/- 15% away from the indicated AF/FM frequency ... and you'll get no help at all on most of the other bands. I'd happily have paid 2-3x as much for a comparable radio with a digital tuner and a minimal LCD readout ... with only a modest impact to total battery runtime. * CHARGING: (minus 1 star) The smallish handcrank generator is clumsy to use, and having to spend 1 second out of every 45-60 cranking like a crazed chimp, charging a dinky little NiCad mini-cell, is irritating. I would have liked an additional feature that'd allow you to directly charge instead the three AA's via a built-in smart charger connected to a universal power input ... thus enabling recharging (or direct play) from things like you're car's cigarette lighter, a portable generator, a PC, a portable roll-up solar pad, etc. I'm pretty sure there are newer versions of this sort of radio that have a larger & more ergonomic crank mounted to the rear, as well as solar recharge capability/compatibility. This model, as of this writing, has fallen behind the latest technology trends. All in all, it's still handy, and recommendable ... but there are newer and better choices available out there. (Note: I've reposted this review because the other product AISN number it was attached to expired.) Rating: - * A Good Value but I'm Disappointed ... As an emergency radio, it works great. The "crank generator" is relatively easy to use, the case and controls are solid and the sound quality is very good. It is not the flimsy plastic emergency radio I have seen elsewhere. However, I was looking for a radio with excellent AM reception. Grundig's reputation and reviews of other similar radios made by the same manufacturer (It is not made by Grundig) made me think this unit would meet my needs. Regrettably, the AM reception is no better than my cheap Walkman combo tape/radio. The frequency fade is average. It also doesn't have a jack to plug in an external antenna. I didn't meet my needs, but it is a Good Value for its intended purpose. Rating: - * FR200 is a good radio ... Smaller then I had imagined but good sound. Need a power supply (adapter) if you are going to listen to it regularly. One model comes with an adapter if you can find it. Sturdy radio, sound is good, battery life seems good also. Rating: - * Grundig is a good radio, but I wanted weather channels also. ... This is a very handy, size, radio with great reception. The only drawback is that it does not have weather channels as I thought it did when ordering. Very good for price but I would opt for an all in one, which would include SAMI weather channels, if doing again. Rating: - * Good but not great ... The reception is strong and clear on AM and FM, but virtually non-existent on shortwave. That's fine, because I didn't plan to use the shortwave feature anyway. Build quality is average. The dynamo crank is cheap and I suspect it will break at some point. Following directions EXACTLY (90 seconds vigorous cranking, no flashlight, low volume), I was able to achieve between 20 - 30 minutes of use time. Nowhere near the 40 - 60 minutes specified. I got mine on Ebay for $27.95. That's about what it's worth. It will go into my emergency kit and who knows, maybe someday I'll be glad I have it.