Kikkerland Dynamo Solar and Crank Emergency Radio, Green

5 Comments

1. SandyinSantaFe says:

   July 18, 2010 at 9:17 am

   I got this little radio as a back up to a bigger emergency radio that I have. It is small, and I plan on taking it in my bag to work, as well as using it in the house during bad weather and power outages. I live in Texas, close to the coast, and this radio will be perfect for monitoring the weather channel during hurricane season.

   The reception at my location is very good for all bands, and the volume is loud enough to be heard in another room. It won’t take up much space if I have to throw it in a bag and leave the area in the event of a storm. It’s roughly the size of a 25 foot, retractable tape measure, but lighter. It has a nice, solid feel to it.

   There is a jack for earphones, but I have not tried that yet.

   I’m very impressed with this little radio, and am thinking of buying more for my friends.

   Rating: 5 / 5
2. L. S. Pray says:

   July 18, 2010 at 10:11 am

   Great little radio that has a good sound. Surprisingly great loud sound for such a little package. The speaker is quite large and takes up almost the entire front of the radio!! The WB band does not work as this band was set before analog was discontinued so it doesn’t work in today’s world like it did back prior to 2009. Can’t receive anything on that band now sadly. Before the changeover you could get all sorts of stuff. The AM works great. The FM works great as well. I like the feature of the little red light that comes on when you have a station tuned in as you know the radio is “on” and reminds you to turn off the radio at the volume switch. The crank is smooth operating and not too noisy as most dynamos are. Overall I am very pleased that I got one of these. Read all the reviews and once I learned not to be afraid of the small size I am glad I went ahead and got one. Plan on getting another one as well soon. This is similar to the radios that the military handed out not too long ago to the troops overseas. Definitely NOT a toy but a for real radio that works!! in a surprisingly really small package!! This is a definite must for any emergency gear or survival gear. No batteries needed ever. Solar panel or crank and you’ll always know what’s going on in the world in a power outage. I highly recommend this radio to anyone who wants a compact, well made radio. Takes up a teeny tiny space.

   Supplement to review. I just discoverd that this little radio WILL pick up the NOAA Weather Radio band and my local police calling in to the station. Can’t hear the station but can hear the police calling in. At least in a power outage I can hear what the police are talking about as I have an super teriffic electric powered scanner that is totally useless in a power outage. I won’t hear everything but at least I can receive the local cops on this little radio. WOW what a marvelous surprise.
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. Sharon Saarinen says:

   July 18, 2010 at 11:21 am

   This little radio is awesome. It is solar and crank. I sit it in a window sill and it stays charged and will play radio all day long. It gets better reception than my giant expensive stereo. It is very compact (will fit in a purse or handbag). I am very happy with this purchase. I’d recommend this radio to anyone.
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. C. B. Gurney says:

   July 18, 2010 at 11:50 am

   This is a really cool product. As a reviewer stated, only slightly larger than a juice box, but almost all speaker so the sound is surprisingly good. The niftiest aspect is the power — you will never need batteries. The crank works great at first, but after only a couple months, I find that I have to crank it longer for the same amount of radio time. If I leave it in the sun, however, I never have to crank it. The small solar cell works really well. It is a rugged little box, elegant in its simplicity, perfect to throw in a backpack or picnic basket. The price is more than reasonable. If it came down a bit more, I would love to flood Africa and other developing areas with these tough little independent radios.
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. J. Steinberg says:

   July 18, 2010 at 12:03 pm

   I got this radio as a gift and it is excellent. I use it everyday. I am an avid NPR listener and always have radios going in every room. And, now I am listening for free, with zero impact on the environment. I leave it on the window sill when I leave the house so it is in direct sun. I never need to crank it! I’m going to get it for a few friends. It makes a perfect gift.
   Rating: 5 / 5