NewEgg had a Shell Shocker the other day for a refurbished Eton FR300 for around $35 last week. It's an emergency radio with a hand crank to let you power the unit which includes a radio, flashlight, emergency flasher, and a cell phone charger adapter.
I have one of these and really wanted a backup radio so I almost got one from NewEgg, but it turns out you can do a lot better than $35 for an Eton FR300. A seller on Amazon is selling the Eton FR500 for $27 which has the following:
- AM/FM Radio
- Shortwave Radio
- Weather Radio Stations
- Solar Charging Panels
- Better Flashlight
- More rugged construction
- Digital Station Tuning
- Clock with Snooze, Emergency Wake, and Normal Alarms
- Hand crank power
- Built in USB and Mini-USB ports for cell phone charging
I was hesitant to pick one up because it was a little too cheap, but I got three of them and there seems to be nothing bad I can say about it. The only downer is that the reception is tricker than the older models because the antenna is shorter and fixed in position, but everything else is better. The reception isn't bad. You just have to work to find a spot to put the radio if you're trying to tune into a weak station. It seems to consume more power than my FR200, but the solar charging works well and it has good sound for a portable radio.
It's a good pick-up if you need a US emergency radio. The white model is the one going for $27. The others are between $40 and $80. I guess people don't want to be caught dead with an unfashionable emergency radio.
Eton FR500 Solarlink on Amazon