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American Red Cross FR250 Emergency Radio, Red | 
| Brand: Eton
Category: CE
List Price: $70.00
Buy New: $50.00
You Save: $20.00 (29%)
New (2) from $49.99
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 17926
Color: Red
Media: Electronics
Batteries: 3
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 2.5 x 6.5
MPN: ARC FR250 - Red
Model: ARC FR250 - Red
UPC: 750254802720
EAN: 0750254802720
ASIN: B000VL4R8Y
Release Date: September 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Eton Corporation will contribute 65 cents of the sales price to support the American Red Cross | | • | Can be powered from 4 different sources | | • | Built-in power generator | | • | 3 AA batteries | | • | AC adapter |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
You don't need batteries with the Eton American Red Cross FR250 self-powered AM/FM shortwave radio, just turn the crank to tune into AM and FM radio, plus 7 bands of shortwave. The crank also powers the built-in flashlight, so you'll never be caught in the dark. And you'll never be caught with a dead cell phone battery. Plug the phone in, and with a few turns of the crank, you can power up your cell phone.
Amazon.com Product Description
The Eton Grundig American Red Cross FR250 is one of Eton's American Red Cross branded emergency radios. With a dependable hand-crank power generator that powers the unit's AM/FM/Shortwave radio, built-in LED flashlight, cell phone charger and emergency siren, the lightweight and portable Grundig FR250 is an excellent and 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. p table align="right" cellspacing="10" tbody tr td table style="width: 309px; height: 543px;" align="right" bgcolor="#666666" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" thead tr bgcolor="#ffffff" th scope="col" width="60"br /th th scope="col" width="60"img alt="fr250" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR300-ARC-red-table.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 50px; height: 40px;"br smallFR250/small/th th scope="col" width="60"img alt="fr250" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR300-ARC-red-table.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 50px; height: 40px;"br smallFR300/small/th th scope="col" width="60"img alt="FR350" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR400-ARC-red-table.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 50px; height: 40px;"br smallFR350/small/th th scope="col" width="60"img alt="FR350" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR400-ARC-red-table.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 50px; height: 40px;"br smallFR400/small/th /tr /thead tbody tr bgcolor="#ffffff" th scope="row"smallHand crank/small/th td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td /tr tr bgcolor="#efefef" th scope="row"smallCell phone charger/small/th td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td /tr tr bgcolor="#ffffff" th scope="row"smallEmergency lights/small/th td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td /tr tr bgcolor="#efefef" th scope="row"smallSiren/small/th td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td /tr tr bgcolor="#ffffff" th scope="row"smallAC adapter included/small/th td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 17px; height: 15px;" alt="x mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-x.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 17px; height: 15px;" alt="x mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-x.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td /tr tr bgcolor="#efefef" th scope="row"smallWater resistant/small/th td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 17px; height: 15px;" alt="x mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-x.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 17px; height: 15px;" alt="x mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-x.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td td align="center"img style="border: 0px solid ; width: 21px; height: 17px;" alt="check mark" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/compare-chk.gif"/td /tr tr bgcolor="#ffffff" th scope="row"smallTuning/small/th td align="center"smallAM/FM, SW/small/td td align="center"smallAM/FM, TV-VHF, NOAA weather/small/td td align="center"smallAM/FM, SW/small/td td align="center"smallAM/FM, TV-VHF, NOAA weather/small/td /tr tr bgcolor="#efefef" th scope="row"smallSize (inches, WxDxH)/small/th td align="center"small6.5 x 2.5 x 6/small/td td align="center"small6.5 x 2.5 x 6/small/td td align="center"small8.75 x 2.25 x 4.5/small/td td align="center"small8.75 x 2.25 x 4.5/small/td /tr tr bgcolor="#ffffff" th scope="row"smallWeight/small/th td align="center"small1 lb. 3 oz./small/td td align="center"small1 lb. 4 oz./small/td td align="center"small1 lb. 4 oz./small/td td align="center"small1 lb. 4 oz./small/td /tr tr bgcolor="#efefef" th scope="row"smallPower/small/th td align="center"smallCrank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC/small/td td align="center"smallCrank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC/small/td td align="center"smallCrank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC/small/td td align="center"smallCrank, 3 AA, NiMH battery, AC/small/td /tr /tbody /table /td /tr /tbody /table Other models in Eton's line of emergency radios that we tested include the Grundig FR200, an entry-level shortwave radio that also includes a flashing LED light; 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. /p p bPower When You Need It/bbr At the heart of all of Eton's emergency radios, including the Grundig FR250, is an internal generator that recharges the internal Ni-MH battery pack and powers the radio, siren, and light. Also, by plugging your cell phone into the jack on the back of the radio (the FR250 comes with several cell phone adapters), you can use the crank to power your phone. In our test, after draining our cell phone of power, we recharged it using the FR250 enough to make a few calls. The rate of cell phone recharging will vary greatly depending on the cell phone and the state of its battery, but the FR250 can provide your compatible phone with power in a pinch.br /p pbiImportant Note:/i/b Until this year, Eton provided a package of several different cell phone adapter tips with every radio. In 2007, Eton began instead including a coupon for a free adapter for whatever phone you have. So, the first thing you want to do when you get the radio is fill out the card with your cell phone's make and model and send it in to make sure you have your adapter./p p According to the product manual, to achieve 40 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted power to the radio, 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 FR250 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. In fact, the FR250 was still going strong 75 minutes after we recharged the battery pack. The FR250 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! While it's true that a full 90 seconds of turning the crank can be tiring and may not be for everyone, we were able to recharge the radio with less than a minute of cranking and achieved over 40 minutes of continuous power.) /p p bDesign and Controls/bbr At slightly more than a pound in weight, and with dimensions of 6.5 x 6.00 x 2.5 inches (WxHxD), the FR250 is designed to be tucked neatly into its handy nylon carrying case and stored in an emergency box, or packed neatly for a camping trip. A white LED light is set on the front of the radio, just to the side of the analog tuner. The light is designed to help you down an unlit stairwell or enclosed hallway in a pinch, but it is not directed or strong enough to help you much in a pitch-black forest or other open area. The FR250 also includes a red flashing LED light that can be used as a distress signal. The radio and light can be operated simultaneously, though of course at the expense of power. /p p /p div align="center" table style="width: 850px;" cellspacing="20" tbody tr td style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" img alt="three quarter" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR300-ARC-red-threequarter.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 240px; height: 175px;" align="top" br ibsmallThe large tuning knob and other controls make the FR300 a breeze to use. View larger./small/b/i /td td style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;" img alt="back" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR300-ARC-red-back.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 240px; height: 175px;" align="top" br ibsmallThe hand crank generator tucks neatly into the rear panel. View larger./small/b/i /td td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;" img alt="front" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/gps/eton/FR300-ARC-red-front.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 240px; height: 175px;" align="top" br ibsmallAn emergency light is located next to the tuning dial. View larger./small/b/i /td /tr /tbody /table /div p The FR250 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, 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 and excellent volume for the radio's purpose. The tuner itself is self-illuminated, though in a darkened environment it is still difficult to pick out the bands./p p bTuning and Bands/bbr The FR250 offers nine-band tuning -- AM, FM and 7 shortwave bands. As was the case with all of the Eton emergency radios we tested, 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 SW3 and SW4. 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./p p It became clear during our testing that the FR250 is an emergency radio, with several outstanding and potentially life-saving features, including shortwave reception. Its shortwave functionality, however, is not its primary selling point. However, its emergency siren and lighting, and particularly its self charging functionality, are. So if you're in the market for an economical emergency radio, the Grundig FR250 more than fits the bill./p p bPros/bbr /p ul liCompact and lightweight; ideal for emergencies or travel /li liClearly laid out functions and controls /li liExcellent internal power generator; handy cell-phone charger /li /ul bCons/bbr ul liTuning dial could be better illuminated for darkened environments /li liShortwave reception inconsistent /li liShould include an AC adapter /li /ul bWhat's in the Box/bbr FR250 radio, mail-in coupon for cell phone charging adapter, nylon carrying case, and American Red Cross pamphlet.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Hand crank generator radio-GREAT IDEA! October 10, 2008
Tony Bernhoffer (Toledo, Ohio)
In 1989 or 1990 I had put together a emergancy preparedness box based on the FEMA booklet I got for free from the government. I had also withit a flashlight and a transistor radio. I put in in a box in the basement in the event of a catastrophe. But what I found was I ended up borrowing the shortwave battery powered radio and the flashlight and batteries! But the crank powered Eton flashlight and the portable radio are marvelous ideas!! You can't use the batteries because it is crank powered!
Excellent reception October 17, 2007
Philip A. Spicer (Broken Arrow, OK United States)
I just bought this model since my power went out for 3 hours and I didn't have a good battery powered radio anymore. I am really impressed with the reception. I live in Oklahoma and was able to pull in a couple of AM stations from Chicago and an English language shortwave station claiming to be from Sweden. While atmospheric conditions can affect long-range radio reception, this is pretty impressive for such a small, affordable radio. The battery life seems to be very good with only about 30 seconds of cranking.
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