Top 5 Emergency Radios Under $50! 2019 Edition

Рет қаралды 23,152

Күн бұрын

In this Special Edition of Radio Waves I showcase five emergency portable radios. The radios shown should be on your short list when looking for a device that can provide light, information, and power in a severe weather or power outage situation.
(paid links below) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you.
(paid links below) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you.
The radios are available at these retailers in no particular order:
▶ The Kaito Voyager 500 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2FHsFYh
▶ The Kaito Voyager 500 at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2QLitnr
▶ The Kaito Voyager 500 at Ebay: bit.ly/Kaito500
▶ The RunningSnail MD-090 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2LUlb36
▶ The RunningSnail MD-090 at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2Lz7d7E
▶ The Buzz 4000 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/30PpNj5
▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at Ebay: bit.ly/CCSolarObserver
▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2ItN8h4
▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2LsP8rZ
▶ The iRonsnow IS-399 at Amazon: amzn.to/2xI2hee updated 5-2020
▶ The FS-089 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2PrCo4V
▶ The FS-089/iRosnow at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2TSW8mi
Honorable Mentions:
My Sangean MMR-88 Review: • Sangean MMR-88 Emergen...
▶ The Sangean MMR-88 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2FKVMKc
▶ The Sangean MMR-88 at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2USHYl3
▶ The Sangean MMR-88 at Ebay: bit.ly/SangeanMMR88
My Kaito KA340 Review: • Kaito KA340 Emergency ...
▶ The Kaito KA340 Lantern at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2GCrarB
▶ The Kaito KA340 Lantern at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2EFsqMn
▶ The Kaito KA340 Lantern at Ebay: bit.ly/KaitoKA340
New criteria to make this 2019 list:
Must have a flashlight.
Solar and Dynamo charging.
NOAA weather bands.
Optional Dry Battery use, in case the main rechargeable battery fails.
The above radios are a good primer for what you should look for in a quality emergency receiver. Pick one based on your needs & budget. If you can't find one here, you may find one you like in my Emergency Radio playlist.
Thank you for watching.
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Пікірлер: 71

@Gadgeteer22 Жыл бұрын

I miss these yearly Top Emergency Radios compilations. If this list was for under $100, I bet the new CCRadio Solar would be on it.

@civic9404 2 жыл бұрын

A 2021 update would be great. I like this channel. Thanks for the info.

@totallyfrozen 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve watched a few videos in this topic and the Kaito Voyager always makes the list. I think I’ll pick one up. The analog tuning dial and lack of a clock makes it a real winner for me. I have a couple radios with clocks, and those clocks drain the battery. The last thing I want in an emergency is a gratuitous feature that drains the battery. Watches, cellphones, and tablets all keep the time for you. I don’t like clocks on my battery powered radios. Just a personal taste.

@daringNiche Жыл бұрын

hi Todd ~ please consider making a New Updated list of Best Emergency Radios, and if not too much trouble, please make an updated vid list of Best Top 10 Pocket Radios Under $20 ... we the people truly needs BOTH Todd ! thanks Sincerely & VERY Happy New Year :)

@NWGADX 5 жыл бұрын

The hispanic station on your CC Radio Night bandscan is XEX on 730, Televisa Deportes spanish sports format. I receive that station in Dalton with good to fair reception.

@DougMejia 5 жыл бұрын

Just bought the C. Crane Solar Observer. Although not mentioned on this video, I have also purchased the C. Crane Skywave SSB, Sony ICF-P26 and the Retekess PR12 all via your Amazon link. Love them all as much as your channel... Please keep the great content coming.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Doug, I appreciate the kind comments and am glad to have helped.

@stephennelson419 5 жыл бұрын

You are a great reviewer. I like the Kaito Voyager V2 for the money, size, and performance.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

That is a great radio, almost made the list. The Running Snail took that spot because of it's lighting and high capacity battery options.

@TheRadiogeek 5 жыл бұрын

Nice top five list Todderbert. I like them all and if you can believe it, I don’t own any on the list . I think the C Crane looks the most interesting to me, I might get one. It too bad it doesn’t come in yellow 😎.

@mattmiller2761 5 жыл бұрын

Great selection, thanks Todd.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

You're Welcome Matt, here to assist :)

@raymondg5643 3 жыл бұрын

Great review.

@mathewskinner9381 5 жыл бұрын

I love the videos, keep up the good work 👍

@mathewskinner9381 5 жыл бұрын

I remember when you were at 700 subs

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mathew. I appreciate your comments.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

@@mathewskinner9381 That was last year around April I believe :)

@cyberghost74 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Sir.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

You're Welcome cyberghost74, I appreciate your continued support of this channel :)

@MichaelsHomeCooking 5 жыл бұрын

Well what do you know, just a saying. I have the Running Snail. I purchased it a couple years ago, before I was aware of you and your awesome videos. I got it for $17.90 on a Lightning Deal for the July Black Friday. So again this year, I am sure there will be radio deals on Amazon. Excellent video

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

I think mine was a lightening deal also. They went in five minutes.

@NoMonNoFun51 5 жыл бұрын

The C Crane Observer body style is very reminiscent of a Grundig FR200 I bought about 20 years ago in Maine. Not nearly as fancy as the C Crane but still works after sitting 20 years. Also, if you are into vintage table radios, I have a couple Sony suggestions for you to check out and possibly review. I enjoy your videos very much.

@totallyfrozen 4 жыл бұрын

NoMonNoFun51 Ahh, yes! I used to have one of those before my nephew stole it and pawned it.

@MedorraBlue 4 жыл бұрын

This is such an excellent video! And if it's alright to say it, you have an excellent voice for narration. I'm in Canada so the prices are wildly different, but I think I'm getting the green RunningSnail model soon. It's quite a shame, because some of your models are $100 CAD and up. But the green one seems fairly priced on both sides of the border!

@jeffking291 4 жыл бұрын

Alexandria The Running Snail is very well liked by those who have them. Todderbert always does an excellent job on his reviews, Radios, and Flashlights. 🙂📻

@tmo7734 3 күн бұрын

As I mentioned before, I always enjoy your videos. While this video is dated, here are my comments about emergency radios: In this day and age, all radios should be equipped with lithium ion batteries. Of course, the ideal would be to support AA or AAA alkalines, too. I prefer an analog interface to digital because a digital interface, even minimally, drains the battery. I would really appreciate if you do a 2024 update for emergency radios. I value your reviews.

@newsview7844 5 жыл бұрын

This video couldn't have come at a better time. I live in earthquake country so my household emergency kit is located outdoors. This means whatever electronics or batteries in my kit must withstand temps from 20-110F. Knowing which products can be subjected to a wider range of conditions relative to one another is an important consideration - and yet detailed specs aren't published on most of the products on the market. Another issue I have run into is that too many lithium-equipped emergency radios come with non-replaceable and/or proprietary battery connectors. Even more puzzling, they don't appear to be long-lived batteries (meaning if you put your lithium-equipped emergency radio in a bug-out bag and don't continue to cycle/use the battery, it can go dead in under a year due to lack of use). To cite an example, I once left a new cordless phone in a storage unit for three years and the rechargeable battery was still perfectly good (holds/receives a charge). By contrast, the CC Solar Observer, by C.Crane, which I ordered over the weekend indicates that the battery must be used every six months to keep it going. That's probably true of most of these products - and yet the reality is you hope you never have to use your emergency kit and therefore it must be able to go unused for long periods (much like my cordless phone did in storage with no harm). Top-notch AM radio reception, in particular, is critical in an emergency. I'd like to purchase a hand-crank solar radio that makes use of a DXer-quality tuner and a beefier internal ferrite antenna. Problem is, those specs - much like the temperature/storage requirements - aren't published on hand-crank/solar radios. So without further ado, my question: What emergency radio offers good battery life (standby/storage), rugged construction and weatherization (tolerance for the harsh conditions that may accompany a disaster), and top-rate AM/FM sensitivity/selectivity (tuner performance)?

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

The Sangean MMR-88 may fit the bill. I have not tested thermals, but you can tell the build quality is very high and the reception is fantastic. Just keep extra 18350 cells on hand. They are easily replaced. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a75jrbl6rcy9hnk.html

@Ray-cj7zw 10 ай бұрын

Please consider an update, thanks

@jeffking4176 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent video ❗️ Great choices. Don’t know much about the others, but the C.Crane , and Kaito KA-500, I do know. I gave my mom the Kaito KA-500. This niche market is apparently really growing, else there wouldn’t be so many different various Emergency Radios. 📻🙂

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

The C.Crane is an excellent radio. I would use it as a daily use receiver, if I didn't own a few others :)

@jeffking4176 5 жыл бұрын

todderbert C.Crane really puts a lot of work into designing their radios.

@totallyfrozen 4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I think the “emergency radio” is a growing niche market. That said, I think it’s a bit of marketing strategy. Perhaps, many people don’t realize that you can really use almost any battery powered radio in an emergency. We went through Hurricane Harvey here in Houston and we just used my Sony ICF-38. It’s nothing special; although, you wouldn’t guess that from the current price. It’s just a black, plastic, analog AM/FM receiver. No outputs besides earphone, no lights, no clock, no crank, etc. It worked perfectly and kept us informed through the hurricane and tornado warnings. The only thing it lacked that would have been nice was Weather band. Otherwise, really any battery powered radio can be an emergency radio. If conditions are wet, people can just use their shower radio. Many of those have weather band too. Unless you’re in 3rd World conditions, SHTF scenarios aren’t so catastrophic that they wipe out the entire infrastructure (power, communications, water supply) for very long at all. That said, emergency radios are cool and I’m looking to pick one up for my collection.

@jeffking291 4 жыл бұрын

totallyfrozen You bring up a great point. I’m in Florida, and it’s amazing how many people don’t even have the most basic of radios. Everyone relies on cell phone. Well, if there’s a major storm, there may not be any service. I have a Kaito KA-350 Voyager Trek, which is the “sister” to the KA-500, And a nice iRonsnow, Which is nice. 🙂📻

@matthewhajjar-betters3703 3 жыл бұрын

Will you be making a 2021 edition video sometime soon?

@gerdesrm 2 жыл бұрын

yes, please!

@halibut1249 4 жыл бұрын

The first three radios on your list don't have earphone jacks, which is a non-starter for me. If you go camping or backpacking where an emergency radio is important for its weather reports, flashlight, siren, solar/dynamo charging backup, not to mention in-tent listening value, you may, if you're hiking with other people, want the privacy of earbuds so you don't bother your fellow campers. Most campers don't want to hear radios at all; they came to get away from that and listen only to nature. (Ironically, they're probably in their tents texting or watching KZfaq on their cell phones.)

@Devo57 3 жыл бұрын

You made a good point about other campers, but you gotta remember, these are meant for emergencies. If it’s an emergency I don’t think other campers would be too upset at you

@orgelkraft 4 жыл бұрын

As always you did a GREAT review. I just don't get these radios I guess. I have three car jump boxes around the house. They have led lights and USB ports. I can recharge my radios and phones with them. We have gone without power for days with no problem. I guess I might be getting too old for Swiss army knife radios....

@todderbert 4 жыл бұрын

You have a great setup.

@onedirection3510 3 жыл бұрын

Nice review! Novice questions: Do sw/weather alert radios automatically report locally to the radio reception? Any chance it would be reporting too far away?

@richardmerriam7044 2 жыл бұрын

You'll need a weather alert radio which has 'SAME' technology. That will alert you to weather emergencies in your county. There is some data which needs to be entered into the radio to do this. 'SAME' stands for "Specific Area Message Encoding". I don't currently own one, so when I get an alert it could be from quite a ways away. Annoying, yes. But it could give me a heads up to prepare.

@onedirection3510 2 жыл бұрын

@@richardmerriam7044 Thanks 👍

@MasonOcker 4 жыл бұрын

Does the Kaito Voyager 500 have an alert siren built in?

@todderbert 4 жыл бұрын

That model does not. You think they would add an important feature like that.

@vugslug 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Todderbert, it sounds like the Tiemahun is your favourite? is that right? which is your favourite -the FS-087 or the FS-089? which emergency radio had the best sound quality? It's a shame they are all made of plastic instead of something more durable?

@todderbert 4 жыл бұрын

I enjoy my FS-089 and use it daily as a shower radio, I just keep it covered to avoid moisture. Has very good audio and is easy to tune.

@vugslug 4 жыл бұрын

@@todderbert Hi Toddbert, so out of all the emergency radios would you chose that one for the reception? I've heard that the SW band isn't that good? Which one would you take camping, or in an emergency? Is the hand crank effective?

@vugslug 4 жыл бұрын

@@todderbert and would you chose that one over the FS-087?

@RippingJack76 5 жыл бұрын

Love the video. Want to acquire a proper emergency radio. I have a couple of your suggestions. Plus a whole bunch of everyday AM FM radios.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

Even a normal AM FM portable radio can be a lifesaver. I like to keep a radio that operates on a 9volt battery at the ready. Always good to have options.

@RippingJack76 5 жыл бұрын

@@todderbert I have 3 rechargeables, and a fully charged deep-cycle battery handy at all times. I won't get caught short. I can't believe I am dependant upon the cellular system. How fragile that system really is. It seems so diverse and robust. Until something happens to a local cell tower.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

Good Prep! Another option I have is my solar-charged power bank. It works great for keeping low drain devices like radios powered indefinitely. I like it paired with my Skywave. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/naqqh710z7-xmI0.html

@totallyfrozen 4 жыл бұрын

I used an “everyday radio”, Sony ICF38 through hurricane Harvey with no problems. There’s a market for emergency radios and I like them too, but they most often aren’t necessary. If I had to pick a radio that I would truly consider an “emergency radio”, it would be a 2-way portable HAM radio. Maybe something like a Beofeng UV5RA or similar that lets you receive FM and also call for help if you’re in dire straits.

@prasadasgoa 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent review! However as there is no exclusive weather service here in India, these are not useful here. Of course they could be used as am/fm radios with emergency light on it. (We have lot of power outages!!) Thanks for the video though.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

Try and find this little rechargeable radio, all analog and fits in the pocket nicely. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bNCfgdWi2MXHZ5c.html

@ivailopetrov198 11 ай бұрын

DEGEN DE13 Crank Radio!!! Why did you forget? TOP!!!

@jgj6331 2 жыл бұрын

Todderbert - I'm searching for the "perfect" emergency radio - but have yet to find it. I spent a few hours going over videos and specs - and each one falls short in one way or another. Here's what I'm looking for - - Analog AM/FM/SW/WB with weather alert - Good build quality - Superior sound and reception - No clock, MP3 player, Bluetooth, siren, flasher - or other useless energy drains - Lithium battery (replaceable 18650 preferred) with enough output to be a decent power bank / charge cell phones - Can use alkaline batteries (AA preferred over AAA) - Solar panel and dynamo that are more than just a gimmick - Rechargeable with cable (prefer type C usb receptacle over micro) - Bright flashlight and area light Do you have any recommendations that fit this list? Many thanks in advance for your suggestions!

@todderbert 2 жыл бұрын

None that fit all that criteria.

@jgj6331 2 жыл бұрын

Well, I gave it a shot... I figured if anyone knew, it would be todderbert. I am sorely disappointed with what's out there - most of it has that cheap Chinese look and is branded with a nonsensical, unpronouncable brand name. I guess I'll have to keep looking....

@lomgshorts3 5 жыл бұрын

Good video! However, I prefer changing dry batteries into 14400, and 14500 lithium batteries as they are easier to match with my portable solar charger. I must have very selective shortwave reception, too. AM/FM/WB may be enough for most, but not me. Yes, I know that these are radios under $50, and you seem to have picked a good selection. Larger tuning knobs would make these radios more convenient.

@todderbert 5 жыл бұрын

The CC Solar Observer and the Kaito KA500 have decent tuning controls. The other radios have a lot of features or are more compact so their tuning knobs have to be smaller. Personally the no brainer is the CC Solar Observer for those who have little or no portable radio experience. Very easy to use. My personal goto emergency radio package is a CC Skywave SSB with a Solarcharged power bank. It's a perfect combo :)

@tmo7734 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your excellent review. A few thoughts... For all the features that these radios have, some of them have some notable disadvantages: the Sangean will not accept alkaline batteries. Lotta good that’s gonna be after the rechargeable battery goes out. We all know that these kinds of radios take forever to recharge using solar and hand cranks. And the Voyager still using old technology batteries? Are you kidding me? More work must be done if you’re going to use these radios for emergencies. Otherwise, a simple transistor radio with a small supply of AA batteries will do.

@todderbert 4 жыл бұрын

I'll add a small transistor radio with the weather band would be a fine choice as well. The majority of the people that use these radios like the "emergency features. I always tell others that they are normally for short term use, and to keep a better lantern/flashlight for primary use. The Sangean was an honorable mention because it is a great radio with the only down side being the little rechargeable battery. I keep mine with a small power bank as a supplemental power source. Kaito does have a 500L model that runs on 18650s, but only those. They need one that does AAs and 18650s.

@tmo7734 4 жыл бұрын

todderbert Valid points. Thank you.

@csbruce 4 жыл бұрын

Aren't dynamos and solar panels basically just gimmicks on these radios? If the batteries were completely empty, how much actual cranking or actual time in the sun would it take to listen to the radio for 15 minutes or use the flashlight for ten minutes? Can you listen or illuminate while cranking? Would a long-battery-life compact radio, good pocket flashlight, and lots of batteries be more practical? The radios you showed are kind of bulky. With the batteries completely dead, how much cranking would it take to power on a flat smartphone and make a two-minute phone call? A dedicated battery bank can give you several complete charges.

@DAVIDGREGORYKERR 4 жыл бұрын

Do any of those radios have AM Stereo.

@todderbert 4 жыл бұрын

No, the only AM stereo I have experienced is with the Sangean HD radios.

@totallyfrozen 4 жыл бұрын

3 decades ago I worked on-air in an AM station that was talking about AM stereo. The station never converted to it, though. As I understand it, AM stereo never really caught on because FM became more popular. Are there any AM stereo stations broadcasting in the USA?

@matthewhajjar-betters3703 3 жыл бұрын

Which one is your favorite, and which one works the best in this video?

@todderbert 3 жыл бұрын

My Favorite is the FS-089, The CC Solar Observer is the Best Receiver. I just love the Lighting Options on the FS-089, and the fact is has Shortwave as well.