Grundig FR 200 Emergency Radio here
Grundig FR 200 Emergency Radio hereThis radio is really good for only one thing: it doesn’t need batteries. If THAT’s your only criteria, then get it. But batteries are cheap, and a transistor radio doesn’t need a whole lot of juice to begin with. Better to buy some rechargeable batteries and keep them charged- even when they start to go south they will still power a radio for hours. And you can get a solar battery charger, a small portable radio and a set of rechargeable battieries for less than the price of this set. You WILL have to pay more for a shortwave radio, but this set fits the definition of a shortwave radio in only the most legal sense. There are only TWO shortwave bands, so you are missing out on 80% of the shortwave activity. AND there is no weather band on this radio- not a feature you want in a “DISASTER” radio. Yeah, the apocalypse is upon us and all I can get is KISS 104, Rush Limbaugh, and a couple of stations broadcasting ethnic dance music.This is a BULKY product for a radio. I’d love to have a cheap, shortwave radio that gets all the bands that I could take camping and not have to worry about batteries, but this isn’t it. The flashlight is a waste (if this feature will actually be of use to you in a disaster, then you are already screwed). How much more expensive would it have to be to give all the shortwave bands? The only places I would need to listen to the radio where I couldn’t go out and buy batteries are places where the FM band is pretty much empty- hence the desire to listen to short wave. I’d forgive the radio for it’s bulkiness if it only gave us all the shortwave bands, but as it is there are cheaper, better, smaller radios out there. And unless you listen to the radio CONSTANTLY, it will take you a long while to recoup your investment in not having to buy batteries. It’s cool technology though- I just wish it were put to better use.Grundig makes some good products, but they cut too many corners on this model. Wait a few months and some company will make a better model at a cheaper cost. But if a disaster hits you in the meantime… well, you’ll just have to take your chances.
