Finally, a small emergency hand crank weather radio that really works. I've owned several hand crank emergency radios and none of them have operated as advertised. In my opinion most of them are junk but in comparison this Ambient Weather WR-111 works great with only a few minor complaints that I will list below.
The basic premise of an emergency radio is easy. When the crap hits the fan you need an emergency radio that you can count on to work off the grid. There are two things that this radio needs to be able to do to be useful in most emergency situations; (1) It has to be able to power up after being stored for many months without the luxury of being plugged into the electrical grid or an inexhaustible supply of alkaline batteries and (2) it needs to be able to receive radio transmissions a reasonable distance from the transmitter. Now that sounds simple, but it's been difficult for anyone to get it right in the past while keeping the size, weight and price down. This one is very close to being done right.
My Likes:
(1)The price is great and the radio works extremely well.
(2)The sound is very clear and crisp.
(3)The digital tuner is awesome. I live 60 miles from the NOAA weather transmitter with a few mountains in between. When I first turned on the weather band in the house I could hear the weather report OK and I thought wow this is pretty good. But when I stepped near the window or went outside with the WR-111 I got perfect reception. I couldn't believe it. It really worked. All of my other weather radios did not receive the transmission at all at this distance, inside or outside.
(4)This is a great radio for an emergency preparedness kit but it would also be a very nice everyday solar powered compact radio.
(5)When you get the radio even close to a window the solar panel starts to charge the battery which is indicated by the LED. Obviously outside in the direct sunlight will provide the best solar charging environment but that is not always an option. Just sitting inside on a widow sill should keep the battery charged.
(6)This device will charge a cell phone. I tested the cell phone charging capability and it worked pretty well. I used an old cell phone just in case something went wrong. When I started the battery showed low on the phone. I left the radio and cell phone plugged together for about an hour sitting in a window so that solar charger was contributing. After a few hours my phone showed a full charge. I was surprised by this since the radio's users manual says it will only provide a partial charge on your cell phone. Either way I'm sure the charge will be sufficient for an emergency call for help. I did not test the charging capability on an I-Pad, I-Pod or other device.
(7)The buttons on the radio are straight forward and are easy to use. I was able to take the radio straight out of the box and make it work without looking at the manual. I did look at the manual to see how to set the clock which was also easy after reading the instructions.
(8)The radio display is back lighted and is very easy to read in a completely dark room. I especially like that the display back lighting goes dark after a few seconds of no buttons being pushed. This extends the battery life and reduces the amount of light emitted at night.
My dislikes:
(1)It's made in China. But that's how they can sell a decent product this cheap.
(2)The charging indicator LED is a little bright for me. The brightness may not matter to most people but if that is an issue for you, you could always cover it up with something to make it dimmer. I used one of those easy peel dots you get from an office supply store.
(3)The WR-111's box lists one of the radio's features as a carabiner clip. Mine doesn't have one that I can find so I'm not sure what it is talking about. I think it must be a typo on the box. It's not mentioned anywhere in the users manual.
(4)It would be nice if it included a small cloth bag for all of the plugs and cables. Until I think a better way, I will leave these parts in the zip lock bag in the bottom of the box. The whole thing is going in my primary bug out bag anyway.
(5)The one thing that I think would improve the radios usability would be if the radio were waterproof or at least weather proof.
My Tips:
(1)Be sure to remove the little plastic tab from the battery compartment before using the hand crank. The manual states that cranking the radio without the battery in place or the plastic tab removed could damage the radio. And save that little plastic tab so that you can reuse it to extend the battery life while the radio is in storage.
(2)To make sure that the battery maintains it full capacity you should fully charge the battery every few months. Every time you take the radio out of storage to charge the radio battery you need to remove the plastic battery tab before charging the battery or attempting to use the radio to do anything including charging your cell phone or another device.
(3)If you are putting this radio in an emergency kit don't worry about setting the time. When you reinstall the plastic battery tab it's going to reset the clock anyway.
(4)Be sure to read the entire manual. The manufacturer has provided a lot of other important information and provided a list of available accessories that I have not mentioned.
Summary: This is the best light weight, low cost, hand crank emergency radio that I have found to date. These types of radios are notorious for having weak tuners and poor reception. The Ambient Weather WR-111 really works amazingly well. The solar charger is a major bonus on this radio. The radios ability to at least partially charge so many external devices in an emergency is a crazy double bonus. The manufacturer has really gone out of their way to try to think of everything. This is a great radio but my one suggestion for improving the product would be to make it waterproof or at least weather proof. I would recommend this radio to hunters, fisherman, survivalist, sailors, backpackers, construction workers, housewives and everyone who believes in being prepared for the worst. I have one in my BUG OUT BAG and I am considering buying more for other locations.
Overall this is a good product. The radio itself seems sturdy. I'm a bit hard of hearing and the radio is loud enough for me. The radio stations and weather station both came in very clearly. The cell phone charger worked, as well. But the feature I was most excited about was the "weather alert" mode, and that is where a bit of disappointment settled in.
When I first opened the box I removed the tab from the battery compartment and fully charged the radio with the USB adapter per the manual recommendations. I listened to the radio for 30 minutes and then set it on "weather alert" mode. I placed the radio in a sunny window so it would continue to charge through the solar panel. The next morning when I woke up I noticed the radio was no longer in weather alert mode and only the time was displayed on the radio. I turned the radio on and got about 3 mins of play before it shut off and flashed a battery warning.
I was confused as to why the radio only gave me 30 minutes of play before quitting on me after a full charge. I suspected either I had a faulty product or the "weather alert" mode was a power drain to the product.
I e-mailed Ambient Weather and got a very quick response from Ed, who confirmed my suspicion that the "weather alert" mode drains the battery. He recommended that I purchase a USB to AC adapter for when the radio is in "weather alert" mode. He also said that the solar charge feature wasn't enough to keep up with the "weather alert" mode. He did say that they needed to include that information in the manual in the future.
I am disappointed in the fact that I couldn't just set the radio in the window and kind of forget about it until I received a "weather alert." Other than that, I'm happy with the purchase.
Buy Ambient Weather WR-111B Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Digital Radio, Flashlight, Cell Phone Now
I LOVE THIS RADIO!!! This is my review of the Ambient Weather ADVENTURER emergency radio. I left out in the video that the battery is removable and replaceable. If you live in an area that has earthquakes, tornadoes, floods or hurricanes you need this radio. In an emergency you should have 1) food 2) water 3) THIS RADIO!!!
BE PREPARED!!
Read Best Reviews of Ambient Weather WR-111B Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Digital Radio, Flashlight, Cell Phone Here
Firstly, let me say that this is a well designed weather radio the digital tuner works well in AM, FM, & Weather modes, & sounds clear. I also like the dual charging modes the solar panel works well even indoors (near a window), and the hand crank gives a lot of charge in a short amount of cranking. The crank handle seems quite sturdy (unlike some other hand-crank devices I've owned in the past). And the whole case is surrounded with a rubbery jacket that looks like it would survive the accidental drops that always seem to happen.
But here's where the fun surprises start:
the unit includes cables & adapters for most any cell phone, enabling you to add a boost charge to your cell phone. Also, you can use the speaker in the Radio with your iPod / iPhone music player it's no Bose system, but the speaker is better than the ones in your phone. And, with the solar charger, you can do this all day without killing your phone battery!
the LED flashlight is a nice feature it's plenty bright, and works for a long time when you charge the battery with the hand-crank.
the Radio's re-chargeable battery can be easily replaced when it wears out this is a refreshing surprise compared to so many other devices that have to be thrown away when the re-chargeable battery wears out (are you listening, Philips Sonicare?)
there's yet another cable that enables you to charge up via a USB port. Not really sure when this would be handy, but they've sure covered all the bases with this one!
A couple minor complaints:
it would be convenient if there was a compartment for the little adapter cables. The case seems large enough for this...
the battery-low indicator is activated (according to the manual) when the voltage drops below 3V. When the low-battery condition is activated, the radio stops working. It would be nice if there were a level of charge indication, so you could know to start cranking in more charge before the radio quit.
I initially thought I'd use the Radio in emergencies only, but now I can see me using it anytime I happen to be away from 120V power!
Want Ambient Weather WR-111B Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Digital Radio, Flashlight, Cell Phone Discount?
10/30/2012: I liked this radio when it arrived a month ago (just in time for a Tornado Watch in my area). I charged it in the window with the solar cell and it sounded great. It fit my bug-out bag, seemed sturdy. It's functions, especially as a charger for cells, etc. were attractive.
Yesterday during the worst of Hurricane Sandy we were without power. We plugged our cell phone into the charger and started hand cranking. We're handy people and we take care of our equipment, so we were careful. First there was a creaking noise, some resistance and a burned smell. Then the crank jammed and broke off. So we were without cell and without radio in the emergency situation for which we bought it!
I can't thank the manufacturers enough! Here I was, thinking I was well-prepared. Good riddance to that assumption!
PS (10/31/2012). Someone from Ambient almost immediately contacted me and said they are shipping me a new radio under the one-year warranty. If it turns out to have been a problem with just this one item, I am happy to try another one since, as I wrote, I like the functions. Let's see what happens. I will use it a couple of times soon (in a non-emergency situation!) and will change the rating according to the success/failure of the hand crank!
One thing I can say: they have great customer service!
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