Hand Crank Weather Radios – Why You Need One?

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Do you read a lot about the best ways to prepare for survival situations?

If so, you’ve probably heard about the advantages of owning a hand crank radio. Unlike regular communication devices such as cell phones and laptops, hand crank weather radios do not need the internet or a power grid to work.

Even if your local weather station stops broadcasting, your hand crank radio will continue to provide you with information when other systems are unable to.

The sort of information that is absolutely vital, when trying to safeguard the lives of your friends and family, not to mention your own!

Why Are Hand Crank Weather Radios so Useful?

A hand crank weather radio has numerous advantages when it comes to being kept informed during a time of crisis. In a SHTF situation, you need every bit of information about local escape routes, supply lines, and weather fronts.

Any piece of information that is prevalent to your survival is always good information. Depending on the situation, hand crank weather radios can very quickly become vital pieces of equipment.

Since they are powered by hand, you won’t need to worry about plugging them in. Some hand crank radio devices even feature alternative methods of powering up.

Solar cells and long-lasting, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are a common feature nowadays; this is great news as lithium-ion batteries last much longer than regular batteries.

Another great feature often incorporated into newer radios is the ‘All Hazards NOAA’ feature. This feature enables radios to provide instant up-to-date information on critical weather and civil emergencies.

This service is absolutely crucial when trying to make important decisions during extremely dangerous situations.

Deciding whether to barricade yourself indoors or go out looking for supplies is made easier with good information.

Finally, NOAA weather alert radios don’t depend on the local grid or on local radio stations. This is a crucial difference between weather alerts and weather band radios.

So when you pick your preferred radio, make sure it’s a good quality NOAA weather alert radio.

Tips for Choosing Hand Crank Weather Radios

When it comes to selecting the perfect hand-crank radio, it’s always a good idea to keep your options as open as possible. This could possibly mean buying more than one hand crank radio so coverage is provided for different situations.

For instance, you may have a radio that features a solar panel as an additional charging option. While also buying a device that uses a combination of electromagnets, mechanical systems, and batteries in order to provide you with even more options.

The more charging and recharging features a hand crank radio has the better. Having an extra battery pack for your radio is also a good idea. Predicting the conditions you’ll face during a crisis can be difficult.

If, for example, you’re trapped with no sunlight for your radio solar charging function and the crank handle has broken. An extra battery pack could literally be a lifesaver.

Also, while it’s a good idea to have a weather radio that receives all the most essential emergency broadcasts, it’s also a good idea to own a pair of good quality two-way radios. Two-way radios can provide you with another way of calling for help in emergency situations.

The greater number of emergency communication methods you have at your disposal the better!

Multi-Purpose Qualities

Hand crank radios can ultimately save your life, but you have to make sure you get one that has multi-purpose qualities and capabilities.

That may have been seen as a problem a few decades ago. Today, however, you can purchase a basic hand crank radio that is packed with features.

Radios now commonly feature; alarm clocks, phone charging, USB ports, sirens, flashlights, and even reading lamps, aside from standard weather bands, you can also get NOAA alerts. Even some of the most basic, portable, and practical hand crank radios now feature NOAA alerts.

Radios like the Midland ER310 or the KaitoVoyager K600 can put you in touch with multiple NOAA bands. They also offer many of the features mentioned above; solar charging, flashlight, USB ports etc, etc.

In any type of emergency, a radio is vital. However, a radio that is reliable, portable, compact, and lightweight is not just vital, it’s essential. This is particularly true for anyone that has to travel light.

Finally, even the color of a good-quality emergency alert radio can be important. Not just in terms of personal preference, but for saving lives. In certain situations, being able to keep a low profile is extremely important. You’ll need your radio to be a dark color or have a good camouflage design suited to the environment.

Contrary to blending in, rescue teams might have greater success rescuing you if your radio stands out. Particularly true if a brightly colored radio also features a loud alarm or flashing SOS beacon.

Examples of High-Quality Emergency Survival Radios

Let’s face it, when it comes to hand crank weather radios, you need to know that you’re able to rely on them. This means going the extra mile and buying a quality hand crank radio that’s built to never let you down.

For survival and prepping, one of the best choices is the Sangean MMR88 emergency weather radio. This radio is durable and lightweight by design.

It features a solar power cell for added runtime during the day and a USB/AC/DC adapter for external recharging options. Other integrated features are an LED flashlight and full access to NOAA alerts for all the news and weather information you need during any crisis.

The Eton FRX5BT is also a great choice, especially if you want a device more suited to the urban landscape. Digital technology allows the FRX5BT to integrate with phones and laptops, otherwise known as Bluetooth!

Light, handy and practical, this radio from Eton, can be great when you want to use the full set of possibilities that the city offers, whether the local cell phone towers are working or not.

How Vital is a Hand Crank Radio?

In any type of emergency, up-to-date, reliable information is extremely important. A weather radio will provide that information.  

A hand crank weather radio will do so even when there are no external sources of power available.

Being properly prepared is absolutely paramount to your chances of survival and without a hand crank radio, you simply won’t be!

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Resources:

• Weather.gov
• Alphasurvivalist.net