Kaito KA009 4-Way Powered Emergency Radio, Color Red

I purchase this radio last year as a part of my hurricane survival kit. As it turns out, I got to test it during hurricane IKE. All the options worked very well. It held a charge for a good amount of time and the hand crank came in handy. At one point during the storm, it was just me, the howling of the wind battering my house and this tiny radio. I was very glad to have it. The little light on the side came in handy too.4 star rating note: I've used this radio for quite a while since the storm. It ended up finding a home in my bathroom, post hurricane IKE, to hear the weather and road reports while I was getting ready in the morning (I had no power for quite a few days). After using this radio for almost a year I've noticed a small electrical sort in the volume control (which is also how you turn it on). I have to turn the radio volume up and down a few items to get the speaker to work correctly.Update - 5/7/2010:I am still using this radio in my bathroom. It's still working fine!

This little radio has a nice array of features and the best variety of radio bands.I particularly like how much play time you get out of just 30 seconds of cranking effort. (Note that VOLUME effects energy output.)However, I'm only giving it 3 stars since the solar function has yet to work. It's been sitting on the windowsill soaking up the rays for weeks and yet when I flip the power button to SOLAR... nada, zilch, empty silence. Just saying.

Bought this over a year ago for my 'emergency' kit. Tried it when I received it and it seemed to work ok. Fast forward, pulled this from the kit to test and make sure everything ok. NOT OK, charged the internal battery by AC adapter, turned radio on-----DEAD! No sound, nada! Flashlight works, indicator light indicates internal battery fully charged. Zero on performance. Wrote to Kaito since they are in Los Angeles, whether to repair or not? Waiting......

It is very sensitive on all the frequencies and well worth the price,,There is a little crossover between the frequencies but that can be expected when u consider the price. This is a great radio to take camping or to use during a desaster. It works very well.

Pros:Will run on solar in direct sun!Decent speakersolar/dynamo/recharge/aa batteries make it uniqueCons:reception is mediocre on FM and AM due to being crowded out by high-power stations.

This radio replaced an oler, larger model that stopped working. It is small, and as one other reviewer said, its biggest problem is that the volume control is not sensitive enough to make slight changes. The flashlight is bright and the crank is easy to turn.

Best Feature of radio... can DX on AM...Worst feature of radio... solar power is poor at best.Crank works fine...Strong shortwave signals...Band selector sliders take getting used to...Red is a great choice for this radio.

This works just fine as emergency radio. We are up in mountains and isolated so this is great for power outages, shortwave reception, and the crank works well to power the radio as needed.