Home > Consumer Reviews > American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (Red)

After nearly forty-five years in security & emergency services as both vocation & avocation & having lived in the Midwest ("Tornado Ally") for seven years & listening to NOAA Weather Radio Alerts on less than perfect portable radios---I purchased two [American Red Cross FR 150 Emergency Radios] from Amazon, sight unseen. Amazingly they work REALLY well! One was a present to my grandson who has traveled all over the country (soon around the world) into some very rough & tricky weather conditions, including tornadoes, hurricane-force winds & rain, floods, earthquakes & other natural disasters as a professional Supercross Motorcycle Team Mechanic. It seems to be the ideal gift to save him from some dangerous situations & give him a heads-up to steer his team mates around the danger zones, on very short notice! So far, so good.
This is the first time I have seen ANY combination of all the ingredients / elements necessary to handle a disaster in one tiny, weatherproof, lightweight unit such as the FR 150; along with AM & FM Broadcast Band, solar & wind-up power generating capabilities & a powerful flashlight, with an easy rubberized grip! Very impressive & surprisingly inexpensive! I carry mine on every trip & keep it handy by the bed at night. Thanks Amazon. Curtis Patrick, Henderson, NV 89052

Solidly built, good ergodynamics. Little green light shows when solar panel is charging battery, and this occurs even in lower sunlight levels. Weather band radio works well, tuning light for am/fm helps find stations. Battery life appears good.
Only complaint is incomplete instructions for using cellphone charging function. It comes with a short cord with 2 plugs, one which plugs into radio and the other is supposed to plug into cellphone???, but the plug doesn't fit either of our cellphones, and I haven't been able to find an intermediate adapter.

I bought this primarily to pick up the weatherband, and for that it works great, in fact it blows away the walkman that I was using for the weatherband before. AM and FM are average, for local stations only, but for 30 bucks you cant expect a lot in this price range. The solar panel is very sensitive, it even will run the radio if placed under a incandescent lamp. Unfortunately, though, this particular one has a volume control that cuts out at the lower end of its range. If it gets worse down the line I'll either send it back to Eton under the year warranty, or just plain junk the thing. To sum up, if you are considering buying one, check it out completely and be prepared to send it back if something dies or does not work right away. personally, this experience is one reason I dont usually like to buy stuff online - theres no store to bring it back to without paying shipping to return it and get another one. if it wasnt for the bad volume control I would give this 4 stars.

I bought 2, one each for my wife and me. Intended as an emergency device, but handy for camping as well. The only problem is you have to request your specific cell phone adapter from the company. The literature said they will provide one free per radio purchased. They are not in any hurry to provide them to you. I requested mine over four weeks ago and still have not received them. Nor have I received any correspondence that my request was even received or being processed.

I haven't had any success in contacting the company directly.
What do I do now?????

Wait some more, I guess.

I have bought a lot of sub-standard kinetic emergency radios and flashlights under 70 dollars, but mostly 20-50 dollar range. I think everyone should reduce their battery buying, buy energy saving products that are safe and excelant for emergencies.
It's very hard to find these kind of products that delivery all that for a reasonable price.
I bought this American Red Cross FR150 Microlink and it is MUCH BETTER than all the others in its price range of 30 dollars, from Amazon. Today I am leaving it in my sunny Ohioan window to listen to the radio. I just realized it played all day long on solar power! I tried the flashlight and though it isn't super bright LED bulb, it is not real weak either. I can go down my dark basement and read the water meter.

Like my other emergency radios I take them out and crank'em to see if they are working well.
OF COURSE IT IS WISE TO ALWAYS TURN OFF WHEN NOT USING.
I have wrecked a couple of Dynamos by not turning off the radio/flashlight...
The crank action seems to be real solid on it, not wimpy like the others I have come across.American Red Cross FR150 Microlink Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (White)
Unless you have experience tuning into the weather band, a novice might give up trying to tune in on this item or one like it. I used to give up but now I realize it takes practice and patience to find the weather band forecast.
That is about it. If you are looking for something for emergency purposes or an entry level solar product for a small moderate price, I would recommend this FR150