Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

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!