Emergency Radio Choices From Sangean, Midland, & C.Crane
Do you have an emergency radio?
I own radios from all three of the following companies.
Each of them has proven to be quality choices.
– Sangean
– Midland
– C.Crane Co.
While there are portable emergency radios in various price ranges, you may need to spend around $50 to get one into the realm of quality (generally speaking). While the $100-$200 range buys top-of-the-line, I thought I would look at the $50 range in this article…
What Is An Emergency Radio?
They are designed to be used during a power outage or any other such time of emergency to gather information.
An emergency radio is battery operated (internal battery). The battery may be charged by a number of mechanisms including a wall charger, solar panel, hand crack, or external USB power sources.
The radio will have the ability to tune in the AM band, FM band, and the Weather bands. Some radios include additional bands (e.g. shortwave) although you’ll generally pay more for them.
During a general emergency situation (power outage) you will typically tune in AM or FM to discover local information regarding the situation. Additionally, since many emergencies are caused by weather, naturally you may also tune in the weather bands for latest National Weather Service information.
Sangean MMR-88 Emergency Radio
Sangean has a worldwide presence and have been around for more than 40 years.
Sangean MMR-88 (CHECK IT OUT HERE)
Sangean Emergency Radio (major) Features
Dimensions, Width,Height,Depth (6″ x 3.25″ x 2.75″)
AM/FM bands (plus 19 Presets)
Public Alert Certified Weather Alert Radio
Charging modes (Hand Crank, USB, or Solar Power)
Charge external devices through USB connection
Rechargeable / Replaceable 850maH Lithium Battery
Built-in LED Flashlight (Hi, Low, Blinking, SOS Morse Code))
Loud Emergency Buzzer
Built-in Clock
90 Minute Auto Shut Off
Midland ER300 EMERGENCY RADIO
Midland is an international industry leader in radio communications and they’ve been around for more than 50 years.
Midland ER310 (CHECK IT OUT HERE)
Midland Emergency Radio (major) Features
Dimensions, Width,Height,Depth (8″ x 3.5″ x 2.5″)
AM/FM bands
NOAA Weather Band w/siren alert & flashing LED alert
Charging modes (Hand Crank, USB, or Solar Power)
Charge external devices through USB connection
Rechargeable / Replaceable 2000 mAh Lithium Ion Battery
Additional Battery Backup Option with 6 ”AA” Batteries (Not Included)
Bright Cree LED Flashlight 130 Lumens
Ultra Sonic Dog Whistle for emergency canine rescue
C. Crane Solar Observer EMERGENCY RADIO
I have had (still have) several C.Crane radios over the years. They are known for not only great quality, but also their audio quality compared to other similar size radios.
C. Crane Solar Observer (CHECK IT OUT HERE)
C. Crane Emergency Radio (major) Features
Dimensions, Width,Height,Depth (7.25″ x 5.5″ x 2″)
Simple to operate (dial tuner)
AM/FM
NOAA Weather Band
Charging modes (Hand Crank, Solar Power, plug-in wall charger)
Additional Battery Backup Option with 3 ”AA” Batteries
Phone charger USB socket
Once in awhile I post about ‘radios’, which I believe to be an important preparedness essential to have on hand. Given the number of models and manufacturers to choose from, I hope this short list will help some of you who may be interested in this price range to get a few ideas…
What do you have for an emergency radio?