Listening to radio is one of the favorite past-times and many prefer to listen to it even while doing physical work. Radio is not just an entertainment device, but also something which keeps you informed of various news and weather conditions. For people who work outdoors the radio is a constant and faithful companion and can also be a life-saving device in emergency situations. There are many types of portable radios and most of them have batteries as a power source. The only major disadvantage in such models is that the battery can run out when you need the radio the most. Also if you are a person who is working in remote locations it is highly unlikely to get a replacement for the battery. In such cases a crank radio becomes very useful.

An emergency crank radio has a handle which can be turned to produce power, which can run the radio. This makes the radio very dependable as it can be powered up anytime and anywhere, without depending on the conventional batteries or other source of power. There are quite a few companies manufacturing emergency crank radios and C. Crane is one of them. One of their popular models is the EyeMax emergency crank radio, which is perfect for outdoor and indoor use.

The EyeMax emergency crank radio has all the weather bands which give all-hazards alerts and updates from NOAA. This is very important information one needs to have when on a trip or working in remote locations, as now a days weather changes quite drastically in a short time. Along with the weather band the radio also has the usual AM and FM frequencies for entertainment and news channels.

The EyeMax emergency crank radio has a trendy shape, and the body is made of a durable material. It is made for rough use and can withstand outdoor conditions. Although it is not completely waterproof, it can be used in rainy weather as it is splash-proof. The crank handle is sturdy and can be cranked in any direction to power up the radio. The cranking mechanism has gears and so there is no danger of over-winding the mechanism. Turning the handle will drive the alternator which will work as a dynamo to produce electricity and power up the battery inside. The radio also has a charge level indicator which tells you when the battery inside is fully charged. If you want to fully charge the radio only by cranking the handle it will take you about forty minutes of continuous turning of the handle. Before the first use or use after a long time, the radio will require a conditioning charge which can be given by repeated cranks of 30 second cycles.

The EyeMax emergency crank radio also has a solar panel to power up the radio. The radio has to be placed in direct sunlight and it will start charging even when the radio is turned off. The radio also has a convenient LED flashlight which can be powered by the cranking mechanism.