It is always wise to be ready with an emergency kit, as emergencies turn up when you are least expecting them. Being prepared for emergencies will put you at ease in the knowledge that you have the necessary gear and equipment to tackle situations. A radio is one of the most important item in an emergency kit as it is vital to get information and updates in any calamity or emergency situation. The transmission of radio signals is through air and hence it is one of the most dependable form of communication in extreme weather conditions and over large distances.

If a radio is meant for an emergency than its main feature should be that it should work when you most need it. So an emergency radio should be of good sturdy quality and you should easily be able to replenish the power when the device runs out. Based on this principle the emergency crank radio was manufactured as you can easily replenish its power. This radio has a cranking mechanism fitted to dynamo inside the radio. When you turn the handle on the radio, you will be generating electricity, and it will get stored in a rechargeable battery inside. So we see the power source plays an important role in an emergency radio.

Many models of the emergency crank radio now are also equipped with a solar panel, by which the rechargeable battery inside can get charged. But the radio has to be put in direct sunlight for the recharging to take place, and there is no way you can recharge in the night or when the sky is very cloudy. So compared to hand cranking, solar power cannot be considered a reliable source in emergencies. It is of course good to have the additional solar panel on the radio but you cannot depend on it to always recharge your radio. Ultimately it is the hand cranking mechanism only which is most dependable in the worst case scenario. When all power sources fail and your emergency radio has run out of power you just need to turn the handle vigorously for about a minute and you would have charged the radio for at least twenty minutes. The more time you crank the handle longer will be the charge.

A good emergency crank radio will have weather band in addition to the usual AM and FM channels. Weather band will keep you always updated on the current weather status and also broadcast timely alerts and warnings when a disaster is going to strike. If you are trapped some place because of bad weather conditions, you also need to know the evacuation and rescue plans of the government. To have access to all these informations you must have a dependable radio which will not fail when you need it the most. The mechanism or the power should not fail you at the crucial moment when important broadcasts are being relayed. Therefore it is best to depend on an emergency crank radio which is able to generate its own power by the turning of a handle.