It is now not uncommon that we are faced with an emergency situation. Global warming and pollution has changed the weather patterns around the world and climate has become very unpredictable. The number of natural disasters have increased and there is no telling when one will strike. Tornadoes, hurricanes, storms, bush-fires have become quite common and people now are realizing the need to be prepared. Many are putting together emergency kits and one of the most important item in such kits is an emergency crank radio. This device is nothing but a sturdy radio which is capable of generating its own power. The radio has a cranking mechanism which works on the principle of a dynamo and when you turn the handle vigorously power is generated. This power is stored in a Ni-MH rechargeable battery inside the radio. This feature makes the radio most dependable source of information in an emergency as it can never run out of power as long as you can turn a handle.

The emergency crank radio has become a popular device and many companies have come out with models with extra features and built-in devices which make it more versatile in emergency situations. One of the models is the Kaito KA339 and apart from the radio it has a lantern, LED flashlight and a siren. It is the ideal gear for a camping trip or to have in the house for any emergency situation.

The Katio KA339 has a convenient design for portability and with a big holding handle on top. It is also compact and measures 8.2 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches and weighs just over a pound. This emergency crank radio is quite sturdy and is made for outdoor handling. The radio is capable of receiving all the AM and FM channels and the sound quality is reasonably good. The radio has a cranking handle on the back of its body and it recharges an in-built Lithium battery. Apart from this the radio has several other power sources. It has a solar panel and you can work the radio directly under sunlight, and the solar cell will also charge a set of internal Ni-MH batteries. You can also charge these batteries through an AC adapter which can be bought separately. Apart from all this the radio can also run on three standard size AA batteries.

The Kaito KA339 emergency crank radio has two powerful light sources on either of its sides. One is a powerful flashlight with 5 LED lamps which gives a bright white light. The other is a camping lantern which is powered by 8 LED lamps, each lamp having a power of 15000 MCD. This makes the radio a powerful light source in case of emergencies, and is also ideal to be kept in your car or taken on outdoor trips. Apart from this the radio also has a red flashing beacon light for signaling comprised of two LED lamps of 2000 MCD. Each of the LED lamps are supposed to last for 80,0000 hours and this makes it a very dependable light source.