I've lucked out twice in the last couple of months and found really good deals on Hand Crank Radios. The first crank radio that I got had an integrated flashlight and siren. It was sold under the WeatherX brand and I got it for only $5 at a Goodwill thriftstore up in Georgia.

My second handcrank radio was available at CVS for only $10. It is marketed under the name Innovage Outdoor and has AM/FM and a weatherband. Although it can run off of batteries, it is called the Innovage Outdoor Battery Free Crank Radio. For more information, here is my review: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2745751/emergency_radio_review_battery_free.html?cat=15

I'm thinking that other handcrank equipment would be very cool to have.

_________________
Vanquish Fear and Panic!
www.thegundude.com

I have a hand crank radio with a light. I forget what brand it is. The radio in it is horrible. The light is great. It will run for hours on just a few cranks. It has 5 LEDs and is really bright.

_________________
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

I have a Eton red cross radio....available in Radio Shack for 30 bucks.....has AM/FM and a flashlight.....works great for me!!

be careful not to crank them too hard or fast - mine BROKE!

I've been looking at buying a hand crank radio that includes a light, solar charging, and the ability to charge small devices like cell phones. I also want one with a digital tuner. The problem I've run into, is that the reviews on the sub-$100 devices are very mixed. Seems there are serious quality control issues with these devices, with some people having great luck, and others having their radios not function right out of the box. Or, as some have mentioned, a few features work great, but others don't.

I have no problem spending more money on a quality unit, even if it ends up in the $200 range. I want something that will last forever, and work properly right away. The trouble is, I can't seem to find anything other than these cheapo units that have all sorts of problems.

Anyone have a suggestion for some higher-quality, professional grade radios that qualify as emergency radios? Maybe I should just get into HAM.

Kain, I have found such a beast: the Eton Scorpion. I've already started a separate thread on it:

http://www.emergencypreparationforum.com/eton-scorpion-multi-purpose-flashlight-radio-1612.html