You need to own a hand crank short wave radio. While these shortwave radios may seem to some like novelties, they can save your life in an emergency. A shortwave radio isn’t just some AM/FM radio, it picks up a variety of shortwave radio signals. These can include but aren’t limited to weather stations, news broad casts, and even signals from other parts of the country and the world. While you may not think of these as important, in an emergency, these radios and stations can be your only link to the outside world.

A hand crank short wave radio has many different power options today. What the hand crank does is every time you turn the crank, the mechanical energy is instantly turned into electrical energy, enough to power the radio itself, and even to charge up the rechargeable batteries. Because the cranking technology has improved so much over the last few decades, turning the crank just a few minutes can power the radio continuously for more than two hours without interruption. They can also use batteries, and when there is power, plugged into the wall outlets.

The real purpose of a hand crank shortwave radio is for if you are stranded, whether on land or at sea, or if you are in the middle of some kind of natural or man made disaster. No matter what the situation, chances are there isn’t going to be any electrical power, and any kind of regular electronic device isn’t going to work. This is where the hand crank action comes into play. In many cases, evacuation procedures are going to be announced over short wave radios from emergency services. They may tell you that help is on the way, where to go, and even what to do until help arrives. In the case of flooding, storms, or tornadoes there can be more important information given on how long the storm is going to last, or how much more inclement weather is on the way. Without this vital information, you could be headed for an even more dangerous situation, or even stranded for longer, because you didn’t know where to go or what to do.

It is important that you keep a hand crank shortwave radio in many different places. You should have shortwave radios in your home, vehicle, and if you own an RV or a boat, you should have one in these as well. You just never know where an emergency will strike, and having one at home while you are stranded in the middle of nowhere doesn’t do you any good.

Just as a hand crank shortwave radio can save your life, you also have to buy the right shortwave radios as well. There are many different brands and models of these radios, and they come in a varying prices. While there many different models, not all of them are the same. The first thing you need to think about when choosing one of these radios is what your needs are. If you just want one to listen to music on the go without having to lug around a bunch of batteries, then cheaper models are a decent choice. One of these is the Eton FR 150. This radio is small and compact, and has very minimal options. Because of this, the cost is quite low.

For hand crank shortwave radio options, where you need access to multiples channels, and emergency bands, more expensive shortwave radios are a better option. This is because they have a better quality sound, and are able to pull in more channels and stations. They have better batteries, and their cranking mechanisms last far longer than cheaper models. Even so, a good radio shouldn’t cost you more than fifty to a hundred dollars.