You Winding Me Up?!
- Thread starter durulz
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Great idea, but not very portable, much smaller battery powerd units are available, good if you are base camping though.
Rob
Rob
I've seen tiny ones ( try Muji), also tempted by a universal windup charger (can charge cameras, phones etc)
I've got one of these - a Freeplay Ranger. Great little radio! Wind up, charge before you go from the mains, and charge from solar if we ever get any sun
I now use an Eton FR140 wind up. Excellent reception, AM / FM & SW. Torch built in (wish it wasnt but it does work). Wind up, solar and re-chargeable vis a USB or mains adaptor. Stunning little radio, great for garden use etc.
I see them often on building sites and the ones I have so far seen have been a wind-up alright
I have a little battery powered radio (with no extra crap on it like a clock, digital display or alarm that causes them to to need to be using energy all the time) and it lasts for ages and ages with a set of batteries, on the other hand the wind-up radios I have seen run for about 20 mins (if they are lucky) then need a good winding. I honestly have not seen a good one yet.
Can you tell I'm pretty unimpressed by windup radios?
Oh and don't get me started on DAB battery munchers, fine if you plug em into the mains but not really much cop when they are on battery power.
I have a little battery powered radio (with no extra crap on it like a clock, digital display or alarm that causes them to to need to be using energy all the time) and it lasts for ages and ages with a set of batteries, on the other hand the wind-up radios I have seen run for about 20 mins (if they are lucky) then need a good winding. I honestly have not seen a good one yet.
Can you tell I'm pretty unimpressed by windup radios?
Oh and don't get me started on DAB battery munchers, fine if you plug em into the mains but not really much cop when they are on battery power.
dunno about radios but those wind up lanterns are a waste of time we let one go flat onceand after 40mins of frantic winding in relays between 4 of us we got 5 mins of bright ish light then it was to dim to do anyhting by
normally they are charged in the car or mains and you playat winding them before the main charge gets used to feel good about not having to use batteries
these are using a few LEDs so i guess a radio would use more power
if you have one let it go flat and see how far winding power alone gets you
ATB
Duncan
normally they are charged in the car or mains and you playat winding them before the main charge gets used to feel good about not having to use batteries
these are using a few LEDs so i guess a radio would use more power
if you have one let it go flat and see how far winding power alone gets you
ATB
Duncan
I've had a freeplay one for nearly ten years.
In that time it has been carried around, been dropped, got left out in the rain, been droppped some more dislodged its spring (another fall from a couple of metres up onto a solid floor) and been generally abused.
It still works, although I can't wind it up properly anymore (I wonder why? )
A couple of minutes winding lasts for over half an hour and if there is a bit of sunshine it hardly needs wound up at all cause the solar cell seems to work well.
In fact once I went away for the weekend and it was a miserable day when I left. The weekend was glorious sunshine
and I got back on Sunday eve, to find my radio (sitting on the kitchen window sill) on at full blast playing very dodgy music. Appartently it had been going all weekend
(Make sure you don't get a digital one though as they use 10x as much power!, Think of that when you pay your energy bills after digital switch over!)
In that time it has been carried around, been dropped, got left out in the rain, been droppped some more
dislodged its spring (another fall from a couple of metres up onto a solid floor) and been generally abused.It still works, although I can't wind it up properly anymore (I wonder why?
) A couple of minutes winding lasts for over half an hour and if there is a bit of sunshine it hardly needs wound up at all cause the solar cell seems to work well.
In fact once I went away for the weekend and it was a miserable day when I left. The weekend was glorious sunshine
and I got back on Sunday eve, to find my radio (sitting on the kitchen window sill) on at full blast playing very dodgy music. Appartently it had been going all weekend (Make sure you don't get a digital one though as they use 10x as much power!, Think of that when you pay your energy bills after digital switch over!)
I have the one Blacks and Millets sell. Wasn't convinced at first but after two years its still as good, not bad for the money.
http://www.millets.co.uk/product/114719.html
http://www.millets.co.uk/product/114719.html
Had one bought for Xmas 3 years ago and used it twice. It's under the stairs, wrapped in plastic with the other stuff that gets used when we have power cuts (happen at least once a year round by me).
