Hand crank radios are an item that every family should have in their emergency kit. These can provide vital information to you if you are caught in a natural disaster and are cut off from conventional radio and T.V.

What are Hand Crank Radios?

A crank radio is very much what it sounds like. It is a radio that has a crank on the side or top. Instead of plugging this kind of radio in or putting disposable batteries into it, you use the crank to charge the battery that is in the radio.

There is a tiny generator in these radios that includes a magnet and a metal coil. When you turn the crank, the magnet or coil moves, and this creates electricity which is sent to the battery. These radios don't hold a charge for a very long time, but they don't need other sources of power.

What Should I Look For in Crank Radios?

Any radio that you buy should get both AM and FM stations, since you want access to the widest possible range of radio stations. Also check into the kind of charge that the radio holds. The average radio will run for an hour or so after about 30 seconds of cranking, so you don't want a radio that holds a charge for less time than this.

Something else to look for is high quality. You should find a radio that looks like it is well made, and preferably is water resistant. If you are faced with a natural disaster or other emergency you don't want your radio to die just because it got a sprinkling of water on it!

Better quality hand crank radios may also have other features on them such as a flashlight or lantern, a siren, or a couple other things. They often also have a small solar panel on them that charges the unit during the day.

Buy What You Can Afford

Too often, people buy <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/4817205']);" href="http://www.emergencyradiosonline.com/">hand crank radios</a> like the ones you can find at any bargain store. They pick it up for a few dollars and figure it will be good enough.  The problem is that if you need one of these radios in the case of an emergency, you don't want to be depending on a cheap one that was good enough.

Getting information in a time of emergency could be the difference between life or death for you and your loved ones, so you need to look into crank radios that are reliable.

Nice radios that will last for years and will work when you really need them to are not cheap, but they are well worth the money you spend. Don't break your bank to get a hand crank radio, but buy the nicest one that you can afford. If you ever need it in a crisis, you will be glad you did.

There are many crank radios available, and so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one or two that are perfect for your family's needs. Hand crank radios aren't a huge investment, but they can give you a lot of peace of mind.