Etón Review

By George Harding

I first encountered Etón some years ago when they gave to each press member attending CES a free survival radio, which I still have.  It was designed to let you escape or avoid disaster by listening to NOAA radio, short wave, and AM/FM, have a light and siren and have the ability to charge certain small devices. Etón was joined by Red Cross in the effort to help people.

Since that time, Etón has dramatically expanded their product line. They still have the survival radio line, called FRX, a nifty appliance for your home called the Blackout Buddy CO, the Ruckus line of radios, and a line of AM/FM/LW/Short Wave radios. Each is handsomely crafted, durable and of high quality.

FRX line includes the series 5 through 1, each with differing features. The FRX5 has these features: AM/FM and NOAA radio, alerts with light, sound and text display, charger for smartphone and tablet, charging by solar, crank, battery and USB, flashlight and beacon, and alarm clock. When you run out of sunlight and battery power, the crank can be used for temporary power. One minute of cranking can provide 4 minutes of talk time. It is rugged and esthetically pleasing in its design.

The Blackout Buddy CO is one of the cleverest devices I’ve seen in a while. It warns you of toxic levels of carbon monoxide and plugs into a wall socket. Since CO is heavier than air, it accumulates from the floor upward, so a detector must be at a low level to protect you effectively. When a deadly level of CO is detected, the device sounds an alarm and flashes its light. It contains a lithium ion battery, which turns on its light when the power goes out. You can use the light to help you as you maneuver around the house in what would otherwise be the dark.

The Ruckus line is radios designed for high-quality sound in the out of doors. Each is rugged and water-resistant, is solar or AC powered, can charge your smartphone or tablet and enables NFC pairing.

The radio series provides AM/FM/Short wave and aircraft band reception. The tuning is digital, making it easy to tune the exact frequency you want. There are 700 spaces for station memory! Power is provided by AC or by C batteries. There are four radios in this line.

So, for survival and other radios, see Etón.

Etón Corporation         
 www.etoncorp.com    
Prices vary by model