I've seen a number of posts on some type of wind-up radios.....I forget the name, but it's sort of like BenGay :) I've considered looking for one....

I keep wondering though, How will there be any radio transmissions if the power grid is down?? Am I missing something?

-- Sheila (sross@bconnex.net), August 19, 1998

Answers

Sheila, I have seen many discussions on the Net about this very thing. Most people who are into getting a radio are expecting ham radios/short wave to be the way to go if power is down.

I can't think of the BenGay Radio name :) either, but on the back of the Lehman's catalog there is a Wind up radio made in South Africa. It is cranked for 30 seconds then plays for 1/2 hour.

It will receive AM, FM, and short wave radio bands. Costs $115.00

There is also a compact model that won't get the short wave, it's $79, and it plays 1 hour per charge.

They are powered by a Baylis Generator.

sylvia

-- sylvia (msbrit@usit.net), August 19, 1998.

Hence the name "BayGen.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), August 19, 1998.

You can order the BayGen radio from C. Crane Company, Fortuna, CA. They are also on the internet. I have one and they work great. You just wind it up 60 turns and it plays for 30 minutes. The reception is good too! However, I ordered my from a different source than C. Crane. You can also search BayGen on the www and there are several other companys that carry it. I paid $79.00 for mine.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), August 19, 1998.

Sheila, C. Crane Co. at 1-800-522-8863 has the Baygen Freeplay Radio. UPS should be delivering mine in a day or two! I will post to this thread after I check it out :) When I first heard about this radio, I was thinking "What a great thing to have on a camping trip!" K S

-- Karen Shirer (kgshire@aol.com), August 19, 1998.

I read where if the power goes out and stays out for say, two or three months, radio stations will use backup generators, but that will only work for two or three weeks, then, one by one, they will all fade out, then, nothing...

-- ed (edrider007@aol.com), August 19, 1998.

That is true, if we lose power for an extended period of time the commercial broadcasters will eventually go down. That is why you should also have a scanner and CB radio as well.

Get 12 volt types such as you would install in your car, hook them up to quality 12 volt deep discharge batteries, hook the batteries up to a solar charger and you are in business. That should keep you better informed than 99% of your peers at a price that just about anyone can afford

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), August 19, 1998.

I found a wind up radio that will play for an hour. Also the radio runs on solar power outside. The radio is call "freeplay" and is at Radio Shack for $79.95. However, it doesn't have short wave, only AM & FM.

-- Betty (mbtaylor2@juno.com), August 19, 1998.

I just ordered an Info-mate short wave radio from Sun-mate Inc.

It has 4 shortwave, 2 TV bands, Aircraft, VHF, Weatherband & AM/FM

Crank generator, solar recharge, etc.

$69.00 each.

Sun-mate also has numerous other useful items, like solar security lights (motion detector, etc)

Check it out! http://www.sun-mate.com

The radio is item #837

-- LS (lavoierd@gisco.net), August 20, 1998.

I think you're thinking of the BayGen. You can find the AM/FM version at GI Joes, and I think Radio Shack now for about $79. I've got the AM/FM/SW one, which I ordered for $119 from C. Crane Co., and it's one great radio. It also appears to be tougher then the am/fm only I've seen around at the local stores.

If you're going to go w/ a windup, I've done the research and no one really beats BayGen as far as quality for what you get. Also, if you get any shortwave radio, make sure and get at least a portable shortwave antenna (not the FM whip antenna it comes with) to go with it. Otherwise you won't hear anything. And, in a crisis situation, commercial AM/FM stations might not be around, but shortwave possibly could.

I've got multiple radios, the afforementioned BayGen, a couple am/fm transistor types, and am/fm/tv/weather (weather band will transmit govt. emergency warnings) GE radio that I've had and has worked for years. I can give the transistor cheapies to a neighbor who may need one, and use the GE for scanning all available frequencies to see who's transmitting what. This way, I've got pretty much all possible bands covered.

-- Renaldo W. (renaldo_w@hotmail.com), August 24, 1998.

There was an article in the Dallas Morning News about the Freeplay 2 radio. Their web site is: www.freeplay.net. It tells you all the places that they are available. However they also have an 800 number: 1-800-946-3234. I just odered one dirrect from them. The short wave, AM, FM. is $99. The one without shortwave is $79.95. They also make a flashlight that runs on the same principle-$69.95.

-- Betty Allison (bettya@pflash.com), August 25, 1998.