Eton is a company that specializes in radios and lighting for emergencies and outdoor applications. At the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, Eton displayed their line of radios, some of which were donated to the Red Cross for use during recent disasters like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But for those of us looking for a little entertainment and information while in the outdoors, there are plenty of radios for that too.
First, there’s the Eton FRX2, a hand turbine AM/FM analog weather radio. It features a hand crank connected to a dynamo motor that charges the battery, and also has a solar panel on the top so you can juice it up on a sunny day. Once it’s ready to go, you can use the radio to get weather reports for planning the next day’s excursion from camp, or to simply listen to music around the campfire. If you’re a little more high-tec than that, the FRX2 has a USB smart phone charger so you can power up your dead MP3 player or phone. Plus, it features an LED flashlight and a glow in the dark indicator so you can find it despite the blackness of night.
An even bigger radio is the FRX3. This guy is practically the same as the smaller FRX2, only it uses a digital radio instead of analog and broadcasts NOAA Weather Alerts. It also features a USB phone charger, LED flashlight, hand turbine, solar panel and glow-in-the-dark locator, as well as an AUX input, headphone output, and an alarm clock. This larger version would be perfect for car camping or for having around the house in case of an emergency.
For those outdoorsy types who think leaving their smartphone at home is akin to chopping off a limb, Eton offers the Mobius, a rechargeable battery case for iPhone 4 and 4s. It uses a solar panel and micro-USB cable so you can recharge your phone no matter how far away from an electrical outlet you find yourself. According to Eton, 1 hour of charging equals 15-20 minutes of talk time. It features a high efficiency monocrystal solar panel, 1800mAh rechargable lithium ion battery, and even syncs with iTunes. Plus, it’s a durable case that will protect your phone in case you drop it while scrambling up a mountain.
For more, visit www.etoncorp.com