Kaito KA500GRN 5-Way Powered Emergency AM/FM/SW Weather Alert Radio, Green Buyer Reviews

We purchased this radio to have in our emergency kits. It is an impressive little dynamo! It single took a few cranks to fire up the radio and the lights. The lights are extremely bright. The weather station came up extremely well as well as all the other stations we tuned into. It is solid. Extremely nice. We also purchased the AC adapter through by Kaito. Plenty of options to power it up. Highly recommend this little radio.
- H. Johnson "mamapenguin"

I am a aerial of radios and have radios in my collection that date from the 1920's to present digital radios. I purchased the Explorer primarily due to its looks at attributes, but with I recieved it, I establish the radio to be both a splendid beginners radio and a cut of equipment that now occupies a only one of its kind house in my radio shack. For persons of you who are radio pros, this radio has only one of its kind bells and whistles that can add to your urgent circumstances radio wants as it has extra illumination and charging ports for a cell phone. But it also has a very good reciever and is capable of pulling in stations well on the AM band and it has SW1 and SW2 and seems to do positively well in that area as well. Im my attitude this radio has a better reciever than some of the contemporary Grundig radios that are on the promote.
- Eugene C. Stevens

The Good:- Solar and eccentric work very well for charging the internal pack. Sun charged pack from 0v to 3.8v (full) in about 4 hours, and the solar panel is large enough to run the radio and charge the internal pack simultaneously.- AM, Shortwave, and NOAA greeting is ok.- LEDs behind solar panel are very sharp and helpful.- Adjustable angle solar panel very helpful.- Internal Ni-MH pack easily disconnected/indifferent/swapped if de rigueur.- Plenty of different cell buzz charging connectors full. (but no micro USB at time of purchase)The Bad:- Tuning means feels very cheap, tends to kick back in the contrary direction slightly with you let go. Plan on costs superfluous time centering the dial on your rank.- FM greeting very poor, there are inexplicable dead carriers almost the FM band, and it sounds like the tuning is 'off' reasonably often. Has vex receiving stations my super cheap sack ebay AM/FM/SW radio gets with no problem.- Solar panel will NOT charge USB devices. USB port shows only 100-200 mV in full sun. Eccentric charge works fine however.- The cable vital to charge via USB is rare if it exists at all, but easy to wire up yourself.- Internal Ni-MH pack is very small, and is a negotiate between fast charging and run time. Don't rely on the internal pack to potential the radio overnight in NOAA alert mode, it will be dead before morning.- Green 'hi charge' LED is a bit liberal and will stay green with routine begins to degrade due to low voltage. The red 'low charge' LED only illumination up with it's too dead to run.Update: The NOAA ride out portion has died completely. Now there is only silence when the dial is in the 'Ride out' spot.
- R. Mazzeo

KAITO KA500 VERY VERSATILEIf considering the Kaito KA500, you want a highly portable touchtone phone logic that does it all. I did. I sought after a touchtone phone logic with usefulness in (a) sources of potential participation and (b) touchtone phone logic signals expected.Public touchtone phone logic served me well weathering Cyclone Katrina's consequence with a austere boom box. But what if equipment get dicier? My solution was to put collectively a catastrophe/camping/survival pack. And I needed a touchtone phone logic.I matured in on the Kaito KA500, since not anything else came so close to providing abundant sources of potential and rank signals. Internet searchings I did indicated sales to air force, a good sign. I bought one with the discretionary mast you reel out for 23 feet. Here's what I establish.FEATURES1. Manifold sources of potential: It's powered by 3 AA batteries you buy, or eccentric to payment the built-in Ni-MH array pack, or use solar panel on back with sloping axis for charging the array pack, or join notebook USB to payment the array pack, or use the AC adaptor to payment the array pack.2. Manifold sources of signals: AM, FM, all 7 NOAA ride out channels on crystal (NOT analog knob) tuning, SW1, and SW2.3. Bonus facial appearance additional than these basics: Colorless LED flashlight, red periodic LED emergency indicate set alight, 5-LED conception set alight built into the reverse side of the solar charging cells so it tilts up and down to chat, and ear bud receiver. These LED set alight facial appearance are powered as is the touchtone phone logic, so they can work with manifold sources of potential with no thread bulbs to burn out. The KA500 also includes a USB productivity jack with wire that fits onto five different mobile and confidential electronic cleverness to payment them, and all these bits and pieces come with the unit.4. Discretionary facial appearance: Long 23 foot mast you can thread out and compress to the stab-up mast that reels back into a clogged spool 3 inches in diameter, AC adaptor, USB cable for charging the KA500.EVALUATIVE REVIEW OF FEATURES1. Sources of powera. Before to putting in any bought batteries, I cranked the touchtone phone logic up for in this area a little, and the small set alight on the front said it was completely exciting. It ran for 10-15 synopsis lacking any tribulations getting an FM rank before to I put in the pile-bought batteries.b. The pile-bought batteries worked fine.c. I have not yet used the solar mount, nor approved the discretionary AC mount, nor approved the discretionary USB mount that charges the array pack. I have no wits to reconcile any of these would not work, as all else has worked.2. Sources of touchtone phone logic signala. FM signals came in fine. The productivity is mono but quite check.b. AM signals also came in fine, the typical many signals.c. SW bands pulled in a lot of stations, to some extent more visibly than AM (I did this testing at night). I got I don't know half nameless foreign language stations, frequently Spanish.d. NOAA ride out was splendid in a additional city, mediocre but understandable here on the Gulf Coast. A separate knob is ardent only getting just the seven ride out stations, which are expected digitally by crystals.3. Tuning and sounda. The tuning knob worked fine, as did all additional joystick.b. Sound feature was OK When MPB public touchtone phone logic played some vintage Earl Skruggs it was lovely over the small built in lecturer. The receiver in fact superfluous some bass. I mind clad sound as a bonus, as I did not buy the KA500 for distinction of sound feature. I bought it for being paid any understandable indicate below duress.4. Bonus featuresa. The LED flashlight does what one LED does, the same as the one on my keychain and 1/3 as astute as the three on my cap clip-on set alight.b. The red periodic LED worked well. It is liable noticeable for an free mile or more, doubtless out of over fill up.c. The conception lamp is a real rock. I twisted off all my illumination and tried to read. Conception was easy, so this touchtone phone logic can also be a good tent set alight, has a strap up top.d. The long mast boosted greeting a bit, not momentously. It improved marginal signals.CONCLUSIONThe Kaito KA500 gives me amazingly versatile sources of potential and touchtone phone logic signals for its price. The bonus facial appearance make it real bargain. If you want an emergency portable touchtone phone logic of modest price, the best chance of powering up below duress, the widest diversity of signals of matter-of-fact use in a catastrophe/camping/survival situation, plus a bunch of bonus facial appearance, I'd say the KA500 is your best bet by far.HINTS1. Keep the bubble wrap the touchtone phone logic comes in and tape the flap shut with duct tape for safeguard in your pack. Put it in a gallon glad bag and you're set.2. If preparing for emergencies, online assets offer a lot. I liked:a. Doug Ritter's many recommendations and equipment. He has set up a foundation "Equipped to Carry on" and truly has his sensitivity into survival oriented open-air gear. You can even download his survival page free on that foundation website. You can also dissipate in this area a half hour conception the fine points in this area his Sack Survival Pak, which I bought on Amazon. You can dissipate a additional half hour conception why he built-in the bits and pieces he did in the pak and how he elected his survival instructions. You gotta love this guy.b. Good survival manuals sold by Amazon, Wiseman's usually topping rankings.
- Nobleman "nobleman"

I bought the KA500 to use for emergencies and camping. I have 3 other Kaito radios: the KA007 crank radio, the KA-1103 multiband, and the KA2100. The 1103 and 2100 are really fine radios with truly impressive reception, especially the 1103. On the other hand, I was extremely disappointed in the KA007, as the radio reception on all its bands is barely acceptable, with terrible selectivity resulting in stations bleeding through all over the dial. The weather reception on the 007 was awful, as was the VHF and the FM.I hoped this would be a better the theater translation of the 007, and it is - but not as much as I'd hoped for. The weather reception is definitely superior over the 007, and currently is almost as good as my dedicated weather radios. The SW seems more insightful currently, and seems to have better selectivity. Not fabulous but good enough for a radio that is not primarily proposed as a world-band radio. However, the FM is subdue pretty bad. Here in the Boston area, there are two public radio stations that are fairly strong, and come in on pretty much any radio - yet I could not get on to either one on the KA500, let alone the weaker local stations. This means that for me, it's not usable as an everyday radio - single for emergencies.There is no inquiry that this radio has about every feature you could request for in an emergency radio (except maybe a siren of some kind). It's extremely well thought made known, and the ability to power it in so many traditions, as well as charge other things starting it is great. However, given that Kaito's higher end radios have really impressive sensitivity and selectivity, it's a shame they subdue house of protection't created an emergency/crank radio that uses any of their higher end technology. After all, wouldn't you want the preeminent possible receiver in an emergency?Kaito's digital world band radios initiation almost $55, and their analog high sensitivity models can be had for $35. I'd have happily compensated another $15-20 for a much better receiver. Currently, none of the crank and solar panel radios are much better - they all seem to sacrifice receiver quality, which makes no sense to me. I hope in the future Kaito will offer a develop with the features of the KA500 but a receiver at smallest amount as good as the KA1101.
- Michael

KAITO KA500 VERY VERSATILEIf compelling into account the Kaito KA500, you want a vastly portable radio that does it all. I did. I wanted a radio with usefulness in (a) sources of power input and (b) radio signals expected.Broadcast radio served me well weathering Cyclone Katrina's aftermath with a plain boom box. But what if equipment get dicier? My key was to put collectively a catastrophe/camping/survival pack. And I needed a radio.I matured in on the Kaito KA500, since not anything else came so close to providing abundant sources of power and station signals. Internet searchings I did indicated sales to military, a good sign. I bought one with the optional antenna you reel out for 23 feet. Here's what I found.FEATURES1. Multiple sources of power: It's powered by 3 AA batteries you buy, or crank to charge the built-in Ni-MH battery pack, or use solar panel on back with sloping hinge for charging the battery pack, or join computer USB to charge the battery pack, or use the AC adaptor to charge the battery pack.2. Multiple sources of signals: AM, FM, all 7 NOAA weather channels on crystal (NOT analog knob) tuning, SW1, and SW2.3. Bonus facial appearance additional than these basics: White LED flashlight, red sporadic LED urgent circumstances indicate light, 5-LED reading light built into the back side of the solar charging cells so it tilts up and down to chat, and ear bud earphones. These LED light facial appearance are powered as is the radio, so they can work with multiple sources of power with no filament bulbs to burn out. The KA500 also includes a USB output jack with wire that fits onto five different cellphone and private electronic skill to charge them, and all these items come with the unit.4. Optional facial appearance: Long 23 foot antenna you can thread out and clamp to the stick-up antenna that reels back into a closed spool 3 inches in diameter, AC adaptor, USB cable for charging the KA500.EVALUATIVE REVIEW OF FEATURES1. Sources of powera. Before putting in any bought batteries, I cranked the radio up for about a little, and the small light on the front said it was fully charged. It ran for 10-15 synopsis without any problems receiving an FM station before I put in the store-bought batteries.b. The store-bought batteries worked fine.c. I have not yet used the solar mount, nor ordered the optional AC mount, nor ordered the optional USB mount that charges the battery pack. I have no wits to judge any of these would not work, as all else has worked.2. Sources of radio signala. FM signals came in fine. The output is mono but quite acceptable.b. AM signals also came in fine, the usual many signals.c. SW bands pulled in a lot of stations, to some extent more visibly than AM (I did this difficult at night). I got I don't know half foreign language stations, frequently Spanish.d. NOAA weather was great in a additional city, median-of-the-road but intelligible here on the Gulf Coast. A separate knob is devoted only receiving just the seven weather stations, which are expected digitally using crystals.3. Tuning and sounda. The tuning knob worked fine, as did all other reins.b. Sound quality was OK When MPB broadcast radio played some vintage Earl Skruggs it was pleasant over the small built in lecturer. The earphones actually added some bass. I count decent sound as a bonus, as I did not buy the KA500 for distinction of sound quality. I bought it for getting any intelligible indicate under difficulty.4. Bonus featuresa. The LED flashlight does what one LED does, the same as the one on my keychain and 1/3 as sharp as the three on my cap clip-on light.b. The red sporadic LED worked well. It is likely visible for an free mile or more, probably out of over water.c. The reading lamp is a real jewel. I twisted off all my lights and tried to read. Reading was easy, so this radio can also be a good tent light, has a strap up top.d. The long antenna boosted reception a bit, not momentously. It stuck-up marginal signals.CONCLUSIONThe Kaito KA500 gives me amazingly versatile sources of power and radio signals for its price. The bonus facial appearance make it real bargain. If you want an urgent circumstances portable radio of modest price, the best chance of powering up under difficulty, the widest diversity of signals of practical use in a catastrophe/camping/survival circumstances, plus a bunch of bonus facial appearance, I'd say the KA500 is your best bet by far.HINTS1. Keep the bubble wrap the radio comes in and tape the flap shut with duct tape for protection in your pack. Put it in a gallon glad bag and you're set.2. If preparing for emergencies, online assets offer a lot. I liked:a. Doug Ritter's many recommendations and equipment. He has set up a foundation "Equipped to Carry on" and truly has his heart into survival oriented open-air gear. You can even download his survival sheet free on that foundation website. You can also spend about a half hour reading the fine points about his Sack Survival Pak, which I bought on Amazon. You can spend a additional half hour reading why he built-in the items he did in the pak and how he selected his survival instructions. You gotta love this guy.b. Good survival manuals sold by Amazon, Wiseman's ordinarily topping rankings.
- Nobleman "nobleman"

This radio is awe-inspiring! I also have a KA 1102. I bought this one to use during brutal ride out since we now and again have tornadoes and brutal thunderstorms everywhere I live. I was thinking about using the eccentric and solar panel if we were ever lacking electricity. I am very satisfied with the routine of this radio and now I use it more than the ka 1102. I amgoing to buy a additional and send it to my mother so she can use it during brutal ride out also. The greeting on FM/AM and SW is very good. The ride out radio is about predictable for everywhere we live -- it is never exceptionally good on any radio here everywhere we live, so I don't really reflect the radio is the problem with that.Rotary the eccentric for a little gives you plenty of listening time, and the reading light under the solar panel is really nice. This radio is perfect and is just so what I was looking for. The at the start time I tried the shortwave bands, I got a rank from The Ukraine and Plates Radio Global with very good greeting.And I am impressed by the many ways you can charge this radio. I tried them all except for putting regular batteries in and the AC mount, and they work well.Overall, I feel like this is one of the best equipment I have ever purchased. Few equipment there are anymore that I can say I am very happy with, but about this radio I can say it. I would give it an A+++.
- R. DePeche "Celtic Wulf"

I bought this item just over a year and a half ago, and it's served my needs very well. Frequent camping trips, occasional blackouts and the likelihood of it being the only means of receiving important information in an urgent circumstances circumstances, this radio has proven time and again that it's the right scale for what I want it for.I've taken this sucker camping 12 times and never been disappointed. I've left my car phone mount home by accident twice and the KA500's dynamo charged it (motorola razor) with ten synopsis of cranking. I've dropped it, kicked it, even left it out in the camper in sub-zero temperatures for a week and it still works like new.My girl likes to have a radio or tv on while she's falling sleeping and the same ten synopsis of cranking put out 40 synopsis of shortwave or FM radio for her to fall sleeping by, in the median of the Wisconsin north woods far from any other self.Three times since I bought this product the power has gone out in my area, and twice it was since of weather-related emergencies. This radio brings the NOAA weather alerts right to us during blackouts and keeps us up to speed.More than a few times I've stretched out the shortwave clip-on antenna and have been able to take note to radio france or argentina simply by clipping it on and throwing it over a tree branch.Most of the bad reviews of this product are due to user error; you need to crank the dynamo for more than two synopsis to charge the battery, you need to read the packaging or advertised product description to know what's in the box, you need to crank it in small, tight and steady turns - just like any other dynamo-charged product - and not be overzealous and rip the crank soubriquet off. It's very lasting as long as you don't act like your tiresome to power a full-sized refrigerator. Don't let a few ignoramuses spoil you on this actually good deal on a very good urgent circumstances radio.
- Patrick Carey

I tested the KA500 along with several other nature-powered radios for a project I'm working on in rural Secondary-Saharan Africa. I establish that the KA500 is a extremely competent shortwave receiver it's just not nearly as harsh as its competitors. Here are my thoughts:What I like about the KA500:- Solar Panel--the KA500 is one of the single portable shortwave receivers made known there with a built-in solar panel. The panel is effectual enough that it will power the radio (if in direct sunlight) lacking batteries and produce a reasonable amount of volume through its built-in lecturer.- The 5 LED conception lamp -- This conception lamp is impressive. If the batteries are fully charged, the lamp works for VERY long periods of time. I'm also an amateur radio operator and establish that the conception lamp is bright enough that it lit up my large radio table.- Good shortwave sensitivity -- For a nature-powered analog radio, I was impressed with the shortwave sensitivity. I also establish the AM announce and FM bands adequate/mean.- Good selectivity -- When a station is tuned-in well, you don't often take notice of adjacent signals.- Good frequency coverage -- I like the fact that KA500 covers the NOAA weather frequencies, FM, AM and a extremely large portion of the SW spectrum (starting 3.2 MHZ to 22MHz, missing single a little used piece between 8 & 9 MHz)What I didn't like:- Quality -- Even if the radio feels solid in your hand, I establish through my difficult that the quality of the KA500 is actually reasonably poor. More than once, the tuning mechanism would move quietly and the needle would get on to stuck in the middle of the dial. The worst part, even if, is the poor quality of the hand-crank mechanism. The dynamo and crank arm feel low-cost. Well, they are low-cost. After single a month of occasional difficult--and with me being extremely careful with the hand crank--the dynamo started showing signs of failing. The crank became less fluid to turn and would rub the feature of the radio skeleton. One time, while slowly cranking, the crank arm just snapped in semi. No more crank power.- No Fine Tune control -- Kaito fits of laughter the whole SW1 and SW2 spectrum on a small dial. There were a few times I wish this radio had a fine tune control like the Grundig FR200.BOTTOM LINE:I sent my KA500 back and did not get on to it replaced. It's a shame, really. I loved the radio's features and overall performance, but was extremely disappointed with quality.I could single recommend this radio to someone who plans on tucking it gone and using it on rare occasions or someone who desires a basic full-featured radio but never plans on using the hand-crank. I'd also keep the receipt clever for the restore (and buy starting an authorized dealer like Amazon or Universal Radio).For my purposes, I will be using the Grundig/Etón FR350 and the FR200. The difference in quality between these and the KA500 is nighttime and time. The Grundigs/Etóns are extremely harsh, water resistant and time tested. The crank arms are through better and flush after long-term use, continue to function by the book. They're simply designed and tested better (before hitting the retail shelf).Sure wish Kaito would work on the quality of the KA500, they'd have a extremely competitive product. For currently, I'll stab with Etón!
- T. Witherspoon "QRPer"

The following is my experiences with this radio :NEGATIVESI live in a rural area of America with a elevation of about 200 ft above sea level . My location has extremely indigent radio station transmitions and this Kaito radio does not pull in stations to well. VERY POOR RECPETION IN MY AREA.I keep my radio in a window where it is always in the sunlight, but the included rechargeable battery pack would not charge up by solar power. I decided to get out my multimeter and test the d.c voltage output of the flip up solar panel . Heres the problem ;In the brightest sunlight possible, my solar panel was only putting out about 3 volts . In normal sunlight , sitting in my window, it was putting out about 1.5 volts. This will not charge the 3.6 volt batter pack. Luckily I had a extra small solar panel from another solar radio. I took the solar panel compartment on the Kaito apart, and then soldered the other solar panel in parallel and then hot glues that solar panel to the flip out lid, so both solar panels would get sunlight. Now I get 3.8 volts in full sunlight, which is perfect for charging the 3.6 volt rechargeable battery pack. I dont know if other Kaito radios have this problem, but mine did.Positives ;the radio has a great flip up LED lamp , which throws out significant set alight, enough to read by in pitch dark. It also has a 1 LED set alight to use as a flashlight feature. The NOAA weather alert is a nice feature. The single lecturer sounds fine and at night I have gotten a few shortwave stations.
- S. price

Kaito KA500GRN 5-Way Powered Emergency AM/FM/SW Weather Alert Radio, Green

The newly unhindered Kaito Explorer KA500 is a sister manufactured goods of Kaito's widely praised urgent circumstances radios KA007, KA008 and KA009. With its revolutionary top and versatile functions, it's an essential companion for urgent circumstances attentiveness purposes, open-air activities as well as roving. Specifically calculated for urgent circumstances situations, the KA500 offers different methods to power itself. Persons methods contain AC/DC adapter (not built-in), three AA batteries (not built-in), the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery which can be revived from the AC adapter, by hand, by solar panel or by a PC, and the dynamo hand eccentric which not only can give a new lease of life the built-in battery but provides power even when no battery is installed. At the sensitivity of the KA500, here is an domestic generator that recharges the domestic replaceable Ni-MH battery pack and powers the radio, flashlight and conception lamp. Also, by plugging your cell phone into the jack on the back of the radio, you can use the eccentric to power your phone. Not only that, this radio also features a USB port, which you can use any to payment your radio with a PC or payment other electronic gadgets with the hand eccentric. You can use the KA500 to hear a wide array of broadcasting counting AM, FM, shortwave and NOAA weather stations. The 7-weather channels are pre-programmed and numbered from 1-7, you can easily and conveniently tune into the stations by turning the batter, no more guess work involved. Compared with any other solar-powered urgent circumstances radios, the KA500 has its only one of its kind 180-top adjustable solar panel, which can maximize sunlight exposure to power up the radio or payment the domestic Ni-MH batteries. On the back side of the solar panel, here is a super-bright 5-LED conception lamp. Standard accessories contain headset, user blue-collar and bonus manifold adapter tips for charging excellent models of Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and LG phones.