KAITO KA500 VERY VERSATILEIf taking into account the Kaito KA500, you want a highly 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.Public radio served me well weathering Hurricane Katrina's upshot with a plain boom box. But what if things get on to dicier? My solution was to put together a catastrophe/camping/survival pack. And I needed a radio.I settled in on the Kaito KA500, because nothing else came so accurate to providing abundant sources of power and station signals. Internet searchings I did indicated sales to services, a good road sign. I bought one with the discretionary antenna you reel made known for 23 feet. Here's what I establish.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 tilting hinge for charging the battery pack, or connect notebook 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 features beyond these basics: Colorless LED flashlight, red flashing LED emergency signal light, 5-LED conception light built into the reverse feature of the solar charging cells so it tilts up and down to adjust, and ear bud earphones. These LED light features are powered as is the radio, so they can work with multiple sources of power with no filament bulbs to burn made known. The KA500 also includes a USB output jack with wire that fits of laughter onto five different cellphone and personal electronic diplomacy to charge them, and all these bits and pieces come with the element.4. Discretionary features: Long 23 bottom antenna you can string made known and clamp to the stab-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 minute, and the small light on the front said it was fully charged. It ran for 10-15 minutes lacking 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 charger, nor ordered the discretionary AC charger, nor ordered the discretionary USB charger that charges the battery pack. I have no reason to believe any of these would not work, as everything else has worked.2. Sources of radio signala. FM signals came in fine. The output is mono but reasonably acceptable.b. AM signals also came in fine, the usual many signals.c. SW bands pulled in a lot of stations, somewhat more clearly than AM (I did this difficult at nighttime). I got perhaps semi foreign language stations, mostly Spanish.d. NOAA weather was great in another city, middle-of-the-road but intelligible here on the Gulf Coast. A separate knob is devoted solely 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 controls.b. Sound quality was OK When MPB public 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 excellence of sound quality. I bought it for getting any intelligible signal under pressure.4. Bonus featuresa. The LED flashlight does what one LED does, the same as the one on my keychain and 1/3 as bright as the three on my cap clip-on light.b. The red flashing LED worked well. It is likely visible for an unobstructed mile or more, probably farther over water.c. The conception lamp is a genuine jewel. I turned off all my lights and tried to read. Conception 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 superior marginal signals.CONCLUSIONThe Kaito KA500 gives me amazingly versatile sources of power and radio signals for its price. The bonus features get on to it genuine bargain. If you want an emergency portable radio of modest price, the preeminent chance of powering up under pressure, the widest variety of signals of practical use in a catastrophe/camping/survival situation, plus a bunch of bonus features, I'd display the KA500 is your preeminent bet by far.HINTS1. Keep the bubble wrap the radio comes in and tape the flap shut with canal tape for protection in your pack. Put it in a gallon joyful bag and you're set.2. If preparing for emergencies, online resources offer a lot. I liked:a. Doug Ritter's many recommendations and supplies. He has set up a foundation "Equipped to Survive" and truly has his heart into survival oriented outdoor gear. You can flush download his survival sheet free on that foundation website. You can also spend about a semi hour conception the details about his Pocket Survival Pak, which I bought on Amazon. You can spend another semi hour conception why he included the bits and pieces 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 usually topping rankings.
- Nobleman "nobleman"
The Skilled:- Solar and crank bring about extremely water supply pro charging the domestic amount. Sun exciting amount early 0v to 3.8v (full) in in this vicinity 4 hours, and the solar panel is generous ample to go on the touchtone phone logic and payment the domestic amount at once.- AM, Shortwave, and NOAA greeting is ok.- LEDs in the rear solar panel are extremely astute and helpful.- Flexible angle solar panel extremely helpful.- Domestic Ni-MH amount basically disconnected/indifferent/swapped if de rigueur.- Bounty of uncommon part buzz charging connectors full. (keep pro no micro USB at calculate of hold)The Terrible:- Tuning means feels extremely despondent-deprivation, tends to kick in trade in the contrary management abstractedly including you consent to go. Schooling on costs superfluous calculate centering the dial on your rank.- FM greeting extremely indigent, here are incomprehensible exhausted carriers almost the FM band, and it sounds be fond of the tuning is 'bitter' practically evenly. Has bother getting stations my super despondent-deprivation sack ebay AM/FM/SW touchtone phone logic gets including no conundrum.- Solar panel will NOT payment USB cleverness. USB haven shows release 100-200 mV in full sun. Crank payment facility fair even if.- The cable essential to payment by road of USB is erratic if it exists at all, keep pro straightforward to line up physically.- Domestic Ni-MH amount is extremely tiny, and is a negotiate between at approximately calculate ago charging and go on calculate. deposit on't rely on the domestic amount to potential the touchtone phone logic overnight in NOAA alert manner, it will be exhausted before to daylight.- Conservational 'hi payment' LED is a cut liberal and will pause conservational including normal begins to degrade awaited to despondent voltage. The cherry 'despondent payment' LED release illumination up including it's excessively exhausted to go on.Bring up to date: The NOAA ride out portion has died absolutely. Currently here is release silence as the dial is in the 'Ride out' dash.
- R. Mazzeo
We purchased this radio to have in our emergency kits. It is an impressive modest dynamo! It only took a few cranks to fire up the radio and the lights. The lights are very bright. The weather station came up very well as well as all the other stations we tuned into. It is solid. Very nice. We also purchased the AC adapter made by Kaito. Plenty of options to power it up. Highly recommend this modest radio.
- H. Johnson "mamapenguin"
I am a aerial of radios and have radios in my pool that date from the 1920's to bestow digital radios. I purchased the Voyager primarily due to its looks at attributes, but after I recieved it, I found the radio to be both a great beginners radio and a piece of gear that now occupies a only one of its kind place in my radio shack. For those 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 needs as it has extra illumination and charging ports for a cell phone. But it also has a very good reciever and is competent 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 best reciever than some of the contemporary Grundig radios that are on the promote.
- Eugene C. Stevens
This telephone system is awesome! I also have a KA 1102. I bought this one to use during brutal ride out in view of the fact with the intention of we sometimes have tornadoes and brutal thunderstorms where I live. I was idea about by the crank and solar panel if we were ever without electricity. I am very pleased with the performance of this telephone system and currently I use it more than the ka 1102. I amgoing to buy another and send it to my protect so she can use it during brutal ride out also. The reception on FM/AM and SW is very good. The ride out telephone system is about predictable for where we live -- it is never exceptionally good on any telephone system here where we live, so I don't really reflect the telephone system is the problem with with the intention of.Turning the crank for a minute gives you plenty of listening time, and the reading light below the solar panel is really nice. This telephone system is perfect and is just so what I was looking for. The initially time I tried the shortwave bands, I got a station from The Ukraine and China Telephone system Global with very good reception.And I am impressed by the many ways you can charge this telephone system. I tried them all except for putting regular batteries in and the AC mount, and they work well.By and large, I feel like this is one of the best things I have ever purchased. Only just any things there are any longer with the intention of I can display I am very happy with, keep for about this telephone system I can display it. I would yield it an A+++.
- R. DePeche "Celtic Wulf"
I bought the KA500 to use for emergencies and camping. I have 3 additional Kaito radios: the KA007 eccentric radio, the KA-1103 multiband, and the KA2100. The 1103 and 2100 are actually fine radios with truly impressive reception, especially the 1103. On the additional hand, I was very disappointed in the KA007, as the radio reception on all its bands is barely conventional, with terrible selectivity ensuing in stations flow of blood 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 best performing version of the 007, and it is - but not as much as I'd hoped for. The weather reception is definitely stuck-up over the 007, and now is almost as good as my dyed-in-the-wool weather radios. The SW seems more insightful now, and seems to have best selectivity. Not amazing but good sufficient for a radio that is not primarily intended as a world-band radio. However, the FM is still sweet bad. Here in the Boston area, there are two broadcast radio stations that are fairly strong, and come in on sweet much any radio - yet I could not get either one on the KA500, let lonely the weaker local stations. This earnings that for me, it's not usable as an everyday radio - only for emergencies.There is no question that this radio has about every feature you could ask for in an urgent situation radio (apart from possibly a siren of some kind). It's very well planning out, and the ability to potential it in so many ways, as well as charge additional equipment from it is splendid. However, agreed that Kaito's privileged end radios have actually impressive sensitivity and selectivity, it's a shame they still place of safeguard't created an urgent situation/eccentric radio that uses any of their privileged end technology. With all, wouldn't you want the best doable receiver in an urgent situation?Kaito's digital world band radios initiation around $55, and their analog high sensitivity models can be had for $35. I'd have luckily paid a additional $15-20 for a much best receiver. Now, none of the eccentric and solar panel radios are much best - they all seem to sacrifice receiver quality, which makes no sense to me. I hope in the possibility Kaito will offer a develop with the features of the KA500 but a receiver at smallest amount as good as the KA1101.
- Michael
The following is my experiences with this radio :NEGATIVESI live in a rural area of America with a height of about 200 ft above sea level . My place has exceptionally poor radio rank transmitions and this Kaito radio does not pull in stations to well. VERY POOR RECPETION IN MY AREA.I keep my radio in a dialogue box where it is everlastingly in the sunlight, but the built-in rechargeable battery pack would not payment up by solar power. I unbendable to get out my multimeter and test the d.c voltage productivity of the flip up solar panel . Heres the conundrum ;In the brightest sunlight doable, my solar panel was only putting out about 3 volts . In habitual sunlight , meeting in my dialogue box, it was putting out about 1.5 volts. This will not payment the 3.6 volt hit pack. Luckily I had a extra small solar panel from a additional solar radio. I took the solar panel screened-off area on the Kaito apart, and then soldered the other solar panel in analogous 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 exact for charging the 3.6 volt rechargeable battery pack. I dont know if other Kaito radios have this conundrum, but mine did.Positives ;the radio has a great flip up LED lamp , which throws out noteworthy light, ample to read by in pitch dark. It also has a 1 LED light to use as a flashlight map. The NOAA ride out alert is a nice map. The release lecturer sounds fine and at night I have gotten a few shortwave stations.
- S. price
I bought this item just over a year and a half ago, and it's served my needs very well. Normal camping trips, occasional blackouts and the possibility of it being the only means of receiving important in rank in an emergency situation, this telephone system has proven time and again that it's the right choice 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 minutes 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 telephone system or tv on while she's falling sleeping and the same ten minutes of cranking put out 40 minutes of shortwave or FM telephone system for her to fall sleeping by, in the midpoint of the Wisconsin north woods far from any other self.Three times in view of the fact that I bought this product the potential has gone out in my area, and twice it was in view of the fact that of weather-related emergencies. This telephone system 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 listen to telephone system 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 minutes to payment the array, you need to read the packaging or advertised product description to know what's in the box, you need to crank it in small, forceful and steady turns - just like any other dynamo-charged product - and not be overzealous and rip the crank soubriquet off. It's very durable as long as you don't act like your trying to potential a full-sized refrigerator. Don't let a few ignoramuses spoil you on this really good deal on a very good emergency telephone system.
- Patrick Carey
I tested the KA500 by the side of with numerous additional self-powered radios for a machinate I'm working on in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. I establish that the KA500 is a very capable shortwave receiver it's just not near as rugged as its competitors. Here are my view:What I like in this area the KA500:- Solar Panel--the KA500 is one of the only portable shortwave receivers out here with a built-in solar panel. The panel is effectual sufficient that it will potential the touchtone phone logic (if in supervise over sunlight) lacking batteries and yield a evenhanded amount of number through its built-in lecturer.- The 5 LED conception lamp -- This conception lamp is impressive. If the batteries are completely exciting, the lamp facility for VERY long periods of time. I'm also an amateur touchtone phone logic machinist and establish that the conception lamp is astute sufficient that it lit up my generous touchtone phone logic table.- Good shortwave sensitivity -- For a self-powered analog touchtone phone logic, I was impressed with the shortwave sensitivity. I also establish the AM announce and FM bands travelable/mean.- Good selectivity -- When a rank is tuned-in well, you don't evenly hear adjacent signals.- Good frequency coverage -- I like the fact that KA500 covers the NOAA ride out frequencies, FM, AM and a very generous portion of the SW spectrum (from 3.2 MHZ to 22MHz, missing only a modest used cut between 8 & 9 MHz)What I didn't like:- Feature -- Even if the touchtone phone logic feels levelheaded in your hand, I establish through my testing that the feature of the KA500 is in fact quite poor. More than once, the tuning means would slip and the needle would get blocked in the midpoint of the dial. The most terrible part, even if, is the poor feature of the hand-eccentric means. The dynamo and eccentric arm feel low-cost. Well, they are low-cost. After only a month of rare testing--and with me life very austere with the hand eccentric--the dynamo ongoing screening cryptogram of flaw. The eccentric became less fluid to turn and would rub the side of the touchtone phone logic skeleton. One day, even as slowly cranking, the eccentric arm just snapped in half. No more eccentric potential.- No Fine Tune potential -- Kaito fits the total SW1 and SW2 spectrum on a small dial. Here were a few era I wish this touchtone phone logic had a fine tune potential like the Grundig FR200.BOTTOM LINE:I sent my KA500 back and did not get it replaced. It's a bring shame on, actually. I loved the touchtone phone logic's facial appearance and by and large normal, but was very disappointed with feature.I may maybe only urge this touchtone phone logic to a name who diplomacy on tucking it away and by it on rare occasions or a name who desires a basic full-featured touchtone phone logic but by no means diplomacy on by the hand-eccentric. I'd also keep the receipt clever for the restore (and buy from an formal dealer like Amazon or Complete Touchtone phone logic).For my purposes, I will be by the Grundig/Etón FR350 and the FR200. The alteration in feature between these and the KA500 is night and day. The Grundigs/Etóns are very rugged, fill up passionate and time tested. The eccentric arms are made best and even after long-term use, take up again to gathering by the book. They're simply calculated and tested best (before to arresting the retail ridge).Sure wish Kaito would work on the feature of the KA500, they'd have a very competitive manufactured goods. For now, I'll stab with Etón!
- T. Witherspoon "QRPer"
KAITO KA500 VERY VERSATILEIf considering the Kaito KA500, you want a highly portable radio that does it all. I did. I wanted a radio with versatility in (a) sources of power input and (b) radio signals received.Public radio served me well weathering Cyclone Katrina's aftermath with a plain boom box. But what if things get dicier? My solution was to put together a disaster/camping/survival pack. And I needed a radio.I settled in on the Kaito KA500, because nothing else came so close to providing plentiful 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. At this time'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 tilting 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 features beyond these basics: White LED flashlight, red flashing LED emergency signal set alight, 5-LED reading set alight built into the reverse side of the solar charging cells so it tilts up and down to adjust, and ear bud earphones. These LED set alight features 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 personal electronic devices to charge them, and all these bits and pieces occur with the unit.4. Optional features: Long 23 foot antenna you can string 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 minute, and the small set alight on the front said it was completely charged. It ran for 10-15 minutes 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 charger, nor ordered the optional AC charger, nor ordered the optional USB charger that charges the battery pack. I have no reason to reconcile any of these would not work, as everything 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, somewhat more clearly than AM (I did this difficult at night). I got perhaps half foreign language stations, mostly Spanish.d. NOAA weather was great in another city, middle-of-the-road but intelligible at this time on the Gulf Coast. A separate knob is devoted solely receiving just the seven weather stations, which are received digitally using crystals.3. Tuning and sounda. The tuning knob worked fine, as did all other controls.b. Signal quality was OK When MPB public radio played approximately vintage Earl Skruggs it was pleasant over the small built in lecturer. The earphones actually added approximately bass. I count decent signal as a bonus, as I did not buy the KA500 for excellence of signal quality. I bought it for getting any intelligible signal under duress.4. Bonus featuresa. The LED flashlight does what one LED does, the same as the one on my keychain and 1/3 as bright as the three on my cap clip-on set alight.b. The red flashing LED worked well. It is likely visible for an unobstructed mile or more, probably farther over water.c. The reading lamp is a genuine jewel. I turned rancid all my lights and tried to read. Reading was easy, so this radio can also be a good tent set alight, has a strap up top.d. The long antenna boosted reception a bit, not greatly. It improved marginal signals.CONCLUSIONThe Kaito KA500 gives me amazingly versatile sources of power and radio signals for its price. The bonus features make it genuine bargain. If you want an emergency portable radio of modest price, the best chance of powering up under duress, the widest variety of signals of practical use in a disaster/camping/survival situation, clear a bunch of bonus features, 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 safeguard in your pack. Put it in a gallon glad bag and you're set.2. If preparing for emergencies, online resources offer a lot. I liked:a. Doug Ritter's many recommendations and supplies. He has set up a foundation "Equipped to Survive" and truly has his heart into survival oriented outdoor gear. You can even download his survival sheet emancipated on that foundation website. You can also spend about a half hour reading the details about his Pocket Survival Pak, which I bought on Amazon. You can spend another half hour reading why he included the bits and pieces 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 usually topping rankings.
- Nobleman "nobleman"
Kaito KA500BLK 5-Way Powered Emergency AM/FM/SW Weather Alert Radio, Black
The newly released Kaito Voyager KA500 is a sister product of Kaito's widely praised emergency radios KA007, KA008 and KA009. With its revolutionary design and versatile functions, it's an essential companion for emergency preparedness purposes, outdoor activities as well as traveling. Specifically designed for emergency situations, the KA500 offers uncommon methods to potential itself. Those methods include AC/DC adapter (not included), three AA batteries (not included), the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH array which can be recharged from the AC adapter, by hand, by solar panel or by a PC, and the dynamo hand crank which not only can give a new lease of life the built-in array but provides potential even when no array is installed. At the heart of the KA500, there is an domestic generator that recharges the domestic consumable Ni-MH array pack and powers the telephone system, flashlight and conception lamp. Also, by plugging your cell phone into the jack on the back of the telephone system, you can use the crank to potential your phone. Not only that, this telephone system also features a USB port, which you can use either to payment your telephone system with a PC or payment other electronic gadgets with the hand crank. You can use the KA500 to receive a wide range of broadcasting including AM, FM, shortwave and NOAA weather stations. The 7-weather channels are pre-planned and numbered from 1-7, you can easily and conveniently tune into the stations by turning the thrash, no more guess work caught up. Compared with any other solar-powered emergency radios, the KA500 has its only one of its kind 180-degree adjustable solar panel, which can make the most of sunlight exposure to potential up the telephone system or payment the domestic Ni-MH batteries. On the back side of the solar panel, there is a super-bright 5-LED conception lamp. Ordinary accessories include earphones, user blue-collar and bonus multiple adapter tips for charging select models of Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and LG phones.
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