Wind up radio

[Paddy's mum]

Hi. Does anyone on the site have experience of wind up radios? With a pretty bad winter being forecast, and us living in a very rural area, we just know we're going to get power cuts and we'd like to be extra ready.

I'd also be pleased to have any tips on being prepared, in any way, to survive what has in the past been several days without power. Candles etc are the obvious but what other little gems of wisdom can you give me?! All suggestions most gratefully received.

[Martin]

paraffin lamps work, but the fumes are really bad news! We've got one of the cheapie windup radios (about 8 quid!) - and it works very well, as to how long it would last under prolonged use, I dread to think!
I'm one of those nutters who revels in power cuts, being snowed in etc. - I've collected several rechargeable lanterns, paraffin lamps, and for a while even made my own candles, so if the power goes, the light gets nicer!
With the advent of little turbines, I've got one down the garden, keeping the caravan batteries charged, and an extra leisure battery for "emergency use"- so if the power goes, I haul it indoors, attach a cheapie inverter, plug in the laptop, radio, and small b&w 12v caravan tv, and carry on regardless!

(I use rechargeable lithium batteries for my portable radio, which I can charge from the 12v leisure battery using a high speed 12v charger)
I'm pleased to say, since the arrival of the Wren, my standby petrol genny has only been run once this year - just to blow the cobwebs out!

[The Chili Monster]

My Dad got a wind-up radio for Christmas a few years back. He seemed happy enough with it. I don't know how durable they are over the long-term since somebody stole it.

[Daisy's Mum]

Bought Hubby a Freeplay wind up & solar powered radio for Christmas last year, and it is still entact after a whole season out in all weathers keeping him entertained as he works in a garage.

If you own an ipod or MP3 player you can also get a wee gadget that means you can tune your radio into your MP3 player and listen to your downloaded music getting the best of both worlds! Thats about as technologically minded as we get in our household. (we've just had our 78 player repaired! Well how else would we listen to Bing and his Silent Night Holy Night?!!)

I highly recommend them, we don't get too many power cuts round our way but it is most welcome when we do.

Lorna x

[Pilsbury]

The radios seem finr to me, we got one for camping and gets loads of abuse and just keeps going. a wind up or kenitic torch is a good idea as well if only to use to light the parrafin lamp,

[paradox]

I bought a dynamo radio/torch of ebay a while ago and it broke after a week as it wasent made very well.

[monkeynuts]

I am also one of the nutters who enjoy power cuts, the only downsides are the freezer contents and lack of a shower.

I have a camping gaz light and a coal fire. I also own a Cadac which is mainly for my camping trips but is ideal for power cuts as we only have an electric cooker (too remote for gas). It can BBQ, be used as a wok, frying pan and ordinary cooker ring...excellent. And there's definately something to be said for the whole family sitting around talking by an open fire whilst making a fry-up!!!

[Wombat]

We have a couple of little wind ups, htey are OK but don't play for more than a half hour - I want a freeplay!

Nev

[gunners71uk]

wilkinsons sell wind up radios 6.99 and wind up torches approx 3.99 if any help regards dave approx prices

[Joe]

I'm guessing that if you're very rural you might have an oil or solid fuel burning aga or stove type thing, in which case a power cut won't impact your tea making ability, but for people who use electric kettles, the Kelly Kettle is a really cool alternative.

When just a few twigs are enough to boil 2.5 pints of water it seems almost criminal to use a "traditional" kettle for every day use!

[the.fee.fairy]

I've got a freeplay wind up radio that i took to BGG.
It was £10 from ebay, cos the aerial's boken, but it still picks up perfectly. Its on of the wind up/solar thingummyjobbies.

Its brilliant! I hook it up to my pooter (i've got one of thise things you plug into your mp3 that transmits a radio signal) when i'm in the garden, and its ace.

The battery doesn't last too long though (i think about half an hour) unless its really sunny. Its cool to watch it charging itself though!!

[pomegranate]

Another thing that I find really handy is a torch that you just shake. I,m not very technical but there is this magnet that slides through a coil of some sort and it powers the LED so you never have to worry about batteries going flat

[Rohen]

its the edison effect

I have one of those in the car as its a handy implement for looking into the engine on a dark night or to hit someone over the head if they try and car jack you

[farmerdrea]

We were given a dynamo/solar radio, just a little thing, about 15 years ago. It's been dropped, sunk, left outdoors overnights for days on end (we ake it round the garden to have the radio whilst we work), and it amazes me that it still works. It was from an American catalogue company called Brookstone, which is still around, I believe. It can't have cost more than $25US.

GREAT thing to have on hand in a power outage, as sometimes by us they can last for days (as in this past winter, when we had nearly 3 feet of snow, and couldn't get out for 4 days!)

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

[Muddypause]

its the edison effect

Is it? I'm not very good on electrics, but I thought the Edison Effect was to do with radio valves - a sort of one-way valve for electrons. But I could be talking rubbish. Again.