C Crane CC Solar Observer Wind Up Radio with AM FM Weather and built in LED Flashlight COBS

I like the CC Solar Observer Radio, but I was fooled by Amazon's packaging into buying a "xuuyuu" non-CCrane ac adapter -- there is a "people also bought X" with this item section. That turned out to be a 1.2 amp 5V adapter, whereas the radio specifies a 0.3 amp (300 ma) 5V adapter. The result is that the radio's built-in rechargeable battery cannot be charged with the xuuyuu adapter, leading me at first to think there was failure in the radio. C Crane replaced the radio with dispatch -- but when it had the same symptoms, I discussed the possibilities with the Crane phone responder, and he discovered the out-of-spec adapter problem. I then ordered a Crane adapter that Crane sells with this radio, and it works fine. Well, it allows a little 60 cycle hum if one tries to listen to the radio while it is plugged in, but the xuuyuu was far worse in that way.So the bottom line is that the pairing of the non-Crane adapter with the Crane Solar Observer Radio in the Amazon store is a serious mistake. If you can avoid that, the radio has been producing nice clear sound and picking up our hard-to-get stations just fine. So radio good, xuuyuu adapter bad. And shame on Amazon for producing that unauthorized (by Crane) pairing. I presume it is a bit cheaper, though I haven't double-checked that. Cheaper, but with no value for the intended use.November 16th -- added star to five stars: with more experience, with the correct battery charger this radio works as expected -- for our use, at least a week between charges. It has a good clear sound, which makes it easy to listen to. I would also like to re-emphasize the quick, easy communications with the Crane customer service people. It was a pleasure to have my problem solved.

This is my third attempt to find a decent emergency radio; the first two didn't last more than a few months.I recommend this radio, so far, cuz it's a bargain. For the price, you get solar, wind-up, battery, and ac.It's good to have an emergency weather radio, and the sound is very good.I had a little problem at first, due to the brevity of the explanations coupled with my denseness and the poor communication with c.crane company.I didn't realize that when you are using the internal battery, after it has been charged either with wind-up, solar, or ac, that the switch you use is "turbo", not "battery". So when I charged it, and the next day put it on "battery", the radio didn't work. Of course, it worked when I switched to "turbo", but I thought that was associated with using the wind-up or solar.So, I sent my husband to drive 40 miles or so to Fortuna to exchange it, which they did-no questions asked.Well, the same thing happened with the new one. This time I called, but somehow they didn't get that I misunderstood the directions (what little there is). They suggested I reset the internal battery and told me how.Well, that didn't work, so a few days later I again drove all the day down there, but this time, the rep realized what my problem was, and explained it to me. I was really embarrassed, but frustrated that no one there had managed to get clear what was wrong over the phone, and lamented that I had drove a very long way unnecessarily.Well, they apologized profusely and offered me a free adapter for my trouble, and also put in AA batteries for me. They were very sympathetic and helpful and kind, and made me glad that it worked out to be able to keep the radio.I will update on performance (since it's actually made in China) in six months or so.

Our church likes to supply the missionaries we sponsor with items that will help in their jobs wherever they are located. The affordable price of these radios makes this possible - they are top quality for a low price. These radios are invaluable - especially with the new solar panel! They can be used as a flashlight, cell phone charger, for weather/emergency updates, etc. We had given one to a missionary in Cambodia just before the recent flooding - he was able to obtain weather, news and updates for the village, as well as maintain cell phone contact with people to reassure them of the village's safety or ask for help when needed. We have given several to our missionaries in Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Dominican Republic, Cameroon and Kenya. The wind-up crank feature really does work and the sound quality is excellent! They are small, very sturdy and easy to transport. We have only received positive feedback from the missionaries using them - not one complaint yet! We have also begun supplying them with C. Crane's wind-up lanterns!