wind up/solar radio

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wind up/solar radio

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pookie

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 4984
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 09 9:03 am Post subject: wind up/solar radio
anyone have recommendations?

baldybloke

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1388
Location: Wiltshire

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 09 4:21 pm Post subject:

Did a bit of research into these a few years ago and eventually bought a Robert R9957 for about £45. This is a compact 2 band radio and runs for about 45minutes on a 3 minute wind. You can also flick a switch and have back up of the 2 AA batteries. Excellent sound quality far better than the Freeplay ones I've heard. It features a headphone socket and 3V DC socket plus a light and audio buzzer. Still quite haven't worked out what the buzzer is for.
A friend has a Freeplay Summit which has electric charger, batteries, wind up and solar panel. This is a heavier unit and the feature buttons are a bit naff. She has also had problems with the charger unit.
If you are thinking of a digital option then the wind up feature is a waste of time. These are more energy intensive than FM/MW so expect less minutes per wind.
I've also have a Bayliss Eco Media player which is pretty good. The MP3 feature is great as is the photo/video option. However the radio uses the earphones as an aerial which is not brilliant.

Hope that helps

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 09 5:01 pm Post subject:
I got a Freeplay Summit for Xmas. Lovely piece of kit and includes: FM MW LW Short Wave Clock Alarm clock Light Works of mains/wind up/solar. It's one of the best presents I've ever been bought.

hamster

Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 448
Location: Wokingham (Berks.), UK

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 09 5:33 pm Post subject:
I had a Freeplay one too, which was great until OH broke it.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45518
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 09 7:33 pm Post subject:
killed 2 types got a roberts battery one now

Helen_A

Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 09 8:38 pm Post subject:

Had a bayliss freeplay one that lasted 11 years before the spring went at the end of last year

(it got left out in the wet garage by a child and rusted

)

But the solar panel on it still works fine to both charge the battery and run from the sunshine (had it working today whilst I was out filling the raised bed with soil and stuff). And you can charge it or run it from the mains, hence its not totally useless without the winder mechanism. We use it as the 'receiver' for the i-trip as well and via that (and the addon dab thingy) can get the various dab channels to work too. The only thing it can't do is charge another device, but that is because it predates the version that had a power out on it.

I'd happily buy another one, lol (although would get one with a power out, or get a windupMP3 version instead - that works with the same dab add on that we have as well as having connectors to charge phones, ipods etc from).

pookie

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 4984
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 9:32 am Post subject:
thanks guys

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 9:39 am Post subject:
We've had two. One frm Lidl and another which I forget where from. They were both rubbish. The torch worked ok but the radio only lasted about five mins after a full winding. I like the idea of them but I suppose you need to go for a good, trusted brand name for it to be usable at all. Shame, 'cos Lidl usually sell reasonable quality gear.

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 9:41 am Post subject:

baldybloke wrote:

It features a headphone socket and 3V DC socket plus a light and audio buzzer. Still quite haven't worked out what the buzzer is for.

Panic alarm usually, although I think screaming would be more effective.

leggy

Joined: 16 Jan 2009
Posts: 340
Location: Monmouth

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 10:48 am Post subject:
got a value tesco one for £7 does the job

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45518
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 11:11 am Post subject:
imho too bulky or carp 2 small rechargeabe battries and a simple 6 sw am fm lw seems to work with much less fuss solar and winding is a great idea but my bayliss one only solared in a heatwave and the cheapo windup from yeomans needed about a wind in 3 by time and failed totally at -2oc ,lightwieght

pookie

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 4984
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 11:49 am Post subject:
hmmm

James

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 09 8:33 pm Post subject:

I've got a sony wind up and its great. Very useful for camping. and when we're not camping, it stays in the study for occasional use. I never need to worry about there being enough power to listen to the radio.
If I wind it fast until my arm feels like its going to drop off (about 4 or 5 minutes), I can get 30-40 minutes out it, which I think is really good but probably not the kind of thing you want in your kitchen for listening to all evening.

On the occasions that I have non re-chargeable batteries for stuff like digital cameras, the batteries have a second lease of life in the radio after they've given up in the camera.

Its quite small too.
The quality of the receiver is very good.

It would be my most perfect thing ever if the speaker was slightly less tinny (music doesn't sound too good, but speech is fine) and it had shortwave for world service reception

alexanderhastings

Joined: 30 Sep 2013
Posts: 1

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 13 9:30 pm Post subject: Wind Up Radios

There are 2 types of Wind-up Radio:
1) The rechargeable battery type. This is where the crank turns a dynamo to charge a battery. I think, today, ALL 'wind-up' radios use this type of technology. BUT for a radio user, it is inefficient. 3 or 4 minutes of winding give only about 20 minutes of radio - depending on the quality of your battery.

But the original 'wind-ups' were:
2) the clockspring type. This spring directly turns a dynamo which directly produces power for the radio. Less than a minute's winding will give 60minutes listening. There is NO battery to deteriorate. Some also had a solar panel and a DC input plug

Why is the clockspring no longer available?? Freeplay/Baylis seemed to be the only manufacturer - and they don't make this type anymore.
I think there would be an excellent market for this product if it were properly developed and marketed.
Does anyone know of a current manufacturer of the clockspring wind-up radio?

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