Kaito KA500 Voyager

Brand: Kaito

An emergency set that receives AM, FM, two shortwave bands and seven NOAA weather channels with alert. Five power routes keep it alive: hand crank, solar panel, USB, three AA cells or the built in NiMH pack. On top of that there is an LED flashlight, a five LED reading lamp and a USB output for topping up a phone in a blackout.

Handy in a storm cupboard, a cabin or a truck, and cheap enough to keep more than one. Reception is analogue with a slide rule dial, so precise shortwave tuning takes a steady hand and there is no digital readout of frequency. Cranking gives only a few minutes of listening per minute of work, and the phone charging output is a trickle rather than a fast charge.