
				This article may need to be cleaned up to meet wikiHow's quality standards. You can help by improving it and removing this notice when complete. Notice added on 2008-06-16.

How to Find and Use Self Powered Radios and Self Powered Flashlights, is about how to find and use these things. These are radios and flashlights that are designed to be self powered. They may use a onboard crank system that powers a small generator, may be solar powered, even both. The power systems power either a onboard power cell or a super capacitor. They're often used in camping, even in emergency situations, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. In an emergency situation, such as that caused by a tornado or hurricane, batteries will be sold out, and unavailable. Some models will even keep your cell phone charged in a emergency situation.

Some of these devices have the Weatherband/"Emergency band" as well, to keep you informed about dangerous weather, chemical spills, even about terrorist attacks, earthquakes. They also have a "alert" feature that will alert you of anything dangerous in your area by setting off a siren and/or a red or amber LED light. You can also initiate these features as well, to mainly warn neighbors of deteriorating conditions, such as, fire dangers. Some of the flashlights even have a means to "Flash" repeatedly when a button is pressed, it receives a signal to do so.

Recent, there are FRS radios that are "Self Powered" that have been built. these allow you to transmit as well as receive news, emergency information. Also recently, a "Self Powered television has been constructed, also to allow you to see as well as hear news and emergency information. The TV is a B&W model.

Some, if not all of these Self Powered Radios have built-in LED flashlights in them, powered by the same power cells, and some of the Self Powered Flashlights also have radios built into them and can also charge your cell phone, especially when all other power sources have failed due to a disaster, civil disturbance, a non-nuclear war, provided the cell phone towers are undamaged.

[edit]Uses

Camping
Emergency Use, especially as a means to obtain News, Weather (Especially Severe Weather Info), Hazard/Emergency Info. Some of these will provide Emergency power for cell phone use, unless their infrastructure is damaged, or destroyed.
Prospecting (Saves on batteries in the field)
Environmentally responsible living, such as having to not buy toxic batteries all of the time.
Saving money by not having to purchase batteries as often, if at all.

[edit]Special Note

In the event of a Nuclear War, BEFORE nukes are deployed, SEAL these in a metal container so that they'll be somewhat protected from the EMP released from nuclear weapons, LARGE meteorite strikes. If sealed correctly, these will serve your needs well into the future after the event(s).

Show Ads

[edit] Steps

You can find these things at the local Radio Shack, Wal*Mart, a Sporting Goods outfitter, even online.

[edit] Tips

You may find these things at your local Radio Shack (The Eton units are usually the "good ones") and the local Wal*Mart.
After purchase, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Since some models are solar powered, you'll have to place the device, or the solar power rig in the sun. On some of these devices, mainly the "Shaker light" you have to shake the light to move a magnet back and forth through a coil of wire to generate power. Others are powered by turning a crank that in turn powers a small generator in them that powers a power cell that will power the radio and/or the (Often a LED) light. Some, especially the later models will help keep your cell phone charged, so that you can use them while camping, or while in an emergency situation, if the cell phone towers are undamaged in said disaster.

[edit] Things You'll Need

Radio Shack, Wal*Mart
Sporting Goods outfitter/Sporting goods Store
Online sources, such as the C Crane Company. They sell what they call a "Calamity Kit", which can be seen on this online source.