... only four day after placing the order from C. Crane in California. Arriving on that particular day may have been a good sign because I like the radio more than I had expected to.
After researching the multitude of "Emergency Radios" online, I chose the CC Radio Solar BT not only for it's useful features but that good, clear, audio was important. Several different review sites emphasized that the audio quality was superior to other radios they tested. C. Crane has prioritized clear audio for their radios and the EP Pro model I've had for years is almost HiFi in its reproduction of music, so I hoped the SolarBT would also sound good -- it does; especially for it's smaller size.
The brick-size radio isn't a highly ruggedized, military-looking, style but is more like a "normal" small radio for home use. That it can be powered five ways seemed to be a benefit in emergencies plus it will, fairly quickly, recharge a cell phone. The included 18650 lithium cell is removable or can be recharged in the radio. For me, the fact it also runs on three AA cells (alkaline or NiMH) was an advantage. A 100 mAH solar cell, wind-up generator, or AC operation are the other operating options.
Good reception is another thing C.Crane claims to prioritize in their ads. I live in a "fringe/near fringe" area for AM, FM, and NOAA weather radio reception; this radio receives all the stations my tuners, with roof-top antenna, gets with reasonable audio quality. The NOAA reception is FAR superior to my old, portable, VHF scanner.
Thought I'd pass along my experiences with the company and their products. A lot of thought seems to be put into their products, instruction manuals, packaging, radio features and, especially, audio quality suitable for an audiophile.
After researching the multitude of "Emergency Radios" online, I chose the CC Radio Solar BT not only for it's useful features but that good, clear, audio was important. Several different review sites emphasized that the audio quality was superior to other radios they tested. C. Crane has prioritized clear audio for their radios and the EP Pro model I've had for years is almost HiFi in its reproduction of music, so I hoped the SolarBT would also sound good -- it does; especially for it's smaller size.
The brick-size radio isn't a highly ruggedized, military-looking, style but is more like a "normal" small radio for home use. That it can be powered five ways seemed to be a benefit in emergencies plus it will, fairly quickly, recharge a cell phone. The included 18650 lithium cell is removable or can be recharged in the radio. For me, the fact it also runs on three AA cells (alkaline or NiMH) was an advantage. A 100 mAH solar cell, wind-up generator, or AC operation are the other operating options.
Good reception is another thing C.Crane claims to prioritize in their ads. I live in a "fringe/near fringe" area for AM, FM, and NOAA weather radio reception; this radio receives all the stations my tuners, with roof-top antenna, gets with reasonable audio quality. The NOAA reception is FAR superior to my old, portable, VHF scanner.
Thought I'd pass along my experiences with the company and their products. A lot of thought seems to be put into their products, instruction manuals, packaging, radio features and, especially, audio quality suitable for an audiophile.
