An emergency radio is, broadly speaking, a

radio receiver In radio communications, a radio receiver, also known as a receiver, a wireless, or simply a radio, is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the information carried by them to a usable form. It is used with an antenna. Th ...

designed to remain functional in cases of power outage or isolation from contact with civilization. Such radios are often designed to run on minimal or renewable power sources, such as solar. Emergency radios are generally designed to cover the standard AM and

FM broadcasting FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is cap ...

bands, and

weather radio A weather radio is a specialized radio receiver that is designed to receive a public broadcast service, typically from government-owned radio stations, dedicated to broadcasting weather forecasts and reports on a continual basis, with the routine we ...

in countries that provide that service. Basic

shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 me ...

coverage (for situations where local radio is out or not available) is less-common. Common to all emergency radios is the need to maintain power as long as possible in times of power failure. Commonly, such radios are designed to use minimal

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

power, and a common feature (especially on units sold in less-developed countries where electrical supplies may be unreliable or nonexistent) is a hand-cranked

electrical generator In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy) or fuel-based power (chemical energy) into electric power for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical energy include steam turbines, gas ...

along with a

rechargeable battery A rechargeable battery, storage battery, or secondary cell (formally a type of Accumulator (energy), energy accumulator), is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to ...

to store the generated energy (the device is sometimes known as a

clockwork radio Human power is work or energy that is produced from the human body. It can also refer to the power (rate of work per time) of a human. Power comes primarily from muscles, but body heat is also used to do work like warming shelters, food, or other ...

). A few, such as the Blackout Buddy from

Eton Corporation Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depar ...

, and the Adventurer from

Ambient Weather Ambient Weather is an Arizona based weather station and software manufacturer that specializes in customized solutions Solution may refer to: * Solution (chemistry), a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another * Solution (equation), ...

are designed to recharge from wall current. Some emergency radios can also be powered by an attached solar panel. One element that separates some emergency radios from other types of radios, is the ability to broadcast alerts via the

Emergency Alert System The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States designed to allow authorized officials to broadcast emergency alerts and warning messages to the public via cable, satellite, or broadcast television, and both ...

, even when the radio sound is turned off. This is especially useful in areas where sudden storms, tornadoes, tsunamis or other fast-breaking emergencies can occur. Some emergency radios are designed to also charge other devices, such as cell phones or mp3 players, but this can vary widely.

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File:HQ Issue HQ500 (11789485805).jpg, HQ Issue HQ500 radio File:C. Crane CC Solar Observer (14575439649).jpg, C. Crane CC Solar Observer radio File:Kaito KA-350 (9480941315).jpg, Kaito KA-350 radio File:EmergencyFMRadio.jpg, Emergency FM radio (Japan) File:Weather Radios.jpg, Weather Radios

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

band (USA) File:Kaito KA-210 (21923503281).jpg, Kaito KA-210 radio NOAA band (USA) File:Solar radio 1.jpg, Eton solar and hand crank radio

Gallery

See also