Rychi Emergency Crank Weather Radio with 4000mAh Power Bank - Solar Powered AM/FM/NOAA Portable Radio, 3 Mode Flashlight, Motion Sensor Reading Lamp & SOS Alarm - Perfect for Outdoor Camping, Hiking, and Emergency Preparedness

I opened the battery door because I'm a rebel like that. Inside were two 2,000 mah 18650s. I have a feeling that some higher quality 18650s would really help this.The battery meter is a bit odd. It shoots down to 25% and then sits there for 90% of the battery's life. Overall battery life isn't fantastic. You really only get a couple hours out of this at full charge.Battery life isn't really the important part of this. If you need a light, radio or even a noisy SOS alarm, you can crank this up and have any or all of those things. I wish the crank were a bit more ergonomic though. It's kind of a pain in the wrist to use.The radio is a bit difficult to tune since it has such a tiny dial. It has a little green LED that let's you know when you have a station coming in clearly.One funny thing is you can pick up the cranking voltage over a specific weather band.Overall, it does work. It could use some improvements, but it's not bad.I have yet to use this item in an emergency. So far these are my notes. You need to be prepared for emergencies.It has some good radio sound, and will allow you to hear the news in a tough situation. Crank it, and use. Little solar feature was nice, and the lights were very decent.Issues, the SOS alert is not so good and the battery can have a way better duration.I hope this is helpful.After owning a home for the past several years, I have been accumulating different emergency situation supplies and this is one of my favorite additions. Radio is actually pretty solid and could be a great camping bag item as well. The ability to have a portable battery pack that can be charged without being plugged in is huge for keeping your cell phone alive in case of long power outages. The crank could be a bit beefier, but I do believe it should do the trick when and if an emergency happens. Love it, and came well packaged.Don't get me wrong; if there is an emergency, I will be glad to have this radio nearby. But there are a few points where I found it just slightly lacking.The SOS is loud, but not nearly as loud as others I've heard in comparably-sized devices. I tested it in a smallish closed room, with my finger on the STOP THAT button expecting my eardrums to be just this side of ruptured, and it just... didn't seem that loud. It was loud, but not LOUD loud. So I'm concerned how well that sound will carry out in the open.Same for the radio reception, it seemed fickle. I was able to tune in one weather band and a few stations on both AM and FM, again indoors in the middle of a city, but they were all slightly staticky and as soon as I moved the radio a few inches in any direction, I started to lose the signal.I would be deeply grateful for the presence of this radio in the event of an emergency. But there are a few places I wish it had a bit more power.(Speaking of power, it ships about 75% charged so be sure to charge it up fully before putting it in your emergency kit)Since no one can predict when an emergency is coming, or what the circumstances might be, you want your emergency kit to have tools with as many functions as possible. This device will be a great help, especially if you find yourself in a situation without power for extended periods of time. This isn't meant to be a generator or bottomless power source for every electronic device you want to run, but in an emergency, this radio has a lot to offer.- The 4000 mAh power bank is larger than most similar radios, but modest compared to other power banks. It's probably enough to charge a phone once or twice before it is depleted.- Being able to charge the battery 3 ways(technically 4, but see below) may be its best feature. The micro USB connector lets you charge it from the wall, or your car, or even another power bank if needed. If there's no power source to draw from but there is light outside, the solar cell will help charge the battery. Finally, as a last resort, the generator crank means that as long as you can turn the handle, you can put some small amount of charge in the battery. NOTE : The solar cells and crank are not going to fully recharge the power bank in a reasonable amount of time. They are emergency sources that will help give you a little extra juice when there is no other way to get it. Practically speaking, this will mainly let you have more light or listen to the radio. Depending on the phone and location, you could probably build up enough charge to revive a dead phone battery with a little power and try to communicate briefly. That potential to have a small but limitless electricity source brings tremendous peace of mind when you lose power for an extended period of time and are out of options.- The LED flashlight has 3 brightness settings, which is good for helping you move around a dark house or campground.- The "reading light" is an interesting feature. If you flip up the solar cell, there is a row of LEDs on the back side that light up. This light is better suited for a steady area light over a small area (instead of the focused flashlight beam.) There is a motion sensor on the back of the radio that can turn this light on briefly if it detects motion, but the sensitivity seems a little flaky and I don't see a practical reason for using it. Still, I guess it's nice it's there, if your emergency calls for something like that.- The radio is a good way to get updates about the area if you lose internet access in a weather emergency. The analog AM/FM radio is pretty standard. From my house near the city I was able to pick up several weather update stations. Again, peace of mind in a real emergency.- If you're in a situation where you need to draw attention to yourself, the SOS mode will sound a siren and flash the light.Be advised that the description says that there are 4 ways to power the radio: 1) USB charging, 2) solar, 3) cranking, and 4) replacing the rechargeable battery (with charged batteries). Technically, #4 is true, as you can replace the internal lithium ion type 18650 batteries if you have those around, but there is a warning sticker on the back that says NOT to open the battery cover, which is a mixed message. This is not really a problem for me but just in case anyone else sees the picture and thinks this will run on AAs, it won't.The unit has some rubbery parts and flaps and looks like it would do a decent job repelling water, but I would avoid getting it wet. I see a couple of places that may not be watertight.As far as flashlights go, it's kind of clunky to hold, but comfortable flashlights can't do the things this one can, so in an emergency, I would not complain. It comes with a strap and a carabiner so it can be easily clipped on to things.When you consider the number of ways this radio/flashlight/power bank can help in an emergency, I think it definitely makes sense to have a device like this nearby, and this would be an excellent model to have.