Life Gear LGTF38 Super bright LED Flashlight with LED Reading Lamp, NOAA Emergency AM/FM Radio with Alert, and Weatherband, Black

The big problem with this radio is 'two-fold'. First, you can easily be fooled by turning 'off' the Volume knob (and hearing the 'click'), thinking that you shut-off the radio. WRONG! You must THEN remember to slide the power switch to OFF as well. If you don't, despite not hearing any sound, the radio will still be 'ON'. And if you had the power switch in the Rechargeable Battery position previously when you shut off the Volume knob, that would severely 'wear down' the internal Nicad battery (after about an hour of having left the power switch in the ON position). And if you discharge a Nicad battry (unlike a NimH) too much, it will never again hold a decent charge...if any at all. The same holds true if you just leave the radio 'playing' with the rechargeable batteries, and leave your home for an hour without shuttting it off. If the Nicads are drained beyond the time that they hold a charge, you will never again be able to recharge then fully or possibly even partially (especially via the crank.)

I ordered this for blackouts & emergencies..It's definately a must have..It has everything you can possibly need in an emergency radio..The LED flashlight, reading lamp, NOAA national alert system, AM/FM weather band radio, cell phone charger & siren/alarm clock..Whats really cool is the wind up charger..No need for batteries!!..But you do have the option of using 3 AA batteries if you like..You do have to go online though to order your cell phone adapter & AC power adapter for free..You just have to pay for shipping & handing cost..Thinking of ordering a couple more for the rest of my family..

This Life Gear Emergency Radio has poor reception on all bands and is not water resistant. It failed on the first camping trip because it got wet. It has lots of features, but is not durable.

The reviews I found online were not exaggerated. This little gem (and it is small) is packed with features. For the price of a small portable radio you get that and much much more.

Power options;
This radio will run on standard batteries (3 X AA) or rechargeable (supplied) the rechargeable battery can be charged with an AC adapter (Not included but available free + postage from the Life Gear website)or the hand crank. This is not a noisy spring run generator. The hand crank charges the battery, so it can be ready whenever you are. About a minute of cranking gives you 20 minutes of play (your cranking may vary). The radio will also supply charging for your cell phone via a supplied (Nokia) adapter, more adapters available from the website for free as well.
Radio options;
AM/FM but the big feature is the weather radio. It will pull in the computer generated forecast as well as alarm if there is a weather alert. This proved valuable on a recent camping trip as we knew to expect thunderstorms our last morning. After a quick breakfast we packed up camp. Literally 5 minutes before we were done the rain came. Not having to pack up wet tents and camping gear "paid" for the radio!

But wait there's more! The reading light is great! Very bright but not harsh. The flash light will not replace a real one but is a nice option.
I'm not sure what the "siren" would be used for but.. There it is.
It also has an alarm clock, a back light for the digital display and a headphone jack. A small carry handle (not in the picture, that is the light) allowed me to hang it from the tent peak it is that light in weight. Power, charge and battery status lights let you know what up with power.

Truly this item should be in your camping gear, the back of your truck, in your boating gear or nearby anytime. It is attractive, with a sturdy feel and small enough to fit in my glove box. I can't think of something this radio needs that it doesn't have. It's not often you can say that.

After purchasing the radio, I attempted to order the AC adapter cord for this radio with little success.

They took my money, but I did not get a cord. I have just sent my second query - the first received no response.


Can't recommend the radio or Life Gear at all at the present time. I may change my mind if they will just send the silly cord.