5 Hand Cranked Gadgets for Earth Day

Earth Day 2009 takes place on April 22 and to mark the day, here are 5 Hand Cranked Gadgets that you can use at home, while camping, when a natural disaster hits or even if you just loose power.

Eton FR500 Solarlink

The Eton FR500 Solarlink is a compact Self-Powered and Solar-Powered AM/FM/Shortwave Radio with NOAA Weatherband, Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger. Powered by either battery, ac adapter, the sun or the turn of the crank, the Eton FR500 Solarlink will never be out of power.

The Eton FR500 Solarlink features:
• AM (520-1700 KHz), FM (88-108 MHz), Shortwave (6000-12100 KHz)
• NOAA weather – all 7 channels plus Alert
• Siren
• Flashlight
• Powered from four different sources: Built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery that can be charged using the dynamo crank or from an AC adapter (not included). 3 AA batteries. AC adapter . Solar power
• Analog frequency dial with digital display
• Built-in cell phone charger
• Digital clock function

The Eton FR500 Solarlink is available at:
Amazon for $80

Eton FR150 Microlink

The Eton FR150 Microlink is an ultra-portable Solar-Powered, Self-Powered AM/FM/Weatherband Portable Radio with Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger. Powered by either battery, solar power hand crank, like the Eton FR500 it will never be without power.

The Eton FR150 Microlink features:
• AM (520-1710 KHz) and FM (87-108MHz)
• NOAA weather – all 7 channels
• Built-in hand crank power generator recharges the internal rechargeable Ni-MH battery and cell phone batteries
• Built-in 3 white LED light source
• Powered from : Solar power, built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery. Dynamo hand crank, USB port
•Built-in cell-phone charger
• Earphone jack – 3.5 mm socket

The Eton FR150 Microlink is available at:
Amazon for $40

Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light by Garrity

The Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light provides up to 20 minutes of light with just one minutes hand cranking. Ideal for those times when the lights go out and you have no batteries for your flashlight. With the included carabineer clip, the Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light can be easily attached to backpacks, camping gear or tool belts. It’s small size makes it ideal for camping and travel.

The Garitty Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light is available at:
Amazon for $20

Wind ‘N Go Freedom Shaver

The Wind ‘N Go Freedom Shaver runs on a standard 110-volt electrical adapter, 12-volt car charging adapter or with just 1 minute of hand cranking you can get a full shave (according to the manufacturers, though I think it must depend on how much you need to shave).

The Freedom Shaver features:
• Three individually flexing and rotating heads
• Full shave with 1 minute of winding
• 110-volt electrical adapter
• 12-volt car charging adapter
• Low battery and charging indicators
• Travel case includes a mirror and storage for the shaver, cleaning brush, and adapters

The Wind ‘N Go Freedom Shaver is available at:
Amazon for $40

Wind ‘N Go Mini LED Lantern

The Wind ‘N Go Mini LED Lantern is not as compact as the Garrity but for camping and at home its ideal.

At just 6.5 inches tall it’s still pretty compact and will easily pack away in a backpack. The addition of the attached carabineer means you can hang the lantern inside a tent, from a tree or just place it on the ground. 1 minute of hand cranking will give you up to 1 hour of light.

The Wind ‘n Go Mini LED Lantern is available at:
Amazon for $20

Related posts:

1. Voltaic Solar Powered Backpack
2. Garrity Power Lite 3 LED Crank Light
3. Indigo LED Lantern Light When You Need It
4. Dynamo 15 LED Collapsible Lantern
5. All New Garmin Orgeon Hand Held GPS Navigators