Be ready for anything with this First Alert weather radio

Sure, the sun is shining now…

I’m sorry to disrupt your dreams of long days at the beach and good barbecue, but believe me the bad weather is coming. If you’re down south you’re aware that this is hurricane season and that the worst storms have been coming in September lately. If you’re up north, don’t kid yourself. The snow is coming sooner than you expect. Now is the time to be ready for power outages that are sure to come.

A whole bunch of readiness in one package

I’m a big fan of this First Alert weather radio. You’ll get AM and FM radio, which are going to keep you informed even when everything else goes down. There’s NOAA weather information too, which makes this a perfect radio for bringing on a trip on the boat. If there’s a weather alert, the radio will even switch automatically to it so you won’t miss it.

It’s a lot more than a radio, though. You get a super-bright LED flashlight and USB charge port. Let’s not kid ourselves… when the power’s down you’re turning to your cell phone as a lifeline. You need max battery and if there’s no way to charge, you’ll be glad you have this radio which can keep your phone going.

Speaking of charging…

Power outages can last for days. The smart move is to have plenty of spare AAA batteries but what if that’s not enough? This radio can charge on good old human power using its crank dynamo. That means you won’t be out of touch no matter what, and that crank can charge your phone too. If you’re not up to the task of cranking, leave it in the sun for a few hours with the antenna facing upwards. The built-in solar cell will do all the work! If you have a powerbank you can charge it over USB, too. You have plenty of options for making sure that you stay connected.

Rough and rugged

This radio is built to take it. The people at First Alert know that when you’re in an emergency, you can’t be worrying about delicate electronics. That’s why this radio is designed tough. It won’t mind a drop or two, and it’s not going to short out the first time a raindrop hits it. This is the kind of durability you’ll need when things turn bad.

A good radio can be the difference between getting the important information you need and being completely stuck. A crank-driven or solar-driven USB charge can mean that you’re connected to emergency services when you need them most. Don’t get caught thinking that a natural disaster happens to “the other guy…” plan now to get what you need. Don’t forget to include a First Alert weather radio so that you always know what’s going on outside, even when you’re trapped inside. Of course, they’re available now at Solid Signal.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.