Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 Digital Solar Dynamo,Wind Up,Dynamo Cranking AM/FM/LW/SW & NOAA Weather Emergency Radio with Flashlight, Reading Lamp Alert,Smart Phone Charger & RDS and Real-Time Alert, Green

Top positive review

Great Features For The Money !!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2012

First of all, I reviewed quite a few similar products before making the final decision.

PROS: Seems to be well made, but probably not for rugged use. Some degree of care is required.

Station reception is very good, but I do live in the suburbs of a major U.S. city. Harmonic AM hum can be eliminated by tilting out the solar panel part way as a stand, and lying horizontal. FM very clear. SW is adequate, better with a clip on Sangean antenna (ANT 60). I did not expect the capability of my Sangean ATA 818.

Multiple power options. Crank works well, not flimsy. Solar charge will power radio by maintaining an existing charge level. Optional AC adapter charges unit fairly quickly. AC adapter can overcharge if left connected for long periods of time, and can shorten battery life. Since I am an electronics geek, at some time I will swap out the 600 Mah internal battery for a larger capacity. An AC charge of 4-5 hours is adequate.

My intent was for a lightweight jobsite radio that doesn't chew up batteries, and also will serve for emergency use in off grid situations.
I have been using as such for about 10 days, without any hiccups. It runs for about 7 - 8 hours a day. I loaded it with 3 Sanyo Eneloops, which I have hardly used, and are the backup power.

The flashlight & "reading lamp" are bonuses in my view, but you never know when they may come in handy.

Backlight display is very good.

Digital tuner is superior to analog any day. Scan function is a big plus, especially on SW

I receive 5 out of the 7 NOAA weather stations in my area, all crystal clear. I have not had the need to use the auto warn feature as of yet.

VOLUME is more than adequate.

CONS:

Tuner knob is very sensitive. The overall compact design puts my big hands in contact with some of the knobs & buttons inadvertently, causing changes. I'm still getting used to using the lockout button AFTER setting to a station.

WISH LIST:

Add a crossover circuit to charge the 3 main batteries as well (AC & solar only)

Add S.A.M.E. capability for weather and other emergency alerts

Use a larger capacity rechargeable battery on solar / crank / AC circuit. A 1200 Mah would run this sucker for about 10 - 12 hours, but would require more or extended re-charge. ( A lot more cranking )

BOTTOM LINE:

I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED IN THE LEAST, and will purchase a few more as gifts for family.

17 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Dan Hayman

Good for what it is

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2013

If you want a low cost emergancy radio with the ability to direct enter frequency or even scan bands and stor memories, this is a good radio for you. It also offers a solar cell (useless) and a hand crank to charge up the batteries as well as charge out any other USB powered device such as a cell phone or FRS radio.
That said, the receiver itself is mediocre, will NOT bring in anything but local stations unless you clip the telescoping antenna to a long wire (if you have nothing like that handy, for $10 you can purchase a spool specifically made for this radio
The radio is made to look rugged, but is NOT, so if you want something for a hike, this is not your product. On the other hand, campers and survivalists will appreciate the flash light and reading light features. So, great radio/weather alarm/alarm clock and power generator in a small and portable package. If you respect it by not letting it fall into the dirt or rocks, baring an EMP, its a nice little portable or home unit.

994 total ratings, 730 with reviews

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From the United States

WThesing

Great Features For The Money !!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2012

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

17 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ross

Light and versatile emergency radio

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2012

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

The Kaito KA-600 is a lightweight, sturdy AM/FM, SW, NOAA
Weather emergency radio.

I bought this one because I wanted a radio that could be charged
when there is no electricity available. I live in an area that has frequent winter
power outages. As it happens, the power went out this morning at
4:30 am when I was getting up for work.

The KA-600 flashlight helped me find my way through my apartment
in the dark, while giving me the latest news as well. It was
running on the included rechargeable battery pack that I had
charged via the mini-USB port the day before. So in its first
(minor) grid-down situation, it did the job well. It also takes
3 AA batteries for yet another way to power up. The hand crank
will charge the battery pack in about 2 minutes, though I
haven't put this to extensive use yet.

I've only tried to charge it from fully drained to full using
the solar charger once. It was a cloudy day and the battery did
not get charged after sitting in front of a window all day. So
solar charging in the Pacific Northwest may be wishful thinking.
I do like that you can charge it via the built in mini-USB port.
It's not necessary to purchase the separate AC/DC adapter to
quickly get the battery pack fully juiced. I just used one of my
many cell phone AC/DC charge blocks and it worked fine. Just
remember to unplug the radio when it's charged up.

The speaker is small, but provides clear sound. There is no tone
adjustment available, so you can't boost the bass or treble.
This is not a great music fidelity radio, but that's not its
mission. It's more utilitarian. You can get information easily
when you need it and the power grid is down or you are out camping.
I easily programmed my fave AM and FM stations into the memory,
though I did need to use the manual to figure it out at first.

NOAA weather came in loud and clear too. I have not tried to
pull in any shortwave or longwave yet as this receiver will need
an extended wire antenna to do that. I'm looking forward to
checking its capabilities on that score soon.

Another thing I love is the temperature and humidity read-out.
Along with the time and date display, this radio keeps you fully
informed about the world down to the smallest detail. If you
want, you can even program a wake-up alarm to get you up in the
morning.

I'm a licensed Amateur Radio Tech (Ham) and I love radios. I
grew up with tiny AM transistor radios and mobile and base
station CB radios back in the day too.
This KA-600 is a radio nerd's dream. It's small and light enough
to throw in your go-bag or just keep on your kitchen counter and
it will do well when the power goes out.

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

Frank_Zapper

I Dig It!

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2011

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

I have had this radio a few weeks now - but haven't tried charging the battery via solar yet.
So I will tell you about the stuff I know about....
I DID notice that there was a warning in the manual NOT to leave the radio
in direct sunlight for too long - which is funny given the product being discussed.

It's a decent radio - sounds good for a single speaker ditty.
I mean - It's no BOSE, but it delivers the weather like you want it; clean and clear.

Here's why it gets 4 stars:

The case is really well built and feels solid - not like a cheap toy.
The radio gets good reception on local stations and the weather stations.
I like the scanning feature for the SW a lot. It saves a lot of time.
The extra stuff like the thermostat and lights actually work well and the RDS display is nice.
The flashlight is bright enough to really annoy my wife while she is seriously playing her MMORPG.
The radio has a groovy handle on it you will never use but it looks James Bond cool just the same.
They sent some earbuds I wasn't expecting and I appreciate that.
The instructions are well written and in plain English.

Here's why it don't get 5 stars:

I think if you were stupid and didn't know your own strength -
you would break the generator crank off pretty easily.
It's not built too tough so don't let the kids crank it.
The radio tuning knob on my radio has loosey goosey give in it for half a turn and then tightens up.
This doesn't affect the digital tuning any but it's weird and I don't like it.
PLUS - there's no fine tuning adjustment and that's bad.
You get the staticky stations you get and that's it.
I bought the 20' antenna extension. I think it helps but I didn't do much comparison testing.
That said - I'm not pulling in as many SW signals as I had dreamt of getting when I bought this product.
There is a LOT of dead air and I think a better SW radio would find more talkers. But I'm guessing.
And also - many people in the world don't have the common courtesy to speak english and this radio doesn't translate.
ha ha.
Also - this radio doesn't do SAME channels and specific alerts for the weather.
So that kinda sucks. But in all fairness - they didn't claim it does and I didn't expect it did.

Anyway - I like this thing a lot and would buy another for a backup in case some idiot broke my generator handle off during the apocalypse.
I think I will save up my coin and buy the more expensive Grundig with the SW fine tuning knob.
Because I want to hear people speak in languages I don't understand - more clearly.
I did not drop it to see how durable the case is.
For that review you will have to find the same person who broke their dyno handle.

CHOW!

185 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dave Prescott AZ

Excellent Emergency Radio for the Price

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2011

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

Overview:

(Short Version)
This radio earned a 5-stars rating for the reason that I have used and tested this radio for several months now and find the performance and features of this radio to meet and often exceed my expectations for an emergency / camping radio.

(Long Version)
For those who want a lot more information about this radio, below is a very long detailed review. If you are interested in this radio, this should be an informative review. Amazon displays only the first half of the review and to see it all you need to click on the blue "read more >" link at the bottom of the text. I tried to include information not previously mentioned in other reviews or available in the Amazon description. Included, is general information for improving the use of this or any radio's performance. This review is not too technical (this review is aimed mostly at the beginning user), but radios are technical instruments and will need a very slight technical understanding to achieve maximum performance.

Blue highlighted texts are links that you may click on to see the additional products on Amazon referred to in the review. None of these other Amazon accessory products are necessary to use the radio, but may be useful to get more performance from this radio or any radio for that matter and are included only as helpful guides.

Purpose:

This radio was purchased primarily to be an emergency grid-down (power failure) or off-grid (camping) radio. Some folks may not fully realize how important a source of reliable communications and lighting are in an emergency, until they do not have them. The radio is loaded with features that will be very useful when faced with a grid-down or off-grid situation. The radio is not the ultimate in shortwave portables on the market, but is does a great job pulling in the lots of shortwave broadcasts with a good antenna. It meets its intended purpose by giving the user plenty of emergency lighting and ability to hear important local, regional and international information when needed.

Emergencies have a nasty habit of not announcing their occurrence in advance. This radio fills the niche of a "go to radio/light" when the lights go out or really bad weather is on the way. If things are getting really primitive, whether grid-down or off-grid, then you will be grateful for the intelligently integrated features of this radio. This radio has become my first choice for a dependable portable emergency radio.

Construction:

The radio is well made, light and durable enough to take in a backpack. Loaded with 3 alkaline AA cells the radio weighs 23.4 oz. (600 grams), reasonable weight for all the features. The case of the radio is made of a good grade plastic that appears very durable. The radio has nice rounded corners and hinges, buttons and pieces fit very tight. The construction is first class, unlike a lot of other poor quality "emergency" radios also on the market.

Battery Power Sources:

The radio has two sources of power from batteries, a built-in NiMH battery (supplied) and provisions for AA alkaline batteries. The radio comes supplied with an internal 600 maH NiMH (nickel metal hydride) rechargeable battery. The battery compartment uses 3 replaceable AA alkaline batteries, available in just about any store (Duracell, Energizer, etc.). Batteries are one of the first things to disappear from a store in an emergency, it is wise to have plenty in the house now.

Internal NIMH Rechargeable Battery:

The radio never really shuts off, because it displays the date, time, temperature and humidity all the time, which is a nice feature. The power for these features comes from the internal rechargeable 600 milliamp-hour NiMH battery. The NiMH batteries can power all the features of the radio and lights. The NiMH rechargeable battery is a very common type used in cordless home telephone handsets (about $10 at big box stores), so when it wears out in 5-10 years, a low cost replacement is readily available and easy to access through the battery compartment. Kaitousa sells a replacement NiMH battery for $9.95.

The radio has a nice display that shows when the NiMH battery is charging, it scrolls left to right during charging and when charged, all bars show and scrolling stops. The display also gives a rough indication of the charge remaining in the battery. If you deplete the NiMH charge, you still have a backup power source of the alkaline AA batteries (or rechargeable Eneloops Sanyo NEW 1500 eneloop 8 Pack AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries ) to power the radio. The radio protects the NiMH batteries by shutting down early and a Low Batt light blinks until the NiMH batteries are recharged. This saves the stored memory from being erased and prevents the NiMH from complete discharge, which may reduce the life of the batteries. When new in the box the radio has the NiMH batteries disconnected and you will need to plug them in prior to use.

Modern NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) batteries are great compared to the older Ni-Cad rechargeable batteries. They last much longer (Sanyo Eneloop rates their newest NiMH AA batteries at 1500 charge-discharge cycles). They can replace an alkaline battery in virtually every way, except initial cost, but over the long term are much cheaper than alkaline batteries. My personal experience with Eneloops is that they require between 90 - 100 maH of charge every month topping them off to 1.45 volts with a Powerex charger ( Maha Powerex Wizard One MH-C9000 Advanced Battery Charger and Analyzer - Free Deluxe Accessory Storage Case Included ). This is a first class charger that can also be powered directly from 12 volts in an emergency with a coaxial plug adapter. As a bonus the Powerex charger's padded case fits the KA-600 perfectly.

Power Consumption of Various Features:

The question is "How long will the NiMH internal batteries or the AA Alkaline batteries last?", since this radio is for emergency and off-grid use. The chart below assumes 600 maH (milliamp-hour) capacity for the NiMH batteries and 2000 maH capacity for the AA Alkaline or rechargeables (numbers in parenthesis are actual measurements made on my radio in milliamps (ma):

Estimated Life with 600 maH NiMH batteries:

Backlight Only---------(6 ma): 100 hours
Radio Low Volume----(28 ma): 21 hours
Radio High Volume---(35 ma): 17 hours
Weather Alert On-----(26 ma): 23 hours
Flashlight-------------(25 ma): 24 hours
Reading Light---------(28 ma): 21 hours

Estimated Life with 2000 maH Alkaline batteries:

Backlight Only---------(6 ma): 333 hours
Radio Low Volume----(28 ma): 71 hours
Radio High Volume---(35 ma): 57 hours
Weather Alert On-----(26 ma): 77 hours
Flashlight-------------(25 ma): 80 hours
Reading Light---------(28 ma): 71 hours

For these measurements on radio power consumption "Low Volume" was the minimum to hear the radio clearly when it is a few feet away. "High Volume" was the volume control turned about 50% of the way up, plenty of volume for a room or outdoors.

If you are using more than one feature at a time, such as the radio and the flashlight, then the times will be significantly shorter (about half, 11 hours using NiMH and 38 hours using Alkaline cells). An unusual item discovered during power consumption testing is the Weather Alert feature draws almost as much power as using the Radio Low Volume function. So be aware that the radio consumes the batteries (as if it were turned on, approximately 77 hours, a little over 3 days continuous time on the AA batteries) in the silent Weather Alert mode.

This will at least give us a close estimate of how long we can depend on the radio to function under various modes. Always having lots of extra AA batteries is a very good idea. It simplifies keeping the lights and radio playing, without the need to use solar or the crank. You can even use the reading light to light the battery compartment while changing the AA batteries.

When a power source is depleted or unavailable the radio will tell you to "Select Power", meaning the power source is not available when the source is selected with the 3 position power switch.

Multiple Charging Methods:

This is where this radio really shines, the ability to use multiple methods to keep the radio operating. The radio's recharging circuits are for the 600 ma NiMH battery only. A USB adapter cable like ( Philips SWR1249/17 Retractable USB 2.0 Adapter Kit ) or the 6V wall plug charger (not supplied, Kaito Electronics Inc. AD500 AC Adapter for Kaito Voyager KA500 series Radios ) work quickly to charge the radio. There is a 12 volt cigarette lighter adapter (CLA) with 2 USB and 2 CLA ports available on Amazon made by Bestek, which will allow mobile charging from a 12 volt source via USB ( BESTEK car cigarette lighter socket usb socket car charger Cigarette Lighter adapter dc to dc adapter for car charger adapter usb car charger socket car adapter socket car socket splitter car splitter adapter 3 way plug socket usb socket outlet three wa... ).

Mobile Charging:

The above Bestek USB CLA (or similar) adapter gives the mobile user more options for power. It also allows a user to utilize the car's battery as another way to recharge the 600 maH NiMH battery. Since we would only draw a maximum of 600 maH from the car battery (less than 1% of the car battery's capacity), there is no need to start the car to top off the car battery. It should take around 1 hour to top off the NiMH batteries from a car battery. If you hook direct to the car battery (using alligator clip jumpers, etc.) on a CLA plug the tip is positive (+) and the side is negative (-) which is vehicle ground (chassis). There are low cost direct battery to CLA adapters available (such as, Roadpro 12V Battery Clip-On and Cigarette Lighter Adapter ). In a pinch, you can tap a vehicle's 12 volt battery without having access to the vehicle keys or hood release. Simply locate the starter motor and find the very heavy cable connected (+) to the starter (solenoid) and clip to it and find a piece of clean metal on the chassis (-) for the other lead.

Hand Crank Charging:

The hand crank is effective for charging the NiMH or charging a USB powered device like a cell phone (not all cell phones will charge from the crank, such as the iPhone, according to other reviews). Charging is fairly fast with hand crank and the radio was topped off from the factory after about 2 minutes (I assume the battery was in a partially charged state from the factory). There is a small switch in the back of the radio for charging "In" or "Out", to charge your phone with the crank make sure the switch is in the "Out" position. The radio uses a single Mini-B USB connector for power in or out. The crank generator is the only method with sufficient power to charge external USB power devices like a phone, GPS, camera, etc.

I agree with other reviewer's assessments that the crank handle could be overstressed if really mishandled. The crank in operation should be carefully and smoothly used and no problems should result. The crank does not look poorly designed, but one user did have it break off. It is recommended the cranking speed be around 2 turns per second. The crank seems robust enough to handle normal use. I would try to keep the crank handle inside the crank slot while turning to avoid overstressing the hinge (gently pushing down while turning). This radio conveniently locates the handle on the side out of the way, tucked in almost flush to the case. I feel the hand crank is the last resort power supply if the NiMH and AA batteries are depleted and there is no sun available.

Solar Charging:

The solar cell charging works very well, although probably the slowest of charging methods (12 individual solar cells). There is some concern about leaving the radio in bright hot sun. On a similar radio (Kaito KA-500 Voyager, a much less capable predecessor to the KA-600). I would wrap the radio in a white plastic grocery bag for all except the solar panel. This shielded the remainder of the radio from the Arizona sun and heat effects on the black plastic. I have seen no degradation of the plastic or the solar panel over the last year (solar is my preferred method of maintaining NiMH charge). Even in light cloudy conditions (bright, but no shadows cast) the Charge light illuminated, and the radio display showed power going to the NiMH battery. I typically leave the similar KA-500 radio in a window (wrapped in plastic bag) which received early morning sun for a few hours a day and that keeps the NiMH fully charged and the radio ready to go. The charging circuits on the KA-600 are virtually identical to the older KA-500.

USB / AC Wall Plug Charging:

This the fastest way to recharge the internal NiMH batteries. An hour or so is all that is required, depending on the discharge level of the batteries. The radio can be operated normally during this time and will save the charge on the batteries for a later time.

A word of caution from the manufacturer about charging. Kaito recommends that you do not leave a USB (approx. 5 volts) or a DC wall charger (as much as 6.6 volts) plugged in more than 3 hours after full charge is reached unless the radio is in use. The charging circuit does not automatically cut off the charge current when the NiMH batteries reach full charge (I use 1.45 volts as max charge voltage per cell). It is therefore possible to overcharge (approx. 4.5 volts max.) the 3 NiMH batteries and cause the service life to be reduced. I would think the lower voltage USB at 5 volts would be less harmful than the wall adapter if accidently left plugged in. If you plan to leave the Weather Alert feature on all the time, I would suggest using a USB charging source.

Radio Performance Shortwave and Miscellaneous:

The shortwave bands are not what they use to be decades ago. I have been an avid shortwave listener since the 1960s. There are less shortwave stations available to listen to anymore, some moving to the Internet, shortening their broadcast times, etc. This radio receives AM shortwave in 5 KHz increments, which is perfectly fine for 99%+ of the international shortwave stations. It would be nice to have a 1 KHz or finer tuning, but 5 KHz works just fine. With 5 KHz tuning you do not spend a lot of time tuning between "channels" and go direct to the stations, much quicker. There are two methods available to change the frequency, the tuning dial on the side or direct frequency entry through the keypad. The radio has plenty of memories to store favorite radio frequencies on AM/FM and Shortwave. The numbers of stored frequency memories available are: LW (10), AM (25), SW (100) and FM (100).

Shortwave reception depends on the time of day, radio propagation and yes, even the sunspots. Just because a shortwave station is broadcasting at a given time, your ability to receive it will vary. Signal fading is common and a lot of the stations broadcast on multiple frequencies, so you can find the one that works best. Broadcasters will often "beam" a radio signal to a particular part of the globe rather than sending out an omnidirectional signal.

Shortwave Antennas:

The antenna is critical in shortwave listening and the collapsible antenna on the radio is nowhere near enough. Do not expect to hear anything on shortwave with the 14 inch collapsible antenna, except the most powerful stations. Without a decent antenna any radio is not going to perform very well and that applies to this radio as it would to a $2000 radio. A long wire antenna of 25 to 75 feet and as high as possible connected to the collapsible antenna makes all the difference. I have heard many shortwave broadcasts with an indoor long antenna on this radio. A retractable reel antenna (such as, Sangean ANT-60 Short Wave Antenna ) would be great for indoor or portable use, clips right on the retracted collapsible antenna. The Sangean antenna is a small, lightweight and easily portable package that works very well (about the size of small shoe polish can).

A lot of other things can also serve as a temporary antenna with some success (make sure you have a clean metal connection), such as metal rain gutters, guard rails, barb wire fences, extension cords, metal air conditioning ducts, metal chimney pipes, metal clothes lines, etc. I would recommend the use of alligator clip jumpers wires to take quick temporary connections ( SE Clip Test Lead Set (10 Piece) or even chain the jumpers together to make a quick antenna. You can hang an "invisible antenna" of 28 gauge magnet wire out a window or off a balcony with a fishing weight attached at the bottom. There is plenty of information available on the Internet for shortwave antennas.

Shortwave Broadcast Schedules:

Here is a great website (primetimeshortwave) for a list of shortwave broadcasts (like a TV Guide for shortwave broadcasts). I highly recommend the (primetimeshortwave) website to enhance your shortwave listening, it gives you the time and frequency and whether it is beamed to your location, as well as the language of the broadcast.

The times displayed on the website are UTC (Universal Time Coordinated, current time in London, England) and to convert Local Time to UTC: EST (add 5 hours), CST (add 6 hours), MST (add 7 hours) and PST (add 8 hours). Here is an example, 1400 MST (2 P.M.) is 2100 UTC (1400 + 7 hours = 2100 UTC). Daylight Savings time takes one hour away from the equation: EDT (add 4 hours), CDT (add 5 hours), MDT (add 6 hours) and PDT (add 7 hours). To go from UTC to Local Time just subtract instead of add, easy after you have done it a few times. There are also websites that will also give you the current UTC time.

Other Shortwave Comments:

The radio does not receive Single Side Band (SSB) type transmissions from ham radio operators, etc. This would be a nice addition, but at 5 KHz tuning steps and lack of a SSB detector makes it all but impossible. The ability to receive ham radio transmissions could be beneficial in an emergency. You will need a different, more expensive radio to listen to the ham operators (such as, ICF-SW7600GR Digital World Band Radio Tuner , but these radios lack the emergency features of the KA-600). During hurricanes TV stations would relay information gathered from monitoring emergency ham radio operators, rather than their sacrificial cub reporters sent out in 100 mph winds.

Radio Performance AM / FM:

The performance of the AM and FM features are typical of any radio of this size. With the built in internal AM loop and collapsible whip antennas the radio will work fine with local AM and FM stations.

By using enhanced antennas (AM tuned loop, like the less than 1 foot diameter Terk Advantage ( Terk Advantage Indoor AM Radio Loop Antenna ) this radio is capable of pulling in stations from a long way off on AM at night. The tuned loop will improve daytime signals significantly as well, but the range is reduced due to shorter daytime radio propagation (atmospheric conditions) compared to longer night time propagation. The ability to hear radio stations several hundred miles away (at night) is very beneficial. Local radio stations may be "off the air" due to a power failure or weather conditions. If you really want to maximize AM distance performance, look into a 4 foot box loop antenna (mine pulls in strong stations up to 1000 miles away at night, not too expensive to build out of PVC pipe and about 100 feet of wire). These antennas do not need a direct connection to the radio. Placing the radio very close to the loop is all that is needed (inductive coupling). The tuned loop antennas also have the ability to null out an undesired station on the same frequency by rotating the loop.

Resolving FM Reception Issues:

Some reviewers commented that they felt the radio on FM was weak. I have not observed any issue with the radio's sensitivity and would rate the radio's FM sensitivity as good. The 14 inch collapsible antenna is marginally suitable (not ideal, it is too short and wrong polarization) for weaker FM signals. Those of us who remember the use of "rabbit ears" for TV reception may understand how sensitive a FM receiver is to antenna location and rotation inside the house. Just like old TV signals, FM radio is horizontally polarized and the collapsible antenna on the KA-600 is fixed vertical when sitting on its base (an antenna that swivels horizontally would help).

Try these two tests to see if you can receive the FM station you want:

1) Take the radio outside and find a spot several feet away from any metal, car, overhead wires, rain gutters, metal fences, etc. If you now hear well the desired FM station, then something inside or the house itself is absorbing a lot of the FM signal.

2) Rotate the radio and antenna horizontal and turn around slowly and see if there is a direction the antenna is pointed that improves the signal. Signal should be strongest when the horizontal antenna is "broadside" to the station.

If you get a great signal under test 1) then try to walk around inside the house and see if there are hotspots (near a window in the direction of a station, etc.) where the radio receives a strong signal. This technique is not unlike trying to optimize a poor cell phone signal. There is no indication of signal strength on the radio, so you need to listen carefully for a quieting of the static background on the FM signal.

If you get a great signal under Test 2), but not Test 1) then the collapsible antenna being vertical or too short is likely the problem. Try going inside the house and attaching a 3 or 4 foot horizontal wire to the collapsed antenna. Orient the wire in the direction that worked best outside, this may improve the FM signal captured by the radio.

If you cannot hear the FM station under Tests 1) and 2) outside, then it is very unlikely you will be successful inside the house.

Things in the house that adversely affect the FM signal are: metal window screens, aluminum siding, metal roof, foil backed wall insulation, chicken wire stucco, steel frame construction, large metal objects inside in line with radio station (like a mirror, refrigerator), etc. Nearby computers, televisions, and fluorescent lights can also interfere with the radio's ability to hear a weak signal by generating radio noise. Hope this helps, trial and error seems to be the best method to resolve any FM reception issue. It typically is not the radio, but the location and orientation / length of the antenna that is the culprit.

Radio Performance Weather Band:

The Weather band is a real plus for this radio, you can receive 24 hour a day regional weather forecasts. Most Weather radio stations also have emergency power available to keep them on the air in a power outage, so you can count on them in a dangerous weather situation. The radio has an Alert feature that silences the radio unless severe weather is forecast, like a tornado, flood, hurricane, etc. The radio will turn the speakers on and relay the severe weather message through the speaker (it still is drawing power from the batteries in the Alert mode). The radio speaker will remain on if a Weather Alert was issued (must be manually shut off). The Weather Alert tone is transmitted once a week as a test and will trip the Alert feature and leave the radio broadcasting weather information with no severe weather in the forecast. The Weather Alert signal is not tested if there is severe weather in the forecast. The Weather Alert feature alone is well worth having in an emergency radio.

During a recent test of the nationwide emergency broadcast, I discovered the Weather Alert feature is also activated. So if there is something serious going on that the President or DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) feels a national alert needs to be issued, you are ensured of hearing it through this radio's Alert feature. The weather radio alert system also works with other Federal, State, Local Emergency Managers and other public officials to broadcast information on non-weather related emergencies and warnings (such as, chemical spills, earthquake, flood, tsunami, evacuation, etc.). It is basically a one-stop emergency or warning alert system when needed, but is primarily used to issue routine weather reports and forecasts 24 hours a day.

Emergency Lighting:

The reading light is 5 LEDs located under the solar panel and pivots 180 degrees to direct light to where it is needed. The reading light relies on friction to maintain the angle of the light (or solar panel). The reading light is limited in range, but does offer an area type light for a room. An issue pointed out by another reviewer stated that the reading light was easy to turn on and not notice. This is absolutely true; the slide switch is under the handle and needs just a slight bump to turn it on. It is impossible to see the retracted reading light (flush with the back case) in any room light and even in the dark you need to get the angle just right to notice the faint glow from the very bottom. This is another way to accidently drain the batteries.

The flashlight located on the side is quite good. I went for a walk with this radio on a moonless night and the flashlight worked well, more than adequate for emergency lighting, camping, etc. It is not going to replace a dedicated flashlight, but in a pinch will work great. Power consumption on these light sources is relatively low and could be utilized instead of a dedicated flashlight to conserve the flashlight's batteries for more demanding uses. A piece of red cellophane or similar could be placed over the flashlight or reading light lens to protect night vision, if needed. Yellow cellophane might also work to stop bugs from being attracted to the light if you are outdoors.

A feature that is greatly appreciated is the built in dial light. The dial light is activated any time a button is pushed on the radio. The light automatically turns off after about 15 seconds (there is no other way to turn it on other than hitting a button). The backlight draws so little power (6 ma.) for a short period of time that it is not a significant battery power consumer. Without the automatic dial light there is no way to read the LCD dial in the dark with the built in flashlight or reading light. The numerical keypad for frequency entry does not light up and can be a challenge in darkness if their location has not been memorized. The dial light feature is disabled when using the Key Lock feature (see below).

Speaker:

The built-in speaker (around 2.6 inches, 66 mm) is more than adequate and better suited for voice than music, it tends to drop the lower bass frequencies. The speaker provides very clear audio when listening to people speaking. Using a good set of headphones the audio is great, full fidelity. The radio also has great audio when played through a nice set of external computer speakers, just plug them into the earphone jack. I was surprised how great the radio sounded through a pair of amplified computer speakers.

Weatherproofing:

The radio is definitely not waterproof and may not even be weather resistant. However, the radio looks like it may have limited resistance to vertical rain for a short period of time if it is accidently caught in a rain storm. There are major openings for the speaker starting about one half inch from the bottom of the radio. There is a very fine mesh screen on openings which look like it could repel rain water splashes (or at least bugs) from getting into the radio. The buttons on the top of the radio fit very tightly and look like they will resist the seepage of water to the inside of the radio from a rain storm. I would suggest the radio be put into a clear freezer bag, grocery store produce bag or similar if there is a chance of the radio being out in the rain. The controls should be able to be manipulated through the plastic bag. The sealed plastic bag will also help in areas prone to salty air; switches and electronics do not perform well in salty environments over time.

Key Lock Feature:

The outside of the front and top of the radio are covered with buttons. It is very easy to turn on Weather Alert or the Alarm features and not realize you accidently hit the button. The radio has a Key Lock feature which disables all the radio keys and displays a key symbol on the top of the LCD screen (operated through the Snooze button). The only keys that work are the flashlight and reading light. It is easy to accidently turn something on or off just by just picking the radio up or placing or handling it in a snug padded case. I completely drained a set of alkaline batteries by accidently activating the Weather Alert feature while putting it in a case. The Key Lock is a nicely engineered feature; you will appreciate the Key Lock after you have had the radio for a while.

The Key Lock feature may also be accidently activated by hitting the Snooze button for a few seconds. Once you have done this the radio will not operate and nothing you do will turn the radio on, until you hit the Snooze button again to turn the Key Lock off. The word "Lock" is written above the Snooze button, but it may not be obvious to a new user what this feature does. This may unnecessarily frustrate a few new users, but it is a great feature once you are familiar with it.

Thermometer:

The built in thermometer is accurate, but has one small drawback. It is very slow to report the correct temperature. Apparently, it measures the temperature inside the radio case and can take up to 1 hour to read the real ambient temperature accurately when the radio is taken from a warm area to a cold area or the other way around. An example, if you leave the radio to solar charge in a window it will show 10 - 15 degrees higher than the room temperature and when removed it takes close to an hour to show the actual room temperature. The thermometer can be changed between Fahrenheit and Celsius scales (the switch is located in the battery compartment next to the NiMH battery pack and is changed with a small pointed object).

User Manual:

It is important to read the entire user manual, the radio is loaded with features that need a little explanation to properly understand and use. The operator controls are rather simple to use and you will not need to keep referring to the manual to figure out how to do something once you become familiar with all the features. The user manual is well done and is useful to explain all the features of the radio. There are lots of pictures and good explanations to go with the pictures. It is best to sit down with the manual and the radio and become familiar with all the features.

The user's manual is available free on the Internet (reading it will help in understanding all the radio's features before you purchase). There are a few websites that offer a .pdf user manual version online (using internet search engine terms like: "kaito 600 user manual" will get you right to one at kaitousa, it is large, 31 MB).

Alarm Clocks, Snooze and Sleep Timer:

Other features that are very useful are 2 alarm clocks with a snooze feature. In addition, there is a sleep timer (up to 90 minutes) so you can listen to the radio at night and then it will automatically shut off after an adjustable period of minutes.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I am quite impressed with the quality and performance of this radio for the price. There is a whole lot of radio here for the money. Many other radios in this price class are much less suitable. I researched this radio and similar radios very carefully before purchasing and I am delighted with the features, construction and performance of this radio having been able to use it for many months. Should something catastrophic happen to the radio (lost, damaged, etc.), I would replace it immediately. The engineering Kaito used to design this radio is first class; this radio meets all my expectations for an emergency and off-grid radio. I rate this radio an easy 5 stars for the purpose intended, there are way too many great things about this radio to give it anything less.

Hopefully, you found this review helpful. Have a Great Day!

1,162 people found this helpful

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Dan Hayman

Good for what it is

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2013

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

I purchased a Kaito KA 600, and also Kaito KA450 as a surprise gift for my daughter who is going into the second grade. I chose the KA600 radio for the following reasons: 1) It is equipped with electronic tuning complete with RDS on FM. 2) My entire family, including my daughter, appreciates a radio equipped with the NOAA weather bands 3) My family enjoys all kinds of music & sports and the KA600 has a easy to use digital tuner. 4) We all enjoy shortwave & again the KA600 has shortwave bands. Quality issues aside (for the moment) KA600 has what appears to be far too many nice features too list here however the flash light, reading light, rechargeable (by hand crank or solar power) batteries are all nice touches. They also can produce 'just okay' sound (from the rather small speaker) and decent (but by no means great) volume without distortion. Unfortunately again quality is hit or miss - some radios appear to be okay, others pretty terrible. I found one disappointing issue with this model that seems consistent, generally poor (as in horrible) AM reception. In our area, with a KA600, weaker AM stations can be a real challenge to pull in (more so during the daytime) but more alarming is that even 50,000 Watt stations like WBZ Boston tend to suffer with static and interference most likely due to a rather small internal AM antenna, however if you take the time to reposition the radio you can usually find a position to listen to the major AM stations albeit with static (unfortunately with the KA600 you may appear to be partaking in a game of "Twister" just to get the latest sports scores) however the AM reception does seem to improve somewhat at night. Unfortunately, depending on whether you get a fairly decent one or a bad one this reception issue isn't just limited to AM. I've got one with almost decent FM reception and another that is absolutely dreadful (not to mention the ones we returned due to poor reception). Shortwave reception is poor as well. I wish I could give this radio a solid 5 Star rating however due to the quality issues IMO it doesn't even deserve 1 star. Make no mistake, these radios are absolute junk. Although we currently own two Kaito KA600 Multiband radios (one is just decent, one is really bad). I prefer (the less expensive) KA450, model better. In fact when you factor in the price difference the KA450, KA500 & KA550 would all be worth considering If only Kaito quality was where it should be, but it is not. The idea is good, unfortunately something was lost in the execution, that something lost is quality.
Again it's just too bad the quality is hit or miss and unfortunately it has been my experience that it is usually miss. I really wanted to like these radios, but because of the issues I've mentioned, cannot recommend them and don't even use mine. I my opinion they are better suited for the trash bin than on my desk. What an absolute waste of money.

10/1/2014 Update - In my opinion these Kaito radios are very bad quality. The unit that I described as "okay" has proven to be as poorly made as the others. In fact when I extended the antenna last night, something sharp cut my finger, so I looked at the antenna - a sharp brass-like clip that apparently holds each section of the antenna to the next came out of the antenna and cut my finger. I was able to carefully re-install the top section of the antenna into the rest of the antenna, but it just proves how poorly made these radios are, using the cheapest quality components possible. Again, I would never buy another, nor would I recommend a Kaito radio. I'm also not happy that I was injured by this piece of rubbish.

14 people found this helpful

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Francisco Ramirez Gonzalez

Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 used it overseas

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2012

Color: BlackVerified Purchase

In short words this radio is really cool, just as promise a great radio in case of an emergency, many reviewers have provided many detail about this radio, so I'm only going to list at the end of my review the factory specification of this great radio, I'm going to focus in this radio use outside the U.S. I live in Guatemala City.

Guatemala City is surround by mountains so SW reception is not very good, you can try to use an external antenna like the " Kaito Radio antenna, T1 " but as my review said (look for it) it helps but not as much as you might hope. How ever, you still going to listen some radios and as I learn and still learning SW frequencies transmit programs at specific hours one hour might be a Italian program and later a Spanish radio. I have found out that at least in Guatemala there are a lot Cuban SW programs that you can listen (not that I'm interest any way), I have listen also some programs in Italian, Japanese, Dutch, English and what appears to be Hindi, and Arab, and Spanish from Cuba, Spain, Argentine, and others countries, the sound however is not quite great but that's is as you could expect from SW and also in a highly mountain region. The next trip to the beach I will test it I, hopefully with better reception. FM, AM is great you would find great reception and sound, it really amazing given the little speaker.

As you read in the product description, it has a flash and a reading light, it is brighter but not as much any other led lamp, that probably just to save energy, but in an emergency that what you want.

It can be charge by the sun (quite slowly), by a crank (the best method without electricity), you can use batteries (alkaline, or rechargeable), and it have a internal Ni-MH battery pack just like the used in wireless phones (include with the radio and can be replaced), actually you must know that you need that battery in order to charge the radio with the sun or the crank, or by an electric adapter " Kaito AD500 AC Adapter for Kaito Voyager Series Radios " (look for my review for more details) or using a usb pc port.

This radio can charge some phones (sadly not my blackberry 9800 torch) with the use of the crank, I found that you can charge your Kindle Keyboard 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers , and my Apple iPod nano 16 GB Silver (5th Generation) OLD MODEL , I'm still testing other devices. By the way if you want to charge other devices with the crank you have to move a little switch in the back and remember to change it later, no big deal.

Some reviewers have said that "The manual is a little confusing", I don't think so, if you can change your stereo, VCR, TV, DVD player time you will understand this radio without problem.

If you live in a country like Guatemala without a Fahrenheit degrees system you will be happy to know you can change it.

For the FM RDS at least in Guatemala you would not find much FM radios that have info, and the NOAA information is useless at least in Guatemala, but there are many more reasons to bought this radio for an emergency, a lot of options for listen, FM (88-108MHz), AM (MW:520-1710KHz), LW (longwave: 150-521KHz), SW (shortwave: 2300-23000 KHz), great sound, a lot of memories for each band, 2 alarms for wake up in the morning, sleep functions, 2 sources of light and 6 ways of power it. It show the temperature and the humidity.

Specifications:

6 Ways of Power:
1. Dynamo Cranking Power: 120 turns per minute of cranking will power the built in Ni-MH battery pack with strong current and voltage.
2. Solar Panel Power: Under the direct sunlight, the solar panel will power the radio without a problem.
3. AA Batteries: You can use 3 normal AA batteries to run the radio for maximum reception.
4. A built-in Rechargeable battery pack.
5. AC adaptor charge from the 3.5 mm jack. (Optional)
6. Charge from a computer via USB port.

Lighting:
1. 5 LED reading lamp for camping and emergency use.
2. White LED flashlight

Radio Reception
1. AM: 520-1710 KHz
2. FM: 87.00- 108.00 MHz
3. SW: 2.30MHz-23.00MHz
4. NOAA Weather Band: 7 standard bands for all stations, PLL crystal control circuit for stable reception
5. Weather Alert: To be activated by weather alert signals.
6. Temperature
7. Thermometer
8. 2 Alarm Clocks
9. Sleep Mode up to 90 minutes and infinity.
10. 100 Memories on all bands

Optional:
1. Earphone
2. USB Cord (not include)

14 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

The Best Emergency/Everyday Radio For The Price

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Everything works as it should. I tested all functions of this amazing radio and found all worked as advertised. The unit is well made and feels solid and durable. The polymer case has a nice tactile feel to it (almost a fuzzy finish) that adds positive retention and won't slip easily from the hand. The sound quality is OK for the size speaker but the headphone-out jack can be used as a line-out function to feed a higher fidelity unit if desired (it also sounds great through the supplied ear buds and fantastic through a quality set of headphones). It also has a line-in port located with the other ports and you can feed any signal into the radio with a small jack if you want. The multiple charge sources are amazing (battery, rechargeable battery, USB source, crank, DC adapter Kaito AD500 AC Adapter for Kaito Voyager Series Radios (not included) and solar) so you will never be without a flashlight, reading light, phone charge source, FM, AM, SW, MW, LW, NOAA radio signal ever again. I tested all the bands and they all provide an acceptable level of reception. Of course, the better the antenna, the better the reception, especially for short wave. Too many features to go over in detail. I used them all and they do the job. Just read the manual and keep it handy for awhile. Operation can be a bit complex until you get the hang of things. Over all I give it five stars for a complex product that does everything it's supposed to without complaint.

2 people found this helpful

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LPL

A great radio for the price

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

I like this radio because it has all the futures I've been looking for a long time but even more then I expected. I been looking for one identical to the one here with at lease having the Chanel preset buttons, an alarm clock, shortwave and weather alert and alert display on it and these are the basic futures I am looking for.

There is one drawback about it I would disagreed with, is when ever I touch or operate any buttons, the display light will come on and stays on for about 15 seconds before going off when it is not needed during browed daylight. I would sub just you turn the "lock key" on while you charge the battery by crank or carrying the radio because if you grab the radio even when it is off, any buttons may be push accidently except the volume control knob and the power selecting knob may cause the display light to light which it draw unwanted power from the batteries making it last less time then it normally would. Also I have notice that when I turn on the alert option on it, it would not pick-up any weather nor emergency alerts when I tested it against my police scanner. Then the scanner picked up the weather/emergency alert, at the same time, the radio did not receive the same alert on the same channel. Other then that, all the other futures worked find which I am not going to fuss about it. Far as I know, I have not seen a crank radio with this much futures as this one.

I've given it five stars or even ten if I can because it is more then I needed. I also like the "RDS" displayed I never expected because it would not only broadcast music, but it will also tell me the name of the song and who sings it and the radio station name and number. I always wanted to find-out the names of my best songs being played on the radio and the group who played them. I had a short wave radio the had preset channel buttons for "FM" band and I did liked it and that's where I know that this radio has it which I miss when I no longer have the radio.(no hand crank)

Another thing I liked also is the thermometer and the hydrometer which makes it even better then I expected. The way this radio looks would make it more like a $200.00 - $300.00 or more for it.

I like the feel of the crank and also the way I can charge other devices that I can plug in with the usb jack. Some futures I haven't try yet, but it has so much that there is no end.

Helpful

Eugene Jones

A Wonderful Radio!

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

I read the reviews here on Amazon to try to get a good idea about a product before I buy it. While these reviews are just opinions, If many people share the same opinion, this is a good indicator of how good a product is. The reviews are what persuaded me to buy this radio. I am by no means an expert or collector so I cannot compare this radio with similar radios. I know one thing though, this is a great radio!

I wanted a yellow radio but I guess this model is no longer available from Kaito in yellow, so I settled for the green. I've read in many of the reviews that the radio is plastic. This is not entirely true. The radio is covered in vinyl which absorbs shock better than plastic. All of the knobs and buttons are rounded to prevent snagging. The only knob that may get snagged is the power source selector dial.

The battery lasted about five hours from full charge to having one bar left. I hooked a 6K power pack up to the radio and recharged the battery to full in about an hour.

All of the FM stations came in fine with the whip antenna extended. I hooked a long piece of wire to the whip and scanned the shortwave bands. Hundreds of stations, and a few in English. I listened to WTWW out of Lebanon, Tennessee for a few hours. AM performed fine. I did not play around with LW. I am able to pick up a few of the weather stations.

It is remarkably easy to set the alarms, the time and date, or manually key in the frequency for a station. The reading light is nice, it will come in handy while camping or during a power outage.

The hand-crank is strategically located on the side of the unit, which is better than having the crank on the back. I placed the radio on the edge of the table and held it with my left hand under the carry strap while I cranked it with my right hand. I was able to turn the crank for three or four minutes without either hand becoming fatigued. I could probably turn the crank for ten minutes before my hand gets tired. It is a good design.

There are some things that can be improved upon. The antenna extends but does not swivel. All of my stations tuned clearly, but I can see if you were away from the city, you may want to point the antenna in a direction other than straight up. The solar panel is not very effective. It is better than nothing, but I would not rely on it, even in an emergency. Saving stations to memory is pretty confusing, so I do not even use them. It is pretty easy just to type the frequency of your favorite stations.

Overall, I would highly recommend this radio to use everyday or to put up and use during emergencies.

3 people found this helpful

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