Description of KA500CAM says 5-way powered emergency radio. Photo of product says 4way powered NOAA WEATHER ALERT. Please exp[ain.

It has a switch on it for NOAA weather alerts. The 4-way power is this: it has a handle you can turn to charge it, that's 1; it has a solar panel for charging, that's 2; it has a lithium ion (or something) battery that you can plug into the wall to charge, that's 3; and you can also put 3 AA batteries in it to power it, that's 4. 4-ways to charge it. I liked this radio, but wish I had bought the digital one for a few bucks more.

If the internal rechargeable batteries are dead and there are no back-up batteries installed will the radio work on solar power only?

I have not tried this yet. When I cranked it for a minute (after batteries were dead) and then left it in the sun all afternoon it ran for only 15 minutes (whereas when the battery is fully charged it will go for 6 hours). Now it's possible that this "trickle charging" from the sun will allow it to play the radio all day. (I don't think it would charge the batteries for more than a few minutes of night use, however, if the radio were on while it was operating in the sun on solar power. I wish I'd checked out that possibility...if I get to it I will come back and give an update.

If you insert AA batteries, does it override rechargeable batt., or can you switch between? Or do you remove the Nimh pack to make room for AA?

The optional AA batteries are in addition to the included rechargeable battery. Power selector switch on front allows separate choice of "Batt" (i.e. AA cells), or "Crank/Solar" (which are the two ways of charging up the rechargeable battery). So, if you select "Crank/Solar" the radio is actually running off the rechargeable battery, and attempting to use either the solar cells or the hand crank to keep it charged.

does this product have a reading lamp, a flashlight and a red blicking light?

Yes to all three questions reading lamp works well has red blinker and flashlight love the radio great for anytime but wonderfull when the lights go out

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Reviews

J**O

Radio sólido, bien pensado y con excelente sonido! Además con todas las vías posibles de alimentación, jamás te dejará abandonado.

30.08.2024

F**.

Funcina perfectamente y dura mucho la batería

27.05.2025

G**Z

Muy buena recepción de SW y FM , llego antes de lo esperado , es ligero y tambien es bueno , pila recargable creo q no es mucho pero con el sustituto de pilas aa lo recompensa. Esto es comparando con otras radios y esta bastante bien , mas en las frecuencias SW q otras q é probado Gracias

16.03.2023

M**A

Got a used in very good condition Price was still a little high $65 from the reg new price of $70, I like that it is made in North America. I like that most of this is analog, that makes it very energy efficient. Like the built in lithium battery, wish it was LiFePo for recharge duty cycle but not bad. Good options micro usb USB and 6v charging ports still have to see if it is output/input. Best of all it takes standard 6v Double AA batteries. I like the crank and solar options might be a little gimmicky if it cannot run off of this exclusively. Good sound quality, I will have to test this in the mountains for reception. I like the battery and channel lock on indicator light and the NOAA alert setting. The silicone handel with nylon strap has a nice feel. The plastic body is thick but it could use some silicone bumpers especially in the corners. The speaker port could also use weatherproofing. Wish Canada had separate all English / French / mixed Weather exclusive channels, but that is not the radio issue. I am happy and would recommend this radio.

4.02.2024

D**C

Seems like a quality item. Speaker is impressive for its size. Clear signals. One challenge early on was installing the three AA batteries. The slot for two batteries was extremely tight. I felt like it was about to snap, it needed so much force. They were Energizer batteries. Tried Kirkland and they fit better. Very weird but glad I didn’t have to send back. Re the SOS light, and only a minor quibble, but to be a true SOS light, it should really flash SOS in Morris code.

17.02.2024

ASIN	B001F0MNRM
Best Sellers Rank	#46,339 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #12 in Portable Weather Radios
Item model number	KA500BLK
Manufacturer	Kaito
Product Dimensions	21.08 x 5.84 x 13.46 cm; 566.99 g

Kaito KA500 5-way Powered Emergency AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Alert Radio with Solar,Dynamo Crank,Flashlight and Reading Lamp, Color Black

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