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C Crane CC Solar Observer AM FM WX Portable Emergency Radio Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.พ. 2018
- The idea of going green and off grid works well with the Solar Observer Portable AM FM NOAA WX Band radio by C.Crane.
▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at eBay: bit.ly/CCSolarO...
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▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2ItN8h4
▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at Amazon CA: amzn.to/2LsP8rZ
▶ The CC Solar Observer w/ adapter at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2Cxpufx
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Looking for an emergency radio that is well made, easy to use, and gets great reception? The CC Solar Observer should be on your short list of emergency radios. It surprised me with all the features it had to offer.
Yes, it has a premium price tag, but you can see, feel and hear that difference when using this radio in person.
Features I like about this radio:
FM Reception..wow was it excellent.
Audio is great with its 2 1/2" speaker.
AM Reception was good, with the ability to pull in many distant stations.
Weather Band Reception may rival my other emergency radios.
Build quality, fit and finish of materials is the best I've seen.
The ability to use standard alkaline AA batteries. All emergency radios should have this option.
The dynamo is easy to use, likely the best I have used on an emergency radio.
The back lit analog dial looks fantastic, what a nice touch.
Flashlight.
Carrying handle is well made and nice to use.
Features I wish it had or were improved on:
The solar panel seems a bit small, a larger one would be nice.
A lithium Ion battery like an 18650.
A built in charging circuit that uses a micro USB cable.
A dedicated USB port for charging devices, instead of a small adapter that can get lost easily.
Overall this is a great emergency radio to own and give as a gift to anyone who needs one. It is so intuitive to use that there is virtually no learning curve at all to use it effectively. A solid buy in my book, and if they added those few extra features this radio will continue to sell well into the years ahead.
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▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at eBay: bit.ly/CCSolarObserver
(paid link) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you.
▶ The C.Crane CC Solar Observer at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2ItN8h4
(paid link) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you.
Nice review! I already pulled the trigger on this unit the other day and await its arrival. I ordered directly from C.Crane as they had a 15% off sale on the radio/charger combo package, PLUS I got an extra 15% off using the discount code they offer if you sign up for emails. Radio cost: $36.73, plus $10.01 for the charger and $9.99 shipping. That's how they broke it down on my on-line receipt. $56.73 total out the door. Your review made me happy that I decided on this radio. I have been a fan of portable radios since I was a kid in the early sixties looking at the new transistor radios at the local drug store. I remember once waking up early one morning to be first in line at a dept store having a doorbuster sale. I snagged a sweet little Panasonic AM/FM unit that was clad in red leatherette. It was about 6x3x1 with the external antennae and headphone jack. It was my companion for many years and I have no idea where it ended up. I have had many radios over the years, but that was my favorite. I rocked the sixties with that one before I started into the stereo craze. So when I decided to look for another portable radio for emergency usage I only shopped for retro looking units like the Solar Observer. I wish I had kept my transistor radio collection. Same with my records and comics.
I love C.Crane radios! The designs, the build quality, the sensitivity and selectivity, the sound, all top notch. They're not cheap but they're worth it. My Skywave SSB and CCRadio 2E Enhanced are two of my favourite and most capable radios. In fact, if I could only keep two physical radios, those would be them.
I'm working on a plan to get both of those...might be awhile...I love my CC Pocket! and of course the EP, I put the Skywave and Elpa into storage. But lately I've been rocking my GE SR I...yeah its my fav atm :)
a funny little story, was given one of the earliest iterations of this exact model CC Observer radio some years back by my cousin as a gift ...it was the Non-Solar model with a black "rubberized" coating (other than those 2 things, everything else is exactly the same as this current Solar model you reviewed here Todd) and i kept it boxed in a bottom desk drawer in the orig box in orig factory bubble-wrap sleeve ..taking out only once in a while to test it. well, recently i took it out removing it from the bubble-wrap sleeve ...and the "rubberized" coating had actually begun "melting" ...and was now as slimy sticky as maple syrup. so ...i spent what seemed like an entire afternoon cleaning it with: first a bit of lacquer cleaner on a clean dry rag ...which took off most of the "rubber" ...and then finished up with many many wipe-downs (using good paper towels & q-tips) of 70% isopropyl alcohol. finally was able to remove 95% of all that "rubberized" crap coating, thankfully. let it dry out a few days ...and it still works great. no wonder that C Crane stopped putting on that "rubberized" coating ...im quite sure that many less patient people simply threw away many of these 1st gen models ...not wanting to deal with that issue, which frankly (sadly) almost made this very good radio almost UN-usable. thought i'd share (steer clear of the original 1st gen models).
Hey the same thing happened to me!! Had it in storage for a couple of years in a closet and then found the exterior had turned like glue. I tried rubbing the surface with olive oil , it seemed like it worked but the next day it went back to it’s melted state.
I’ll try your formula for getting rid of that nasty stuff. I have not used the radio in years because of that !!
@@kenjifox4264 i feel your pain brother, truly. my advice would be to try to do this cleaning method outside or near some ventilation if at all possible. and also be careful not to use too much of either liquid solution directly on radio as to not leak into components ...best to use generous amounts of both solutions on clean rags (need a bunch) or thick Bounty paper towels ...cause that rubber is thick and dirties those rags quickly !! wishin you all the best, my old cleaned up CC is still goin strong !
@@bobgox thanks for the tips!! I’ll have to do it little by little, like a project.
Way back when I discovered this problem I think I should’ve called C.Crane, this is a manufacturing defect so maybe they could’ve exchanged it for me. Maybe. 🤔
@@kenjifox4264 worth a try ! please let us know how you do, would really like to know if they cover that defect. btw, the Kaito Voyager KA500 had the same issue, as did some small Eton & Grundig radios.
@@bobgox oh it’s not an isolated incident! yah, will let you know !
This is an amazing radio! I've had mine for two years
Mike, the build quality is really good. I see this set lasting years. Thanks for watching!
This helped me decide to purchase this radio. Now I am off to researching packable first aid kit!
Great radio, good prepping!
I just received this same radio. So far I like it. The stations this radio can pull in is amazing. I haven’t used it in a power outage situation yet, however we do have a winter storm coming in tonight 😬.
I’ve had an original CCrane Observer since 2004, it’s a little worse for wear but it still works!
One thing you missed is the fact that the plastic has a low melting point...194 F I believe.
For an outdoor radio that could be used in Arizona in the summer as well as somewhere in Canada and is supposed to be out in the sun it could be a light color as not to be black and fry in the sun where it gets hot to touch putting you at risk for damaging the plastic case and inside parts. A lighter color would greatly protect the plastic from burning in the sun or use better plastic that has a higher melting point like materials used in a car.
I bought a old Bay-Gen wind-up , solar, radio from C.Crane in the 1990s and it still works as long I don't let kids fight over it/ break it! Brats......I wind it up almost all the way but not quite.. don't want to break the coil inside. Let it unwind and the radio plays for over 2 hours and it dies out, wind up again!
The "classical" station is Milwaukee's religious station WVCY 107.7. the play hymns late at night.
This is good to know. So cool to discover new stations. I never thought to run the dial up that high, because I usually only find foreign programming.
I love all the features however I wish it had weather alert.
Being a emergency radio that won't be used until, there is a problem Its ok with out weather alert, most likely it will be bad weather causing a power outage,a power indicator for the internal battery would be nice
That 650AM in Nashville is a strong station. They have a classic country show at night that I like. Around 450 miles from me as well.
If you love DX this is the one! What a bonus for a weather radio. Got a Dallas station one night all the way to central florida! 1200 miles! The furthest west i have ever received. Radio looks bulky but is very light.
9:11 that was actually KXI41 bleeding through the CH6 frequency bc of how strong the signal is on CH5
Which they did change the charge style port. So now we have usb-C. i haven't looked around but I'm sure they have a connector for it.
I'm loving these videos. Thank you for them.
Your Welcome! I enjoy making them.
I just bought that, it is pretty good, be nice if it had an internal battery level indicator
Thanks for the video. One question -- how do you know when the radio is fully charged? The instructions tell you to fully charge it and fully deplete it three times to ensure the rechargeable battery is holding it's full charge.
Don't forget, in order to charge your phone you not only need the little dongle, but you also need the appropriate USB cable. A small drawstring pouch you could tether to the handle would work.
Reminds me of the Grundig FR-200
That was replaced by the excellent Tecsun GR-88. (I own one). It's always bugged me that an emergency radio would have shortwave instead of weather. That's why I just ordered a CCrane Solar Observer. The Tecsun, unfortunately, does not include a carry bag. English instructions are available online.
I'm shopping for this exact radio ....I have one concern how ever ...the dynamo crank , I've never saw one that really worked but I plan on having enough batteries , I'm going to store it in a dry box with various plugs and adapters ect . and for the phone charge thingy I would get a small coin purse with a lanyard or carabiner and hook it to the handle . Thanks Todderbert . I'm looking at the ION Scout as a power bank .
P.S. will it really charge a cell phone ??????
@@harrytuttle8161 I wouldn't depend on that feature. It has a small battery system and probably charged the smaller, older flip phones we used to have.
Am reception is excellent but it’s even better with their External AM Terk Antenna which is tunable.
It would be nice if it had the shortwave bands too. But I think this is the best emergency radio/LED flashlight/phone charger for the money.
Thinking about getting these radio thanks for the video
It is a solid radio. Reception is great.
Great video, as always. I just ordered one for myself.
Looks like a nice radio. What do you think of the tuning knob on the front of the radio? I like the dial light and it's nice that it doesn't make any noise on the AM band. Nice review as always man. 🙂
Thanks TRG, I actually like the tuning knob on the front. Since that is where they have the volume. Makes it easy to hold the radio and tune. The dial light makes me happy :) reminds me of my CCRadio-EP. It is so handy when the lights are out.
I think CCrane warns users not to use Lithium Ion batteries due to an over voltage situation which could damage the radio.
I have a suggestion where to store this radio's little 'dongle' and, like your suggestion, it also uses this radio's web handle. Is there room to push the dongle into the small spaces in the web handle, out near either end of the handle? If so, a short length of tape could be wrapped in a perpendicular direction, to keep the dongle from falling out of the web handle. (Of course, if you don't regularly use the standard AA batteries in this radio, you could use the enclosed space that they normally occupy.)
I checked the battery compartment and it does not fit where the AAs go. There is not enough space between the webbing, the stitched leather, and metal attachment points to put the dongle there :(
Hi Todderbert! I was curious how you would compare this radio to the Sony ICF-506? Thanks! Great video!
Great radio...only issue I had was the analog dial was about 60 kHz office on AM, but it definitely steps in those 10 kHz increments
Hi Todderbert
Can I listen to this radio in the outlet with electric power using the AC adapter ? Thanks so much I love your shows!!!!
I believe you can, would have to test this.
I wonder if that plug would fit in the battery compartment some where.
I tried it, no go. best to have some type of bag tied to the radio's carry strap.
I’m super stoked about this radio, but I have a silly question.
Does it come in other colors besides Black?
I’d prefer yellow, but I’d even consider a red one.
I actually brought this question up with C.Crane and they told me they had issues with colored plastics and have opted to stay away from them. Hopefully they will try again. I told them a Red or Yellow version of this radio would sell very well.
todderbert
I agree. Most people associate red or yellow with safety equipment.
Then again, I can just put some reflective tape on it and that would probably be more helpful to finding the radio in low light anyway. I’ll probably go as far as putting small pieces of reflective tape on each side of the radio and longer pieces in the bottom and battery door. Then I’ll write RADIO in black on those longer strips. That way I can more easily find the radio in the dark with a flashlight.
Sweet Radio for Canoe Camping as its dose not need a power outlet
Just got mine. anyone have any idea 'how charged'...the Dynamo-Internal Batt's...come charged? would it be Full...or "near empty'...and the idea is, the Owner needs to Charge?
Other deficit is, 'no way' ( light/indicator) to assure 'how much charge'...is on Internals?
Anyway...Unit seems pretty cool. I got mine for the express purpose of being able to get 'news/talk, and some WX...if needed. ( Not...for music, at all) Even 'Travel or Road Condition' updates...for the SHTF. ha ha! ( if...that happens) Thanks for any Info on that!
I would recommend having some AA batteries stored with the radio. You can install those in an emergency, instead of hoping to get the internal battery charged in a hurry. C.Crane does sell an AC adapter to charge the internal battery. There is no way to gauge battery levels...usually I go by audio, if it is getting quieter and requires more volume then usual, the batteries are running down.
Can you leave the AC plugged in and use it all day as a kitchen radio or will that wreck the battery?
you can disconnect the battery and just run it off the dc adapter.
How would this stack up reception wise against your CC EP?
I would say at a casual assessment of around 70% or so. They are two different tuners for sure. This one being based on a DSP chip. The EP lets you dig deeper because of its fine tuning for the giant internal ferrite antenna.
todderbert Thanks, thinking of getting a EP pro in the next couple months. People are saying the EP pro is the next superradio.
I called C Crane yesterday to ask about it. They said its DSP based and does have soft muting. I'm on the fence for now, but the FM should be amazing..which my current EP lacks. I will try to finance one when they become available in May. Expecting a CCRadio 2E experience, that would be awesome. The fact they are able to keep the fine tuning knob is good.
I will hold off for awhile for your review. Thanks for the reviews.
@@todderbert Twin Coil ferrite invented by a former employee. Long story...
I ordered the same one yesterday.
This one is a excellent tuner. You will love the reception.
Does anyone know if you can plug it in without a battery and use it like that?
Commenting very late to ask: anyone know how I can get one of those phone charger/USB adapters? I have an older version of this, which has adapters for the old iPods and 1st Gen iPads, but not the USB adapter. It's about 20 bucks shipped from C Crane - seems a bit steep! Anyone know of an alternative?
Not available on Amazon now, and eBay had only one used I guess they aren’t making anymore curious
CCrane still makes them. I just ordered one.
Thank you.
At least on FM it sounds like a DSP radio? It seems to "step" through the frequencies. I don't mind that but its something I noticed.
It is a DSP radio, but does a fantastic job, check out these two videos: th-cam.com/video/8Mjb8jjRrxA/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/ueRQ7KNXsWQ/w-d-xo.html
@@todderbert Seems like a nice radio for the $$$. C. Crane always seems to make nice stuff and so does Sangean.
They say that there's better audio than original, is the audio mellow sounding or harsh to listen to?
Also, have seen reviews about the plastic case having a rubberized coating that gets gooy after awhile and comes off. Is the case plain plastic on the newer models or does this have the rubberized coating?
The new model does not have any rubberized coating and the audio is very smooth sounding. Probably one of the best sounding emergency radios out there.
I want the phone charging adapter in USB-C
The original 800 mah nimh battery pack is very difficult to locate at a reasonable price. Virtually all aftermarket replacements are 600 mah. Any suggestions??
Did you call C.Crane? They may stock them, or know of a supplier for it.
@@todderbert In their catalog, the replacement is $12.95. The online standard generic unit is almost half of that, but has only 600 mah. I will eventually contact CCrane. about it. They really are a first rate company. Thanks for the reply!
@@richardmerriam7044 Maybe they can work out a deal with you :)
Hey man, I got a question. When you said power generator, did you mean it can generate power to a power outage, or did you mean that it can charge the battery? I really don't get it.
It is another word for Dynamo. Used to charge the internal battery pack.
Oh. So it's not actually going to generate any electricity in the house
@@todderbert oh yeah another question. Does the radio have a time limit to how long you can charge your cell phone?
@@adisona5582 These emergency radios will give your phone enough charge to make a call or send some texts but won`t charge it a lot typically. Just a last resort thing.
Surely you'd want shortwave on an emergency radio?
Not normally, but would be handy if our entire radio infrastructure failed.
"And dont call me Shirley"
Awesome
Subscribing to your channel..
Loved it ❤️❤️
I would like to see them put Bluetooth on this crank radio to that would be pretty nice but it’s got a good sound
Can you pick up police on that??
Nope, need a scanner, or a VHF/UHF radio. This one only tunes in the NOAA weather band frequencies.
@@todderbert i have this old radio and it says pb1 and pb2 and i pick up weather but also police
@@channel-dw7ei Nice, reminds me of my Patrolman radios: th-cam.com/video/NiWRKTKQ3ZI/w-d-xo.html
@@todderbert it would be cool if I could find a new radio with the same functions