Eton - Sidekick, Ultimate Camping AM/FM/NOAA Radio with S.A.M.E Technology, Solar Powered, Battery Powered, Bluetooth, Rechargeable, LED Flashlight, Phone Charger, Commitment to Preparedness

I have 2 grundig am/fm/sw radios but was missing a NOAA weather band radio. I did some research on the available options and eton was one of the brands I looked at based on my experience with my other radios. Pricing was also something I looked at as I didn’t want to spend over $100 and didn’t want to save money and get something cheap and mediocre. After hours of reading and watching reviews. I made my decision this Odyssey checked most of my boxes plus had some extra features. It’s an all band AM/FM/SW/WB so you get that, it can be used as a Bluetooth speaker in case you need to. You can charge your cellphone partially in case of an emergency. It has a charging crank, a small solar panel that can charge the internal rechargeable battery; that also can be easily replaced you can get those 2000 mAh IMR batteries for around $5-$7. You can charge the battery via usb-c port also that would be the best way to charge. If you don’t want to use the IMR battery or don’t have a replacement you can use 3-AAA alkaline batteries. It has a power off switch and a kill switch; the kill switch serves as a storage feature in case you are not going to use the radio for extended periods of time. It has a flashlight with different modes. An alarm SOS siren for emergencies. A clock that you can also setup alarms to wake up. A retractable long antenna that has pretty decent reception. It has two speakers, one for radio bands that sounds pretty good for its size and if you go Bluetooth it will amplify the power to the speaker in Bluetooth mode. The second speaker is dedicated to the siren alarm. This radio is rated IPX4 not the greatest rating meaning its not high impact or protected from dust or mud. Its not waterproof its splash proof just in case of light rain or sweat. It can not be submerged in water. It has a metal handle, it feels light maybe it’s aluminum or some inexpensive metal. You can hang it from a branch, a backpack, your belt with a carabiner, they provide a small one that works but I would opt to get a screw-on locking carabiner. It includes a usb-c to usb-a cable meaning the usb-a goes to the radio and usb-c to the device you want to charge. Or you can use the cable to charge the radio’s internal battery, the usb-a will go to a wall usb block charging wart and the usb-c to the radio. Or you can use a usb c to usb c cable and usb c wall block wart for charging the radio’s internal battery only. Now the functionality of the buttons is easy to navigate but highly recommend reading the manual. Some features do need specific settings or sequence of push/sets there is where the manual comes in handy. Overall it is a nice radio, its a good size, it has good sound, decent reception across the board, extra features that other radios don’t have. Several ways to power the unit, and a nice light weight. My radio model is ARCODYSSEYADV.

This is a super handy, full featured camping or ho e emergency radio. The unit has many cool features like bluetooth, S.A.ME. alert technology, Weather broadcast channels, as well as a hand crank charger, solar cell changer and a USB port for charging your cell phone. Not to mention a 3 lights, and AM and FM radio with memory chanels. Some of theses features I was unaware of when a purchased the radio. The first thing I tried was bluetooth. It connected instantly to my iPhone and the play/pause worked flawlessly. Another cool feature in BT mode was the tuning knob. It scrolled through you songs. The speaker was surprisingly strong. The ambient light is a cool feature. It lit up my desk surprising well. The red and white lights worked as well as my cellphone light. A good way to conserve you cell phone battery while camping. The Weather Band was super easy for me to set up. Press the WB button and scroll through the channels. I found my local WB broadcast within seconds. There wasn't severe weather at the tie of the review, so I cold not test the WB alert, but the concept is cool. I did some battery charging experiments with my cellphone at an 18% charge level and the Sidekick at a fully charged level. In 15minutes the charge on my phone increased 6%. That seamed to be consistant for every 15 minutes as after an hour the Sidekick added 24% to my battery. I did not try any internal battery charging experiments with the hand crank or the solar panel, but the user manual says the solar panel will fully charge the internal battery in 14-16Hrs. Another interesting feature is the S.A.M.E. emergency alert technology. The unit allows you to preset up to 25 different counties in your areas, or maybe different areas you may be interested in. The radio will alert you when there are emergencies broad cast by NOAA or the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in the counties that you have selected. Until I purchase this radio I was unaware of this broadcast service. I went onto Wikipedia to get the full explanation of the technology and the broadcast system. I will probably get another one of the radios to keep at my house. Finally, the manual was extremely well written and clear. I was so happy to see this. A lot of times when I get a device with many technical features the manuals are written poorly in broken English.

Battery life is pretty good and having multiple ways to charge is a big plus. Appears to be pretty good quality made with thick plastic. My only complaints is the same alerts. The radio seems to be triggered by alerts that are disabled in the settings. Not sure if that’s a radio issue or the local weather stations. Also if you try to charge while listening, there is noticeable static but it isn’t crazy loud. Overall for the money it is a great value for what you get.

I bought this to replace a 20+ year old Eton radio that died because of water damage. If it wasn't for the water, I'm sure it would have still been working. These radios are tough and last a LONG time. Of course, it is nice to have solar and USB (not sure if that was even a thing when I bought the old radio). I was hoping it would have RDS for radio station info, but it doesn't appear to.

I had high hopes for this product because it was an "Eton" radio but the DESIGN is so POOR that it is unusable in an emergency when the lights go out. I will be returning this item. I bought it because I've had to evacuate in N. Calif. twice with no electricity over the past 2 years. The main problem with the radio is you have to manipulate tiny buttons that have tinier writing/symbols on the buttons to explain their purpose in order to navigate the radio. The buttons are UNDERNEATH the permanent handle where the solar charger is, so you have to look at the button from the side and not from the top, which make them even more difficult to read. If your electricity goes out, and it's dark, you would not be able to see the buttons. And yes, I tested this by turning on the flashlight, and the "light box" and I still could not see the writing or symbols on the buttons even with my bifocals on. Because it's an emergency radio, and unlikely to be used for everyday use, I doubt anyone will memorize the positions of the buttons and what each button is used for. The radio is for an emergency when you are already stressed out of your mind, and it should be designed to be super easy to use. Instead if you buy and keep this, make sure you keep the instruction booklet, because you'll be using them in the dark or rain when you are trying to find the news or the weather band. The radio had all the bells and whistles that I wanted, and the manufacturer is reputable. However, the design flaws make the bells and whistles almost useless. The good news: I like the light box. It's pretty bright.

Loving this handy, camping/emergency radio. Lots of great features I really need to explore more but, my initial impression is that it’s perfect for camping and if there were an emergency. The solar cell and a USB port for charging cell phones will definitely come in handy. Of course, the hand-crank and the solar panels for generating power are great features too. I was able to connect my iPhone to the device via Bluetooth without a hitch. Navigated the connected phone easily too. The flashlight works well (puts off a lot of light) as does the radio for weather updates. It fell out of my truck onto pavement and continued to works as expected. So that’s good. This will live in my truck with my first-aid kit. Thankfully, the manual appears to be well written… I’m gonna need to keep it around because there are so many features on this device that I’m going to have to delve into later. Looking forward to really putting it through it’s paces on my next camping trip but, I can say right off the bat... this is a cool device that works well and would make a great present for anyone…. like maybe one of my friends that just went through power outages in CA.

PROS - The build feels durable. - The crank feels durable enough for the task. - I like the setting where it will monitor the weather channel in silence, and only come on if there is an emergency announcement. The Midland radios sound an alarm, but this radio can be set to alarm or WX station audio (which I prefer). - The S.A.M.E. function is easy to set for your county. CONS - The buttons are 90% hidden under the handle and the type is tiny. They are impossible for my 40+ year old eyes to see. - Reception of the weather channel is not as clear as my Baofeng UV-5R. - Mine did not come with an AC charger, only a short USB cable. - The tuner dial is annoying because it takes FOREVER to go from 88MHz to 108 MHz. This is not the user experience I expect for $80, so I AM RETURNING IT. I may consider the cheaper version if I cannot find another radio with the silent WX monitor function.

This unit came as a surprise. I tried four different emergency radios and was unhappy with all of them. Prices range from $45 to $150. Features buried from set to set, but they all had one thing in common, lousy sound. They all strip away mids and lows to conserve battery power. The trade-off is just plain terrible sound. I figured I would have to live with that sound, but I was wrong. I tried one more emergency radio, and that is the Eton Sidekick. The first thing I noticed was the vastly improved audio quality over the other units I tried. Just flat-out great sound. Next thing I noticed was the excellent flashlight and panel light. They are really really bright, and can be dimmed. The radio reception is superb on all bands. The only issue is the selection buttons being a little hard to read under the solar cell panel. They are illuminated though, and after you use the radio for a short time, you memorize them anyway. The Bluetooth works great, as does the S.A.M.E. and NOAA alert systems. Battery life is good and you can charge them my USB, solar panel, or crank. You can charge your phone or tablet with this device. It has many other features that make this an excellent choice for home, or when camping.