The Savannah Arsenal Project

Midland ER200:

I recently acquired a Midland ER200 AM/FM/Weather radio from, of all places, Walgreens drug store.  I have seen them for sale at REI and various online prepping websites, and reviewed by several preparedness magazines. The usually retail for around $50, but Walgreens had them on sale for $30.  The radio has a lot of cool features that make it perfect for your home emergency preparedness gear, your bug-out bag, or general hiking backpack.

Features:

• Digital clock that can be set for 12 hour time or 24 hour time.
• Telescoping antenna.
• Digital tuner for AM, FM, and seven NOAA weather channels.  You can set the radio to passively monitor for emergency weather broadcasts.
• Cree LED flashlight with three brightness settings: LOW, HIGH, and SOS.  The highest setting is an advertised 130 lumens!
• USB output jack that can be used to charge a cellphone or other similar device.  In a one hour test I was able to charge my iPhone 5 from 9% to 60% while simultaneously charging the radio’s battery with the solar panel.
• Standard 3.5mm earbud/headphone output jack.
• Battery that can be charged off-grid.

Methods of Charging:

The radio uses a rechargeable 3.7 volt Lithium-ion battery.  The user is able to replace the battery when eventual time and use render it no longer able to hold a charge.  There are three ways to recharge the battery:

• Via an included USB cable, which means that you can plug it into a computer, USB port in a vehicle, or a USB adaptor that plugs into a 110 volt socket (like used to charge an iPhone).
• Via a built-in solar panel that automatically charges the battery any time that the radio is exposed to sunlight.
• With the internal dynamo and retractable hand crank.

Uses During Emergencies Or While Visiting The Great Outdoors:

• Keep up with the current time.
• Maneuver around in the dark with the built-in Cree LED.
• Listen to AM and FM radio for news and entertainment, and keep up with the latest local weather reports.
• Charge your cell phone or other small communications devices.

Limitations:

• I wish that the radio was waterproof, but that doesn’t keep me from thinking that this radio is perfect for emergencies and camping.  It fits perfectly in a Ziplock bag.
• I wish that the clock had an alarm.
• I wish that it was available in colors other than just red (maybe black, like my heart).

Conclusion:

Midland is quality gear.  Owning a single, lightweight piece of gear that receives three bands of radio, houses a 130 Cree LED flashlight, is rechargeable while off-grid, and is capable of recharging most cellphones is a no-brainer!  Go buy one!

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