{"id":46915,"date":"2020-12-13T11:18:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-13T15:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=46915"},"modified":"2020-12-13T14:25:50","modified_gmt":"2020-12-13T18:25:50","slug":"a-first-look-at-the-new-c-crane-ccradio-solar-portable-sel-powered-am-fm-weather-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/12\/a-first-look-at-the-new-c-crane-ccradio-solar-portable-sel-powered-am-fm-weather-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"A first look at the new C.Crane CCRadio Solar portable self-powered AM\/FM\/Weather radio"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46919\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-300x166.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1024x565.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-768x424.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-624x344.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a>I remember when I first laid hands on a self-powered portable radio. It was the <strong>Baygen FPR1<\/strong> designed by <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/rest-in-peace-trevor-baylis\/\">the amazing Trevor Bayliss<\/a>. The FPR1 was a large portable radio with a black plastic body, large front-facing speaker, and large hand crank on the side. It was a clockwork radio, meaning you&#8217;d use the hand crank to wind up an internal spring that would slowly release and provide enough dynamo power to bring the radio to life for a few minutes at a time.<\/p>\n<p>The FRP1 had a very utilitarian feel to it and was incredibly basic.<\/p>\n<p>After the introduction of the FRP1, radio manufacturers jumped on self-powered radio technology and we&#8217;ve seen many different designs and iterations on the market for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n<h1>Introducing the C.Crane CCRadio Solar<\/h1>\n<p>Back in October 2020, C.Crane sent me a pre-production sample of the CCRadio Solar to evaluate. This was before C.Crane had published their new print catalog that features the CCRadio Solar on the cover, so I really had no idea what to expect. I assumed it might be a refreshed version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/five-solid-radios-to-get-you-through-the-pandemic-or-any-emergency-for-that-matter\/\">CC Solar Observer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Man&#8230;was I wrong!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46918\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2-300x264.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2-1024x899.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2-768x675.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-2-624x548.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a>Most self-powered radios these days either look like a flashlight, a portable analog radio, or they sport &#8220;high tech&#8221; styling (<a href=\"https:\/\/etoncorp.com\/products\/frx3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like the FRX3<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>I can honestly say that the CCRadio Solar is the first self-powered radio that my wife actually <em>welcomed<\/em> into our kitchen!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46910\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9-300x168.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9-1024x573.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9-768x430.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-9-624x349.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This is a huge.<\/p>\n<p>Out of all of the radios I&#8217;ve owned or tested over the years, my wife only <em>tolerated<\/em> their temporary presence in our living spaces.<\/p>\n<p>There have been a few notable exceptions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Tivoli Model One<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/a-review-of-the-como-audio-solo\/\">Como Audio Solo<\/a><\/li>\n<li>KLH FM Radio 1<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/the-muzen-otr-initial-look-and-impressions\/\">Muzen OTR<\/a><\/li>\n<li>and now the CCRadio Solar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46920\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2-300x183.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2-1024x624.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2-768x468.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-2-624x380.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The CCRadio Solar&#8217;s design is very simple and clean.<\/p>\n<p>The radio body measures 6&#8243; x 3&#8243; x 2.25&#8243; and weighs about one pound. It&#8217;s easy to hold in your hand, but is also incredibly stable on a surface due to its low center of gravity, flat base, and UV-resistant rubber perimeter\/jacket. (<em>Note that the rubber jacket is in no way associated with rubberized coatings found on legacy portables that could break down over time and <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/rescuing-the-eton-e1-from-a-sticky-situation\/\">become sticky<\/a>.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>I can place the CCRadio Solar in a window sill and not worry about it getting accidently knocked off.<\/p>\n<p>On the top of the radio, there&#8217;s a large built-in solar panel, power button, flashlight button, and band button (to toggle between FM, AM, and WX radio).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46917\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3-300x214.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3-1024x730.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3-768x548.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-3-624x445.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The solar panel is large for a radio of this size.<\/p>\n<p>On the back, you&#8217;ll find a fold-out hand crank and battery compartment for the internal Lithium-ion rechargeable battery and optional three AA cells. Yes, this radio can be powered from standard AA batteries!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46914\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5-300x267.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5-1024x912.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5-768x684.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-5-624x556.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the right side of the radio, you&#8217;ll find the volume control and a cover that protects the headphones, micro USB charging port, USB power-out port, Aux In port, and a mechanical switch that allows you to toggle between Li-Ion and AA batteries.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46913\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6-269x300.jpeg 269w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6-919x1024.jpeg 919w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6-768x856.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-6-624x695.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a>On the left side of the radio you&#8217;ll find the attachment point for the supplied hand carry strap (I haven&#8217;t attached mine), and the built-in LED flashlight.<\/p>\n<h1><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46912\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7-264x300.jpeg 264w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7-902x1024.jpeg 902w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7-768x872.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-7-624x708.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46911\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8-300x279.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8-1024x951.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8-768x713.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-8-624x579.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a>CCRadio Solar features at a glance<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li>Multiple power options:\n<ul>\n<li>Solar<\/li>\n<li>Windup<\/li>\n<li>USB<\/li>\n<li>AA Batteries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Multiple bands\n<ul>\n<li>AM<\/li>\n<li>FM<\/li>\n<li>Weather radio with an alert alarm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Auxiliary input allows you to use it as an amplified speaker<\/li>\n<li>Five one touch memory buttons with a total of 50 presets<\/li>\n<li>Clock<\/li>\n<li>Alarm<\/li>\n<li>Sleep timer<\/li>\n<li>Rubber jacket is UV resistant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Impressions<\/h1>\n<p>This CCRadio Solar is a pre-production model and it&#8217;s my personal policy to not comment in detail about performance as this model comes from a <em>very<\/em> limited pilot production run.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what I can say&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>This is one of the first solar radios I&#8217;ve ever used that actually works as a daily driver.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Since I took delivery of the CCRadio Solar, it&#8217;s primarily lived on our kitchen window sill. This window faces due south, so the CCRadio Solar gets ample opportunity to take advantage of solar charging.<\/p>\n<p>I like to listen to the news when I cook, so the CCRadio Solar gets daily use. I&#8217;ve used it to listen to both my local NPR station and my &#8220;benchmark&#8221; distant NPR station on FM. I&#8217;ve also programmed a preset for my favorite daytime AM station which is a good 25 miles from my home.<\/p>\n<p>This prototype, at least, shows promise in terms of its ability to receive distant stations with a great deal of stability.<\/p>\n<h1>Solar chops<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46916\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4-300x178.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4-1024x607.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4-768x455.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-4-624x370.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Last week, I realized that I&#8217;ve <em>never<\/em> had to charge the CCRadio Solar via the micro USB port. I&#8217;ve been using it since October for up to a couple hours a day&#8211;the solar gain from our kitchen window has easily kept the battery topped off!<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to test this further, so a few days ago I moved the CCRadio Solar to another south-facing window in our living room area. I hooked it up to our SiriusXM receiver via the CCRadio Solar&#8217;s AUX IN port. (<em>FYI: when you insert an AUX IN source, the radio automatically switches to auxiliary input.<\/em>)\u00a0 This SiriusXM receiver is typically paired with my <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/preview-the-c-crane-ccradio3-am-fm-wx-and-2-meter-receiver\/\">CCRadio3<\/a> and plays a variety of stations throughout the day for hours at a time&#8211;sometimes from early in the morning until the early evening.<\/p>\n<p>The CCRadio Solar has been doing a brilliant job of playing all day long just on solar power and at a volume level that is room-filling, though not too loud to be distracting. <em>Most impressive!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I should mention here that the built-in speaker provides (surprisingly) pleasant room-filling audio. The audio isn&#8217;t as robust as, say, my CCRadio3 or KLH&#8211;obviously&#8211;but it&#8217;s good enough that my wife has suggested we start using the CCRadio Solar as the speaker for our SiriusXM receiver because it&#8217;s powered by the sun instead of the power grid. I&#8217;m in agreement with her: it works.<\/p>\n<p>There are a couple of caveats here:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First of all, we&#8217;ve been having mostly sunny or partly cloudy days since I started running the radio all day long and<\/li>\n<li>secondly, our home is passive solar so our south-facing windows, by design, do not have &#8220;Low-E&#8221; coatings that block UV rays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I&#8217;m not sure if Low-E coatings affect solar panel performance, but I think it&#8217;s worth mentioning.<\/p>\n<h1>Summary<a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-46921\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1-300x234.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1-1024x798.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1-768x598.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/C.Crane-CCRadio-Solar-1-1-624x486.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>If this prototype CCRadio Solar is any indication of how the production units will operate&#8211;and, in theory, it should be&#8211;I think the CCRadio Solar will become a very popular radio in the C.Crane product line.<\/p>\n<p>At time of posting, there is no product page for the CCRadio Solar on the C.Crane website. When they do add it, it should appear on their <a href=\"https:\/\/ccrane.com\/emergency-radios\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Emergency Radios page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I believe the price is projected to be $99.99 US&#8211;which is on the high side of the self-powered radio market&#8211;but if the production units function as well as this prototype I think it&#8217;ll be worth it.<\/p>\n<p>I believe C.Crane hopes to start shipping the CCRadio Solar sometime in the first quater of 2021. Since we&#8217;re still coping with all of the logistics issues of the Covid-19 pandemic, assume that date could change. I&#8217;ll continue to provide updates here in the SWLing Post. Just follow the tag: <a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/tag\/ccradio-solar\">CCRadio Solar<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I remember when I first laid hands on a self-powered portable radio. It was the Baygen FPR1 designed by the amazing Trevor Bayliss. The FPR1 was a large portable radio with a black plastic body, large front-facing speaker, and large hand crank on the side. It was a clockwork radio, meaning you&#8217;d use the hand [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836,3],"tags":[190,9036,9037,280],"class_list":["post-46915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-products","category-news","tag-ccrane","tag-c-crane-ccradio-solar","tag-ccradio-solar","tag-self-powered-radios"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-ccH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20156,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/c-crane-ccradio-sw-and-ccradio-swp-discontinued\/","url_meta":{"origin":46915,"position":0},"title":"C.Crane CCRadio-SW and CCRadio-SWP discontinued","author":"Thomas","date":"July 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader,\u00a0Marla, who writes: Perhaps you already know that the Crane CCRadio-SW has been discontinued. I spoke with their customer service today and learned that they can no longer get parts, so the SW is not repairable. Neither Crane nor Amazon has any. Thank you, Marla!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ccradio_sw","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ccradio_sw.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ccradio_sw.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ccradio_sw.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ccradio_sw.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46635,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/radio-deals-c-crane-ccradio-2e-20-off-today-only\/","url_meta":{"origin":46915,"position":1},"title":"Radio Deals: C.Crane CCRadio 2E $20 off today only","author":"Thomas","date":"November 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I just received a message from C.Crane noting that they're discounting the excellent C.Crane CCRadio 2E $20 today (25 Nov 2020) until 11:59PM PT. Simply add the radio to our shopping cart and the price will be adjusted automatically. The CCRadio 2E, along with the CCRadio 3, is considered one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/CCrane-Black-Friday.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/CCrane-Black-Friday.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/CCrane-Black-Friday.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6360,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/new-large-portable-shortwave-radio-in-the-works\/","url_meta":{"origin":46915,"position":2},"title":"New large portable shortwave radio in the works?","author":"Thomas","date":"April 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Gary writes: It looks like a new, large portable radio -- along the lines of the Redsun RP2100 -- is on the way. At least this one includes a direct-entry keypad and SSB, like the RP3100 is supposed to. http:\/\/herculodge.typepad.com\/herculodge\/2013\/04\/another-large-portable-all-band-radio-to-be-released.html I hope they can do good QC, and keep the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Source: bbs.tecsun.com.cn)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/NewRadioRedsun-300x221.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2838,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/c-crane-orphan-shortwaves-on-sale\/","url_meta":{"origin":46915,"position":3},"title":"C.Crane &#8220;orphan&#8221; shortwave radios on sale","author":"Thomas","date":"February 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I received notification that C. Crane is selling some of their \"orphan\" radios at excellent discounts while supplies last. Out of their shortwave selection, they are selling the CCRadio-SW (a radio we love) for $99.95 and the ultra-portable CCRadio-SWP (review here) for $34.95. Click here to see all of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Retailers&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Retailers","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/retailers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/ccradio-sw.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":29272,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/c-crane-ccradio-ep-pro-a-new-enhanced-version-of-the-ep\/","url_meta":{"origin":46915,"position":4},"title":"C. Crane CCRadio-EP Pro: a new enhanced version of the EP","author":"Thomas","date":"November 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, who notes that C. Crane has developed an enhanced version of the original CCRadio-EP AM\/FM portable. C. Crane includes the following description on their website: The new CC Radio-EP PRO is an enhanced version of the original EP. It has the same\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/C.Crane-CCRadio-EP-Pro.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/C.Crane-CCRadio-EP-Pro.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/C.Crane-CCRadio-EP-Pro.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46202,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/matts-mediumwave-audio-comparison-of-the-c-crane-radio-2e-and-the-potomac-instruments-fim-41\/","url_meta":{"origin":46915,"position":5},"title":"Matt&#8217;s mediumwave audio comparison of the C.Crane Radio 2E and the Potomac Instruments FIM-41","author":"Thomas","date":"October 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Matt Blaze, who writes: I did another head-to-head receiver comparison, this time of two MW BCB AM portables: The C.Crane Radio 2\/e vs. the Potomac Instruments FIM-41 field intensity meter. The latter is not intended as a receiver, but rather a test instrument, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Matt-Blaze-AM-Radio-Shootout-5.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Matt-Blaze-AM-Radio-Shootout-5.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Matt-Blaze-AM-Radio-Shootout-5.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Matt-Blaze-AM-Radio-Shootout-5.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Matt-Blaze-AM-Radio-Shootout-5.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46915\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}