| The emergency radio has been used for many | | | | shortwave radio channels are easier to keep |
| years to communicate. It is a radio device that is | | | | running, and in the event of a major emergency |
| designed to remain functional, even without any | | | | they would be the most likely radio stations to |
| power flowing to it. It is a radio that can be used | | | | work. |
| when the power has gone out, or when a person | | | | Emergency radios can also cover the weather |
| has no other contact with civilization. These radios | | | | radio stations where they are available. Basically |
| are designed to be able to run on almost no | | | | put, an emergency radio can tune into almost all |
| power. | | | | of the available channels. This allows them to be |
| Emergency radios have been around as long as | | | | able to tune into any thing that might be |
| radios have been around. The first emergency | | | | broadcast during an emergency. |
| radios were radios designed to be used by the | | | | The most important thing with all emergency |
| army or in other war time situations. They were | | | | radios is that they are able to keep their power |
| radios that could transmit signals on short wave | | | | for as long as possible. It is never certain when |
| radio waves to other parties. Indeed, these were | | | | the power will come back on, or when a person |
| the first walkie-talkies and were used for soldiers | | | | will be able to find out more information from |
| to communicate with others. As the radio industry | | | | another source. Therefore, the emergency radios |
| flourished, and more and more people tuned into | | | | must last as long as possible. Developers of |
| it, the emergency radio industry got even larger. | | | | emergency radios have come up with several |
| As more households got radios, people began to | | | | ways to make this happen. |
| realize that in the case of emergencies, radios | | | | Most of the time, these radios are designed to |
| would be the best way to get word out to the | | | | use as little battery as possible. They do this by |
| largest number of people. However, since radios | | | | having units that run on a very small amount of |
| ran on electricity, they needed to develop radios | | | | power, and also that have very large batteries, so |
| that did not need this source of power. The | | | | that they will last a long time. However, that is |
| reason that emergency radios became so popular | | | | not all. Some of the newer versions can create |
| is that it was realized that even when the main | | | | their own power, which make them even more |
| power was knocked out, the radio waves | | | | versatile. |
| continued to flow. Therefore, during even the | | | | The newer emergency radios are actually |
| bleakest emergencies, people could still gather | | | | modeled on the older versions of radios. Before |
| information on the radio. | | | | batteries were small items that were easily used |
| As time progressed, battery powered radios | | | | up and thrown away, a battery had to be |
| were developed. These were the first emergency | | | | manually cranked in order to be charged. |
| radios that could run without a major source of | | | | Therefore, the newer emergency radios operate |
| power. The batter powered radio allow for more | | | | on this principle. They have hand cranked |
| than just emergency use. It also spawned a brand | | | | batteries, which means that a person can crank |
| new generation of radio listeners, who were | | | | the battery case, and generate enough power to |
| happy to be able to take their music and | | | | use the radio. The crank powers a battery that is |
| information with them wherever they went. | | | | rechargeable, so the battery can store the power |
| Gradually, these regular radios turned into | | | | until it is used again. |
| emergency radios. | | | | Also, newer emergency radios can tap into |
| While the regular radios cover the standard FM | | | | sources that used to be completely unusable. |
| and AM circuits, most emergency radios are | | | | Some of the radios that are on the market today |
| designed to cover much more than that. This is | | | | are even made to be able to recharge from wall |
| because during a major power outage, there | | | | current - even if the general power is off in a |
| might also be problems with the FM and AM | | | | building. These remarkable radios can run almost |
| stations, and they might not be able to broadcast | | | | indefinitely on this type of power. This is a major |
| as they have been. The emergency radios do | | | | advancement, because the radios are able to tap |
| cover these channels, but also cover the | | | | into the power that is left in the wall even when |
| shortwave radio channels. This is because | | | | the power is out. |