The weather outside is frightful. How do you prepare for bad weather? Will these help?

I got the blackout buddy a couple of months ago, & thankfully had it when Sandy decided to knock out my power for 5 days! Was really awesome b/c I didn't have my main flashlight ready, but the 3 led light went on right away & made it easy to find my way to it & then make my way to my main flashlight & candles!

Why is this called a Solar USB charger? Nothing solar here.

inkycatz wrote:The weather outside is frightful. How do you prepare for bad weather? Will these help?

So the title on the front page says "Solar Powered" but I don't see any solar specs or solar cells on the thing.

Removing my previous comment.. I see the faulty title now.

Almost bought this thinking it was solar. Glad I didn't. WOOT, you really need to get your title right. I have been burned in the paste with titles that are completely wrong.

Ok, so the "Solar USB" radio charger is not solar at all? I am talking about the $30 on the bottom. I saw the hand crank but I thought it had a solar panel as well....

papernoose wrote:Almost bought this thinking it was solar. Glad I didn't. WOOT, you really need to get your title right. I have been burned in the paste with titles that are completely wrong.

I'm stuck between the solar one and this red one? How are you choosing between the both?

breesus504 wrote:Ok, so the "Solar USB" radio charger is not solar at all? I am talking about the $30 on the bottom. I saw the hand crank but I thought it had a solar panel as well....

It lists "Large solar panel" in the features...

megmoves wrote:It lists "Large solar panel" in the features...

From the item description on Sears.com ($50)

"The Scorpion can be powered by three sources: solar panel, dynamo hand-crank, and DC adapter allowing the user to have power in remote areas"

From the manual at the Eton website, it looks as if the internal battery can be charged with the built-in solar cell, but the cell phone charging is done via the hand crank.
http://www.etoncorp.com/upload/contents/307/Scorpion_NA_050511_lowres.pdf

Too bad the Rukus isn't the solar powered model that sells for $129 elsewhere.

I live in NJ & I bought 3 of these flashlights before we were hit by Hurricane Sandy not knowing of course at the time how much I would use them. These were the best! They came on the second the power went out and we used them every night for the 11 days that we had no electricity. They are perfect because they are small but put out a lot of light! Just bought 5 more! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

I bought a bunch of the Blackout Buddies last time they were up. They work very well, but the nightlight is a harsh cool-white. Perfect for stairwells and utility areas, but not quite pleasant enough for bedrooms.

Wish I'd read the comments before buying. They'll send a shipping label to return it when it arrives. I'm dumb, but Woot is dumber.

But is it safe from EMF? If you don't have any preparedness equipment, a hand crank radio, light, and charger is a good combination.

Anyone who has the Blackout Buddy - when fully charged, how long does the light last before it needs a recharge?

I don't have this particular Blackout Buddy, but I do have a similar rechargeable flashlight/nightlight combo I bought at Costco with 4 lights. I keep one in the dining room, living room, bathroom and kitchen and they are fabulous. We get power outages a lot with all the HUGE trees around here and these have been a lifesaver. The nightlights keep the house from being pitch black (on regular nights, not just power outages) and the flashlights are bright. I would buy these if I didn't have some already.

I had my Red Cross Eton Solar Powered/Hand Crank radio/flashlight during Sandy and it was, almost literally, a life saver. I greatly regretted not picking up the Blackout Buddy when Woot has had it up previously, especially considering all the subsequent mini-blackouts we've been having.

Eton has my business because they're products are durable, reliable, and clever in their design.

quark613 wrote:Anyone who has the Blackout Buddy - when fully charged, how long does the light last before it needs a recharge?

I unplugged and turned on my fully charged blackout buddy when I read this to test it out for you. It's been 2 hours and it's still going strong, but I'm heading to bed.
It's definitely bright enough for me to navigate around my house when it's dark. I found the nightlight to be too bright for my bedroom, but you can have it plugged in to light up when the power goes out but not acting as a night light which is what I use it for. I haven't actually had a power outage but I like knowing it's there.
It also looks pretty nice and has a nice flat profile against the wall. One of the best features is that it leaves the other outlet open for use!

Product info indicates it should work as a flashlight for 2 hours after a 3 hour charge.
http://www.etoncorp.com/upload/contents/307/BBuddy_WebQG_3_5x3_5_v0301710.pdf

terriferrell wrote:I live in NJ & I bought 3 of these flashlights before we were hit by Hurricane Sandy not knowing of course at the time how much I would use them. These were the best! They came on the second the power went out and we used them every night for the 11 days that we had no electricity. They are perfect because they are small but put out a lot of light! Just bought 5 more! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

WOW. looks like you had a heck of an ordeal. 11 Days? I'm glad you made it through and thanks for the true review....

I see over on shopetoncorp.com that any/all of the cellphone chargers needs another part and they supply a link to it. Bummer.

Also? If no one else commented on this- the main picture where the front says Scorpion; the green outlines the smallish solar panel.

Happy Nowadays!