Product Review: DuraPro MegaBRITE 997516 Hand Crank Emergency Light Radios

I don’t usually recommend that many products but we were over at Costco today and picked up a very cool little pair of emergency lights ( DuraPro MegaBRITE 997516 ) with AM/FM radios built in. They have no batteries, just a capacitor inside that charges up with a hand crank. Must be a brand new product, it isn’t even on the company web page yet, at http://www.durapro.com/

Similar to this one, but with the radio too:
http://members.aol.com/mlt113/myhomepage/flashlightdp.html

The things seem solid and sturdy ( though not submersible ) and the light they put out is really bright bluish white in a spotlight beam from the front. A bright 12″ wide beam at about 6 feet away. Looks like 3 bright LED’s in them, with lenses across the front. ( the spec sheet says it puts out 15,000 MCD ) A LOT of light from just a couple of cranks on the handle. The AM/FM radio is also pretty loud, with a decent tuner sensitivity and they have a little switch to pull out for a siren, though it didn’t seem all that loud. ( learn kung fu, concealed carry a gun ) It sounds more like an old 1950’s movie UFO sound.

If you push the light switch a second time, the LED’s flash and the beam is probably bright enough to be seen a couple of miles away.

A great little emergency gadget, I’m glad we got them. They were $23.79 for a PAIR at Costco.