Kaito Emergency Radio Voyager Max KA900 Digital Solar Dynamo Crank Wind Up AM/FM/SW & NOAA Weather Stereo Radio Receiver with Bluetooth, Real-time Alert, MP3 Player, Recorder & Phone Charger, Black

I absolutely love this radio. Previous models may have had a shortwave feature but lacked the ability to play MP3s from a micro SD card, another may have had bluetooth capabilities but no shortwave ( or vice versa). This model has everything combined in one radio, which in my humble opinion makes it one of the best radios in its price range. I've had mine for about 2 months now, using it every day and taking it everywhere I go. With 2 solid months of near constant use I have found very little negative to say about it. I'll get the minor complaints out of the way then get back to the praise. 1) The maximum volume is more than sufficient for my needs but it isn't nearly as loud as it looks. You can easily hear it across the house if it's quiet but this radio can't compete with much noise. That being said, I don't think it was really designed to. It's more of a personal radio meant for listening while gathered around a campfire or sipping iced tea on the porch or, if necessary, while in the basement during a tornado. 2) There is a slide on top of the radio that turns the reading light and flashlight on and off. It's possible for that slide to get nudged or moved without you realizing it which could drain the battery. You would probably notice the flashlight being on but the reading light is mounted under the solar panel. If the solar panel is in the "closed" position it is possible for the reading light to be on without you realizing it. This happened to me not long ago and the light was left on all night. I didn't catch it until the following afternoon and the radio still had a significant charge left. The display showed 1 bar which I have found will last for several hours with constant use. This tells me that either the reading light doesn't require much juice to operate, or the radio comes with a pretty good battery, possibly both. Either way, I was impressed. On a side note, when I first got my radio I held it upside down and the slide fell right out of it onto the ground. I picked it up and put it back and haven't had another issue with it since. 3) While overall the radio itself does seem to be sturdy and able to withstand some abuse the plastic the body is made of looks to be a little brittle. For instance, I think if it fell of my bed onto a hardwood floor it would probably shatter into a million peices. I find myself being overprotective and careful whenever I take it with me somewhere. Not exactly a bad thing I guess considering what it is. 4) One of the main selling points of this radio is it comes with an ability to charge the battery via a solar panel and a hand crank thereby allowing the user to listen to the radio indefinitely while away from any means of charging it the traditional way (ie, camping, disaster, alien invasion). I say "main" selling point because it is part of why I bought it. The solar panel and hand crank can and do charge the battery when used but they have limitations which I feel are described by the manufacturer rather well. Solar panels aren't very efficient at producing electricity, especially a very small one. This is by no means precise but if I were to guess I'd say it would probably take a week or 2 of direct sunlight to fully charge the radio. I don't remember what the manufacturer says so I could be way off, I'm only basing this on what I've seen while using my radio. The hand crank by my own experience isn't much better, maybe around 10 minutes of use with 10 minutes of cranking. Thankfully I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this before I bought the radio so I wasn't disappointed. If someone bought this radio expecting a full charge after sitting in the sun for a few hours they would likely be disappointed. Both methods of charging definitely work and have their merits. They would prove to be very useful in a pinch. Now on with the praise. 1) It plays MP3s and can read a micro SD card up to 32gb. 32gb is a lot of audio. I have 2527 tracks on mine, with room to spare. I like listening to music, old time radio shows, podcasts, a little bit of everything. If there's nothing playing over the air that interests me or I'm in a place with little or no reception I just play something from the SD card. This is my favorite feature of the radio. 2) It has a bluetooth feature that I have found to be more useful than I originally thought it would be. If I'm outside listening to something on my phone I like to connect it to my radio, it sounds much better playing through the radio. 3) you have the ability to charge other devices using this radio. This comes in handy when you're camping with a tablet or whatever. Just plug your device into the back of the radio and the radio acts like a battery pack. There is a small switch near where you plug in your device that determines which way the charge needs to go, "in" or "out". When you charge the radio itself the switch needs to be in the "in" position. When you want to charge your device move it to "out". 4) It can revive AM, FM, shortwave, and weather band. Having this many options makes it versatile and useful in many different situations. It also comes with a detachable antenna for shortwave that works great. Things like weather, show schedule, and physical surroundings ( buildings, mountains, etc) have a lot to do with your ability to pick up shortwave shows but it's a lot of fun when it happens. 5) The flashlight and reading light are very functional and more than bright enough to serve their intended purpose. I have used both and am very satisfied with them. 6) I like the handle. It makes it very easy to grab and go. It also seems to be very durable with a rubber hand grip in the middle. 7) It has a microphone, perfect for dictation or recording a memorable event. I have not yet used this feature but I like having the capability. 8) It has a lock function. This is useful if you're listening to the radio while on the go, as I often do. It prevents an accidental button push or knob twist from changing your radio station (or worse). While in lock mode none of the buttons (except the one you push to unlock the radio) will work nor will the top "tuner" knob do anything. For some reason though the bottom "volume" knob is still functional while the radio is locked. I have found this to be the case while listening to both "over the air" radio and MP3s. If this was intentional I'm not sure what purpose it would serve but I've had no issues with it. Overall despite the very minor imperfections I feel this is a very solid and useful radio and would definitely recommend it to anyone. I use mine every day and as I stated earlier have no real complaint or issue with it. I am very happy with my radio and, knowing what I know now about it, would definitely buy it again.

The Kaito Voyager Max KA900 is one of the most thoughtfully engineered emergency radios I’ve used—robust, feature-rich, and built with the kind of practical functionality you want in a real emergency tool. Right out of the box, the packaging is neat and protective, and the radio itself feels solid, well-constructed, and heavier in the hand in a reassuring way. Nothing about it feels cheap or rushed. The build quality is excellent. Buttons, dials, and the telescoping antenna operate smoothly with no wobble or looseness. The casing feels sturdy enough for travel, camping, or emergency storage, and the layout is intuitive despite how many features it includes. The sound quality was a pleasant surprise—clear, crisp, and fuller than most compact emergency radios. Whether listening to AM/FM, shortwave, or the built-in Bluetooth speaker, the audio holds up well. One of the standout engineering features is the power versatility. Between solar, USB, battery, and dynamo hand-crank charging, it gives you multiple ways to stay connected when power isn’t guaranteed. The hand crank is not gimmicky—it actually works. You can produce enough energy to top up your phone in a pinch, giving it an edge over cheaper models that struggle to deliver meaningful charging power. The solar panel performs well too, especially in steady sunlight. Reception across AM, FM, and SW bands is strong, with good station lock and minimal drift. For anyone who camps, lives in rural areas, or wants a dependable emergency tool for the home, vehicle, or go-bag, the KA900 strikes the right balance between capability and reliability. The only drawback is that it doesn’t come with a protective case. Given how well-built the radio is, a case would make storage and transport even better. That said, the radio’s value far outweighs this one missing accessory. Pros • Excellent build quality with a sturdy, reliable feel • Surprisingly good sound across all bands and Bluetooth • Multiple power options, including an effective hand crank • Strong AM/FM/SW reception with good tuning stability • Charges phones in emergencies • Exceptional value compared to higher-priced emergency radios Cons • No included carrying case For anyone serious about preparedness or simply wanting a reliable multifunction radio, the Kaito Voyager Max KA900 is a standout. It delivers the engineering, du

At first I wasn't looking at this model but when I found a lightening deal that put it below the cost of other models, I decided to purchase. I am not regretting it. I probably won't use the text reader and a few other features but they are there so someone will find them useful. You can read all about the different features so I'll skip listing them. What I will point out is that I find the control buttons somewhat... not difficult but they don't work instantly. It's like the controls go to sleep and you have to wake them up by pushing a button once and THEN push a button to activate that control. Once I figured that out then all was well. I find the sound quality reasonable. I have a Bluetooth speaker that gives better sound but as is an all-in-one unit, I am not knocking anything. Solar panel works to keep it charged but doesn't not charge it up from zero. The reading light was turned on during transit (or when I unboxed it, I don't know) so the battery died by the next day or two. I placed the unit in a sunny window all day but the battery didn't charge up enough for more than a couple of minutes of radio time. Crank works too but that will take a lot of effort to change up a completely dead battery. The battery is removable and can be changed out for a fresh one. Use your standard battery charger (for 18650 batteries) or use Micro USB or 6v power supply (center positive).

I LOVE this radio! In the age of streaming and digital music, I find something beautiful in listening to an Over the Air radio all day. I got this when I was in between apartments, and I had very limited internet. I needed something to listen to all day. That it's also an emergency radio is just a bonus. I literally carry it around my apartment all day, when I'm listening to it. I also find that the stereo sound is incredible, for such a little radio - I listen to a lot of classical music on it, and it just elevates the music 1000% I haven't explored all of the features on this radio, but these are the ones I have, and love: * I use the sleep timer to go to sleep to all of the time. * I have inserted a micro SD card to store radio frequencies, and the text reader indeed works! * The stereo sound! * The handle on top is very confortable. * I love that the extended antenna was included! * The readling light and flashlights are indeed bright. Things I would change, if I was chief designer on this radio: * I know it's supposed to be elegant, but I would emphasize the 'emergency radio' feature, by offering it in colors aside from dark grey. I have another Kaito radio in bright yellow, and I love that it's VERY easily visible when I need it. * I miss the analog tuning dial. * I would make the extendable antenna directional, instead of fixed. * When I go into the menu system, there's a strange little 'pop' whenever I change features. It's a little disconcerting. * I would include a flap on top of the MicroSD card reader, to keep dirt out of it. * I would include the plug in charger with the radio lackage; customers are going to use that a lot. It's a beefy rado, so charging it by crank/solar is possible, but it not going to be as efficient. * Like other Kaito radios, if there is a hard case that is available for this, I think it'd be wonderful. One place to store the external antenna + Users info on the radio as well as the radio; that way, it can be grabbed easily in an emergency. But overall, I love it. This is my second Kaito emergency radio, and I am fan!

This is a new radio at the time I purchased on Amazon. I own a Kaito KA600 and wanted to compare what upgrades this new model provides. The KA900 solves some shortcomings IMO about the KA600 and adds some features. The KA900 adds a bluetooth receiver function, an MP3 player if you add files from a microSD card slot, stereo speakers, and a recording function. I wish Kaito had retained the RDS function on FM. The KA900 also has a larger rechargeable battery but no option for using alkaline batteries. (The KA600 had both battery powering options.) Kaito removed those push button switches on top of this radio; I am not turning on functions accidentally when I pick up the KA900 by the carry handle. It still does not have SSB and I am still not fond of the auto-mute on SW tuning. The KA900 comes with a separate 7-meter roll-up antenna to expand your SW reception. I use this type of antenna on my more-serious SW radios. It is definitely a good addition packaged with the KA900 since these emergency radios have too short an antenna for serious SWL. I compared the SW response on both the KA600 & KA900. Both my models list identical specs in the owners manuals, and there were slight sensitivity variances across the frequencies with and without the additional antenna. AM, WB, and FM sensitivities seem similar between both models. One quirk I found that is notable. The display would not light up despite me resetting the radio and changing the display set up. It appeared to be caused by the flashlight/reading light switch on top of the unit. It is a slider switch which you can push back farther than the 'off' detent. Moving it carefully into the off detent solved the display backlight problem. Overall, I like this radio. I really think it is closer to a 4.5-star rating. It is not a perfect 5 yet.

WARNING: THIS DOES NOT HAVE A HIGH DECIBEL ALERT SIREN I have been using a different brand NOAA Alert radio that has worked great, never failed in broadcasting an alert, and which has a very loud alert siren, the volume of which is preset. Midland radios are same way. These work at a very load preset volume regardless of the volume you have the radio set to. Even if the radio's volume is turned down, the alert siren plays clearly at full volume. Even if radio reception is degraded, the alert siren is clearly played at full volume. BUT NOT WITH THIS ONE. This one has no siren of its own. Instead, it relies on the broadcast tone, which means you must have the volume of the radio set high in order for the broadcast tone to be heard - like in your sleep, AND you must ensure at all times radio reception is clear. This means if you don't have the volume high enough, you won't heat the alert tone. If your reception degrades, you won't hear a clear alert tone. (How can one begin to guarantee that?) NOWHERE ARE WE TOLD THIS IN THE AD. Nowhere are we told there is no built in siren like other radios (Midland uses an 85-decibel-siren). Nowhere are we told it uses a broadcast tone, the volume and clarity of which is dependent on the volume setting and clear reception. Additionally, the tone on the 1st weekly test utterly failed. The volume was set high enough for the tone to be heard, but there was NO alert tone. There was just static, a choppy, lightly buzzing sound that was very faint. Yet, the broadcast immediately following the "tone" was loud and clear. If I were sound asleep, the non-existant "tone" would have never woken me up, and it is doubtful if the report itself would have done so in time (if at all) if there were a tornado about to strike. My other alert radio played its siren very loudly as usual. This radio cannot be relied on to wake one from a sound sleep in the middle of the night to tell you a tornado is barreling down upon you. When I contacted the company to ask what went wrong, I was told it plays the broadcast tone at the radio volume preselected, and if the tone did not play properly, it's not the radio's fault. I was told there was a reception problem even though the voice report was clear the instant the specific warning description began. Well, I am not convinced the alert setting succeeded in activating the radio properly during the alert tone phase. Such a possibility seemed beyond the consideration of the company representative I spoke to. Also, they recommend you have this plugged into an outlet if using the "alert" setting since this function drains the battery. Yet, when plugged into a wall outlet in our motorhome, a whole lot of unresolvable static ensued, static which does not exist once unplugged from the outlet. We have to use external power banks, switching them out every few days, to ensure this does not drain its own battery, since static means no alert tone in an emergency. Not revealing in the ad either: ▪︎ the lack of a built in, preset siren that operates independent of volume settings, ▪︎or that any alert tone is totally dependent on the volume setting and clear reception of the chosen station is, IMHO, deceptive, especially since preset high decibel sirens are standard on other alert radios.

I subtracted 2 stars. As an EMERGENCY radio, it has a lot of features, but one serious drawback: It will not operate with the more common 18650 batteries greater than 2600mAh, which includes most of them. Other radios work fine with the higher capacity batteries. Product Support: I have a Kaito KA900 radio and I like it a lot. It came with a 2000mAh battery. I have other radios and items that use 18650 batteries, but those batteries have higher capacities. All are protected. It is desirable and much faster for me to use a dedicated external charger for these batteries as opposed to using the slower internal charge rate of the KA-900. I noticed that if I replace the factory supplied 2000mAh battery with a 2600mAh battery all is well. If I replace it with a 3200mAh battery, the KA-900 will not turn on. I would like to use higher capacity batteries so I can listen longer between battery charges. I have used 18650 batteries for many years and have never experienced anything like this. What is the maximum mAh 18650 battery that I can use with the KA0900 radio without harm to the radio. What would you suggest? Response: Hello, We recommend to continue to use the recommended battery that was included with the radio itself. If you have noticed that it will not operate with batteries over 2600mAh, it is advisable to continue to stay within that range.

This is the perfect radio.I had been looking at short wave scanners when I came across this model . I've had a earlier version sitting in my window for years solar charging and it has never failed me. For a do all emergency radio receiver I don't think you will find a better one for the money. It scans as well. I'm impressed.

Imagina que empieza a llover, suena un trueno y de repente se va la luz, tu teléfono está menos de la mitad de carga y no tienes más fuentes de iluminación que el móvil... Pues con un aparato como este radio de emergencias, tendrás un gran aliado, ya que el problema de la iluminación (al menos en las próximas horas) quedará solucionado, así como el de información y de fuentes alternativas para recargarlo. Para probarlo en las condiciones más parecidas a las de una contingencia, emergencia o apagón, se usó durante una salida de campamento al río, lejos de luz eléctrica y servicios básicos, teniendo un sobresaliente desempeño; con tan solo un cuarto de carga de batería se pudo escuchar noticieros durante dos días seguidos, usar la luz de lectura para iluminar una casa de campaña y poner música durante la tarde. La recepción en FM es muy buena y en AM y SW, muy buena en la noche. No es un producto para audiofilos, no escucharás música con mucha definición, pero si con calidad y claridad en momentos de emergencia, dónde puede que sea tu única fuente de información o entretenimiento.