Is This A Wind Up
When Trevor Baylis invented the Clockwork Radio, it was intended to allow people in the poorer parts of Africa to have access to Aids information without the need for an electrical supply or expensive batteries. Since then the technology has been developed and adapted by Freeplay to provide a range of self powering products which are relevant to the wider world as well as Africa. Freeplay still play an important part in the fight against Aids, with a team dedicated to ensuring communities in developing nations have access to the radios which are so important for education and as a source of hope. Through the Freeplay Foundation they are sponsoring the production of the Lifeline Radio. This is aimed at the millions of children now living on their own as a result of Aids in Africa and for classroom use. Self powering and robust it allows educational programming to reach those most in need.
Freeplay also provide quality sustainable technology products for the rest of the world. I’ve tried three of them and it’s hard not to be impressed right from the outset.
One look at the Sherpa Flashlight is enough to instill a sense of durability and even trust in the design. High quality curved plastic mouldings with no sharp edges, concealed switches under a rubber cover and a slightly recessed lamp housing all add up to make a rugged little torch. Small enough to go in a coat pocket but big enough not to lose easily, this is a very well thought out product. It features a high efficiency, xenon filled, dual filament ultra bright bulb, a rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack, a hand cranked AC alternator and a mains adaptor. Fully charged, you get about 30 minutes of high beam use and up to 5 hours of regular light. When this runs out just 30 seconds of winding will produce another eight minutes of light. (This model has now been superceded by an LED version which is even better).
I tried this torch out on several occasions while taking my puppy out at night. It gives the sort of light you would expect from a good quality cycle lamp on high beam and a soft light good enough to find your way around on regular beam. Not the brightest torch I have ever used, but certainly the most dependable. Just the thing for everyday use and always there in an emergency.
As a companion product the Ranger Radio lives up to expectations. The same quality construction, hand cranking facility and DC input for charging via the mains adaptor or from any 6V DC source, plus a built in solar panel on the top. The rechargeable battery should always be full with such an array of input devices, but even if it isn’t 30 seconds of winding will produce up to 35 minutes of listening at normal volume.
Normal FM and AM bands are covered, selected by a push button and tuned manually by one of the chunky knobs on the side. Sound quality is very good for a radio of its size. The makers claim that this is a radio for those who enjoy the great outdoors, and certainly it’s robust enough, but personally I would want to protect the speaker from rain. That aside, this is a great little radio which should be very dependable.
In a league of its own and the product I used the most though was the Summit Multiband Radio. I don’t travel as much as I used to do, but this is just the sort of portable radio I always wanted and could never quite obtain. Like the Ranger radio it has hand cranking, a rechargeable battery, 6V DC input, a mains adaptor and a built in solar panel, but wow has it got a lot of other stuff. Not just FM and AM, but LW and SW too, allowing you to pick up broadcasts around the world. Digital tuning and 30 pre-selectable stations make for ease of use. A built in clock and alarm are really useful. I used it as my main alarm clock for some weeks and the persistent little alarm never failed to get me up, the solar panel kept it charged, and if it wasn’t for the fact I had to bring it back to the office I would still be using it. It’s a lovely radio, more refined than the Ranger in every way, yet still with a ruggedness which you don’t often find in consumer goods. It is supplied with a soft bag, adaptor plugs for most countries, a list of world radio frequencies and a very neat SW aerial which winds up into its own case. I just love this radio and if you need a dependable, portable radio and alarm, I’m sure you will too.
John Adams
Note: These products are no longer available but similar products can be found here.
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Freeplay Sherpa Flashlight
Freeplay Ranger Radio
Freeplay Summit Radio
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