Originally posted 2018-07-15 19:00:08.
iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio – Functionality
The main function of the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio of course is to act as a radio for when the power in your home might be out, or if you are out in the wilderness on a camping or hiking trip. Like it’s larger cousin, the IS-399 features multiple band frequencies for a wide range of opportunity to listen to radio stations – included bands are:
- AM
- FM
- SW1
- SW2
- NOAA national weather radio
- ALERT mode – which will warn of any incoming weather / emergency reports
- Mp3 music player
- Loud emergency Siren
The clarity of the signal has really stood out to me when testing the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio, the sound is very sharp and comes through great on all of my local radio stations – and that’s without even extending the attached antennae that is included on the unit. Frequencies are changed simply using one of the tabs on the front of the radio, and the dial is smartly and compactly displayed via a turning dial, rather than the more traditional left to right frequency indicator. You do have to pay a little closer attention to where the arrow on the dial is pointing to know roughly what frequency you want to be listening to.
Great lighting options
The iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio’s front facing flashlight has 4 powerful LED lights that omit a very good beam when fully charged, and I think this radio stands out among the other Ironsnow products I have in its ability to be used as a flashlight. The top carrying handle is sturdy and allows the user to really be able to hold and point the flashlight beam while walking or hiking without deviation as to where the light is shining. Like the larger 388, this model also has a very bright reading light that features 8 LED bulbs, but is just mounted into the right side of the unit instead of flipping out. With this lantern on, you could easily illuminate a tent or a good portion of a room for either reading or just navigating around your home during a power outage.
Multiple power methods
Like all iRonsnow emergency radio products, the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio has 4 distinct ways you can charge the radio, making its versatility very appealing for someone looking for an emergency radio that can be counted on. First and foremost, you can connect the included micro USB cord into your wall charger when you have regular power in your home, and it will fully charge the unit within an hour or two. If out in the boonies, you can utilize the power of the sun and charge the unit with the included solar panel, or utilize the hand cranking feature on the back of the radio to manually charge the radio via rotating the motor. The 399 also has a nice feature while charging, in the 8 LED lantern on the back there is a red LED that will indicate when the unit is being charge by glowing red – this way you can tell that power is actually entering into the radio. Finally, the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio has a compartment in the back of the radio that you can insert AA batteries as a backup power source.
Charge your cell phone or other small electronics
In addition to the above features, the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio doubles as a power bank in case you have lost charge in your cell phone or other small device. Insert the USB cord into the larger DC 5v OUT insert, and flip the switch to “charge” and you can sap power out of the radio and into your cell phone or other device, which makes this radio invaluable in case you’re out of juice and need to make an emergency phone call.
In addition to the power bank feature, switching the tab to the other side will initiate a very loud emergency siren noise – which could indeed be a life saver if you were lost in the woods and needed to make enough noise to help rescuers locate you. Do be warned as this is LOUD and it’s easy to accidentally switch it on, which is guaranteed to frighten anyone around you if done unexpectedly… so I guess it would also be great for pranking your friends!
Mp3 Player
Another bonus feature to the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio is that you can insert a Micro SD card into the unit, switch the radio band indicator to “Music” and it it will play all the pre-loaded Mp3 music songs. While there’s no way to view the files on the sd card, this is still extremely handy if you want to have your own set up tunes while you are on a camping trip, or you could even load an audiobook file for easy listening in either the woods or at home. A very welcome feature that a lot of other emergency radios don’t seem to think about!
I am really glad I came across this company, and I’ve actually ended up using iRonsnow products as stocking stuffers during Christmas time to give to family and friends, because honestly everyone should have some sort of emergency radio available in their home in case times get tough. Check them out and leave me a comment, let me know what you think about the iRonsnow IS-399 Emergency NOAA Radio!
Cheers,
C
