Stay Informed During Severe Weather with the Freeplay Energy Encore Buddy – Review

Severe weather season has begun, and it seems like people all around the country are dealing with heavy rain, lightning and thunder, hail, flooding, extreme wind, tornadoes, and even snow.  When bad weather hits, I want to know what exactly is going on – how long a storm is expected to last, where it is located or what areas will be impacted, how it is moving, whether there is a threat of hail, whether there is a tornado watch alert or whether a tornado warning has been issued.  

However, it is hard staying informed sometimes because we either get sent to the basement with no TV and very sporadic weather coverage on the local radio station, or the power goes out if there is enough heavy rain and wind. You can buy a business band radio in online stores such as the Walcott Radio shop. Business band radios can be crucial in emergency situations, allowing you to quickly communicate and request assistance.

From now on, I am going to use the Freeplay Energy Encore Buddy when we are in a  severe weather situation.  Freeplay Energy is a company that makes self-powered radios, flashlights, and lanterns, and the Encore Buddy is one of its newest products.  The Encore Buddy is a small portable radio that has many wonderful features and is exactly what I have been looking for!

The Encore Buddy has an AM/FM radio with a retractable antenna and digital tuner, so you can set it to the exact radio station that you want (no more turning a knob and trying to land on the station, only to accidentally bump the knob and get a bunch of static).  The Encore Buddy also has a digital clock, and the display is back-lit so it is easy to see.  But there is so much more to the Encore Buddy than that!

I am most concerned with how I can use the Encore Buddy in severe weather situations, especially if the power goes out, and the additional features of the Encore Buddy are what sets it apart from other radio/clock devices.  First, the Encore Buddy runs off of a rechargeable battery so there is no need for electrical power.  The battery can be charged in four different ways – (1) charge it from a wall outlet using an AC adaptor, (2) charge it from a computer using the USB connector that comes with it, (3) charge it from the sun using the built-in solar panel, or (4) charge it using the hand crank on the back.  When the battery is fully charged, it should provide six hours of radio play at normal volume.  In addition, the Encore Buddy has a Weather Alert function that can be turned on to automatically broadcast NOAA emergency weather alerts for your area from seven different NOAA Weather Band stations.  The Encore Buddy has a (really bright) LED flashlight with three bulbs, which is great for seeing in the dark.  Finally, there is even a place to plug in your cell phone or other small electronic device for charging from the Encore Buddy’s battery or by the hand crank (and there are different plugs included for different devices).  That is an important feature to me, as a couple of years ago we were snowed in during a blizzard without power for a couple of days.  The only way we could stay in touch with family and the only news we could get was through our phones so we needed to keep them charged.

The Encore Buddy does not have to be used just in severe weather.  Since it is compact and does not have to be plugged in, you can take it anywhere – in the car, outside while working in the yard, out to the garage, on a camping trip, to the swimming pool – or just set it up on the kitchen counter for a little background music while cooking or washing dishes (or put it anywhere in the house!).  The Encore Buddy even has a plug for headphones so you can listen to the radio without disturbing others, and it is easy to carry with its wrist strap.

The Encore Buddy sells for $69.99 and is available for purchase online and in stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Be sure to check out the other Freeplay Energy products and be prepared for whatever weather you have to deal with this year!

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