1. Translator's Foreword
In recent years, we can often hear a term called "U.S. industry hollowing out", which basically refers to the problems in the industrial structure of the United States, the sharp decline of the secondary industry, and the excessive proportion of the tertiary industry. In more general terms, for a long time, Americans have focused their main energy on high-end technology research and development and the financial industry, earning high value-added profits, and incidentally supporting a huge entertainment media empire. The manufacturing industry, which has a large construction investment, too fast consumption of resources, higher requirements for the quality of ordinary workers, and a long capital circulation cycle, is difficult for them to enter their eyes, and most of them are thrown to other countries, including the mainland. At that time, Comrade Chuan Jianguo was committed to the return of manufacturing to the United States to solve the increasingly serious domestic employment problem.
Other industries dare not say, as far as the radio industry is concerned, the United States is really "hollowed out", looking at the various brands of radios circulating in the US market, at least 80% of them are made in the mainland. American businessmen took Chinese-made radios, labeled them and sold them with great fanfare. One does not need to build factories and production lines, the second does not have to feed and manage a large number of workers, the third does not have to work hard to purchase raw materials, and the fourth does not have to work hard to engage in research and development.
A well-known radio brand in the United States, Kaito, is how to play, the DE1103 produced by the continental Dejin company has become Kato KA1103, DE333 has been packaged as KA200, DE321 OEM has become KA321, and even the Kato V1 multi-function emergency radio that will be evaluated below is also the product of the Transformation of Dejin DE13. This is really "fake American goods, real Chinese products".
Kato V1
China Dejin DE13 radio
So, what about the multifunctional emergency radio of the Kato V1? What do U.S. users say about it?
Second, I like this emergency radio
The Kato V1 met all my expectations for emergency radio. There are a lot of hand-cranked or solar-powered radios out there, but I also wanted a radio that was compatible with conventional alkaline batteries. It's easy to power a radio with alkaline batteries, and a set of batteries can last for weeks or even months. For example, I took out the 2 AA batteries that ran out of charge in the Nintendo gamepad, put them on an FM/medium wave radio, listened to them for 9 hours a day, and used them for 3 weeks.
The main reason why I didn't give the Kato V1 radio a perfect score of 5 stars was that it didn't come with a standard USB cable, and I had to find another one, which wasn't a difficult thing. But if the factory trademark is equipped with a stick, and then the price is increased by 6 cents, wouldn't it be simpler and more reasonable? Charging the V1 with solar or USB cable is really nice. By the way, it is best to charge the machine's built-in nickel-metal hydride battery every two or three months. If this is not done, the internal NiMH battery will fail or perform poorly. If it doesn't stay in good condition, it can't store the battery.
The V1 radio looks sturdy. The reception performance is also good, and the antenna also gives a rugged feeling. I like its charging indicator, which intuitively tells you when the light is bright enough and charged by solar cells, and also when you hand-crank power or charge via USB cable. The flashlight is not very bright, but it is also just right for the V1. In other words, if it is too bright, the power consumption of the built-in battery will increase, and the power consumption will be faster. Compare it next to a flashlight equipped with 9 LED lights, and it's not really bright, about 15 to 20 lumens.
The Kato V1 can also receive shortwave signals. Recently I learned that radio amateurs can also be heard through shortwave frequencies. So in an emergency, in addition to listening to local radio stations, you can also listen to ham communications and get more news.
V1 radios can charge mobile phones using USB cables, but they are not suitable for Apple products, such as mobile phones or tablets, because Apple products require much higher charging power than the power output of V1.
It's thoughtful to replace the built-in NiMH rechargeable battery without completely disassembling the radio, because over time, I'll replace this set of batteries in the future. It's really a well-thought-out, well-crafted little radio that has all the basic functions and is practical. In terms of its price, it is also invincible. It's on par with the larger, twice-priced Eaton radio. You can't go wrong with this radio. I wish the manufacturer could come with a USB cable as standard, and I'll rate it with 4.8 stars.
Three, everything is great
I just received this Kato V1 radio today. It's great, it receives FM and medium-wave signals very clearly, and it actually receives more stations than the car stereo system. During the day, in our mobile home in the 1970s, the V1 did not receive a short wave platform, and I would try it after dark. Now it will only emit white noise, so reduce the distractions during the day or outdoors, it should be able to receive a short wave platform.
This radio is simple to operate and I'm sure it's easy to carry around. We worked on phone and internet services together at the same company, but last week they worked together for several hours. It was then that I decided to start with this radio. In the event of an emergency, we need to know the news, and the Kato V1 radio solves the problem perfectly.
The V1 radio is equipped with a good LED lighting function. It's important for us that I can take it with me during the tornado season so that we can hear the news even when we're not at home or in a shelter. Given that it has many different ways of charging, it's well worth buying this radio, and the price is beautiful.
Fourth, the veritable radio
If I could figure out how to attach the bracelet, I would rate the Kato V1 radio with 5 stars. I saw two holes, but there was no way to get one end of the rope through the hole.
This radio is like the description in the introduction: after opening the box, the built-in rechargeable battery has electricity, the machine can work normally, I installed 3 AAA batteries on it, and it also works normally. Functions such as flashlights also perform well. For the thick fingers of adults, it is not so easy to connect the rechargeable battery. My idea was to put it in the car in case of an earthquake. Most importantly, after attaching the bracelet to it, I was able to free my hands to move other things. If the merchant could tell me how to install the bracelet, I would rate it with 5 stars.
A friend suggested that I use needles and threads to thread my hand rope, which was really easy to use. I'm still thinking there might be an easier way, but now I'm giving Theo V1 a perfect rating.
Text: Picky et al Translation: Radio Review Translation Source: amazon