Freeplay EyeMax Dynamo/Solar Radio
A curious looking contraption
Manufacturer: Freeplay/Baygen
Model: EyeMax
Year: 2007-2008
Band: AM/FM
Powered By: 1) Crank handle 2) Solar 3) USB in
Energy Storage: 3x AAA Ni-Mh cells
Description: 'For parts or not working'
Vendor: Private eBay seller
Price: 12p (bought as part of radio joblot for 99p)
Shipped from: Collected in person
True Condition: Good working order - No Antenna
The seller was going to chuck this out!
First impressions
This is the second recycle review from my latest radio haul.
Unbelievably I managed to buy a joblot of assorted radios for the grand sum of 99p! So I reckon this radio cost me 12p when I do the maths. Outrageous!
So where is the catch with this radio?
Well although it powered on OK, it didn't come with a telescopic Antenna.
Other than the missing antenna this free energy radio device is fully functional
The Freeplay EyeMax radio is an old piece of kit, roughly dating back to around 2007-2008.
I'm not sure when production stopped? They don't seem to be available anywhere new for sale.
Second hand prices range from around £15-£25 depending on the condition so there is at least a small profit for me in this set.
Originally this radio set would have been all blue but somehow over the years it has faded to an aqua colour.
I suspect the radio has been sat on the sellers kitchen window sill for the last 10 years.
Flipping the radio over, the bottom reveals the original blue hue.
It even has a tiny Flashlight
And of course there is an endless supply of power so no rooting round for a battery torch when the electric goes off.
Here is the radios true colour and rechargeable batteries
The casing is transparent allowing you to see the workings inside.
This style of casing is reminiscent of the earlier Baygen/Freeplay radios.
The three Ni-Mh batteries which act as a storage bank are soldered together along the bottom of the radio. (see above pic).
These batteries will eventually wear out (if they haven't already) but it looks like it should be an easy job to replace them when the time comes.
A crappy looking Solar panel up top
Like the earlier Freeplay FPR2 Clockwork model the inner workings of the radio are on display for all to see.
The effect is not quite the same here as this set doesn't incorporate as many moving parts as the clockwork models.
It can be quite mesmerising seeing the gears and motor go around. This model is alright though.
Brushed Aluminium frequency dial
One curious feature of this radio is its solar panel.
It only seems to become effective when in direct blinding sunlight, no good if you live in somewhere like Manchester. So it's safe to say that I can rely on that part of the charging process 10-15 days a year! (probably)
It's not a big deal, more an extra to the main event.
The Repair
The first time I clapped eyes on this radio it was in the bottom of the box minus an antenna. I suspect this is why the seller was going to chuck it away.
I charged the battery and switch it on. Many of the local FM stations could still be heard dispute the lack of an aerial.
AM was not affected as it uses its own internal antenna.
I wondered if I had a spare antenna knocking about to stick in the empty hole.
The FM reception could be improved 100 fold if I could find something that would fit?
Luckily in the same box of radios was a knackered Roberts world radio. It just wouldn't switch on despite my best efforts and I decided to sling it out.
Stuck to the top of the Roberts was a long telescopic whip which seemed much more substantial than the Freeplay one.
With a little bit of fine steel wire and a lot of patience I managed to mount the new antenna snuggly within the old casing.
The steel wires were used to take up the slack between the two pieces and provide a bit of friction to prevent the antenna from swinging about like a dowsing rod.
The finished bodge/repair was a success.
New Antenna Length: 71cm or 27 1/2 Ins
Testing
Reception on this radio is surprising good.
Judging by the photos of this radio online it would appear that the original antenna which came with this radio was shorter than the Roberts antenna I shoved on it. It's quite long in comparison and I'm wondering if that has helped with reception?
The tuning dial on this set is sweet!. It glides effortlessly up and down the bands as smooth as silk. The nice looking brushed aluminium scale adds to the feeling of quality.
Stations are easy to pin down although the radio does have a tendency to wander off channel from time to time.!?
FM recieving is good with all the local stuff coming in loud and clear.
AM reception was also satisfactory thanks to the good quality ferrite bar arrangement inside.
The speaker in this unit is clear and crisp. It's not too tinny nor nor that bassy. It's somewhere in the middle.
This 1W speaker can be driven quite loud with the bare minimum of distortion.
Power usage testing is still ongoing, but so far I have found that a minutes worth of cranking gets you well over an hour's radio.
Overall then I'm really pleased with this radio. It could have ended up in the wheelie bin but it was saved.
Another fantastic 12p bargain!
