Sony wind up radio

Sony ICFB01D.CE7

Sony ICFB01D.CE7 wind up radioThe Sony ICFB01D.CE7 wind up radio is a compact and stylish product encompasing an AM/FM tuner radio tuner with a built in flashlight. It can be run from two "AAA" bateries. Alternatively, one minute of turning the built in crank can provide for up to one hour of AM radio, 40 minutes of FM radio or 15 minutes of flashlight. It is ideal for use either around the house or by those who prefer outdoor pursuits such as camping, boating or trips out to the beach.

The use of the hand crank reduces the need to purchase batteries saving on costs and being more environmentally friendly. This of course arises through reducing the need to manufacture or dispose of the regular "AAA" batteries when spent.

Home entertainment

Television

TVs, DVD and videos account for the majority of electricity consumption by consumer electronics within the home. Traditional cathode ray TVs typically consume 140W when switched on and even when in standby mode, they still consume some 3 – 7W of power. It has actually been calculated by The Energy Savings Trust, that UK households actually spend 10% of their overall electricity bill for appliances left on stand by.

Cathode ray tubes are now being being replaced by plasma and LCD flat screen TVs. Although similar in appearance their rates of power consumption are markedly different. Plasma TVs typically consume more power than older cathode ray tubes, whereas LCD televisions consume less; with some manufacturers claiming up to 30% power savings for LCD. The stand by mode of such a set consumes less than 1W, though of course the best advice is still just to switch it off.

For a new TV, as with buying any electrical appliance, first check out any energy efficiency rating labels. Also and maybe not so surpisingly, the larger the screen, the greater the actual energy consumption.

Radio

Thanks to the the great British inventor Trevor Bayliss, there is now a range of wind up radios from which you can choose. No power required other than that supplied by yourself when winding it up. No electrical consumption and no need for frequent replacement of batteries, saving on their manufacture and disposal; neither of those activities being particularly environmentally kind.

For these use anywhere radios, we would recommend an FM model over digital. FM radio coverage is more extensive in the UK and a power hungry DAB radio is not a sensible option for wind up operation. For the reasons of aesthetics combined with practicality, and also being backed up by the quality of manufacture expected of a big brand, our choice would be the excellent Sony ICFB01D.CE7