Hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and just about anything else mother nature can throw at you requires a good emergency plan to be in place. In fact, it requires a preparedness kit that is full of all the necessities needed to take on any emergency. While the old standby items like aspirin and can openers are undeniably important, hand crank devices are now deemed by many preppers as the must-have accessories for emergencies.

For some people emergency hand crank electronics can seem like an unnecessary luxury, but once consideration has been given to the information provided below, it may be difficult to argue against the benefits of having a hand crank radio, LED lantern, flashlight, or charging station, handily stashed away in your emergency gear, ready for use and well before anything unexpected happens.

Emergency Hand Crank Electronics

When a power outage strikes, for whatever reason, it’s easy to panic especially as the realization quickly settles in that there is no electricity to recharge your depleted mobile phone. You may also realize how dependent you’ve become on other electric devices that are no longer available like light and entertainment. The majority of your electronic devices can only run only when connected to the power grid.

Some emergency hand crank electronics items can be powered with either batteries or a USB connection so you can use them in the same way as you would your regular electrical devices. The biggest benefit is that they are in a league of their own when neither power source is available. Having the functionality to be powered manually, hand crank electronic devices are the perfect solution when the power grid goes down.




Hand crank electronics are exactly what the name implies them to be; electronic equipment that can be charged and powered by transforming the basic power generated by human energy into electric charge. All these devices use the same method to generate power; a handle that attaches, or is already attached to the device, crank it for a certain amount of time (this will vary depending upon the device being charged) and watch each one of the devices come to life.

Hand-cranked electronics are not just a fantastic idea for use in emergencies either, campers and anyone else that loves the great outdoors can appreciate the convenience of electrical devices that do not require an external power supply to recharge them, especially when the nearest power source is miles away. Simply pack them away and crank when you are ready to get any of them up and running. It couldn’t be simpler!

Science in Action

A device that relies on human power for its running time is pretty remarkable in itself. The basic scientific principles that make these devices work are actually way more interesting than many give them credit for. First and foremost, we all have Michael Faraday to thank for this excellent invention and discovery. This physicist from the 1800s discovered the basics of how to generate electricity without using traditional methods.
It’s all about magnetism, without which any hand crank device would not work.

Of course, there’s an easy way to explain this using much simpler terms than those used by Faraday. So, let’s go basic. To get something as simple as a hand crank radio to work, it takes more than a magnet to get started. An electrical coil must be added to the design. The coil circles the magnet and builds up energy; the quicker you crank the handle, the more electricity builds up. That’s all there is to it. When power appears to be running low, just repeat the same cranking method, and Faraday’s coil and magnet theories go back to work again.

What, if any, are the negatives to using Hand Crank Devices?

As with any brilliant device, there will always be something that can knock it off its mantle. The most apparent negative is also strangely its biggest positive!

1. Although the hand-crank charging method can be an undeniable lifesaver in emergencies, it takes a bit of effort and time to achieve a full charge on many devices.
2. Another annoying issue often encountered with some devices is the inability to hold a charge for any decent length of time before requiring another frenzied charging episode. It is important to understand that the issues just mentioned should not be expected of all hand crank devices. As with any other device, the better the design, materials used, and quality of construction; the better the overall operational levels will be, and those types of improvement to performance generally come with a higher price bracket, although that isn’t always the case!
3. Most manufacturers of hand crank devices have very quickly gained an understanding of the needs of their customers and try to offer as many ways to charge their products as possible. This has meant that many devices are made with solar panels incorporated into their designs. The unfortunate truth is that most hand crank devices are relatively small so the size of the incorporated solar panel will be even smaller; this means any power generated by the panel will be minimal and to achieve a full charge would take some considerable time. The use of solar power may be improved as some devices will also accept much larger plug-in solar panels.
4. If a hand crank item does fail, it may not be as easily fixed or require more expensive parts. Still, that’s a small consideration against the more costly electric devices that can short circuit or fail with one burst of power.

To Summarize

Emergency hand crank electronics are as convenient, but it pays to know a few things about them before they’re added to your emergency preps.
• First and foremost, every device has its own set of rules for how long it takes to build its charge, while some may be a few cranks, others can take hours to reach their full potential.
• If you have mobility issues involving the hand or wrist, you might have to consider whether hand cranking is a feasible option or if there are possible workarounds.
• How long a device holds the charge is another factor that ultimately varies by machine, its size, and storage potential. While some last for minutes, you’ll find that certain models last for hours after being turned on.
• Thankfully, price is not an issue with these types of devices as most are very affordable, mainly because the science behind them lends itself to the use of relatively simple components and construction. Unlike traditional devices, many hand crank products don’t incur battery costs, and that can make them a real saving.

Only you can decide if hand crank devices are a good fit for your emergency plan!

Guest Post Written by Danny Major

Alpha Survivalist

https://alphasurvivalist.net

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