by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
London, February 2013: Ever bought a self-powered radio and been disappointed by its weedy performance? Then the new Encore Player from Freeplay Energy will be right up your street.
John McGrath, Freeplay Energy’s managing director, explains: “Encore Player gives you all the information and entertainment you want, wherever and whenever you want it. It doesn’t need batteries or mains electricity, so you can listen to the radio or MP3 player in the middle of nowhere just as easily as you can at home – and with up to 20 hours of playtime per charge, you won’t find the wind-up mechanism too taxing! You can even use it to charge up your phone, so you can tell your friends how good Encore Player sounds.
“We have tested Encore Player in some of the toughest places on the planet and the fantastic build quality means it will stand up to long-term use in just about any environment, so we know it is just as ideal for trekking, camping and going to festivals as it is for catching up with the cricket scores in the back garden.
“Furthermore, because we want to put this sustainable, green technology into the hands of as many people as possible, we are keeping its price as low as we can - well under that of any comparable product. Encore Player offers fantastic quality and superb sound, is rugged and reliable, costs nothing to run and comes at an affordable price – we believe it is the mother of all self-powered radios.”
The Encore Player boasts a powerful 4-inch, 5 W, 8-ohm loudspeaker and delivers crisp, confident audio performance, and Freeplay’s patented self-charge technology means unparalleled playtime of 20 hours at normal volume, when fully charged. In addition, there is a built-in mobile phone charging point which will provide a full charge for a smartphone or up to three full charges for more simple phones.
The radio also sports a backlit digital display, AM/ FM and SW1/SW2 receiver, and an MP3 record and playback feature which allows people to save their favorite music or audio books to an SD card – a 32GB SD card can store up to 125 complete audiobooks or around 6,400 tunes. It can also record direct from the radio.
In addition, there are two integrated LED lights – a vital source of light in the dark, or just when checking your alarm clock at your bedside in the morning.
The internal 1.8 MAh Lithium Ion battery can be fully charged from the on-board winding mechanism or the integrated solar panel and a polycrystalline 2 watt external panel is also provided for those looking for a quicker charge, delivering complete independence from wall power or disposable batteries. For the Luddites amongst us, the option of DC power is also available.
The Encore owes its heritage to Freeplay’s humanitarian work with vulnerable off-grid communities and, as a result, it is designed to cope with the rigors of outdoor life. There is no compromise on robustness or quality, with mechanical components made from superior materials, specified to industrial standards for repeated use and long life.
John McGrath adds: “For nearly 30 years, Freeplay Energy has taken a lead on developing innovative energy solutions for the world and helping to minimize dependence on fossil fuels, underlining our commitment to Energy for Good. Wherever you live, whatever your lifestyle, access to information, communications and energy are vital and Encore Player builds on our long experience to deliver on every front.”
Freeplay Energy has been the original and leading global brand of clean, dependable energy products, designed for the Outdoor Leisure, Emergency Preparedness, and Aid and Development markets, since 1994. Its patented technology harnesses human, solar and rechargeable energy and converts it into electricity to power unique portable consumer products, replacing conventional disposable batteries that are environmentally toxic and expensive.
The current product range includes radios, flashlights, lanterns, and mobile power devices, and Freeplay has also developed a hand-charged foetal heart-rate monitor that can give a vital boost to ante-natal care in ‘off-grid’ environments.
Freeplay Energy's Lifeline radio has been distributed throughout the developing world by aid and development organizations such as UNICEF and other United Nations agencies, and a range of other products are currently in use with NGOs, charities and projects working to improve the lives of the 1.6 billion people worldwide who currently live without access to electricity.
In addition, Freeplay offers a range of wind-up and solar-powered products for the outdoor leisure market, including Sherpa and Mini-Sherpa LED torches, the Indigo LED lantern and the Companion radio, which also includes a mobile phone charging facility.
This radio and MP3 player was originally designed and developed for the humanitarian and development aid market and will now be available, so it would appear, on the High Street and from other sources for the ordinary punter.
For more information about Freeplay Energy’s products, including Encore Player, please visit www.freeplayenergy.com.
Review of the Encore Player to follow soon.
© 2013
Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article with the exception of a product sample for review purposes.
