Voyager Emergency Radio (KA500L)

This radio has every important feature you can imaging in an emergency radio. This high-quality radio is light-weight and compact which makes it easy and convenient to store and transport. Size: 8" x 5" x 2.6".  The Voyager Multi-Band Emergency Radio is designed to provide reliable radio reception in times of emergency across the vast radio spectrum. This radio receives radio bands including : AM / FM, 7 Weather Channels (with NOAA Alerts), and 2 Shortwave Bands.  In addition to radio, The Voyager has several additional built-in emergency features including a flashlight, emergency flasher, reading light, and mobile phone charger (mobile phone connector tips included).  The KA500L has a Lithium Battery and can be charged using any of one of 3 different charging methods that include Hand-Cranking, Solar Panel, or from a USB Port.  In addition, this radio has a 2,000 mAh Lithium Polymer battery which can be stored for long periods of time without significant damage to the battery.  This incredible emergency radio combines a comprehensive set of important emergency features into a compact and weather resistant unit.

The Voyager KA500L is available in Black, Yellow, and Red.

Radio Features

• Lithium Battery (2,000 mAh)
• AM/FM
• Shortwave 1 and 2
• 7 Weather Bands
• NOAA Emergency Weather Alerts

Lighting Features

• LED Flashlight
• Red LED Emergency Flasher
• 5 LED Reading Light

Power/Charging Features

• Solar
• Dynamo (Hand Crank)
• USB Port

Other Features

• Charges Mobile Phones, MP3 Players, Etc.
• Water Resistant
• Rubberized body
• Power Tips to Charge Most Popular Cell Phones Included
• Headphones Included

Supplying Power to the Voyager Multi-Band Emergency Radio

The Voyager Radio can be powered using one of the 3 different methods.

• Hand-Crank – The Voyager has a fold-away hand crank that charges a set of internal NI-MH batteries. Turning the hand-crank at a moderate pace for two minutes (or until the green indicator light on the front of the unit is illuminated) creates enough power to operate the Voyager for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure the Power Selector Switch on the front of the radio is set to BATT/DC when operating the radio, and OFF when charging the radio.
• Solar Panel – The Voyager has a built-in solar panel that folds away when not in use. To operate the radio using solar energy collected by the solar panel, set the Power Selector Switch on the front of the radio to SOLAR/CRANK, then open the solar panel and tilt it towards the sunlight. To charge the internal NI-MH batteries using the solar panel, turn the Power Selector Switch to the OFF position and tilt the solar panel so that it is facing direct sunlight.
• Mini USB Port – The Voyager Radio can operate using power from a computer’s USB Port. To power the radio using a computer’s USB Port, located the USB Port which is located behind the rubber flap on the back of the Voyager. Connect the Voyager Radio to your computer’s USB Port using a standard USB cable (not included). Then, set the Charging Option Switch on the back of the unit to IN and set the Power Selector Switch on the front of the radio to SOLAR/CRANK. The radio will operate and charge the built-in Lithium battery from the power supplied by your computer’s USB Port.

Power Indicator Lights

The Voyager Radio has 3 status lights located on the front of the unit. When the Voyager Radio is being used, the labels above the status lights define their meaning (Hi, Low, Tune). The green status light labeled HI indicates that the battery is charged and operating normally. The red status light labeled LOW indicates that the batter is running low on power and you either need to recharge the internal Lithium battery using the solar panel or hand crank. The orange status light indicates that the radio is tuned and is currently receiving a radio transmission.

When charging the unit (Power Selector Switch is in the OFF Position), the labels below the status lights define their meaning (Battery, Charging). Charging the device can be done using the units solar panel, by hand cranking or by plugging the unit into a computer’s USB Port. When the green status light is illuminated, it indicates that the battery is fully charged. With the red status light is illuminated, it indicates that the battery is not fully charged. The orange status light indicates that the unit is currently charging the internal NI-MH battery. It’s a good idea to charge the battery for a full 8 hours after depleting the charge.

Charging Your Mobile Phone from the Voyager Emergency Radio

First, connect your mobile phone to the Voyager Emergency Radio. Using the included cable; connect the USB end directly into the Voyager’s USB Port (located on the back of the unit underneath the rubber flap). Determine the correct Power Tip for your mobile phone and connect it to the other end of the cable. If you have a mobile phone that charges using a standard USB cable, you can simply use the cable that came with your mobile phone and connect it to the USB Port on the back of the Voyager.

Next, select the Charging Option Switch (located on the back of the Voyager underneath the rubber flap), and slide it to the OUT position.

Finally, begin charging your mobile phone by performing one of the following charging processes:

• Hand-Crank the Voyager
• Direct the Solar Panel toward direct sunlight

Using the Radio

Band Selector Turn the Band Selector Switch to choose the band you want to listen to. You can choose from WEATHER, AM, FM, SW1, or SW2.

• Weather Band - Receives all 7 weather band from NOAA, the U.S. National Weather Service which broadcasts in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• AM Band - Receives all local AM stations from 520KHz to 1710 KHz.
• FM Band - Receives all local FM stations from 88.00 MHz – 108MHz.
• SW1 Band - Receives all Shortwave bands from 3.2MHz- 9.00Mhz
• SW2 Band - Receives all Shortwave bands from 9.0MHz – 22.00Mhz

The Shortwave Bands allow you to listen to overseas broadcasts from stations like the BBC, Radio Moscow, Radio France, Radio Beijing, Voice of America, etc. 

Volume Control

Turn the Volume Control Knob counter clockwise to reduce the volume. Turn the Volume Control Knob clockwise to increase the volume. Radio Channel Tuning

Radio Channel Tuning

Select the radio band you want to listen to, and then turn the Channel Tuning Knob slowly until you receive the desired station. When listening to FM, SW1, SW2, or a Weather Band, extend the telescopic antenna to receive the best signal. When listening to the AM band, use it near a window or open space, to receive the best signal.

For NOAA Alerts to work properly, set the Weather Channel Selector to the proper station for your area. Most cities do not broadcast on all 7 stations so it’s a good idea to identify the correct station and set the Weather Channel Selector on your Voyager Radio right away. To do this simply set the Radio Band Selector to WEATHER. Then, starting from weather station 1 listen for broadcasted weather information, if you don’t hear information, switch to the next channel until you locate the channel broadcasting information. Once the proper weather band is set, you do not need to change it unless you move to a different area.

Using the NOAA Alert Feature

The Voyager radio has a built-in NOAA Alert Feature than automatically turns on the radio when severe weather is happening in your area, or in the case of a national emergency. To use the NOAA Alert feature, set the band selector to WEATHER and turn the weather band to your local weather station. Then set the Power Selector Switch to NOAA Alert. That’s it! The Voyager Radio will automatically turn on when there is an alert from the National Weather Service. After the alert is over, the weather band will turn off automatically. If you plan to use the NOAA feature, we recommend powering the unit with the USB Port as it does not drain power from the unit’s internal NI-MH batteries.

Using the Reading Lamp

On bottom side of the solar panel is a 5-LED Reading Lamp. The lamp rotates 180 degrees allowing you to tilt it to the desired position. To turn the Reading Lamp on, slide the Lighting Control Switch on the top of the radio to LAMP. To turn off the Reading Lamp, turn the Lighting Control Switch to OFF.

Using the flashlight

The LED flashlight is built into the side of the unit above the tuning knob. To turn on the flashlight, slide the Lighting Control Switch to FLASHLIGHT. To turn off the flashlight, turn the Lighting Control Switch to OFF.

Using the Emergency Flasher

To signal an emergency, you can slide on the Emergency Red Flasher by sliding the Lighting Control Switch to FLASH. To turn off the Emergency Flasher, slide the Lighting Control Switch to OFF.

Specifications of The Voyager Multi-Band Emergency Radio

• FM: 88 - 108 MHz
• NOAA Weather: 162.400/162.425/162.450/162.475/162.50/162.525/162.55 (continuous band)
• AM (MW): 530 -1710 KHz
• SW1: 3.20- 8.00 MHz
• SW2: 9.00- 22.00 MHz
• Output Power: 200 MW peak power using built-in speaker
• Headset Jack Socket: 3.5 mm
• External DC Supply Socket: 6 mm (positive center)
• Power Supply: 4.5-6.0V DC power
• Rechargeable batteries: 2,000 mAh Lithium
• Size: 204 x 128 x 66 MM (8 x 5 x 2.6 INCHES)

Information About NOAA All Hazard Weather Radio

NOAA Weather Radio (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is a service provided by the United States Department of Commerce.

NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio (NWR) is a national network of transmitters that broadcast continuous weather information directly from National Weather Service Offices in your area. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Normal weather messages repeat every 5 minutes and are updated about every 2-3 hours (more frequently if conditions are developing). Regular broadcasts are tailored to weather information needs of people within the service area of the transmitter. For example, stations in coastal areas may receive information of interest to mariners. Other information, such as climate data and hydrological forecasts, may also be broadcast.

NWR works with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System making it your single source for "All Hazard", comprehensive weather and emergency information. In conjunction with Local, State, and Federal public officials and Emergency Managers, NWR also broadcasts warnings, alerts, and post-event information for all types of hazards – including earthquakes, wild fires, flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes, winter storms, tsunamis, avalanches, chemical releases, oil spills, and public safety alerts (such as AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages).