Accessory Review:
C. Crane Calamity Kit
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

Old Man Winter arrives in a flurry of mayhem, the power goes out and you and your family are left in the dark. OK, so you can’t tune into the Golf Channel unless you have a self-contained power generator, and even then you’re more likely to save that power for more essential necessities like cooking a meal. OK, so you are a real golf nut, then, and you do want to watch the Golf Channel.

One of our favourite companies, C. Crane, has the perfect solution for getting you and your family through a brownout or blackout, and even a way of providing some comfort and security during a natural disaster: the Calamity Kit.

Bob and Sue Crane founded C. Crane after settling in the San Francisco Bay Area close to 30 years ago. When weak AM radio reception became an issue, Bob found a solution in the Select-A-Tenna. The Cranes created a company to market the reliable antenna, and the rest is history. Today, C. Crane carries a number of high-quality electronic items, such as shortwave radios and solar panels, and even flashlights and garden tools. In fact, C. Crane offers more than 300 high-quality, unique items, all of which must pass exhaustive testing in a quality control lab.

Being from the San Francisco Area, the Cranes know all about natural disasters, including earthquakes. In fact, power outages seem to be more common lately as we stress our power grid. Afer many “dinner in the dark” experiences, C. Crane assembled the perfect solution: the three-piece Calamity Kit.

Here’s what the Calamity Kit includes: the Freeplay Indigo Lantern; Freeplay Sherpa LED Flashlight; and Freeplay EyeMax with Weather Radio.

The Freeplay Indigo Lantern puts out enough light to easily move around the room safely - heck, it will even light up the practice green after dark. Like all of the Freeplay items in the Calamity Kit, it requires no batteries nor electrical power. After an initial charge for optimum use, the Freeplay Indigo Lantern and accompanying Calamity pieces can be powered by winding an attached arm which drives an AC alternator. Now that’s a green product.

The Indigo Lantern includes a non-removable rechargeable 3.6 V NiMH battery pack, and includes a suitable charging adaptor. An initial charge of 15 hours will provide 100 per cent capacity. Light is sourced from a smaller 5 mm Ultra Bright White LED beam, and a larger top 10 mm beam. Fully charged, this lantern will provide you with 70 hours of night light use, and 2 hours, 45 minutes of maximum brightness. A 60-second wind allows a 3-hour night light and 6-minute maximum bright light.

Fire hydrant yellow, like all the Calamity Kit pieces, the Indigo Lantern sells for $44.95 as a separate piece.

The Freeplay Sherpa LED Flashlight is a neat little item packing lots of punch. Another wind-up product, this flashlight is very bright on high setting, and also boasts a second light setting for minimal brightness and power consumption. A fully-charged battery will provide 20 hours of light on normal beam, and 3 hours, 20 minutes on high beam. A 30-second wind offers 10 minutes on normal beam.

The Sherpa Flashlight costs $34.95.

The Freeplay EyeMax Weather Radio is a gem. The all-hazards Weather Band alerts you to important NOAA updates. In fact, I was surprised at the sound quality of this little radio, which pulls in distant stations with ease. Including a single LED light, the EyeMax Weather Radio pulls in the Environment Canada local frequency of 162.475 MHz, plus plenty of AM and FM stations. There’s a high-performance clear epoxy-coated polycrystalline solar panel, too. When fully charged for 24 hours, the NiMH battery provides up to 25 hours of radio play at normal volume. A 30-second wind: 35 minutes. Shine time on a 30-second wind: one hour. Purchased alone, the EyeMax Weather Radio costs $59.95.

Purchase the Calamity Kit, including all three items, at just $119.95. This makes an awesome Christmas gift for anyone on your list.

For information on all of C. Crane’s outstanding items, visit www.ccrane.com