The Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 is an emergency radio that can receive AM and FM, NOAA and shortwave radio frequencies. But it's not just the extra frequencies this has over the competition, this is feature rich across the board.It also has lights so you can see in the dark during a power outage or while you camp, a digital thermometer, and a humidity meter. All these features make the Voyager a good emergency radio. However, with its poor battery life and subpar hand crank, it struggles to keep up with some of the best emergency radios.
But is this the right fit for you? Read on to find out all you need to know from this Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 review.
Kaito Voyager Pro KA600: Design and build
Weighing in at 19.75 ounces, the Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 is one of the biggest and heaviest crank radios available. It comes packing a large LED light setup in the front and comes complete with a carry handle to help with that weight. It’s missing most of the emergency preparedness features the best ones have. It isn’t water-resistant and doesn't have a Morse code beacon, siren or compass. Not a great start.
However, it has a digital thermometer and a humidity meter, which provide important environmental information. It also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery pack which is super fast charging but also conveniently can run on disposable batteries.
Kaito Voyager Pro KA600: Features
You can use the Voyager Pro KA600 to listen to regular AM and FM radio stations, and you can access all seven NOAA weather band channels. These are invaluable stations to have access to during a disaster because they provide weather information critical to your area.
You can also charge this emergency radio with its AC adapter, built-in rechargeable battery pack, USB port or solar panel. It's one of the few radios with a solar panel you can adjust to find the optimal position to capture the sun's energy. It takes longer to charge the radio with the solar panel than using the other charging methods, but it's the easiest way, especially while you're camping.
This crank radio comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty, which is average for the products we tested. You can contact Kaito by phone or email if you have questions about the radio’s features or need to file a warranty claim.
Kaito Voyager Pro KA600: Performance
The KA600's battery reached a full charge in one hour and 45 minutes, making it the fastest-charging radio we reviewed. That said, the battery only lasted one and a half hours when we played it at full volume. The biggest downside to its subpar battery life is that you have to charge it frequently. Fortunately, it also runs on disposable batteries, so you can use the rechargeable battery as a secondary power source.
In our tests, two minutes of turning the Voyager Pro’s dynamo crank generated an average of three and a half minutes of battery life when the radio played at full volume. This is below our test group’s five-minute average, and for comparison, the Eton Ultimate Camping Radio produced over 13 minutes of battery life in the same test.
The radio did ok in our AM reception tests and similarly in the backcountry test. In addition, it scored well in the FM reception tests. It's good AM and FM scores mean it’s a good fit for someone that wants to use it as a traditional radio to listen to music. Its NOAA weather band reception is comparable to that of other crank radios.
The maximum volume is only 76.7 dB at 1 meter from the speaker, which makes it one of the quietest radios we reviewed. Louder crank radios are better for backcountry hiking because making loud noises can help search and rescue find you.
Should you buy the Kaito Voyager Pro KA600?
If you want a fast charging emergency radio with lots of weather features then this is the one for you. It's ideal for camping and if you work in environments where the weather can change quickly. But if you want to save a bit of money and cut back on the weight then there are plenty of other options out there.
