Wind-up radios for a UK emergency kit: what to prepare

Start with the official household checklist

Be Ready places communications alongside the other things a household may need for three days. Its advice is to review what you already have and build up what is missing gradually. A radio is one part of that wider preparation, not a reason to replace the whole checklist with a shopping list.

Keep the government's current page as your reference. Consider who needs to find the radio and read the frequency note. Clear controls and legible station details are more useful than unfamiliar features.

Check the receiving mode and the power source separately

Look for an actual FM tuner in the device specification. Battery operation or a winding handle describes how a device gets power; neither tells you, by itself, what it receives. If the set also offers DAB or internet radio, identify which controls select each mode rather than treating the names as interchangeable.

Read your model's instructions for batteries, charging and winding. Do not infer listening time from another radio's description. Start with understanding any suitable receiver you already own; no particular set is ranked or presented as independently tested here.

Write down frequencies for the area where you live

The BBC's official frequency table gives useful examples: BBC London is listed at 94.9 FM, while BBC Radio Manchester has 95.1 and 104.6 FM. These are local entries, not frequencies to use throughout Britain. The table also directs readers to the BBC transmitter checker for their location.

While you have connectivity, find the appropriate local or nations service and record its name, frequency and band together. A number without the station name is easy to misread later. Put the note beside the receiver rather than leaving the only copy in a browser bookmark that needs the internet.

Know why a phone stream is a different route

An FM receiver uses its aerial to receive a broadcast; online audio needs a working internet connection. The government's power-cut guidance explains that home internet and mobile service can be disrupted. A charged phone still needs a usable network for streaming. A power bank supplies energy, not connectivity.

When your connection works, the BBC Radio 4 listing below is a way to identify a station for ordinary online news listening. It is not evidence of offline reception. MegaRadio is not a physical FM receiver or an official warning system, and opening its station page does not turn a phone into either. Broadcast reception also depends on coverage and operating infrastructure.

Make a small, usable radio checklist

Keep these radio details with your household plan. They help avoid equipment confusion without promising that one listening method works in every disruption.

• Identify the receiver's FM setting and the controls needed to select a frequency.
• Keep its instructions accessible and follow the model's stated power requirements.
• Store the written news-station frequencies with the radio, along with suitable spare batteries where applicable.
• Distinguish the physical receiver from any internet-only player on the same device.
• Include the radio in the household's periodic review so the note and equipment still match its needs.

Keep preparation separate from live information

Be Ready's power-cut guidance advises seeking stations that remain on air and considering FM and digital receiving modes. That is different from assuming one preset is guaranteed to keep broadcasting. Use the current official guidance for what to do during an actual disruption; this article is not a live incident bulletin.

For routine listening, decide whether you want national news or local information. A national station's identity does not establish that it carries the update for your area. Match the station to the information sought, not just a familiar logo.

Questions and answers

Does a wind-up radio need the internet?

A set receiving FM broadcasts does not need an internet connection for that mode. Check that the particular device really has an FM tuner. A winding mechanism is a power feature, not proof of broadcast reception.

Can I use MegaRadio instead of a battery radio during an outage?

Not as an offline replacement. MegaRadio's online listening depends on connectivity. Your phone may have power while the network it needs is unavailable; keep that separate from a physical broadcast receiver and the official household guidance.

Is there one BBC FM frequency for every part of the UK?

No. Services and frequencies vary by area. Use the BBC's official table and location checker to identify the relevant service, then keep its station name and tuning details on your written note.