A Solar Powered Radio Created By Kaito Electronics INC. Based In California
When heading out onto the road, most RV adventurers have a checklist. Most importantly, these are those necessary items needed for emergencies but also those needed to support creature comforts whether it be listening to music by the campfire or charging a cell phone. This is key to the thinking behind the Kaito Electronic's KA700 solar powered radio.
“There aren't many people making high end radios now,” said Kaito Electronics Inc. founder Walter Zhao. “But I just love radios. And I'm the only one who has these types of features on a radio.”
The KA700 also contains an alarm clock, a recording device, Bluetooth capabilities even a built in display that allows people to read books via Kindle.
The basis of the radio lies in its solar panels that act as a back-up power source, an important feature for people who may be relying on the radio for weather updates or as a light source deep in the woods or away from batteries or an electrical source. Fully equipped for emergencies, listeners can hear non-stop 24 hour, no commercial weather news and alerts or switch the flashlight over to a red beam, creating an SOS signal.
“A lot of areas don't receive cell phone signals,” remarked Zhao. “This radio [though] covers a much larger area. [Whereas] a lot of radios use a regular battery [which] runs out [with] no way to power the battery…with KA700 [it can be cranked for] five minutes [to give] 30 minutes listening time.”
And Zhao isn't stopping there. According to the radio designer, people constantly call him and ask if he can add different features. He entertains every request explaining “I always say I'll try.”
Zhao, who has been in the radio business for over 30 years, jokingly calls himself a “radio man,” but the title is far off from reality.
Growing up in China in the 1970s and 1980s, Zhao recalls that the best way to receive information was on the radio. Ever since he was seven he was “crazy about radios,” fascinated by the concept of receiving information that he didn't have to pay for.
By 12 years old, Zhao was in middle school trying to learn English. At that time it was difficult to learn English in China, he remembers. “I still remember, in 1979, I used my shortwave radio to hear voices from America. It came in very clear so I understood it. So, by that time, the radio was very important to me.”
This would only be the beginning of his fascination. Zhao ended up attending the University of Science & Technology, “China's MIT,” in Beijing, where he majored in Electronics Engineering. Through his training, he ended up working for a company that did international trading, sometimes with major radio brands around the world.
Eventually, he was sent to California to open up another company. After 5 years though, Zhao decided to split from the business and start his own endeavor, producing radios. “People say that when you love something and it makes money for you, that's the best,” he explains.” I do feel that way.”
His Kaito radios soon became popular in the Los Angeles area. In 1999, many people were concerned about computers dying out because of Y2K, Zhao recalls. Afraid of blackouts, many customers purchased Zhao's solar powered radio models, which were even available back then. The models were even shipped to the Middle East for US troops later on.
More recently, when a major storm wreaked havoc in California and there were blackouts in certain areas for up to three days, many people reached out to Zhao and told him his radios had helped them so much.
“A lot of people say a lot of good words about it,” said Zhao. “Most people tell me that it's so versatile and it has all of the features they truly need [when they need it].”
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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