Etón (Eton) Scorpion II Review

My review of the Etón Scorpion II electronic device. I purchased this to compliment and back up my Kaito KA123. Although I wouldn't take this one on a backpack trip due to it's size and weight, it certainly makes a good bug-out vehicle and SHTF radio. I would not hesitate to toss this in my truck when I'm going to be driving in bad weather.
My reviews are based on my having purchased the item. I do not have anyone (manufacturer, distributor, retailer etc.) sending me free stuff to review.
Although I found a few 'faults' with this device, they aren't critical enough for me to give it an overall Thumbs Down.
My Kaito KA123 review can be viewed here:
• Kaito KA123 Review
As always, be sure to Like, Comment, Subscribe and Share!
#BackPackHack #Eton #Scorpion

[@billlord4203]

I tried to solar charge it in the sun for 9 hours and it barely registered a charge.

[@blankfocus1521]

Thanks for the info about the replaceable battery. That is the info I could not find anywhere about this device. I would never buy one of these if it's a brick as soon as a proprietary battery is finished. At least if it's removable there's a chance of finding a replacement.

[@Sig220Euro]

So after a year of owning this what are your thoughts and opinions? Is it worth spending the money?

[@TenEyckLorna]

Great review…thanks. I purchased it and am pleased with its functionality. One thing that still confuses me is that the owners manual says to push the power button to turn the unit on or off. I see a power button for the radio and one for the flashlight but not one to turn the unit on/ off. Where is the units power button?.

[@danethanor]

When one fails have a backup, my sentiments exactly plus one. Meaning a backup for your backup is my philosophy though only rarely do I practice it.

[@ericalmager9085]

So the 4 minutes of crank gives roughly 1 minute of cell phone talk time on most smartphones and 15-20 minutes of radio time.

[@MrBROTHERFELDER]

Bottle opener! Beer lovers radio. :)

[@Red_Proton]

Yes! Redundancy with diversity (and versatility).

[@julesangel9362]

Any idea where to get a replacement battery? Its such a tight squeeze that finding one that will fit, even if it says it should be fine, is difficult.

[@steveross6359]

I have the original Scorpion, and looks identical, so not sure if any different besides mine is orange... think what people miss understood is it doesn't matter about the battery. It has a crank... I've had mine for years.. always works. few seconds cranking and flashlight works for a long time... IF you needed to use it to charge a phone, IT HAS A CRANK... you turn it and very slowly it will charge for emergencies... All small solar devices would take forever to do anything so yes it's pretty useless just like the bottle opener (other cheap solar flashlights weigh much less and work great though) I have no problem getting it to 3 bars in very very very short amount of time though - I agree there should have a fire starter. Don't agree about the carabiner as its unique design keeps it secure.. Yes it's too heavy for a backpacking trip, but nice if you need a tool to charge things if you absolutely need it. When your solar flashlight or batter flashlights go out, you have this... when your phone dies, you can charge with this, if your radio dies, you have this... and I guess if you are lost in the woods and you are dumb enough to pack bottled drinks, well you have this to open them. Remember, IT HAS A CRANK... :)

[@BackPackHack]

My concern isn't keeping the battery charged. It's that it will eventually die and need replaced. Not everyone is capable of properly making splices.

[@k1m6a11]

But wait, does it have a crank?

[@0326Ghost]

A compass should be where the bottle opener is

[@BackPackHack]

Probably wouldn't be too accurate with all the metal in the radio.

[@laineybugger]

Very thorough review thank you!, How is it holding up? I’m considering this one for my bug out bag, and using a Midland for home use. Do you have a recommendation for a small big out bag size radio? What I like about this one is how rugged it seems to be

[@BackPackHack]

I use this one in my BOB. I just need to bring it out every once in a while to charge it up.

[@stephenclarke3990]

I thought the whole idea of this radio/whatever, was its an emergency item❗️It wont fully charge your phone, however will get enough charge in it to make an emergency call if you get in trouble ❗️ I don't think this device is for going out on a Saturday night into the forest getting pissed and then hoping it will work miracles 🙄 Altogether this is one amazing piece of bug out/in kit.

[@steveacree7650]

I like mine for my bike

[@errata101]

nice review,

[@Boobtube.]

if you can't get 3 bars of power on it and if it does not charge your phone more than a couple % points, uh.... your battery is junk. Just because it is new does not mean the battery is good. And your test of having the light on and the radio on, but turned down is invalid. Because if the radio is not using its amp to send sound to the speaker, the battery is not being drained as it would if the speaker was emitting sound. Try the same test with the speaker on at 1/2 volume and i suspect it will not even last 1/2 of 6 hours. Other than those issues, great review.

[@BackPackHack]

You missed the point. The flashlight ran for 6 hours. That's not bad for a small battery like this.

[@James-ke5sx]

Wish I could find out what kind of adapter to use. Every single review says you can use a DC jack but nobody says what it is. Also nobody says if you can use a phone charger or an external solar panel to charge this guess I'll just have to call the company and find out if I can add an extra solar panel to this or use my phone charger to charge it up quickly

[@BackPackHack]

It will charge using a standard Micro USB connection. Even compact solar panels like 4-10 watts should be able to output to a standard USB port.

[@emanuelerossi9020]

What about battery duration?

[@BackPackHack]

I've never tested it.

[@danquarterman]

Piece of junk came DOA. I don't recomend as on Amazon, there's many folks who receive theirs in the same condition. Does not charge, not even a bit.

[@BackPackHack]

I can't speak for the manufacturer, but I'd check to make sure the battery pack is plugged in. It only takes a small screwdriver to open the cover and check.