Eton FRX3 Troubleshooting

You let it charge but it just keeps dying.

To preserve the life of the battery, the device is shipped with the rechargeable battery unplugged. Just take off the back cover and make sure it’s plugged in.

If you let your device completely charge as recommended in your owner's manual and it keeps dying faster than expected then you might have a worn/faulty battery and it has to be replaced. For a guide on how to do this just click here.

You left it in the sun forever, but it’s just not charging.

When the device is operating off of the three AAA backup batteries, the solar panel is unable to charge the internal battery. You can set the device to the internal battery by pressing the Dynamo/Solar (DYN) Button.

Almost half of the sunlight’s energy is in the ultraviolet spectrum and our solar panels make great use of it. Unfortunately, this means that the solar charging will be far less effective with filtered light, such as through a reflective window. Just put the device in direct sunlight instead.

To preserve the life of the battery, the device is shipped with the rechargeable battery unplugged. Just take off the back cover and make sure it’s plugged in.

If you’re completely charging your device through the solar panel in direct sunlight and operating off the internal battery, but it keeps dying faster than expected, your battery may be faulty or worn out. Try charging the device using the dynamo or USB DC charging cable, instead. If the device is still dying prematurely, follow this guide to replace the internal battery.

If you’ve gone through the above steps but still haven’t found the culprit of your issue, the device’s solar panel may be damaged and will need to be replaced. For a guide on how to do this just click here.

You turn and turn, but the device won’t charge.

To preserve the life of the battery, the device is shipped with the rechargeable battery unplugged. Just take off the back cover and make sure it’s plugged in.

You should first test to see if the battery is working as normal. Try to fully charge the device using the solar panel or USB DC charging cable instead. If it keeps dying faster than expected then you might have a worn/faulty battery and it will need to be replaced. For a guide on how to do this just click here.

If the battery seems to be working as normal, the hand cranking mechanism may have damaged teeth, preventing it from turning the dynamo. For a guide to get it fixed, just click here.

Some of the symbols on the screen aren’t lighting up when they should.

In such case that the LCD display is no longer displaying all of it’s symbols correctly, you’ll have to replace the screen. Unfortunately, it’s secured to the motherboard quite well and to do this you’ll need to replace the whole motherboard. You can find a guide for this here.

I’m scrolling through the FM and weather channels but just keep getting static.

If you’re unable to receive signal from any of the NOAA weather broadcast stations or standard FM radio, you may be in a dead zone. You can either check online for broadcast coverage in your area or test using another radio. The specific weather band frequencies used by the device are given in the owner's manual. Unfortunately, the only fix to this is moving closer to a broadcasting station or setting up a radio repeater.

If you are sure there is a radio signal in your area, but still aren’t hearing it, the antennae may be damaged. You will need to replace it. For a guide on how to replace the FM Antenna please click here.

I’m scrolling through the AM channels but I can’t seem to get a signal.

If you’re unable to receive signal from standard AM radio, you may be in a dead zone. You can either check online for broadcast coverage in your area or test using another radio. Unfortunately, the only fix for this is to move closer to a broadcasting station or set up a radio signal repeater.

If you are sure there is a radio signal in your area, but still aren’t hearing it, the antenna may be damaged and it will need to be replaced. For a guide on how to replace the AM Antenna please click here.

I’m turning the dial but the sound level won’t change.

If the radio is on but the volume dial isn’t changing the sound level, it may have been damaged or broken. For a guide on how to replace the volume dial, just click here.

I’m turning the dial but the radio station won’t change.

If the radio is on but the tuning dial isn’t changing the radio station, it may have been damaged or broken. For a guide on how to replace the tuning dial, just click here.

The battery is charged, but the flashlight is really dim!

You should first test to see if the battery is working as normal. Try to fully charge the device using the solar panel, hand crank, or USB DC charging cable. If it keeps dying faster than expected then you might have a worn/faulty battery and it will need to be replaced. For a guide on how to do this please click here.

If the battery is working fine then the flashlight itself may have burnt out LEDs. Luckily this is a quick fix, you can just follow this guide to get it done.

The headphone jack or aux cable is plugged in, but the sound isn’t playing.

Over time these plugs may get dirty or worn and prevent proper connections to be made between the device and the cable. It may be worth it to give these a careful cleaning before worrying any components have been damaged.

Many cables may become damaged from excessive wear or stress and may either stop working entirely or only work in certain positions. If possible, try the wire with a separate device to ensure this isn’t the case.

If a clean plug is still not working with a working wire, the I/O board on the device may be damaged. It may take a bit of soldering, but for a guide on how to replace this just click here.

I plugged my phone into the USB port, but it’s not charging.

Some phones are designed with a specific charger in mind and will not charge through anything else. More often than not, the phone will let you know when you plug it in, but you may need to check your user manual to be certain.

Many cables may become damaged from excessive wear or stress and may either stop working entirely or only work in certain positions. If possible, try the wire with a separate device to ensure this isn’t the case.

If a compatible phone is still not working with a working wire, the I/O board on the device may be damaged. It may take a bit of soldering, but for a guide on how to replace this just click here. [I/O Board]

I’m trying to charge my device with the DC power cable, but nothing’s happening.

You should first test to see if the battery is working as normal. Try to fully charge the device using the solar panel or hand crank instead. If it keeps dying faster than expected then you might have a worn/faulty battery and it will need to be replaced. For a guide on how to do this please click here.

Many cables may become damaged from excessive wear or stress and may either stop working entirely or only work in certain positions. If possible, try the wire with a separate device to ensure this isn’t the case.

If a working battery is still not charging with a working wire, the I/O board on the device may be damaged. It may take a bit of soldering, but for a guide on how to replace this just click here.