When I first received the FR500 Solarlink from Eton
(makers of the Porsche Designed P’9120) my original thought was, what am I going to do with this thing? You see, the FR500 is a self-powered and solar-powered AM/FM/Shortwave Radio with NOAA Weatherband, Flashlight, Siren and Cell Phone Charger. You name it, this little radio does it, but how does it relate to Porsche and why does it belong on PorschePurist.com?
The answer came a few weeks ago when my wife and I decided to take a drive in our cabriolet for the first time this season. We packed the trunk with a few of our normal essentials and on a whim I threw the FR500 in for the ride thinking maybe I would play with it a bit if we stopped somewhere for a picnic lunch. As it turned out, the weather was gorgeous and we ended up cruising longer than we originally anticipated. By the time we did stop, it was early afternoon, the sun was shining and we were both starved. At this point, I had completely forgotten about the radio and was concentrating completely on my surroundings and the portable feast my wife had packed (yes, I’m a luck man). As we prepared to pour a drink, I realized the corkscrew was still in the car and one of us needed to walk back and grab it; my wife volunteered (did I mention how lucky i am?). She came back with both the corkscrew (something you should always carry in your convertible) and the radio.
While I opened the wine, Mrs. 993C4S started to quiz me on the Solarlink. What is it? Where did it come from? How much was it? etc., etc. After explaining that Eton had sent it along for a product review and I was struggling with how to connect it with Porsche, she suggested we use it now to add to the ambiance of our picnic. Hey, why not? Some nice music couldn’t hurt things now could it? As I started to open the box I realized I had thrown the radio in the car but completely forgotten the batteries. Turns out, after a quick read through owners manual, that not having batteries was exactly the type of problem the FR500 was made to solve.
You see, not only does the radio run off three (3) AA batteries, it can also be powered by direct sunlight (hence the name “FR500 Solarlink”) or through an internal dynamo that creates its own electricity while conveniently storing it in the supplied Ni-MH rechargeable battery. So, no batteries, no problem! A minutes worth of turning the sturdy, built-in crank juiced up the radio enough for us to tune in a local station and place it in the sun where the radio would continue to run (battery or not) off direct sunlight. Needless to say I was pretty impressed. As I was more interested in enjoying lunch with my wife, I decide to explore the rest of the radio’s features later that day and just let it provide background music for the time being.
Arriving home that evening I decide to check out the rest of the features made conspicuously present present by the copious amount of buttons, bulbs and knobs. Here’s what you get:
- AM/FM/Shortwave/NOAA radio
- 7 NOAA weather channels plus NOAA alerts
- built-in LED flashlight
- flashing red LED emergency light
- built-in cell phone charger (charging cable and adapter tips not included)
- digital clock with alarm
- self-charging capability via solar power or hand-cranked dynamo
- telescoping antenna
Overall, I found the FR500 easy to use and was able to tune in to my local FM stations with clear and strong sound quality from the single mono speaker. At first the reception was a bit off, but once I did a little reading I realized I had one of the multi-function knobs set to turn on the weather alert alarm. With this turned on, you can listen to any radio station you want, on any band, and if a weather alert is being broadcast an alarm will sound notifying you to switch over to your preferred weather band. A nice feature if you’re using the radio in an emergency situation. However, if you’re running on battery power (vs the optional AC power converter) during an impromptu picnic it does detract from the overall reception (and isn’t really that necessary). Once I turned this feature off, the reception was fine.
Additional Feature of the Eton FR500 Solarlink
The LED flashlight on the side provides reasonable light in small spaces and would come in handy at night in a power outage. While I wouldn’t recommend getting rid of your purpose built flash-light, it will let you get around in a pinch without tripping over your own feet (or anyone else’s for that matter). With a flick of the switch the LEDs convert from flashlight to a red blinking emergency beacon signal. Thankfully, I haven’t had the need to try this feature, but I’ve been told that a bright red LED can be seen in the dark up to a mile away. Lastly, if you’re really looking to get someone’s attention, there is a siren feature that is so loud and annoying it couldn’t help but to attract someone if only to ask you to please turn it off!!
Besides being able to generate its own electricity from the hand-powered crank, or store energy from the solar power panel, you can use either of these two features to power and re-charge a cell phone. The FR500 has a USB phone charger jack in the back that will connect to almost any cell phone via a “connector tip” that Eton supplies. In fact, according to the documentation that came with my radio, you can order a tip from Eton for free by calling, writing or emailing. In my opinion it would be more convenient to have a selection of tips supplied with the radio. However, knowing how many different charging configurations there are (I only need look at my own collection of varying cell chargers to be reminded) it’s understandable how it’s not practical for Eton to do so while keeping the radio at its current price point of $59.99.
Room for improvement?
The one item that could benefit from a possible redesign is the tuning mechanism. The physical dial is of good size and sturdy enough, but the digital tuner itself is extremely sensitive. While this sensitivity is great for fine tuning, it can, at times, be frustrating when trying to quickly move from station to station.
All in all the Eton FR500 Solarlink is a very handy item to have in any kind of situation (especially a power outage) and has earned a spot on my list of essential items to carry with you in your Cabriolet (and my Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Porsche Lover). After all, you never know when the opportunity for a picnic (planned or otherwise) will present itself.
Related Posts
9 Must have items to carry with you in your Porsche Cabriolet
Porsche Design P’9120 by Eton
History of the Porsche Design Group
[Source: 993C4S, Eton
]
Porsche has won the Nürburgring 24 hour race for the fourth time in a row. Timo Bernhard (Germany), Marc Lieb (Germany), Romain Dumas (France) and Marcel Tiemann (Monaco) crossed the finish line in the 480 hp Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of the Manthey Racing team with a one lap advantage over the second-placed Audi R8. The sister Manthey Porsche, the 445 hp 911 GT3 Cup S manned by Richard Lietz (Austria), Wolf Henzler (Germany), Emmanuel Collard (France) and Dirk Werner (Germany), occupied third position. Seven Porsche race cars finished in the top ten.
A total of 235,000 spectators witnessed the fastest 24 hour race in history on the Nürburgring. Clocking up 3,933 kilometres, the Manthey Racing squad improved on its own distance record from 2006 by a further 101 kilometres. Timo Bernhard and Marcel Tiemann are the first pilots to win the long distance classic four times in succession. All in all, Tiemann has climbed to the top of the podium five times, making him the most successful pilot of the 24 hour race.
Porsche makes Motorsport History
Already in the early stages, the race turned into a thriller. For almost one hour, Marc Lieb followed in the slipstream of the pole-setting Ford GT driven by Dirk Adorf. Only when the Ford spun after lapping a slower vehicle and fell back, did Lieb get a free run. Until the early morning hours, the winner of last year was entangled in a gripping duel with the fastest of the Audis. As the regulations allow the more powerful R8 LMS a 20-litre larger fuel tank, the Audi could turn out one more lap per tank. “To counteract this we had to take more risks and turn one qualifying lap after the other to stay in the lead,” says Timo Bernhard describing his most grueling 24 hour race to date. “It was only when the Audi experienced technical problems that we could take it a little more carefully during the last hours,” added Marc Lieb. For Romain Dumas the most decisive factor in the race was: “All of us were able to maintain this unbelievable pace and not one of us made the slightest error.” For Marcel Tiemann a dream came true: “We wrote motorsport history today. To win this race four times in a row with this team and now become the driver with the most victories here, that means a great deal to me.”
For team boss Olaf Manthey, the fourth consecutive win was the best: “I’m incredibly proud of my entire team and my drivers. I couldn’t imagine a better line-up than Timo, Marc, Romain and Marcel. But that said, Richard, Wolf, Emmanuel and Dirk also delivered a super performance with our 911 GT3 Cup S. It’s just a shame that changing the drive shaft cost us 24 minutes. Otherwise we could have brought home a double win today.”
Another impressive demonstration of the renowned reliability of the Porsche 911 was shown by the squad under Uwe Alzen (Germany). Sharing driving duties with his all German line up, Sascha Bert, Lance David Arnold and Christopher Mies, they brought home fourth place with their 420 hp 911 GT3 Cup, which is raced in 13 Porsche brand trophy series around the world.
Head of Porsche Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, was impressed with the consistently good performance of the Porsche teams: “Our customers ran three different current Porsche racing models at this race: the 911 GT3 RSR, the 911 GT3 Cup S and the 911 GT3 Cup. All three were equally fast and reliable. There is hardly a more impressive way to show that the Porsche 911 is still the best sports car in the world. Congratulations to Manthey Racing and all the other Porsche teams who did a great job in their respective classes. Despite the new tank regulations clearly disadvantaging the Porsche teams, the Manthey squad could still bring home their fourth straight win. Still, that shouldn’t conceal the fact that the regulations should be corrected. The efficient vehicles should not be the ones that spend the most time refuelling in the pits.”
Overall result 2009 Nürburgring 24 hour race
1. Bernhard/Lieb/Dumas/Tiemann, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 155 laps
2. Abt/Hemroulle/Kaffer/Luhr, Audi R8 LMS,154
3. Collard/Henzler/Lietz/Werner, Porsche GT3 Cup S, 152
4. Alzen/Bert/Arnold/Mies, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 150
5. Basseng/Fässler/Rockenfeller/Stippler, Audi R8 LMS, 149
6. Schmitz/Abbelen/Althoff/Heyer, Porsche 911 GT3, 149
7. Kräling/Gindorf/Scharmach/Holzer, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 149
8. Bermes/Kainz/Schmickler/Bergmeister, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S, 148
9. Quinn/Quinn/Baird/Denyer, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 146
10. Adams/Ludwig/Meier/Grossmann, BMW Z4 M Coupé, 145
Related Posts
Interview with Porsche’s Wolf Henzler
Interview with Porsche’s Joerg Bermeister
Porsche Motorsports
[Source: Porsche]
For the 12-Hrs of Sebring weekend, the track becomes its own nation: the paddock and surrounding areas are filled to the brim with race fans in the most festive of moods. RVs and a variety of vehicles cram the parking areas full, making transit in and out of the venue a slow and laborious process. Food and alcohol are readily available, air-horns are de rigueur, and the 12 hour race does not lack a passionate, alert and vocal audience, even toward the 11th hour. It is a great place to be, not just for the energy of the racing, but for people-watching.
PorschePurist.com’s Valerie Roedenbeck gets caught in a Sebring StampedeIt is impossible to walk a few yards without seeing someone related to the racing world, and this adds to the social atmosphere of the place. One moment we spied Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director and team principal of BMW Sauber F1, texting on his phone. Moments later, a lapis blue Bentley made its way past the crowds; at the wheel was driving legend Derek Bell chauffeuring a young child past us (we waved, but the kid promptly put the window up).
The PorschePurist.com team arrived at Sebring on Friday, the day before the 12-hour race, just in time for our scheduled interview with FarnbacherLoles driver Wolf Henzler. Our biggest challenge was to make it past the bridge leading to the paddock. There’s no walking across allowed, so we were forced to wait for a slow-moving trolley. We decided then and there we would rely on the kindness of motorsport strangers for future crossings, and the plan worked! We got rides back and forth from a variety of friendly people, from official-looking Porsche guys to Chip Herr’s golf kart, among others.
We meet Wolf in front of the FarnbacherLoles team transporter. We walk past one of Farnbacher’s Porsches up on a lift, and after admiring the various parts slated to complete the race car, we choose a quiet corner away from the concessions and the traffic of fans wondering around the Sebring paddock. Quiet, that is, until the Formula Atlantic practice laps begin and our interview is punctuated by the beautiful sound of engines at work. The engine noise does not bother Wolf at all – it has been the soundtrack of his life for quite a while.
Born in Germany, Henzler first made his mark at age 15 when he won the Junior German Kart Championship, quickly following this win with two poles and two wins in formula ADAC and being named 1992 rookie of year. Between 1995-98, Henzler continued to win a total of nine times in Formula Three, and made the jump to the Porsche SuperCup in 2000. His relationship with Porsche has grown since then, culminating in his appointment as a Porsche Factory Driver in 2008.
When the cars come by, Wolf gingerly points out that we have about 2 minutes to answer each question (the time it takes for the cars to lap), then he gets to work answering our questions. He tells us he’s looking forward to the 12-hour race, where he is scheduled to hop in the car second, after Dirk Werner.
Like so many talented drivers before him, the love of cars ran in the Henzler family. “My dad raced, but not on a really professional level,” he tells us. Henzler, Sr. owned a BMW dealership and, as is the case with many young drivers, lacked the time and money to race professionally. Still, the passion was there: “after work, he would go in the workshop and prepare his racecar,” Wolf tells us, “and then on the weekend he would go racing.” Wolf also mentions his uncle Hermann, who (before Formula 1) raced in Formula 2 in the late seventies.
Surprisingly, it was neither his dad nor his uncle who ultimately steered Wolf toward a career in driving. “One year before I started racing, I did a trial race with a motorcycle.” He describes the test as one of driving control, where the rider climbs over hills or clears obstacles whilst riding. He continues to describe the event, adding, “you don’t go fast–it’s very slow but it’s all very technical.” Whilst participating in this event, Wolf noticed a kart track nearby and told his father about it when he got home.
“I came home and told my dad about the go-karts,” said Wolf, “and we found out when the go-karts had practice. We went [to the track] and my father recognized somebody who was there with his son.” The Henzlers charmed their way to borrow a kart, and the rest is history. Smiles Wolf, “yeah, [the kid] let me drive his kart a couple of laps and I enjoyed it. And then, that’s it, we bought a used go-cart and that’s how it started.”
His talent was immediately apparent, and by his second year racing he had won a championship and secured a sponsorship from ADAC (The German Automobile Association). “I got a formula BMW car from them, and this is how [I got] started in professional racing,” says Wolf.
We ask Wolf how he came to partner with Porsche? Was there always an affinity, or did opportunities that manifested themselves lead him toward Porsche? “Before I did a SuperCup or a German Carrera Cup, I raced in Formula 3. After racing in this circuit, I knew I would not have the luck of getting into Formula 1, so I looked [to see] what opportunities I had. I saw the Porsche Super Cup and I decided [it was] a good series.”
Porsche clearly grew on him, and several wins (Porsche SuperCup rookie of year in 2000, plus an impressive list of accomplishments in both the SuperCup and Carrera Cup in 2003 and being named SuperCup champion in 2004) probably helped his fondness for the brand. “I [drove] the Super Cup for a couple of years. And I really enjoyed driving a Porsche more and more. Finally, I made a step over to the US with Farnbacher Loles Racing Speed World Challenge racing and Rolex Series racing. Affirms Wolf, “Since then I’m driving a Porsche and I’m not missing anything–I enjoy driving a Porsche!” He surely enjoyed driving the Porsche in 2006, when he once again won the Porsche Cup.
For the last two years, Wolf has held the coveted position of Porsche Factory Driver. For Wolf, a long relationship with Porsche led to the post. “I always had a good relationship [with] them, and then in ’07 we got closer and they started to talk about [a Factory Driver position] and finally they offered me a contract.” In his calm, humble demeanor, Wolf adds, “I say, ok, yeah that’s fine, that’s what I want to do.”
Aside from all the driving, Porsche Factory Drivers are expected to meet physical fitness standards. We ask Wolf about this detail, and he nods. “Yeah, they do a fitness camp for ten days in January or February. Two times a year, we go to Porsche doctors for a fitness check and they do quite a lot for your fitness. They help you, give you a plan–a schedule–on how you should train. I think that’s really good,” He affirms. While Wolf always kept in shape (he’s an avid mountain biker) he finds the plan provided by Porsche trainers “helps a lot.” The exercise is all well, but we want to know about diet. Are there restrictions? Wolf smiles again, “we had a meeting about foods but it’s not that we cannot eat some french fries or go to McDonalds –but we shouldn’t do [it] all day or everyday!”
European vs. American Race Circuits
We’re always curious about differences between the European and American race circuits, so we ask Wolf to give us his perspective. Although we mean for him to compare driving styles, Wolf offers up very interesting insight into American vs. European personalities.
“My first experience was when I came here [U.S.] and did my first race,” he begins. “All the drivers were new to me. I was surprised [to see that] before the race, we were joking and we were having fun…,” he smiles as he remembers, a bit wiser now. “The drivers [made me feel as if] I was welcome and we talked.” He thought to himself, “they are funny and it should be a good race.” The easygoing American style disarmed Henzler, who was relaxed by the time he got behind the wheel.
But Wolf quickly came to find out in the U.S., business and pleasure are two very distinct things. “In the race all of a sudden [things] changed and [the drivers] were very aggressive–not unfair–but really fighting,” he smiles. “And, yeah, I was really surprised about that, before the race they were easy [going], and then in the race, fighting,” which is not the case in Europe.
We ask him to elaborate. Are European drivers more business-like when they are not in the cars? Wolf nods. “Yeah–they’re easy, but not as easy-going and they don’t joke [around] as much as here.”
We move on to technical differences between Europe and the U.S. Like so many of his European counterparts, Wolf affirms circuits are “very bumpy like–like Sebring, for example!” he chuckles. He elaborates, “in Europe the circuits are really smooth [because] they resurface them, I don’t know, every three years or whatever and they are very nice. But [that] doesn’t mean that the circuits here in US are not good! Every circuit here is special. Because of the bumps it’s always challenging to find a set up for the car. It’s very difficult here in Sebring, for example.”
Also, Wolf tells us, he is more likely to find similarities between tracks in Europe than he is between American track. “The circuits here in the US they are all, to me, really different,” he says. “In Europe … I say ok, this part of the circuit is similar to another, [whereas] here in the US I don’t have the feeling they are similar, they all different.”
Porsche SuperCup
In 2004, Wolf was Porsche SuperCup champion and followed the victory with podiums at Petit Le Mans in the GT and Speed World Challenge categories, and winning the GT category at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, effectively making the’04-’05 a very good, strong season for the German. Wolf agrees. “Yeah, that was really good,” he smiles, “it was good winning the Super Cup in ’04 and then [having] two wins here in the U.S. Then we came over in ’05 and we won Daytona.” Such strong and consistent delivery helped cement Wolf’s reputation abroad, he affirms: “for sure it really helped me … because many people recognized me later in the season, they knew that I won Daytona, and that I won two Speed World Challenge races in ’04.”
In his career, Wolf has driven a wide variety of cars from the Porsche RSR to the SuperCup to the Grand-Am spec GT3 Cup. “Between the RSR from Porsche, the biggest difference to a Cup car or the Grand-Am car is the aero; the GT has a better aero with more downforce and it’s wider, with different tires.”
So, is downforce the biggest difference then? Wolf elaborates. “Yeah, more downforce…and, ok, more horsepower, but the tires are also different from Grand-Am… but it’s hard to compare the Michelins,” says Wolf, because a prototype, for example “needs something different than a Cup car.”
Does he have any interest in any prototype driving, whether it be a Daytona prototype or an LMP prototype? Ever the Porsche man, Wolf responds, “well, I’ve never done it–driven in a prototype—[I’ve just driven] Formula cars, but right now if there is a chance to drive for a prototype as long as it has a Porsche engine I wouldn’t say no!”
Wolf Henzler, The Personal Side
Here at PorschePurist.com, we like to learn more about the social side of the very talented drivers we’re lucky enough to interview. We put our questions to Wolf.
The Ride…For starters, what car does he drive off the track?
“I drive a Porsche Cayenne S,” he tells us, adding “I love this car. It’s [got] good handling, even [though] it’s a bigger car… and it has a big trunk to put my mountain bike in the car!” (Mr. Henzler is an avid mountain biker and soccer player).
iPod or no iPod? Does he listen to music before a race, or does he have any sort of pre-race ritual?
He nods his head no. “No, not before the race…no listening.”
No pre-race rituals, either. We ask why not?
“I didn’t want to get used to it because if I have something special and I have no time to do it or I forget to do it or whatever, and I’m sitting inside the race car and maybe–I don’t know–maybe start thinking about it and darnit I didn’t do it… so that’s why I say ok, I take it how it comes and nothing special.”
Schumi or no Schumi? We ask about his youth racing influences. Was he a Schumacher fan, for example?
“Yeah, for sure, I supported Michael Schumacher, when I was driving go-karts or later Formula cars. I mean I watched Formula 1 races, and if he won it was ok, but I was–how you say–I was not only for Michael Schumacher…”
Which one is left? Is there a race he’d like to win? Perhaps one that he has not yet entered, or one that has eluded him?
“I would like to win them all,” Wolf smiles, adding, “I raced here last year and I think this would be a race that I would really like to win.”
Best win…Which was your most memorable win?
“I think when we won in 2005, the Rolex 24 in Daytona, the GT class…I think that one.”
Special thanks to Wolf for taking the time to sit down with the PorschePurist.com team, Roger Garbow of FarnbacherLoles for setting things up and Bob Chapman of AutosportImage.com for the great images (the bad ones are soley my fault) 
Interview by Christian Maloof / Story by Valerie Roedenbeck
Related Posts
Interview with Porsche’s Joerg Bergmeister
[Source: Valerie Roedenbeck, Christian Maloof, 993C4S]
Email
