Most problems with the Midland ER300 Pro and ER100 come down to charge, the power switch, tuning or the antenna, and take a minute to fix. Find your radio and the problem below. Everything here comes from Midland's own instructions for each model. If none of it helps, email us at sales@sgtpreppershop.co.uk and a real person will reply within 24 hours.
Not sure which one you have? The ER300 Pro is the larger radio, with Bluetooth and a USB-C port. The ER100 is the smaller AM/FM radio, and it charges through a micro USB port marked "USB In". That last detail catches people out: a USB-C cable won't fit the ER100, so keep the cable that came with it in the box.
It doesn't pick up any stations (both radios)
This is almost always a setting or the signal, not a fault. Work through these in order:
- Tune to a station you know is there. Neither radio searches for stations on its own. You step through the frequencies with the TUNE buttons until you reach one, so look up a strong local station first and tune to that number. BBC Radio 2 is between 88 and 91 MHz on FM in most of the UK, which makes it a good first test.
- Check you're on FM. Press the band button until the display shows FM and a frequency between 87.5 and 108.
- On the ER300 Pro, check it isn't on Bluetooth. If the display shows "BLUE", the radio is off and it's waiting for a phone. Press the power/band button to get back to AM or FM.
- Unplug anything it's charging. Both radios pause the radio while they charge a phone.
- Pull the antenna out fully and move it until the station is clear. The antenna is for FM. For AM, turn the whole radio, as it picks up AM through an aerial inside the case.
- Move it to a window, and away from TVs, wifi routers, phone chargers and LED bulbs, which can drown out weaker stations, especially on AM.
- Charge it. A nearly flat battery can make the radio quiet or weak.
Some stations are only on DAB or online, and neither radio has DAB or long wave, so look for the FM or AM frequency of the station you want. If you've tried all of the above near a window and still get nothing on FM, email us and we'll sort it out.
Midland ER300 Pro
It won't turn on
- Check the power switch on the side is in the ON position. With it off, the radio and display stay off.
- With the switch on, press the power/band button once to turn the radio on.
- If nothing happens, the battery is probably flat. Charge it from the USB-C cable for a while and try again.
The battery icon doesn't show while it charges
That's normal if the power switch is OFF. It still charges, but the display stays off. Turn the switch ON to see the battery icon flash while it charges.
The battery icon keeps flashing after I turn it on
If you charged it with the switch off and then turn it on with the cable still connected, the icon can flash for up to 3 minutes while the radio sets itself up. This is normal.
How do I know it's fully charged?
The battery icon stops flashing and shows 3 bars. A full charge from USB-C takes about 5 hours. For the fastest charge, use a plug rated 5V/2.4A (12W), 9V/2A (18W) or 12V/1.5A (18W).
The hand crank doesn't seem to charge it
The charge depends on how fast and for how long you turn it. Midland's figure is about 120 turns a minute at a steady pace. Watch for the battery icon flashing, which means it's charging. The crank is for topping up in an emergency, not for a full charge.
The solar panel is very slow
It is designed as a back-up. In direct sunlight, one hour gives about 10 minutes of use. Put the panel in direct sun, not behind glass or in shade.
The radio went quiet when I plugged my phone in
That's expected. While it charges another device, the ER300 Pro switches to clock/standby mode and the AM/FM radio pauses. Unplug the phone to listen again.
My phone or device won't charge from it
- Use a USB-C cable in the USB-C port on the side.
- The ER300 Pro only starts charging when it detects a battery in the device, so it won't power gadgets that have no battery of their own.
- Check the radio itself has charge left.
Poor FM reception
Pull the telescopic antenna out fully and move it until the signal is clear. Indoors, try near a window.
Switching between AM, FM and Bluetooth
Press the power/band button to cycle through AM, FM and Bluetooth. Hold it for 2 seconds to turn the radio off.
Bluetooth won't connect
Press the power/band button until the display shows "BLUE" and the Bluetooth icon blinks. Then turn on Bluetooth on your phone and choose "ER300 PRO". When the icon stops blinking, it's connected and plays your phone's audio.
A small icon is blinking on the right of the display
That's the ultrasonic dog whistle, which comes on if the torch button is held for 2 seconds. Press any button to turn it off.
Torch and SOS
- Press the torch button once for dim, twice for bright.
- Press it three times for the SOS signal: 3 short flashes, 3 long, 3 short, with a two-tone alarm.
- Press it again to stop.
Setting the clock and backlight
Hold MENU, choose 12 or 24 hour with the tune buttons, then press MENU to set the hour and again for the minutes. The backlight can be set to off, always on, or on for 5 seconds after each button press.
Can it run on AA or AAA batteries?
No, and it's a question several customers have emailed us about. The ER300 Pro has a built-in 10,000mAh rechargeable battery, rated by Midland at up to 100 hours of use, and no battery compartment. If it runs low, charge it from any USB-C power bank, the solar panel or the hand crank. The older ER300 was the model that also took AA batteries.
Midland ER100
It won't turn on
Press the BAND button once to turn it on. If nothing happens, the battery is probably flat. Charge it from the USB cable and try again.
How do I charge it?
Plug the cable into the port marked "USB In" on the side (it's a micro USB port), and the other end into a USB plug or power bank. The battery icon flashes while it charges and shows 3 bars when it's full. A completely flat battery takes about 5 and a half hours.
The hand crank or solar panel doesn't seem to do much
- Hand crank: one minute of cranking gives up to about 9 minutes of use. Faster and longer cranking gives more charge.
- Solar panel: one hour in direct sunlight gives up to about 30 minutes of use.
Both are back-ups for an emergency. For a full charge, use the USB cable.
The radio switched off when I plugged my phone in
That's expected. When you charge a phone, the ER100 turns its radio off and goes into charge mode. Unplug the phone to use the radio again.
My phone won't charge from it
- Plug your phone's own charging cable into the port marked "USB Out", not "USB In".
- Make sure the ER100 is charged. From a full charge, Midland says it gives a flat phone enough for at least one emergency call. If you want to keep phones going for days, pair it with a separate power bank.
Poor FM reception
Pull the antenna out fully and rotate it until the station is clear.
Switching between AM and FM
Press the BAND button to switch between AM and FM. Hold it for 2 seconds to turn the radio off.
Torch, SOS, clock and backlight
- Press the torch button once for dim, twice for bright, three times for the SOS signal. Press again to stop.
- To set the clock, hold MENU, choose 12 or 24 hour with the tune buttons, then press MENU to set the hour and again for the minutes.
- The backlight can be off, always on, or on for 5 seconds after each button press.
Can I put normal batteries in it?
No. The ER100 runs on its own 2,600mAh rechargeable lithium-ion pack. Midland's instructions say to use only their Li-ion pack, and never to try charging alkaline batteries in it, as this can cause leakage and damage the radio.
Finding the news in a power cut
Neither radio has long wave, and that no longer matters: Radio 4 long wave went off air in June 2026. For local news in a power cut, tune to your BBC Local Radio station on FM. Find its frequency now, while you have the internet, and write it on a label on the radio. Our emergency radio guide explains what to listen to, and what to do in a power cut covers the rest.
Looking after either radio
- Charge it fully before you first use it and before you put it away.
- Switch it off when it's stored. On the ER300 Pro, use the power switch on the side.
- Top it up every three to six months. Lithium-ion batteries lose very little charge in storage, so there's no need to leave it plugged in.
- Store it somewhere cool and dry. Both radios are rated to work from -20°C to +55°C, but a hot loft or a spot by a radiator is hard on any battery.
- Charge on a hard surface, not on a bed or sofa.
Still stuck?
Email sales@sgtpreppershop.co.uk with your order number and what's happening. We reply within 24 hours, usually much sooner. If your radio turns out to be faulty, you have 30 days from delivery to return it.
