Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio
by Sangean America, Inc.
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List Price: Our Price: Calculated in a shopping cart Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio
Customer Review: Good clock but room for improvement
Summary: 3 Stars
As a previous owner of the Sangean RCR-1 I was a bit disapointed to see that many features were omitted. I realize that this clock is really based on the RCR-2 and not the model that I'm comparing it against. That said my observations on this clock are as follows.
1. The new clock display is a vast improvement over the old one. It's very easy to read from any angle and it can be manually dimmed. However I feel that there still exists room for improvement with the display. I feel that Sangean should have included a photosensor to automatically adjust the display brightness according to ambient lighting conditions. I've had this option on many other clocks costing much less and it's an awesome feature to have. I also feel that they should have kept the outgoing models display size. The larger display was able to show more information at a glance. For instance the RCR-1 and RCR-2 were able to display the date while the alarm's are active. The RCR-22 will not do this. With the new unit you must press the date button to display the information. Also missing is the dual color display of the RCR-1. When the alarm on the RCR-1 activated the display would change color from blue to amber. That feature no longer exists on this model which was a bit of a disapointment.
2. The lack of a battery backup is a serious oversight. I am aware that it has a super capacitor which will hold the time for up to an hour in the event of a power failure. However, a battery backup will hold the time for up to a year AND still be able to sound the buzzer alarm during a power failure. Sony has this feature as well as many other brands on the market today.
3. Another serious oversight is the lack of Humane Waking System (HWS)when the alarm is set to radio mode. This clock features HWS in buzzer mode only. My old RCR-1 has HWS in radio mode and I really miss having the radio volume gradually ramp up to ease me out of my slumber. This new radio simply turns on the radio to the preset volume and blasts you awake.
4. This clock now features a much improved method to activate or deactivate the alarm. You simply push the alarm button and hold it for a few seconds to activate the alarm. The button will illuminate red to show the alarm is active. It also has a redundant indicator in the display.
5. Sangean is known for their excellent radio reception and this unit lives up to the hype. It easily pulls in distant stations and delivers drift free reception. The sound quality is above average for a clock radio and will not disapoint.
Now for the items on my wish list for a future product.
1. Add an HD Radio Tuner. HD radio is catching on and there are a lot of good stations that this can't receive.
2. Add Radio Data System (RDS) to the radio.
3. Add NOAA weather radio to alert you of possible severe weather
4. Photo sensor display dimmer to automatically adjust to ambient light
5. Battery Backup (Sangean this is a must have feature!)
6. HWS for the radio mode of the alarm
7. Larger display
8. Stereo speakers
9. CD Player.
10. Improved alarm programming to allow for different times to be set for each day of the week. This clock does allow you to program a random day pattern giving it more flexibility than most but it could be taken to the next level.
Heck as long as I'm wishing why not put all these features in a table radio and you'll have a winner.
Conclusion, This radio adds a much improved display that makes it easier to live with than the previous models. However several features have been ommitted that should have been left in place. For this reason I am unable to give it more than 3 stars. Most people will be perfectly happy with this clock radio as it is. As for me I'm always looking for that elusive clock radio that address ALL of my needs so the search continues.
Customer Review: Top notch alarm clock - manual could use some work though
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a high-quality alarm clock after about 12 years with an unimpressive Sony Dreammachine. This clock delivered on that front, and unlike most consumer electronics devices I've purchased in the past several years, it is clear that lots of thought was put into this device (and very little into the manual).
PROS:
There are tons of little nuances that the manual does not detail that I've discovered using the clock for a few weeks. For example the display can be dimmed with a dial on the bottom (which on my unit did not take effect until my alarm goes off the first time). The clock remains dimmed at your preset level, but goes to full brightness when the alarm goes off, making the clock easier to find. Combined with the pleasing blue light and the HWS (makes the alarm bell go from soft to loud) it's really nice to wake up to.
Another thoughtful touch is that alarm indicators only light within 24 hours of your alarm. Either alarm can be set to go off on particular days, with any combination of Su-Sa set for each alarm (i.e. alarm1 can be set for Monday, Thursday and Sunday, no weekday/weekend restrictions like some others). The alarm indicators however only light up when your alarm will ring the next morning. Very nice.
Other functions like the snooze, nap timers, etc. all work well. Like most alarms you need some time to figure out how it works, but after a few mornings most functions were intuitive.
The radio functions well, and pulls in way more stations than the Dreammachine. The speaker is fine, that is to say neither exceptionally good or exceptionally poor. If I want the ultimate music experience, I have an expensive stereo for that.
The clock is a true atomic time clock (not just a "preset" clock like many others). I don't know all the nuances of atomic cock synchronization, but the weather and location of the antenna seem to affect the two atomic clocks I have at home. Try moving the antenna towards the window if you have problems.
CONS
It is nicer than average plastic and construction, but still not going to win any design awards. I can't figure out why all alarm clock designs are frozen in 1992.
The manual was clearly written by a bunch of engineers. It is no nonsense, and explains how to set/use everything, but does not mention any of the usability features I noted above. For example if it's Monday and you set an alarm for thursday, You might wonder why the alarm indicators do not all light up. No mention at all in the manual. I thought the clock was broken since the dimmer did not function until the first time an alarm went off. Again, no mention in the manual of what turned out to be a very nice feature, and one I almost returned the clock for!
Another example is the unwieldly "Time Machine" antenna for the atomic clock. It is big and odd looking, but fits nicely to the back of the clock. Again, no mention in the manual save for a single line drawing.
When I initially plugged the clock in, all kinds of crytic numbers flashed on the display while it synced the time, again, no mention of what was happening or why in the manual. The manual does tell you how to DO everything, but does not explain WHY certain things work the way they do, or explain the various nice features someone clearly took time to think through.
Overal a great buy, especially for something you'll likely use every day for 5-15 years. I would like to see a better manual, autodimming of the display (it is BRIGHT when set to max), Sangean using a designer that is somewhat current, and perhaps a user manual rewrite, other than that, this clock works very well and will be on my nightstand for years to come.
I agonized over what to put on my nightstand (everything from Bose to Timex) and am very happy with my choice.
Customer Review: Very nice clock radio
Summary: 4 Stars
I did a bit of research before deciding on the Sangean. This is only the third clock radio I've owned in my life, as I tend to keep appliances a long time. Getting the right performance up front is very important. I found some of the reviews here very helpful, especially those that discussed the initial setup. I'm not an Apple vassal, so I did not want an iPod dock, which significantly limits one's clock radio selection.
The size is great. It fits nicely on my headboard. The button layout looks nice and works well, but I had to read the manual to discover all the functions contained therein. I would like a longer cord on the satellite antenna, as it barely makes it to the window. But it does make it. The FM antenna is fine. You can have any color RCR-22 you want, as long as you want white. I'd really like the device to come in black.
Upon plugging it in, the clock goes into satellite search mode. Place the satellite antenna near a window unless you live in a cloth tent. (If your GPS doesn't work in the interior of your house, probably neither will this.) **Be patient.** The L# on the right presents the relative signal strength, with 9 being the max. (The manual never mentions this.) Once it finds the satellite, it starts a countdown timer in the middle of the display (also not in the manual) while the antenna icon at the top blinks. The countdown recycles continuously - over and over and over. I restarted the process twice because it was taking several minutes with a strong signal (L9). After about 5 minutes or so, it finally displayed the correct time and date. Very cool.
I followed the directions to select the radio channels. The Sleep Timer button doubles as the radio's "On" button, which is a bit strange. But the digital tuner is quite sensitive and you can save 14 channels - 7 FM and 7 AM. You can manually select stations or use the seek function. The radio speaker is mediocre at best, though acceptable for a clock radio whose sole function is to awaken its owner.
The two alarms offer a lot of flexibility. Each can start with its own radio station (or a buzzer), and can be set for specific days of the week. For example, one can be set for all work days, and the other for Sunday morning. Then you can leave them activated all the time. When an alarm is active and is within 24 hours of going off, a red LED lights in its respective button. Those LEDs dim when the general display dims. Touching any button on the top of the device will activate a 5-minute snooze - an excellent feature. The snooze duration cannot be changed.
The side-lit LCD display is plenty bright on high, and frankly too bright in the dark on the preset low. But, you can adjust the low setting with a knob on the bottom. Unfortunately it's difficult to read the display in the bright day where I like it set for night. The display needs a photosensor like my old Photon. It can be swapped between high and low with a button push if needed. It goes to high when any button is pressed and returns to low after a short time. It displays all the useful info on the face: time, date, day of the week, alarm status, satellite status, DST indicator, plus various status icons. When the radio is on, it displays the band, frequency, and the station's memory location if applicable, but you can change the display to show the time instead while the radio is playing.
The Sangean RCR-22 works as advertised, looks nice, and keeps the time perfectly. The dual alarm implementation is excellent. As usual, Amazon shipped quickly and the packaging was flawless. I'm very happy with this choice and expect the Sangean to serve well for many years.
Customer Review: Great Clock Radio, please read this review to prevent frustration!
Summary: 5 Stars
This product is very well designed, yet receives some bad reviews due to misunderstanding the product, contributed to by a less than stellar job on the manual.
One of the issues I've seen people complain about is reception of the atomic clock signal for setting/updating the time. I can't speak for everyone, because it is possible that some are in an area with real reception problems, but I have found that proper placement of the atomic "time pod" is critical to getting good reception. I've seen another reviewer complain about the time pod being detachable from the main unit, but I found that the flexibility that this offers is important and a very sound design decision by the manufacturer. When I first got the clock radio I also misunderstood the importance of proper placement of the pod, so I simply left it attached to the back of the clock radio, and I waited for 4 days for the clock to set itself without success. I then followed the recommendation to move the pod close to the window, the clock quickly synced up with the atomic clock signal and set itself.
Some observations to hopefully help others understand the time sync process:
* If the broadcast tower icon (shaped like a chess bishop at top, middle of the display) is blinking, then you will probably be unsuccessful in getting the clock to set itself. Separate the time pod from the back of the radio and move it to a location with better reception, close to a window did the trick for me. You will know you are getting a good signal when the broadcast tower icon is solid without blinking. The wave icons emanating from either side of the broadcast icon will blink during communication.
* There are two displays related to the atomic time clock syncing process that are not explained in the manual. One has an "L" followed by a digit, while the other is simply one separate digit. Before I re-positioned my time pod, I observed that the digit following the "L" never got beyond 4, and the other intermittently flashing digit seemed to be random. After moving the time pod close to the window, I got a good signal indicated with a solid broadcast tower icon and the digit following the "L" then began to climb all the way up to 9, while the other digit was now no longer random, it counted up repeatedly from 0 through 9 as information was received, then the clock set itself after a minute or so.
One other reviewer complained about lack of a battery back-up. I actually consider this a good design decision by the manufacturer because I understand a super capacitor is used as back-up for up to an hour. Beyond that, having a small back-up battery offers a false sense of security because one never knows when the back-up battery may fail. Now, the primary reason why I consider the lack of a back-up battery to be a good design decision: because I use an uninteruptable power supply to backup all the critical electronic components for my office/bedroom, including my cable modem, router, clock radio and computer. Backup for the router and modem is important because I use voice over IP for my phone service. So, the Sangean clock radio is just one more item backed up by my UPS!
In conclusion: Great job Sangean, you got everything almost perfect for my use!
Customer Review: Very solid radio!
Summary: 4 Stars
Like other reviewers, I agree that this is a very solid radio!
Pros:
Small, great looks, beautiful display, adjustable night light, does the basics well
Cons:
User manual, fixed snooze time, AM reception is good, but I was expecting great
I did a fair amount of research and read all of the Amazon.com reviews before deciding to purchase this radio. As I soon discovered, I am not the only guy looking for the perfect nightstand alarm clock/radio. Unfortunately, no option appears to be perfect, but this radio does a very good job with all the basics.
I plugged the clock in the evening I received it and the atomic clock set itself by the next day. I did need to move the clock' s antenna closer to a window, but once the clock set, I was able to move the antenna back to its location on the back of the unit.
There are many buttons on the unit, however they are fairly intuitive. It is pretty easy to operate after a while.
The display is very sharp and very bright. It was a concern of mine as I occasionally battle insomnia. I need my bedroom to be as dark as possible to help fall asleep. When I have trouble sleeping, I hate being able to see what time it is! I don't want to know that it's 2:30 am and I have to get up at 5:30. Thankfully, the unit has an adjustable alternate display setting. At the touch of the display button, you can make the display as dark as you want!
As a heads up, if you turn on the radio while the unit is in its dimmed mode, it will automatically shift to the standard bright setting. I'm sure they did this to make it easier to see what you're doing, but it can be rather jolting. On the plus side, the display will automatically return to its dimmed mode after a few seconds. However, if you change stations or search for a new station, the display will again shift to the bright mode each time for a few seconds. It's a bit annoying, but not terrible.
It has a fixed 5 minute snooze timer. I wish the snooze period was adjustable like on some cheaper alarm clocks. On the plus side, you can hit any button on the top of the unit and it will activate the snooze, rather than having to search for a specific button.
As others have noted, clearly a lot of thought went into the radio and almost no thought into the manual. Not much in the way of detailed information.
The sound quality is OK, but it certainly does not compete with the Boston Acoustics Receptor radio in this regard. Not a huge issue for me as I was mostly interested in the AM capabilities. I would use my stereo if I wanted to listen to music. On the plus side, it has an auxiliary input for an mp3. The AM reception is good, however I expected GREAT given the reputation of the company in this area.
I wish it had a battery back up instead in the internal charge noted (2-3 hours of back up capability). However, we don't usually lose power for too long where I live, so I'm hopeful this won't be an issue down the road.
Overall, a very nice alarm clock/radio. A battery back up and higher fidelity sound would have made it PERFECT!