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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio
Customer Review: Sangean Clock Radio - Great FM, So-so AM
Summary: 3 Stars
SUMMARY:
Very good FM radio with good reception and sound quality. AM radio susceptible to 60 Hz buzz from household wiring at lower end of AM band. Alarm features not evaluated. Despite shortcomings, I'd recommend this unit, and would buy it again.
DETAILS:
I bought this radio for use in our master bath rather than the bedroom, so the alarm features were not important (and are not evaluated here). I was looking for a compact radio with decent AM performance (FM secondary). An automatic clock so I wouldn't have to reset the time twice a year (or more, if power outages) was considered a plus. In general, this radio satisfies our needs
While I agree with other reviewers that the instruction manual is short on details, operation of the radio is relatively straight-forward once set up.
DISPLAY AND CONTROLS: The white digits on blue display is quite visible and the brightness control provides a broad range for various lighting conditions. Most controls are easily accessible, with the most used (e.g., tuning) on the top of the radio, lesser controls (alarm and clock setting) on front, and least used (brightness) on the bottom. I would have expected that the power switch would be on the top of the radio, but it is easily found on the front panel, top right button. The controls exhibit a nice tactile feel -- much better than cheaper clock radios.
RADIO: I was somewhat disappointed in the 60-Hz buzz that the radio exhibits at the lower end of the AM band. While this is a chronic problem with AM receivers, I was hopeful that it would be minimized. Turning the radio left or right on the counter top controlled, but did not completely eliminate the problem for stations from around 610AM and below, as well as between stations when manually tuning the radio. For stations above 610AM, orienting the radio resolves the problem (but positioning the radio on the counter so that you are staring at the side of the radio may not be esthetically pleasing for all households <gr>.
The scan feature (activated by momentarily holding down the tuning button) works reasonably well, but sometimes will stop on the edge of a station's frequency band. A quick bump of the tuning button brings you to station center, and then you can store the station by pressing and holding one of the tuning buttons.
ATOMIC CLOCK FEATURE: I tried the recommended clock-syncing feature when I plugged the radio in the first time. After about 5 minutes, I gave up and used the manual clock-setting method, which was very straight-forward. Some time later, the radio "found" the atomic clock signal and is locked on.
POWER BACKUP: The lack of a battery backup is a serious design flaw -- the capacitive backup is helpful only during very short power "hiccups", and longer power outages will necessitate setting up the radio from scratch. I'd rate this the biggest drawback to this radio -- especially for those relying on it to get out of bed in the morning ;o{
Customer Review: The RCR-22, a well above average clock radio.
Summary: 4 Stars
In design and performance, I'd score the RCR-22 a solid 4.5 (or 9 of 10), but as with most tech products I've purchased in the last few years, the manual leaves much to be desired. So the final score I've given is 4. This is my third Sangean radio product and since I've done my homework prior to each buy, I've always come away impressed and satisfied.
. As others have noted, the lack of a battery backup shouldn't have happened in a clock radio in this price range. As it is, one can't 100% rely on this radio to roust them out of bed in the morning. A work around could be a separate battery backup like those used for computers that can carry it to the magic 100% mark. Luckily, those aren't very expensive in capacities adequate for this radio and perhaps a cordless extension phone or other device in the room. Watch the Sunday, big-box store circulars for a $20. price. I would also like to see weather radio/alert added to the next version.
. As with my other Sangeans, the radio reception is top-notch and the AM section is not an afterthought. Frequency drift doesn't happen, but there can be some fading on the weaker stations late at night. I've DXed with it all around the East coast and as far west as KMOX in St. Louis (I'm located in a deep valley in the Finger Lakes area of NY).
. The controls are easy to use once past the limited "press this to do that" level of the manual's info. I like that the clock keeps itself accurate by syncing with an atomic time standard on a regular basis. Even my wrist watch can do that, so I don't see the need for the elaborate antenna system of the RCR-22 to achieve the function. It doesn't make sense any more to even consider a clock that lacks the auto setting function - you can find them in all styles from wrist to large wall clocks. Unfortunately, this type of clock won't be suitable for those who use the "5 minutes ahead" crutch.
. I would like for the display illumination to be auto-dimming as several others have mentioned, but I do like that it bumps up to full illumination when you hit a function button and then drops back to low automatically. It is also more compact than it looks in the pictures - good for the cluttered nightstand. I also like that the atomic antenna can be gotten out of the way by tacking it up on the wall with some foam tape or what have you.
. The basic functions are easy to do and it is nice to know that the more advanced are there if I ever need them. The time zone switch on the bottom really simplifies that for those who might choose to carry it with themselves on trips - I suppose one could become that attached to his/her RCR-22. Enjoy!
.bh.
PS: This radio can also be had in a bundle pack with a pillow speaker, if that is something you might need. .bh.
Customer Review: Great bedside radio and clock
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoy my Sangean RCR-22! Here are some aspects that differentiate it from a cheaper clock radio:
Radio reception and function: Great
If you are looking for a good clock radio for your bedroom, this may the one for you. It has great AM and FM reception - comparable to my Sangean WR-2. I like to listen to the radio in my bedroom and found my older inexpensive clock radio's reception disappointing. This radio pulls in stations loud and clear. Despite not having external antenna jacks, the reception is impressive. The speaker of the RCR-22 is not as good as that of the WR-2, nor does this have tone control, but it certainly sounds good.
Radio Controlled (Atomic) Clock: Good
Mine works well placed by a window. It did take a few hours to get that first signal for the time to set automatically. To get the best signal, you can remove the "Time Capsule" antenna from the back, and mount it near a window at a 90 degree angle from the direction of time signal source in Fort Collins, Colorado. I left the "Time Capsule" antenna on the back of my RCR-22, and it gets a signal at night (when the signal is stronger) but sometimes misses it during the day.
Backlit Display: OK
The display is too bright as it is set right out of the box, but it is adjustable. I turned the brightness down pretty low for night viewing. There is a brightness button on front so that you can quickly switch the display from full brightness to the manually set brightness. I turn the display on full power during daylight hours so it stands out, and on the manual brightness setting during nighttime. An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the display brightness would have been preferable, but I can handle pushing a single button when I get in and out of bed.
Alarm Setting and Options: Great
There are two alarms you can set at different times or days of the week. Yes, there are lots of buttons and options for setting the alarm and it isn't quite as simple as it is on cheaper clock radios. But you are using a computer and reading this on the internet--you are probably smart enough to figure out the RCR-22 quickly.
Overall, I'd recommend this product if you are looking to get away from annoying $15 clock radios that have bad analog tuning and bad reception. The radio-controlled clock function and alarm functions are nice, but there may be better options out there.
Customer Review: best alarm clock I've ever owned
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me say first of all that I am somewhat biased toward this clock since I am a bit of a "time geek." I have atomic clocks throughout my house, synchronize the time on all my computer equipment with GPS receivers, and make a habit of periodically monitoring the WWVB time signal transmitted by NIST out of Fort Collins CO. I bought this clock specifically because it has a huge 60kHz radio receiver on the back of it, so I knew that it would have greater sensitivity to the WWVB signal than almost any other consumer-oriented clock I could buy. In that regard, it has not disappointed. It consistently decodes the time signal even during inclement weather, and in spite of my living on the side of a mountain sitting between my house and Fort Collins. It receives the time signal better than any of the other purchased (i.e. non-homemade) atomic clocks in my house.
I've owned this clock for almost a year now. I have not had a problem with either FM or AM radio reception. I listen to both on a regular basis, and have been pleased with the clock's performance. In spite of numerous reviewers' complaints about the display, I rather like it. The bluish-purple glow is great, and the numbers are large enough to see from across the room. One can dim the display easily using the Light Level Control dial on the underside of the clock.
My only complaints about the clock are the following:
(1) The manual is terribly written. It reminds me of technical documentation written under duress at the 11th hour by caffeine-addled, non-English-speaking engineers who make little effort to explain their work because they just want to get some sleep. As has already been mentioned by some other reviewers, the buyer might need to discover some features of the clock empirically.
(2) Occasionally the adjustment buttons on the top of the clock seem to misbehave, making changes to settings values which should not change in that particular mode. It doesn't happen very often. But it can be frustrating, and requires the user to readjust values which had already been set. My guess is that it results from poor electrical connections directly under the buttons. I'm hoping the problem doesn't get any worse.
In spite of these complaints, I still highly recommend this clock.
Customer Review: Great clock & radio! Yes, it has a dimmable display!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had my Sangean RCR-22 for about 10 months now and I absolutely love it! I took a long while to choose a replacement for my Oregon Scientific Atomic Radio Alarm Clock (which I would rate mediocre) because I wanted to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistakes that I made buying that one (bad radio and BRIGHT display).
The Sangean has so many features that I like, for instance, two alarms, excellent digital radio reception, great speaker, 7 programmable preset radio station buttons, & more.
The feature that I want to address most, because I think it has caused many reviewers to unfairly criticize the clock, is the brightness of the display. This is a highly important feature of a radio alarm clock since most people will have it on their nightstand and don't want a bright light keeping them awake. I think that a lot of reviewers were unfamiliar with how the brightness modes work & thus were disappointed.
There are two brightness modes for the display: Maximum bright, and dimmable. Maximum bright is obviously the highest setting and is clearly visible and legible 20 feet away in daylight. In the dimmable mode you control the brightness using the knob on the bottom of the clock. The knob is kind of fiddly (small, recessed, and stiff) so it's not something that you want to mess with on a daily basis. Anyway, you use the knob (easiest with a small screwdriver) to set the display brightness to what you are comfortable with at night (I have mine set all the way off). On the front of the clock (on the bottom right) there is a button to switch between the two brightness modes. At night I just press the button once to put the display into the dimmable mode which essentially turns the display off. If I wake up in the middle of the night I just find the button, press it to see the time, & then press it again to dim the display. Finding the button is easy due to the side posts & I know it is on the bottom right. In the morning when the alarm goes off, the display switches to bright mode so the time is then visible during the day.
This is definitely the best atomic radio alarm clock that I have owned (it's my third one so far) and well worth the price.