Buy Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio (White)Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio (White) Product Description:
- Radio controlled clock automatically sets itself
- Separate weekday alarm
- 14 station presets-7 FM and 7 AM
- Adjustable separate nap and sleep timers
- Humane Waking System buzzer
Product Description
Sangean's RCR-22 Clock Radio is the atomic clock radio you can set once and forget. It connects to the atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado to set the most accurate time available. Once the clock is set you can program the dual alarms to wake to your favorite AM or FM station. Take advantage of the Humane Waking System that begins with a low volume beep and gradually increases in intensity to slowly wake you instead of receiving a firm jolt that others provide. There is also a handy sleep timer that allows you to fall asleep listening to your favorite radio station from 15 minutes up to 2 hours. You can also connect your iPod or a CD player to the auxiliary input to enjoy your favorite soothing sounds CD or digital music collection to fall asleep.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
393 of 395 people found the following review helpful.
Top notch alarm clock - manual could use some work though
By Patrick Gray
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.CONSIt 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.
252 of 263 people found the following review helpful.
Good clock but room for improvement
By J. Hannah
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 weather4. Photo sensor display dimmer to automatically adjust to ambient light5. Battery Backup (Sangean this is a must have feature!)6. HWS for the radio mode of the alarm7. Larger display8. Stereo speakers9. 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.
77 of 79 people found the following review helpful.Alarm Clock: The Next Generation
By Spencer Whatcott
I checked out a lot of alarm clocks and this one stood out above the rest. What was initially important to me was an alarm clock that had a 'digital tuner' so the frequency wouldn't drift resulting in no alarm sounding. Not only does this clock meet this need, but it also will default to the buzzer if the station fades or goes off the air!I also wanted a clock that had both an up AND down button to adjust time. This clock also meets this criterion, however, the capacitor backup, the self correcting time feature and its dual alarm system minimizes the need for adjustments. It also has a button to reset the clock to DST and back. Why doesn't every clock have this?Soon after I received the clock, I could tell that a lot of thought had gone into its design. In addition to the features listed, I found some nice surprises. It's meant to be operated in the dark and by a sleepy head. When you want to put it in snooze mode, you can hit ANY button on the top to activate it. When you want to turn it off, you can easily find the 'off' button in the dark using the side 'posts' as a guide. Each alarm button will light when that specific alarm will go off within 24 hrs (along with displaying the alarm time) assuring you that all is set. And that's nice, because with it's multi-day and dual alarm system, you rarely need to set it.The five minute snooze time is a bit short for me. An ajustable snooze time would be nice addition. I would also prefer a digital volume control versus the knob to avoid accidental volume changes.But overall, it looks great, it out performs the competition and has my recommendation. I've actually invited a few friends to my bedroom to show off....my new alarm clock!
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