Maverick R-395 Color-Coded LCD Weather Station and AM/FM Radio with Atomic Alarm Clock (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the Maverick R-395 to replace a Oregon Scientific BARM699 Touch-Controlled AM/FM Radio Alarm Clock with Weather, which I found very underwhelming. The Maverick has a constant back light, better radio reception and is much easier to operate. On the negative side, the readout is a little fuzzy, the back light shines through case by the speaker and I think the back light color being based on the outdoor temperature is a little silly. I live in Minnesota, it's going to be blue 8 months out of the year.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Maverick R-395 Color-Coded LCD Weather Station and AM/FM Radio with Atomic Alarm Clock (Silver)

The LCD backlight remains on continuously once the unit is powered by an external adaptor and is displayed in Red when the outdoor temperature is higher or equal to 75.2°F, Amber for temperatures between 50.2°F to 75°F, or Blue for outdoor temperatures lower than or equal to 50.0°F. This clock can be powered by 4-AA batteries or with its included A/C adaptor and is designed as a free-standing unit only and cannot be wall mounted.You'll appreciate both the absolute accuracy and convenient features of the Maverick R395 atomic clock radio. For the time format, you can select 12-hour with PM, or 24-hour. Successful reception of the time-synchronization radio signal is indicated by a radio tower and waves icon above clock seconds. You can select/change your continental U.S. time zone (EST, CST, MST, or PST) at any time by means of a button on the left side of the clock. If you live in an area that does not observe Daylight Saving Time (Arizona and parts of Indiana) you can select the DST/TIME ZONE and +/- buttons to disable DST.The indoor and outdoor temperature can be displayed in either °F or °C, and both the temperature unit and the 12-/24-hour time format can be changed at any time during normal operation simply by pressing buttons on the left side of the clock. The measuring range of the remote sensor is -58°F to +158°F (-50°C to +70°C), the range of the indoor temperature is -4°F to +158°F (-20°C to +70°C).You can use the SLEEP function to let the radio lull you to sleep. The radio turns off after your preselected time, which can be 10 to 120 minutes. You can turn the radio off by pressing SNOOZE or RADIO ON/OFF. The R395 clock operates on AC120V, 60Hz house current and uses a 4-AA batterys (not included) as a power backup during ac power outages or when unplugged. The battery compartment is on the bottom of the clock. Expected battery life depends on the frequency and duration of power outages or unplugged periods.

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Maverick R-395 Color-Coded LCD Weather Station and AM/FM Radio with Atomic Alarm Clock (Silver)

Read More...

Oregon Scientific Weather Forecaster with Atomic Clock and Touch-Controlled AM/FM Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After having tried several "atomic time" clock radios and alarm clocks, I have finally found what is for me a nearly perfect unit.
The clock easily synchs up with the time signal from WWVB, even during the daytime, when many other units can't (assuming you orient the antenna properly).
The digitally tuned radio works well on both AM and FM, being one of the few radios that I have tried that doesn't get swamped by the nearby radio towers.
A big plus on the alarm clock feature is that you can set the alarm to a particular station and volume, and then go to sleep with the radio set for a different station and volume. So you can go to sleep with a classical station on a low volume and wake up to a news station on a very loud volume.
Even without the HiGlo turned on, the display is very high contrast and easy to read in even moderately dim light.
I happen to prefer that the HiGlo isn't on full-time, since I try to avoid light pollution in my bedroom at night (several medical studies have shown surprising health differences that seem to be related to the light levels during sleep!).
Some people have complained that the surface touch controls are too sensitive. I have not found that to be the case. The unit locks out the controls after one minute, so you have to touch a control twice in order activate it. As long as the clock is left on a table or dresser, this prevents accidental changes quite adequately. The only way this could be a problem was if someone was to pick up the clock and hold it in their hand such that they were bumping one of the controls.
Only three minor changes that prevent this from being perfect.
The first is that when set to wake to buzzer instead of radio, the clock only beeps for two minutes (albeit quite loudly in an increasingly annoying pattern) before giving up. Since I wake to radio, which plays for two hours, this isn't a problem for me.
Another feature that could use improvement would be a switch to toggle the HiGlo between its current behavior and being on full time (although this would throw off the accuracy of the inside temperature reading due to heat generation).
The only thing on the unit that I could call a real flaw is the lack of having a backup battery. The unit will hold its settings for several seconds during a brief outage, but if the outage lasts longer than that all settings (saved stations, alarm time) are lost. The clock will reset itself from WWVB once power is restored, but you will have to reprogram your favorite stations and reset your wake-up time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Oregon Scientific Weather Forecaster with Atomic Clock and Touch-Controlled AM/FM Radio

Check the weather from the convenience of your bed with the Oregon Scientific(r) Weather Forecaster with Atomic Clock and Touch-Controlled AM/FM Radio. This bedside weather station combines indoor/outdoor temperature with the weather forecast for the next 12 to 24 hours. The self-setting atomic time ensures you never have to adjust or set your clock.

Click here for more information about Oregon Scientific Weather Forecaster with Atomic Clock and Touch-Controlled AM/FM Radio

Read More...

Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio

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.

Click here for more information about Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio

Read More...