Saturday 20 August 2011
Jumbo Display - dual alarm clock, smartset
My husband and I went through 4 other alarm clocks before we settled on this one. This alarm clock provided everything that was missing in each of our previous alarm clocks. It has a large easy to read from across the room display (but can be dimmed or shut off and then on again w/a wave of the hand), has two separate alarm settings which you can set for weekdays only, weekends only, and weekdays and weekends also w/buzzer,or radio which each of the two alarms can be set to individual preference. Both alarms are displayed constantly underneith the time (which is suprisingly reasuring feature to have) and my husband likes that the alarm shut off button (radio on/off) is a big round button off to the very left side of the alarm which allows him to turn the alarm off every morning without first putting his glasses on and then hunting for the off button. I love it that once you tap the off button, it turns the alarm off for the day and then automatically resets itself to wake me up again the next day. I also have the option to not shut the alarm off and listen to the radio for an hour as I get ready for work, after which time it will shut itself off until the next day again. All in all a very good buy and well worth the money!! Emerson Radio Jumbo Triple Display Dual Alarm AM/FM Clock Radio with SmartSet Technology
I'm a bit neurotic about these things, and spent a LONG TIME researching clock radios online before settling on this one. It has ALMOST everything I could want.
The best feature is that the times for the two alarms are prominently displayed on the screen, all the time. No more compulsive checking before bed to make sure that the alarm is set for the right time. I also like that you can pre-set each alarm to ring on just weekdays, just weekends, or every day; if you keep to a regular schedule, you really don't need to change anything from day to day.
Regarding the snooze feature: I was a bit worried that the "wave sensor" would be too sensitive, and that I would end up snoozing when I didn't mean to, but so far this really hasn't been a problem. You need to wave your hand pretty deliberately for it to snooze. Also, while you're snoozing, there's a blinking light to remind you that the alarm is not turned off, which is very helpful.
Regarding the tuner: I was surprised to see that this radio has an old analog dial-style radio tuner, rather than a digital tuner. It makes it a bit tricky to find the station you want, but it does tend to stay put much better than other radios. My last one would drift pretty heavily.
There are really just a few things I'm not crazy about:
1. The snooze timer is not adjustable. Each snooze is 9 minutes. Personally, I prefer 7. Many other clock radios on the market today have adjustable snooze, but not this one.
2. No atomic clock. It uses that "SmartSet" business, which is basically just factory-set with a very strong battery. But if it does ever get the wrong time, you'll need to set it by hand. Adding atomic clock capability would make it just about perfect.
3. No digital tuning, but as I said above, it's really not a big deal.
4. The display doesn't prominently show the weekday/weekend option for each alarm. Let's say alarm #1 is set for 7:00, on weekdays only. The display will always show the 7:00 part, but you need to press a button to see which days the alarm is set for (weekdays, weekends, or both). It would be nice to add another indicator -- a light meaning "this alarm WILL go off tomorrow", for example. If you don't change the settings too often though, this isn't much of an issue.
Overall, this radio is highly recommended!
This item was purchased with three needs in mind. First, my fiance and I needed a dual alarm clock. Second, we needed one with large enough numbers for him to read without his glasses. Happily, he is able to read this one easily. Lastly, we needed one with a LOUD alarm sound, or at least one that is adjustable to a loud volume. Unfortunately, this alarm would probably only suffice for the lightest of sleepers (which neither of us are).
Being able to see, without moving any switches, what time the alarms are set for is nice. I just wish the alarm would wake us up when it goes off. I guess we'll be buying another new alarm clock.
I got this clock as a gift, and could care less whether it sets itself or not, I've been setting clocks since I could walk, not a big deal. Most older clocks have battery back ups, so this is not a new feature.
The thing that makes this clock worth the price even without the smart set is the alarm settings. Dual alarm, and can be set for weekdays, weekends, and a couple other settings. So if you are like me, and have different schedules on the weekends you can set one for the weekdays, and one for weekends. bright display, suprisingly good sound, a good everyday clock, worth the price, whether it sets itself or not. Setting itself is a nice feature though. As many others have explained, this is not an atomic clock, nor does it advertise itself to be. Yes, it is a "Self Setting" Clock, pre-set at the factory defaulted to Eastern Standard time in the USA (Mine was 2 minutes behind my actual atomic clock). The set up is easy enough, plug it in, it set's itself, then press the time zone up or down for the time zone you are in, then forget about it for several years. This new version does have the correction for New daylight savings time settings (2007 versions). Again, check this out, even my mother (who is technologically challenged) loves this clock. - Smartset - Dual Alarm Clock - Clock Radio - Alarm Clock Radio'
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