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Tecsun PL-360 Digital PLL Portable AM/FM Shortwave Radio with DSP, Black

PLL Synthesized AM/FM/SW Radio with DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Technology
Patented ETM Tuning (Easy Tuning Mode) plus 450 memories
Includes high-sensitivity AM antenna
Alarm clock + sleep timer + thermometer + build-in battery charger
30-Day money back guarantee and 1-year manufacturer's warranty

I had some goals in mind when I purchased the Tecsun PL-360: I was looking for an easy to use, very portable, AM/FM/Shortwave radio for under a hundred dollars, that was not demanding on batteries and provided decent reception.

So, here is what I found when the PL-360 went to work:

The first thing I did with it, out of the box, was to scan the SW band with ETM. The Easy Tuning Mode button locates audible stations and then lets you flip through them with the tuning dial. This feature can be run at any time to update your location or add to the list with antenna changes. The Tecsun scanned the SW band indoors with just the whip antenna and locked onto 38 stations. 2300-21950khz continuous. Later, with the addition of an outdoor antenna, the PL-360 (during evening hours) using ETM, scanned and locked on to over 135 shortwave stations. Not bad and I felt that met my expectations for SW. I am not real fond of the clip-on antenna rigging. But, it will add to the ETM station count. ( Note: I got to my outdoor antenna by soldering a alligator clip to the bitter end of the supplied clip-on antenna wire. I am sure you are on your own when you do this since it is outside the design and not in the user guide.)

When the PL-360 locks on it is discriminating and holds the station well. Little to no bleed over or fade beyond the nature of the band.

AM/FM radio and features: Just fine & handy too. Stereo radio sound is surprisingly decent with my Skull Candy headphones. I also tried three other types of headsets; over ear and soft inserts with differing results. Basically, better phones improve sound. You get about what you would expect from the small onboard speaker.

Features are easy to access. Faceplate buttons are small but snappy and clean with room to disallow "fat finger." There is not so much clutter that it is confusing. Noted in one review was the tuning knob as being crisp and solid with good indexing. I agree with that. The buttons support a "short press," and "long press" action to manipulate features.

The little AM antenna that fixes to the body and makes it look like a TNT igniter is okay. In fact, it is directional. There is a signal strength indicator on the LCD and that responds clearly to movement of the bar antenna.

Holding the radio in the left hand allows my wrap around fingers access to the tuning knob and volume knob. In the right hand the thumb is in charge. LCD Display and button markings are easy to read at arms reach as if holding a book. The LCD screen lights when buttons or knobs are moved and turns down with inactivity.

Scan and memory features are handy. Very briefly: You scan using the VF button and the radio holds a station for a few seconds then moves on. You can use the tuning knob to stop the scan and fine tune. Also, there is an up and down button feature in the four button Band selector and Auto Tuning Storage section that makes gross moves from band to band while the LCD provides a quick band reference as you troll. The band you are on flashes for about two seconds. (It took me a while to catch this indication. Two seconds is kind of quick. So, you have to be looking for this.) So, if you like 31m, you just push the up or down button until 31m shows in the upper right corner of the LCD. You can then scroll through the band. A press of the memory button drives a station you like to one of the memory sets for later use by the VM button as a preset.

The Alarm (wake up) mode is easy to use and set. The auto off timer has a surprisingly large selection of time choices. A blinking sleep icon flashes in the upper left corner of the LCD when setting this feature. Also, the LCD shows ambient temperature. This is listed in Fahrenheit when North American step settings are selected for AM.

I did purchase NMH rechargeable batteries to use in the radio. The PL-360 needs to be told it has NMH batteries installed. I found the setup for this easy and the Intelligent Charging Feature handy. So far, the radio does not appear to be a power consumption hog.

Overall, the PL-360 is a nice surprise. I feel the radio met all the goals I had in mind and provided some very nice extras that made it well worth the price paid. Also, the learning curve is not too bad and even the user guide is compact as well as straight forward.

Buy Tecsun PL-360 Digital PLL Portable AM/FM Shortwave Radio with DSP, Black Now

This is an interesting packaging of the new DSP radios coming out of China. Don't expect miracles out of the very small rotating am/lw antenna or tiny speaker, but if you do not need ssb or selectable sideband and want a travel radio with am, fm and shortwave, this may be of interest.

There are multiple tuning and entry options, along with an interesting "seek" function that seems to work better than previous implementations of this idea.

With an external direct or passively coupled loop antenna, the am is on par with my DE1103 on the "wide" setting.

San Francisco and Vancouver BC stations are an easy catch most autumn and winter nights. I've gotten one or two East Coast stations.

Small enough to slip in a big pocket, and it has a mini-usb charging port for the three AA cells. You will need that, as this radio seems to run through NiMh battery charge very fast, at least compared to my DE1103.

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Tecsun has several DSP radios utilizing the IC Si373x from Silicon Labs of Austin TX. The AM/FM/SW/LW digital tuning radio is shaped more like a TV remote compared to its other DSP cousins. It doesn't standup easily, nor does it fit in your pocket well. I don't think this design lends itself to any advantage other than putting an antenna on the end of a skinny block.

The unique feature of this radio is the Medium Wave AM radio antenna input, and the supplied external ferrite bar antenna. Testing the AM sensitivity for me is not easy as I live in a high QRM (man-made interference) area of my city, with commercial buildings all around. For me the supplied ferrite bar antenna performed well pulling in stations clearly up to 50 miles away that I know are under 2.5KW. I also tried Tecsun's AN-200 Loop antenna with direct connect to the radio. Not surprisingly a noticeable increase in reception, with late PM full of signals I could not identify in the World Radio Tv Handbook. So with the right antenna, this radios AM reception is very good and allows for experimenting at a reasonable price.

The FM and SW receptions are surprisingly good using the stick antenna. However, I mainly purchased the radio for the MW input as I'm planning a large loop antenna to take to the Eastern Seashore for Trans Atlantic DXing. As one of many Tecsun Ultra Light Radios (URL) with Digital Signal Processing (DSP), there fun, useful, work well, easy to use, light weight, and priced right. I like Tecsun because of their DSP radios, highly recommended.

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This radio performs as well as the Tecsun PL-380, and some may prefer the PL-380 because of its more familiar dimensions and features. However, the PL-360 will accept substitute plug-in antennas if the owner cares to create one or more for experimental purposes.

The PL-360 has no keyboard for direct frequency entry, but that's not too big a deal. The radio is solid feeling and has much better sound than I would expect from a small speaker. DSP enhances the listening experience substantially.

Sensitivity and selectivity, especially, are good for a small radio.

The integrated circuit at the heart of this chinese-built receiver is made in Austin, TX.

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Received this rather quickly from Amazon even with free (slow) shipping. I think I ordered on Friday and it arrived on Tuesday. Not bad.

The build quality of the radio is okay. Though, it does not have a robust feel like my Sangean DT-400W which I also bought recently.

Your experience may vary, below are only my opinions:

Here is what I don't like:

1) Silly ferrite external antenna. Surely they could have fit that darn thing into the radio. There is a pouch that comes with the radio, but there is not a place for the ferrite antenna in pouch. I suppose you can stuff it in the belt loop, but it is not really secure. If this external antenna works better than it does, then I would not be picking at it.

2) Can the buttons be any smaller? You almost need to use an magnifier to read the label on the buttons. Overall, the buttons are not very responsive.

3) The instruction booklet is mostly in Chinese so it useless unless you know Chinese. I think there may be English translation of it on the web somewhere.

4) No numerical buttons for frequency selection so there is a lot of thumb exercise.

Here is what I liked:

1) It has a strange shape. Reminds me of an old walky-talky. Easy to hold one handed.

2) The speaker is decent.

3) FM reception is solid while MW and SW is marginal.

4) Uses 3x AA batteries (isn't 3 an odd number???). Can recharge NiMH in the radio. Haven't really tried this feature yet.

5) ETM

Supersonic IQ2011 / IQ-2011 / IQ-2011 Micro Stereo System

Charges Your IPod When It Is Docked
Full-range Dynamic Speaker Performance
Auxiliary In Jack - Add An MP3 Device Of Another Brand
Plays CD/CD-R/CD-RW - Will Play CD Discs

My son needed a good and easy to use Stereo, fitting for his room & also compatible with his Ipod.

All expectations met!

Buy Supersonic IQ2011 / IQ-2011 / IQ-2011 Micro Stereo System Now

We gave this to our 13 year old daughter for Christmas so it has only been a few days but so far so good. She loves it! Nice size, charges her iPod and she loves the fact it lights up when her iPod is in it. She also likes the sleep feature so that she can listen to her music while she is falling asleep but doesn't stay on all night. Only drawback I can see so far is that you have to be pretty much straight in front of it to use the remote but not a huge deal. She likes it.

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Ipod, cd and radio all works great, its sleek and is a great value, I bought for the living room and its more than sufficient sound

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There was no indication that this was a used system and I intended it as a gift. The stereo itself was scratched, the box was tore and ripped all up on the front and it the speakers were scuffed.

Coby CRA79 Digital Projection AM/FM Alarm Clock (Black)

Digital clock with large LED display
Built-in time projection
Sensitive AM/FM analog tuner
Alarm clock with sleep/snooze timers
Wake to music or buzzer
Clock backup with 9V battery (battery NOT included)
Digital clock with large LED display and built-in time projection
Easy-to-use dial with tactile feedback to set the clock and alarm
Wake to AM/FM music or buzzer

This projection alarm clock barely projects at all.

The image is faint at best, and will not project above a few inches.

I expected to be able to clearly see thwe time on most of the ceiling or wall at night,but it doesn't even come close to meeting that expectation.

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Not to be too critical... the clock works and projects as designed but I question why the projection and the clock are two entirely separate clocks. You set the clock by rotating the bezel (?) and then you have to set the projection clock separately. Two separate clocks?

Another thing I didn't like was that the projection is not bright enough and you cannot rotate the projection. It points forward and up not left and right. I'd actually like to be able to turn it upside down so that I can see it right side up on my ceiling with the clock itself facing me as well. This is not possible.

Other than that it's not defective. Excepts maybe in the sense that it is deficient in design.

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The projector brokw within a month of getting in and now the alarm doesn't work.

Waste of money.

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I received the Coby CRA79 Digital AM/FM Projector Alarm Clock this past Christmas and four months later the projector portion of the clock failed. I'm told some of the pixals in the projector are burned out and since the warranty is only good for ninty days I now have a conventional alarm clock that I can't get fixed and will not do the one thing I want it to do. I recommend potential purchers stay as for from this product as humanly possible.

This clock is aweful. Its confusing to set.(you have to set the display clock separately from the ceiling display for some reason, and they're not easy to set) the instructions dont help much. Once set, the clock was pretty good for about 2 weeks then the ceiling display stopped working properly and only the top half of the numbers would show. Totally useless. The display on ceiling is quite dim and can only only be seen in a dark room. Once the sun came up a little bit i couldnt read it anymore. It feels cheaply made too. Don't buy this stupid clock!

Jwin Jxm58 Splash Proof Am/Fm Radio With Alarm Clock

Bullet-Housing Ccd Camera
Self-Contained For Portable Operation
Lcd Display
Integrated Am/Fm Radio With Digital Frequency Display
Clock Display With Alarm Function

Yes, it was under $15. But, it is overpriced at that amount. The mirror fogs. The radio won't stay on station. Buy something else.

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Pros: Fairly loud, doesn't look bad, inexpensive, has a nice stand, digital display that shows current frequency, loud alarm.

Cons: Tuner drifts after turning off and on, mirror fogs badly, the rope for hanging up is shorter than usual.

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Jwin Jxm58 Splash Proof Am/Fm Radio with Alarm Clock

I will first say that this product is not over priced, but it's not under priced either. You get what you pay for I guess.

After using this product in the shower for a month now, I have found a few faults with it.

First, the knobs are not designed with wet hands in mind. The knobs are small and smooth, so it's really hard to adjust the volume in the shower.

The volume adjusts in increments that are not very precise, meaning it goes from too low, to too loud, with just a slight turn of the knob. I find it hard to find that perfect volume... with or without wet hands.

Despite the digital display for the tuner, it's not truly a digital tuner, as far as I can tell anyway. I'm not sure how to describe this, but to tune in the stations, you use a knob, and much like the volume knob, it's really hard get precisely tune in a station. It's not like the digital tuner on your car stereo where you turn the knob and it moves up or down 1310, 1311, 1312, etc. It's pretty much impossible to go from 1310 to 1311.

I don't know if it was advertised as a "steam-resistant" mirror, but the mirror is useless in the shower. Personally, I didn't buy it for that, so I don't care, but if you are going to try and shave in the shower using the mirror, it probably won't work.

The price was reasonable, although Wal-Mart had the same product on clearance for $5.00. Go figure.

I use it every morning, so it does meet my needs, but if the issues I raise are a deal breaker, then spend the extra buck and get a better one.

Troy

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Wally-world sells these for $5. I have gone through 4...Yes, FOUR of these pieces of #$%^ trying to find one that will work. First one flat didn't work. Next unit didn't work. Third unit wouldn't get AM. Fourth unit worked...for about three minutes.

Run ...don't walk to the nearest exit!

This shower radio has a better sound then the last one that I had, and it is easy to use. The only problem I've had with it is that the suction cups holding it to the wall of the shower don't fit into a keyhole slot, but rather they just push into the back of the radio at the top. This allowed it to be knocked off of the suction cups when it was bumped in the shower, landing on my foot, and clattering noisily to the floor. It still works, however, and I will now be more careful!

Datexx Radio Control Wall Clock with Date and Temperature

Exactly what I wanted, expected and received. It has large readable numbers, date, temp and is always the correct time. Love it

Ordered this clock for my elderly father. He loves it. It helps him remember day of week and exact day and month. In fact I went bact and ordered another one of these clocks a little later for his bedroom he liked it so much. It came in a timely manner and exactly and represented.

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I really like this clock until it would change the time and date at intermittent times. Had to send it back!

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Has been working fine for several months. The time read-out is large and very readable. The only complaint I might have would be that the remaining information displayed may be a little harder to read quickly and easily. It would be nice if the screen was a little more "reader friendly".

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I would recommend this clock . It is great . The numbers are big and has the seconds ticking off.The date and temp. are easily visible also.It is modern looking and goes well in just about any room.

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SONY ERICSSON HAZEL J20i / UNLOKCED GSM PHONE (BLACK)

I seem to be in a minority. Most phones these days seem to be touchscreens , or they have qwerty keypads. I don't like either. I prefer the normal numbered phone keypad. It's simpler to use, there's normal tactile sensation/feddback and you get T9 predictive text.

I personally feel that many of the phones are out there are not so much because consumers want them and the manufacturers are meeting demand, but the reversemanufacturers are spitting out more and more touchscreen phones and consumers are having to take them up. To me, proof of this is the Japanese market.

In Japan, touchscreen phones are the minority. For the last decade or so, Japanese phones have been far more advanced than those of the rest of the world, and they have always had phones with keypads and very large screens, be they sliders, clamshells, and even candybars. The last time a slider in the rest of the world had a "large" screen, it was the Nokia N96 and Samsung Innov8both 2.8 inches. In Japan, 3-3.5inch screens for sliders and clamshell phones have been the normal for half a decade.

Away, back to the Hazel :)

THE GOOD:

1. It's a slider with a large useable large keypad, so fingers don't keep bumping wrong keys. I like sliders and physical buttons

2. 2.6 inch clear bright screen with glass, so it's scratch resistant. It's larger than all other current sliders and clamshell screens, except the LG Joy. (3 inchlove the size, but crappy features as meant for teens)

3. Call clarity & volume is very good & I have no problems with it.

4. Texting is even better now because they have included 'conversations' as a feature. This means that all your SMS's with that person are included in a scrollable frame & you can see who said what & when, as it is dated. You don't have to go through your inbox and look up each individual message. Also, if you receive a SMS from that person while you are typing or reading, it automatically includes it, so you don't have to go out, than back in to update it.

5. Has camera for the back for photos and video, and one at the front, if you want to use the 3G features and have a vid call. I never use this feature though.

6. Camera and video are quite good. Some reviews say the video is only "adequate". I have no problem with it.

7. Reasonably fast phone. Moves between screens smoothly.

8. Good value for the price. I keep thinking back to the Nokia N95 and comparing the two.

NOT SO GOOD:

1. The theme of the Hazel is 'eco', & there are some software add on's so you can see how many steps you took today when walking, or something about some Panda. Gimmicky stuff of no real use. The box it comes it is also smaller, saving paper, apparently.

2. The keypad lighting is quite dim, so if you don't hold it up to the light at a certain angle, it's hard to see the numbers, as it seems to make the numbers look silver, blending it with the silver paint of the keypad. Also, the keypad is completely smooth, so there is no texture to differentiate the buttons for typing.

3. The MultiMedia window is unchanged from previous editions, so there's a lot of redundant button pushing, imho. E.g. If you press photos, you should instantly see your photos, right? No. You then go to another page with a whole lot of choices, most of which are irrelevant.

4. The phone doesn't look very attractive, imho. I feel this phone is substance over style. I have tried other phones which look better, but have less features, but in the end come back to the Hazel because substance is important too.

5. Perhaps the gravest mistake of all is the inclusion of earphones which are really really really pitiful quality. They are about the same quality as the earphones I got with my 1989 walkman. If you use the included headphones, you'll thiink the music player is useless. Fortunately for me, I had another set of SE earphones with their proprietary connection (yes, the Hazel has the SE connection dammit) and it allowed me to hear the true SE music player quality.

6. The last thing which annoys me abou the Hazel (which also applies to all SE phones) is the amount of screen real estate that is taken up by the showing the clock, date, alarm and mobile service provider. I think it takes up about 30% of the screen. Compare this to the Nokia N86, which is also 2.6 inch screen, but slots everything neatly into to lines at the top and bottom, leaving 85-90% of the screen free for whatever theme or wallpaper of your choice.

That's all I can think of for now. I don't use Internet, so can't talk about that, sorry folks! Hope this is helpful!

This is a tremendous phone. The best things about it are the camera, the applications, and the ability to use wifi. The GPS feature is amazing as well if you are willing to pay a bit more. I can't wait to use this phone when i travel in the future to save money on overseas expenses. Being unlocked certainly has it's benefits.

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The Sony Ericsson j20i 'Hazel' is a fine talk phone. I use my cell phone almost exclusively to talk. I have a computer to do the other applications. The phone is well built and has good feel in hand. High quality plastics are used. The sliding mechanism works well. Display is bright. Navigation is easy. Sound quality is good in both directions and callers sound normal. Design is good, however some may find it a little dated. The only complaints I have are minor. The battery is not up to the hype, although it still provides sufficient talk time for most individual's needs between charges. Hazel is from the 'Green' line of phones made by Sony Ericsson which means many other used products were recycled to help create the phone. I find being kind to nature admirable, but Sony E's audible reminder to unplug the charger when not in use to save electricity is annoying. This automated reminder reminds me of the 'Microsoft Paperclip Guy'. I nuked that bit of animation after about 3 appearances. The phone came from a third party ShopEBest.com. This company was prompt in providing me the product I ordered. The phone arrived in good working order which was a little surprising considering it rattled around in the box it was shipped in, making it prone to damage. ShopEBest could improve the cushioning within the boxes their items are shipped in. Outside of the shipping box issue, I would do business again with the company should I elect to do so. I recommend the phone.

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I used it for two years, and recently broke it very stupid way small piece a plastic got inside the slider, and cut main wire harness when I close the phone.

Great phone, I used it in my trip to NY for three days with almost no charging, and many times used GPS for long. GPS is very useful and easy to use, now I can't get to Galaxy's gps interface. Camera is pretty decent, although night pictures could be better, wifi really doesn't take much juice, but guys from tech support are useless (at least t-mobile staff), so you will need to google internet settings yourself. Although I couldn't find how to use camera (neither back camera, nor front)with Skype. Skype itself works fine. Any way I think, I even didn't use all features of the phone. And it's small. Small, and solid. Couple years ago I bought it brand new for about 170 or 180 bucks, so it totally worth the money. Actually, after Sony Ericsson it's difficult to use something else, that was second SE I had, they are way too good :-)

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The main attraction for me was the WiFi feature as I don't have data or 3G service because I really want the phone for a phone... With the WiFi I can tag along some open network (or closed network when I know the password) and use probably the best feature of this phone: the free Google Maps! It works like a GPS too. But since it is google maps, you can pan out, zoom in, move around, etc., using the phone as the most up-to-date map.

I have the WiFi add-on on my phone plan, but I could not find a new WiFi phone through my phone company.

Typing is frustrating, but it is so on any phone for me. The alarm and ring sounds could have been louder. A real manual, even in a downloadable PDF, would have been great, as the manual provided on the phone is hard to read and navigate through.

When double pressing the send button to call a recently called number, a multiple choice pop-up menu covers the screen. I could have done without this 'convenience' which does not even provided 'dial number' as an option. It takes some finger gymnastics to get the tempo right and just dial the number before the pop up covers the screen.

Reading my review one wouldn't surmise that I am happy with the purchase, yet quite the opposite, I am elated. A comfortable phone to handle, the keyboard is tacked away so you cannot dial accidentally, it has a very sensitive WiFi receiver and picks up the signal very easily. What else could I ask for!!!

Hitech - One 9V Lithium-Ion 600mAh Battery

1 Hitech 9V lithium-ion battery to go with your Hitech charger set
Battery nominal capacity: 600mA; Nominal voltage: 7.4V
Great for all sorts of high-drain devices. Higher capacity than heavy-duty or alkaline batteries
NOTE: These batteries MUST be only used in Hitech IC29V-RLI model chargers ONLY
Please DO NOT purchase this battery unless you have also purchased a Hitech Li-Ion 9V charger

I probably have a dozen of these by now, having bought thrice from the same seller (who also gets 5 stars for great communication, customer service and quick shipping). My use has been with slow drain devices and they have lasted a long time. Charging time is excellent.

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I use these in a TENS unit "a electrical pain stimulator for pain management". They work very well. Lasts longer than any other 9v I have Found. I have to use these for whole days at a time and the high capacity really helps with how many times I have to change the battery and can carry less of them with me. I have been using them for months and they seem the same as when I 1st got them. I'd recommend them to anyone who needs a good long lasting 9v.

Now I got them when they were a lot cheaper, send the Seller a E-mail, maybe you can as well.

Grace Wifi Radio with iPod dock GDI-IR3020

Plays music from the Internet, your iPod, and your home computer
connects to your Wi-Fi(wireless)or wired home network
for docking iPods, including the 120GB iPod classic, curved screen iPod nano, and second generation iPod touch
supports playback of unprotected MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, AIFF, and REAL audio files
Play your Pandora radio stations

This product is the synthesis of everything I've been looking for! I have long been a radio fan and in recent years subscribed to Sirius Radio, listen to stations on iTunes and love internet radio stations, especially Pandora. This little baby combined all of my interests into one small clock radio. While the sound of the speakers won't blow you away, add a small set of speakers (I am using an extra set of Logitech Computer speakers with sub that only cost me $40) and you have a great sounding system (depending on the station you listen to). The construction is ok, although for over $200 I would have liked it to be a bit sturdier, but it is a clock radio so it isn't going anywhere. This model also has an iPod dock great for listening, but it won't charge your unit. Overall I am extremely happy iPod, Sirius (although you have to upgrade your on-line account for $2.99/month to use with this), Pandora and over 16,000 internet radio stations! One of the big advantages of the Grace radio is 99 presets most other radios I looked at had alot less.

My biggest problems these days is trying to figure out what I want to listen to first!! Highly recommended.

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If anyone still owns Sirius/XM stock, it's time to sell. Internet radio is where it's at. That said, I'm still sending this device back here's the good and bad:

GOOD -

1. iPod another reviewer said it does not charge their iPod. Mine does charge when in the dock.

NEUTRAL

1. Sound quality about the same as the iHome clock radio, slightly inferior Logitech iPod speaker set I've had for about 3-years overall, okay but not great, especially considering the price point.

BAD -

1. iPod sometimes crashes the system when I try to go back to Internet radio

2. Mute function does not work on the remote control (another review mentioned same problem)

3. Display, while cool looking as a "wrapped window" integrated into the curved front, is illegible at any normal viewing stance because it's oriented at approximately 45-degrees up. If it's on a nightstand, dresser, or desk where the viewing angle is close to horizontal, the display is merely a blue light (I've tinkered with contrast/brightness to no avail). So rather than using the remote control from your desk or bed, you have to stand over the unit to see exactly what you want to do. Kind of defeats the purpose of a remote control.

4. Other small issues: User's Manual was in French (similar complaint as another reviewer easy to download an English version). You have to use the Grace Reciva website to manage music including setting up Pandora if Grace goes out of business, you're stuck with your last selections.

Overall, its the combination of things that is causing me to send it back. If it was $80 instead of twice that amount, I might hang on to it (though the unreadable display is sort of a deal killer).

Cool idea, only so-so execution. Not sure what I'll replace it with (not many iPod-enabled Internet radio options out there), but this isn't the one for me.

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got this unit for the office at work.

pros:

tons of stations to choose from

pretty easy to setup

looks good

ipod + internet radio (wired and wifi)

cons:

navigating through the menus is not that intuitive. both the menus and buttons can be confusing. i am the only one at work that has taken enough time to figure out how to use this radio. most everyone else has given up and ask if i will just work it for them.

display is not particularly easy to read or visually appealing. its very low res, small and has mediocre contrast. the ipod display this is not

stations are garbled at times, even with a high speed internet connection

very high price for a relative basic machine in this day and age

bottom line:

does what it says for a relatively high price. display and navigation could definitely be improved. overall reasonably happy but would expect significant improvements in future models

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Very easy setup and connection to internet. Use of dial/single button to enter text characters is time consuming, but only needs to be done once per network, and remembers settings. We are able to dock our iPod with it's protective cover on. Had issues navigating through the grace radio website to activate the account (free) and associate our account (the instructions didn't match the website very well). But, once set up it is very easy to use Pandora and provide "thumbs-up/downn" feedback. We even created a new Pandora station while listening to the radio on the deck of a cabin in the mountains on a recent trip. Perfect for travel, WiFi and ethernet port make it easy to connect to internet. Sound is nothing to brag about, but is not bad either. Haven't used the RCA jacks yet, but am sure this will become a standard part of our home stereo. Wish it had a battery-power option for true freedom of movement, but realize that it would chew through batteries, and perfection is a lot to ask for.

I am a Radio Nerd: Former Shortwave fan, former Ham, present Satellite Radio Subscriber, likes "HD Radio," etc. This Grace brings it all together. Once I set it up and (automatically) downloaded the station list for the first time, I saw the possibilities. Buried in the list was not just the BBC, Detsche Welle, and Radio Neitherlands, but all those other wierd little stations that I used to build special antennas for. Since I got it, I plugged into Sirius for my favorate new stations, tried out Pandora (its "personal radio stations" are free, but Sirius does a better job programming music mixes than I can), and suddenly realized that I can tune in many (but not all) HD Radio stations.

This is not even a Hi-Fi product. Better than AM, but FM Radio quality at most. There are RCA output jacks on the back, but the amp is so weak that they can't drive speakers unless you patch the output through an amplifier. Ordinary self-powered computer speakers are a big improvement, but I decided that earphones work best for me.

The display stinks. It is readable only with a certain orientation. Use the remote control after setting the presets, and then forget the display. The manual is set up as topics, but you can wizzen it out if you don't expect to read instructions in serial order. It is computer equipment, after all.

This is a reasonably easy product to use, and it performs well within the scope that I described above. As radio nerd, it certainly floats my boat.

Nokia 1661 Prepaid Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

For $20, this is a bargain replacement phone. I put in my existing T-mobile SIM and it worked perfectly.

Pros:

-Bright colorful screen

-Slim

-Flashlight

-FM radio that works

Cons:

-People report they cannot hear me well.

-The keys are slippery, noisy, and hard to press. If you do a lot of texting, you may want a better keypad.

-FM radio require Nokia plug

Purchased April,2010 for less than $15 at a national U.S.A. pharmacy chain as a pre-paid TMO kit. Intended as gift for a relative. Without activating phone, I slipped in my T-mob sim from my standard T-mob account and phone booted up fine w/o ever activating the pre-paid sim. As others have mentioned, this phone has issues, but imho this is an excellent value for back-up or when you need to travel light. Don't hesitate to buy it for temporary use if your regular T-mob phone dies. Gives you time to shop around for a permanent replacement.

Basics:

For use on GSM systems and only on GSM 850 and GSM 1900 MHz networks. Sold as a T-Mob pre-paid but will work right out of the box on all T-Mob plans w/o the need to un-lock. Key chain with eyelet. Supports up to five separate phone books for multiple users. Has three ports: charge, headphone and ??mini-usb?? The latter is not described in the owners manual. Manual says to rest the device from time to time by powering down then removing the battery to optimize performance. "go to" soft key just below the screen quickly brings you to an easily customizable list of actions such as setting the alarm, calendar, flashlight, contacts, silent mode. User can move the most desired functions to the top of the list.

Pros:

* Lowest cost for a replacement GSM phone

* Clock and Timers: count down timer, stop watch, displayed correct time right out of the box, speaks the time,auto update of date and time, alarm clock, in-call timer, call summary timer. Repeating alarm mode.

* Ease of use: customizable "go-to" key for fast acess to features and settings, multiple pre-configured profiles and a configurable "my profile" all easy to quickly toggle. Easy, intuitive menus good for the technically challenged. Fixed dialing mode if you need to give to a child or loan to a helper.

* Fast access for toggling to commonly used modes. Pres the red end call key and the profiles menu pops up. Here you can power down, or toggle to silent, normal, "discreet, loud, lights only, my profile. Also, raised "go to" key just below screen on right can be easily programmed to quickly pull up any number of customize-able phone or call settings, alarms, timers, calendar, ect.

* 500 name directory (4MB internal)

* Screen with large text. Default is set to blue background with white letters on red highlighted bars. Good for aging eyes. While keypad is locked can still display a large digital clock with date by pressing red end call key. Date and time display for several seconds then times out to screen off.

* Charging and battery: Per owners manual: "Do not leave a fully charged battery connected to charger as overcharging will result"

"Ideal temp range is 59F to 77F, battery life is reduced outside of optimal temp range"

Have not had this long, but based on previous Japanese made Nokia batteries, should be better than most. Shipped with Chinese made Nokia 860 mAh, 3.7v, BL-4C Li-ion battery. Included charger, Nokia A-3: electronic auto-switching, world voltage type rated output: DC 5.0 volts, 350 mA. will charge most modern Nokia phones with the small round tube port. The Nokia BL-5B battery from my old 3220 fits in the phone although it is a bit shorter and requires a homemade spacer at the top to press the battery down on the phone contacts.

* Simm card very easy in/out with just your finger.

* Call history displays missed caller and logs each attempt to reach you

CONS:

What the others have said. Lacks volume control on the side. Control keys not ideal, signal strength may be an issue although the few calls made so far were fine. Call quality was clear, would like it louder.

A major issue is with ring volume, perhaps a deal killer for many, is that the ring volume is m-u-c-h to low even set on loud and with highest ring volume selected.

Clumsy rocker key for selecting functions, but can get by with programming the upper right soft key to access most settings. You will still need to rock the center key to scroll your list, but this works better than rocking side to side in the main menu.

Message deletion: Is there a faster way to delete? Not sure, but so far had to open every message individually to clear them. Quite time consuming

Conclusion: If you favorite TMo phone or it's battery/charger goes south, then you will be glad to have the Nokia 1661 as an emergency back-up. Heck, for the price you can use it as a calendar or kitchen timer, clock, alarm with a deactivated simm card inserted. Phone made in Brazil, charger and battery, China. Slim pocket size carries easily. Signal strength and reception in fringe reception areas reported by some. Have not had it long enough to verify that.

Buy Nokia 1661 Prepaid Phone, Black (T-Mobile) Now

Very nice basic phone. I think they've deliberately gone with a cheap-and-cheerful look on the side and back plastic to avoid looking too good next to more expensive phones. Shame, as the front is very clean and stylish.

For me it replaced the Nokia 1608 the previous cheapo candy-bar phone from T-Mobile prepaid. This is a major step up and addresses everything I didn't like about that phone. Very good high resolution screen showing plenty of text, keys which are much nicer to use (not perfect), it looks better and it's very slim and unobtrusive in a pocket. It has a ringtone which isn't an annoying tune, which is a major step up!

The keys could be easier to use I wouldn't want to try to use them by feel in a pocket, though they work much better than they look like they would. They also click a bit loudly, so any kids wanting to text unnoticed in the pocket in class will not like this phone.

Shame the radio doesn't work out of the speakerphone speaker.

In case anyone misses it, ear volume is left-right on the 4-way, during a call.

If it dies when overcharged I'll be back to change my review, but I assume the other reviewer was just unlucky.

Edit: I did see some wierdness when it refused to take a charge. I popped the battery out and in and all is well again. We'll see.

Read Best Reviews of Nokia 1661 Prepaid Phone, Black (T-Mobile) Here

So my wife's nice T-Mobile cell decides to quit 2 months before the end of her contract. Naturally, getting a replacement from T-Mobile was a big rip-off, they got you vs you got them when contract expires. So, I stumbled on this prepaid, and since the other review confirmed it would accept the regular SIM card from the T-Mobile cells, and with its $20 price, became a no brainer. Got it activated with its own SIM, then swapped in my wife's original SIM card and vola, she got a working cell for couple months until she can get a real one.

Now, this cell is small, light, kind of cute, but has no volume adjustment (so little hard to hear the other caller), even thought they hear you fine. The other problem was the way it jumbled up the contact list that came on the old SIM card, (when a contact had more than 1 number, it ended up showing multiple name listing for each number, so John 1 was for work number, John 2 for Cell, John 3 for home ...etc). Another issue is the reception, we always had full T-Mobile bars at our home, but this one was fluctuating between 1-3 bars, so it may prove to be a problem with dropped calls, lets see. Furthermore, wife complained about the keypad, sending a text message was a chore when compared with her old phone, but it still worked fine. Don't expect blue tooth capability, but it did come with a wired head phone (useless for her since it is an insult to use it, lol). The charger had an odd port (not the standard USB, what is the problem with these manufacturers)????

Anything good?!! Well, it works, is stylish and is very cheap, so I stretched it and gave it 3 stars.

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If you're planning on getting a prepaid with T-Mobile, just buy the phone. Keep in mind that the activation will take at least 24 and up to 48 hours to get into the system. DO NOT purchase the refill cards on line, don't purchase the card with the phone. Get your cards from a T-Mobile store (not at Best Buy) because the online store might send you an invalid refill card and it's almost impossible to get the problem fixed (Best Buy will tell you to call the customer care line if they can't replace the card for you). Using the online refill is probably a better way to go, provided you have a credit card.

Keep in mind also that the pre-pay customer care and regular T-Mobile service centers are two different places (you will be bounced from the regular customer care center to the prepay center, be prepared to spend 30 minutes to an hour with them to fix problems). Also, if you use your prepay phone to try to get problems fixed, it might eat your minutes if you get the wrong number. Being bounced back in forth between sales, customer care and prepaid customer care or tech support eats up 10 to 15 minutes of airtime, each, if you call the 800/877 numbers. And you don't get reimbursed.

Use a different phone to deal with customer care. Just a warning. As a note, the T-Mobile staff are very nice, and as helpful as possible, but they can't do anything for you (hands tied) because T-Mobiles system sucks. If I had to yell at someone, it would be their director of marketing, anybody have that phone number?

As far as the phone goes, I can't give a good rating in it as I'm returning it after a couple of days because I can't get the prepaid service working right (from the problems above), but feels cheesy (meaning, cheap, typical for Nokia's at this price range).

Emerson CKS3020 SmartSet AM/FM Clock Radio

I purchased this item because I like the Red/Orange retro looking LED display. The clock looks cool and has good features. The problem is Emerson engineers failed to care about how this "Alarm" clock would work in the future. This clock relies on a built in date function so that the alarms fall on the correct date. The date function on this "Alarm" Clock only goes to 2005 this makes the Alarm impossible to used now in 2012. If you just need a cool looking clock though it's great.

Ordered two of these. The clocks function concepts and ergonimic design are excellent BUT...

One works, one had fried electronics or something. Emerson should pay their distributors damages for bad karma. Whoever engineered the electronics in this unit should be blacklisted.

The Seller went above and beyond to send a third clock which seems to keep time for now.

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The display on this clock is orange and red. A very interesting choice but I like it. 3 settings for brightness: bright, dim, and off/wave (display turns off but will show the time if you wave your hand in front of it. good for if the clock is too bright for you to sleep). The radio is not perfect. The antenna is still part of the power cord like earlier models (see the CKS1862) and obviously channels do not come in as clear as I'd like. The wave feature is cool and I look forward to using it more in the future. In addition to showing the time when the display is in the "off/wave" position, the wave feature acts as a snooze button for your alarm.

There are a few misconceptions that I'd like to clear up: the Emerson SmartSet clocks do not set the time themselves. Yes I know what you're thinking. Well, it's a lie. The Wikipedia article is also inaccurate. They have a Lithium Ion battery (button cell) that keeps the time in case of a power outage. Someone had said that the clock only goes to 2005 and again, I am using this clock in 2013 with the correct date.

Overall, the clock was a step up from my old CKS1862 (which I had taken apart after the snooze button broke) and I look forward to many years of use. The clock appears to have been discontinued, but I recommend it if you can get your hands on one for a reasonable price!

Read Best Reviews of Emerson CKS3020 SmartSet AM/FM Clock Radio Here

The clock part on this worked for a few months.The alarm never worked but I did not realize that until it was too late to return it. I don't use an alarm very often so it was not a big deal. I seem to have an automatic clock in my body.

I don't know how these electronic clocks set themselves. After a few months, this one started to be off by 49 minutes, no matter how many times I reconnected it.

Then I tried a Sony automatic time set and that did not work at all. I returned it.

No more automatic time sets for me. I want to know what time it really is. I remember the days when I had a clock for years and it would give me the correct time.

I am still in search of a clock that gives the correct time and that I can set to do that.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

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GE 75300 GE Slim Spacemaker CD player with Digital Clock and AM / FM Radio, Under-Counter Mounting s

Slim Spacemaker Design - Under-Counter Mounting System
Auto Time Set
CD Player and Digital AM/FM Tuning
3 Position Counter Light
Remote Control

This product fits nicely under the cabinet...hardly noticeable. The radio has a quality sound. Don't expect to pick up AM stations out of the immediate area...one of my favorites is about 35 miles away but it has a lot of static. Too bad there is no way of extending the antenna. The directions say to rotate the radio till you get the best reception BUT that is impossible once you secured it to the cabinet. When the radio first arrived the cd player did not work. Amazon sent a new one quickly and had other one picked up. The CD on this one works fine.

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I had seen the other reviews but thought I'd get a working one. No such luck. The CD player was dead on arrival. Smooth return process throught Amazon's third party retailer. Its a shame as I thought it was a handsome unit, with radio sound and tuning superior to the previous kitchen under counter radio we had.

Read Best Reviews of GE 75300 GE Slim Spacemaker CD player with Digital Clock and AM / FM Radio, Under-Counter Mounting s Here

I, too, wish I could give a 0 star rating. This product is worthless. We get almost no radio stations to come in and the CD player only worked for about a month. A complete waste of money.

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A waste of money. The FM antenna is in the power cord, they say. I'm in the middle of a large city and only get about 4 stations, and some of those with static.

I compared prices on a under-the-counter mounting GE radio.Cheapest price was with Amazon.com because of they not charging for shipping. Now that it was ordered thru them, a shipping & handling charge was assessed @ $9.12. Product is delievered not functioning, has to be sent to the manufacture for warranty. Postage is $16.40. Could have bought locally @ Sears for less money & if it didn't work they would of replaced it at that store. Lesson learned!

iLive iCP211BU AM/FM Clock Radio with iPod/iPhone Dock - Speakers - Retail Packaging - Blue

I bought this knowing it was FM only. I was replacing an old clock radio and wanted something which could recharge my iPhone and play it or the radio as an alarm.

The Good:

The speakers are excellent for their size and with the iPhone give good clear sound for both music and the spoken word. The charging function works with the iPhone 4s (inside the box materials seems to indicate it does not).

The Bad:

The radio is tinny and full of static even when using strong local stations. I have positioned the wire antenna every way I can with marginal results. Note these stations are ones I regularly listen to and have never had any prior issues.

Switching between stations (using the presets I programed) results in a blast of sound, not the programed setting. When I check the levels the level is what I set but the noise is deafening and needs to be reduced by half.

Recommendations: If you only are looking to use the iPhone/iPod/alarm features it deserves a look. If you plan on using the radio as well look elsewhere or at least be sure of the return policy. Mine will be returned tomorrow.

The Amazon description states AM/FM radio. Only has FM radio. Specifically wanted both bands. This is very disappointing to those wanting AM for sports radio broadcasts.

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Meizu Slim 8 GB MP3/MP4 Player (White)

Sleek, durable player is designed to handle most music formats, as well as AVI video files and photos
All-aluminum body, intuitive user interface, and 320 x 240 color LCD that displays 262,000 colors
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 36 hours of music playback
High-speed USB 2.0 for fast data transfers; FM stereo radio function and voice recorder
Measures 3.07 x 1.83 x 0.28 inches / 78 x 46.5 x 7.3 mm (W x H x D); weighs 1.69 ounces / 48 grams

The Meizu M6-SL 8GB is one of the best MP3 players in terms of sound quality and value. It beats out the Apple iPod 5th Generation, iPod Classic, Apple iPod Touch, Microsoft Zune, and the Apple iPod nano, i've tried all five. I've been searching for an Mp3 player that has good sound quality and the Meizu M6 has it; the bass is strong and the sound is clear. Videos are also great, as is battery life. The firmware that it comes with is a little buggy, but upgrading to the latest firmware fixed it.

A highly recommended MP3 player if you are looking for an Apple iPod alternative.

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I received this as a Christmas gift last year and I absolutely love it! Excellent sound, extremely configurable (much more so than an iPod nano with better sound to boot) and is in the same price range as the nano.

One important aspect is that it plays many different audio formats right out of the box. Unlike the iPod, you don't need after-market and warranty violating firmware to make it a versatile player. You are not limited to mp3 or any proprietary formats. It plays Ogg and FLAC files quite nicely.

The equalizer works well and is very customizable. I like that it is a ten band configurable equalizer, as opposed to the three band from Apple with presets only.

Battery life is a non-issue, as it charges while I am transferring songs to it. I have not had the battery die on me once.

At first the controls seem hard to use, but it has a fairly quick learning curve. After a couple of days, I had them down pat.

This unit is also much smaller than I expected it to be from the photos. It is about the same size as a credit card, but thicker. The screen is large for the size of the player, however and the lettering on the screen is not a strain to read.

My only real issue with this player is the video conversion required to play videos. I was not able to get the hang of it and eventually gave up, and I consider myself technologically savvy.

Most movies will not survive the transcoding to get them to play on it. Plus, the sound tracks end up out of sync with the video. It you are into playing a lot of video, this is not the player for you.

This player is all about the sound. There it excels.

It is kind of a warm sounding player and with so many options for headphones, the equalizer makes it very doable to make the music sound as good as your headphones can deliver (providing you use low impedance headphones).

I listen to a wide variety of music, from female vocals, to classical to heavy metal and dance music as well. It sounds equally well to me in every genre I've listened to on it. If you like your music on the warm side, this player is a real treat for the price point. Getting a better sounding player would probably cost you about as much as a used car.

If you don't mind in-ear headphones, I highly recommend the V-MODA Vibe Earbuds Flashback Chrome headphones to go with this. They sound quite well together and are visually appealing.

If you plan to wear these from a lanyard around your neck, I recommend the Cyberguys Sport Lanyard as it is the most comfortable I've found for keeping this hanging off my neck all day. I went through a few lanyards before I finally found this very comfy one.

It is pretty universally agreed that Meizu has horrible customer service, however, there are user forums out there that have informed enthusiasts willing to provide assistance. If you encounter a problem, I recommend that you search out one of these forums. Chances are good that any problem you will have has already been addressed there.

Additionally, from these forums, I found many different ways I could customize my player in appearance, as the GUI is very open to user customization. I was even able to download presets for radio stations. Not just for my state but for four states around me, adding to the functionality of this player, and making it fun to listen to on trips.

Even though it holds 80 albums of music (mp3, V0 bit rate), you may decide you want to listen to something different on a long road trip, and the fact that the FM tuner on it actually pulls in stations well is a nice touch.

I also recommend the silicone case for this player readily found online. I believe it saved my player when it was recently slammed in a car door in my coat pocket. I thought it would be ruined, but aside from a slightly bent case (which I was able to push back into reasonable shape) it is just fine. It suffered no functional damage, so it's pretty durable too.

In conclusion, I would recommend this player to anyone looking for a player in this price range who takes their music seriously. If you want to watch videos on it too, then this is probably not the choice for you.

Read Best Reviews of Meizu Slim 8 GB MP3/MP4 Player (White) Here

Easy to use, and big LCD screen, slim. I have it for two months,and so far i didn't have any problems. i will recommend to have one.

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