Elgin 2-Inch LCD Multifunction Alarm with Smartlite

I needed a battery-powered clock, readable from a distance, in a corner with no outlet nearby. I opted for LCD because of the lower power requirement than LED, but I wanted to read it at night, which required some sort of backlighting like electroluminescence. I found the 2-inch Elgin LCD battery-powered clock on Amazon. It has an alarm, which I didn't need, but also has a toggle switch which enables/disables a light sensor; when enabled, the sensor turns on green backlighting at night (probably EL).

I ordered and received the clock. It functioned well, but the big test would be how often I would have to change the batteries. I used NMH low-discharge rechargeable batteries. I installed the batteries during the last week of September, hoping that I wouldn't have to recharge them more than every 2-3 weeks. It's now mid-February, more than four months later, and I still haven't had to recharge the batteries. This clock fulfilled all of my requirements, and has far exceeded my expectations for battery life. I'm definitely going to order another.

I was hoping to have a clock so the time could be read from a distance of 15 feet. The picture shows a green background & that works if the room is dark. Without the green background, the clock is hard read even from a couple of feet away. There is no way to keep the the green light on all the time the sensor to turn the green background on works only when the room darkens. The numbers are a good size & the clock looks nice wish I could see what time it is.............

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This clock seemed like a great idea. However, when I received it, it was extremely cheaply made. The main issue was that it could not be set. Buttons would stick, the setting display would roll through dates and times and make it impossible to stop it or reset it. Don't recommend this one at all folks.

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I loved so much about this clock before buying it: big numbers; displays date and alarm time simultaneously as clock info; ascending alarm; auto backlight. Plus, after having spent some time with it, I love how dead simple it is to set up. However, after using it for over a week here are some of the issues:

1) Can not read the numbers if your eyes are situated below the reading plane. Yes, if you are seated/lying below this clock you will NOT be able to read anything on its display. Really BAD.

2) Poor side visibility. The viewing angle is something like 70 degrees or so, which is generally ok, however I am used to the old digital clocks where viewing angle was not really an issue (think 80's and 90's red colored number displayed alarm clocks)

3) Washed out lcd during daylight. I had to cover the auto-backlight sensor with some black electrical tape so that the backlight would be on all the time in order to gain the contrast needed to view the lcd numbers during the day time.

4) No way to tilt this. I understand most clocks don't have this, however because this clock can not be seen from below it really needs to have some tilting mechanism so that its display can be angled upward.

I am thinking I may still keep it. I really like the big display, and from what I've found almost all the new led clocks can't be viewed well unless you are directly in line with them, so apparently this clock is not alone in its display problems.

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Just received this clock. It arrived a day earlier than estimated. Easy to set up and works as described. The numerals are large and easy to read. The backlighting is a soft green, but, I find it quite bright at night due to the large clock face. My previous clock had a soft blue backlight which I found to be not too bright. Blue light is also supposed to be more stimulating to the brain so it might be more disturbing. The bright green backlight can accessed by pressing the snooze/light button on the base and it is really bright. The alarm starts out as a single beep/second and increases in steps to a constant series of beeps. I would think that should be enough to wake up most people. I noticed that others had commented about viewing angles. I think this clock is designed for use in the bedroom using a nightstand or similar table that is even with or below the level of the bed. As such, this clock can only be viewed from above a point level with the clock face. The digits start to fade as one drops below the level of the face. Viewing from the sides does not appear to be a problem until one has difficulty seeing the face. The digits are still visible in ambient daytime lighting coming through a draped window. The nightime sensor is on top left, seems pretty sensitive and triggers the low level back light before the room is fully darkened. The sensor can be turned on or off.

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