Coby CX90BLK Digital Pocket AM/FM Radio, Black

• Digital display with backlight
• Digital AM/FM tuner
• Dynamic bass boost system (DBBS)
• 20-station preset memory (10 AM, 10 FM), hold switch prevents accidental key presses
• Clock function, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Convenient belt clip & neck strap
• Integrated full-range speaker
• Sensitive AM/FM tuner

Check this video out if you want a real life review of this product. I will show you what it looks like, the quality of the product, and my personal review of Coby CX-90.

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i needed an AM radio to listen to while at the office and my first choice was the popular SONY ICF-S10MK2 which is a popular purchase here on Amazon.com... that radio was old, clunky, had a huge antennae, poor AM reception, a manual tuner dial so if you touched it you'd lose your station, and had a mono headphone jack so you could only hear sound out of one side (i verified this with 3 different sets of headphones).

the Coby DX-90 on the other hand was $2.00 more, is smaller, sleek, completely digital (no knobs or dials), has a stereo headphone jack (again verified this with 3 sets of headphones), comes with earbuds (that are not very good, but at least they tried), has an internal antennae, and has awesome AM reception.

get this radio, it's more than worth the money, don't get suckered into buying the Sony brand name like I did, you'll regret it.

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I wasn't expecting much from a radio that's sold for such a low price, but I was pleasantly surprised.

VERY good reception on both the AM and FM band...above average to say the least. I'd even go so far as to say it's comparable (almost as sensitive and selective) to the (well known to long distance radio enthusiasts)Sangean DT200VX AM/FM/TV Portable Pocket-Size Radio at about 1/4 the price.

It's only drawback in that regard is it's lack of a FM mono/stereo switch for fringe aria reception...a small flaw worth overlooking.

It's audio is a bit better than you may expect in this price range(when using a decent set of headphones, of course), but it's nothing to write home about...I'll just call it "sufficient" (i.e. not unpleasant or harsh at all). It also has enough output power to drive a set of larger headphones without any problem as well as flat out rock a set of sensitive buds. Of course the earbuds that come with it are awful..but that's to be expected

All in all I'd say it's a great radio and worth every dime if not twice as much. A real bargain that performs quite well. Don't let the price or the brand name fool ya as it's nothing short of outstanding....especially for it's price class.

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I bought this mainly to listen to NPR on 93.9 FM during my commutes to work and while at the office working late, which seems to occur far too often. I had also bought the Sony SRF-59. Surprisingly, the Sony SRF-59 had great difficulty picking up the NPR station inside my office building while the Coby CX-90 picks it up loud and clear! So the Sony stays at home and the Coby is the one I take with me.

Ok, first the bad stuff:

The Coby CX-90 I received looks a bit different than the one in the picture. The faceplate on mine is more brownish than black, and the backlighting on mine is amber, not blue. I'd rather have it in blue but, oh well. The fit & finish and overall quality of the exterior plastic casing of the radio isn't top notch, but it's not the worst I've seen either. It's pretty much what you'd expect from the Coby brand name. I'd say the biggest downside of this radio is the relatively short battery life. It uses two 'AAA' batteries and the instruction manual states battery life is 20 hours. I use a set of 750mAh rechargeable batteries and it seems like I'm only getting about 10 hours out of them. Although, my batteries are old so that may be the fault of the batteries not the radio.

Now the good:

Very compact and lightweight. I like the modern styling. It looks more like an MP3 player than an AM/FM radio. I can enjoy listening to the radio and still look modern and hip, instead of like I just time-warped in from the early '80's. The digital tuning is great, no more fiddling with a thumbwheel and guessing if you're on the right frequency. 10 memories per band make it even easier to tune in favorite stations. A handy hold switch locks buttons from being pressed unintentionally. And the best thing about this radio is excellent reception on both AM and FM bands. As I previously mentioned, it outperformed the highly lauded Sony SRF-59. AM reception is very sensitive. I live in NJ but I've been able to tune in 1080 WTIC in Hartford CT (Red Sox), 1210 WPHT in Philadephia PA (Phillies), 1350 WOYK in York PA (Orioles), and 900 CHML in Hamilton ONTARIO (Blue Jays).

By the way, on Coby's own website, they list this radio as having a belt clip and a built-in speaker. To set the record straight, it does not have either of those. I sent an email thru their support page to point this out and have them correct it but so far they haven't.

I am very glad I picked up this radio. This being my first Coby product, I have to say I did not have very high expectations of it performance wise. But for me to say I prefer my Coby over my Sony, I think pretty much sums it all up.

Update on 4/30/2010:

I've had this radio for 1 year and 8 months now and still use it everyday. I've gone through several sets of earbuds, but the radio itself is holding up very well. All of the buttons and switches still work great. The only visible sign of wear is some slight rubbing off of the silver finish around the top and bottom edges of the radio.

I also want to mention that during the time that I've had the Coby, I also tried the Sony SRF-M37V. The advantage of the Sony is that it only uses 1 'AAA' battery, but I think the FM reception is not as good as the Coby. On the Sony, I hear some bleeding of an adjacent station while listening to NPR. I have not experienced that problem with the Coby. Another thing with the Sony that I'm not crazy about is that it breaks up the 10 FM memories into two banks. To switch from one bank to the other, you have to change the band from FM1 to FM2 and then you have to cycle through AM, WB, and TV to go back from FM2 to FM1. I also think the Coby radio fits more comfortably in the hand with it's slim oblong shape, whereas the Sony feels very chunky. So once again this Coby radio has Sony beat.

Coby has corrected the product description on their website and no longer list it as having a belt clip and built-in speaker. But I still wish they would correct the picture to accurately show that it has an amber backlight, not blue.

I like Coby CX90 so much that I even bought a second one, in the black finish. I'm keeping it as a backup unit (not that I expect my first one to break anytime soon!). At the price point of $17 or less, this is a great value for a true digital tuning pocket radio.

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This is a very good little radio in every way EXCEPT: it eats batteries at an alarming rate. LISTEN-UP HERE, I'm trying to help you... if you put new batteries in... use it for a few hours...put it down for a few days...the batteries can be very low...or dead. Yes, its true.... trust me on this... switched "off" this radio is still eating the batteries! I had to remove the batteries every day to get reasonable battery-life...HOWEVER... when you change the batteries... the memory settings erase!...so, you have to re-enter it all every time you change batteries...and... as I mentioned "this thing is hungry for batteries...like no other I've ever seen". Also...the lowest volume level is very loud ! really... WAY TOO LOUD ! at the very first level(BLASTING for my earbuds).

Memory-scan function only goes from low to high...When you go thru the pre-set stations of the memory you must scroll thru all memory settings to get back to a station you just passed. You could 'scan' back..... "scan-function" goes bowth ways (up or down frequency). If you want to switch back & forth between 2 stations... it is not possible w/ the 'memory-scan' function...you must 'scan' back to the other station.... or scroll thru all other memory settings to get back. OR you could enter only those 2 stations into the memory settings(impractical but possible).

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Sony ICF-CD855VSIL TV/Weather/FM/AM 4 Band CD Clock Radio

• Wake to your favorite CD or radio station
• Interior decoration conscious stylish design
• Sophisticated LCD display
• Clear acrylic lid lets you see the disc spinning
• Triple display (Present Time, Alarm A / Alarm B)

Bought this for its sleek design, small footprint and CD capability. It was purchased for our babies room so that we could play CDs. We wanted something smaller and better looking than any of the boom boxes and not as expensive as the shelf systems at which we looked.

So your needs may differ if you plan to use this as an alarm clock.

We really like the size and sound quality for something this small. It is very easy to set up without even using the owners manual. The buttons are well placed and have a very solid feel. The unit has a very high quality feel to it as you would expect from Sony and considering the price.

All functions work as described so I won't spend a lot of time on them individually. Reception is excellent in FM mode, AM is a bit weaker. The TV and weather bands are very hit and miss as far as reception and was dissapointed that I could not get better reception from the preselectd weather frequencies as I live in a well populated area that is subject to severe weather.

CD works flawlessly but the size hinders the bass and mid-range a bit. But again, consideing the size of the unit I am more than happy with the sound quality. If sound quality is more important than size you may want to consider the Panasonic RC-CD350.

I have only four complaints about this unit... the wall wart power supply is huge, the LCD backlight is VERY bright, even on its lowest setting of three. This isn't too much of an issue for us as we will use it as a night light in our babies room. More frustrating is the fact that considering how bright the LCD backlight is it is difficult to read the LCD diplay. I couldn't use this if it were for my bedroom alarm clock. And the last is the lack of a battery back up. This is sort of silly in a unit that costs $80.

Bottom line is this is a high quality unit which has a few drawbacks that a unit of this price point shouldn't have.

Pros:

Sleek design (Only Panasonic was close on design)

Relativly small size (considering it plays CDs)

Good sound quality (Panasonic was better but bigger)

Solid feel (What you expect from Sony at this price)

Cons:

Huge wall wart transformer

VERY bright LCD backlight

Poor weather band reception

Difficult to read LCD

No battery back up

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I really like this clock radio but Sony needs to fix a couple of items. The sound is great compaired to most of the clock radios I have owned and I like that you can set the two alarms to different stations and audio levels.

Now to the problems. First is the power cube. You can not disconnect it from the radio. I have a headboard with a 2 inch hole for power cords to go through. There is no way that cube is going through that hole! Currently I have the cord running across the headboard and down the side. I will be cutting the cord shortly and then splicing it back together. If you could unplug the cord from the radio this would not be needed. Second is a big one no battery backup of the clock data. I have had two power outages since getting the clock. Both times I had to reset the radio preselects and the alarms. Here is a hint set the radio channels first, you need them set when you do the alarms. Third issue is the light. This clock could be used as a flashlight! For some reason Sony did not cover the back of the display. There was more light coming out of the back of the display than the front. I have a mirror on the headboard so you could almost read by the light. I place a piece of tape over the back of the display and it cut down most of the light.

Overall I am happy with this clock radio. The sound quality and digital tuner are great. It is just the little things that Sony needs to work on, but I would buy it again.

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I suffered with this clock for a year because it was a gift and expensive. Even on the lowest setting the blue glow is so bright my finace says it looks like an alien spaceship is landing in the room. The sound is so-so and it has no battery backup, lose power for a second and you have to reset everthing. It is also very big, taking up 1/2 my nightstand. The final straw was that it has trouble tuning in even the strongest radio stations where I live. This morning I finally gave in, accepted reality and tossed it in the trash. I won't miss it at all.

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I was very happy with this clock radio the sound is great, the options for pre-sets are wonderful. However, if the power goes out, you loose EVERYTHING the time, the radio presets and the alarms you've programmed. This is rather annoying & time consuming (as it's a bit complicated to reset these things) and there is no battery back up.

The CD sound from this compact unit is virtually unmatched. CD's sound magnificant. Unfortunately, the backlit display was bright enough to warn overhead air traffic to stay clear of my bedroom. The display is transparent and, as a reuslt, its light shines through the front and the back of the unit. Even on the lowest setting my bedroom was significantly illuminated. Sony should have included a hood to put over the unit at night, or perhaps a black-out mask for your eyes. If you intend to use this in your bedroom, forget it. Otherwise, it would make a great appliance for another room in your house.

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HDE (TM) Multi Function LCD Projection Clock w/ Weather

• Displays and Projects the Time and Weather (temperature)
• Equipped with alarm clock
• Batteries: 3 x AAA ; Size: 5.25" x 3.5" / 13.34cm x 8.9cm
• Color: Black
• HDE® is a registered trademark and is the only authorized seller of HDE branded products

The unit needs a power adapter for household current, but none is included. The temperature gague only came within seven degrees of the real temperature. The instructions are lacking enough information to understand what the display is showing. The unit doubles as a nightlight due to the amount of light it projects from the face when plugged into the wall. My solution was to return it, which was quickly refunded, which was the best feature of this unit.

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I purchased this product as a Christmas gift, and was happy that it seems inexpensive when compared to similar products. When it arrived, however, it looked a bit cheap, so I opened it up to take a look. I will not be giving this to anyone.

Pros:

-It is inexpensive.

Cons

-It does not come with an AC adapter.

-When on battery power, it does not stay on.

-The display is difficult to read and very dim with NEW batteries.

-This clock is VERY low quality. All of the buttons feel cheap and don't make a connection every time they are pressed.

Go with a brand you know and trust for an item like this. And if you trust HDE, make this an exception!

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The biggest problem-no power adapter plus no instruction.

Screen is light for couple second.Every time you need to press button.

Do not waste money

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I got this clock on another website and thought I'd throw in my two cents.

While mine shipped with an adaptor, you can get a generic adaptor for it at almost any electronic retailer (or here on amazon!) on the cheap, so don't let that scare you. I like several things about this clock. The display is crisp and in color, making it easy to read. The color display helps differentiate the symbols at a glance from the other side of the room. However, the thing I like most is the projection display; it is crisp and large, and --just-the right brightness to be easy to see, but not overpowering or room-brightening. I actually found it soothing to be able to look up and know the time at a glance without being blinded.

The controls are simple enough and all done with buttons on the back of the unit, making for a sleek look. I also appreciated the fact that they were buttons and not switches, which can accidentally be flipped. The time and alarms are easy to set, once the instructions are read. The alarm is quiet, not much louder than a watch, but is of the gradual type, beeping a little, then some more, then a lot, depending on how long it is allowed to go. A nice departure from the sudden buzzers that some appreciate but are not for me.

What I'm not so sure about is the ability of this thing to accurately depict weather conditions. For three days it has told me that it is sunny and 75, and it has been cloudy and 55. I'm not sure if resetting the unit will fix the issue, but I guess I can experiment.

The other issue is this: if you have batteries in the unit AND it is plugged in, if your power goes out, the batteries will not take over; the clock dies. Really too bad. Also if the unit is battery powered it will conserve energy by illuminating only when you press the light button on top.

All in all I just wanted a projection clock that had a good display and was inexpensive. On that front it delivers, and quite well. I like this clock and plan on keeping it for a while!

Bought this Projection Clock that we can see on the ceiling during the night. It works fine and has a very clear red display HOWEVER, you have to turn the clock away from you to see the time displayed on the ceiling right side up. Let's talk about the manual! Now here we go, English is the third language on the manual so it's not very clear to understand exactly how to set everything. My biggest GRIP is that this projection alarm clock didn't come with a POWER CORD, so off to the store to purchase a power cord which means now the cost goes UP. If you unplug the power cord from the wall outlet the three AAA batteries won't hold the time set so you have to plug it back into the wall outlet and start all over again in that manual where it's very difficult to understand. So, good luck with this one and remember NO POWER CORD SUPPLIED and turn the clock around.

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Sony Under the Cabinet Space Saving Stereo Sound System with CD Player, AM / FM Digital Tuner Radio,

• Designed to maximize your counter space and blend with virtually any décor, this under cabinet CD clock radio is the perfect addition to any kitchen or workplace. Boasting deep bass and powerful sound quality, this unit lets you enjoy your favorite tunes while you cook, clean, work, enjoy dinner or just relax with a cup of coffee.
• Time spent in the kitchen or work station just got more enjoyable with this attractive and slim under cabinet CD clock radio, that produces rich sound and features a built-in audio cable and cradle for all digital music, iPod, MP3, iPhone or cassette players.
• The built-in audio cable lets you connect your iPod, iPhone, MP3 digital music player, while the CD player accepts burned CD-R/RWs.
• Digital FM/AM Tuner with 15 Station Presets makes tuning in a desired station fast, simple and precise with accurate, drift-free tuning of AM and FM radio stations. Set up to 10 of your favorite FM and 5 AM stations
• For the ultimate convenience, a remote control is included for changing tracks, radio stations, adjusting volume and more.

Easy to install. Did the job I needed it to do. My wife loves it! It would have nice if it had a light underneath like our old GE model.

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It was a house warming gift for my Aunt and she loved it!! I have a similar one and when she saw it she absolutely loved it

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Sony ICFCD1000 Clock-CD/Radio

• CD player
• Stereo speakers
• AM/FM stereo tuner
• 5 random memory presets
• Wake to radio, buzzer, or any CD track

I was a little shocked to see this ancient (by consumer electronics standards) product still for sale. I bought mine in Japan over ten years ago and still use it daily. I was also shocked to see a price point of $199. I don't remember what I paid for it but I doubt it was that much even 10 years ago. As a product it's been fine. It's compact and portable and puts out very good sound for its size. The one-button daylight savings time change is handy. On the downside, the display is hard to read from across a room and the controls are a little less than intuitive.

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This the second one of this player I have purchased from this dealer. So, I was more than satisfied with the item and service. I recomend both the player and the seller. ldm1075

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JBL On Stage Micro III Portable Loudspeaker for iPod and iPhone (Black)

• Dynamic JBL Weave design
• Charges your iPod or iPhone
• AC or battery operated (batteries not included)
• Dual JBL Odyssey transducers with computer-optimized equalization
• IR remote control navigates iPod menus from 15 ft (4.6m) away

The JBL On Stage Micro III Portable Loudspeaker for iPhone and iPod Touch is a sleek, stylish little speaker that delivers sound quality commensurate with its size and price. This is a round speaker, with a base that is almost like a wreath of overlapping leaves. Some of leaves are the speakers, and others are shiny black plastic. The speaker is small enough to put almost anywhere, and so light it would be easy to carry it between rooms. The combination of shiny black and silver gives the speaker a bit of a futuristic look, and I like that the dark color makes the speaker very unobtrusive.

The directions for the On Stage Micro III are brief and clear, and I was able to set the speaker up in just a few minutes. You can use either battery or electrical power for the speaker; I tried it both ways without any problems. There are two small, curved, rubber inserts that you use to ensure the correct fit for your iPhone or iPod. I had to play with these a bit to find the right insert and get it positioned properly, but for someone more mechanically inclined, I don't think it would present any challenges.

Once set up, the JBL On Stage Micro III Portable Loudspeaker offers very good quality music, especially for the size and price. It is the perfect device for a home office (where I will use mine), a bed / dorm room, and will make a great Christmas gift.

I was also pleased with the packaging of the JBL Loudspeaker. Most of the plastic bags have a recycle symbol of 4, which I can recycle at the local supermarket. The speaker is nested in formed cardboard, which I can easily recycle, instead of Styrofoam. It is nice to see JBL working on reducing excessive packaging.

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I have an Ipod Nano 6th generation and I wanted a small docking station for my desk at work so I bought the JBL On Stage Micro III. It is very stylish, sleek and small. Just what I had hoped for. However the first time I put my Ipod on it, it froze my Ipod up within minutes. I called JBL support and asked if this docking station was compatible with the Apple Ipod 6th generation. I was told they have not tested their product with the 6th generation Ipod. They suggested I call Amazon.com and tell them my Ipod was froze up. What kind of tech support is that??? Instead I called apple and they were able to reset my Ipod. I called JBL again just to see if maybe I could get someone who knew what they were talking about. Again I was told this JBL product has not been tested with the 6th generation Ipod. I asked them if the newer JBL version (the JBL On Stage IV) had been tested with the newest version of the Ipod. They said they did not know. So buyers beware of this product. And don't expect any tech support on it from JBL. Also some of the functions on the remote control work, but several do not. This product says it is compatible with all Ipod versions, but clearly it is not. The sound is good, but Logitech has a better sounding unit for not much more money. But if great looks and tiny design are what you are after, this unit does deliver!

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I'm a long-time fan of JBL products and was delighted to receive the On Stage Micro III Portable Music Loudspeaker for iPhone and iPod for review. Here's my take on it.

Battery operated and weighing less than a pound, the JBL On Stage Micro III can go virtually anywhere. It works as a stand-alone iPod music system so with two JBL Odyssey full-range transducers and a digital amplifier, it can fill both rooma and spaces with realistic JBL sound. Aa USB cable is all that's need to sync and charge your iPod or iPhone with iTunes while keeping it charged, and navigate your library with the Micro III's IR remote control.

Some of the highlights:

* A dynamic JBL Weave design

* Unit is compact, lightweight, and portable

* It charges your iPod or iPhone

* Runs on AC or battery (batteries not included)

* Has dual JBL Odyssey transducers with computer-optimized equalization

* IR remote control navigates iPod menus from 15 ft (4.6m) away

* Up to 12 hours of music playback from a fresh set of batteries

* Easy-to-use touch controls

* USB jack syncs iPod/iPhone with iTunes when connected to your computer

* Uses both automatic battery and energy-conservation modes

* An LED light illuminates the platform and provides feedback on power and battery status

* Optimized system design so to prevent cellular phone interference during music playback

The unit has rear-port supported audio in and audio out. One advantage is that by using just two of the same-sized drivers, the Micro III uses less power and requires four AA batteries. The unit comes with a wall adapter, ten-button remote control, and one dock adapter with rubber sizing pads for different devices. You will have to supply your own audio cables. One nice feature: a crystalline plastic dock at the top of each unit that glows with white LED light when the power is on. I cannot attest to the veracity of how well JBL stands up to the competition, not having tried any other loudspeaker, however, other reviewers have said the Micro III is a bit of a lightweight in the power department, particularly with bass tones.

Set-up was super easy and sound is good, if not as rich and full as I might have liked, it certainly fills my kitchen, breakfast room and office with vibrant sound without turning the volume way up. I like both the size and portability; you can use it at home or take it with you and it offers 16 hours play with four fresh double A batteries. It's both attractive and functional.

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The speakers on this worked for about two months and then started sounding very fuzzy. We are very disappointed and would not recommend this to anyone.

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I had this dock for less than a month. I used it maybe 10 times and never had the volume that high. Now it has terrible cracking sounds out of nowhere. DO NOT BUY!

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Etón FR1000 Voicelink Self-Powered Hand-Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Two-Way GMRS Clock Radio with Flas

• Mono AM/FM/NOAA radio
• 2-way communication with other FR1000 radios
• 7 NOAA weather channels plus NOAA alerts
• Built-in cell phone charger (charging cable and adapter tips not included)
• Hand-cranked dynamo

I haven't tried all the features on this radio, but so far it's very good. Extremely solid with very clear sound and reception (mono the radio only has one speaker). Very good battery life. About water resistance... I don't know about that. As a product designer there's a serious design flaw I can spot right away, and it's about water. Once you pick up the radio by it's handle, the battery compartment gets facing up. Frankly, the compartment will not keep water outside, even less if water is dripping from your hand in case of a shower to a facing up cheap battery compartment's cap. Inside the compartment there are a couple of holes that give direct access to the interior of the radio. Well... You do the math. The problem could have been prevented by using a simple water tight cap attached with screws. Lame. Anyway I'm still loving the device. I'll handle the water problem myself. It has a very readable green display and crank operation is very smooth. Solid antenna. Flashlight is bright indeed. I hope this helps.

*** UPDATE ***

I returned the FR1000 and purchased a FR500. The FR500 has all the attributes of the FR1000, but is solar (it works), has way better water protection and shortwave! Yeah I'm missing the two way radio thing, but is not such a big deal. The range is short anyway (~10 miles)I can always get a good receiver with the money saved in the FR500. Uff... now I'm in love indeed.

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I have owned an earlier model of the Eton hand-crank emergency radio for several years. That product works quite will. I purchased this new model for the several functional enhancements it comes with: 1) Digital receiver, 2) NOAA receiver, and 3) FRS/GMRS radio base station transceiver capability.

Once I started to use this new FR1000 model, I realized just how much of a piece of junk it is:

1. Bad battery pack The rechargeable battery pack failed from the beginning. I charged it overnight out of the box. Two days later, when I used the radio in the field, it lasted all of 5 minutes.

2. Terrible reception on all bands I used the FR1000 in two separate and very different environments, and compared it to two other common radios. In the field, where there was very limited reception, the FR1000 could not pick up any FM stations, and only 1 AM station. My mini-van radio picked up all sorts of stations on both AM and FM bands. In town, the FR1000 could pick up a few local stations if the signal was strong. My motel room el-cheapo clock radio picked up far more stations on both AM and FM bands. The FR1000 never did pick up any NOAA stations.

3. Poor station change dial switch design On the FR1000, in order to change stations, you have to turn the upper right-hand dial upwards or downwards. On order to do that, you have to get your finger into the space alloted for the horizontal dial. I found that doing so caused my finger to jam into that limited space. Searching for stations was both uncomfortable and difficult. This is a really annoying design flaw.

4. No radio carry case My older model radio came with a carry case, for protection and easy transport. This model does not have any such case. That is really annoying. I feel like Eton added insult to injury when they decided to go the cheap route and not include a carry case. Jeez, this radio costs $150, and is supposed to be used in emergency situations! What were those guys/gals thinking about?

I returned the FR1000 and will stick with my older Eton analogue model. Half the size, half the cost, has a carry case, and is far more functional. Oh, and it actually picks up radio stations! Wow ... what a concept!

Oh well.

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First, don't buy the case Amazon Bundles this with. I can not see any application with the two and the case is about half the size of the Radio.

Yes the radio isn't water proof or resistant. It would be nice if they would fix that, it really wouldn't take much. I went out to a local store and payed $3 for a water proof bag to seal this in.

It would also be nice if the radio had a shortwave feature since they have everything else.

As for everything else this is the radio you have to have for emergencies! It has everything in a rugged design and you never have to worry about stupid batteries. In an emergencies the last thing you are going to find is batteries.

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I bought this radio at a sharper image closeout. I wish I didnt, as now I cannot take it back. TERRIBLE reception! The piece of junk radio I found on the side of the road picks up more stations than the FR1000 does. In order for me to get it to work I have to attach a jerry rigged aluminum foil antenna to the radio. Even then it still does not work very well. Eton tech support have been totally unresponsive. The hand crank dynamo only works while you crank, as the battery does not hold a charge very well.

Avoid this model...

The radio doesn't get good reception. We had to attach an antenna, and still can't hear it well. I figured with the quality and price, it should receive better than it does.

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Saitek CES432100002/02/1 Pro Flight Cessna Yoke System

• Accurate 1:1 scaled yoke handle found in Cessna light aircraft
• Durable Stainless Steel shaft with precision bearings gives smooth and predictable elevator and aileron control
• Used with the supplied ST Programming software, integrated mode switch trebles the number of controls you have at your fingertips
• Separate throttle quadrant with additional switches to configure any combination of throttle, flaps, mixture or prop pitch. Mount on top, in front of your desk, pilot or co-pilot side so that the controls are exactly where you want them
• Unique, 2-position desk clamp keeps your yoke and quadrant securely fixed no matter how extreme the flying conditions
• 3 axis levers on Quadrant
• 3-position Mode Switch
• POV Hat Switch

This Saitek Cessna Yoke is a variant of the regular Saitek Pro Flight yoke. The major difference is the absence of a clock/timer on the control wheel. Instead, there is a Cessna logo. The configuration of the programmable buttons on the grips is different, but the functions are the same. The control wheel is sturdy and responsive. There is no issue of dead zones in the ailerons or binding elevator control. The control wheel turns 90 degrees on each side, instead of 45 degrees as the regular Pro Flight yoke does. The larger turn radius resembles that of the real Cessna yoke. Like the regular Pro Flight yoke, a detached quadrant with three control levers and six programmable buttons is included. All the programmable buttons on the grips and on the detached quadrant are easily accessible; so are the control levers on the quadrant. All in all, this Cessna yoke I received is of better quality than the regular Pro Flight yoke I purchased awhile back. It costs more, but it is worth it.

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I'm currently training for my PPL at a local flight school and decided to buy a yoke to augment my learning while at home. The simulator at our school has a wonderfully solid, fluid yoke that accurately replicates the feel of the 172's yoke that I'm learning in. Of course, those are considerably expensive, so I decided to stick with Saitek as I have the X-65F which, while not perfect, is quite a good HOTAS setup.

I followed the manual to properly setup the yoke in Flight Simulator and began my first flight. I immediately noticed how poor the pitch movement is on the yoke. It's not a fluid motion, with the fore/aft movement feeling as if it 'sticks' or gets rough in particular spots. The pitch feel is so dissimilar from the actual 172 that I find it much harder to fly in the simulator than I do in the actual plane. There's not enough tension and there's way too much play around the control column. Changing the sensitivity settings in FSUIPC/FSX settings helped somewhat, but it's adding artificial correction to the pitch control that I don't really want to use. The roll control is much better, and while not as solid as I like, it works fine for an at home and basic simulator.

Granted, I do understand this isn't an expensive flight yoke (well, considering how expensive the professional ones get) , but the pitch movement just feels downright cheap and completely unnatural. Don't get me wrong, you can get by with it if you're just buzzing around for fun, but as a learning tool I can't recommend this. Maintaining straight and level flight in the real 172 is almost effortless, whereas it's quite a frustrating experience on the Saitek yoke.

Maybe mine is just a bad unit, but I'm starting to wish I spent the extra money on more substantial yoke. Good luck.

** As a side note, I also have the Saitek Cessna Rudder pedals and Trim control, which work absolutely great and I'm very happy with them.

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This yoke was kind of bad out of the box. The 180 degree roll was very nice, but when you got near the center in pitch, it would just click in place. Basically if you had properly trimmed your aircraft you would not be able to do small corrections.

So what I ended up doing was voiding my warranty by:

1: Opening the yoke up (about a dozen small screws on the bottom of the case and it popped off).

2: Took out the pitch springs and the clamp like things that they were attached to.

3: Carefully remove the swing arm that goes between the grove on the shaft and the sensor and used JBWeld epoxy to glue on a small pitcher frame hook under the stud that goes into the grove. Let it set.

4: Carefully put the swing arm back (orient everything so the sensor side is on your left). There are two posts for screws to screw into to the right of the shaft. They are almost at the end of the for and aft range of travel for the center grove on the shaft. Used 2 extension springs (similar to the ones that were taken out, but not as stiff and cut down to size) between that hook and those posts. One for each post. The springs should not be level with the swing arm; you want them to be pulling the swing arm up in addition to normal tension.

Reassemble and it works GREAT now. There is still a small bit of binding in pitch due to (I think) the shaft rubbing against the plastic of the case, but that horrible center detente is gone! Once I did that, this yoke helped me get the hang of crosswind landings which I was having trouble with during my training for my private pilot license.

I realize that we shouldn't have to go through the above steps to get a good yoke, but unfortunately our choices are limited.

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First of all let me start by thanking all who have reviewed this product. I read all of the Amazon customer reviews prior to this purchase.

To say that technology, flight simulation more specifically, has evolved is an understatement!

This review is geared more to those who may be considering the purchase of one of the Saitek flight yokes and are "Standing on the fence" as to which yoke to buy.

This IS NOT a comparison of other yokes available on the market.

I have been fortunate in my life to fly various General Aviation (GA) aircraft (A/C); both single engine and multi-engine. Since my first "Right Seat" experience at the age of twelve (12), I've had the flight bug and have enjoyed flying and the "Real as It Gets" flight simulation. Unfortunately, flight simulation is about all I have time to do these days.

As an avid flight simulation fan, I have used, and currently own, other manufacturers products. To date, I can report that the Saitek line of products I own have given me the most mileage for my buck! This Pro Flight Cessna Yoke System has replaced my regular Saitek Pro Flight Yoke after years (literally hundreds of hours) of dependable service. The yoke still works but the lighting has begun to fail; a possible sign of things to come. Although the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System is still available, I wanted Saitek's next generation in flight yokes.

This Saitek Cessna Yoke is a variant of the regular Saitek Pro Flight yoke. The major difference is in appearance. The Cessna yoke is designed to more accurately replicate Cessna GA A/C and does not offer the clock/timer found on the Pro Flight control wheel. The configuration/layout of the programmable buttons on the grips is different while maintaining the same functionality. The Pro Flight Cessna control wheel turns 90 degrees on each side, whereas the regular Pro Flight yoke only turns 45 degrees. The larger turn radius is more in line with the actual Cessna yoke and resembling the Cessna 172.

As with the regular Pro Flight yoke ...the Pro Flight Cessna Yoke System also comes with a detached throttle quadrant with three axis control levers, and three two-way programmable buttons allowing for six programmable commands. Additionally, the three throttle axis control levers have a separate "Reverse" position at the bottom of each lever (travel_full bottom position) which works as an additional programmable command. All the programmable buttons on the yoke grips and on the throttle quadrant are easily accessible and programmable.

The Pro Flight Cessna Control yoke, just like the regular Pro Flight yoke, has a "Three Mode" switch for three separate modes of programming/use when using the Saitek programming software.

*** NOTE: One important note for those who may already own the initial Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System and are considering the change like myself.

There IS A DIFFERENCE I need to mention; The Cessna Yoke control wheel is mounted lower on the control shaft than the regular Pro Flight Yoke. As viewed from the side, the bottom of the Cessna control wheel is horizontally lower than the bottom of the component housing. That, with the fact that the control wheel rotates a full 90 degrees on each side, WILL RESULT in the control wheel sitting "Deeper In The Lap" than the regular Pro Flight Yoke at full turn. As a result, I had to modify my home Cockpit mounting configuration for the proper ergonomic changes.

In conclusion, for the money, Saitek products give you your money's worth. This Cessna yoke I received I feel is a better product, the next step in the Saitek evolution. It costs a little more, but for me, I feel it is worth it.

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When I decided to build a simulator at home, I was a little worried. Well, I got very worried when. I started to connect multiple Saitek Units together and they didn't want to work. After uninstalling the main program and reinstalling it and all the drivers I finally got it to work correctly. It was a pain but worth it. I enjoy the simulator a lot. The Yoke System was the easies to hook up from all the other Saitek adapters for the Flight Simulator.

So, would I do it again? Yes

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Pioneer X-EM21 Micro HiFi CD/FM Stereo System with iPod-Dock USB-in Remote

• Pioneer Micro CD/iPod/iPhone Dock Shelf System w/ FM Tuner & USB

I love this little stereo. My ipod is old but it has all my favorite music on it and I still have some CD's that I've not digitized and I still like FM radio. So this is the perfect small stereo for me. The remote is perfect for changing inputs and is used to program preset FM stations. The screen is very easy to see on the unit. I've not tried USB input and that's OK. I also like that the AUX input is on the front! It is also nice how the speaker plug in's are modular and fool proof so there is no messing with + and like with bare wired speakers. I was also surprised that it has an equalizer (pre-programmed listening modes) and I was even more surprised to find it has a sleep timer. All in all a perfect little package. I may need more than one!

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**See below for iPod/iPhone info. I don't have either myself but this may be important to YOU.**

Common sense tells you this isn't for a true "audiophile" when it comes to sound. But it does deserve 5 stars for an inexpensive, high quality brand that sounds great for those who listen to music occasionally. I live in a condo so I can't have window-jarring bass; this system is good enough. It's impressive considering it has only 10W per channel. Dio1978 (another reviewer) said to crank the speakers up to Level 24-29 for 2 to 5 hours to break them in; I tried that, but the sound was so loud that it bothered my cats however it wasn't distorted. Level 15 is about as high as I go on the volume, since I don't want to tick off my neighbors.

I was looking for a system that played homemade CD's from downloaded MP3 files I was leaning towards a Panasonic until I found that most Panasonics are not compatible with MP3 files. I also wanted a USB-in port so I could play music from a flash drive. If you like bass, there's a P-Bass selection, but it's not so bass-y that it rattles your neighbor's house. You also have a selection of Pop, Jazz, Rock, Classic on a built-in equalizer.

The tuner section is made of plastic; the speakers appear to be pressed wood with cloth on the front. The speaker wires measure approximately 3 feet long, so unless you want to take a chance and splice them, you are limited in speaker placement. The remote control uses one of those flat batteries that looks like a coin, the kind you normally find in a garage door opener (the battery IS included). The remote has a fairly decent range, I managed to get 20 feet away before it quit receiving the signal.

The warranty on this is one year.

**iPhone iPod compatibility**

I found this on Pioneer's non-USA web site. It appears Pioneer also needs to update their USA web site.

Compatible models are iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPod touch (all generations), iPod nano (3rd/4th/5th/6th generation), iPad and iPad 2

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Music has always been a huge part of my life and after moving from a large house to a small apartment about a year ago, I no longer had room for my two full sized stereo rack systems. With most of my collection in CD form (I dislike Ipods although have a first generation model that I rarely use) I found I could not stand the silence any longer and purchased the X-EM21 Micro CD/FM Stereo mostly for the CD player. I could not be happier. It was so easy to set up as the speaker plugs are modular and my small apartment is filled with the sounds of my favorite music. For such a compact system at a reasonable price, the quality of the music is very good. I listen primarily to classical and meditative music and from the lows to highs the entire range is clearly discernable. Since my Ipod is so old and nearly dead, the bonus was the discovery that the unit can play music from a USB flash drive so even without my Ipod, I have access to my entire Itunes collection. The unit appears well made and not junk like other small stereo systems and I could not be happier and unlike another reviewer who had trouble with the remote, mine works fine. The auxillary, earphone and USB ports are right at the front of the unit so they are easily accessible. Thank you Pioneer for creating a great product that does not cost an arm and a leg and can meet the needs of folks living in very small living spaces! I am looking forward to many hours of happy listening.

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The player itself is absolutely perfect, small size, great sound, easy controls. The issue I'm having is the remote. It worked for about 5 minutes then stopped working. I tried the remote from 3 inches away up to 10 feet away and from different angles and still nothing. I then thought it was the battery so I replaced it and once again it worked perfect for about 5 minutes. I used a battery tester on 3 volts and tested both batteries and they both said 95%+ charged. If anyone has any ideas please mentioned it. If the remote doesn't work it's going to be a deal breaker.

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I bought this little stereo because it met all my criteria: a bookshelf radio / CD system that actually looked good and didn't cost much (I'm way behind the times and don't have an Ipod, but it's nice that it has a dock if I ever do get one). For the most part I've been very happy with it--the sound is nice and fills my small apartment, and it's easy to use and has a simple, convenient remote.

My one complaint is that the CD mechanism must be a little cheap, because once in a while a CD will skip that did not skip on my previous player. However, this is just infrequent enough (maybe one skip for every 2-3 hours of playing time?) that it's not worth it for me to return it and hunt for another player.

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Daffodil AMC530G Stylish Highly Legible LCD Digital Alarm Clock with Calendar and Thermometer - Whit

• Digital clock with 12 and 24 hour display
• Calendar with day and date function
• Tempertature displayed in celcius or fahrenheit
• Adjustable snooze duration - 60 seconds to 60 minutes
• 8 Settable alarm tones

This clock is cute, and the thermometer is a neat feature. However, the directions are very unclear, and the clock/alarm is really difficult and loud (beeps with *every* button push) to set. Plus (and this is a biggie), the numbers don't glow. I think that this might be great on a desk or in a workout room, but not for waking up or any other time when it's dark and you need to see what time it is.

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Appearance wise, this is very cool! I have it on my desk at work, and people are always commenting on how cool it is. It has lots of neat features, such as the 8 different alarm tones, and variable snooze settings--but figuring out how to set it is NOT easy. It took me forever to finally switch the temp from C to F (another review said this wasn't possible--but just press the "down" button when it is in clock mode).

The little instruction booklet that comes with it has many pages, but unfortunately they focused on having numerous languages translated rather than going into more setup detail. For English, it only has 2 pages describing how to set the time and the alarm. The rest is up for trial and error---for example, which of the 4 identical tiny buttons on the back is the Snooze button? And which one turns off the alarm?

Luckily, once you get it figured out, it works well, and has some great features.

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I've had two of these, one for my foreign exchange student and one for myself. We both use and enjoy the clock. I had one of those clocks that sync to a time standard. Everytime daylight savings came along I had to dig up the instructions to set the silly thing. This clock is intuitive. This was my primary reason for getting the clock. It's also a really cute design. I agree that it would be even better with a push-button back light but that's the only weakness that I see. Oh yea, it's irregular shape means it gets knocked over when clearing the alarm. The old clock was traditionally shaped and I knocked it over too so don't consider it unusual.

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Terrible. I ordered 2 of these. Both lose at least a minute a day (pretty bad for a digital clock) despite several new sets of batteries. Junk.

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Looks good, works fine, nice for the price. The temp function is convinient as well. Would probably buy one again.

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