- Radio controlled clock automatically sets itself
- Separate weekday alarm
- 14 station presets-7 FM and 7 AM
- Adjustable separate nap and sleep timers
- Humane Waking System buzzer
I was looking for a high-quality alarm clock after about 12 years with an unimpressive Sony Dreammachine. This clock delivered on that front, and unlike most consumer electronics devices I've purchased in the past several years, it is clear that lots of thought was put into this device (and very little into the manual).
PROS:
There are tons of little nuances that the manual does not detail that I've discovered using the clock for a few weeks. For example the display can be dimmed with a dial on the bottom (which on my unit did not take effect until my alarm goes off the first time). The clock remains dimmed at your preset level, but goes to full brightness when the alarm goes off, making the clock easier to find. Combined with the pleasing blue light and the HWS (makes the alarm bell go from soft to loud) it's really nice to wake up to.
Another thoughtful touch is that alarm indicators only light within 24 hours of your alarm. Either alarm can be set to go off on particular days, with any combination of Su-Sa set for each alarm (i.e. alarm1 can be set for Monday, Thursday and Sunday, no weekday/weekend restrictions like some others). The alarm indicators however only light up when your alarm will ring the next morning. Very nice.
Other functions like the snooze, nap timers, etc. all work well. Like most alarms you need some time to figure out how it works, but after a few mornings most functions were intuitive.
The radio functions well, and pulls in way more stations than the Dreammachine. The speaker is fine, that is to say neither exceptionally good or exceptionally poor. If I want the ultimate music experience, I have an expensive stereo for that.
The clock is a true atomic time clock (not just a "preset" clock like many others). I don't know all the nuances of atomic cock synchronization, but the weather and location of the antenna seem to affect the two atomic clocks I have at home. Try moving the antenna towards the window if you have problems.
CONS
It is nicer than average plastic and construction, but still not going to win any design awards. I can't figure out why all alarm clock designs are frozen in 1992.
The manual was clearly written by a bunch of engineers. It is no nonsense, and explains how to set/use everything, but does not mention any of the usability features I noted above. For example if it's Monday and you set an alarm for thursday, You might wonder why the alarm indicators do not all light up. No mention at all in the manual. I thought the clock was broken since the dimmer did not function until the first time an alarm went off. Again, no mention in the manual of what turned out to be a very nice feature, and one I almost returned the clock for!
Another example is the unwieldly "Time Machine" antenna for the atomic clock. It is big and odd looking, but fits nicely to the back of the clock. Again, no mention in the manual save for a single line drawing.
When I initially plugged the clock in, all kinds of crytic numbers flashed on the display while it synced the time, again, no mention of what was happening or why in the manual. The manual does tell you how to DO everything, but does not explain WHY certain things work the way they do, or explain the various nice features someone clearly took time to think through.
Overal a great buy, especially for something you'll likely use every day for 5-15 years. I would like to see a better manual, autodimming of the display (it is BRIGHT when set to max), Sangean using a designer that is somewhat current, and perhaps a user manual rewrite, other than that, this clock works very well and will be on my nightstand for years to come.
I agonized over what to put on my nightstand (everything from Bose to Timex) and am very happy with my choice.
Buy Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio (White) Now
As a previous owner of the Sangean RCR-1 I was a bit disapointed to see that many features were omitted. I realize that this clock is really based on the RCR-2 and not the model that I'm comparing it against. That said my observations on this clock are as follows.
1. The new clock display is a vast improvement over the old one. It's very easy to read from any angle and it can be manually dimmed. However I feel that there still exists room for improvement with the display. I feel that Sangean should have included a photosensor to automatically adjust the display brightness according to ambient lighting conditions. I've had this option on many other clocks costing much less and it's an awesome feature to have. I also feel that they should have kept the outgoing models display size. The larger display was able to show more information at a glance. For instance the RCR-1 and RCR-2 were able to display the date while the alarm's are active. The RCR-22 will not do this. With the new unit you must press the date button to display the information. Also missing is the dual color display of the RCR-1. When the alarm on the RCR-1 activated the display would change color from blue to amber. That feature no longer exists on this model which was a bit of a disapointment.
2. The lack of a battery backup is a serious oversight. I am aware that it has a super capacitor which will hold the time for up to an hour in the event of a power failure. However, a battery backup will hold the time for up to a year AND still be able to sound the buzzer alarm during a power failure. Sony has this feature as well as many other brands on the market today.
3. Another serious oversight is the lack of Humane Waking System (HWS)when the alarm is set to radio mode. This clock features HWS in buzzer mode only. My old RCR-1 has HWS in radio mode and I really miss having the radio volume gradually ramp up to ease me out of my slumber. This new radio simply turns on the radio to the preset volume and blasts you awake.
4. This clock now features a much improved method to activate or deactivate the alarm. You simply push the alarm button and hold it for a few seconds to activate the alarm. The button will illuminate red to show the alarm is active. It also has a redundant indicator in the display.
5. Sangean is known for their excellent radio reception and this unit lives up to the hype. It easily pulls in distant stations and delivers drift free reception. The sound quality is above average for a clock radio and will not disapoint.
Now for the items on my wish list for a future product.
1. Add an HD Radio Tuner. HD radio is catching on and there are a lot of good stations that this can't receive.
2. Add Radio Data System (RDS) to the radio.
3. Add NOAA weather radio to alert you of possible severe weather
4. Photo sensor display dimmer to automatically adjust to ambient light
5. Battery Backup (Sangean this is a must have feature!)
6. HWS for the radio mode of the alarm
7. Larger display
8. Stereo speakers
9. CD Player.
10. Improved alarm programming to allow for different times to be set for each day of the week. This clock does allow you to program a random day pattern giving it more flexibility than most but it could be taken to the next level.
Heck as long as I'm wishing why not put all these features in a table radio and you'll have a winner.
Conclusion, This radio adds a much improved display that makes it easier to live with than the previous models. However several features have been ommitted that should have been left in place. For this reason I am unable to give it more than 3 stars. Most people will be perfectly happy with this clock radio as it is. As for me I'm always looking for that elusive clock radio that address ALL of my needs so the search continues.
Read Best Reviews of Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio (White) Here
I checked out a lot of alarm clocks and this one stood out above the rest. What was initially important to me was an alarm clock that had a 'digital tuner' so the frequency wouldn't drift resulting in no alarm sounding. Not only does this clock meet this need, but it also will default to the buzzer if the station fades or goes off the air!
I also wanted a clock that had both an up AND down button to adjust time. This clock also meets this criterion, however, the capacitor backup, the self correcting time feature and its dual alarm system minimizes the need for adjustments. It also has a button to reset the clock to DST and back. Why doesn't every clock have this?
Soon after I received the clock, I could tell that a lot of thought had gone into its design. In addition to the features listed, I found some nice surprises. It's meant to be operated in the dark and by a sleepy head. When you want to put it in snooze mode, you can hit ANY button on the top to activate it. When you want to turn it off, you can easily find the 'off' button in the dark using the side 'posts' as a guide. Each alarm button will light when that specific alarm will go off within 24 hrs (along with displaying the alarm time) assuring you that all is set. And that's nice, because with it's multi-day and dual alarm system, you rarely need to set it.
The five minute snooze time is a bit short for me. An ajustable snooze time would be nice addition. I would also prefer a digital volume control versus the knob to avoid accidental volume changes.
But overall, it looks great, it out performs the competition and has my recommendation. I've actually invited a few friends to my bedroom to show off....my new alarm clock!
Want Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio (White) Discount?
I've done a ton of research regarding all of the atomic clock radios out on the market. I can safely say, without a doubt, that the RCR-22 is the best atomic clock radio out on the market today, especially with the vast number of features that it has.
Below are some of the primary features that the RCR-22 has to offer:
Display Features
The display background is a dark blue color with white text the display makes for an easy read from a wide variety of angles. (The prior version of this clock, the Sangean RCR-2 Digital Atomic Clock Radio with Dual Alarms, which had an orange background and black text was very difficult, and at times impossible, to read at certain angles).
The RCR-22 also has an adjustable brightness level for the display screen.
Clock Features
The RCR-22 features an atomic clock that automatically synchs up the date and time every hour. Don't get confused with clocks claiming to automatically set themselves several clocks claim that they automatically set themselves, but it's not really the case it's just a gimmick. I, like several others, had been tricked into thinking that our clocks would automatically set themselves this was not the case when the new Daylight Saving Time rules took place and our clocks did not automatically set themselves. The RCR-22 really does set itself via an atomic radio signal.
Alarm Features
This clock features two independent alarms. Each alarm gives you the ability to select the days of the week that you wish the alarms to wake you (i.e. The first alarm could be set for Mon, Wed, Fri at a certain time and the second alarm could be set for Tue and Thu at a different time, etc.)
The alarm offers a Humane Waking System (the alarm gets progressively louder rather than jolting you out of bed)
Adjustable alarm buzzer sound level
You can wake up to the alarm buzzer or to a specific AM or FM station
Like most clocks, the RCR-22 offers a snooze function
Radio Features
Many of the clocks out on the market today seem include a radio just so that it can be called a clock radio often times the radio quality tends to be horrible and the reception tends to be not so great. The RCR-22 is a fantastic radio it sounds great and it has excellent reception (you should expect a good radio from a company that is best known for its radio products).
The radio offers 7 FM presets and 7 AM presets (not a lot of clock radios offer this feature).
Power Backup Feature
Most clocks tend to have a battery-powered backup system (to retain the time and alarm memories during power outages). The RCR-22 offers something quite different it offers a super capacitor that retains time and alarm memories for up to 1 hour (without having to use batteries). This is a very nice feature, however, it does have some drawbacks as I will explain further below.
Miscellaneous Features
Headphone Output Socket to privately listen to the radio using your headphones
Aux Input Socket to listen to an external CD player or MP3 player through the clock radio speakers
Adjustable Nap timer (10-120 minutes)
Adjustable Sleep Timer (15-120 minutes)
Drawbacks
The only possible drawback I could find regarding the RCR-22 is the Super Capacitor power backup if the power outage lasts for more than an hour, all of your settings, including the alarms and radio presets will be gone. Also, if by some strange coincidence, the alarm is scheduled to go off during a power outage, the alarm will not go off.
My only suggestion for future generations of this clock is extend the super capacitor time to 3 hours (this should keep most of us feel calmer). Also, more importantly, have the alarm go off during power outages.
If Sangean takes care of the suggestions above, they would not only have the best atomic clock radio, but arguably the perfect atomic clock radio.
I'm a very proud owner of the RCR-22 the best atomic clock radio out there right now.
I got this atomic clock because I wanted to replace my older clock that would automatically adjust to the OLD Daylight Savings Time schedule.
Well, I wasn't disappointed as this radio adjusted to the new schedule with no problem.
The only problem I have is that you have to turn up the brightness on the display during the daytime in order to see the time from across the room. But then at bedtime, the display brightness is then too high and has to be turned down again. A reviewer mentioned that he wished the clock came with a photo sensor (auto dimmer). Now I know what he was talking about.
Every other feature about this radio is great as mentioned by the other reviewers.
Here's some additional info that I don't think has been covered yet:
The atomic signal sensor "capsule" has a 32" extension wire so that you can mount it away from the radio if necessary.
The radio has a 41" external FM antenna wire.
To test the "super capacitor", I unplugged the radio for 3 hours and to my surprise the radio still kept my alarm and tuner settings!
I've avoided the big name brands for batteries for a couple of years now unless they were on sale. I never noticed a difference in battery life from any of those other brands (Kirkland, Maxell, etc), but I have noticed that these Amazon Basics batteries just don't last very long. Some examples:
