Emerson CKS3029 AM/FM Clock Radio with SmartSet Automatic Time Setting System by Emerson
|
Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
(Click here)
Digital camera reviews of Emerson CKS3029 AM/FM Clock Radio with SmartSet Automatic Time Setting System
Digital camera Review: Only shows military time for me
Summary: 3 Stars
Just bought this clock after having a different Emerson Smartset model for 3+ years and loving it. Straight out of the box this clock will only show me military time and there are no instructions in my manual on how to switch it over to "regular" time. I have emailed Emerson for instructions on how to change it but if they don't respond quickly I will be returning the clock and getting a different model.Digital camera Review: Permanent DST Nightmare!
Summary: 1 Stars
These were great radios until the recent DST change. Since these are NOT Atomic and are pre programmed on a memory chip they can no longer change to the new time. Now three weeks later, after changing the time manually, we were waken up 1 hour early when it reset to the old DST and made the time 1 hour later. This, or the opposite, will always happen twice a year! It becomes a manual clock that will always default to the wrong time, during the new DST timetable, or when unplugged or after a power outage! If you need to get to work on time bring this clock back or throw it out! so far they are offering no support for these problems. Unacceptable.Digital camera Review: Pretty worthless in Arizona
Summary: 1 Stars
I think that they should state on the outside of the box the information about Arizona (and other areas) that do not observe DST. Thus, with this clock, we are required to reset the clock whenever DST goes in or out. I bought it for the power failure reset feature (not the DST feature).
I purchased this clock because it has "Smart Set." I guess it's not too smart if I need to reset it when we don't even observe DST. Why wouldn't you have a "non-DST" time zone in the unit? Luckily I can return this unit easily. Great concept, just a tad weak in your execution--don't they ever give this to a consumer to try before they market it??.
Digital camera Review: Radio Stinks - Good Clock
Summary: 2 Stars
The AM radio is awful. Even strong stations are barely audible. All you hear is a buzz which gets louder when the display brightness is increased. The FM radio is OK, not great, but at least you can hear a few stations. The clock is fine. Nice bright display.Digital camera Review: SmartSet is interesting, but it doesn't really set itself
Summary: 2 Stars
When you see any SmartSet clock, your intuition tells you that it sure looks cool to see the time scroll by when you reconnect power (try it in a retail store if you're curious). The truth is, however, that this clock never really "sets" itself - I would argue that this may be construed as false advertising. I don't know who Emerson thinks they're kidding, but it's NOT an "atomic" clock. It doesn't receive atomic clock radio signals like true "atomic" clocks. The way this clock really works is that it is basically a battery powered watch with an LED display. In other words, the time is maintained by a watch battery, independent of whether AC power (from an outlet) is supplied. Thus, using technology similar to what's in your home computer, this clock never loses time unless the Lithium watch battery dies, nor does it set itself. The way the time scrolls up when you plug it back in is really just a fancy parlor trick: Just as on your wristwatch, the time was there all along and nothing got "set." The display just turned on when you plugged it in. The later models such as this one show improvements in that the display is no longer blue - red tends not to illuminate the room quite as much. (I lost some sleep with the blue night light my older SmartSet was) The dual alarms are very convenient - my wife and I use them both and definitely appreciate the feature. Radio reception is, in my opinion, unremarkable, especially in a slightly rural location where we are. We get a lot of static on weaker stations. You can find the snooze button easily enough, but all of the other buttons are hard to distinguish in low light - I'm not fond of the layout.
In conclusion, it's a mediocre alarm clock at best except for dual alarms, and it maintains time through power outages better than its predecessors. Is it worth the marketing hype? I don't think so.