Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio by Sangean America, Inc.
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List Price: Our Price: Calculated in a shopping cart Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio
Digital camera Review: Great Radio
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great radio with all of the features that I was looking for.Digital camera Review: Great Reception
Summary: 4 Stars
Although the atomic clock antenna does not pick up any signal in my back bedroom, it is very easy to set the clock manually, and the radio reception is far better and wider than any other small radio I have had there. I also like the fact that the volume control is not digital, thereby allowing tiny adjsutments. The unit looks rather better in person than in the photos, and it is surprisingly small.Digital camera Review: Great bedside radio and clock
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoy my Sangean RCR-22! Here are some aspects that differentiate it from a cheaper clock radio:
Radio reception and function: Great
If you are looking for a good clock radio for your bedroom, this may the one for you. It has great AM and FM reception - comparable to my Sangean WR-2. I like to listen to the radio in my bedroom and found my older inexpensive clock radio's reception disappointing. This radio pulls in stations loud and clear. Despite not having external antenna jacks, the reception is impressive. The speaker of the RCR-22 is not as good as that of the WR-2, nor does this have tone control, but it certainly sounds good.
Radio Controlled (Atomic) Clock: Good
Mine works well placed by a window. It did take a few hours to get that first signal for the time to set automatically. To get the best signal, you can remove the "Time Capsule" antenna from the back, and mount it near a window at a 90 degree angle from the direction of time signal source in Fort Collins, Colorado. I left the "Time Capsule" antenna on the back of my RCR-22, and it gets a signal at night (when the signal is stronger) but sometimes misses it during the day.
Backlit Display: OK
The display is too bright as it is set right out of the box, but it is adjustable. I turned the brightness down pretty low for night viewing. There is a brightness button on front so that you can quickly switch the display from full brightness to the manually set brightness. I turn the display on full power during daylight hours so it stands out, and on the manual brightness setting during nighttime. An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the display brightness would have been preferable, but I can handle pushing a single button when I get in and out of bed.
Alarm Setting and Options: Great
There are two alarms you can set at different times or days of the week. Yes, there are lots of buttons and options for setting the alarm and it isn't quite as simple as it is on cheaper clock radios. But you are using a computer and reading this on the internet--you are probably smart enough to figure out the RCR-22 quickly.
Overall, I'd recommend this product if you are looking to get away from annoying $15 clock radios that have bad analog tuning and bad reception. The radio-controlled clock function and alarm functions are nice, but there may be better options out there.
Digital camera Review: Great clock & radio! Yes, it has a dimmable display!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had my Sangean RCR-22 for about 10 months now and I absolutely love it! I took a long while to choose a replacement for my Oregon Scientific Atomic Radio Alarm Clock (which I would rate mediocre) because I wanted to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistakes that I made buying that one (bad radio and BRIGHT display).
The Sangean has so many features that I like, for instance, two alarms, excellent digital radio reception, great speaker, 7 programmable preset radio station buttons, & more.
The feature that I want to address most, because I think it has caused many reviewers to unfairly criticize the clock, is the brightness of the display. This is a highly important feature of a radio alarm clock since most people will have it on their nightstand and don't want a bright light keeping them awake. I think that a lot of reviewers were unfamiliar with how the brightness modes work & thus were disappointed.
There are two brightness modes for the display: Maximum bright, and dimmable. Maximum bright is obviously the highest setting and is clearly visible and legible 20 feet away in daylight. In the dimmable mode you control the brightness using the knob on the bottom of the clock. The knob is kind of fiddly (small, recessed, and stiff) so it's not something that you want to mess with on a daily basis. Anyway, you use the knob (easiest with a small screwdriver) to set the display brightness to what you are comfortable with at night (I have mine set all the way off). On the front of the clock (on the bottom right) there is a button to switch between the two brightness modes. At night I just press the button once to put the display into the dimmable mode which essentially turns the display off. If I wake up in the middle of the night I just find the button, press it to see the time, & then press it again to dim the display. Finding the button is easy due to the side posts & I know it is on the bottom right. In the morning when the alarm goes off, the display switches to bright mode so the time is then visible during the day.
This is definitely the best atomic radio alarm clock that I have owned (it's my third one so far) and well worth the price.
Digital camera Review: Great clock radio
Summary: 5 Stars
This has been a great clock radio--versatile, good sound and signal pickup on both FM and AM, works well with my MP3, and kinda cool looking. The progressive alarm (starts at low volume and gets increasingly louder) is much more civilized than the usual shocking wake up of my previous alarm clocks. I like the blue display, although it can be too bright at night (even on dim) and impossible to see on dim in daylight.