RCA RP5430 AM/FM Clock Radio with 1.4-Inch Display and Auto Time Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is just a terrific alarm clock. The only minus is that there are lots of buttons, but I find them to be very well laid out, with the occasional settings (daylight savings time, time zone, etc) hidden nicely on the back. I initially didn't care for the asymmetric casing, which looks a bit like someone cut off the left side of the clock, but it's grown on me.
Here are things I like:
* The numbers are clear, not too bright with the autodimmer on, and a very pleasant shade of blue. I can easily read them across a 11 foot room, even with my glasses off.
* It has two alarms, either or both of which can be radio or buzzer.
* The buzzer is a gradual-wake that ends up very loud. It's never failed to wake me.
* The snooze time is settable. I'm not a fan of the 9 minute snooze--I like a nice round 10 minute snooze. :)
* It has a nap feature, where you can set an instant alarm for however long from now without having to change the actual alarms.
* The time set is just the right speed--not too fast (and it's two-way if you overshoot) and not too slow. Sounds like a funny thing to note, but having just purchased another clock with a glacially slow time set, I really appreciate it.
My only caveat is that I had an earlier version of this clock that had an iPod-style set wheel and a slightly different button layout. After awhile, the switch that takes you between lock/wake1/wake2/clock set wore somehow, so that the clock would switch in and out of radio mode when you tried to set the alarm. No biggie, but it's one of the reasons I replaced it, and this clock has a very similar switch. If I run into problems, I'll update the review.
Update: I've seen some comments that you can't turn NAP off once it's set.
You can turn off NAP by holding down the NAP button for a few seconds again once the clock has exited NAP set mode and is showing the time. When you first hit the button, it'll go back into NAP set mode (probably showing 0:20) but after a few seconds, you'll go back to the time with NAP off.
Trick is, the button's a little quirky, and you have to hold down just the edge closest to the back of the clock. The middle of the button or any other edge just throws you back into NAP time adjust but never turns it off. I have no idea why--must be a design or manufacturing flaw of some kind.

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Philips AJ260 Weather Station Clock Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After reading all the other reviews I wasn't too sure. But reading between the lines I decided to take a chance. I bit the bullet and bought it and so far I am happy I did. I did find one thing I would like changed, one thing I would like enhanced.
The negative and needing changed is that the dual alarms will both sound by the same method. Either both by buzzer or both by radio. I personally like to use one alarm by radio, one by buzzer. That gives me a gentle wake up and then a reminder alert a little later.
To make the clock better, it would be nice if you could dim the weather LED. It is bright, no doubt about it. You can set it so that it only comes on for 10 seconds when you press a button, but I'd still like to see it dimmable.
As far as the other complaints... almost all the bad reviews could be corrected and attributed to user error. If people would RTFM before moaning, life would be easier.
Time resets to central but you live in the west, well read the manual. Not getting the auto time update, RTFM. Weather indicator light stays lit and keeps you up at night, read the manual. Outside temperature sensor giving inaccurate readings, read the flipping manual and mount the sensor in an appropriate place. As far as the sensor only measuring barometric pressure indoors and not outside, well unless you live in a submarine or a minute-man missile silo and use the airlock, the pressure inside and outside your house are the same. Humidity might be different, but pressure is the same, and that is what gives the clock its rudimentary weather predictions. Yes, it is really basic weather predictions, but what do you expect. It's a clock radio, not a meteorologist. Turn on the radio if you want more details.
I'd buy one again, but I would prefer separate buzz/radio selections for each alarm.


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