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Israel, Jerusalem
1 Level
481 Review
0 Karma

Review on ⏰ Sangean RCR-3 AM/FM Atomic Digital/Analog Clock Radio - White | Efficiently Sized by Danielle Aycock

Revainrating 1 out of 5

A clock radio that is NOT a clock or radio

Based on some reviews of the Sangean RCR-3 clock radio I was a little apprehensive about ordering. And I had to pay attention to those feelings. I wanted an analogue clock radio with radio control. I can't see a normal LCD in the dark without glasses. This new device was meant to replace the combination of clock, radio and phone as fewer and fewer people use landlines these days. It even managed to pick up the WWVB "atomic clock" radio signal about an hour after plugging it in, but more on that below. Unfortunately, after a few hours, the WWVB display "radio control" started to flicker. As reported by at least one other person, he also lost the display of "waves" on either side of the "Antenna" diagram of the "Radio Control" display. Only after the complete loss of the WWVB radio signal did the symbol regain its full visual integrity. This happened in particular when I turned on the lamp on the bedside table which had a CFL bulb. I already knew that this bulb generates static electricity when using AM radio. This static electricity was enough to erase the WWVB signal. To make matters worse, once there was a problem with the display of the "Radio Control" icon, the clock was consistently out of sync with WWVB day and night, regardless of whether the CFL light was on . Was on. So I lost the main method of automatic time setting. A complete reset of the clock could not solve this or other problem despite numerous attempts. The watch supports manual time setting and it is easy to do. Unfortunately, the clock is about 1.5 seconds slower per day. In order for the time to be correct, I would have to set the clock myself regularly. But if needed, I can replicate this function with a $10 drugstore watch. I bought this device because it should restart automatically. There is a third method of setting the clock, called RDS CT, which uses the time signals and other background data embedded in the signals from certain FM radio stations. I changed my watch settings to use this technology, tuned it to an RDS CT compatible FM station, and the relevant icon appeared on the dial, indicating the watch uses this technology. However, when I looked at the clock a day later on New Year's morning, the date was December 32, 2014 instead of January 1, 2015. Also, the clock was about five seconds behind other WWVB radio clocks. which I compared to the internet time on my desktop computer. On January 2, 2015, the date displayed was December 33, 2014. This was the last straw and I returned the sangean. I realize the firmware on this device is of poor quality, as is the antenna/reception. The main functions of the clock radio are CLOCK and RADIO. This device does not perform any of the functions correctly. While the Sangean has many other complex features that worked well, to me they are useless unless the device performs its most basic functions. So the Sangean RCR-3 clock radio is a big disappointment, especially considering its price. I was willing to pay more for a clock radio, but I expected more. I will solve my original problem by getting my old clock/radio/phone working again and buying a new clock that projects the time on the ceiling.

Pros
  • Always liked
Cons
  • Disappears