Tuesday, May 6

The Best Clock Radio Ever

Honestly. If you need a dual-alarm clock, this is the best clock radio you could ever own:

The Sony ICF-C180 Clock Radio with Auto Time Set.

What makes it so great? Let me tell you:
My wife and I, we're a two alarm type of morning crew. With previous dual alarm clock radios, it was always a bit of a guessing game as to what the two alarms were set for. Usually, one has to press a button or two to see what time one alarm is set for, and/or press another button to see what the other alarm is set for. With this clock, the alarm times are easy to read and always visible.
With previous clocks, setting an alarm at night usually consists of some type of finger dexterity, pressing one or two buttons, hoping in the dark they're the correct buttons. Is it set for AM or PM. Is the alarm even set at all?? Sometimes it's so hard to tell.

See those two orange sections at the bottom of the window in the picture? Each one indicates what time each alarm is set for, in big, bright (but not too bright, you can adjust) numbers. (If no alarm is set, you don't see the orange, it's just black, indicating no time is set).

To set each alarm is super easy. On each side of the clock is each alarm's dial. It's big and easy to operate. Advances in either time-direction (forwards or backwards), first advancing minute by minute, then advancing in ten-minute increments. Each alarm has it's own activation button. You can see them on the front of the clock in the picture. Press the left button and the orange comes on showing (in the picture) the 10am alarm. Press it again, and the orange is off, indicating no alarm is set. Same for the right alarm. Late at night, when the room is dark, it's never more than a glance to know if "your" alarm is set, when it's set for, and to change the time an alarm will go off if needed. It really is a wonderful setup.

Another perk: There's two buttons on the top (one for each alarm), where, if you press it, it switches to a "weekend alarm", which glows green instead of orange. This way, if you've got an habitual time to get up weekdays and one to get up on weekends (or whenever), you just press that button to switch between the weekday and weekend setting.

The snooze button is nice and big and easy to find with fumbling tired hands in the morning. The snooze is set for 10 minutes (took me a bit to get used to that after being used to years of 7 or 8 minute snoozes with other alarm clocks). If you press the snooze button twice, it will snooze for 20 minutes; three presses means a 30 minute snooze, etc.

There's a button to press to switch to and from Daylight Savings Time. You don't have to manually change the time twice a year, just press the button (not a big deal, but a nice little feature to enjoy twice a year).

In fact, with the internal lithium battery, you never have to reset the time. Even after power outages, your time and your alarms are maintained.

Yep.

I haven't bought many things online, but this is one of the few. And I'm totally happy with it. 100%.



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