SANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock Radio

SANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock Radio

Price: $84.58
Manufacturer: Sangean America, Inc.
Buy from amazon.com

ATOMIC AM/FM CLOCK RADIO

Information

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #3928 in Consumer Electronics
  • Color: WHITE
  • Brand: Sangean
  • Model: RCR-3
  • Dimensions: 6.50" h x 4.00" w x 6.50" l, 3.00 pounds
  • Radio controlled clock
  • Large lcd display
  • 14 station preset
  • 4 wake up timers
  • Pll tuners

Product Reviews

Sangean is getting closer to perfection
SANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock RadioSANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock Radio

I've owned many Sangean clock radios over the last few years and this one is by far the best. Many of my complaints have been addressed making me a very happy camper ;)

This radio is an update to the Sangean rcr-1. As far as I can tell it only comes in white. Improvements to this one include:

1. A change from blue backlighting to white. You can now read the display from any angle and from across the room.

2. Gone is the unsightly ferrite antenna stuck to the back of the rcr-1, rcr-2 and rcr-22.

3. They added two more customizable alarms for a total of 4. The first two are buzzer only and the remaining two are for radio alarms.

4. Humane Waking System works in both radio mode and buzzer mode. (Radio mode is undocumented) HWS in radio mode was previously ONLY available on the rcr-1 and absent on the rcr-2 and rcr-22.

5. When the alarm sounds the display lighting of the analog clock changes to amber. Nice touch!

6. Power is now supplied with what I call a wall wart, LOL. This can be a double edged sword, it has a much thinner power cord running from the wall to the clock but the transformer is rather large and can get in the way.

7. Setting and operating the alarms has been greatly improved. It is more intuitive and takes less time to setup.

The radio is very sensitive and is able to pull in stations with ease. The sound quality is very good for a clock radio. It sounds very natural and pleasing. The snooze feature lets you snooze for 5 min. at a time with no option to change the interval. I've owned several clock radios from other manufacturers that let you program the snooze duration. I also wish this clock had a photo electric dimming circuit for the backlight. It does have a dimmer button and an adjustment for brightness on the bottom of the clock. When you press the dimmer button the brightness gradually decreases or increases, another nice touch! If you leave the clock in dimmed setting and momentarily push a button the display will go bright for a few seconds and then resume the dimmed setting.

Sangean reduced the size of the digital display from that used on the rcr-1. As a result it can no longer display the time and date simultaneously. In order to see the date you must first push the date button. I'm nitpicking but in my opinion this radio is not quite perfect.

One last comment, Sangean still has not added a battery backup! In the event of a power outage the alarm WILL NOT sound. Why did you do this Sangean? Haven't you guys been listening to all of the reviewers on this site? I know someone who supposedly works for Sangean responded to my comments on the rcr-1. To clarify, the clock will maintain time for anywhere from 1 to 3 hrs if the power fails but the alarm will not sound. To get around this issue I have plugged it into an uninterruptible power source (UPS). I live in FL and can't take chances with the alarm.

I also wish it had Radio Data System (RDS) and a HD tuner. To really put it over the top it would be nice to have stereo speakers and an iPod dock. Put all of these features in a table radio and you'll have the ultimate clock radio.

Loaded with Features, but Poor Manual
There are many great features to this clock. Some of the things I like the most are: 1) the ability to control the brightness of the display on a continuous scale (not just high & low like most alarms); 2) the ability to control the volume of the buzzer alarm or radio alarm on a continuous scale (but note that the buzzer alarm volume is controlled by a dial on the bottom of the clock, NOT by the radio volume control, a mistake I made & learned the hard way when the buzzer didn't sound); 3) the intuitiveness of the alarm set-up makes it easy to do & easy to remember; 4) the excellent digital reception for the AM/FM radio signals; 5) the ease of resetting the time & date after a power failure (just keep it plugged in & the Atomic Clock feature automatically re-sets the time & date); 6) the "Humane Waking System", which starts with a low volume beep & gradually increases (this is good for preventing heart attacks for those people shocked into awakening by the sound of most alarm clocks, which sound like a huge garbage truck has just backed up into your bedroom), but for those who need a real loud alarm, just turn up the volume & the initial beep/radio sound will be loud to begin with; 7) the tone quality of the radio is very good for such a small unit & there is a single adjustable tone knob (bass/treble). Other nice things about the clock are its superior looks (a combination of modern digital display with Art Deco features & analog clock display), & the fact that 4 alarms per day can be set & there is a separate alarm setting for each day of the week (including weekends). From the first night I used it, I slept very soundly, because it was the first time in years that I didn't feel like a light was shining in my face (from my previous clock). There are two things wrong with the Sangean: 1) the lack of a battery back-up, for those people who have blackouts, & 2) the operating manual. About 12 pages are devoted to operation of the clock in English; three of those pages are diagrams of control locations (very well done with clear layout). The instructions themselves are written by someone who does not have a good command of the English language. Words are misused, sentences end without the usual English structure, grammar is off, & it looks like the manual needs a thorough re-writing & proofreading. This is not a minor quibble, because this clock does so many things (& does them so well) that a better written & more thorough manual would enable the user to get much more out of the clock if its operation were better explained. It would be a 5* clock if the manual were better. Before buying this clock, I literally investigated over 100 clocks on the internet, & this looked to be the best I could find anywhere, considering all of its features. Now that I own it, it has lived up to its promise (except for the manual).

Amazing Clock Radio
I have owned a Sangean world band radio for over 20 years and have been impressed by its performance and build quality. So, I took a chance on the RCR-3 in my long quest for the perfect clock radio. The RCR-3 is heavy, so it's not going to fly off the nightstand. To my eye, the design is beautiful, with design cues reminiscent of 1930's Machine Age radios. The radio reception is outstanding and the RCR-3 just sounds terrific. I like the progressive alarm feature very much since my hearing isn't what it once was, and I just LOVE the nap feature. In short, Sangean has hit a grand slam homerun with the RCR-3.


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