7/14/2010

SANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock Radio Review

SANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock RadioSANGEAN 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.

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Product Description:
ATOMIC AM/FM CLOCK RADIO

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