RCA RP5430 AM/FM Clock Radio with 1.4-Inch Display and Auto Time Set
Thomson provides a wide range of video technologies, products and services to consumers and professionals in the entertainment and media industries. Offering an array of state-of-the-art digital products and services, Thomson adds value to hundreds of millions of consumers around the world every year.PRODUCT FEATURES:This AM/FM clock radio has a large 1.4" blue LED display for easy readability;Connect your mp3 player to the audio input jack and then sit back and enjoy your music;Simply plug in the clock radio and the current Eastern Standard Time (EST) is automatically displayed. Flip the switch to select your time zone;When the environment is bright, the LED display will activate full brightness. When the environment is dark, the LED display will activate very dim light;When the alarm is activated, any of the top buttons will act as a snooze;Individual wake time indicators allow for two different alarm settings for two different users. Each wake setting is indicated;Turns off the alarm or radio for an extra 9 minutes of sleep or can be programmed for 1-30 minutes; you can snooze up to 2 hours;Plays the radio for up to 2 hours before automatically turning off the radio, allowing the user to gently fall asleep to music;Allows the user to set a quick alarm for a short interval of sleep without disturbing the alarm settings. Set for 10-minute increments up to a total of 2 hours of naptime;Digital active radio station readout displayed for current station. Also makes it easy to locate a specific frequency quickly;This feature gives the user the choice of waking up to the alarm or to a favorite radio station.
RCA RP5430 AM/FM Clock Radio with 1.4-Inch Display and Auto Time Set Accessories
 Sony ICF-C492 Large Display AM/FM Clock Radio
RCA RP5420 AM/FM Clock Radio with 1.4-Inch Display and Auto Time Set
Sony ICF-C318 Automatic Time Set Clock Radio with Dual Alarm (White)
RCA RP5440 SmartSnooze Dual Wake AM/FM Clock Radio with Time Projector
RCA RP5400 Smart Snooze Dual Wake AM/FM Clock Radio
RCA RP5430 AM/FM Clock Radio with 1.4-Inch Display and Auto Time Set Reviews
So now its just a radio I keep in my bathroom. Between the cost of the radio and the missed flight to Japan with a nonrefundable ticket, owning this radio cost me $2000. Two problems: if you turn the volume all the way up, you may have total silence from the radio (I missed my flight). I liked the big display, easy to set-features and the tuning accuracy afforded by a digital tuner. If there is one thing a clock radio should surely do is be at maximum volume when you turn it to maximum volume. Second, after three months the buttons that operate the alarm broke, and broke in a way my tinkering could not fix (the plastic buttons correspond to a mechanism fairly deep below the casing, and they somehow disengaged with normal use).
However, since getting a Bluetooth headset for my cell phone, I turned my cell phone's Bluetooth on. From this alone I would have rated it 5 stars. Normally, placing my cell phone near my clock didn't do anything, as should be the case. The radio would go on and off really fast without me even touching the clock, but the worst part was the permanent damage to the clock. I like the big blue numbers, and the features are great (adjustable snooze time, big snooze button, automatic time set, DST switch, battery back up, 2 alarms, etc). I got this clock almost a year ago, and instantly loved it.
BUT, the problem arose a couple of months ago. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but as much as I liked the clock before this happened (5 stars), I would regretfully steer people away from this clock because of its cheap nature. I still have about a month left on my warranty, so I'll have to wait and see how that goes. Some of the lights that make up the numbers actually burned out (at least 5 of them), and now it has gotten to the point that I cannot even use the clock (can't tell 5 from 6, or 8 from 9, or 5 from 0, etc). And when I did that and set my phone by my clock, the clock started freaking out.
This morning, I noticed more segments are fading, and the original faders are now completely burned out. About three weeks ago, a few segments on the number display began to fade. The display, which is why I am writing this review, looks identical in the photo. In March of 2006, I purchased a RCA RP3720, which has been discontinued. But judging by the photo of this product, and the feature set, I'd say it is the same clock. This after less than 2-1/2 years of use. I am fairly dissatisfied with my purchase.
First it was a part of the last digit, then the buzzer indicator light went out on the 1st alarm. It worked fine for about 6 months (even though the screen was like a spotlight at night).and then the LCD started going out. It was an okay clock.too bad it wasn't very durable. Got this as a Christmas present last year.
The other annoying thing is the radio tuning would creep (from AM 1490, to AM 1491, to AM 1492, etc)., and every time it changed, the display would change from alarm to radio. A week or so later, the snooze period started flaking out - sometimes it was the standard 9 or 10 minutes, sometimes it was just one. Unfortunately, the switch to set the first alarm failed within a few weeks (it started setting the time instead of the alarm). In summary, good usability, bad engineering. This alarm clock seemed perfect - large display, easy to understand and use buttons - automatic dimmer.
|
