Customer Reviews

Elgin Battery Powered LCD Alarm Clock with Nap Timer 3408E – Silver

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This is nice for a battery operated LCD clock. Unlike some of the other clocks that take a button battery or a little AAA battery, this one takes the larger AA batteries. TWO of them! So you get plenty of run time from this large battery/small clock combo.

This clock is small enough, and attractively styled enough, to fit proudly on any night stand, desk, or kitchen counter top.

The LCD display consists of 3 simultaneous displays. The first and foremost display is the current TIME (DUH!) Then over in the top right corner of the display is the ALARM time (I like this!), then in the lower right corner is the date in MM/DD format.

The snoozer alarm repeats in 5 minute intervals. The alarm won't jolt you out of bed in the morning. It's more like a nudge, until you start thinking, "What's that high pitched sound that I'm dreaming about, and that's increasing in tempo?" Then you're up after a few minutes of listening to that. The clock gets 5 stars, but the alarm gets 4, unless you prefer a nudge over a jolt, then it gets 5. Okay 4.5 is my final answer. I think the previously reviewed "too LOUD" issue has been adjusted by now.

One feature that is unusual about this clock is the nap timer. Activation of the nap timer, just takes once touch of a button for each 15 minutes of napping time that you will need, up to a nap limitation of 4 hours. I think 4 hours is enough time for a nap.

This clock does not have UP/DOWN buttons, but it does have seperate hour and minute buttons, so that makes it okay for easy setting. Oh, and yes you do have a choice of 24 hour military time, or the regular AM/PM display. (There is a 12/24 hour selection button)

I'm glad I got this clock. It's a nice little clock! I think this clock is better than any clock that comes crammed into a clock radio! You'll thank me!
Now let's talk about radios....

What I like:

1. Ability to see time, date, and alarm time at the same time.

2. Runs on batteries.

3. Attractive blue illumination.

What I don't like:

1. All the buttons beep, making it difficult to set the alarm late at night without waking up my wife.

2. The display is tilted back so far that it's impossible to read the numbers when you're level with the clock, such as when it's on a bedstand next to your head. You really need to be a foot or two above the clock to read it.

As a student who takes frequent naps, this clock could have been fantastic for me. I'd never heard of the idea of a nap timer before seeing this clock. Now I have. And my life will never be the same. I probably get a good 2-3 seconds more napping per rest period because of this clock. I know that doesn't sound like much, but when you nap as much as I do, it adds up.

Also, classes are on different times on different days, so the ability to quickly change the time of the alarm is really important. This clock is relatively speedy. Although there is no button to change hours directly, the inclusion of an "increase" and "decrease" button more than makes up for that. I haven't done extensive testing, but my alarm changes feel fast.

The display is tilted up a little too much for my taste. But that's because I keep it on my desk, which is just above my bed. I haven't had any problems with the viewing angle being especially narrow, though, given the way the LCD is pointed.

The volume is LOUD. I took the advice of one of the other reviews and put some scotch tape over the speaker. This helps a lot, and now the volume is perfectly normal.

I like the fact that the features are minimal. Too many other alarm clocks are cluttered with useless stuff like the temperature and time zone. I know where I am, and I know if I'm cold. If I want temperature and time zone, I'll buy myself a map and a thermometer.

Another feature that's important to me is "smackability." When I wake up in the morning, I want to be able to flail my arm out to the side to smack the snooze button without sending the alarm clock careening onto the floor. This clock has a wide base, so it won't be going anywhere. However, the button on top is pretty stiff. It is made to be pressed, rather than smacked. Thus, my morning flailing has to be a little more controlled than I'd like, which means I have to be a little more awake. That's why I gave this clock 4 stars instead of 5.

I've had a very difficult time finding an alarm clock with the bright indiglo light. So I was happy to find this one. However, with my first "Eagle" the alarm didn't go off. Amazon was great about the exchange for a new one (kudos). My repacement is a disappointment in that sometimes the backlight won't light up and I have to hit the clock on the bottom to get the light to go on. I second the others raters who have complained about the bad viewing angle. The loud alarm almost gave me and my wife a heart attack the first morning, but I put a piece of scotch tape over it and that seem to tame it enough.

I just got it today and I love it. It's a regular alarm clock with a nap timer. It's easy to use and the nap timer button is awesome. I like to take 30 min naps in the afternoon so I set the timer for 30 min (it has a memory) and all I need to do now is to press the nap button and it wakes me up after 30 min.

It's has a nice blue night light and the numbers are big enough so that those who wear glasses can read the time without having to put their glasses on. It works with 2 AA batteries and at its current it's a real bargain.

I love the concept of a nap timer, but when the nap's over look out...you'll be blasted awake. As another reviewer mentioned, the clock is difficult to read at some angles (in particular, from exactly the angle you are at when lying down looking at the clock on the nightstand!). And the snooze is difficult to press.

It's still usable for the purpose I bought it for - for waking up a 7 year old for school. But it is disappointing that it arrived broken, the light for seeing the clock at night does not work, and the 'increase time' button for setting the time or alarm does not work, so I always have to set everything from the 'decrease time' button. My mother sent it to me over-seas so it's a real hassle to try to return it, so it will do for now. At least my child has a clock to wake him up for school. In a few years I will order him a better one.

Features are good and usage is easy.

The problem is display. Numbers on LCD is only visible at a certain angle, otherwise it is blurry and you cannot see.

Display even get worse when you click on light button to see at night. I always need to take it into my hand to bring it to ceratin angle so that i can see. Very poor quality LCD display,

I wish i could return it but I put all packaging into trash. Probably will put it into trash soon, as soon as i find another clock with bright display.

My old Timex atomic clock started resetting itself to other random times. My main criteria for a replacement was that it have a dark display that wouldn't keep me awake with the glow. That's about the only good thing about this alarm clock, other than a decent shape/size.

I knew as soon as I had to set the time that I was going to need to get something else. First, there's a fiddly little switch on the top that you have to switch between time, calendar, alarm, and lock. You have to switch it back to lock at the end or it will keep blinking. Second, it only has a + button to set the time, so if you go past it, you have to loop back through, though it does at least have one button for hours and one for minutes, so you only have to loop through 12 or 60 rather than 720. Third, every time you press the button, it makes an irritating little beep. So, you can hold it down to get near the time, but then you'll want to let up and go minute by minute; this means you'll have to listen to the irritating little beep each time you advance it one minute.

But the worst thing is -- all those people who said it's too quiet -- they're right!! I'm a super-light sleeper, so I sleep with earplugs in, but I've never slept through an alarm before. Never. I have with this one! It's the same annoying little beep as when you press the button to set the time, just more frequently. I can't believe they even intended that to be an alarm noise, since, while grating, it's not that loud. I've already ordered two other options that I'm hoping I'll like better.

It seems easy to program but I did have a problem getting it to give time correctly over 24 hours. it is compact and fairly attractive. It is very small and sometimes hard to find in the dark to check the time by pushing the light dial. It is relatively inexpensive. I don't know how it will perform over time but so far it seems to keep time well.