Customer Reviews

Equity by La Crosse 40018 Insta-Set Alarm Clock

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Needed a product to keep correct time in frequent power outages ... this does the job (even right out of the box. Needed a product which would be easier to see at night (with aging eyes) ... this does the job (huge bright red numbers. Needed a product with loud startling alarm sounds ... this does the job (well, maybe not quite so loud!)

Very pleased with the clock. No complaints.

UPDATE: The clock died in 2010 ... no warning ... just lost all power and digital view. Should last longer than 3 years in my opinion, but good while it lasted!

I purchased this clock for my grandmother in law so she could see what time it was without her glasses, and at night. I like the big bright red display which makes it easy for her to see, and the instant set means no worry for her if the power goes out. Good value, well worth whatever price you pay. I will likely purchase one for myself as well.

This is my first bad experience with any purchase from Amazon. The Equity Time Insta-set Alarm Clock failed to keep time. It lost 2 to 3 hours each day. I emailed Equity about the problem and they sent me instructions for setting the time. This, of course, did not fix the problem with the faulty clock. I liked the look of the clock, so I sent the $17 clock back to the company, which cost $5 along with $5 to fix it. Now, one month later, I have not received a replacement clock. So I am out $27.

I finally received a replacement clock that works. I like the clock.

The clock's display is brighter than necessary. I had to place a grey colored self adhesive transparent plastic shield over the display. Otherwise the clock lives up to its advertisement.

I've had this clock for 7 months and have only been happy with it.

I wanted a clock I could see in the middle of the night without putting glasses over my bad eyes. This has the size and brightness that enables such without the need to squint.

From any part of the room, I can merely glance at the clock without making any attempt to focus my eyes on it and still see the time much more than adequately well.

Set-up is ridiculously easy: simply plug it in and slide the time zone switch to your time zone. (This particular feature is only for those in the western hemisphere's Pacific through Eastern time zones.) The correct time will display without you having to set it. It keeps time internally even during power outages or if you unplug it and move it to another room.

You don't have to be in an area where the clock is required to receive radio waves from a central clock in Colorado in order to set or keep the correct time as (incorrectly named) "atomic" clocks do.

You can always override the displayed time if you're in another time zone or if the beginning and/or end of Daylight Saving Time changes or you're in an area that doesn't have DST.

I can't speak for the alarm function as I've never used it.

If the flashing colon (":") bothered me I'd stick a couple of small pieces of electrical tape over the offending areas (but it doesn't bother me and, in fact, I never noticed it until reading another review here).

If you DON'T want a bright clock with big numbers, don't get this one; find another. We're all different -- get what's right for YOU -- as this one is for me (I just bought a second of these for another room).

Addendum - 2008-01-13: I ordered a second, identical clock from Amazon and it arrived inoperable. I'm returning it for another of the same.

I bought this clock about 3 years ago and it worked fine until about 6 months ago. It started to run slow about 3 or 4 minutes. Now it is off by 20 minutes and I have to throw it out. Because the clock is supposed to set the time automatically when its plugged in, there are no buttons to adjust the time. Unplugging it and plugging it back in does not fix the problem. Shouldn't these clocks last more than a couple of years?

This clock is a piece of junk. True, it is has a very bright display, but it simply does not work as advertised. That is, it does NOT set itself to the correct time, and is impossible to set manually. I'm going to throw it out--it is not worth the time and expense to return it or send it back to the manufacturer.

Setting this clock is a labor in futility. Either the directions are wrong, or it is easier to set up a NASA launch. The DST change is mis-set at the factory, keeping correct time is almost impossible, and I wouuld never buy another Insta-Set.

UPDATED: After two years, the alarm setting function on this clock broke. When trying to change the alarm time, the hour and minute settings starting changing randomly and wildly and it was impossible to control. Then the "alarm set" button stopped doing anything at all. We go easy on our electronics, and this is the only thing we've owned that has had a button break like this, so I'm pretty sure the problem isn't us -- it's the clock.

OLD REVIEW: Excellent clock. The large numbers let me read it from across the room without my glasses on. It arrived displaying the correct time, but it does allow you to change the time shown in case it somehow arrived set incorrectly.

The current model includes FOUR daylight saving time calendar options. It arrives set to the new DST calendar adopted beginning in autumn 2007, but also includes three other DST settings: the pre-2007 calendar (should the US ever roll back to that), an "add DST right now" option, and a "we don't observe DST" option for you folks in Arizona.

The clock is designed for the U.S. mainland, with time zone options for Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern (sorry folks in Hawaii, Alaska and Canada's maritime provinces.)

Not sure why one reviewer complained about the flashing ":" in the time. It's miniscule compared to the large numbers surrounding it, you certainly can't see a blinking glow on the walls of your bedroom or anything like that.

I was looking for an easy to read at night LED display alarm clock. I got the Insta-Set with biggest numerals 1.8" for myself and the smaller display, this clock, for my wife. Besides a bright display, the clock is preset for correct time at the factory so this is a plug and play clock. Good value compared to clocks available at local pharmacies and Target type stores.