Customer Reviews

Oregon Scientific RMR329PA Atomic Projection Clock with Indoor and Outdoor Wireless Thermometer

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

Bought this clock in order to get an outside temperature reading display. The wireless sensor works well, but it did lose the signal for awhile. Shutting off the clock and restarting fixed that. I am not using the atomic-clock radio link, and it keeps time fine.

My only issue is the brightness of the projection display... it is BRIGHT. Since our ceiling is white, the bright blue display actually lights up the entire room at night. It takes a few nights to get used to. I tried putting a filter over the projector, but it didn't cut the brightness enough.

Lastly, it would be nice to have the backlight come on automatically in daylight, just like the projector comes on automatically when lights are off. Otherwise, a great clock - works well, looks good, reasonable price.

Have had the Oregon Scientific projection clock for a little over six months now. Has held up extremely well, despite the abuse and riggors of three kids who like to bump it around and play with it from time to time.

My projector stays on all the time and does not interfere with normal sleep patterns. After the first week or so you get used to it. Only problem is that you cannot rotate the projection display ... only flip it ... which somewhat limits the clock's orientation. A photocell is supposed to turn the projector off during the day, but my bedroom never gets bright enough to accomplish this ... so the projector basically stays on all the time.

The LCD display is WAY too bright ... such that I keep it turned OFF. Problem being that, if it's off, you can't see the clock during the day. If it's on, however, you can't sleep at night. I choose to keep the backlight turned off and therefore can't see my clock display during daylight hours. Would be nice if the clock could turn on it's LCD backlight during the day and off at night automatically. Oh well.

The atomic time reception works well. It will occassionally experience poor reception during the day, and incorrectly reset the clock, but I've only had this happen maybe 3-4 times since I've owned it. Figured out you can disable then re-enable WWVB reception using a key sequence, and within a minute or two the correct time will come back. Much easier than trying to remove and replace the batteries to promote a time sync.

Wireless outdoor temperature works great. Never a problem.

Spouse likes the projection feature a lot ... as she can easily see the time and outdoor temp at night, on the ceiling, with no need to try and look (over me) at a clock on my side of the bed.

Alarm clock works well, and auto resets itself daily. Only thing it needs is the ability to set specific days (ala M-F) instead of always being on or off.

While there are a few things that could use improvement, overall I like the clock a lot. The projector, WWVB time sync, and outdoor temperature are features that I've come to really enjoy. Could care less about waking up to FM, CD, or MP3 ... so the clock works really well for me.

* Update 10/22/2011: For those who experience an occassional reset of the clock overnight, to an incorrect time, note that the unit wants to sync with WWVB daily. This is by design. Interference will cause it to occassionally (a few times a year) reset itself to the wrong time. My solution for this was to turn the WWVB reception OFF and keep it OFF. You'll see the little radio icon appear or disappear on the display to indicate it's current state. I only turn on WWVB reception when we have a time zone change, or I have some other need to reset the clock. Having it re-sync daily is overkill, and unnecessary.

This is a neat clock. It comes with an outdoor temperature sensor, so you can look up on the ceiling from your cozy bed, and see how cold it is outside.

This unit's projection is on the bright side, however. Since we bought it, I had a lot of trouble sleeping. I don't know if the clock is to blame, but after we returned it, I slept better again.

Of course, there is well established research that shows that cells in our eyes are very sensitive to blue light, and the that color promotes wakefullness by interrupting melatonin production (google search for "effect blue light sleep".. Science Magazine has a good article). This circadian cycle is how our bodies know when it is day or night.

You'd think Oregon Scientific would stick with non-blue colors to keep from disturbing peoples sleep. Even my wife had trouble sleeping, and she never does.

The problem was bad enough that we returned it after about a month. Our model with the red projection light is much more appropriate for night time.

I love the parts of this clock that I can get to work. It projects on the wall or ceiling the time and temperature - either the indoor or the outdoor temp, as you choose. It has a blue backlight that means the clock on my night stand itself is readable day or night, light or dark. It seems to keep accurate time, after I figured out how to do it.

This replaced an Oregon Scientific (OS) clock that I had had for 9 years, but had finally worn out. Its temp gauge outside had quit, the clock was no longer set-able, and it quit synching with an atomic clock somewhere in the cosmos. So, time for a new one. Searching the OS site as well as Amazon, I found, I believe, all 7 or 10 or so projection clocks that projected on the wall both the time and the outdoor temp. The OS clock that I had had for 9 years was one of the available models - I wanted to be able to read the clock on the table in the day time, which I could not do with that model. After reading ALL the reviews on Amazon of the three clocks that might work, I settled on this one, the RMR329PA.

When it arrived three days later, right out of the box, after battery insertion, it worked like a champ. I set the clock, the time zone, etc. I was happy. For about 15 minutes. Then the outdoor temp quit. It just quit. I went through all the steps again: Pushed a reset button, set the clock, changed the time zone. It worked like a champ - again, for just about 15 minutes.

I gave up, went to bed, hoping the night clock fairy would come by and fix it. He/she did not. And, the clock had happily synched itself with the atomic clock, but three hours earlier - and I had set the time zone correctly. While it is cool to know the time in Monterey or Vegas, I prefer knowing the time on the East Coast, at least while I am on said coast.

So I sent it back to Amazon. Easy process to do. I then ordered another one - it came, and worked just as the first one did. I called OS and they told me to push the reset button, set the clock, etc. It still didn't work. They gave an RMA and email address - told me to send them a copy of my receipt and they would send me another one. I've not gotten diddly from them.

In the meantime, I had pushed the reset button on my clock again, but had not bothered to set the time. After 20 minutes, the outdoor temp still worked. And also, after an hour. Wow. I have discovered that the clock does work if I don't set the clock! So my workable solution is to push the reset button on the clock at precisely noon, because the reset starts the time at noon. I don't set the clock, because if I did it at noon, it is now showing the correct time! I have turned off the synch function, and now it works great, showing the time and outdoor temp all the time. Some reviews have complained about the brightness on the ceiling or the brightness on the clock itself. Neither of those are a problem for me.

Since it also includes showing the date, I'm going to have to reset it on January 1 at noon, to get the date to work as well! Mine is currently five months off.

If you are willing to fiddle with it, this can be a great clock.

And so it goes.

This is the third of these style projection alarm clocks I've owned in the past 7 or 8 years. The others were other brands, and eventually something failed on them, whether it was the alarm button failing, the alarm feature or the backlight failing. I was concerned all of these style clocks are "cheap knockoffs" of one another, so I ordered this replacement with some trepidation.

The clock as delivered surprised me pleasantly in several ways:
(1) The layout is logical and much easier to use than other brands I have owned. Each of the function buttons is nicely illuminated at night so no more having to turn on the light next to the bed to adjust the alarm.
(2) The digital readout uses a "font" that is much more readable that traditional LED or LCD fonts. There are nice "curved" shapes that make zeros and fives look more like zeros and fives.
(3) The blue back light screen is nice and bright but my wife and I do not find it a distraction at night -- but it does make enough light to find your way around in a dark bedroom without waking up your partner. The blue projection screen, I think is brighter and sharper, but my wife says she prefers the red colored display. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Neither of us find the blue color a distraction when trying to sleep, but that's just our experience.
(4) Another complaint with previous clocks was the poor design stability to keep it from getting knocked over on my night table or even knocked off on the flook. This clock is smaller, heavier, but with a nice wide footprint for stability.
(5) My wife is a heavier sleeper than I, but this alarm seems plenty loud enough for both of us.
(6) Installation was quick and the clock was properly set automatically in less than five minutes. That just left a moment to read the instructions, which were quite clear, about setting the alarm.

In summary, this seems to be an excellent value in a projection alarm clock.

My wife purchased this product about 4 months ago. First, I felt the same as other folks, that the light was way too bright. But it was easy enough to angle the clock away from me. The biggest problem started to surface when we very nearly missed waking up for an early flight to England, because the clock randomly changes the current time, based on whatever signal it's able to pick up. Completely unacceptable. This has happened on several occasions, so that I now must use my cell phone as a backup alarm for those mornings when I really must be up on time. Finally, about two weeks ago, the lights on the clock burned out completely. While I can see the time when I angle it just right in daylight or lamplight, there is absolutely no way to see the time in the dark.

Not only was this a rather expensive alarm clock (I could have purchased a nice Seiko more cheaply) but it is a major disappointment coming from Oregon Scientific, as we have other products of theirs that work great. This clock, however, isn't worth the plastic it's stamped out of.

I have had several of these projector clocks, but mostly by LaCrosse. I really liked the look of this one, with the constantly lit display and the blue projection with both the temp and time continuous. The only bad flaw is that they limit the projection rotation to 180 degrees matching the direction of the clock. So if you have the clock on your bedside table facing you, the display is sideways. The only way you can get the projection straight is to either put the clock on the headboard, turn the clock to face the foot of the bed or place it on a dresser at the foot of the bed projecting over you. This is a stupid flaw. If they were going to design it this way they should have rotated the projection 90 degrees so you could place it on either side of the bed. The LaCrosse models have 90 degree rotation so you can set it which ever way you want it. Also the blue projection is a bit bright so some might be disturbed by that but I found it pleasant. I also like that it doesn't switch back and forth between time and temp because both are displayed together. Thumbs up on that feature.

I should have listened to the other reviews regarding this overpriced poorly designed equipment. It is at least -3° off from the correct temperature. I've had it sitting next to a great Honeywell unit that isn't available anymore and you wake up at night to see the time and it is incorrect but does change back to the correct time later but consistently does this which makes it completely undependable. For this kind of money it should at least keep the correct time and proper temperature. I have looked and can't find a good projection clock with outside temperature that doesn't have bad reviews. I hope my old Honeywell holds up long enough for some company to build a well designed and accurate projection clock. Would even be nice to change the projected display color. Until I see an Oregon Scientific with mostly good reviews it will be my last. I do intend to return it.

Fulfilled my dreams of waking up and just glancing at the ceiling for the time (instead of rolling over and squinting at a bedside clock). Even with my -5 nearsightedness I can read the temperature and time bright and clear on the ceiling above my bed.

This works as advertised, is easy to set up, and we are totally happy with it. Some have commented that it is too bright, but we like the fact that the projection is bright and easy to read. We also prefer the blue to some that project red.

All around good purchase.