- Automatic time set
- Automatic Daylight Savings Time
- Battery backup ensures correct time
- 0.9-inch green LED display
- Single alarm
Product Features |
Frequently Bought Together
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WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs. |
Product Specifications
Brand NameSony
Color NameBlack
Technical Details
- Brand Name: Sony
- Model: ICFC218BLACK
- Item Height: 2.54 inches
- Item Length: 5.91 inches
- Item Weight: 1.09 pounds
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
The Sony ICF-C218 Clock Radio features automatic time setting including switching to and from Daylight Savings Time, a 0.9” LED green display, and a battery backup in addition to AC power.
Product Description
The Sony ICF-C218 Clock Radio features automatic time setting including switching to and from Daylight Savings Time, a 0.9” LED green display, and a battery backup in addition to AC power.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
249 of 256 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Not the niftiest, nor the most elegant clock radio available but the price and features make it about as good a buy as you'll find.
All the important features - battery backup, automatic time synch, intuitive alarm setting, good (but gentle on the eyes) time visibility.
There's a dual alarm version available for a few bucks more too.
We liked this one enough to buy another for our guest bedroom - guests won't be befuddled by this model...
BTW, radio isn't high fidelity but its not bad, a good Sony quality product.
UPDATE 10/28/09: Two years down the road and the two of these radios we bought are still going strong. One of the things I failed to mention in the original review was that this unit does NOT, repeat, does NOT have a power brick - just a nice old fashioned wall plug on a wire - sweet. I take note of the comment by others about the intensity (or lack thereof) of the clock LED. Myself, and upon further inquiry, my wife find the intensity to be 'just right'. Perhaps there is some variation in the units or maybe its just a matter of your sleeping environment. We're former Sierra Nevada 'country' folks who now live on the edge of a small Ohio town. Between the street light, the neighbor's lights, the wifi router and a couple of those green 'limelite' nightlights we DO have sufficient ambient light at night to move around without stubbing the old toes. BTW, I've dropped both of our units more than once, and accidentally kicked one across our guest suite - no discernable damage. Oh yes, the wife says that they'd show the dust less if they were white.
All the important features - battery backup, automatic time synch, intuitive alarm setting, good (but gentle on the eyes) time visibility.
There's a dual alarm version available for a few bucks more too.
We liked this one enough to buy another for our guest bedroom - guests won't be befuddled by this model...
BTW, radio isn't high fidelity but its not bad, a good Sony quality product.
UPDATE 10/28/09: Two years down the road and the two of these radios we bought are still going strong. One of the things I failed to mention in the original review was that this unit does NOT, repeat, does NOT have a power brick - just a nice old fashioned wall plug on a wire - sweet. I take note of the comment by others about the intensity (or lack thereof) of the clock LED. Myself, and upon further inquiry, my wife find the intensity to be 'just right'. Perhaps there is some variation in the units or maybe its just a matter of your sleeping environment. We're former Sierra Nevada 'country' folks who now live on the edge of a small Ohio town. Between the street light, the neighbor's lights, the wifi router and a couple of those green 'limelite' nightlights we DO have sufficient ambient light at night to move around without stubbing the old toes. BTW, I've dropped both of our units more than once, and accidentally kicked one across our guest suite - no discernable damage. Oh yes, the wife says that they'd show the dust less if they were white.
105 of 114 people found the following review helpful
By Ahempho
I've had this for 3 days now, and i'm very happy with it...and i put alot of research in everything i buy. The Radio works perfectly, picks up all the stations clearly, the alarms sound starts out soft and gets progressively louder..so you will get up. The Built in battery is also a plus, that way i'll never lose track of time.
for this price this is a great product..and oh yes huge green lights for the display and many more features...wake up to the radio or the buzzer...
enjoy....
for this price this is a great product..and oh yes huge green lights for the display and many more features...wake up to the radio or the buzzer...
enjoy....
205 of 244 people found the following review helpful
Unfortunately, I am not able to rate the Sony ICF-C218 as highly as my colleagues. Not that this clock radio doesn't have numerous good features. The radio got good reception and the sound was of better than average quality. The controls, as others have pointed out, are intuitive and easy to use even without ever resorting to the instructions. The alarm, as is common, can wake you up either with the radio or with a buzzer. The only missing feature that would have been nice would be a dual alarm, though for the price this lack cannot be complained of.
The problem with the unit, and it is a serious one, is the brightness of the display. Of the other two reviewers who've rated the ICF-C218 at three stars, curiously one complains that the display is too dim and the other that it is too bright. My experience agrees with the later. I didn't notice until I tried sleeping beside this unit, but once your eyes are accustomed to the darkness the nicely-sized display is simply far too bright. It casts shadows on my ceiling and was a distraction when trying to fall asleep; I was forced to angle it away from myself or face the opposite direction. This is simply inexcusably poor design in an alarm clock and is a deal breaker for me; I'm going to be returning my unit.
A more minor complaint would be the AM/PM indicator. Most clocks have a single light that is lit when it is post meridiem (or ante meridiem, depending on the model), but this one has two lights, one about 7 mm above the other, which indicate morning or afternoon. That's fine when the room is light and you can read the AM or PM text next to the two lights, but at night you'll simply have to remember which light is above the other one and how far each is from the top of the display. Not a big deal for most, but another small design flaw.
This isn't a bad clock for the price (Wal-Mart carries it for even less, $9.96) but the brightness issue makes it unusable for me. The addition of a dimmer switch, fixing the AM/PM indicator, and adding a second alarm setting would make this clock easily a five star item, even at a slightly higher price.
The problem with the unit, and it is a serious one, is the brightness of the display. Of the other two reviewers who've rated the ICF-C218 at three stars, curiously one complains that the display is too dim and the other that it is too bright. My experience agrees with the later. I didn't notice until I tried sleeping beside this unit, but once your eyes are accustomed to the darkness the nicely-sized display is simply far too bright. It casts shadows on my ceiling and was a distraction when trying to fall asleep; I was forced to angle it away from myself or face the opposite direction. This is simply inexcusably poor design in an alarm clock and is a deal breaker for me; I'm going to be returning my unit.
A more minor complaint would be the AM/PM indicator. Most clocks have a single light that is lit when it is post meridiem (or ante meridiem, depending on the model), but this one has two lights, one about 7 mm above the other, which indicate morning or afternoon. That's fine when the room is light and you can read the AM or PM text next to the two lights, but at night you'll simply have to remember which light is above the other one and how far each is from the top of the display. Not a big deal for most, but another small design flaw.
This isn't a bad clock for the price (Wal-Mart carries it for even less, $9.96) but the brightness issue makes it unusable for me. The addition of a dimmer switch, fixing the AM/PM indicator, and adding a second alarm setting would make this clock easily a five star item, even at a slightly higher price.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Standard clock
This is a good standard alarm clock but there are 2 problems: 1)the alarm is not very loud (but still loud enough for me to wake up); 2)it constantly makes a very quiet high... Read more
Published 19 hours ago by Bethany
4.0 out of 5 stars
nice clock
the clock is clear and can be read from another area in room, and the radio is loud enough to wake someone in the next room..great buy!!!!!
Published 4 days ago by me in indiana
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works good
Volume could be a little louder. Needs more options for the alarm feature. The buzzer function is not really a buzzer, more of a gentle beep.
Published 4 days ago by D6sixx
4.0 out of 5 stars
the white one was better
the white one was a little easier to use, required less user input.
we have five "self setting" clocks, and none of them have the same time on them!
we have five "self setting" clocks, and none of them have the same time on them!
Published 5 days ago by mystery shopper
2.0 out of 5 stars
Refiguring Out How Clock Works
I purchased this clock 5 months ago. I've used it plugged into the wall socket. Now it doesn't keep the correct time. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Sam I Am
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's only my clock
This is a very nice clock with a pretty big screen to see the numbers. But it was really hard to hear the radio when I tried it and it didn't get a lot of good stations. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Kim Hope
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Clock to have
Having an automatic time setting that can include Daylight Savings Time is wonderful. You don't have to fool with the changing the time yourself. Read more
Published 8 days ago by Karin Branaman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Made in CHINA
Simple and it works great. No problems at all after 6 months of use. I even like the default buzzer. Would have given 5 stars if not made in. china.
Published 8 days ago by Jim
1.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't auto set time!
Completely misleading. It's not an auto set clock. Mine wasn't set, and is so cheap I can't even set the time. Piece of junk!
Published 10 days ago by Mad Scientist
3.0 out of 5 stars
Thought I was getting a dual setting
Ok. I just should have noticed not a dual settings
Size is compact, which was also a quality I was looking for
Size is compact, which was also a quality I was looking for
Published 11 days ago by Sushi1
Important Information
Indications
A large green LED display makes the clock easy to read in any light, and Automatic Time Set makes the clock ready to go with little or no adjusting right out of the box.
A large green LED display makes the clock easy to read in any light, and Automatic Time Set makes the clock ready to go with little or no adjusting right out of the box.
