Customer Reviews

Talking 4 Alarm Clock with EL Backlight

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this clock previously from Radio Shack under their brand name. All our frends were amazed at how clear that it sounds. We liked it so well that we wanted to give them as Christmas gifts, but Radio Shack no longer sales them, so I went looking on the net and found them here.
The sound is loud and clear and can be heard softly throughout the home. This clarity is very importent to my wife because she is handicaped, and with this talking clock she doesn't have to get up to see the time, she can hear it. I've tried others but the sound of their mechanical voice isn't very understandable.

Overall I like this clock, however I was surprised by the size when I received it because it only measures 4 1/4" wide x 3" high x 1" deep/thick. It's not a problem, I was just expecting the clock to be larger.

As one reviewer mentioned, the numbers are not lit and the face is not backlit so you can't see it in the dark without hitting the top button. This is actually a plus for me and the main reason I bought it. I find digital clocks are all way too bright for me even the ones with dimmer switches, so I was happy to find one that won't be glaring in my face all night. The button to backlight the face and get the clock to talk is large and very easy to find. It is nice because I don't have to pick up the clock or put on my glasses to read it since the clock speaks the time aloud. One thing some people may find a problem is that because the numbers aren't illuminated and the face isn't backlit, it can be hard to read the time if the clock isn't in a well lit area during the day.

Setting the time and alarm is a little more complicated than on most clocks. You use the same "mode" button to set the clock, alarm, timers, and all the other features. There aren't separate buttons for hours and minutes either and you can only go forward so if you over shoot the time you are aiming for you have to go through the whole 24 hrs again.

These are the actual instructions for setting the alarm:

1. Repeatedly press "MODE" until you hear "Alarm 1" and AL and 1 appear on the LCD.

2. Press and hold down SET for more than 2 seconds until you hear "Alarm set" and the hour digits flash.

3. Repeatedly press (or hold down) "UP" to set the hour. The clock announces the hour as it advances on the diplay.

4. Press "SET" to store the hour until you hear "Minute set" and the minute digits flash.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to set the minutes.

6. Press "MODE" to finish setting the alarm time.

7. Repeat steps 1 - 6 to set alarm 2,3, and 4.



The alarm itself will only sound for 1 minute before shutting itself off which is fine if you are using it for an alarm but if you are using it as a med. reminder you would have to be close by to hear it before it stopped sounding... that might be a problem.

I would also have liked a "low battery" warning light since this clock is battery operated. The owners manual gives a hint as to when to change the batteries. They suggest that when the clock stops working right or the voice becomes distorted that the batteries need changing. I hate that I have to look for signs of low batteries instead of being able to look for a warning light. I guess I will just have to try and remember to change the batteries regularly but I am afraid that I will be wasting batteries that are still good just so that I can make sure not to miss an alarm in the morning.

Oh well, it gets the job done well enough, but I will be keeping an eye out for a clock that has fewer flaws.

This alarm clock is great! I find it difficult to wake up early, so having a clock with up to 4 alarms I can set is very helpful. The hourly time announcements can also be turned on as a reminder of the time when studying, etc. The month/date reading is useful as well. I'd recommend this clock to anyone who tends to turn their alarm off and go back to sleep!

I've used this alarm clock for almost a year and and I am mostly happy with it. The four alarms are very useful, I use two in a row for work (in case I hit snooze, the next one goes off a minute later) and still have two left for weekend or a second person.

The female voice is not overly synthesized and pronounces everything well. It is much nicer to wake to the voice then the jolting beep of most other alarm clocks.

The only downside of this and any other LCD alarm clock is you cannot see the time in the dark, without hitting the large button on top to hear the spoken time and turn on the backlight. Unfortunately there is no way to keep the backlight on longer than the speech or holding the button.

Despite using the alarm every day, after nearly a year I am still on the original set of 4 AAA batteries!

Great clock. Easy to set and use. Can set alarm for 4 different times, and easily activate/deactivate each alarm as needed. When the alarm rings, it also announces the time. Also has a stop-watch feature. Nice size, nice styling. Great price. Highly recommend this product.

This is really good. The blue backlight is full-faced, and it will tell the time on the hour 24 hours a day. Mine is still going on the first set of batteries. JM Truman, California

This is a great clock. Small but loud! Anounces the hour every hour! It lights up and is great for my mother-in-law who has Glaucoma and can't see!

I purchased this clock for my elderly blind mom. She would constantly call me on my phone asking for the time. Or she would turn on her radio and tune to a station that would offer the time. This clock does a great job giving hourly reports on the time and there is a button she can press to give her the exact time. I wish the button on the clock was bigger so she would not be so reticent to use it since their are other buttons on the clock and she seems scared to press any by mistake and mess up the clock.

One issue I have with the clock is that the clock makes hourly reports at night as well. In the packaged instructions it listed it would not make hourly time announcements between 12 am and 6 am but it does and that can be at times annoying though my mom has not complained.

I seem to lack all awareness that time is passing. This doesn't go over well when I have places to be & appointments to keep. I also take medications several times a day and tend to get distracted causing me to miss many needed doses. I purchased this clock (from Maxi-Aids - great service) about 6 months ago and have been so grateful I did.

The clock is relatively small and inconspicuous - easy to take on trips (although I recommend keeping it in a place where the snooze button won't continually be pressed since this elicits a voice announcement of the time). The voice on the clock seems to me to be clearly understandable & has 2 volume settings. The loud setting really is quite loud. I can hear it easily throughout my 650 sq ft apartment even with TV on. The quieter setting is quiet enough that, except in nearly silent places, it's very difficult to hear in the next room. The instructions that came with the clock were clear and the clock was easy to set & figure out using the instructions. The clock is not backlit unless the snooze button is pressed - which I don't think can be done without also getting a voice time announcement.

Having the clock tell me each hour what hour it is has been very helpful. I'm not losing nearly as much time as I used to "zoning out". With this clock and its 4 alarms, I'm also missing few to no medication doses anymore. I also love the fact that the clock shows the date on one line & the time the next. I highly recommend this clock for anyone who has a tendency to get "lost in space" (or online) for too long. It has been a true blessing for me!

I've had one of these for at least 6 years - probably longer. It alarms twice a day most days and at least once. I think I've replaced the batteries three or four times in that period, and then only to make sure it doesn't quit. It seems very efficient with alkaline batteries.

I don't think it would be appropriate for medications because the alarm stops after a minute. But it is great as an alarm clock. It is quite loud for so small a clock. I can hear it in the next room with the TV on. And the combination voice and alarm sound is very hard the sleep through. The talking stopwatch function can be handy as a reminder and it is a great travel alarm.

With the alarm sounding the large button on top stops the alarm but sets the snooze to alarm after eight minutes. Your finger has to find one of the small set buttons to get it to stop. I suppose that is a good thing if you have a tendency to roll over and go back to sleep. I would prefer to be able to program it to turn off the alarm with the big button.

I'm ordering another as I would hate to ever be without one. It is far and away the best alarm clock I have ever owned. It is easy to set, even in the dark. With the voice feedback you will never think it is set for AM when it is set for PM.