atomic self-setting clocks
Home » portable electronics » clocks and clock radios » atomic self-setting clocks » equity time usa 30731 led digital electric desktop
|
GADGET HAT
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Equity Time USA 30731 LED Digital Electric Desktop The following report compares gadgets using the SERCount Rating (base on the result count from the search engine). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
POPULAR HAT - 2006-02-13 11:47:00 | © Copyright 2004 - www.hat.net () | sitemap | top |
When I began shopping for a new alarm clock, my primary selection criterion was that it have an LED display. Many new clocks have multifunction LCD displays which are nice except that you can't see them in the dark without pressing a button to illuminate them like an LCD wristwatch. Alternatively, some of these LCD clocks have projector attachments that shine a time display on the wall or ceiling, but you can't see them in a well-lit room! An LED display is visible under all ambient lighting conditions and seemed to me the most logical and straightforward solution.
Once the universe of clocks is narrowed to LED models, the next consideration is the size of the LED digits. They run anywhere from approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch. I'm very nearsighted, so to be able to see the time in the middle of the night without my glasses, is purely a case of "the bigger the better". The 30731 has digits that are .9 inches high - bigger than most other LED clocks and easily readable sans glasses at 4AM. Obviously, the larger the display, the larger the clock, but I have lots of room on my nightstand and was not concerned with the 30731's somewhat larger than usual size (about 8.5"W, 3"D, 4"H).
At this point, additional useful features are the only other necessary evaluation. The 30731 has the ability to set itself by receiving a radio signal from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) located in Colorado (Do a Google search for WWVB and you'll find them - lots of useful info). You set your timezone and whether you use Daylight Savings Time and the clock does the rest.
I can report that from my location in NY, this works perfectly but you should know 2 things. First, I have found that the clock must be facing East-West (i.e. facing Colorado from NY) for the auto-setting to work. If your bedroom is laid out such that your clock will not be facing in the general direction of Colorado, you might have a problem. (Actually, I think if it faces directly *away* from Colorado, that's OK too. As long as its not "end-on" to Colorado.) Furthermore, as the instructions point out, time signal reception is best in the wee hours of the morning, and that is the only time that, for my location anyway, the clock is able to sucessfully set itself (but it has sucessfully reset itself every night).
My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that the snooze alarm bar, though large and easy to find, doesn't really depress like a button but sort of pivots front-to-back on a stiff spring and can cause a little fumbling when you're in a semi-conscious state.
The alarm is an electronic "chirp". Loud enough to wake me but not so loud as to cause coronary arrest.
The clock has battery backup for power failures if you put a 9V battery in it (not included).
It does not have dual alarms or weekend settings. It does not display date, day of the week or seconds.
You can see a better picture of the clock and get more info on it at the equitytime.com website.
I have not experienced the dim or irregularly illuminated display reported by the reviewer from Redmond. I find it amply bright with all LED segments uniformly lit.
I am quite happy with this alarm clock and can recommend it without reservation.