atomic self-setting clocks

There's a lot to like about this clock, but unfortunately it has a few problems. As others have said, the display is either too light or too dark. The manual lists snooze time as 5 min, but it's actually 6 minutes(!). That's way too short for me. Most clocks are 9-10 minutes, I'd probably prefer 15. It has lots of buttons, and a not very intutitive setup. Still, it's nice looking, syncs up pretty quickly for me (not hours), and has a nice day-of-the-week alarm schedule.

My first impression was one of delight, because the RCR-2's controls, programming flexibility, packaging, and sound quality are very well done. But I was ultimately disappointed and had to return the unit because Sangean did not follow through in two important areas: the display and power back-up.

The LCD display is only viewable from a limited angle. We placed the unit on a low headboard about 6" above the pillows, and the digits became invisible. The left-to-right viewing angle is also very limited. The RCR-2 is easily viewable only if you place it on a nightstand lower than your pillow and view it straight ahead within arm's reach.

The LCD backlighting is weak and uneven. Instead of a uniform electro-luminescent light source (e.g. Indiglo), there is a single bulb on one side. Bright on one side and dim on the other, it looks a lot like a cheap digital watch from many years ago. Not a good first impression in a guest bedroom.

The second problem is the limited and/or undocumented power failure backup. The RCR-2 does not use a battery, but does have some internal power storage since I could unplug it for several minutes without losing the time. But the instructions don't say how long an outage the RCR-2 can handle. The radio update can take several hours, so don't depend on the unit re-syncing before wake-up time. Also, there is no mention in the instructions as to whether the alarm times are preserved, even if the clock does re-sync by morning.

Without assurance that the clock would wake me after a power outage of 30 minutes or more (which do occur where I live) I elected to return the RCR-2. If power outages are less of an issue in your area, you can solve many of the display problems by moving up to the Sangean RCR-1, which adds an analog clock face.

TERRIFIC radio reception for a clock radio, and lots of clever conveniences, although reading the manual is a must. However...

The display is dreadful. The background is a rectangle of amber light. There's no way to dim it and it really can't be ignored in a dark room. Furthermore, the digital display is more gray than black and not particularly easy to read. The light can be turned off but then there's no possible way to read it in a dark room.

Can anyone suggest another clock radio with especially good radio reception?