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thread: Do You Have A Bedside Clock Radio... And If So Which One?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Rural NSW
    6,975

    Do You Have A Bedside Clock Radio... And If So Which One?

    DH and I depend heavily on our clock radio. It's a strange thing. It was given to us by FIL when he was downsizing his house. It's probably circa 1985. Has digital numbers (red) but it's also a phone... it's white and chunky... Computec brand. If the radio is on and you lift the phone handset it mutes it for you. All very nifty but it's giving me the sh*ts because the radio stations either don't stay tuned or if i manage to get it in tune the volume fluctuates at random. DH and I tend to rely on the radio part of it to lull us off to sleep and stop our minds from keeping us awake. We keep it tuned to ABC's Radio National... we especially like the BBC documentaries.

    Anyhow we need a newy. As I have an iphone I have been thinking I'd like a dockable bedside clock radio. There seems to be a few around but they all look so modern. We both have a strong preference for vintage things or retro reproduction items like our cream bakelite Bush kitchen radio.

    What clock radio do you have? Have you seen anything vaguely retro around in this department?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    6,706

    We have been incredibly frustrated by the search for a new clock radio.

    Mainly for the fact that it is incredibly hard to find one with red LEDs now. They all seem to be green or blue and they light up the room. I can really only sleep with a red one - they don't light up the room as much so you can still have a dark room.

    The one we have is just crappy. It won't tune properly. It's now just sitting in the room as a clock and I use my phone alarm to wake me for work. It's supposed to have a buzzer and the radio to wake you - but the buzzer can always be heard underneath the radio when it comes on. It's just horrible!

    The old one we had was wonderful, but the buttons no longer worked. But if anyone ever sees a clock radio with two alarms that has a red LED, please let us know!

    Sorry I haven't been any help at all, Bath! But we do share your clock radio problems!

    BW

  3. #3
    Administrator
    Add Rouge on Facebook

    Jun 2003
    Ubiquity
    9,922

    Yep I hate mine. I don't use it now. We bought it new about a year or so ago and it lights up the room. I cover it now as it drives me mental. I use my iPhone for time or anything else.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Rural NSW
    6,975

    Oh! That's an interesting point about preferring red numbers. I hadn't thought about that before... Yes, when I use the iphone app on it's clock setting it's too bright... you can turn it down the brightness but it's still not quite right. I'm glad i'm not the only fussy one! I thought blue might be ok... but now that I think about it it wouldn't really look right either. I loathe green... makes me think of aliens... shame, I usually like green.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    6,706

    We bought a blue one... and even DH who doesn't mind a bit of light in the bedroom over night found it way too bright so it has been sent to the garage to be a radio when he's working out there.

    It's just weird that so few companies make red clock radios these days.

    BW

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    Melbourne
    4,031

    I bought my DH a new one for christmas after deciding the one he had which was the one I had from when I was 16 (pink) was about to break!

    Did heaps of research and in the end I bought him a Sangean brand one. They look good, practical and it comes with a plug in speaker that he can put under his pillow so he can listen to the radio without disturbing me Pretty sure they do retro looking ones too They are probably considered expensive, but if you look at how long you have them, it was well worth it.
    Now I just need to ge myself a new one too! As mine is a crappy old one that is hard to tune the radio into

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    We have a logitech ipod/iphone docking/charger alarm clock with orange numbers its great love it! And can set 2 alarms so if we need to be up at different times (haha if kids dont wake me first) can set it! As when I was working an early I would need to re set alarm before i left for DH!

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    hiding under my desk!
    1,432

    we will be getting a new one tomorrow.. it will be a sony that takes the iphone, DS will get our old one as we are starting to encourage him to stay in his room until 730 ish..

    I will have to check out the colour of the display..

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    3,562

    I've got the same one as Feeb by the sounds of it. And yep, the numbers are orange/red. We needed a new one last year so DH brought this for me so I could dock my ipod on it. Then I was made redundant from my job and had no need for the alarm because my kids just wake me now. He uses his phone for an alarm and my ipod died (VERY annoyed about that. It is only about 12-18 months old and very rarely used) so now the alarm clock just sits there. I do like to be able to see the time though so it's handy for that.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Aug 2008
    Ouiinslano
    5,303

    We have one that I picked up off the side of the road I love it

  11. #11

    Ours was given to us for a wedding present almost 10yrs ago. It has a dual alarm on it which came in handy when I had to start work at 6am and andrew at 7am.

  12. #12
    Moderator

    Oct 2004
    In my Zombie proof fortress.
    6,449

    We really want to find another with the night light option. I had one as a teenager and it was great to just flip on when you need just that little bit of light when you get up in the middle of the night. We did find another, but it is rubbish. Seems they don't make them anymore

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    5,951

    Ours was given to us for a wedding present almost 10yrs ago. It has a dual alarm on it which came in handy when I had to start work at 6am and andrew at 7am.
    Ours is like this as well. Heath sets it to one time to start waking up, then sets it a second time about 40 min later which tells him he MUST get out of bed
    It's black with red LED lights, and it's Kambrook.

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Rural NSW
    6,975

    I bought my DH a new one for christmas after deciding the one he had which was the one I had from when I was 16 (pink) was about to break!

    Did heaps of research and in the end I bought him a Sangean brand one. They look good, practical and it comes with a plug in speaker that he can put under his pillow so he can listen to the radio without disturbing me Pretty sure they do retro looking ones too They are probably considered expensive, but if you look at how long you have them, it was well worth it.
    Now I just need to ge myself a new one too! As mine is a crappy old one that is hard to tune the radio into
    Which one Heather? I had a look online... there is a few different types...

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    Melbourne
    4,031

    It's a Sangean RCR-3. I bought it on Ebay new. If you have a look at hifitrader . com . au and go to radios then clock they have it and also other brands of really good digital clock radios.
    There is a Tivoli brand too that looks good, although quite pricey.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    In my own little fantasy world
    2,946

    But if anyone ever sees a clock radio with two alarms that has a red LED, please let us know!
    BW: Not sure if you're still looking for one but I just bought one from WOW. It's a logitech one with a dual alarm, am/fm radio, ipod/iphone dock & red/orange-ish numbers. It was $150 on sale.

    I hope you have been able to replace yours Bathsheba.

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Rural NSW
    6,975

    Ah i was looking for this thread! That WOW one sounds great Rowellen! I ended up buying one from Coles! But it has a blue backlit clock which is too bright! And it isn't compatible with my iphone... but it is with DHs ipod... so he'll end up having it or DD will because she has the same ipod... it was on sale for $24!!! great price for what it is... i need one for my iphone though... so will check out WOW. Thanks

  18. #18
    2013 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    May 2007
    Brisbane
    5,310

    Mine is a black clock radio with red LED... I bought it last year for not even $20 I think. It's a AWA brand. Pretty sure I bought it from either Big W or Target. It has that obnoxious BEEP BEEP BEEP alarm, and often turns on and plays radio by itself, which is a bit freaky.

    I don't use it as an alarm because I am lazy and will not get out of bed unless I physically have to get up and out of bed to turn the alarm off so I put my phone in the walk-in robe So I just use it as a clock lol.

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