Customer Reviews:
 Returned mine June 22, 2008
I ordered this radio for my mom who, like me, lives in a poured concrete condo and has trouble getting a signal from some radios. I had hoped that the HD radio would have better reception and the atomic clock was just an added benefit. When I got the radio, I decided to try it out in my condo before giving it to Mom. It never did sync up to the atomic clock signal even though I left it plugged in for about a day but that wasn't the deal breaker. What was, however, was the fact that I couldn't tune in ANY radio signals without overwhelming static, even the couple of stations that my old $20 clock radio receives moderately well. Couldn't even get a usable signal for the AM clear channel station that you can get out in the woods in northern MN. I returned it without even telling Mom about it -- no point. Maybe this would work better in a single dwelling structure but I can't recommend it for a multi-unit building.
 Great bedside radio and clock June 13, 2008
I really enjoy my Sangean RCR-22! Here are some aspects that differentiate it from a cheaper clock radio:
Radio reception and function: Great
If you are looking for a good clock radio for your bedroom, this may the one for you. It has great AM and FM reception - comparable to my Sangean WR-2. I like to listen to the radio in my bedroom and found my older inexpensive clock radio's reception disappointing. This radio pulls in stations loud and clear. Despite not having external antenna jacks, the reception is impressive. The speaker of the RCR-22 is not as good as that of the WR-2, nor does this have tone control, but it certainly sounds good.
Radio Controlled (Atomic) Clock: Good
Mine works well placed by a window. It did take a few hours to get that first signal for the time to set automatically. To get the best signal, you can remove the "Time Capsule" antenna from the back, and mount it near a window at a 90 degree angle from the direction of time signal source in Fort Collins, Colorado. I left the "Time Capsule" antenna on the back of my RCR-22, and it gets a signal at night (when the signal is stronger) but sometimes misses it during the day.
Backlit Display: OK
The display is too bright as it is set right out of the box, but it is adjustable. I turned the brightness down pretty low for night viewing. There is a brightness button on front so that you can quickly switch the display from full brightness to the manually set brightness. I turn the display on full power during daylight hours so it stands out, and on the manual brightness setting during nighttime. An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the display brightness would have been preferable, but I can handle pushing a single button when I get in and out of bed.
Alarm Setting and Options: Great
There are two alarms you can set at different times or days of the week. Yes, there are lots of buttons and options for setting the alarm and it isn't quite as simple as it is on cheaper clock radios. But you are using a computer and reading this on the internet--you are probably smart enough to figure out the RCR-22 quickly.
Overall, I'd recommend this product if you are looking to get away from annoying $15 clock radios that have bad analog tuning and bad reception. The radio-controlled clock function and alarm functions are nice, but there may be better options out there.
 works, but finicky June 13, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
my sangean has a hard time getting a signal from the "Great Clock in the Sky" or whatever it syncs to. Once it gets its signal, it's fine and the alarm is great and the radio is decent... but if it gets unplugged for any reason, when I plug it back in, it's slow... and it stays slow (or behind or something) until it finds that elusive signal. If I happen to knock it unplugged in the middle of the night, and sleepily plug it back in, or the cord gets jostled in and out by sleepy feet at the end of my bed a few times, I end up late for work. It's a bummer. I know that I could try plugging it in elsewhere or trying to find a place where it gets better reception, but so far my efforts in those tasks have proved unsuccessful, it's too bad I can't just trust it to stay the right time.
 Better Reception June 7, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I live in the country outside of Santa Fe, NM and have had difficulty receiving our local NPR station signal. Sangean now brings KSFR equal in signal strength to other stations, allows me to toggle between pre-sets with ease, has great fidelity, is ALWAYS on time, and I didn't have to pay for bells and whistles I don't need, e.g. an iPod dock and a CD player. I can't speak to the many alarm clock features as I am retired and love not having deal with wakeup times. This little dynamo has a lot going for it.
Great clock radio - pity about the documentation May 27, 2008
I purchased this clock radio because I was looking for a clock radio that had a good radio and that did not require to be adjusted for day light saving (my current clock radio needs to be adjusted 4 times a year due to the new DST dates). The Sangean is this and more. It was easy to set up, I plugged it in and within a few minutes everything was set. The automatic time adjustment works well and the features are logical. The user manual on the other hand leaves a lot to be desired and does not even describe all of the functionality (I have discovered it playing with the clock radio). The radio reception is excellent and works well even with the weaker stations in our area. The brightness for night time is adjustable with a push button (would be nice if it was automatic though). The two alarms can be set independently and can be set to operate any day/s you want and with the radio or the beeping alarm. I would recommend this clock radio for anyone who is looking for clock radio that is technologically superior to your average clock radio. Unfortunately the price reflects this. Oh, and by the way the Sangean tech support is not much better than the user manual. I called them with a question and the person I spoke to did not know the answer. I found my answer in the user reviews on Amazon!
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