GE 7-4894 Clock Radio
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- Snooze Alarm: Yes
- Tuner Type: Analog Tuner
- Display: LED
- Dual Alarm: Yes
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A Dual Alarm Clock Radio That Does What Is Expected of It
Pros
Decent sound, quality feel of the controls, a non-wimpy alarm sound.
Cons
Time difficult to read in the daytime due to reflections on clock face cover.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This clock radio has functions that I would expect to see on much more expensive radios.
I don't know if it is a waste of time to write an Epinion about a product that has been discontinued, but, I like this clock radio so much, I just need to tell others about it. Also, this particular model might just be found on the shelves in the various discount stores across the country, so heads up!
Last week, I was in the market for a new clock radio, as my 20 year old Sony began to act less than reliable. While I figured that I would purchase another Sony, it was coincidence that I happened to find this model by General Electric on sale as a close out item at my local Eckerd pharmacy. The price was good, and after reading the product description on the package, I thought that I would take a chance.
I have been pretty fed up with cheap, imported electronics as of late, and upon taking this radio out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see (and feel) the quality. I had expected it to be as light as a feather, and while it is no heavy-weight, it does not feel as if it will fly off the night stand the first time that I grope to switch off the alarm.
The radio probably looks ugly to some, as it has a semi-round design that makes it look like a little space ship. The front where the clock face is has a bulbous plastic lens that covers the time readout. I think that it looks funky.
Some folks might be mislead by GE's labeling this clock radio as "instant time-set," thinking that it is one of those atomic clocks that picks up the time signal from Denver. This clock is not atomic. The time (and day of the week) was set at the factory, and the batteries (two AA batteries) in the clock keep it set so that when one plugs it in, it is set to the correct time of day. While this is a great idea, my clock was ten minutes slow, and I am guessing that is due to the fact that the batteries might be old...the copyright date on the box is 2003. The instruction manual provides instruction on how to set the time (and day of the week) should the time be off, or the batteries die, and it really wasn't difficult to do.
Before one plugs the unit in for the first time, the time zone needs to be set, and this is done by simply moving a slider switch to the proper setting on the bottom of the unit. Also, there is a daylight savings time switch on the bottom, which adjusts the clock for DST. One switches it on in the summer, and off in the fall, and it sure is easier than running the time ahead or back.
The digital numbers for the clock are .9" high and are listed as green in color. They look more yellow to me, but as long as I can see them in the middle of the night without my glasses, I am happy. I don't find the readout to be too bright, but then again, I sleep through thunder and lightning storms. That plastic lens that covers the display causes a bit of a problem during the daytime, as due to its shape, it reflects the window light from across the room and over the head of the bed, making viewing the time a bit difficult during the day.
Operation of the radio and alarm is as follows:
The tuning of the stations is by a little rotating roller which moves a pointer on the dial. The radio dial is on the side of the unit, which means that one needs to pick up the radio in order to see where the pointer is on the dial. The radio dial does not light up. Some people might find this to be a pain, but it works for me, as I choose a station, and leave the radio set on that station for years.
The sound of the radio is pretty much what one would expect from a small 2.5" speaker encased in a plastic housing, though the sound is crystal clear, with no buzzing or rattling. The spoken voice is easy to listen to, and my oldies radio station sounds OK.
Radio reception is decent too, though don't think that this radio is a long-range radio. As with most low-priced clock radios, it pulls in the local AM and FM stations with ease, though distant stations are not all that clear.
The sound of the alarm is a typical electronic "beep-beep," which starts out softly, and gradually builds in volume. GE calls this feature "Graduwake."
Setting the wake time is easy. One slides the "set" switch to Wake 1 or Wake 2, which unlocks the setting function. Forward and reverse buttons make setting the alarm (or time of the clock) easy, as if a mistake is made, one does not need to go round the whole cycle, just back up to the desired time. When the alarm is set, slide the lock switch to "lock."
Once the alarm is set and locked in, pressing a button provided sets the radio to wake with the alarm sound or the radio. Since I am obsessive compulsive about some things, I have Wake 1 set to buzz at 4:59 AM, and Wake 2 is set to turn the radio on at 5:00 AM, so that I can listen to the news.
This unit is equipped with a "weekend cancel" function, which disables the alarm on Saturday and Sunday. It is so nice to not have to think about switching the alarm off on Friday morning when I know that I will be away from home on the weekend. If I am going to be home for the weekend, I don't push the weekend cancel button, and let the alarm wake me at the pre-set time, as I am a morning person.
There is a snooze function which may be set from one minute to 30 minutes for that extra snooze time. I assume that it works well, as I don't use the snooze function on an alarm.
The radio has a sleep mode, allowing the radio to switch off at a pre-determined time, ranging from one minute to two hours.
The nap mode is wonderful! One can nap for up to two hours, having the alarm buzz (no radio function on the nap setting) to wake. I like that, as the pre-set morning wake up times do not change.
In the week that I have owned this clock radio, I have been more than pleased with it. I like it so much, that I went back to the store and purchased another one, the last one that was in stock!
March 13, 2007 Update:
Sigh. I found a glitch in this little clock radio. The Daylight Saving Time switch that I thought was so neat works, but a little too well. A simple slide of the switch, and the clock's time advanced one hour, just as it was supposed to. The next morning, I was awakened an hour later. This clock not only advances the time one hour for DST, it advances the alarm settings. My alarm that was set for 5:00 AM was now set for 6:00 AM. This is NOT a good thing! Luckily for me, I still had enough time to get ready and make it out the door on time.
Last week, I was in the market for a new clock radio, as my 20 year old Sony began to act less than reliable. While I figured that I would purchase another Sony, it was coincidence that I happened to find this model by General Electric on sale as a close out item at my local Eckerd pharmacy. The price was good, and after reading the product description on the package, I thought that I would take a chance.
I have been pretty fed up with cheap, imported electronics as of late, and upon taking this radio out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see (and feel) the quality. I had expected it to be as light as a feather, and while it is no heavy-weight, it does not feel as if it will fly off the night stand the first time that I grope to switch off the alarm.
The radio probably looks ugly to some, as it has a semi-round design that makes it look like a little space ship. The front where the clock face is has a bulbous plastic lens that covers the time readout. I think that it looks funky.
Some folks might be mislead by GE's labeling this clock radio as "instant time-set," thinking that it is one of those atomic clocks that picks up the time signal from Denver. This clock is not atomic. The time (and day of the week) was set at the factory, and the batteries (two AA batteries) in the clock keep it set so that when one plugs it in, it is set to the correct time of day. While this is a great idea, my clock was ten minutes slow, and I am guessing that is due to the fact that the batteries might be old...the copyright date on the box is 2003. The instruction manual provides instruction on how to set the time (and day of the week) should the time be off, or the batteries die, and it really wasn't difficult to do.
Before one plugs the unit in for the first time, the time zone needs to be set, and this is done by simply moving a slider switch to the proper setting on the bottom of the unit. Also, there is a daylight savings time switch on the bottom, which adjusts the clock for DST. One switches it on in the summer, and off in the fall, and it sure is easier than running the time ahead or back.
The digital numbers for the clock are .9" high and are listed as green in color. They look more yellow to me, but as long as I can see them in the middle of the night without my glasses, I am happy. I don't find the readout to be too bright, but then again, I sleep through thunder and lightning storms. That plastic lens that covers the display causes a bit of a problem during the daytime, as due to its shape, it reflects the window light from across the room and over the head of the bed, making viewing the time a bit difficult during the day.
Operation of the radio and alarm is as follows:
The tuning of the stations is by a little rotating roller which moves a pointer on the dial. The radio dial is on the side of the unit, which means that one needs to pick up the radio in order to see where the pointer is on the dial. The radio dial does not light up. Some people might find this to be a pain, but it works for me, as I choose a station, and leave the radio set on that station for years.
The sound of the radio is pretty much what one would expect from a small 2.5" speaker encased in a plastic housing, though the sound is crystal clear, with no buzzing or rattling. The spoken voice is easy to listen to, and my oldies radio station sounds OK.
Radio reception is decent too, though don't think that this radio is a long-range radio. As with most low-priced clock radios, it pulls in the local AM and FM stations with ease, though distant stations are not all that clear.
The sound of the alarm is a typical electronic "beep-beep," which starts out softly, and gradually builds in volume. GE calls this feature "Graduwake."
Setting the wake time is easy. One slides the "set" switch to Wake 1 or Wake 2, which unlocks the setting function. Forward and reverse buttons make setting the alarm (or time of the clock) easy, as if a mistake is made, one does not need to go round the whole cycle, just back up to the desired time. When the alarm is set, slide the lock switch to "lock."
Once the alarm is set and locked in, pressing a button provided sets the radio to wake with the alarm sound or the radio. Since I am obsessive compulsive about some things, I have Wake 1 set to buzz at 4:59 AM, and Wake 2 is set to turn the radio on at 5:00 AM, so that I can listen to the news.
This unit is equipped with a "weekend cancel" function, which disables the alarm on Saturday and Sunday. It is so nice to not have to think about switching the alarm off on Friday morning when I know that I will be away from home on the weekend. If I am going to be home for the weekend, I don't push the weekend cancel button, and let the alarm wake me at the pre-set time, as I am a morning person.
There is a snooze function which may be set from one minute to 30 minutes for that extra snooze time. I assume that it works well, as I don't use the snooze function on an alarm.
The radio has a sleep mode, allowing the radio to switch off at a pre-determined time, ranging from one minute to two hours.
The nap mode is wonderful! One can nap for up to two hours, having the alarm buzz (no radio function on the nap setting) to wake. I like that, as the pre-set morning wake up times do not change.
In the week that I have owned this clock radio, I have been more than pleased with it. I like it so much, that I went back to the store and purchased another one, the last one that was in stock!
March 13, 2007 Update:
Sigh. I found a glitch in this little clock radio. The Daylight Saving Time switch that I thought was so neat works, but a little too well. A simple slide of the switch, and the clock's time advanced one hour, just as it was supposed to. The next morning, I was awakened an hour later. This clock not only advances the time one hour for DST, it advances the alarm settings. My alarm that was set for 5:00 AM was now set for 6:00 AM. This is NOT a good thing! Luckily for me, I still had enough time to get ready and make it out the door on time.
