Emerson CKS3516 SmartSet Dual-Alarm Clock Radio with Time Projection System (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I so happy I found this product on Amazon. I originally bought this clock at radio shack with a radio shack brand on it 4+ years ago for my wife for Christmas. Radio shack quit selling the product and wasn't available via web site / catalog either. My entire family loves this product. We had one in the master bedroom. Whenever the kids get sick, my wife steals it to sleep in their room. I've been looking for a product with the same unique combination of features. 1) Atomic setting. 2) Projector with mirror and brightness. 3) LARGE LED lights you can still see in the day - and large LEDs so I can read the clock directly at night without my glasses on. 4) Reliability - I'm on 4 years and it works great. 5) dual alarms with the M-F ability and weekend ability. (Love it!!!). 6) brightness level on the LED lights. (I'm extremely light sensitive when I sleep. I like it pitch dark.) I never use the radio part. I do use the different sounds - birds, ocean sounds, etc.The reason why I'm ordering multiples is the unique combo of quality and features. I believe radio shack was [...] as well. So this is a deal at Amazon.Other comments you'll read talk about reliability of cheap clocks. This one is rock solid. Put a battery in it. Set the wake up alarm to M-F. Literally never ever touch the clock again. Power goes out at least 2x a month for me. I never even have to think about the clock or time. Rock solid clock.I love the projector. ALL projectors will fade out in the day. I don't mind that at all. If the projector was powerful enough to out shine sunlight, your entire room would glow red at night.My upstairs bedrooms have slanted ceilings. There is a mirror flip switch in the clock which lets me rotate the time. Some rooms you flip the internal mirror and to project on a wall. (If you're one of the people who needs the alarm clock to be across the room to help you over come snooze button addiction you can still project above your bed). If I want it directly above me I can do that. I prefer it on the slope across the bedroom. This makes the numbers several feet in height and really dims down their brightness. (Closer you project brighter the numbers are). But this lets me look up at at 45% angle and check the time. Best thing about projector clocks are that you don't have to roll over and move items on the nightstand to see what time it is. Just open your eyes and look at the ceiling.

I spent many hours reviewing projection clock/radios on amazon and newegg. The problems i saw everywhere, regaurdless of the price of the units were: the projection isnt bright enough, the alarm is not loud enough, and the alarm doesnt have the right settings. This to me means that the price of the unit will not improve these problems for various reasons. I also do not need the extra features like the outdoor temp or the weekly forecast(which seem not to work most of the time anyways). So i chose to find a clock that only had what i needed: TIME, ALARM, RADIO, AND PROJECTION. So i set out to find the most solid, simple, and best priced unit that had all these features. I ended up finding this unit. Not the most attractive, not the most Hi-tech, but it seems the most reliable and had decent reviews all around.THE PROJECTION on this clock works fine, you can start to see it once dusk comes, but does not become clear until the TV or Computer Monitor in the room is turned off for the night. It will remain clear on your wall or ceiling until about 8AM or so, unless you have dark or thick curtains do completely cover your windows. It swivels 180 degrees, and has a manual focus to help make sure the time is clearly projected. No complaints with this feature.THE ALARM starts very very silent and then crescendos. If you are already awake, you will first ask yourself if you really heard it it is so quiet. It then slowly, crescendos to a good decently loud tone, it can definitely wake me any day of the week, and i need a loud alarm to wake up. If this is still not loud enough for you, the radio alarm can be set at whatever volume you left it at. Also, it has 2 alarms, one for Mon-Fri, and one for the weekend which can be set for different times. I like this feature, but wish it would let me alternate days, ie. Mon, Wed, Fri. Otherwise, no complaints here.THE RADIO works fine. Although i wouldnt mind it being digital, the knob seems sensitive enough and finds all of my radio stations fine. The speakers are decent, nothing special, but dont distort until the radio is louder than you would ever play it on a simple clock/radio.THE AUTO TIME SET wasnt correct when i got it, but this didnt matter. It sets in about 15 seconds, then i adjusted it a few minutes and that was that. When i had to unplug it to move it, it came back to the adjusted time which was pleasant. The Day and Time were correct though.OVERALL im very pleased. unit works well, and i recieved a silver one.. which actually looks much better than the aqua colored one pictured. Tt seems solid, not too large, with good features. Id say it packs about the most reliable punch for its price. If you dont like alot of light in your room at night, the time screen may be a bit bright for you even when its dummed.

This was my second Emerson CKS3516. I very much liked my first one, but it failed to function after a power outage in our neighborhood, although no other electrical or electronic devices in the house were harmed. I purchased another, through Amazon.com. The tuner was of such low quality that our favored, local NPR station could not be pulled in with a legible signal, even though every other radio in the house (including the first Emerson CKS3516) receives this signal with no trouble and with great clarity. This deficit caused me to return the radio. I read online reviews, and discovered that many buyers complained about non-functioning radios, many breaking within the first few months of use. The features are wonderful, but there appears to be no reasonable expectation for a reliable product. That is a shame, since the time projection system is a rare, but useful, feature.

nice and big display nice and bright at night but not too bright that it lights up the whole bed room at night but easy to see during the night. clock still works after years of use never skips a beat. well worth the money!