Convenience AND beauty: Atomic clock. Battery only. Wall/table. Backlight (5-seconds). Shiny black.
PROS: Affordability. Five-inches-high compactness. Atomic-clock accuracy. Selectable daylight-saving-time mode. Very accurate thermometer. Legibility of the time-and-calendar LCD. Shiny black front "frame," together with silvery highlights, let this Sharp model serve as not only a “desktop” but also a “wall” clock whose looks and size tastefully complement one or more wall decorations (e.g., sports-team sublimated plaques). CONS: While my Kansas City location lets me point clock ANY direction and still receive the Colorado atomic radio-broadcast signal, very distant or problematic locations may require clock's rear/front to point DIRECTLY toward Colorado. Regarding LCD BACKLIGHT: Undeniably appealing blue, temporary (five-seconds) backlight must be activated by PRESSING DOWNWARD (not just touching) the extra-wide, topmost button, which — for no really good reason — emits not only a slightly annoying mechanical click but also a high-pitched, low-volume, electronic beep. The combination of those two simultaneous noises, especially if repeated nightly, could significantly irritate certain would-be sleepers. * * * TWO EXCERPTS FROM MY BELOW DISCUSSION: "Anyway, in my location this model's atomic-clock functionality remains admirably impressive and highly satisfying." "And thus the displayed time-and-calendar information will surely remain accurate for the duration of this Sharp product's useful life, which could well be a great many years." * * * I myself didn’t buy this product to use as an ALARM clock. Instead, I bought this versatile (desktop-and-wall-compatible) clock specifically — for an area lit brightly enough for art display — to mount closely between two vertically arranged pro-football team WALL plaques having black “frames” whose matching sizes and configurations fortuitously resemble the rather shiny black front "frame" of this tastefully styled Sharp clock. I had initially been seeking a battery-powered clock that featured not only such a black “frame” but also atomic (aka radio-controlled) time-and-calendar accuracy — together with suitable compactness (i.e., height no greater than five inches). Frankly, this was the ONLY such clock that I managed to find after a LOT of searching via Amazon’s pertinent product pages. The upshot is that this model has worked out fully splendidly for my aforementioned DECORATIVE purpose (not to mention the welcome functionality of its very accurate thermometer and the excellent legibility of its time-and-calendar display). HIGHLY SATISFYING ATOMIC-CLOCK PERFORMANCE: [Note: As with essentially any "atomic-clock" product, the pertinent Colorado radio-broadcast signal is best received during OVERNIGHT hours. MOREOVER, this particular Sharp (model SPC932) clock's REAR or FRONT — in certain locations that are extremely distant from Colorado and/or are in unusually "reception-challenged" settings — may need to be pointed DIRECTLY toward Colorado. My particular "wall" installation in suburban Kansas City — on the first floor of my multilevel house — required the clock's rear to point northward (i.e., NOT toward Colorado); otherwise, I likely could've obtained even better results than what I report below.] Having now used this clock for two weeks, I can happily report that I began 12 of 14 mornings (routinely rising around 7:30 AM CST from my night's sleep) by beholding the "atomic signal found" icon triumphantly displayed steadily on the LCD. And even in the two instances that the morning-time "atomic signal found" icon was surprisingly absent from the display, it appeared to merely signify that although the FINAL nightly signal-reception attempt had itself failed, at least one or two of the preceding hourly attempts within that same overnight session had likely succeeded. Anyway, on those two unusual mornings the situation LUCKILY proved immediately perfectible — with no need to remove the clock from the wall — by simply MANUALLY pressing-and-holding the "WAVE" key to initiate a new radio-signal-reception attempt which did prove successful on the first try. [But I subsequently learned that such convenient luck doesn't happen "every single time" when this clock's rear/front isn't pointed toward Colorado!] Regarding this model’s "automatic overnight" searches for the atomic clock radio signal, Sharp's included instruction manual states: "If the clock fails to synchronize in the first attempt, the signal is usually received by morning the next day." I've found that statement true indeed with my specimen of this clock. For, my own close observations (during TWO randomly selected nights) revealed the following facts: (1) At exactly 1:03 AM CST, the first "automatic overnight" radio-signal-reception attempt began (the pertinent "searching for atomic signal" icon began flashing); and that attempt did prove successful (causing the pertinent "atomic signal found" icon to stay steadily on the display). Next, the clock correctly REPEATED another such radio-signal-reception attempt exactly one hour later (2:03 AM CST). However, THAT particular attempt FAILED (causing the prior "atomic signal found" icon to vanish from the display). Thereafter, the clock correctly continued automatically initiating still more such hourly signal-search attempts during the remaining overnight hours in the session; and at least the FINAL such attempt did prove successful, because I happily beheld the presence of the "atomic signal found" icon (remaining steadily on the display) when I awoke around 7:30 AM CST. (2) Several days later, I noticed that the 3:03 AM CST radio-signal-search attempt FAILED. But the very next hourly attempt (at 4:03 AM CST) succeeded (leaving an "atomic signal found" icon steadily on the display). And then — FINALLY — at 5:03 AM CST the clock correctly did NOT initiate any additional attempt to synchronize with the atomic radio signal. (The prior hour's "atomic signal found" icon correctly remained steadily on the display.) Now, could I unhesitatingly say this Sharp model (SPC932) is the "ultimate" paragon of atomic-clock performance? Well, almost but not absolutely. In contrast to several "less finicky or particular" products within my large collection of atomic clocks (including a different Sharp model and sundry competing brands), this model SPC932 — particularly if its rear/front isn't pointed toward Colorado — may, very infrequently, struggle or fail to synchronize with the Colorado broadcast signal. With that said, the truly trivial degree of difference between this model and one embodying "perfect" atomic-clock-synchronization reliability shouldn't matter to most consumers — especially when factoring not only this model's affordability but also its other fine features collectively. Anyway, in my location this model's atomic-clock functionality remains admirably impressive and highly satisfying. [In this general vein, I recall reading a couple of other Customer reviewers — in, respectively, Canadian and Connecticut locations — who mentioned their specimens of this Sharp model being indeed capable of receiving the atomic radio signal all right, as long as those clocks' rears/fronts were pointed toward Colorado. In contrast, still another Customer reviewer — in exceedingly distant Hawaii — reported being utterly unable to get his specimen of this model to receive that Colorado signal.] In sum, I deem this atomic clock model a trustworthy keeper, insofar as I foresee it — judging from my particular installation within a Kansas City suburb — never failing to update itself at least two or three times during each automatically recurring, extended overnight session comprising MULTIPLE hourly signal-search attempts. And thus the displayed time-and-calendar information will surely remain accurate for the duration of this Sharp product's useful life, which could well be a great many years. [Incidentally, MANUALLY pressing-and-holding the "WAVE" button to initiate a search for the atomic radio signal, I've also happily successfully tested this same Sharp specimen in various other locations of my multilevel house — not only elsewhere on the first floor and then out in the attached windowless garage with both driveway doors fully closed, but also down in the fully-underground finished basement and finally upstairs on the second and third floors. In all of those other locations, atomic-clock functionality was maximally enhanced whenever the clock's rear/front was pointed DIRECTLY toward Colorado. On the second and third floors — where signal reception was noticeably at its very best — the "searching for atomic signal" icon began flashing at full-signal-bars strength within about five seconds (even at such DAYTIME junctures as 3:00 and 4:45 PM CST); and the ensuing "atomic signal found" icon most quickly appeared — within two minutes.] Bottom line, especially recalling this radio-controlled model's unique combination of "five-inches-high" compactness and "shiny-black-frame" stylishness being so felicitous for my aforementioned DECORATIVE purpose, I'm thoroughly delighted and grateful to Sharp for creating — for me — the "perfect" little atomic wall clock! * * * P.S.: Under the subheading “Words to the Wise,” I’ll leave you with two vital reminders: First, I strongly advise that you DON’T TOUCH the — at least initially — strikingly beautifully shiny-black-plastic portions of this product’s front, especially if you aim to install it in a location where bright ambient light will readily reveal even the slightest fingerprint smudge or fingernail scratch. Be proudly prudent by touching only the outermost edges. Second, do not initially neglect to MANUALLY select your location’s TIME ZONE. Essentially every atomic-clock retail product absolutely requires that particular bit of manual user input, in order to display the correct HOURLY time. Read more
