Daylight Projection Clock
by Oregon Scientific
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List Price: Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Daylight Projection Clock
Customer Review: A beautiful clock with a huge flaw
Summary: 3 Stars
I loved this clock for it's many unique, quality features. Yet within a few months after buying it (about a year ago) I discovered that the time occasionally jumps ahead an hour overnight. Sometimes it jumps ahead 2 or even 3 hours, then resets itself to the correct time a day or two later. I finally called the company and was told that this clock has a firmware programming problem that can't be fixed. The only option is to turn off the atomic update feature and set the time manually. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because I love every other feature of the clock. I don't know if the company has since fixed the problem.Customer Review: Oregon Scientific Projection Clock
Summary: 3 Stars
We love this projection clock -- this is our second one. That said, the atomic clock feature simply does not work; and Oregon Scientific doesn't seem to care. If that feature matters to you, do not buy this clock! It works well as a projection clock, albeit somewhat over-priced. We probably would not buy anything from this vendor again.Customer Review: Good Clock, but ...
Summary: 2 Stars
I had my clock for about a month, and after many struggles, finally had to return it.
On the plus side, yes, the clock is stylish and looks nice. The displays (both on the clock itself and the projected display on the ceiling) are easy to read. Even the projected display is readable in daylight conditions. However, while the clock does have a sensor which dims the display during low light, it is still bright at night. I didn't consider this an issue, but if you like your bedroom dark, this may not be the clock for you. I was somewhat concerned about the projector bulb. I could find no way of replacing it, and since it's on 24 hours a day, how long will the bulb last? Will you have to throw the clock away in a few months when the bulb burns out?
Unfortunately, I also encountered several other major issues which ultimately made me decide not to keep the clock. First, the automatic time set function does not work. The clock is supposed to receive a radio signal and automatically adjust the time. The indicator on my clock showed that it was receiving a "strong" time sync signal, however, while the minutes remained accurate, the hours fluctuated randomly. The owners manual was no help. The manual that is shipped with the clock is one which covers multiple clock models in multiple languages, so ends up being nearly useless. The manual describes setting the time zone, as you might expect, to "eastern"," central"," mountain", etc. Unfortunately, my clock didn't display what the manual described. The clock only gave me an option of selecting a digit from zero through twelve, or from negative eleven through negative one. I assumed that perhaps that was the local adjustment to Greenwich Mean Time, but apparently I was mistaken. I tried every possible setting, and yet always found the clock displaying some random hour that made no sense. Finally I found a way of disabling the receiver, and after manually setting the time, it managed to keep reasonably accurate time.
The second issue you should consider is the motion sensor. Like one of the other reviewers, initially I found this function an enjoyable novelty. Sadly, I found out that under use, this function produces more problems than it provides usefulness. The clock is designed so that you can wave your hand over the clock to select which function to display (time, inside air temperature, outside air temperature, etc). Sounds nifty, right? Well, it is, unless like me, you use your night stand for more than a clock stand. If you place your book or TV remote on the nightstand before going to sleep; or if you reach for a glass of water or to turn out the light; or if you're lucky enough to enjoy an animated session of passion at night; all these things will be recognized by the clock, and it will happily go about cycling through its functions. Way too many times I've found myself lying in bed, glancing over at the clock to check the time, only to find out that the clock is displaying outside air temperature, or some other piece of random, useless, information rather than the time.
Oregon Scientific produced a great clock that I would have happily awarded 5 stars. Unfortunately, they then proceeded to screw it up by adding extraneous functions that not only don't work, they prevent the clock from accomplishing its primary function of telling time. Under the right circumstances this clock might be fantastic, but beware of the added issues.
Customer Review: Not a reliable timekeeper
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought 2 of these based on the ability to view in daylight and the automatic time setting. When they arrived I read the instructions. It had different instructions for setting the american version (serial# ending with an "A") as opposed to the European version. The american version (according to the instructions) just needed set for Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific. Simple, right? Wrong! The only way to set the time was to use the European instructions. This meant selecting how many hours to offset the clock in 1 hour incraments based on where your time zone is relative to where the signal is sent out in Colorado. But you have to assume what time zone the signal is out of then set the variance, then wait for a "strong signal" to see what the clock does. Of course it took 6 hours for the signal took fully connect so you have to come back later and see if you were right.
So after I get the right time set and a couple days goes by without a problem I figure I'm in the clear and the clock is now reliable. PSYCH! Out of nowhere the clock sets itself back an hour in the middle of the night. Thank God I was still using the alarm on my old clock (since the alarm on the projection clock is so whimpy) otherwise I'd have been late to work (not a good thing to be when they're laying people off). At some point during the day it magically resets itself to the correct time. So a couple months goes by and I figure its all good. NOT! Sat 3-7-2009 comes up and its daylight savings time. I look at the clock on saturday morning and its alreay set itself ahead 1 hour. Odd, i think to myself, since you're not supposed to set the clock ahead until midnight. Well low and behold it does set itself ahead at midnight AN ADDITIONAL HOUR!!! making it an hour off! Luckily, I never did remove my old clock. This company must have some real jokers controlling the signal that sets the clock.
Other than those major inconveniences, its kinda neat, the projection is great and the outdoor temp moniter is too. Just make sure you dont buy one as a gift for someone (unless its your enemy) because you'll get all sorts of calls letting you know you gift doesn't work right.
Customer Review: I loved this clock, I just wished that it worked.
Summary: 2 Stars
I really like this clock, but returned it after a week because the Atomic setting didn't work. Per the Manual you set the clock to the time zone (P)acific, (M)ountain, (C)entral or (E)astern. But what it really had was a plus/minus 12 as the ZONE selection.
Well I live in the Central time zone, so I set the time ZONE offset to "1" (Mountain time zone plus one hour), the clock synced over night but it was off by an hour, so I adjusted the time ZONE to "2", the clock was correct for 2-3 days, then over night it changed and was off by an our again, set the time ZONE offset to "1", the time was correct for 2-3 days, then over night it changed and was off by an hour, set the ZONE offset for "2"...
Repeat...
So you go to bed without know if you're going to be an hour late for work or not!