# digital / LED alarm clocks, why no "keypad"?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108 "2001-10-03T02:33:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/21 "2001-10-03T20:56:11Z")
Well, my curiosity got the best of me and here is what I came up with… > **[How Digital Clocks Work](https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/digital-clock.htm)** > > When you need to know the time, there's about a 50-50 chance you'll turn to some LEDs to find out. Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a digital clock or watch? Go to the High level View section for the best, not-so-technical explanation. I’m not really sure this answers the OP comletely, but it is interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/22 "2001-10-03T21:20:13Z")
\<\\> After visiting the link, I see why I’ve never noticed them…I’m usually checking out the cheapo ones. I winced at paying $20 for an alarm clock simply to get one with an LED readout big enough for me to read. Thanks, I’m sure I’ll see them all over now. Corr ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/23 "2001-10-03T23:21:03Z")
I have one - well it’s actually a nokia cell phone. the cell phone (or the service) sucked as a phone but makes a kick-ass alarm clock. I can direct enter the time. I have since discontinued the cell service but still use the phone as an alarm. and get this - I have 4 days of backup power if the a/c fails. Talk about battery backup ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/24 "2001-10-03T23:37:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corrvin \* > \*\*After visiting the link, I see why I’ve never noticed them…I’m usually checking out the cheapo ones > Corr \*\* Here’s one from [Target](http://www.target.com/common/catalog/product.jhtml?prodid=78532&navAction=jump&navCount=1) for $14.99. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/25 "2001-10-04T00:44:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corrvin \* > \*\*Has anyone ever seen an alarm clock for which you could set TWO alarms? > Corr \*\* GE Model 7-4648b Two Wake times. I love mine and no you can’t have it:) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/26 "2001-10-04T03:01:56Z")
An alternative would be to buy a second alarm clock. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/27 "2001-10-04T03:22:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rowrrbazzle \* > \*\*An alternative would be to buy a second alarm clock. \*\* No, not the solution. You know the story about a man with two watches… ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/28 "2001-10-05T19:15:59Z")
> [@](#): > > You know the story about a man with two watches… would that be ‘man with watch knows what time it is, man with 2 watches is never sure’? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/29 "2001-10-07T13:35:21Z")
I had a Radio Shack alarm clock (not a clock radio) that had a keypad for setting time and alarm, and it was very convenient. But it died in a few days. I liked it so much I bought another, which also died. It’s frustrating that there are hundreds of different clocks with the same stupid limitation, and only one (that I found) designed reasonably but defectively. If they can sell pocket calculators with keypads for half the price of a cheeseburger, it’s obvious that they could sell a clock with a keypad for the $30 that I’d probably pay. On a related note, now I have an alarm clock that follows the atomic time signal from Boulder, so it’s always very accurate. I like that. But this clock has the worst design I’ve experienced - it tapers upward so you can barely pick it up with one hand, and setting the alarm takes manipulating two buttons with several stages that are time sensitive (ie holding a button for several seconds so its immediate funciton is canceled and a setting mode is enabled). The display is medium dark silvery green gray numbers on a medium silverey green gray background, and much of the display is taken up by a map of the United States to show which time zone the clock is set to. Setting the time zone, BTW, has its own button and is very easy. I change the alarm time several times a week and move between time zones about every 20 years. So I can’t help but reach the conclusion that until I design an alarm clock myself, every alarm clock in the world will have an unsatisfactory and indeed stupid design - incredible but true… ---
**Author:** ![achterover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@achterover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/achterover)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108/30 "2001-10-07T14:07:57Z")
I do the exact same thing as k2dave. I have three alarm settings, and, through much practice, have mastered navigating the menu and adding 15 minutes to the third alarm with my eyes closed – if my samsung only had a snooze button, it would be a great deal simpler… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-led-alarm-clocks-why-no-keypad/85108.md?page=1)