# Do you own a clock radio? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211 "2018-12-15T23:21:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/81 "2018-12-17T21:37:27Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Sure. I don’t keep my cell near my bed. > > Also, I can see the numbers on the radio without my glasses if I wake up in the middle of the night. > > I don’t use it for a radio. I set it to wake to music, but turn it off as soon as it goes off. I DON’T want to know what time it is if I wake up in the middle of the night (I always do and often). Ignorance is bliss for me in that respect. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/82 "2018-12-17T22:25:51Z")
I have one which I use as an alarm. I don’t usually use it to listen to the radio other than the short tame in the morning. (I have a different radio that I might use to listen to a late Packer game) Brian ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/83 "2018-12-17T23:10:08Z")
I still have my sweet Panasonic, two-alarm, green LED clock radio in my room. My mom gave it to me for Christmas about 40 years ago. I use it as a clock, and my phone for alarms. I still have to get up to shut off the alarm. My phone is not kept by my bed because cats, water glasses, and phones cannot peacefully co-exist at my house. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/84 "2018-12-18T03:50:12Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > That’s hardly “classic”. The one I had as a kid was analog. Sort of like [this](https://picclick.com/Vintage-Classic-General-Electric-Solid-State-Clock-Radio-332595012568.html) one. And that was solid state, so to me “true classic” would have been a tube clock radio. Oh yes! We had one like that when I was a kid. I can still remember the feel of the radio dial. You put your finger near the center to spin the dial fast, then moved to the outside of the dial for fine tuning. Good times… ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/85 "2018-12-18T05:47:36Z")
Yes. As best I can tell, clock radios never die. I had a white cubical one that I used in high school – 15 years later it still worked fine, but the white plastic had turned a sickly yellow. At about the same time, I found a nearly identical black cubical GE model still in it’s box that a departing student had left behind when they moved out. I’ve now been using this one for about 20 years. I’ve have two other clock radios that I’ve picked up over the years. Both still work fine. There was one that my wife had that we tossed because the built-in cordless phone that was in it died. That one only lasted about a decade (though the clock and the radio both still worked fine). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/86 "2018-12-18T06:47:18Z")
Got one, but it’s really old. I would say I don’t need it any more but it’s out of the way so it might as well sit there. It does shine the time onto the ceiling. (I can’t read it because I don’t wear contact lenses to bed, but it’s there.) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/87 "2018-12-18T07:01:35Z")
I have a clock radio next to my bed. I used to use it as an alarm until I retired; I only use it occasionally for that purpose now. I do like to see what time it is when I wake up in the night; if intervals between peeing are too short it gives me something to worry about, which is always a help in getting back to sleep. Like others, I think, have mentioned, I don’t like having my cell phone in my bedroom at night - I either have to remember to turn the ringer on and off as needed, or else I will get woken up by spam calls. So I have it charging in the next room all night. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/88 "2018-12-18T14:12:52Z")
I still have and use the clock radio I got in high school, at least 35 years ago. The antenna is worn out, so the radio doesn’t work well, but it’s got an ungodly obnoxious alarm, which is required to get my sleepy ass out of bed in the a.m. I figured I might have the oldest clock radio of anyone in this thread, but apparently, clock radios in the 80’s were designed by the same NASA engineers who built the Voyager probes. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/89 "2018-12-18T14:50:02Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I have a clock radio next to my bed. I used to use it as an alarm until I retired; I only use it occasionally for that purpose now. Hee. When I was working I had the alarm set for 3am as I had to be at work by five (Someone has to take care of the East Coast). For about two months after I retired I kept the alarm on, just so I could say, “Ha! I don’t have to go to work!” and fall back asleep after giving it a good whack. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/90 "2018-12-18T15:10:31Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Hee. When I was working I had the alarm set for 3am as I had to be at work by five (Someone has to take care of the East Coast). For about two months after I retired I kept the alarm on, just so I could say, “Ha! I don’t have to go to work!” and fall back asleep after giving it a good whack. I get up at 5am. And I am so gonna follow your lead when I retire. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/91 "2018-12-18T15:51:39Z")
I just started using mine again because the alarm on my phone stopped working. Quality and quantity of sleep is improved. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/92 "2018-12-18T15:52:19Z")
Our clock radios al have CD players as well - our preferred method of playing music. We’ve noticed that new CD players are becoming rarer. Wonder when we will be FORCED to switch to a different music system. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/93 "2018-12-18T15:56:24Z")
I have always used clock radios, and still do. My flip phone apparently has an alarm, but I’ve never tried it, nor do I trust my flip phone to be able to last all night without dying. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/94 "2018-12-18T19:45:55Z")
The day I figured out that I could program my phone to not only alarm me only on the mornings I actually need to go to work (my schedule isn’t M-F/9-5) but also alarm me on the mornings I don’t go in to work first thing not to forget to take my pills (which had been a regular problem up to that point, because of the change in routine) … that was the day I unplugged my alarm clock radio. Good thing, too, because keeping it’s time synced to my cable box was driving me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/95 "2018-12-18T19:53:33Z")
I have one, pretty much where you would expect it to be - in my bedroom, and I only use it as an alarm clock. The main reason I don’t use my cellphone is, I don’t want to wake up to the same alarm every day (even if it is music), but I don’t want to take the chance that the alarm set to some WiFi channel (e.g. the Sirius XM app) wouldn’t work because of some network issue. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/96 "2018-12-18T19:56:18Z")
This one brings me back to my childhood! > **[Vintage LLOYD'S FM-AM Alarm Clock Radio Flip Clock w/Sleep Timer 1J61G-118B |...](https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-lloyds-fm-am-alarm-clock-1910670755)** > > LLOYD'sFlip Alarm Clock / RadioGeneral Description:As shown. The radio dial backlight is out. The clock face light DOES work.Some small cracks in the shell sides where it meets the front panel, and we ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/97 "2018-12-18T20:04:24Z")
Since we are sharing, [here](https://www.ebay.com/i/302666024491?chn=ps) is mine. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/98 "2018-12-18T23:21:43Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Like others, I think, have mentioned, I don’t like having my cell phone in my bedroom at night - I either have to remember to turn the ringer on and off as needed, or else I will get woken up by spam calls. So I have it charging in the next room all night. Your phone doesn’t have a Do Not Disturb feature? Nothing has to be turned off and on. I just set it for the time I do not want to hear any incoming calls and notifications and it does it all itself. (I think if the same number calls twice in a short amount of time it will turn on the ringer, for emergency reasons. It can also be set so certain people’s calls will always ring.) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/99 "2018-12-18T23:32:10Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Our clock radios al have CD players as well - our preferred method of playing music. We’ve noticed that new CD players are becoming rarer. Wonder when we will be FORCED to switch to a different music system. Maybe never - I’m still using a turntable and vinyl, and was able to purchase my new turntable as recently as six years ago. I expect you’ll be able to get CD players, you just may have to hunt a bit for them, or get them on line. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211/100 "2018-12-19T14:49:28Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I get up at 5am. And I am so gonna follow your lead when I retire. My work here is done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-clock-radio/826211.md?page=6)