# Do you still use a dedicated alarm clock or clock-radio?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 27, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176 "2017-03-27T22:21:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/1 "2017-03-27T22:21:29Z")
I’m curious if I’m the only dinosaur. Even though I have about a dozen Android devices in my house, I still use an old-fashioned clock radio to wake myself up when I need to get up early. What about the rest of you? Any creative ideas beyond merely mobile apps?
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/2 "2017-03-27T22:23:03Z")
Sure. Then again, the only mobile device I have is my dumb phone, and I can’t count on it to keep its charge in order for me to rely on it as my alarm clock…
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### Author:  [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/3 "2017-03-27T22:24:32Z")
I use my 1.98 kitchen timer. I can;t remember the last time I had to set it at home, several years at least, but it is about the size of a can of snuff, and I take it along as a travel alarm.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/4 "2017-03-27T22:27:36Z")
Alarm clock. It has one job, and always sits in the same place (where I have to get out of bed to turn it off), and I’ve developed the habit of using it.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/5 "2017-03-27T22:35:41Z")
My primary alarm is my FitBit, but I always have the Smart Phone set, also, in case I turn off the FitBit (No snooze feature). Also when not wearing the FitBit (vacation, overnight charging) Smart Phone becomes primary. I like the repeat functions and ability to set different alarm times on different days on both the FitBit and phone.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/6 "2017-03-27T22:59:59Z")
My alarm clock I use more for the white noise generator than I do to wake me up-the times I have needed it to rouse me out of bed in the last year probably total 2 or 3.
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/7 "2017-03-27T23:03:03Z")
I don’t even sleep with my phone next to me, and the same cheap nightstand clock radio has worked reliably for years, so yeah.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/8 "2017-03-27T23:14:01Z")
It functions more as a clock than as an alarm, but sure, I still use one. I always wake up a good hour before the alarm, so I have no idea what it sounds like.
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/9 "2017-03-27T23:15:48Z")
Iphone.
When we got a new alarm clock a few years ago, I never even bothered to learn how to set the alarm. It’s really just a clock, as far as I’m concerned. (It does display the time on the ceiling at night, so I like that)
My phone is always on the nightstand by my bed, and that’s true whether I’m in a hotel or at home. Given how often I’m in a hotel, it’s very easy to always have the same device, to reduce the risk of user error. My phone has battery back-up in case of power outage, and it’s much easier to use than the alarm clocks in hotels.
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### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/10 "2017-03-27T23:39:28Z")
My son took mine when his died since I had gotten into the habit of using my tablet. So it’s still in use, just one room over.
It’s this [old workhorse](http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_electronic_digital_7_4642.html) which used to be my grandfather’s, then I took it after he passed and now my son uses. Don’t make 'em like they used to, eh?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/11 "2017-03-27T23:49:18Z")
> [@Jophiel](#):
>
> My son took mine when his died since I had gotten into the habit of using my tablet. So it’s still in use, just one room over.
>
> It’s this [old workhorse](http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_electronic_digital_7_4642.html) which used to be my grandfather’s, then I took it after he passed and now my son uses. **Don’t make 'em like they used to, eh?**
I was _not_ expecting a digital clock paired with this statement.
I feel old. ☹
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### Author:  [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/12 "2017-03-27T23:52:02Z")
I voted “retired” but when I DO need to get up, I use my smart phone. I must say I’m surprised at the number of responses that still use an alarm/clock radio, although it’s a small sample so far.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2017, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/13 "2017-03-27T23:55:30Z")
I use my phone, however, I always use two alarm apps and set them both about ten minutes apart.
On my last phone I had a bizarre problem with my alarm not going off. After a while I tracked it down to the alarm turning off if I turned it on, then plugged it in. I actually watched the little slider go back to ‘off’. Strange.
Between that and the alarm volume being tied to who knows what, and being tied to different things with different alarm apps, I find it much safer to use to.
On my last phone, one of the alarms had it’s volume tied in with ‘game volume’, the other was just part of the main volume (or maybe media volume). Eitherway, if I used youtube last, the alarm would go off, if I played a game last (so I’d have the volume down)…no alarm.
On my current phone, one of the alarms has a nice feature that when I turn the alarm on it’ll say ‘alarm volume muted’, if it’s turned down all the way. I have no idea at all, how that happens all the time, but I’m glad it does it and every time I see it I think about going back to a regular clock/radio type alarm. I have a few of them in my nightstand.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/14 "2017-03-28T00:05:44Z")
I use a dedicated clock radio. Actually, it’s a nice little unit with an iPod dock and some stereo speakers and I use it for music as well. But for walking up in the morning, I set the alarm to turn on the FM radio to my local station’s morning show.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/15 "2017-03-28T00:10:06Z")
My cat is my primary method, the secondary one is Alexa, the other one I use is Siri. Siri is also my travel alarm. I don’t have a visual clock on my bedroom and will ask Alexa for the time.
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/16 "2017-03-28T00:11:04Z")
The violent beeping of an alarm clock disturbs my sleep, so I use a tablet that is set to play a song with slowly increasing volume. Excellent investment.
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### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/17 "2017-03-28T00:11:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> I was _not_ expecting a digital clock paired with this statement.
Yeah, when you think about it, 40 years is not only a pretty good run for a digital alarm clock it also means that digital alarm clocks have been basic stuff for, well, over 40 years 😃
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### Author:  [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/18 "2017-03-28T00:17:48Z")
No, I just switched recently to an Android app. 🙂
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### Author:  [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/19 "2017-03-28T00:18:31Z")
I am not a morning person so early is pretty much anything that involves me operating with the rest of the world. Dedicated alarm, chosen for the ability to be really F-ing loud and have a second alarm time. If it’s earlier than normal then the phone gets used **in addition.**
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-a-dedicated-alarm-clock-or-clock-radio/783176/20 "2017-03-28T00:30:24Z")
Dedicated alarm clock. Phones and cats are banished from my bedroom when I sleep at night and I much prefer glancing at the large, illuminated clock face to fumbling with a phone to check the time.
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