GPX C224B Dual Alarm Clock AM/FM Radio with Red LED Display (Black)

Bought this for my folks (both in their 70's) because their old clock radio died and all they could find at the stores were ones with bluetooth and "all these gadgets we don't need." They wanted a simple clock radio. And this fit the bill perfectly. When they opened it I was surprised how small the numbers were but they actually like that because the numbers on their old one were larger and therefore much brighter. They like that this one was dimmer. I was going to knock off one star for that but to them, that is a selling point. They could also figure out how to set the alarm and the radio station without any help from me at all, which I was shocked by. So, it must be pretty easy to use.

I got this clock/radio to have some music playing for my pet birds when I am not there. The radio will not play. It's just dead in the water. The box was slightly damaged and shipped in a padded envelope. For a box of electronic equipment, you would think it would be packaged better. I had to wonder if the item was a return since the flap on the box was open and loose rather than new. The radio itself was just in a small bubble envelope, open on 1 side. I extended the antenna cord and walked with the unit all over my home, plugging in the unit wherever I could and trying for a signal. I know that other radios have no problem getting in stations. You hear NOTHING. No static. No faint radio signals. Absolute quiet. The tracking moves. The volume moves. But, NOTHING.I wanted a cheap radio for a need that did not require good sound, but I never thought I'd get NO sound. It's a cheap hunk of plastic with a clock only now. You get what you pay for.

Pleasantly surprised by this. Sound quality is serviceable, no more, but what do you expect at this price point? Radio reception is better than I expected. I live in a big downtown, and get station bleed-over on a lot of radios. Not so here.The biggest surprise for me was clear instructions written by an English speaker, and set-up was dead-bang easy. That's unusual, to say the least, in a $10 radio. I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for a low-cost clock-radio.

Finatry to interpret the lly a clock-radio I don't need to fight to "interpret the instructions theoretically written in English, to set the time, radio stations. In short to use it

5/24/2018I really should have edited this review a year ago. Fact is, I bought another one from a walk-in store that has a "no questions asked" 30 day return policy, The program on it was different from what I originally described below. It worked much better, But it broke in exactly the same way after a year -- speaker went out. These things are not made to last, folks.You know, back when US products were actually MADE in the US, it wasn't uncommon for a radio to last 10-15-even 20 years! In fact, there's a Sony Dream machine that was manufactured in 1991, that you can still buy today at a fraction of the original MSRP, especially if you account for inflation. It's available here under model number ICFC303, though there should really be a dash between the C and the F.It was the first dream machine with PLL digital tuning, and it got stellar reviews, back in the day. Many raved that it was the best clock radio ever produced by Sony. It's still cheap because SO MANY are still out there! They don't break. I'm going to order a very, very used one today. How much ya wanna bet it lasts a few more years??Trump REALLY might have a point about China.----------------------------I've downgraded my rating to 3 stars because the radio flaked out after 6 months. It must be the solder that connects to the speaker. The clock, and all other functions, still work fine.I'm sorely disappointed. I guess I got 10 bucks use out of the thing, but I own several computers, dozens of calculators and half a dozen clock radios, and I've NEVER seen a digital product fail after working flawlessly for six months. I never jarred or dropped it -- not even ONCE! I read somewhere that GPX has good quality control, and RIGHT IN THE DESCRIPTION it says "GPX has built a solid reputation on excellent product quality, reliability..." Hah! I'm about ready to give up on anything made in China.If I could find something comparable made in Japan for $25-$30 I'd snap it up. I'd go to $35 for "made in the good ol' U.S.A."----------------------All the negative reviews but one center on how tough the GPXC224B is tO use. "A pain to program," they say. Problem is, the reviews for EVERY digital clock radio have this complaint!Let's get this straight: Windows doesn't come packaged with this device. There's no GUI whatsoever. It has 7 buttons -- that's it. THERE'S NO WAY IN THE WORLD to get all the advanced functions people want in a clock radio without assigning multiple functions to every button. That means modes. In this case, it means the buttons do different things depending on whether the radio is On or Off. The buttons also do different things depending on whether you push and hold them, or if you push and immediately release.Nobody except a computer programmer can learn to work any digital clock radio without reading the instructions. I happen to be a computer programmer. I read the instructions anyway, cause I'm NOT A MASOCHIST!! I figured out the principles underlying this interface:1) No dials or switches. (Buttons are cheaper and last forever.)2) No need to hold down two buttons at once (too hard when you're lying in bed).3) There are two modes -- radio on and radio off.4) That's it.With these three ideas and looking at the button labels, plus some trial and error, you can figure out how to do everything important. You can also figure out why some things CAN'T be done. I doubt I'll need to look at the instructions often in the future, but I'm no fool -- I'm putting the slip of paper in a little plastic bag and taping it to the bottom of my radio.Pros:1) It has all the features I want and none that I don't want -- which makes it easier to program, despite all the whiners.2) It's small, so it fits nicely on my bed stand, but it's flat and light, so it's hard to knock off and break.3) Plenty of presets -- 10 AM plus 10 FM. And yes I have all 20 presets programmed.4) Battery backup to hold time and presets when the power fails. No, the alarms don't work, and the display doesn't stay on when AC is removed.5) A nice, loud beeper that can wake an old man with failing hearing who sleeps with the covers over his head.6) Firm tactile feedback on the buttons.7) The buttons are all shaped differently. Easy to work in the dark.8) Good reception.Cons:1) A small speaker -- no bass.2) Poor quality control.3) May be difficult for some to program, because there are only 7 buttons. If this might be a problem, I suggest buying two separate devices -- a radio and an old fashioned analog alarm clock. It'll set you back a few bucks, but you can get a GREAT radio with GREAT reception and booming bass, and as loud or soft an alarm as you wish.Hint: I'm not one of those delicate souls who can't sleep with a small red LED in the room. But if that bothers you, "LightDims Customizable Edition" was made for you.Another hint: If you don't need 10 AM or 10 FM presets, you can double up on some stations, so you don't need to go all the way through P1-P10 to find your station.

It's very light weight and feels cheap, but it seems to work fine. KEEP THE INSTRUCTIONS. I tossed them after getting the clock set up, thinking the instructions seemed intuitive, but we couldn't figure out how to cancel the alarm for the weekend or how to change it from buzzer to radio for the alarm style and of course they were gone with the trash that week. Ugh.

This product met my needs for a simple alarm clock and radio in a guest room. The display is a bit brighter than I anticipated but is fine. Setting the clock wasn't quite as intuitive as other alarm clocks I've experienced. I definitely put the instruction in the nightstand drawer for future reference.

I realize the clock radio was low priced, but quite disappointed with it overall. Made in China and "manual" definitely written by one whose command of the English is second language and manual consisted of a 1/4 sheet of paper folded and written in the tiniest font available.