Identiflyer Singing Alarm Clock Review

The basic idea of the Singing Alarm Clock is that the sound of twittering birds is less jarring than the buzzing that most other alarm clocks produce and I would say that's true.Learning bird calls might also be a valid reason for purchasing the clock but I've had mine for three years and I don't think I'm much better than I used to be.I think I have the crowing rooster (yes, there is a rooster) down quite well, however.

This clock was a birthday present and, despite my initial doubts, I've grown quite fond of it.It works as well now as when I received it.I haven't dropped it off the nightstand, however, so have no way of judging its ability to resist torture, but it might not be the best choice for use in such potentially hazardous locations as prison cells, oil rigs, foxholes, or dorm rooms.As one reviewer has correctly pointed out, it's expensive for an alarm clock and it should not be considered by someone who simply wants a cheap wakeup in the morning.On the other hand, it has the combination of uniqueness and practicality that makes for a memorable gift.

Before I sing the praises of the Singing Alarm, let me list what I consider its drawbacks:
... Your initial impression is correct:it does have a lot of buttons and switches and sometimes it's hard to grab the right one when your alertness level is not at its peak.The buttons for the snooze and the nightlight are next to each other above the LCD readout and, let's see, the snooze is the one on the left.Or is it on the right?To turn the alarm off in the morning, you have to slide a switch below the LCD panel to the left.(On the other hand, maybe this is a good feature since it requires a certain level of consciousness to turn the alarm off.)
... The rounded edges and corners can make it difficult to grip the clock securely.
... Although the clock is easily big enough to take AA batteries, it runs on three AAA batteries which cost about the same and last 40% as long.
... the birdsong cards cost $10 to $12 apiece, so acquiring a collection significantly increases the cost of an already expensive clock.

On the other hand, in my opinion,
... Bird sounds really are more pleasant in the morning than a bell or buzzer.
... The multitude of buttons and switches does make the clock easy to use:there's no paging through nested menus to set the time, alarm, or volume, you just push the right button.
... It's fun to rotate the soundcards periodically to keep the wakeup call interesting.
... A volume knob which allows adjusting the loudness of the morning chirping is a nice feature.With the alarm set, the clock will cycle through all of the songs on a card and repeat until the alarm is shut off.
... The clock does run for more than a year if you use lithium batteries; unfortunately, lithium AAA batteries can be hard to find.An AC adapter is available for those who want to plug the clock into the wall, but I haven't tried it.I've set my clock only to sound its alarm each morning; if I had also set it to chirp every hour, I'd probably have to replace the batteries much more often.
... Not only is the illuminated LCD display bright enough to see in a coal mine (at 20 or 30 feet!) it's bright enough to serve briefly as a nightlight.It shuts off automatically after about 15 seconds.

There are a few cautions I'd suggest to anyone using this clock:
... The volume knob can be accidentally nudged when resetting the time; I'd suggest pressing the PLAY button (that's the top button below the LCD screen) after resetting the alarm or the time to make sure the volume is loud enough.
... I have a songbird card in the clock on weekdays and, for variety, rotate some more exotic soundcards (I particularly like the owl and frog cards) during the weekend but have discovered that occasionally the gold contacts on the back of the card don't make good contact with the pins in the card slot, making the alarm inoperable; the alarm almost always works after jiggling the card or removing it and snapping it back in.Again, after switching cards, I'd suggest hitting the PLAY button to make sure that the contact is good and the alarm will work when you need it to.

With those simple cautions, my clock has never failed to wake me up.If I'm not up for the whipoorwill, I'm definitely up when the cock crows.

All nitpicking aside, I've liked my clock more and more, and have even enjoyed seeking out additional soundcards for it.I do wish they'd come out with some really exotic sounds, though -- insect calls, perhaps, or classic steamship or locomotive whistles.Or how about famous movie sound effects?

Until then, I'm very happy with the owls, frogs, and songbirds.And even the rooster.

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Product Description:
The Desk & AlarmClock has its own special card: Beautiful BirdSongs, a selection of the 9 most beautiful bird songs from our collection. The alarm will awaken you to the gentle serenade of beautiful bird songs every morning. Wake-up call - If you are not awake when the Robin sings......you will when the Rooster crows! It's portable, move it from the bedroom to the den, kitchen or office and it will sing a bird song every hour. The clock measures 7½"" x 3½""x 3½"". You can select and play individual bird songs. Insert any of the other 13 SongCards. You'll learn, and be entertained by, the other 130 birds and frogs in no time. Uses 3 AAA Alkaline Batteries. (Batteries Not Included)

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