MARATHON Atomic Travel Alarm Clock with Auto Night Light, White - 12 or 24-Hour Time, Six Time Zones, Indoor Temperature, Date - One AAA Battery Included

First off, the instructions are only partially correct. The setup section leaves out the part where you should turn the tiny Radio Search switch on. It will not search at all for a radio time synchronization if this switch is off like ours was.Second, we accidentally set the time offset and when it found the local time, it moved it forward by the number of hours we accidentally set. I think it is like the 8th selection (number of presses of clock set selection button).But this clock is really easy to set and control. Yes, the switches are small, but we are not having any trouble with it. The instructions are helpful even if missing a thing here or there.We live in Reno, NV, and it had no trouble getting a signal. It does take several minutes to set itself with the local time, so a bit of patience is required.There is a lot of functionality in this clock - very configurable, temperature setting, etc., for the money. Plus the company is VERY responsive and customer service oriented. They responded right away to our queries.Highly recommended.

In all respects, I consider this clock to be excellent, the only exception being the alarm. It is very soft, but in a quiet environment, such as most motel rooms, it should work for most users, provided the alarm is on a stand next to the bed, so it is close to your head. Because the beeper is on the back, that problem can be alleviated by turning the clock so the back faces your head. Unfortunately, that also hides the clock's face, but unless one is prone to waking intermittently during the night and wishing to know the time immediately, this technique is workable. Also, if there is a wall or a large object, such as a picture frame or a radio behind the clock, that object will reflect most of the sound and improve its audibility when its front is facing the sleeper.The illustration shows the display with the temporary full-brightness back-light activated, which occurs when the alarm goes off or when the bar at the top of the front of the clock is pressed. The small insert in the bar is the ambient-light detector, which activates the automatic night-light, which is invisible in full light, but in a dark room, that orange light is astonishingly effective.Setting the clock is very easy. All the controls are on the front, and are almost intuitive. When the alarm is turned off, the alarm-set button displays the alarm setting for two seconds when it is pressed momentarily. When depressed for 3 or more seconds, the alarm hour figures blink and can be changed by the Up-Down buttons on the right. Depress the alarm button momentarily again, and the minute figures blink and can be set. A third press completes the action. A similar procedure with the clock-set button on the far left sets the time and date, if necessary. Usually, after installing the batteries, just leave the clock alone, and it should set itself from NIST's radio signal within 12 hours. There are a couple additional settings, including the time zone, so read the instructions.The clock is radio-controlled, so unless you live near Fort Collins, Colorado, it should (and sometimes must) be placed in a part of the house that faces Fort Collins. If you are on the east coast of the U. S., put the clock at the west side of the house. If you are in the south, put it at the north side, and if you are in the west, put it at the east side. If that location is not convenient, then I suggest you put the clock in a good receiving location (which might require experimentation) for a day or so to obtain an initial synchronization to NIST's clocks. My clock drifts backward at about one second a week, so after synchronization, it could be left in a weak reception area for up to a year with only a one-minute change in accuracy.The stand, which doubles as a cover, has an opening, through which the face can be viewed. That opening leaves the face exposed, but packing the clock within clothing protects it. The stand covers the light sensor, but the automatic night-light can be disabled by a switch on the back of the clock, on the left side of the battery compartment. The clock is very compact, so as the illustrations point out, it can be easily carried in a pocket, or in a purse or small brief-case.Note that this clock, as is the case with most digital alarm clocks, is best viewed from slightly above, such as when it is on a table or a low night-stand. Mine has been in operation since the first of December, and the batteries have held up very well, so far.

I am doing work in people's homes, and often need to see what time it is, but many clients don't have a clock in the room where I'm working. I needed a clock to set close to my table to keep track of time, without taking my hands off my client to push a button on my phone, for example. This is the second travel clock I've purchased, and I'm keeping it.I liked the size of the time display, but getting the time set was a bit of a learning curve. I thought I had the wrong instructions, then finally realized I was holding the button down too long. Now, setting it is a breeze.The alarm is a high-pitched tone which I can barely hear, as I have lost much of my high frequency hearing. I didn't buy it as an alarm clock, so I don't care about that. But, you might!I bought a different clock that is also available at Amazon, but only one of the setting buttons worked, and that one, only once. So, I can't even re-set that clock. This one costs more, but feels much more substantial than my first one, and all the buttons work. So, I think this one will suit my needs.

I bought one of these travel clocks a few years ago. I liked it so much, I bought a second one. It's easy to set up and it's very accurate, due in large part to its radio synchronization. The batteries last a long time. Great value.

I was tired of setting clocks. I bought this because it claimed to automatically keep time using radio signals. I wanted a correct clock without any manual intervention.Well lo and behold, here it is, March 14, two days after the daylight savings changeover date, and this stupid clock is an hour off. It cannot, in fact, handle setting itself correctly, the ONE JOB that I wanted it for. It was incapable of accounting for daylight savings, even though I double checked that it was set to "DST AUTO" and the radio enable switch was set to on.This was a complete waste of money. Don't buy this trash.

Hard to program unit. Alarm sound is pathetic. Nice size, atomic clock (is actually based on radio signals) and clear display.Great as a travel clock, but my phone is a much better alarm...Not recommended.

I did a lot of research as I wanted an Atomic Travel Alarm. Atomic because I don’t want to bother resetting at DST and Travel as I wanted compact small size with a protective closure. There are not that many choices available but this Marathon is working well and may be the best one on the market. I use it for travel, while moto-camping and under my pillow at home and it’s holding up. I like the button on top to activate the back-light so you can see the time & temp in the dark. I had trouble getting this unit to connect to the satellites for the first time and almost return it but on the fourth day it was working, now it connects even buried under my pillow. So all good!