|
Post Time: 28/02/2009 20:07:50 |
donweir
Total Forum Posts: 8 |
Hi. Has anybody a recommendation for a low emission bedside radio alarm clock? Could be mains or battery (but not wind-up)! |
|
Post Time: 02/03/2009 17:21:43 |
alasdairP
Total Forum Posts: 173 |
Don, no specific recommendation. However I do offer some comments which I hope will be helpful.
The old problem was that they had a cheap and magnetically leaky transformer and very early ones even had an a.c. motor to turn the numbers - that was when they obtained the reputation in the EMF literature for giving off very high EMFs.
Nowadays they emit much lower levels of EMFs, but most mains ones are two-wire and not earthed so they do give off significant a.c. electric fields within about half a metre or so. The LCD ones with extra information on a dot matrix screen give off more RF noise than ones with simple large digits.
Light at night is very bad (suppresses melatonin synthesis) and blue light is worst. Red LEDs have little effect, so they are best. I made a mistake of buying a Roberts DAB bedside clock radio last year. It has an "autodim" screen, but in the dark still emits a lot of blue/green/whitish light. It has been relagated to the kitchen (especially as Radio Scotland is not yet available on DAB in SW Scotland - despite all the fuss about digital switchovers!)
I replaced with a cheap 5 GBP red one from Argos. It works well as an alarm clock, has large red digits and is easy to read from across the room (I have it about 2 metres from my bed), but the radio quality is poor and difficult to tune.
There are some brand new "ACCTIM NEONITE ONE RED-LED ALARM CLOCK" on EBAY at present - they look OK (14 GBP inc.P&P). You really should try to look at some in real life - ideally listen to them as well - some have really awful sound quality (mind you, that can help to get you out of bed!).
I wouldn't have battery if the clock has LEDs as they flatten the batteries quite quickly. I would locate the clock at least 60 cm from where you lie.
Alasdair
|
