Side by Side Comparison of: Marathon vs hito

After my old travel clock died I bought a new one, which was worthless because the buttons were on the outside when folded and got pressed by contact with my luggage. It seems that nearly all the travel clocks have that inexcusable design flaw!But this Marathon Atomic Travel Alarm Clock has the buttons on the front, making it much easier to reach them if needed, and when folded the display is still visible but the buttons are covered.When I first got it I pressed the button to get it to set itself, and nothing happened. So I read the instructions (I needed powerful magnifying glasses as the little leaflet is printed in teeny tiny print) and it said the automatic set can take a day, so I put it on a windowsill overnight, as suggested, and this morning it's got the right time and date! Apparently the auto-set feature, which uses a radio signal, will not work outside the U.S. & Canada, but it can be set manually. The backlight can be turned on or off, and it uses two AAA batteries (included) so there's no searching for just the right button battery.I think it's silly to call it an "Atomic" clock. There's nothing atomic about it. But as Juliette said, "What's in a name?"

This may very well be the best travel alarm clock available. It's small (but not too small to see and operate easily), compact and loaded with features. The auto illuminate should be required in all alarm clocks. Just two caveats: 1. The DST indicator does not show unless the clock is auto synced with the "RC" beacon. This is true even after manually setting the clock for the time of year that would include Daylight Savings Time. The instructions do not mention this. Secondly, even when auto-synced with RC, it is necessary to set the time zone manually. Once this is done, however, you're all set until you next change the batteries or press the reset button. Not exactly clear in the instructions either. Note that both of these criticisms/caveats have more to do with the instructions than the product itself.

I normally like to spend a little time with a product before posting a review but, upon opening the box, I am so impressed with this little jewel that I can't wait. If time proves me wrong, I will come back and update.I do a lot of travelling. Hotel clocks are a source of frustration for me that goes something like this:1) Figure out how to set the time.2) Set the time.3) Figure out how to set the alarm time.4) Set the alarm time.5) Figure out how to set the alarm mode (buzzer, radio, volume, etc)6) Set the alarm mode.7) Figure out how to arm the alarm.8) Arm the alarm.9) Reattach power cord which came loose while setting up the clock. Clock now flashing "12:00".10) Repeat steps 1 - 8. (should go faster this time).11) Choose between clock and lamp since I need to charge my phone.12) Accidentally unplug clock.13) Repeat steps 1 - 8.14) Unplug lamp and realize clock time display is unlit. Live without it.15) Wake up to my watch alarm only. Reason: clock's lack of AM/PM indication meant the opposite assumed.Thinking there might be a better way, I started looking around for a small, light, simple, battery powered clock with, and this is the tough part, a display that can stay lit at night.In addition to meeting my requirements, I like that the CL030036 syncs to atomic time. This makes the clock a little more expensive but it's worth it to me.Two minor criticisms:1) The location of the display OFF/AUTO light switch. It's in the battery compartment. Since I don't want the light wasting the batteries while the clock rides around in the darkness of my overnight bag, I'll be switching it from AUTO to OFF whenever it's not sitting on a hotel nightstand. Having to open the battery compartment for such a frequently changed setting just doesn't make sense. Incorporating it into the foldout stand, switching the light off whenever closed, would have been the slickest way to do it. At the very least the switch should be easily accessible somewhere on the outside of the clock.2) I agree with what others have said about the hole in the stand/cover. I really don't need to see the display through the cover and would rather have it fully protected. That said, if it's really a concern, a piece of tape over the hole should easily solve that problem.Other than that, it should be perfect for my needs and I couldn't see withholding a star for such small items.Now when I get to my room, I'll unplug the room clock and set it aside. I'll then plug my phone charger into the now-vacant 110 receptacle. Last, I'll pull out my CL030036, quickly and confidently set/arm the alarm, and place it on the nightstand. Ahhhh, life just got a little easier. Good night :)

It's the perfect clock for travel. Time is always correct, doesn't have any buttons sticking out to be activated in your luggage, gives ambient room temp, day and date with and easy to read display. Alarm is easy to set also. I wish I had had one of these when I was flying 75K to 5K air miles a year.

Perfect size and lightweight. The stand flips forward to cover the function buttons below the clock display and make the clock flat for packing. I like the "atomic" feature - that I know the time is always accurate. I had no trouble at all setting it. Read the directions. Follow the directions. The backlight can be set to always on or only on when you press the snooze button. The alarm is effective but not annoying. Great purchase!

I have used many alarm clocks in the past and in my opinion this is the best of them all. Right size for travel, easy to setup and use. Specifically I like the auto night light feature. I have seen this feature in many table clocks that are plugged in but this is my first battery operated alarm clock that has the auto night feature. I am very happy with the purchase and it's worth every penny I spent.

Good features, but mine was missing an instruction manual. Set up was easy enough without the manual. However, it took me a while to find out that to illuminate the dial I have to push down the center silver button. It features temperature readings in centigrade and Fahrenheit, and this is very helpful when traveling in Europe. it runs on one small AAA battery located in the black base of the clock, removing the battery will erase the settings, and the information will have to be reentered.

A very economical, nice looking, compact, battery-operated alarm that is perfect for travel. You can never fully trust the alarms that are provided in hotel rooms, so having this gave me real peace of mind that I would not sleep through early morning meetings of early-ups to get to the airport on time. I liked it so well, that I now use it on my desk in the office as a quick reference for the date, time and temp. It takes us so little space, it makes a great desk-top clock also. The only issue for some might be that the screen is not illuminated at night, and you have to touch the center button to see the time. The button is large and easy to find in the night, but not being able to see the time in the darkness may be a problem for some.

I like this clock for use as a night table clock as well as a travel clock. It is really very simple to set up if you read the instructions. I recommend it to anyone looking for a very small digital clock. The fact that it also has a calendar and tell the temperature are nice extras.

We had a pair of Brookstone travel clock/thermometers in our bathrooms for many years. They started to fall apart after a long life so we went looking for new ones. Didn't need anything fancy, just time and temp. We decided on these because they are compact, inexpensive, and fit our exact need. They fit nicely on the shelf, the display is easy to read and gives us the info we want. The light is bright at night and it was easy to set everything. Overall, we are very happy.

This is a great travel or at home alarm clock! It is easy to set up, has big numerals and the alarm is easy to set. I like the temperature display. It is also easy to fold up for travel. The base is also sturdy unlike other small travel clocks and the price is very reasonable. I would highly recommend this clock!!

This is the perfect bedside clock. I love the month/date and separate day readouts plus the indoor temp. The month/date give way to the alarm time when the alarm is set. The backlight is just bright enough to tell the time and you can make it stay on all the time if desired. Touching the snooze bar on top simply makes the backlight brighter for a few seconds. Haven't had it long enough to see how it works switching to DST automatically. I liked this clock so much I bought another one the next day :-) The only negative is setting it to all of the correct readings out of the box but after maybe half an hour I figured it out. The instructions are just OK. If you buy one just remember. Put batteries in first (duh) then wait until the correct time zone appears on a little U.S. logo top right. It defaults to pacific time but you press a button (forgot which one, check instructions) to toggle to you time zone....THEN....press CLOCK button until the YEAR flashes...press the up or down arrows to the correct year and the correct DAY will appear automatically. The secret is to press clock again after the year you live in is displayed (for instance, I'm in 2017 though I'd rather be in, say, 1965) and everything else will fall into place. This is a great clock that I chose after looking at what seemed to be hundreds. Love it.

Clock in service now in service for 6 trouble free months running on the same Lithium Ultimate battery. For two months left the backlight set to auto, but for the last 4 months have set it to off (does illuminate if actuated). I found my viewing position for the dimly lit at night display not the best, so turned the backlight off. When the backlight is actuated by touching the top bar, the brightness is good, and since you're now standing up or sitting up, there is no problem with viewing angle to the LCD display.Keeps great time... no issues with power-failures... this is why I prefer a battery-powered alarm (and use Lithium to prevent leaky Alkaline's from ruining a good thing.Alarm is good - it starts with a not-too-loud 'beep', then after a few of these, begins to give out 'beep-beep' with pauses between, then 'beep-beep-beep' .... this idea seems to work (for me) quite well. No jarring alarm that wakes the house, no disturbing, shrill tone that fully wakes your spouse.... and if you respond to the 'beep' before it decides you need more, you may leave the house with a happy, still sleeping spouse.

Pros:Excellent, easy to read display.Being an atomic clock it is dead on accurate.Display of Signal strength, alarm and time zones is easy to see.Fairly Light weight for its size.Easy to set.Night light is at a perfect brightness for a darken hotel room to see at night, especially given most hotel clocks are inaccurate and take too long to reset (if it can be reset at all).The night light switch is under the battery cover [see photo below - it is the right side on/off switch], easy to find and set, stays on all night.Night light turns off automatically when the room light (or sunlight) brightens the room.Light sensor is on the top at the snooze/5 second display bar.5 second display light is twice as bright as the night light.Alarm is loud enough, but won't throw you out of bed. It begins beeping slowly to wake you easily - then increases beep amount - not volume.Alarm runs for one minute and cuts off, on/off switch on the clocks face with red background when in "on" position.Wide base is very stable, the clock won't easily fall over when trying to turn on the display light or find the snooze delay bar.Case seems tough enough to take a light beating.Cons:Clock is 2 to 3 times as thick as most other travel clocks.No case or face protection, so display face can be damaged in transit. Suggest find soft case to cover or keep shipping box and bubble pocket the clock came in.The 4 inch wide, 3 1/4 high, 1 deep (1 1/4 deep at the base) and 6.5 oz weight is hefty for a travel clock and seems to take some space in smaller luggage.In General: it's almost perfect for travel, once you get use to the size, which isn't hard.

I really like this little clock! It has an amber display which is not too bright, and only lights up when I push the top button and is easy to read. I like it dark when I sleep, and most clocks seem to have either bright blue or bright green displays which are too bright for my eyes. This one is just right, and the time and temperature seem to be accurate and are easy to read. It was very easy to set up, and I feel confident that I won't miss the owners manual when I lose it in my filing system.The only drawback that I see is that it doesn't have a cover for its display and so will likely get scratched up if you throw it in your luggage for a trip. But, I just keep it by my bedside at home and so that doesn't matter to me.Over all, I'm very satisfied with this product.

I have been searching for type of clock for 2 years and tried out (and returned) about 6. I was looking for a small bedside clock with an audible and non-annoying alarm and this was perfect....It gives you all the info you need to start your day. The display is large enough to easily read. The battery insures that your alarm gores off, in the event of a power shortage. You can hear the alarm from 2 rooms away but it is not jarring. This would also be handy for a boat or camping trip.Having been so pleased with the first one, we purchased another as a travel clock. My only suggestion would be to offer it in a lighter color case, e.g. white or light gray. I have used it daily for 2 months and it is perfect.

Easy to set up. Can read the numbers without my glasses. Only lights up when the button at the top is depressed--a plus when you want a dark room.

Seems to be exceptionally good quality for this type of product, but I'd like it better with: higher contrast, a wider viewing angle, more of the surface given to the face so the numerals would be bigger, the option to set the auto-backlight a bit brighter, and easier setup. While the atomic clock feature means it is supposed to auto-setup, I waited hours before I gave up on that working. I set it manually, and then the next morning, it must have done the atomic thing because it was off by an hour. I fixed that and it seems okay now. I am willing to believe this reflects error on my part, but that just brings me back to saying setup should be easier.

This is a good clock for my purposes (setting a wake-up time for my afternoon naps); however, the display's contrast is poor unless you look at it at a specific angle...then it's great. Same with the snooze light. The ideal angle seems to be about 30 degrees above the display; looking at it head on is difficult, and from 30 degrees below, it's pretty terrible. I do like the snooze light, though, partly because of its amber color and partly because of its brightness...and also because it only stays on for 5 seconds unlike many other clocks where it stays on 20 seconds. The one annoying thing is that the stand folds down from the back and up over the face, covering the snooze light. Also, the stand is some sort of plastic that I don't think will hold up to lots of folding/unfolding; however, since I've had it less than a week, I could be totally wrong about that.

I bought two of these for use on a long road trip. One for us and one for the couple that we were traveling with. They seemed to work well except the automatic time updates from the Navy Atomic clock didn't seem to work. Otherwise I would have rated this with 5 stars. I like the nice glow in the dark feature and I also like the ability to easily change the time zone, e.g. PST to MST, etc. It is pretty rugged and the batteries seem to last a long time. For me the alarm was loud enough to be effective but for some it might not be enough to wake you. Given the small size though, this is understandable. The glow in the dark feature is nice but not too bright.

Great little travel clock. The numbers are clearly readable, although as is the case with a lot of LCD displays of this type, it is at its clearest when viewed from a higher point (so looking down at it).It has a light you can bring up by pressing the snooze button but it also has a light that can turn on automatically whenever the room is dark (this option can be turned off to conserve battery life). I got the atomic signal quickly and the clock set the correct time with no issues.Make sure you read the manual though because if you set the time zone manually it can cause the automatic sync to be disabled. If you already did that just push the button on the back to reinitialize the sync process.The ringer starts off slowly and then builds up. It is not super loud but it works. The only thing that I would say appears to be pretty flimsy is the cover, which must be flipped and becomes the stand. That is my reason for the 4 stars for what is otherwise an excellent clock. As long as you are very careful with it, I can see it lasting but I would prefer a more sturdier material or design. The good parts about the cover is that when it is closed, you can see the clock display but not press any buttons by accident. This is great if the clock is in your luggage.

I was looking for an digital clock that meets two criteria: It had to be "atomic" and it had to be readable at night without the need to push any light button. Turns out that there actually aren't many available that meet both of these criteria. So I was happy to find this one.Pros:- "Atomic" feature works great- Night light feature works great- Small and slim- Reasonably pricedCon:My main issue with this clock is that if you look at the display from below it becomes unreadable. If your nightstand is at the same level or above the level of your eyes, you will need to raise your head in order to decipher the display at night.Other minor cons:- No holes for wall mounting- Overall design and materials leave a bit to be desired. Particularly, the big and rather ugly company logo is a bummer.- Setup and instructions can be a bit confusingThe pros clearly outweigh the cons as far as my expectations are concerned, so overall this was a good purchase.

I like this clock. It has all the features that you would expect from a portable atomic alarm clock. The two bad sides are that this does not take rechargeable batteries, and that the screen is difficult to see from some angles.The alarm is progressive so that it doe snot wake you with an annoying blasting blaring sound. I will be using this on my cross country backpacking trip next year, so the weight of it is perfect for what I need.

I needed a travel clock, something that was compact, readable in the dark, and easy to operate. The Marathon travel clock delivers. It delivers on all counts. As with all digital products, the Marathon travel clock requires some study to operate with ease (I am a baby boomer), but this is the case with all modern electronic equipment. If you can do, then do it even if you are providing a solution for which there is no problem. (This opinion should be taken as a comment more on me than the clock.) One final note, I do not downgrade the Marathon clock with four stars. I give four stars to all products that operate as advertised, reserving five stars for the rare instance when a product or a vendor goes above and beyond reasonable expectations. In all fairness, Marathon has had no opportunity to do this because it delivered all that it promised as promised.

Just received this so review is based on limited experience. Seems to be a nice quality product, well made and with nice features. My only gripe is that there is no "off" switch so it remains powered up at all times. Since this is a travel clock and used infrequently you would probably want to remove the battery between trips. Not the end of the world so in total I'd rate it as a keeper. The company emails you asking for feedback, so that's a good sign as well.

I have had this little clock for a few days now, and so far I like it. It was very easy to set up the time and date, and I do like the sound of the alarm. It's not too loud and obnoxious, but a nice beep that wakes me up. I'm a pretty sound sleeper, too! The snooze is easy to find and sets off the alarm again in 5 minutes. It's also a nice compact size and will fit nicely in my suitcase for travel. I also like the fact that it only requires one AAA battery. There are a lot of nice features packed into this little clock. Now I'll see how long the battery lasts!

I haven't had this product for very long, a couple of months maybe, but it is nicely designed and performs as billed. It is very functional, and one 'bonus' feature I like is the thermometer.

I do have one concern that may affect battery life - that is the 'snooze button'. This is the round chrome button that located at the bottom of the clock when it's in the open position (this is very handy for alarm clock purposes). This button also activates the light that illuminates the clock. But when the clock is folded for travel, the button is exposed. My concern is when its sitting in a packed suitcase - will it be activated from time to time and drain the battery prematurely?

I called the manufacturer about this issue and they were helpful. They advised that they had not heard of this issue, but also advised that the warranty is for a year. All that said, at this point - so far so good!

I was not sure about ordering this clock as there was only one review of it, but I just received this clock and so far it is great. It was easy to set, the temperature reading was accurate to 0.5 degrees F (when compared to a calibrated source), the back light is even and the right brightness, and the alarm is the right volume for me (but might be quiet for some). Other things I like are it takes a standard AAA battery, it is very stable when unfolded, the display is readable from all angles with the light on (REVISED--see below) and off, and it folds to protect the screen when traveling. There are no beeps when the buttons are pushed like another popular clock. The side buttons are not covered by the folding case but I don't think they will move when traveling.

Two complaints when folded: it does not snap in place (but is spring loaded in place) and seems a bit weak and wobbly at the folding pivot point, and the light button is still exposed and active, and can easily be pushed when packed away for travel--if this happens, the battery would wear out quickly (thus only 4 stars).

Overall, much better than most of the others I read about. After I use it on a couple of trips, I'll revisit my review and updated it if necessary.

UPDATE: This appears to be the identical electronics as the Brookstone travel clock I was replacing (it never returned from a Caribbean trip--not sure what happened to it!) Compared to the Brookstone clock:
- The Brookstone clock snapped closed (more secure). I added a bit of Velcro to this clock to ensure it stays closed when folded
- This one is easier to set time/alarm than the Brookstone one (don't have to remove the battery cover)
- For both, the snooze/light control is still active and can be accidentally hit when folded
- When unfolded, this one is more stable
- Both are difficult to read when the light is on in the dark when viewed straight on or from below (like from a nightstand)
- The alarm volume and sound is identical for both

Overall I still like it--best one I've found so far.

Decently loud and annoying enough to get you out of bed. Fairly small and lightweight. The screen display is a decent size for my liking, but I would recommend looking closely at the alarm clock's dimensions prior to purchasing so that you don't end up with something smaller than you anticipated. I do wish it had the option to plug it into a power source instead of solely using batteries and it would be nice to have the option to read the temperature in Fahrenheit rather than just Celsius. However, I do like that you are able to change the brightness of the screen reading to suit your preferences. It is also small enough that you could throw it in your suitcase if you are traveling.

The clock has been working great since I purchased it in Aug. 2015- still on the original battery. I didn't think it was picking up the signal, but perhaps I didn't give it enough time to set itself initially since it does adjust itself for daylight savings and keep perfect time. I wish I had the option to use a plug so I could run the background light at night- even during the day I usually have to really focus my eyes on the numbers to tell the time from across the room. I didn't really want an LED clock for aesthetic reasons and because I didn't want to *have* to use a plug at all times, so I opted for this battery run LCD clock.I rarely have use for an alarm, but it has been adequate for that purpose the few times I've needed it. All in all, it was a solid purchase, but I'll be getting a wall clock with high contrast face so I can see the time at a glance from anywhere in the room. Good clock, all working as expected. Perhaps I shouldn't be docking a star for iffy visibility since that's just the nature of LCD, but it is what it is.

Very nice travel alarm clock. It has a solid feel and seems to be well made. The night time backlight is bright enough to read the clock from close up but not so bright it should keep you awake. I had one from a different maker that on its dimmest setting was like a spotlight, literally casting shadows on the wall. No such problem with this clock. Setting the alarm is straightforward and doesn't require three hands or a high level of manual dexterity. The button that turns on the alarm requires a bit of muscle to activate so it should never turn itself on when bouncing around in your luggage.My one criticism is that the display is rather busy. It's all useful information, but when I'm trying to read the time in the middle of the night I really don't need to know the temperature or the date or my time zone or that it has received the time signal recently. It would be nice if these things could be turned off so you can quickly focus on just the relevant parts. But this is a minor issue since the time is so much bigger than any of the other items.This clock has been on my bedside table for almost four months now and I'm very satisfied with it. I would also point out that it has been running all that time on a single set of rechargeable batteries. So no issues with NiMH batteries and Eneloops last for quite a while. I don't often use the alarm so the batteries might not last as long if you have the alarm go off every day.

Does it receive the time signal. Yes and No as it depends where you live and where you put it. The signal transmitted from the Denver Atomic Clock center is weak to begin with and is easily affected by weather and other atmospheric conditions. Which, is why they said the best reception time is at night because the Sun has gone down and generally unless you are having bad weather there is less atmospheric issues. If you live in a deep valley, your home has reflective windows, your home is made of something that complete blocks the signal, your surrounded by steel buildings etc then yes you probably will not receive the signal. If you are having issues with receiving it then here is what I suggest. Place the clock in a window that faces towards Denver or better yet outside (if possible). It took mine about 10 minutes to sync. After that I placed it in my bedroom. Since I have had it I lost sync once due to really bad weather. However, I really do not care at that point. Its not like the clock over several months would loose that much time if I did not notice it was in sync. If I need to re-sync I simply do what I did before and its back in sync. With that said if yours will not keep sync which mine does the only bad thing I can think of is when the switch to Daylight savings time occurs your clock would be off. So for the pros and consPROS:1. Nice little clock that has a nice backlight and best yet stays in sync with the atomic clock in Denver.2. Fair priceCONS:1. Yes its true that whoever developed this put in a lousy light sensor. Unless the lighting is directly above it the backlight does not turn off. I keep mine in the off mode and when I wake up I roll over and press the bar on the top which lights it for about 4 seconds. It is a bit bright but then again once it goes off I could care less.2. Runs on batteries but a buddy of mine has one and his has been running for 1.5 months and it is still going strong.3. I do fine the button for turning on and off the alarm a bit of a pain. I wish instead of the slide switch (where the red spot is on the clock) that they would have made it a toggle switch so it was easier to turn on and off. I then realized this is a travel alarm clock as well and if it was to easy to turn on it might constantly be going off in your luggage. I use mine at home only so with the intended use of the clock I guess I can not really complain about this.Would I buy another. YES I actually bought two but one had a defective backlight. So I will be ordering another. I did not see any other complaints about a failed backlight (unless I missed it) so I am assuming this is a one time issue.

I am very happy with the clock, but it only has radio controlled time zones for the continental U.S. I would not have assumed that since it offers the days of the week in French, Italian, English, etc. It works just fine overseas from the U.S. where I live but I'm glad that I do not have to use the automatic time feature. It has a good sized self-adjusting light display (dimly lit when room is dark) and I really like that it has the temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Great clock. The only downer is that the internal light is not real bright. But, I suppose that is a trade off to obtain a longer battery life.

This is the same shape and product description as my trusty, but old, Radio Shack travel alarm so I purchased it as a replacement. It took days before connecting with the atomic clock, using it isn't intuitive (I'm still travelling with the directions), and the display saying which time zone you've selected is really tiny. As a result, I've spent the last couple of months carrying both alarms because I still don't trust this one.

I wanted a clock with a night light for the bathroom counter which actually gives enough light to read the time and light up the bathroom. This one has it but it isn't bright enough to easily read the time. I think the manufacturer is trying to preserve the battery life. If you pick it up and press the top bar the light will brighten for a moment but resume to normal when you let go. The size is good and would be perfect for traveling. Today's shopper

Mostly functional, but I really hate the design (unless I'm missing something) that the only way to turn off the alarm is to shut the switch off and then you have to remember to switch back on. In just a few weeks of owning it had several days of no alarm because I didn't switch it back on. I'm used to an alarm where you can just hit a button to turn off the alarm for the day, but the alarm is still functional, so I find this alarm design strange. Maybe it's nitpicking but when I'm half asleep, the last thing I'm good at is turning a hard switch button off and back on. Otherwise, it's functional, backlight works well, no huge issues getting the radio sync to work, but having an alarm that I have trouble consistently getting to work means I'll likely be looking elsewhere soon for a different alarm.

Although the clock works fine, the frame that holds the clock in a upright position broke within 2 weeks. It is flimsy. Additionally, the temperature display is not even close to accurate so that feature is totally worthless. It does what I need it to, which is keep time to the second but I am irritated that the flimsy frame to hold up the clock broke so quickly.

This is a very nice clock ... I liked the first one that I bought so much that I bought two more, so I now have one for each of two home locations and one that resides permanently in my travel kit. HOWEVER I rated it only "okay" because radio-synchronization has stopped working on all of three clocks. I suspect the receiver is of a marginal design that uses a short-lived component, or maybe there has been a small change in the transmitted signal coding that proved big enough to confuse the receiver's decoder. Also there is an undocumented feature: a settable number of offset hours, which can be very useful when on-the-move, but unfortunately there is no display icon to indicate that an offset has been set; its absence is a design oversight that I can imagine could be dangerous.

This may be, in part, my fault for not doing better research but this alarm clock has one huge fault. It is the alarm OFF switch. Every previous travel alarm I have owned, and they were virtually all from Radio Shack, allowed you to press the top of the clock to silence the alarm. This clock has a slider switch. In the light of day and fully awake it is a no brainer. Sound asleep, waking up in the dark without all your cognitive functions it is a pain in the neck. I have struggled with this since I purchased the clock, and I get up during the work week at 4:20 am. That is my only knock on this clock, otherwise I have been reasonably pleased.

Product exactly as described. However, I did not realize there is no way to keep the light on, even dimly. This means there is no way to easily check the time at night without pressing the small button under the center of the clock. This task requires more than enough concentration and effort to wake me up. Clock is difficult to read in daylight from more than about 6 feet.

It is nice watch, but pictures on screen are deceiving wooden color part of the watch is much smaller compare to base in real life. I also do not like location of snooze button, it is hard to find in a dark. I will probably return it.

I look at these cheap clocks and try to figure out if I'm going to be able to read them. Since so many were raving I figured I was in luck. Nope. The nightlight doesn't improve anything at night or during the day. Unless this beast is under a lamp and I have my glasses on I cannot read it. Bummer. So be warned or be disappointed.

I returned one travel clock because it did not light up. Then ordered this one. It does light up, but you have to punch the button down to do so, and it only stays lit briefly. I will most likely give this as a gift or use in the bathroom while continuing to search for the perfect bedside clock that takes up minimal space. I am retired so I just want to glance over and see the time, date, and weather.

I really like the design, BUT when the unit is closed the night light button can still be depressed. Just worried that when its packed in the suitcase it will be turned on so much the battery will wear down quickly. I wish the cover would protect that portion. If I had paid more attention I would have chosen another travel alarm clock.

OK, wish it didn't take too many times to push it down to see the time but I like the fact that the light is not too bright to bother sleeping.

the display is low-contrast and not crisp like another atomic clock that we own. so it is often hard to read the time without turning on the backlight or making a concerted effort to look at the display in good light.

Great little clock, but no DST enable/disable. I live in Arizona and we don't do dumb stuff like Daylight savings time. So clock is wrong

I wanted to like this clock because of the solid build and easy to read numbers. Unfortunately when I tested the alarm it was not nearly loud enough to wake our teenager. An equally important issue was that the clock does not have a manual way of setting the current time for your timezone. The clock is supposed to receive a signal from Colorado to calibrate the time and mine never set the proper time.

This atomic bedside alarm clock displays much useful information. It is not the smallest clock. Once temporarily set in the window "facing Colorado" overnight, it caught the atomic radio transmission and has maintained that while on the bedside dresser ever since. This clock serves the 4 continental USA time zones. Directions come with this, and should be maintained for setting all the displays. The clock is given 3 stars instead of 5, because of the display being a little pale to read due to the clock sitting on a dresser higher than the bed. Also the snooze alarm can only be repeated a limited number of times before quitting. One needs to wake up and get up promptly, or risk oversleeping. There is no included travel case. Two AA batteries must be purchased and inserted. Otherwise, this seems to be a good enough bedside clock.

I gave the clock the benefit of the doubt, but noticed a week after daylight saving time changed that it was showing the wrong time.I understand that it needs a signal to set with atomic time, but my $10 plastic watch from walmart changes for DST automatically I expected the same from this.The clock beeps for 1 minute and then resets to the next day. If you are a heavy sleeper get something else.Otherwise it's a nice display and a decent clock.

Big problem with this clock is the display. In the dark with illumination on, you can only read it standing over the clock, looking down on it. As you start looking at the display directly at eye level, it becomes very dim, and if you look at the display even slightly from the below the clock, the display vanishes and becomes blank. NOT clear and sharp in the dark in its own illumination as the picture suggests. So if you're in bed looking at the clock on your nightstand (where it is close to eye level) it will be close to illegible unless you have 20/20 razor sharp night time vision. It also seems to me that the display area could have been made larger -- notice how much wasted plastic there is in this design, and it's already small to begin with. That being said, clock works well otherwise, in the particular the 'auto-set' feature using the radio -- although in my area the signal is only strong enough after dark to use it. I may return the clock, I've ordered another from a different manufacturer to see if anyone makes a better display on a small self-setting alarm clock.

Real pain to set the time manually; not intuitive at all. Sub-par instructions. Had it in a tropical climate for 3 months, batteries started leaking in the compartment; fortunately saved it on time. Disappointed. It's ok if you use it in the Western hemisphere, in temperate climates, and where there is always access to WiFi so it can automatically set the time. Not applicable to my situation.

I am on my second one. The first one never could receive the radio signal no matter where I placed it. I took it to several cities on the east coast and Cabo in western Mexico. Nada. However it keeps time reasonably well and I needed a travel clock. I recently purchased another one for my office. This one can't receive a radio signal either. On top of that, DST can't be set. The choices are "off" or some unintelligible word. Bottom line if you want an atomic clock don't waste your money. If you want a travel clock, there are cheaper alternatives.

Returned it because lighted numbers can be seen at eye level or from above but not from below and my bed is lower than the nightstand on which I have my clock. The clock itself seemed to be a satisfactory product in other respects although setting it up was cumbersome and a bit of a bother.

Really wanted to like it, given all the research I did before making the purchase. However, the temperature was off by more than 10 degrees and the clock was not able to connect to the signal. I took these as signs that these tiny micro buttons were destined to fail as well. I will go for something with fewer features.

For seven months this clock was great. Easy to set, alarm loud enough, lightweight, glowed in the dark when button pressed, accurate, folded up flat, etc. While it was in my travel kit between trips, the batteries went dead. Replaced the batteries but now when folded for travel the back light stays on thus running the batteries down. When sitting upright on the bureau sometime the light is on and sometimes it's not. Weird. I could just remove the batteries and put them in at night on my trips, but I'd need to take a mini Phillips screwdriver with me because screws keep the batteries in place. I thought this product would last longer than it did.

I bought one of these several months ago and love it. Use it on my bedside table. I like that the display is not illuminated unless you press the button. So I ordered another one for my camper. It worked for a few minutes then quit. I have tried replacing the battery but still getting nothing. Very disappointing, and the return window has already closed.

I love the style, however, the backlight quit working within 2 days of using it. Disappointing.

When you push the silver button to turn on the light so you can see what time it is in the dark, it emits light, but ALSO a high-frequency WHINE that stays on the entire time the light is lit. SO annoying! Horrible sound. Whose idea was it to add that feature?

There are several annoying problems with this clock, but the fatal flaw is the snooze. You can only hit the snooze button for up to 15 minutes of extra sleep, and then the alarm inexplicably just stops. Yes, I know I shouldn't hit snooze for long periods of time, but some mornings can be rough getting up on short sleep. After accidentally sleeping in late because this alarm stopped, I had to set a backup clock. I gave this one a good try, but can't get past the snooze limitation.

Aside from that, the alarm sound itself quickly goes from a calm alarm into a panic sound, waking my wife before I can shut it off. As other reviewers have noted, there is also an annoying electronic buzz after you hit the snooze button, and the display is hard to read at an angle.

It's a shame, because this clock looks nice & is well built, but some simple design decisions have caused me to return it and look for another.

I'm primarily disappointed in this clock because of how loud it chirps from the outset...very jarring. I much prefer a softer chirp, gradually getting louder. Also, in the snooze position, it activates only two additional times after the initial blast, five minutes apart. So, one can only snooze for a total of an additional ten minutes. Often, I'm not ready to get up in ten minutes after the first blast. Also, the back light doesn't stay on but a couple of seconds, making it hard to focus and see how to set it or read the various pieces of info that it provides. I would not purchase it again or recommend it to a friend.

The letters and numbers in the display are not in full contrast to the background and are thus not as easy to read as they should be. The low contrast is particularly a problem at night, even with the night light is turned on with the switch in the battery compartment. The most significant problem that I found was that the alarm volume is quite soft. It failed to wake me up, and I am not that deep a sleeper.

Hated it. Couldn't read it at night, which was really important to us. Plus it couldn't figure out where we lived. It was an hour off.

Yes, it works well as a clock, was easy to program and synched into the radio time feed overnight. It's daytime display has excellent contrast and is very easy to read. Why then do I not like it? The back light turns the clock from one with a wide viewing angle to one with limited vertical viewing. This makes it nearly impossible to see from straight on, made worse by having the display tilted back, a design "feature" of the case. Viewing has to be at least 20 degrees above the clock for it to be readable at night. This makes it terrible for a bed stand or on a shelf that is not lower then your seating or resting position. It probably will work well as a desk clock. As a travel clock, it will probably be unreadable, as most hotels have the night stand a little higher than the bed, making it unreadable, unless you tilt it down when you want to see more than a solid orange screen. I am likely to return it before my return window ends.

This clock fails to adjust for DST. It has now been 33 hours since the time change and no change to the time on the clock. Perhaps it's not receiving the time signal, but it gives no indication of that. VERY DISAPPOINTING. I was hoping for an accurate clock I would not have to constantly adjust. This isn't it.

I bought this clock to replace a 15-year old model from Oregon Scientific on which the Electroluminescent Backlight has died. I like all the features built into this clock. The display is designed with larger numbers than my old Oregon Scientific model, making it easier to read at night with my eyeglasses off. The nightlight is useful in a darkened room, and the built-in thermometer is an added bonus.Now onto the reason I'm returning this clock: The radio in it is "weak as water", to use a British phrase I'm quite fond of. Sitting in the exact same location next to my bed where my Oregon Scientific Atomic Time Desk Clock was always able to get a usable signal for synchronizing, this clock's radio is unable to pick-up anything. Granted, I'm on the East Coast, where the signal is weaker due to distance from the transmitter, but I have 2 other Radio-Controlled Atomic Time Clocks AND a Casio G-Shock Waveceptor Atomic Time Watch that are all able to get a usable signal in my home with no trouble. A Radio-Controlled Atomic Time Clock that can't synchronize is absolutely USELESS, so I'll be sending it back this week and trying a different model from a different brand. Hopefully it will have a better radio in it.

It is difficult to get this clock to sync with the atomic time. You have to set it right next to a window. Even if it is just a few feet away from the window, it seems unable to lock onto the signal. Other atomic clocks I've owned in the past have never had this problem. Also the temperature function always give a higher than actual reading. I have two other thermometers in the room, and this is the only one that is inaccurate. It always displays temperatures 3-4 degrees above the correct temperature.

This was returned product that end up with me. I was going to send back, I don't want somebody else to suffer. I will use it for target.

ONLY WORKS NEAR A WINDOW NOT WORTH THE MONEY.

Haven't even put batteries in yet-plastic case is still outgassing a perfumy smell after a week-smell still on its enclosed papers, too. Odor was not on other items in shipping box, so can't claim anything spilled on it. Cheap enough to keep as a backup, but will be used across the room instead of next to me on nightstand.

It doesn't work. I took it on a 3 week trip & it never worked. I would return it, but I must have thrown away the box. I was in a hurry to pack and just assumed it would work. Will still try to return.

the clock would not stay on the hour. it would gain or loose an hour over night. would not stay connected to the radio wave to reset at 2am. It was a piece of junk..

Did not work. I returned it

Clock does not work. Replaced batteries... nothing. Poor quality product.
Would not recommend...Is beyond return window
Left our home in the trash

Setting it up fresh out of the box was easy. Setting time, date, 24-hr, etc. was intuitive. However, its main function as an alarm clock was a dismal failure. I could barely hear it arm's length away, set 2 mins in advance. The snooze function worked once or twice with each of 6 trial runs. My phone alarm snooze function responds for up to an hour. This clock is worthless to me - I'll send it back right away. Particularly disappointing as this technology has successfully been around for decades. My 20-year- old generic version is just now getting iffy with the snooze, yet is much better than this Marathon brand.

Not really a good product for the price I paid. There are better choices under $10. Unfortunately can not return because amazon charges return shipment cost.

Impossible to see from the bed because if you put the watch on a bedside table with the same hight with the bed , numbers fade... You must look at the watch from above.. Thus, it is very unuseful if you are going to use it by the bed.. Thanks.

This clock was great until it stopped working properly two months after purchase. It seems the lock position is defective. Unfortunately it was too late to return it

Can't tell if it's dark. Has to activated for the screen to light. Makes it useless when trying to find out time in the night.

Barely lasted 8 months, now it's not working at all.

I live in Hawaii and in the middle of the night - it will adjust the time to Pacific Time Zone (no matter what I do). Set the alarm for 5 am in the evening and it wakes me at 2 am - because it has adjusted to Pacific Time in the middle of the night.

The alarm doesn't go off for long enough. I think it's only a minute or two. I can sleep through it. I don't understand an alarm clock that stops after a minute or two.

This item never worked. It was broken from the start. By the time I used it, it was past the window for returning it. Now I'm stuck with this piece of junk!!! How convenient for the seller....BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!!!

The Alarm on the clock I purchased is not reliable. It failed to sound after set. This has happened three times now and I have only used it a dozen times.