I just received my Sangean CL-100 in the mail. I'll update this review in the future with comments about it's durability and battery life.
Keep in mind that I bought this primarily as 1) a kitchen radio, 2) an emergency radio when the power goes out, and 3) a weather alert when I know big storms with potential hazards (like tornadoes) are coming through the area. On these fronts, it's about perfect. Although it has alarm clock functions, I did not purchase it for these purposes.
Before purchasing the Sangean, I had a similar weather alert radio made by Radio Shack [Catalog #12-519], but I returned it a few weeks ago. It worked fine, but the Sangean cost less and potentially had better sound and reception (which it turns out it did). Throughout the review, I'll compare the Sangean to it's Radio Shack competitor even though it appears that Radio Shack has discontinued the radio I bought from them, replacing it with a new one that has a completely different design [Catalog #12-996].
PROS:
--Well Made: It feels and looks like a high quality product, much more so than the radio I had purchased from Radio Shack, which felt fine for something that cost $20 to $30, but I had purchased it on sale for $60.
--Great Sound: The speaker produces great sound for it's small size. It works well in our kitchen. The default mix is just right for classical music, NPR, and talk radio, and you can adjust the bass and treble if needed. The sound is better than the competition from Radio Shack. I don't think the comparable Midland or Reecom products have an equalizer either.
--Great Reception: It picks up stations very clearly, including the closest weather station. Again, it does this better than the radio from Radio Shack, which only picked up one weather station while the Sangean picks up 2. The Radio Shack radio struggled to pick up the local NPR station while the Sangean does not (although I have to extend the antenna for it to come in at full volume).
--Weather Alerts: It has the same weather alert capabilities as its competitors. However, you do have to know your county FIPS code, which isn't hard to look up online, while some of the competitors have all of the counties listed in the radio by state.
--Stereo Headphone Out: You can use this as your radio receiver and plug in bigger speakers if you need more volume (assuming the external speakers have their own amp). This is a nice plus over some of the competition, including the Radio Shack unit I previously owned.
--Small Size: I was surprised how small it is and how much sound it's able to produce for being so small. This is a plus if you don't want your whole night stand or kitchen counter taken up by a radio.
--Ease of Use: It was pretty easy to figure out how to set everything up. I only had to look up a couple of things in the manual. There are some quirks, which I discuss below.
MIXED BAG (could be Pro or Con depending on your views):
--Siren Volume: Even the quietest volume setting for the weather alert siren is quite loud. Of course, the purpose of a weather alert is to alert you of an emergency.
CONS (though these are quibbles):
--Screen: The screen is fine if you're just using it as a radio. I like all of the information it shows, but as an alarm clock, it wouldn't work well. The angle is bad. It should be on the front of the unit like the screens of most alarms instead of on the top at an angle. The text is small for an alarm clock and would be hard to read even if the angle weren't bad. As far as screen location and size, the Radio Shack competitor was much better, but it had a bright blue background that lit up the whole room and made it difficult to read the time from an angle. The Reecom and Midland competitors also have screens on the top. So in the end, this con does not put it at a disadvantage to the competition. Plus, I don't use it as an alarm, so it doesn't matter to me.
--Location of LED Warning Lights: The Sangean has LED warning lights for the different weather alerts: red for warning, orange for watch, etc. However, they're on the top of the unit, so if you have it on your night stand, it would be hard to see the lights without sitting up a bit. This is one area where the Radio Shack competitor wins out.
--Automatic Menu Exit: If you're in the menu and don't push a button after 5 seconds, it will automatically exit you out of the menu. That's annoying, but once you have the alert codes set up, this isn't an issue.
--Lack of Handle, Non-Upright Position: It would be more portable if the unit had a handle and was made to sit up-right. You can sit it up right to save space, but it can be hard to read the screen when it's in this position.
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From the brand
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Since 1974, SANGEAN has established a reputation for setting a standard for its build, design, sound, and reception. The path to success isn't always smooth, but we pride ourselves on overcoming every obstacle while ensuring that each product is upheld with the same standard.
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Elevate Your Audio World
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Compare with similar items
This Item  Sangean CL-100 NOAA, S.A.M.E and Public Alert Certified Weather Alert Table-Top Radio with AM / FM-RBDS, and EEPROM Back Up for Preset Stations |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -8% $70.82 Typical: $77.02 | $99.99 | $118.97 | $45.90 | $238.01 | -13% $64.99 List: $74.98 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 30 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 30 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jul 31 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 30 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 30 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 30 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Volume control | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Quality of material | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | C. Crane | Hour Loop | TuMeng | Amazon.com | C. Crane |
| power source | Corded Electric, Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Corded Electric/Battery | Battery Powered |
| supported bands | FM, AM | AM/FM/Weather | 3-Band | WX | AM/FM/SW/LW/AIR | FM, AM |
| connectivity tech | Auxiliary | USB | Bluetooth, Auxiliary | — | Auxiliary | Radio |
| hardware interface | 3 5 mm audio | usb | bluetooth 5, usb3.1 a, usb c | 3 5 mm audio | radio frequency | usb |
| display type | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD |
| frequency | 108 MHz | 10 KHz | 108 MHz | 108 MHz | 137 MHz | 108 MHz |
From the manufacturer
Established in 1974, SANGEAN Electronics has been engineering and manufacturing world band radios, portable pocket radio equipment, and other advanced audio equipment.
SANGEAN Electronics has established a reputation for manufacturing the highest quality and performance products in the consumer electronics industry. We’ll continue to strive for the best to achieve maximum success for our customers.
AM / FM-RBDS / Weather Alert Clock Radio Featuring S.A.M.E.
SANGEAN CL-100
The CL-100 is a Public Alert Certified weather radio that receives all NOAA reports informing people about severe weather advisories, civil emergencies, hazards, and evacuation details, so you can have more time to react before dangerous storms hit your area.
When you're in a tornado path, seconds can mean the difference between life and death and that's when the the CL-100 comes into play.
- NOAA and Public Alert Certified Weather Radio
- Receives All 7 NOAA Weather Channels
- S.A.M.E. Broadcasts up to 25 Programmable FIPS Location Codes
- Stores up to 20 Sets of Alert Messages
- Dual Daily Alarms with Snooze Waking up to Radio or Buzzer Alarm
- I/O Ports: DC-In/Stereo Earphone/AM External Antenna/FM and Weather External Antenna/AUX-In/External Alert/Ground Terminal
- Powered by 4 AA Batteries and Battery Back-Up (Batteries not Included)
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S.A.M.E AlertsS.A.M.E (Specific Area Message Encoding) Alerts only for your county. Selectable Alerts that can disable alerts that you may not care about such as wind advisory. |
NOAA and Public Alert RadioFind the S.A.M.E. county codes on NOAA's website, program them into the CL-100 and store up to 25 county codes to sound alerts. |
Digital Signal with LCD DisplayEquipped with RBDS capabilities, it can provide a range of informational features including Program Service, Names, Time and Date, etc. |
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Dual Alarm and Auto ShutoffSet dual alarm times and choose waking up to AM / FM radio or HWS buzzer alarms. The sleep timer can be set the range from 15 to 120 mins. |
Stereo Auxiliary Input SocketA 3.5mm stereo auxiliary input socket is provided to allow connections to an external audio device such as an MP3 or CD player. |
External Alert Output JackThe CL-100 also has a built-in external alert output jack for other accessories, such as aids for the hearing and visually impaired, flashing lights, or and indoor/outdoor siren and alarm. |
Videos
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Videos for this product
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Sangean CL-100 Radio Frequently Asked Questions
Systematic Hardware
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3:09
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After trying many alert radios the CL-100 is the one we use!
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Sangean CL-100 Radio Unboxing, Setup and Overview
Systematic Hardware
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2:03
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Unboxing and first impressions upgrading from a basic radio
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Reviews with images
Good buttons, menus and options.
This weather radio is far better than my old reecom one. The buttons feel far more responsive, and the menus are much easier to navigate due to more pixels/dots on the display. Having a switch on the side to turn on/off the alarm is far more convenient than to have it in the menus.
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