(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best compact radios & stereos

I have very similar "retard" moments so this was an excellent post, I commend you.

You may very well have just changed my mind ( I was leaning towards this one). I like the fact that it shows your alarm time (w/o pressing a button), I agree this should be a no-brainer feature.

Thanks for the great suggestion!

I have a Canon rebel Eos K2. It is a film camera with a Quantaray tele-micro 70-300mm lens along with a the lens that came with the camera. I also have two light filters for the lenses and a carrying case. http://www.tristatecamera.com/lookat.php?refid=279&sku=CANERK2K (picture of the same camera I have along with the lens it came with). The camera and lenses are in great condition.

I also have a red Murray road bike from the 1930's that is in good condition.

Last but not least I have a Emerson record/cd/tape/radio player that is also in great condition. http://www.amazon.com/Emerson-Heritage-Turntable-Player-Radio/dp/B0011DPPT6 -same one I have

Anyone interested?

It's going to sound sort horrible, but probably fine for parties? If you're buying new... I guess something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UCXJD26/ref=twister_B00V9Y9WMI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If Craigslist is an option you can probably get $100 worth of stuff that will make a bunch of sound.

In the realm of "things that actually sound remotely good" I believe the Dayton 652 or 652 Air plus a $50 amp from Craigslist will bring you in at right around $100.

This may be more than you're looking for, but I have this, use it daily, and the timer functions exactly the way you're looking for:

Sony undercabinet cd/radio/mp3 player

The right hand knob, visible in the first product image, is the volume control. On the opposite front corner is a knob that feels a little segmented when you turn it, which corresponds to the minutes that the LCD immediately starts showing. Then you press the knob in to start the timer, and once it starts beeping you need to push the knob in again to stop it.

Issues with it are that it only sets timers for whole minutes. The other day I set it for 120 minutes when I was roasting tomatoes, and didn't want to dig through the drawers for the timer with an hour hand. And for my aeropress coffee I use a timer with a memory button set to 90 seconds. I'd love it if I could just use the undercabinet timer instead.

I'm considering buying a phone mount for my car that seems perfect for my needs, but there's one problem with it: it's bright white. I'd much rather have it black or dark grey.

So then I started thinking, I could probably paint this thing. I'd have to watch out for the hinges and buttons of course, disassemble it as much as possible, and tape over anything I don't want to change color (I like the orange knobs), but with some spray paint and some time, I bet I could pull it off.

What kind of paint would I want to use on this project? I basically have no experience with this sort of thing. Would I need a primer layer (or multiple)? I'm guessing I'd want some sort of plastic-specific paint, but it would also need to go on in thin layers so the moving parts don't get jammed. And I don't want it flaking off eventually.

Thanks for your help!

I couldn't get any of your Amazon links to work. But for MY $300, I've try to find something simple. For MY money, wattage wouldn't matter as much as good, well rounded sound. I'd get something I've heard before that I know I like the sound of.

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-Wave-Audio-System-Graphite/dp/B00021Y9N6/ref=sr_1_3?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1510987737&sr=1-3&refinements=p_36%3A20000-30000&dpID=4121KTVQVGL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

or maybe

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-MCR-232BL-Micro-Component-System/dp/B005YXXTDS/ref=sr_1_7?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1510987737&sr=1-7&refinements=p_36%3A20000-30000

I have [these](HRT Black Stage Speaker System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U5MDVWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lwPRAb4KMZXZ7) and I like it a lot for a PC set up. Has an integrated amp, runs at 96 and I think they sound great. Worth much more then they cost.

This is the one I bought:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00LZUN8OO/

The first one was $25 because it has the old DST change in it and the instructions to change it were kind of fucky so people returned them a lot.

The one I've linked to has some issues with the way things get set, but overall I'm happy with it. I'm comfortable with fucked up electronics instructions. You can turn the display all the way off, although the power LED is bright, but a small square of electrical tape becomes invisible.

Once you've set it once, you basically never have to touch it again.

How important is the date part? I can think of a simple, cheap design allowing for up to 24 hour release window.

1. Battery operated alarm clock
   
2. 12V battery or power supply you will have many options but something like this might be best
   
3. Solenoid operated lock something like this
   
4. A multimeter will be required, and some electronic knowledge would be helpful.
   
5. A relay to activate the solenoid. The specs would be depend on the alarm clock (I'll describe below)
   
   First, the alarm clock. I know you can get some cheap battery powered alarm clocks at Walmart. This will be your "timer". A typical alarm clock will only give you a 24 hour window though, so if you buy one like in the link above you could program it 5 to 6 days out if you could release it on a weekend. YMMV on that one. This is the only part your going to need any significant electrical knowledge. Take the alarm clock apart, and find the speaker or buzzer. Remove the speaker/buzzer, and while the alarm is going off, measure the voltage (let assume for this example the buzzer voltage is 6V).
   
   Now the relay is depend on that output voltage (and hopefully the output will have enough current output say 100mA which should be measurable across a properly sized resistor). You will need to buy a relay with that input voltage, and 12VDC rated out put. They will look something like this.
   
   Run the output of the relay through the battery and the door solenoid. Rig up the door latch to release the door. You will need an enclosure of some type to protect the electronics (the door latch would be the only thing protruding).
   
   
   

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-RC40-Alarm-Clock-Display/dp/B001TNU9UI

The controls are a little weird but otherwise, I like it :)

I love that clock, my mother got it for me like 5 years ago. each number can be moved around, they connected on a wire much like Christmas tree lights.

Ill try to find it on the interwebs...

Found it http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Numbers-Alarm-Clock-Black/dp/B000QIWOYG

Oh this sounds like a fun contest! Good idea, I like seeing other's picks!
0-5 - Bacon air freshener

5-10 - Noise Machine with Alarm Clock 6 Soothing Sounds Spa

10-20 - Skull candy headphones

20-50 - bad ass silver amethyst necklace

Invest in an electric meter (I use this one) And leave it plugged into all of your appliances for at couple days each. Write down the energy usage of each appliance. Research the energy usage of new appliances and calculate the cost savings. Anything that will pay off in fewer years than you plan to stay in this house, invest in.

Use the kilowatt meter to check every single plug in the house. Some things will surprise you - an xbox uses a lot of power even when it's off due to the transformers in the power supply unit constantly running!

Invest in "smart plugs". Use them for appliances that draw a more power when idle than necessary. Classic cases are TV's, phone chargers, kitchen appliances. Shut them off.

Is your house electrically heated? Big problem. Get rid of the electric heat entirely and replace it with gas or wood.

Replace every light bulb in your house with ultra low energy usage LED or CF bulbs. A 75 watt equivalent LED uses 13.5 watts, and a 75 watt equivalent CF uses 19 watts. Replace the most commonly used bulbs with LED's (they're pricey), and the less commonly used bulbs with CFL's. Consider getting timers to automatically turn lights off to save power.

Don't open your fridge or freezer very often. Plan out what you need and prevent "browsing".

Don't run your electric stove very often. Plan what to cook to minimize stove on time.

Is your water heater electric? Turn down the hot water temperature. Use less hot water around the house. Wash your clothes and dishes in cold water.

Separate units are generally preferred if you care about quality. But if it doesn't matter much and you want an all-in-one, Onkyo and Denon have some OK ones:

https://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-CS-265-Hi-Fi-System-Bluetooth/dp/B00N9QQVPU/

https://www.amazon.com/Denon-D-M39S-Component-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B008PQAB3C/

The Philips Wake Up light with dawn simulator alarm clock is nice. The light doesn't really wake me up but my husband loves it. It might work for you.

There's many models but here are some links:
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Wake-Up-Sunrise-Simulation-HF3505/dp/B00E91EGDS

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Morning-Wake-Up-Simulation-HF3520/dp/B0093162RM

I use both Pandora and Google Play, both streaming and music loaded on the device. I play via a pair of Photive Bluetooth headphones, I have a stereo setup with a pair of Soundfreq Sound Platform 2's in my living room, and I have an Inatek Mercury Box in my bathroom. All work beautifully with my N5X. My previous Galaxy S3 didn't always play nice with the SP2's and I would get cut-outs and drop the stereo a lot.

Here are some more GRACE product from Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Digital-Wireless-Featuring-GDI-IRA500/dp/B003FBQKZ0/ref=sr_1_4?s=mp3&ie=UTF8&qid=1457704066&sr=8-4&keywords=Grace+Primo

http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Digital-GDI-IRCA700-Wireless-Featuring/dp/B00KT0ES54/ref=sr_1_1?s=mp3&ie=UTF8&qid=1457704066&sr=8-1&keywords=Grace+Primo

Looks like a top loading cd player, kinda like this

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

Vobot

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^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Yes, the buying link is :
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071CDST5C

i have this one, i managed to score an amazing deal:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E91EGDS?ref=emc_b_5_t

it's a gamechanger. by the time the pre-wakeup light phase is complete, i can enjoy the ''sunshine'' and bird song while i get dressed. i always hated getting up in the morning, because i could be in various stages of sleep when the alarm went off, some harder to wake from than others. and not having any kind of cue when the sun is down half the year didn't help either.

i bought a cheaper one and didn't get the same results. these phillips ones are the business though, they're so bright that at full brightness and fully awake, it hurts to look straight at it.

rich? ಠ_ಠ

There's also Vobot.

I use this Sony Alarm clock. It is outside of your budget, but I think that it is worth it. The sound quality is better than a cheap one, and has a more pleasant alarm tone. It has settings for two different alarms like you asked for. It has a battery backup so that it won't reset if you have a blackout.

In my mind, a quality alarm clock is something that you use every day and is worth paying for. If your alarm clock stops functioning properly, you get in trouble at work, and you need to go to work in order to make a living.

I've learned this the hard way as well. I suggest buying a REAL alarm clock.