Radios & Table Clocks: specifications, types

— Radio receiver. In this case, we mean classic receivers designed to listen to music through an external speaker. Such devices can be of different shapes — from stationary to pocket. A characteristic feature of most receivers is a telescopic antenna. But the functions may differ from model to model.

— Pocket receiver. Small size self-powered receivers. Such devices, due to their size, have a small built-in speaker power and are often equipped with a headphone output. Portable solutions of this form factor are more intended for individual use, and not for mass listening. The list of functions of the respective models is limited to the basic capabilities.

— Radio clock. As the name suggests, they are actually electronic watches with a built-in tuner. Without fail, they are equipped with displays and an alarm clock function, they can also have a variety of additional features. Clock radios are usually designed for home use within cities, close to transmitting stations, and are poorly suited as portable devices — although they are often quite small, only a few models are equipped with autonomous power supply. The capabilities of their acoustics are also quite modest: the clock radio speakers, compared to conventional receivers, have low power and low sound quality.

— Table clock. The essence of a table clock i...s to show the time. They also serve as a decorative element of interior decoration, often have a built-in calendar, alarm clock and room temperature measurements. Desktop form factor clocks are available in both electronic and pointer dial versions, and hourglasses fall into the same category.

Dial type — the field on which the time itself is displayed (as well as other data, if such a possibility is provided).

— Digital. The name of such dials is due to the fact that the time on them is displayed on the LCD screen directly in the form of numbers — for example, "03:12" or "14:45". Watches with such dials are often referred to as "electronic": in terms of the basic principle of the mechanism, they do not differ from quartz watches with hands (see "Type of movement"), but electronic circuits, not mechanics, are responsible for the operation of the dial. The main advantage of LCD screens is the abundance of features: in addition to numbers, they can display almost any auxiliary data, and the main block of numbers can be used in different modes — for example, switch from clock to calendar or other standard time (for more details, see "Functions / features”), change the time display format (see below), etc. Therefore, this option is considered optimal for watches with extensive additional functionality. It is also worth noting that the digital dial allows even a simple model to look like an advanced electronic device. This option, in fact, has no global practical disadvantages — except that some users may consider it less aesthetic and stylish than an arrow dial.

— Arrow. The traditional dial with arrows, which are responsible for displaying the...time; the set of hands includes at least an hour and a minute, but a second is often provided as well. Pointer dials are found among both mechanical and quartz watches (see "Type of mechanism"). They are not as versatile as the digital ones described above: the dial itself can only display time, and additional functions require auxiliary equipment (for example, a calendar is most often made in the form of a characteristic window with a date display). In addition, some features in such watches are not implemented as well as in digital ones — for example, the alarm clock cannot be set to the nearest minute; and some are not available at all (for example, switchable time format, see below). On the other hand, pointer dials are highly valued by lovers of "watch classics".

— Flip-flop. The dials of this type are similar to flip calendars: they are based on sets of separate “pages”, which are responsible for displaying the time (only in this case, the “pages” are made not of paper, but of hard material, such as plastic). Time is displayed in numbers, as in digital options (see above); and when changing numbers, the corresponding plate falls down, revealing the next number. Watches with such equipment have an original appearance and stand out noticeably among most modern models, but from a practical point of view, they have no advantages even over analog models (not to mention digital ones). In addition, each change of numbers, usually, is accompanied by a characteristic click; and if it is quite easy to get used to the uniform ticking of ordinary watches, then problems can arise with every minute clicks. With all this, the design of the dial turns out to be quite complex and expensive. As a result, this option has become widespread mainly among fashion models of the elite class.

— Mixed. A dial that combines a digital LCD display and traditional hands. Each of these options is described in more detail above, and their combination allows you to provide an abundance of possibilities, while preserving the classic look of the watch as much as possible. On the other hand, for a number of reasons, this option is not very popular among desktop models — in most cases it is more convenient to provide one version of the dial and focus on one thing (on functionality or design), rather than combine two types.

Clock face shape. This parameter affects only the appearance of the device and is practically not related to the functionality. Therefore, you can choose a watch according to the shape of the dial only for aesthetic reasons.

Note that although the traditional shape for a pointer dial (see “Dial Type”) is round or rounded (oval), this is not limited to square / rectangular options. With digital, the situation is similar: in addition to the classics in the form of a rectangle, other forms are also used.

A type of number or symbol used on a watch face to display the time.

— Arabic. Arabic numbers are used today as standard around the world — of the form "1", "2", "3", etc. This marking is considered to be the easiest to read, due to which it has become widespread and is used for all types of dials (see above); and in digital, other options are practically not found at all.

— Roman. In Roman notation, the numbers on the clock are displayed using a combination of the symbols I, V, X — for example, nine corresponds to IX. This marking is used only for the hands of the dials: it provides an original and stylish appearance, which is considered especially suitable for models in the "retro" design. But in digital dials, Roman numerals are not found due to the complexity both in implementation and in perception (and even in watches with hands, getting used to such markings may take some time).

— Tags. A variant used exclusively in pointer dials. This type of markup implies a complete absence of numbers — in accordance with the name, only marks are used. Given that almost all dials are designed for a 12-hour scale and have a standard location of marks, with a minimum habit, you can completely do without numbers — the position of the mark on the scale itself already carries enough information. Note that the design and number of labels may vary. The c...lassic option is markup every hour; but there is also a more detailed one, with an additional minute scale, and vice versa, a minimalistic one, with only 4 hour markers instead of 12 (at 3, 6, 9 and 12 hours). And in addition to the classic risks, the role of labels can also be played by original design elements — say, graphic symbols or even mathematical examples, the answer to which is the numbers denoting hours (for example, “54 — 48” for the sixth hour).

— Mixed. Markup types that combine several distinct types. One option is to combine Arabic and Roman numerals (for example, when 3, 6, 9 and 12 hours are indicated by Roman, the rest are Arabic). Also included in this category are models with labels, where each label is supplemented by a number — however, only those in which the numbers are noticeably smaller than the labels and play a supporting role. Such types of markings are used mainly for design reasons, to give the dial an original appearance.

The basic principle on which the clock is based.

— Quartz. The term is colloquially used for analogue clocks with a quartz movement; however, "quartz" is also a standard option for electronic watches (with digital dials — see above) — "mechanics" in such models is simply not applicable for a number of reasons. The main element of this type of mechanism is a high-precision quartz oscillator that produces a strictly defined number of vibrations per second (namely 32,768). The control circuits keep track of the number of these oscillations, and every 32,768 cycles they shift the time counted by the clock by one second. The main advantage of quartz movements is the high accuracy of movement, which significantly exceeds the characteristics of mechanical watches. However the operation of such a device requires power supply, but this cannot be called a serious drawback: the power consumption of generators is so low that the operating time from one battery can reach several months or even years. Thanks to all this, quartz movements are popular in watches of all categories, including high-end designer models.

— Mechanical. Such watches are powered by the energy of a compressed spring (or other similar device that plays the role of a mechanical energy accumulator). This option appeared much earlier than "quartz", but is still used in watches. The most notable practical advantage of "mechanics" o...ver quartz oscillators is the operation without batteries — it is enough to wind the watch from time to time. On the other hand, you need to do this quite often, because. the power reserve at one plant is small (most often less than a few days); therefore, in order not to be left without a watch at the most unfortunate moment, you will have to develop the habit of winding it regularly. In addition, mechanical watches are not as accurate as quartz ones — even if we are talking about high-end models, they will have to be corrected quite often. In addition, this option is much more expensive, it is very poorly suited for the implementation of additional functions, and is practically incompatible with digital dials. As a result, the main area of use of "mechanics" is premium-level table clocks, which play the role of not only clocks, but also decorative elements that emphasize the richness of the environment and its overall style.

— Sandy. One of the oldest types of watches, "surviving", however, to this day. An hourglass is a sealed transparent flask (usually glass), the two halves of which are separated by a narrow bridge. The flask contains fine sand, the amount of which is chosen in such a way that it is poured from one half of the flask to the other in a strictly defined time. After this time, the flask can be turned over by starting the count again. Thus, such models are, in fact, not hours, but timers — moreover, with a strictly defined reference time, which cannot be changed. Therefore, most modern hourglasses are positioned more as fun trinkets or stylish accessories and are made in a correspondingly rich design. However, such a device can also be useful in fact — for example, if you constantly have to deal with the same period of time, it can be quite convenient to control this time using an hourglass.

A type of tuner used in radio receivers.

- Analogue. Tuning to the desired frequency in such tuners is carried out using the wheel. This scheme is considered more convenient than digital trim (see below), but the accuracy of analogue regulators is lower. This can make it difficult to use the receiver with numerous stations in a small frequency range (especially for FM broadcasts in large cities). In addition, the analogue tuner "does not know how" to memorize stations.

- Digital. The direct tuning of the tuner in such receivers is performed by an electronic circuit; the user only sets the desired frequency using the increase / decrease buttons or, in advanced models, from the numeric keypad. These tuners are somewhat less convenient for manual tuning, but they do a good job of fine tuning. Also, many receivers with digital tuners have the function of storing stations (see "Station Memory"), automatically searching for all available stations, etc.

— FM. The most popular broadcasting range among radio listeners today is primarily due to the fact that the vast majority of music stations broadcast in it. This is due to its features: FM uses frequency modulation, which makes it possible to broadcast sound with a fairly high sound quality, and even in stereo format. In the frequency band, the term "FM" usually refers to the 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz portion of the VHF band, although the range of individual receivers may vary. The disadvantage of FM is the limited range — within the line of sight (up to several tens of kilometers), which has secured the reputation of "urban" stations for FM stations.

— AM. Formally, this designation is not a range, but a type of modulation: "amplitude modulation" — amplitude modulation. In consumer radios, AM most often means the medium wave range of about 520-1610 kHz. Such waves have a propagation range of hundreds of kilometers, but the sound quality in this case is somewhat worse than that of FM, and therefore the AM band is mainly used by radio stations of the “conversational” genre (for example, news or journalistic).

— SW. Broadcasting on short waves (short wave) in the general range from 2.5 MHz to 26.1 MHz, divided into a number of separate sub-bands. Sound quality is average. Short waves are able to reach the opposite side of the Earth, but immediately outside the line of sight of the transmitter, a “dead zone” is formed, several...tens of kilometers wide. As a consequence, SW is commonly used for overseas broadcasts.

— DAB. Abbreviation for Digital Audio Broadcasting, i.e. "digital broadcasting". This term describes the key difference between this range and those described above: broadcasting in it is carried out not in analogue, but in digital format, the MP2 codec is used for transmission. This gives a number of advantages over traditional transmitters — in particular, a greater range with less power and high quality of the broadcast sound. In addition, this sound is practically not subject to distortion: weak interference does not affect its quality, and when the transmitter power is critically reduced, the signal is not distorted, but disappears entirely. The latter, however, can be written down as disadvantages; but the really significant drawback of this option is perhaps its low prevalence (so far) in the CIS countries. Technically, such broadcasting can be carried out in any band above 30 MHz, but in fact several options are used (depending on the country) related to the VHF band.

— DAB+. An updated and improved version of the DAB standard described above. It has all the characteristic features of digital broadcasting, and differs from its predecessor in higher sound quality at the same bit rates — both due to the use of a different codec (HE-AAC v2), and due to the use of more advanced noise correction algorithms. DAB+ broadcasts cannot be received on DAB receivers: at best, this will require a firmware update, and at worst, you will have to change the receiver itself.

Number of stations, i.e. certain fixed frequencies, which can be stored in the receiver's memory. This greatly simplifies tuning: by fine tuning the frequency once, in the future you can turn on the desired station by simply selecting it from the list (and in some models, it is enough to press a separate button once). The memory is usually found in receivers with a digital tuner (see "Tuner type").

The Radio Data System RDS technology is used primarily in the FM band; it allows, in addition to the sound signal, to transmit additional textual information by radio — for example, the names of broadcast compositions, announcements, advertising messages, etc. Accordingly, to display this information, the radio receiver must be equipped with a display.

— USB port. The presence of a USB connector allows you to connect a USB flash drive, mobile phones, MP3 players and other similar peripherals. Accordingly, such models have a built-in player and allow you to use connected gadgets exclusively as a drive.

— Card Reader. Like the USB described above, this item implies the presence of a built-in player. And the card reader also allows you to use memory cards as a drive on which songs will be recorded.

— Line input. Analogue audio input. Through such an input, you can connect an external signal source to the radio receiver — for example, an MP3 player — and listen to music through the receiver's speakers. Despite the development of digital standards, line-in is still one of the most popular connection interfaces.

The maximum power output of the receiver speaker(s) in normal operation, without overload. The higher the rated power, the higher the sound volume, but louder devices and energy require more.

A connector for connecting headphones in radio receivers, most often a standard 3.5 mm mini-jack. Headphones can come in handy when the sound from the main speaker might disturb others, or in noisy environments where an external speaker doesn't do well.

The format in which the time is displayed on the clock face.

— 12 hours. A format that enumerates individual hours (time intervals) from 1 to 12. Since there are 24 hours in a day, this numbering covers only half of the day. This option is traditional for hand dials (see "Dial type") — historically, the full circle of the hour hand corresponds exactly to 12 o'clock, and it is from this principle that both watchmakers and watch users around the world today proceed. However, it can also be found in other types of dials. Theoretically, this option may require clarification — roughly speaking, "7 o'clock — in the morning or in the evening?" — however, in the vast majority of cases, the answer to such a question is clear immediately, from the context of the situation. But when using an alarm clock (see "Functions / Capabilities") in such a watch, you have to be especially careful: if, for example, at 6 pm you set the signal time to 8 am, the alarm clock will go off at 8 pm, because the clock itself "does not distinguish" between morning and evening.

— 24 hour. A full 24-hour format, provides numbering of hours from 1 to 24 (more precisely, from 0 to 23, because exactly 24 hours are considered zero of the next day). Thus, when looking at the clock, in principle, there is no question whether we are talking about the time of "morning" or "evening": for example, 7.00 will unambiguously correspond to morning, and "7 pm" will be designated as 19.00. At th...e same time, we note that such clarification can be provided in other ways — namely, the 12-hour scale, which has additional indicators AM (ante meridiem, "before noon") and PM (post meridiem, "after noon"). Therefore, models with such modified 12-hour scales are also classified as 24-hour models in our catalog. This format is used in all types of dials, except for arrows.

— 12/24 hour. This category includes watches that have the ability to switch between a full 24-hour clock and a 12-hour clock with "AM/PM" qualifiers. Formally, both of these types of scales are 24-hour scales (and are described in detail in the relevant paragraph above); the same designation is used to emphasize the possibility of switching formats.

Among the functions in the table clock and radio you can find: alarm clock, snooze, voice notification, calendar, thermometer, world time, radio auto-off timer, time projection, dial backlight, case backlight, USB charging port, wireless charging gadgets, flashlight. More details about them:

- Alarm. The watch has a classic alarm clock that provides a sound signal at a customer-specified time. Of course, this function can be used not only for morning wake-up, but also for other warnings. However, the most popular way to use an alarm clock is to wake you up in the morning. In light of this, some models may provide a very specific way of disabling the alarm - for example, by installing a propeller in place that takes off from the clock when the alarm goes off; and some models begin to move at the same time as the signal, and you have to catch them. There can be many similar options, but they all follow the same principle: to push the customer to take active action and reduce the likelihood of falling asleep after the sound has been...turned off. Watches with original alarm clocks will be especially useful for tech who tend to wake up when they wake up, turning off the alarm and falling asleep again.

— Delay of the alarm signal (Snooze). As the name suggests, this function is designed to reschedule the alarm to a later time. Its meaning is that when a signal is triggered, the customer can literally move the alarm time by several minutes with just one click of a button. Snooze is intended primarily for tech who prefer to lie in bed for a while after the alarm goes off before getting up: it minimizes the risk of falling back to sleep and missing the time to wake up, while pressing the Snooze button is much easier than changing alarm clock manually. In some models, the delay time is fixed (usually about 5 - 10 minutes), in others it can be adjusted at will.

— Voice notification. The watch has a voice warning system. One of the most popular uses of such a system is to announce the current time at the press of a button; in some situations, this method of finding out the time can be more convenient than trying to look at the dial. Theoretically, other types of alerts could be provided - for example, a low battery warning; however, for a number of reasons they are rarely used.

- Calendar. The watch has a calendar function. This feature requires, at a minimum, the display of the current day of the month, but the matter is not limited to this: even in watches with pointer dials (see “Movement type”), the calendar can also cover the day of the week or even the current month, and in digital devices - also the year, the number of the week in the year and a lot of other information, including displaying calendar tables for each individual month. The calendar can also provide other functions, such as setting an alarm for certain days of the week.

- Thermometer. The presence of a thermometer function in the watch allows you to use it to determine the air temperature in the number. This function may be useful in cases where you need to maintain a certain microclimate - for example, if there is a baby in the house. Built-in thermometers, as a rule, are made electronic, which provides more than sufficient accuracy for domestic use. And in some models, the digital temperature display can be supplemented with a color one - for example, by changing the color of the housing backlight (see below for the backlight itself).

- World time. The presence of a world time function in the watch allows you to determine the current time in other regions. Most often, an additional dial is used for this, which is set in advance for the time of the time zone of interest and constantly displays this time; and in the most advanced models there may be several such dials. There are other ways to implement this function - for example, models with LCD screens (see “Dial type”) can provide quick switching between local time and a specified time zone. In any case, watches with a world time function are useful in cases where you regularly communicate with people from other time zones - in particular, they minimize the risk of being in an inconvenient situation by calling your interlocutor in the middle of the night or at another inopportune moment. On the other hand, today there are more practical ways to monitor standard time than desk clocks (for example, smartphones are equipped with similar tools); therefore, this function is rarely found, mainly in luxury models.

— Radio auto-off timer. A timer that turns off the receiver after a specified time. This way, you don't have to worry about turning off the device manually - just set the desired time and the receiver will turn off automatically. This can be useful, for example, if you like to fall asleep to music: by setting a timer, you can calmly fall asleep without worrying about wasting energy on “all-night” broadcasting (which is especially critical for self-powered devices, see “Power”).

— Time projection. The watch has a projector function. Thanks to it, the device is able to display various data not only on the dial, but also on various surfaces - for example, projecting information onto the ceiling or wall. In some cases, the projector mark is more convenient and better visible than the main dial. As the name of this feature suggests, the projector is primarily designed to display the time; technically, nothing prevents other data from being displayed in this way, however, for a number of reasons, such a possibility is rarely provided. As a rule, the projector unit is made rotating, which allows you to adjust it to different environments.

— Dial backlight. The watch has a dial illumination system. This backlight is convenient in low light conditions: it allows you to see the dial without using additional lighting sources (in other words, you can look at the watch even in complete darkness). Note that in this case we are talking about systems that turn on for a short time - usually for a few seconds while the customer holds the button; Constantly glowing symbols on the dial do not count as backlighting, although they can also be seen in the dark without any problems. And in some models, the dial illumination can be combined with the case illumination (see below).

— Case lighting. The watch has a case lighting system. Unlike the dial backlight described above, this function is usually not associated with the main functionality of the watch - it plays a decorative role and also allows the device to be used as a night light.

- Flashlight. The built-in flashlight allows you to use the receiver as a light source. Moreover, the power of such sources can be quite high, providing an effective range of several tens of meters. Usually this function involves a directional beam, but there are also diffused light flashlights.

— USB port for charging. The presence of a port for connecting a third-party gadget and replenishing its energy. Naturally, this solution is applicable when connecting a table clock to a 230 V power supply, and the speed itself will be mediocre.

- Wireless charger. Ability to work in Power Bank mode without using a cable. The gadget is charged wirelessly by placing the desired device on the charging area.

— Pencil stand. The presence of a pencil stand in the watch design. By design, such a stand usually represents a characteristic “glass”; its shape can be varied, but the dimensions are usually large enough to accommodate several fairly large stationery items. Therefore, despite the name, the stand can be used not only for pencils, but also for other items - pens, markers, scissors, etc.

Power supply methods provided in the design of radio receivers and table clocks.

- Batteries. Powered by standard replaceable batteries ( AA, AAA, type C, LR44, PP3, etc.). There are two main advantages to this diet. Firstly, a shrunken element can be quickly replaced; for this, of course, you need to have fresh batteries in stock, but it’s easy to take care of this in advance. Secondly, consumer devices are independent of outlets; this allows you to install them on almost any suitable surface, easily move from place to place, without worrying about the length and placement of the mains cable. Batteries, of course, need to be purchased separately, which slightly increases spending. However, many replacement batteries are also available as rechargeable batteries. Thanks to all this, battery-powered models are very popular today.

- Network. Powered by a standard 230 V network. On the one hand, this option eliminates the hassle of batteries, and on the other hand, connecting to the network is associated with a number of inconveniences: the power cord limits the ability to install a radio or clock in places where there are sockets nearby, moreover the device may interfere or simply not fit into the overall environment. Mai...ns power in watches is quite rare in its pure form - much more often it is used as a fallback option for battery-powered models: if the situation allows, you can plug the watch into an outlet and not waste the charge.

- Battery. Powered by an original battery that is not related to standard sizes. Like the batteries described above, this option provides the device with autonomy. However, the key difference is that the battery, as a rule, does not provide for quick replacement: a non-standard format makes it difficult to purchase a spare battery, and more often than not, it is generally made non-removable. Therefore, the main, if not the only, option for discharging is charging, which requires a connection to the network and takes quite a long time. As a result, rechargeable batteries are considered a less suitable power option than replacement batteries and are rarely used.

The type of connector used to charge the built-in battery, or more precisely, to connect an external charger. The role of such a device can be played by a network or car adapter, a power bank, or even a USB port of a PC or laptop (if the appropriate cable is available).

- microUSB. A smaller version of the USB connector designed for portable devices. It appeared quite a long time ago, but does not lose popularity in our time, it is used by the vast majority of manufacturers.

- USB C. A miniature USB connector, positioned, among other things, as a potential successor to microUSB. Unlike its predecessor, it has a double-sided design, thanks to which the plug can be inserted into the socket on either side. It is still relatively rare, but the situation is likely to change in the coming years.

The colour of the characters displayed on the digital watch face screen (see "Watch Type"). Classic LCDs, most often used as such dials, have black characters — a variant familiar to almost anyone who has dealt with electronic watches. However, modern table clocks may provide other colour options — white, red, blue, green, orange(yellow), etc.; such colours are usually a sign that the dial uses permanently lit indicators and can be seen in the dark without additional illumination.

Some models of "coloured" watches are available in several versions that differ in the colour of the characters. But the colour change function, usually, is not found — it is quite difficult and expensive to provide such a setting in LCD screens that play the role of dials.

The most popular material option for housings today is plastic. At a low cost, it is quite strong and reliable, can have any colour and a very complex shape, which allows you to create devices with a variety of designs. Therefore, this material is used in all price categories of table clocks.

In addition, there are other options; they, usually, indicate that the watch is created with an emphasis not only on functionality, but also on an attractive appearance. For example, upscale models with pointer dials often use wood to emphasize the traditional design. Metal(mainly steel) can be found both in classic and original designs ( watches in glass). And in the most expensive, "image" devices, the main value of which is precisely the appearance, bronze, brass, gilding, marble and other similar premium materials are also used.