when this item actually work , it be a DREAM !!! -lrb- no pun intend ... -rrb- but , the mere fact that it be so unreliable as to when it will work void the purpose of have a alarm clock of any sort in the first place . I too have experience -lrb- what I think be -rrb- the bulb burn out on my alarm clock , but realize after toy with it some more that the bulb be actually not burn out , that the machine itself be actually fail . I would take the bulb out , put it back in , jiggle it a bit , and then test it by run the ` lamp ' cycle , and it would illuminate . then it would continue to wake I up for a couple of day in a row , and then stop work again . this type of inconsistency be just not acceptable in a alarm clock product . the thing that be even more annoying about it be that this product be NOT CHEAP . at $ 75.00 , one would expect something that last more than a couple of week . again - great idea ... just really really bad execution .