Use a Marantz (or other brand) audio timer, hooked to your main stereo. Depending upon what recording you set to have it play, you can awaken to the gentle sounds of birds and the breeze, or a tape of Cameron Diaz, or --for the heavy sleeper who needs an extra-strong "nudge"-- the violent crashing of cymbals and blaring of trumpets... Should an even stronger wake-up call be needed, hook up a 24-volt system to the audio timer (using a relay), and connect a big semi truck horn, placed next to the bed and aimed at you... if it doesn't wake you, you're already dead. :scratch2:... If it wakes you, you might be dead, too --from a heart attack!
I have a small Japanese alarm clock that looks like some kind of bizarre cartoon weapon system. I don't really need an alarm clock, but use it sometimes, anyway. It's fun! When it goes off, it sounds like a machine gun firing. Then when you hit the "off" button to stop it, it makes the high-pitched, descending sound of a missile/bomb falling from the sky, followed by a (somewhat distorted) explosion. Although only powered by three AA batteries, it is LOUD --so loud that I put it in another room, not the one I'm sleeping in. Otherwise I'll probably have that heart attack when it goes off. I think the neighbors can probably hear it when it goes off. Not sure how they make it so loud; it must have a very efficient speaker (piezo, maybe?). Not much bass quality, but ear-piercingly loud highs, easily equal to a commercial fire alarm.
