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weather alert radio

Yahoo Message Number: 10072
We would like to buy a weather alert radio that knows where you are- so we get only the alerts in the area- any suggestion? Stan and Joni Vander ploeg
Intrigue #11556 2003
Fulltiming

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10073
Stan & Joni,

NOAA is the federal agency that operates the weather alert system.
There are only seven frequencies used for broadcast of weather info and alerts nationwide. For a receiver to alert you wherever you are, it would have to "know" your location. The "alert" radios I have seen require you to select the proper frequency from a local area chart in order to receive automatic alerts. To automatically "know" your location the radio would need something like a built in GPS. There may be such a beast out there, and perhaps a Google search would turn something up.

Lacking such a radio, you could just use a scanner that can be programmed to scan the seven NOAA frequencies. In my experience you usually will only find one active in a given area, although I have on occasion gotten as many as three. This has not been a problem as they announce the coverage area often and it is easy to figure out the correct one to listen to.

The NOAA web site may provide some help: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/
Below are the seven broadcast frequencies used in MHz.

162.400

162.425

162.450

162.475

162.500

162.525

162.550
Dave

2000 Allure 36'

#30444 Blt. Sept. 99

stanley20002152 wrote:

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10077
Stan and Toni,

We purchased a weather radio at Radio Shack and it is great. Prior to purchasing it I never knew where we were county wise and it seems as though they give the alerts by county. So we would dig out the atlas and frantically be looking for the counties, pretty hard to do in the atlas as the print is a light blue and the county lines are hard to find. Hence we purchased the weather radio and it even wakes you up with an alert in the middle of the night if necessary...I finally was able to sleep knowing if there was a tornado alert it would wake us up. While traveling through the Midwest, we were awaken 3 times with weather alerts. Hope this helps,

Dale & Candace Hollick

2005 Affinity #6370 Quad Slide
See You Down the Road!

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10085
Our weather radio from Oregon Scientific that has some really great features that we love. It is capable of holding 9 different S.A.M.E. codes (each code represents a county). It also has a built in AM-FM clock radio with 2 daily alarms and a snooze alarm button.
The unit is designed to sit on a table or be hung on a wall. The compact unit replaces our old weather radio and a bulky alarm clock am-fm radio we had cluttering up our night stand in our RV. It runs either on 120v power or 2 AA batteries in case of a power failure.

When a weather alert occurs for one of the counties you have programmed, it flashes a light, shows a repeating informational message on the front panel continuously as long as the alert is in effect, and sounds an audible alarm (if you have that option selected). It will only sound an alarm for the county codes you have programmed unless you select "all counties". With "all counties" selected, it works just like an old weather radio without SAME codes and will sound the alarm any time it receives a signal from a tower within range. NOAA maintains a web site with all the county codes. You can easily print them off by state and have a complete listing with you as you travel if you don't have access to the web as you travel. The web address for the county codes by state is

http://weather.gov/nwr/nwrbro.htm
The Oregon Scientific model unit we have is WR196T and can be purchased from several Oregon Scientific distributors on the web.
The distributors are listed on the Oregon Scientific web site in the section "where to buy". Oregon Scientific's web site is at: http://www.oregonscientific.com/ The "where to buy" section is at:

http://www2.oregonscientific.com/wheretobuy/default.asp Here is a more complete description and picture of the WR196T: http://www.totaltrak.com/noaa/wr196t.html
It is great to know that when we travel, we have the protection offered by such a radio. We are no longer awakened by alerts that are hundreds of miles away in the middle of a deep nights sleep.

Bob Kumza
2003 Intrigue

Quote from: stanley20002152
> We would like to buy a weather alert radio that knows where you

are-

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10087
You're right that storm warnings are done by county. So, when I register at a campground, I make a point of asking what county we are in and making a note of it, whether I'm in storm country or not.
My next project is to find a weather radio that works inside the motorhome. Got an Emerson at Wal-Mart the other day and found that it only works if I have the antenna up against the window. So, will go to Radio Shack and see what I can find.

Carol

'04 Inspire Genoa
'03 Explorer
Fulltimer

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10089
Bob,

Do you need an external antenna or does the Oregon Scientific radio work as it comes out of the box?

Thanks,
Carol

'04 Inspire Genoa
'03 Explorer
Fulltimer

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10099
Stan:

I use a receiver by Thunder Eagle. (the model 200) I do have an outside antenna mounted next to the CB whip (was easy to install with the removal of the TV set). The receiver will seek out the strongest WX station. In most (but not all !) cases that station will be the one providing coverage from your area. So far the strong signal scanning feature has not let us down..
The advice about asking what county your in when stopping for the night is very good.

I put a number of the model 100's and 200's in FEMA trucks/vans a few years ago. Good stuff. My wife almost will not travel without the reveiver. She made a big deal about getting it hooked back up when we purchased our Intrigue.

The receiver allowed us to 'out drive' a major hail storm a few years ago (that I'm sure would have caused us great damage) and we were also warned about a storm in the middle of the night that caused us to seek shelter at a FamCamp bath house (it was cement block), that storm did a lot of damage just a few hundred feed from our camp.
I find the scanning and "replay' feature on the WX receivers to be of great use. (a number of other brand WX receivers are offering the replay feature now).

Good luck..

Eagle:

http://www.thuneagle.com/our_products/Weather_Eagle_100/weather_eagle_100.html
Jim Cook

2002 Intrigue #11446

ps: The receiver is installed up in the front of the MH but I run an alarm wire that 'rings' a beeper in the aft stateroom for alerts. OH, The TE 100 and 200 will allow you to lock on a station that is not the strongest signal but is the station for your area.

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10101
Quote

I use a receiver by Thunder Eagle. (the model 200)
Yikes!! That's a little expensive! LOL Thanks anyway.

Carol

'04 Inspire Genoa
'03 Explorer
Fulltimer

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10104
Carol:

I have a Midland 74-200 weather alert radio. You can check it out at the Midland website. It doesn't have all the whistle and bells that Jim's has, but works well and has the audible alerts. You just have to dial in the correct frequncy for your location. I haven't used the county specific frequencies just the general area ones.

I ordered it from WalMart online for about $45.00.

Chuck

03 Intrigue 11673

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10105
Yes it is, but it will work. We purchased more than the total of the cost of model 100 in receivers that would NOT work.

Most of receivers were knocked out by other radio stations (TV and FM) or they needed a VERY strong signal from the WX service.

I understand that Radio Shack has a model that works well in moderate to strong signal locations. (model 12.258 at $80.00)

I have a MH pal that loves the ShareCom WRP500 ($149.00) It has a LCD map display. I guess you just set your location on the map (just getting close works) and the radio selects the proper NOAA transmtter for your coverage area. My buddy reports that it works well in weak signal locations. If that radio had been on the market (and I didn't have a 'left over' Thunder Eagle) I would have given the ShareCom a try.
http://weatherradios.com/wrp500.htm
I'm glad to see the interest in Weather Alert Radios by Motor Home travelers.

Good Luck.
Jim

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10194
Speaking of weather alert radios and the county that you might be staying in....if you use Trailer Life Directory to find campgrounds the first line of the listing shows the county that the campground is located in...how about that....

Ray and Rue
1999 Allure

Re: weather alert radio

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10195
Found a SAME Weatheradio on sale at RAdio Shack for $69.95. It works well inside the motorhome so I'm happy...except that I've heard that warning buzz more in the past two weeks than I heard it in 40 years in California!! LOL

Carol

'04 Inspire Genoa
'03 Explorer
Fulltimer
 

Re: Thanks for the weather radio info

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10240
Many thanks to all who shared about their choice of Weather Alert Radios. We have made our choice based upon features and power requirements of AC and Battery backup. We all want to be safe on the road and a weather alert radio is one thing you don't leave hoeme without.

Thanks again for the great information from all who responded.

Paul and Nancy Cummings
01' Intrigue