Weather alarm radios
- Thread starter Ed Schoenborn
- Start date
I'd recommend the Midland WR-300. If you decide to go cheaper with the 100, be sure to get a late model 100c or later. Midland has had some quality control issues with the 100's and some of them just plain don't work. I do know of many 100's in use that are working fine, but it took a while before Midland got their quality control right.
Chris Bowman
EF0
I don't understand how this is a NWS problem that your radio doesn't automatically switch to voice after the tone alert. The other deal about having to wait for 5 or 10 minutes for the watch/warning to play again is likely a result of that particular transmitter being in the same broadcast suite as it is during fair weather. You could suggest to your NWS office that it would be nice that when warnings are issued or some other alert is on a particular transmitter that they have a warning suite that might only play the watches, any warnings, any statements and other products like station ID. This would cut the broadcast cycle time significantly.
Chris Nuttall
EF5
Unless there are a ton of warnings, watches, and updates to run through, 10 minutes sounds to me like an exaggeration. Five minutes could be believable, especially if there are a lot of products. IMO, you shouldn't be sitting around for 5-10 minutes waiting for the broadcast to recycle if you hear it go off, but miss the warning. Turn on the TV or AM/FM radio to find out more information.
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Chris Bowman
EF0
Chris, that's what I was referring to. CRS gets pretty cluttered when there are a lot of warnings/statements playing but I agree 10 minutes seems kind of high. Not out of the realm of possibility especially if river flooding is widespread like happens in Kansas every year. A "fair weather" broadcast cycle is usually 5 minutes or less if that. A warning would reduce it to 1 to 2 minutes because normal stuff gets knocked out of the broadcast cycle. But I didn't know that it was automatic. I thought it had to be set up, that's why I suggested that action to Ed since maybe Raleigh had their CRS set up differently.
Chris Nuttall
EF5
Well, I meant that the triggers switch the transmitters themselves. As far as I know, each office does have to input the triggers into each broadcast suite manually, especially since some transmitters "cross" CWAs with their broadcast areas and since each office uses different PILs. Speaking of which, I really don't like that node cities are still used, but I digress...
I really wasn't very clear...my bad.
Ed Schoenborn
EF1
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By five minutes of blather I mean non storm info such as the almanac, weekly forecast, and other non storm related info to have to listen to before hearing a repeat of the alert news.
Chris Nuttall
EF5
That's the thing. If you're talking about when a SVR or TOR has been issued, I'm a little surprised that the broadcast hasn't switched to Exclusive mode to bypass routine products like the climate and zones. As Chris suggested, I would call the WFO that controls that transmitter and ask them about it.
Ed Schoenborn
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Do WFOs change to exclusive mode when they initially issue a WATCH or only when warnings are issued?
Chris Nuttall
EF5
Exclusive mode is generally only triggered by the highest priority of products, such as products regarding imminent threats to life and property. I'm not entirely sure, but assuming there are not active warnings when the watch is initially issued, I think the CRS kicks into High mode. High mode does kill off some of the routine products, but I could not tell you off-hand which ones they are.
It probably wouldn't go into Exclusive mode because (assuming the watch is the first product of the event) the only thing that would play would be the watch, at least until a warning is issued or the watch expires. A watch is not for an imminent or occurring event, thus it would be appropriate for other products, such as the HWO or hourly obs, to play until there is a warning.
It probably wouldn't go into Exclusive mode because (assuming the watch is the first product of the event) the only thing that would play would be the watch, at least until a warning is issued or the watch expires. A watch is not for an imminent or occurring event, thus it would be appropriate for other products, such as the HWO or hourly obs, to play until there is a warning.
Ed Schoenborn
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About a week or ten days ago several hours after a tornado killed two people in North Carolina a new tornado watch was issued. I could not get to my radio in time to turn on the voice so I got only part of the message. The message was not repeated for at least five minutes after that. During that time I had no idea if it was a tornado watch or something else or where it was. What a hassle.
John Erwin
EF5
What were they saying on TV? Radio? SPC webpage? I think if my weather radio went off I would be looking in more place than one to get the full picture.. particularly if I didn't catch what the message was.
Ed Schoenborn
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By going to all those sites it took me about 15 minutes to get the message. With the hassle I had I doubt that John Q Public would have made the effort. Last night I went to the monthly CNCC - AMS meeting and asked about this. The guy from the WFO office said that the public does NOT want to hear the message, only the routine blather.
Eric Wolf
Seems like it would be the other way around, doesn't it? Most people in the general public never listen to NOAA weather radio at all. They get their forecasts from the nightly news, etc. It would seem that most people buy the weather radios JUST for the weather alert capability. Was it just his opinion that the public didn't want to hear the message, or do they have some kind of empirical data to back that up?
Mike Smith
What is wrong with this picture? [from knoxvillenews.com]
More than 300 local organizations will receive weather radios this December.
A $321,000 grant from the Metropolitan Medical Response System has enabled the Knox County Health Department and the Knoxville/Knox County Emergency Management Agency to distribute weather radios to organizations such as private schools, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and agencies serving the homeless.
More than 300 local organizations will receive weather radios this December.
A $321,000 grant from the Metropolitan Medical Response System has enabled the Knox County Health Department and the Knoxville/Knox County Emergency Management Agency to distribute weather radios to organizations such as private schools, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and agencies serving the homeless.
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