Not receiving SAME messages on my radio?

[Kumba]

I'm a bit stumped on this, so I'm looking for opinions here before I throw down $$$ on an external antenna or a new radio.

I have a Midland WR-300 weather radio, and this is the second year in a row where, it seems during the winter season, the unit seems to stop picking up SAME messages, and will display "CHECK RECEPTION" every few days. Now I know the NWS sends out test messages on a weekly/monthly cycle, so if everything was working right with this radio, it should be getting those at least.

The radio is located in a room that's somewhat below ground level, however where the radio actually sits is technically a few feet above ground level. The audio comes in crystal clear, though, so I'd assume the digital bursts that comprise SAME are also arriving as such. I do have certain alerts disabled, however, my understanding of this particular model is that disabling an alert only affects the audible alarm. Advisories, watches, and warnings should still be illuminating the three colored LEDs on the unit. Yet despite being in a Winter Weather Watch right now, my radio is acting like all is well.

I went through this last winter, contacted the local NWS office and they assured me the local antenna, KHB36 in Manassas, is working fine. Contacted Midland, and they weren't very helpful, commenting only that the radio was working fine and it's the NWS' problem (gotta love those responses, eh?). But when Spring rolled around, the thing just came back to life and hardly missed a beat, which was utterly baffling.

Unless the KHB36 antenna operates at a lower power setting during the winter, making the digital bursts weaker, then I'm not sure what's up with it. Should I look at an external antenna (well, not external, but something I can mount higher on a wall/ceiling)? A Reecom RA-1601 looks like a good one (just it's pricier than I thought). Or should I just replace the radio (it's about 2-3 years old now)?

[rdale]

Winter weather products don't use the SAME codes, only Blizzard Warnings. (It's possible Ice Storm Warnings do - but that's about it.) So unless you've had a blizzard and notbeen alerted, then you have no problems.

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by rdale

Winter weather products don't use the SAME codes, only Blizzard Warnings. (It's possible Ice Storm Warnings do - but that's about it.) So unless you've had a blizzard and notbeen alerted, then you have no problems.

Well, I've received Winter Storm Warning alerts on it before (even have a picture I took once of it saying this, out of boredom).

And I believe the radio only reports "check reception" if it hasn't received a signal in 10 days, so it would indicate that I'm not picking up the test messages, unless my local office only broadcasts the audio for a test message, not the actual SAME codes.

[mdulrich]

Originally Posted by rdale

Winter weather products don't use the SAME codes, only Blizzard Warnings. (It's possible Ice Storm Warnings do - but that's about it.) So unless you've had a blizzard and notbeen alerted, then you have no problems.

I get a few winter weather alerts via SAME codes down here from North Webster, IN. Right now my radio is showing Winter Storm Warning.

Mike

[rdale]

Hmmm.... maybe it's office dependent. Check with your local office to see what winter products they code.

[fredva]

I got a test message on my Reecom radio here in Fredericksburg last Wednesday. I have my radio set to the Manassas, VA broadcast. The last time I checked, we were just under an advisory here for the snow today, so I wouldn't expect to receive an alert for that.

[Kumba]

I'm almost tempted to say the radio is intelligent, has an account on this site, and read this topic, because it just went off for a Winter Storm Warning.

Irony, oy.

[riccom]

Originally Posted by Kumba

I'm almost tempted to say the radio is intelligent, has an account on this site, and read this topic, because it just went off for a Winter Storm Warning.

Irony, oy.

Mine did the same this a few days ago, it would flash that and right when i got to it it went away

well since my pro 97 has the wx same alert on my priority, i just took it off and forgot about it.


but it is odd and guess its having a fit , no weather deal down in south Louisiana.

Thank god for that .

last year was a pain in the rump for us!

[Kumba]

I think they just must code the winter products oddly. Like the aforementioned winter storm warning must've not had a proper end time coded into the digital signal, because four days later, the radio still had the red warning light lit up, even though the display said it had expired. Mine "boots" itself with Version 4 firmware. I've heard rumours of a model of these radios with a Version 5 out there. Possible that they may have fixed something. Be nice if I could find the data cable they use to program it, though. There's an unaccounted-for stereo jack port on the back that's for data communications at the factory.

[KB3KBR]

Originally Posted by Kumba

I'm almost tempted to say the radio is intelligent, has an account on this site, and read this topic, because it just went off for a Winter Storm Warning.

Irony, oy.

this might explain it NWS Sterling, VA - NOAA weather radio products that get toned