Weather alert and SAME codes... (Pro-96)

[Slyster]

So.. if I want the weather alarm to go off.. (I use Win96 to program the unit).. do I just enter the NWR SAME codes and check them not locked out? Or do I have to set the priority channel to our local NWR radio frequency as well?

My goal is just to scan banks as usual, but have the weather alarm go off for my county (and a few surrounding counties)

Oh, and a related questions.. does using a priority channel slow down the scanning much?

 

[rdale]

If you want to utilize the SAME codes, you have to completely stop scanning and put it into dedicated WX SAME mode.

 

[Slyster]

OK.. to clarify.. you mean that even with priority channel set to 162.55Mhz I can NOT get a 'weather alert' via the alarm when issued during normal bank scanning?

 

[LEH]

Actually, if you set the weather priority properly and have it turned on, the 96 will (see page 41 of the owners manual) monitor weather while scanning. There is also a note on page 66 that says the same thing.

Now there is a caveat to this in a note on page 42. If you are monitoring a trunked system when the alert goes off, the scanner will not be sampling (the manual's word) the prioity and may miss the alert tone.

 

[rdale]

LEH - please don't confuse the issue.

You can scan while listening for the weather alert, but IT WILL NOT LOOK FOR YOUR SAME CODE. You will get all types of weather alerts for all counties in your area.

If you want to filter on SAME code, you have to dedicate the scanner to SAME mode. No scanning while doing that.

 

[Slyster]

Got it. Tx. That's too bad they didn't design it better in that department.

 

[UPMan]

The "better design" it would require would be for the scanner to have a second, dedicated receiver for Weather (and that would significantly increase the scanner's cost).

 

[rdale]

...or it would require the NWS to send out the 1050Hz tone first, then play the SAME code...

 

[UPMan]

or it would require the NWS to use DCS-encoded data signaling during the alert...

 

[Slyster]

IT WORKED! I am sitting outside around a fire.. knowing that heavy weather is coming.. and the NWS just issues a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight.. and I was scanning as normal.. and the alert went off!!

Although.. it's true.. I believe I was at that time listening to a local FM PD channel.. and with priority set.. I can here it skip every few seconds.

SO.. if it HAPPENED to be when a digital P25 transmission was tuned to.. it would have missed it right?

EDIT: Thing is though.. it just went off again (severe thunderstorm warning) for Scott county.. which I did NOT program in the FIPS codes.. hmm...... that's odd.

 

[rdale]

Again - let me say again - YOU CANNOT USE THE FIPS / SAME CODES FOR WEATHER PRIORITY MODE. You can only do that if you put the scanner into a dedicated weather alert mode, and not use it as a scanner. Either one or the other. In weather priority mode you'll hear it skip every few seconds and you will get alerts for every county.

If you are listening to a trunked system, it will not check. Has nothing to do with P25.

 

[LEH]

I'll even go back and state that as I re-read the manual, that is what I am understanding now too.

I apologize for mixing issues with facts.

 

[rdale]

No problem - I understand how the terms can be confusing...

Weather priority = Ignore SAME / FIPS codes
Use SAME/FIPS = no scanning

 

[Slyster]

10-4

 

[mipsyop]

another question

Also, if when programming several towers for a system I need to program a ghost fm freq between different cc and acc freqs for the towers, since the scanner IS scanning the 1300 ghost freq between towers, will it then have a better chance of receiving the SAME/FIPS codes that are broadcast for my area? The banks ARE set to MOT, but I DO have 1300 fm set between the diferent towers in each bank. Just curious if anyone has an idea on this.

 

[rdale]

It Will Never Receive Same/fips Codes When You Are Scanning.