Marine weather radio question...

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ObiHann

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I'm a bit confused, and hoping someone can straighten me out. I have a handheld marine / weather band radio, however I hear everyone talking about specific weather radios, or weather alerts. What is the difference?
 

N0YFE

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SAME WX Radio

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I'm a bit confused, and hoping someone can straighten me out. I have a handheld marine / weather band radio, however I hear everyone talking about specific weather radios, or weather alerts. What is the difference?

A SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) allows you to set in codes for your area so the Weather radio will only sound an alert for the specific codes. In my case the warning area is very large and now my weather radio is set to alarm for my county and the surrounding counties.

Here is some great information from the NWS about SAME Wx Radios.

NOAA Weather Radio
 

ObiHann

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Ok, I think I get it. The only area I'm still a bit confused on is this, do the marine weather broadcasts I get in my hand held, come from the same source as a SAME broadcast? I get that a SAME equipped radio can be programed to my location, and alert me if something is going to happen, however, is this the same knowledge I get from my marine radio, only in the form of a alert?
 

ObiHann

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Also, just a note. From what I understand, NOAA does't deal with or broadcast for Canadians, that is Environment Canada.
 

poltergeisty

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Here in the U.S. the weather reports heard over a marine radio are the same channels you would hear on a plain old stand along weather radio. The SAME code, (Specific Area Message Encoding) is used for radios capable of activating an alert for your area providing you entered the code properly. A While ago I had an idea on a GPS enabled weather radio that would self tune for the SAME code in your area. But that has already been invented. :lol:
 

kb2vxa

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"...do the marine weather broadcasts I get in my hand held, come from the same source as a SAME broadcast?"
That all depends on which broadcasts you're referring to. The NOAA broadcasts include marine weather conditions between two specified points on the coast out to 100nm which are quoted verbatim by the Coast Guard in their notice to mariners broadcasts on channel 22A. Essentially the answer is yes, the text originates from your regional NOAA weather center regardless of the transmitter location or service making the broadcast.

Speaking of text, the entire text of each notice to mariners broadcast is made available on line by the Coast Guard. Sorry, I don't recall the URL offhand but if I found it you can too. (;->)

Now to specifics, SAME alerts are not general broadcasts but area specific alerts to severe weather conditions and only transmitted when such conditions are present. Not being broadcasts as such makes them particularly useful because you don't have to listen to the broadcasts to hear the alerts. When a SAME code matching the receiver's programming is transmitted the squelch opens allowing you to hear the alert and everything that follows until the squelch is reset and external visual and audible alarms may be activated by receivers so equipped.
 
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