alphanumeric weather pagers

[CW1NY3478]

hi

can anyone tell me if there is a exclusive alphanumeric pager for weather alerts that you can rx wx alerts for all of the states in the usa..i know the buff co give weather.is there any company that sells alphanumeric pagers exclusively for weather alerts

thanks

 

[K5MAR]

You might want to get your own pager and subscribe to a wx paging service. I use USA Mobility (formerly MetroCall) and StormNow. By using your own pager, you have the flexability to add other sources of info as you desire.

I would question the usefullness of getting wx pages for all the states, I have a feeling you'd be quickly overwhelmed by the number of pages. But for local/regional coverage, pagers can work well.

Mark S.

 

[NeFire242]

Have you found this setup to work fairly well? Is there any kind of delay for the information have you noticed?

Thanks.

 

[rdale]

Get your own pager then software like RealEMWIN from http://skywatch.org - just pay once with no recurring monthly fees and a lot of customization from your end.

 

[AK9R]

I use USA Mobility (formerly MetroCall) and StormNow.

Another vote for Stormnow. I have an Arch Wireless, now USA Mobility, alpha-numeric pager and subscribe to Stormnow. Using the SNPP/WCTP paging protocol, Stormnow's service is a flat $6.00/month. USA Mobility is charging me about $20/month for their paging service.

My experience is that the service is fast and reliable. I get pages on weather warnings about the same time my NOAA weather radio goes off, sometimes before. Stormnow's configuration system is a little clunky, but you can narrow down the weather products you get to type of product, county covered by the product, and the time of day.

Paging seems to be a dying communications method. The service that paging companies provide is gradually being phased out in favor of email or SMS messages to cellphones. However, go read some of the messages on cellphone user forums, like http://howardforums.com, and read the complaints about cellphone messaging. Paging just seems to be more reliable. And keep in mind that alpha-numeric paging still seems to be the messaging system of choice for a lot of public safety agencies.

It may be hard to find someone locally who will sell you a pager. Luckily, you can order from some companies, like USA Mobility/Arch via their web sites or by phone.

Bob...

 

[K5MAR]

I tried the cellphone paging one time, when out of my paging area. The interface was not as user-friendly, IMHO. And if you get a lot of pages, the monthly cost could be higher also. Your typical HWO in the springtime takes 12 pages from StormNow, and you might get 3 or 4 on a busy day. And nothing like having the page tone going off in your ear while trying to make a phone call.

Mark