Anyone else listen through the NWS frequencies?

[n5usr]

This probably just confirms I'm very very bored tonight...

Playing with the new ham rig, I noticed the NWS "channels" weren't in frequency order. The rig doesn't tell me which frequency is in which channel, but I could hear quite a few different NWS sites so I sat and patiently waited for each site I could hear to say where it was. Okay, a bit surprising at first how well I could hear some of these but perhaps not really in retrospect - 1kW transmitters are handy!

I got down to the last one - 162.425 (or so I assume, process of elimination says that's it) - and the audio was *just*barely* audible, fading in and out. Never could get which site it was. Anyone else heard that one and know which it might be? In Oklahoma, the only two on that are Bartlesville and Altus, but the one time I *almost* made the name out I thought it said Llano, but that's way down deep in Texas. Surely not?!? On the other hand, the voices and style of the report given was different from all the others.

Anyway, this is the odd order Icom chose to program the frequencies in the ID-800, and the site I heard on each:

1: 162.550 - Wewoka S-4
2: 162.400 - OKC full-scale of course
3: 162.475 - Enid also full scale
4: 162.425 - ???
5: 162.450 - Chickasha S9+20
6: 162.500 - Stillwater S7
7: 162.525 - Clinton S-3

The Icom also has channels 8, 9 and 10. Not sure what they would be, NWS only lists 7 frequencies nationwide. Nothing at all heard on them.

 

[peterjmag]

162.425 is probably Altus?

 

[ImTheWeasel]

Your may very well be hearing the one in Bartlesville. The output is ridiculously strong. I've been in Joplin, MO and heard the Bartlesville NWS feed on 162.425 a few times. Sometimes it fades in and gets real strong for a few minutes, and then fades out and comes back a short time later. I also heard it at one point coming back into Oklahoma headed through Sallisaw, faded in and out then as well. As you stated im not aware of any others on 162.425.

 

[Don_Burke]

Anyway, this is the odd order Icom chose to program the frequencies in the ID-800, and the site I heard on each:

1: 162.550 - Wewoka S-4
2: 162.400 - OKC full-scale of course
3: 162.475 - Enid also full scale
4: 162.425 - ???
5: 162.450 - Chickasha S9+20
6: 162.500 - Stillwater S7
7: 162.525 - Clinton S-3

The Icom also has channels 8, 9 and 10. Not sure what they would be, NWS only lists 7 frequencies nationwide. Nothing at all heard on them.

Those are the actual channel numbers.

The first channel was 162.550, so of course it was channel one.

Later, channel two was created on 162.400.

Channel three was created halfway between one and two, or 162.475

Channels four, five, six, and seven were stuffed in between the existing channels, or 162.425, 162.450, 162.500, and 162.525.

There are also Canadian weather channels. Those might be what 8, 9, and 10 are on your radio.

 

[plaws]

There are also Canadian weather channels. Those might be what 8, 9, and 10 are on your radio.

Most of the Meteorological Service of Canada's transmitters are on the same 7 channels as the NWS, though a few (in remote areas) are on the regular FM broadcast band. The Canadian Coast Guard also has stations that broadcast weather products on the marine band and many radios include those as "weather" channels as well, even if they are mostly aimed at mariners.

This link -- http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrbro.htm -- should lead you to the canonical list of NWS transmitters.

 

[RandyB]

I got down to the last one - 162.425 ... the one time I *almost* made the name out I thought it said Llano, but that's way down deep in Texas. Surely not?!?

Very possible!

When I lived in Norman, I would receive the Llano transmitter on occasion--mainly during significant ducting episodes or "band openings." You mentioned you received this at night, which is prime time for ducting. I wouldn't at all be surprised if what you heard was in fact the Llano transmitter. I would have to look at my logs for specifics, but I remember on a few occasions receiving a signal from this particular transmitter as well as other weather radio transmitters all throughout the corridor from east-central New Mexico to central Texas. One in particular that I do remember is the Clovis, NM transmitter. These events are quite exciting (especially if you're really bored, as you said).

I personally enjoy searching the VHF public safety band during these ducting episodes. It can be much easier to piece together what you're hearing by dialect, road names/addresses, and PL or DCS tones. If you like detective work, you will like this part of the hobby for sure. Thanks to the wonderful database and search options on this site, as well as all the contributors of information, it's not to difficult to find the origin of a specific frequency and PL/DCS tone, when you consider other clues as well.

 

[Don_Burke]

Most of the Meteorological Service of Canada's transmitters are on the same 7 channels as the NWS, though a few (in remote areas) are on the regular FM broadcast band. The Canadian Coast Guard also has stations that broadcast weather products on the marine band and many radios include those as "weather" channels as well, even if they are mostly aimed at mariners.

This link -- http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrbro.htm -- should lead you to the canonical list of NWS transmitters.

This from:
http://www.weather.gov/om/marine/wxradio.htm

Many NOAA Weather Radio receivers are also programmed for three additional frequencies; 161.650 MHz (marine VHF Ch 21B), 161.775 MHz (marine VHF Ch 83B) and 163.275 MHz. The first two frequencies are used by Canada for marine weather broadcasts. 163.275 MHz was used by the National Weather Service for internal coordination in the event of a power outage but is no longer in active use.

 

[n5usr]

Interesting. Thanks for the info! I (obviously) didn't know those were the "correct" channel numbers - so I'll have to amend my original comment, and say that this radio is the first one I've ever had that put them in the "correct" order! Not even my weather radio does - it and all my other rigs have 162.4 first. (Never really checked beyond there.)

 

[Don_Burke]

Interesting. Thanks for the info! I (obviously) didn't know those were the "correct" channel numbers - so I'll have to amend my original comment, and say that this radio is the first one I've ever had that put them in the "correct" order! Not even my weather radio does - it and all my other rigs have 162.4 first. (Never really checked beyond there.)

It looks like the NWS has abandoned the channel numbers, so now there is no wrong answer.

I expect the legacy of the channel numbers to live on for some time.