Desktop SAME Weather Alert Radio Suggestion

[JASII]

I work for a college system and I am giving some thought to getting a desktop SAME weather alert radio for each campus.

Can anybody here suggest any radios that are sensitive and selective?

If it has an external antenna jack, that is a plus, too.

 

[kb4mdz]

Midland WR-120 is pretty good, has an external antenna jack (RCA type), plus an external alert jack for a strobe you can add. I've hadone in my bedroom for years, no problems.

 

[vagrant]

Do not forget they will need to be reset after each weekly test.

 

[drdispatch]

Our local Emergency Manager bought a crap-ton of Reecom R-1620's that he passed out to different places; schools, hospitals, etc. They have an external antenna connection. In my experience (I've had one at home for years, as well as one at work), they work quite well.

 

[K4EET]

The downside of the Midland WR-120, which I use myself and consider it one of the best consumer models available, is that if you let the backup “AA” batteries die and the unit loses 120 VAC power to the Wall Wart, all of the programming including the SAME Code(s) is/are lost. For a few pennies a unit more, Midland should create a new model with nonvolatile memory.

For that reason, especially in a commercial application, you may wish to investigate the commercial models listed on the NWS website at:

NWR Receivers

This is especially important where many lives and liability may be at stake. I would hope the more expensive commercial models are much more robust and feature rich as compared to the Midland WR-120 model.

Dave K4EET

 

[KK4JUG]

...and my Reecom doesn't need resetting.

 

[vagrant]

I'm using the old Radio Shack 12-250. This thread had me read the manual and find that I can adjust the setting to a voice alert that shuts off after 5 minutes. I believe it is EOL though as I observed the LCD looking wonky in a corner and the audio is crackly. It was fun while it lasted. A scanner and amateur radios will handle the task now.

 

[kb4mdz]

Do not forget they will need to be reset after each weekly test.

What is this reset after each weekly test of which you speak? I come home Wednesday afternoons , and my radio is reset without my intervention.

I don't understand your comment.

 

[kb4mdz]

The downside of the Midland WR-120, which I use myself and consider it one of the best consumer models available, is that if you let the backup “AA” batteries die and the unit loses 120 VAC power to the Wall Wart, all of the programming including the SAME Code(s) is/are lost. For a few pennies a unit more, Midland should create a new model with nonvolatile memory.

For that reason, especially in a commercial application, you may wish to investigate the commercial models listed on the NWS website at:

NWR Receivers

This is especially important where many lives and liability may be at stake. I would hope the more expensive commercial models are much more robust and feature rich as compared to the Midland WR-120 model.

Dave K4EET

Thanks for the note about the Midland's battery issue, Dave.

You are also right about the 'robustness' of a commercial setup, life and property, etc. Ideally there should be a campus wide program with defined goals, conditions and policy and procedure. Perhaps you could purchase a WR120 yourself, at your desk and then talk up the idea of an all-campus program.

 

[JASII]

I will do some testing tomorrow, but it is quite possible that I will not be able to receive any of the NOAA Weather radio frequencies in the office.

If that is the case, what are the most viable options for NWR Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) alerting? I was thinking that it would be nice if someone has a device that would get the message from NOAA with an internet connection, but I have never seen any devices like that, yet.

 

[AK9R]

Do not forget they will need to be reset after each weekly test.

Even if the WR-120 is set to not alert for the weekly test, does it still need to be reset?

 

[vagrant]

@kb4mdz @AK9R - My Radio Shack 12-250 would blast away and I would manually shut it off, which is why I posted. I was not aware the newer WX models would turn off after a signal is sent which is very nice. Well, that is what I read about the Reecom R-1620 model after my initial post. It has an EOM (End Of Message) detection. I am unfamiliar with the WR-120 and would need to read its manual as well. Hopefully, it offers the same function.

 

[drdispatch]

I will do some testing tomorrow, but it is quite possible that I will not be able to receive any of the NOAA Weather radio frequencies in the office.

If that is the case, what are the most viable options for NWR Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) alerting? I was thinking that it would be nice if someone has a device that would get the message from NOAA with an internet connection, but I have never seen any devices like that, yet.

Where I work, we receive an automated email from the local NWS office for watches, warnings, etc. I think our Emergency Manager just went to the office's website and signed us up. I can't speak to other NWS offices, but I would think that something like that would be universal. We usually get the email simultaneously or within a couple of seconds of it being broadcast on the NOAA Weather Radio and receiving it via our NCIC terminal.
(So yes, we get it from 3 different sources, but redundancy is a good thing when it comes to severe weather.)

 

[mc48]

I have the WR-120 and have never had to reset it after the weekly test or for anything else.

 

[kb4mdz]

Where I work, we receive an automated email from the local NWS office for watches, warnings, etc. I think our Emergency Manager just went to the office's website and signed us up. I can't speak to other NWS offices, but I would think that something like that would be universal. We usually get the email simultaneously or within a couple of seconds of it being broadcast on the NOAA Weather Radio and receiving it via our NCIC terminal.
(So yes, we get it from 3 different sources, but redundancy is a good thing when it comes to severe weather.)

This;

A few years ago I was (tangentially) involved in installing a severe weather siren at a couple waste-water plants - think a very large physical area, with lots of machinery and 'treatment' basins. Siren was the best way to get attention of workers out on the grounds.

The gist of the system was a PC got alerts directly from NWS, via IP connection.

 

[kb4mdz]

@kb4mdz @AK9R - My Radio Shack 12-250 would blast away and I would manually shut it off, which is why I posted. I was not aware the newer WX models would turn off after a signal is sent which is very nice. Well, that is what I read about the Reecom R-1620 model after my initial post. It has an EOM (End Of Message) detection. I am unfamiliar with the WR-120 and would need to read its manual as well. Hopefully, it offers the same function.

Wow, that is frankly surprising that you have to manually reset it; Didn't even the old WeathreCube have an automatic/timed reset? And that's supposed to be part of the SAME technology, timed automatic reset.

 

[chief21]

I have the WR-120 and have never had to reset it after the weekly test or for anything else.

Ditto.

 

[KB2GOM]

I have the WR-120 and have never had to reset it after the weekly test or for anything else.

Same here.

RE: NOAA Weather Radio, this might prove useful -- Jock shares: “A bit more about NOAA Weather Radio” Some of the links lead to a wealth of information.

 

[JASII]

I tried a Reecom R-1630 in the office earlier this week. It was okay, but probably needed an external antenna.

I may make a recommendations for the Sangean CL-100 and ANT-100.

CL-100 : S.A.M.E. Table-Top Weather Hazard Alert with<br>AM / FM-RBDS Alarm Clock Radio

ANT-100 : External Weather / FM Antenna

 

[Omega-TI]

I tried a Reecom R-1630 in the office earlier this week. It was okay, but probably needed an external antenna.

I may make a recommendations for the Sangean CL-100 and ANT-100.

CL-100 : S.A.M.E. Table-Top Weather Hazard Alert with<br>AM / FM-RBDS Alarm Clock Radio

ANT-100 : External Weather / FM Antenna

I've been doing my research on these for the past two weeks. The CL-100 has been around for over a decade and has gotten good reviews and recommendations all through this time period. Somewhere along the line it had a software update, but other than that, there has been no reason to mess with perfection I guess. It also has separate antenna connections for AM & FM/WX.



It's also been said it that it's a pretty good radio for AM-BCB-DXing as well.! Mine should be here within the week. It's easy to order, just click <<HERE>> and Amazon will send one right out to you.

Oh yeah, if you get one, you can go to: weather.gov/nwr/counties for the S.A.M.E. code for your area.