Hello I have a Uniden sds200 scanner I have weather searching activated and all Rhode Island SAME codes programed The problem I am experiencing is that the scanner randomly samples all available weather frequencies and during the all hazards alert tone if the scanner happens to sample the wrong frequency I missed the alert Is there a way to make my scanner only search for 162.4000 MHz WXJ 39 and ignore all other frequencies so that I get alerts Thank you in advance for your help
Missed weather alerts
- Thread starter KB18
- Start date
Source here
Weather Options |
| Press Menu. Scroll to WX Operation and press E/yes. Scroll to the options below and press E/yes. |
Using the above to add step by step
Go to the menu
Scroll down to WX Operation and press E/yes
Use the Program Same to enter the SAME codes for your counties of interest. You can program five separate lists, up to eight counties in each one.
Once you've done that and are back at this screen, you can choose either Weather Scan, or Weather Alert
Weather Scan will look for active Weatherradio frequencies, but not use the SAME codes
If you select Weather Alert, you have these choices:
Alert Only will scan all the available weather radio stations in range, and is listening for the 1050Hz tone that prefaces any alert. It is not using the SAME codes.
You can use the Hold function to stay on one specific frequency, or just let it scan any that it can hear.
If, instead, you pick one of your programmed SAME lists, then press E/yes,
The scanner is now focusing on the SAME codes for my list 'Dallas'. If you are in range of more than one station, you can press the HOLD icon (or the Channel soft key) to park the scanner on a specific frequency,
Instead of going through the Menu to access these items, you can press Func plus 6 to access the Weather menu.
These same steps are also in the Easier to Read online manual.
Okay, I'm dense. Sorry. First, the link for FIP codes for the United States and its Possessions doesn't go to anywhere that I can find FIPS codes. After that, programming FIPS and/or SAME codes seems like alphabet soup. All I really want is for the weather alert to go off when I am listening to my scanner like it does for the TV. I did find FIPS codes for Wyoming but since I am in Cheyenne I doubt I need all of them. As for SAME Codes, these are like a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Tornado Watch, Tornado Warning, etc...? If that's correct, then I can program 5 of them for 8 different counties, correct? Does it have to be the same five for each county, or a different five for each county? Or can I just set the radio to go off on any weather alert and forget about any particular county or FIPS code. Ugh.
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wtp
Member
from the easy to read manual...
If you should receive an alert, you will hear a loud warbling then the weather channel audio.
i can not make the word LOUD big enough.
If you should receive an alert, you will hear a loud warbling then the weather channel audio.
i can not make the word LOUD big enough.
There have been two times that I have heard the alerts through the scanner, and yes, they were very loud and it seemed to work fine. However, the scanner has missed probably 50 or more alerts that were coming through the TV so my thought was, "What good is this if it isn't picking up the alerts?" Yes, I know, someone's going to tell me to get a dedicated weather radio and I get it, but if the scanner is SUPPOSED to receive weather alerts, then it SHOULD receive weather alerts. When I bought it, there wasn't any literature that stated that it sometimes works with weather alerts.
FYI for FIPS codes, use this link
If you are scanning and have WX alert on you may not receive alerts as the alert may tone during one of the times it is scanning. The only guaranteed way to receive is to hold on a WX channel.
Not to mention all the intrusion WX alert gives on regular scanning.
I highly recommend just buying an under $50 stand-alone WX radio.
Not to mention all the intrusion WX alert gives on regular scanning.
I highly recommend just buying an under $50 stand-alone WX radio.
Makes sense. I knew someone would suggest a WX alert radio.
Yes, that's what I did already but thank you.
For you who live in southern Rhode Island as I do, You will find little or no radio signal form NOAA weather radio especially if using commercial off the shelf radio scanners or weather radio receivers. Parts of this area are in a black hole. I brought this to the attention of the NWS who sent a rep. to scan the area and confirmed my observations. Since then nothing has changed. My concern is that this a maritime area with much marine trafic as well being potentially exposed tropical storms or hurricanes.
There is one thing to keep in mind is that there are 7 weather frequencies and the scanner will randomly search one of these 7 at a time and if there is an ALL HAZARD ALERT on let's say 162.400 MHz and the scanner searched 162.550 MHz you will not be notified or receive any warning I have both the Uniden sds100 and sds200 and there is absolutely no way to force the scanner to only sample one specific frequency In my case I would like it to only scan 162.400 MHz for Rhode Island and Bristol County MA but Uniden does not make it possible
It would seem that the functionality of these scanners to work as advertised for WX Alerts is limited, at best. I've tried as many different configurations as I can figure out, but I still don't receive watches and warnings for my area. Bummer. Until someone can definitively outline exactly how to program it correctly, I'll just forget about it for now. Thanks for the comments.
I recommend getting a good quality dedicated weather radio and stop using a 700 dollar scanner for alerts I personally have a Midland wr400 and it is awesome It is extremely easy to program you just select your state and it will automatically have the SAME codes Then you simply select the alerts you want to receive such as Hurricanes severe thunderstorms and so on Its only about 50 bucks on Amazon
This could easily be rectified by putting up a transmitter on one of the southern towers that have FM stations on them. John Fuller's tower in Narragansett Pier comes to mind. Or WRIU's
I said earlier that someone would chime in for me to get a dedicated weather radio. Yes, I get it. But if a $700 radio boasts that it can receive weather alerts, then by golly it should be able to. That's the point. How nice if it worked as advertised. I'm not losing any sleep over this. I was just wanting to be sure I was setting it up correctly.
I would have to agree with KB18 after looking at the Midland weather radios. The nice feature is the LCD display telling you what the alert is you are under.
NOAA Weather Radios
Keep your family safe and informed when severe weather strikes with this selection of Midland NOAA weather radios for sale. Get yours now at Midland Radio.
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ecps92
Member
Yes it boasts it can RX Weather Alerts, Yes it Does RX Weather Alerts quite well
but if you are Scanning and your Radio is tied up on other traffic there is a chance you will MISS the WX Alert
similar to you ability to Walk, Talk, Listen and Chew Bubble Gum and Juggle at the same time, you will miss a step hear (pun) and there.
Dedicate a radio to the WX purpose and you won't have this issue
Some of you still aren't getting it. The WX alerts are supposed to be able to sample the WX frequencies every few seconds, and you can hear the interruptions for this when you are scanning. There is no reason to miss an alert if the scanner is sampling the frequencies for the alert tone, even while it's scanning. That said, I've given up that the scanner works as advertised. I've said that. I was just pointing out that despite the advice and manual, it just doesn't work. Well, most of the time anyway. It's like having a refrigerator that has a freezer that works three times a year. Yeah, I can just go buy a freezer but that's not the point. In any case, I don't need the weather alerts to function necessarily, I just thought it would be a nice feature to have working in western Nebraska while traveling. I thought the forum could provide some insight as to why it wasn't working for me, however the forum has contrarily affirmed that this WX alert thing for the SDS radios really don't work right and I should just buy a WX radio. Hmmmmmm...
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