Programing Skywarn channels

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boycan

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Jun 17, 2008
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Dallas Tx. Collin County
I am trying to program my local area skywarn freq. and have a few questions.
Pro-164, Texas Collin County Dallas area.

1. I have list of freq. 145.150 to 147.580 some of them have a PL tone listed some don't is this something I enter as a CTCSS or DCS tone and if so which one for these freq.

2. If I have the NOAA channel set as a PRI in bank 9 but have that bank of will it let me know of warnings in my area, I have three counties programed into SAME mode.

3. How do I find out which channels are UHF and which are VHF. I found am/fm but I still don't know?

Any tips for programming to listen to my local stormwatchers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and sorry if these are dumb questions but it has been a long time for me and I recieved this scanner for fathers day.
 

steveh552

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Oct 7, 2005
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335
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Canal Winchester Ohio
1. I have list of freq. 145.150 to 147.580 some of them have a PL tone listed some don't is this something I enter as a CTCSS or DCS tone and if so which one for these freq. More likely than not CTCSS, but listening, you dont NEED IT, but it is nice to keep out other birdies or transmitters that are on that freq.

2. If I have the NOAA channel set as a PRI in bank 9 but have that bank of will it let me know of warnings in my area, I have three counties programed into SAME mode. Unsure

3. How do I find out which channels are UHF and which are VHF. I found am/fm but I still don't know?UHF are 400mhz and above, VHF is below, I maybe wrong on the exact but I know 30mhz to 175mhz is VHF. Not an expert here
 

boycan

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Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
7
Location
Dallas Tx. Collin County
Thank you both that helps alot, I know I will figure this stuff out there is just so much one scanner can do these days. I haven't had one since the switch to the 800 bands and there weren't any trunking scanners then so I gave up. Now here I am again and have been left so far behind in the last 15 yrs or there about. Thanks again!
 

n5ims

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Jul 25, 2004
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Depending upon where in Collin County, TX you are, you may want to add one or more frequencies. The main Collin County frequency is 147.18 with a backup of 146.74.

Two resources for you to help are http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/repeat.html and http://www.k5kj.net/freqs.htm not to forget Radio Reference's own listing http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=2565

You may also want to watch this site http://www.skywarntexas.com/ which has recently launched and appears to be adding some very useful features.
 

Twister_2

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Dauphin County, PA
About that NOAA weather radio question, I think that you just need to activate the alert mode on it with the correct SAME codes in it and it could be scanning other channels besides the Weather radio and still get a warning. The only reason that I think this will work is because of simple logic. If you have your "VHF" weather channel programmed in it ( 162.400 .425 .450 .475 .50 .525 .55), you would hear a constant broadcast. That is unless you put it on lock out, but then it won't monitor it because it is locked out. So, if there is an alert mode in it, you should not need to have the frequency programmed in as a channel, just under the menu as your local station with the correct SAME code.
Tell me if you need it re-worded.
Hope this helps!
 

jleverin

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Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
141
I noticed in my area the Skywarn channels are mostly up north in Denver area out of my range. I suspect that the local ham club here is the stand in for Skywarn as there are a bunch of former weather guys in it, I hear them on the scanner each morning giving out a weather report. We have a phone number to call in reports anyway so I'm not programming skywarn channels into my scanner other than the regular NWS report channel, which is operational. I already have the ham club programmed into the scanner anyway.
 

boycan

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Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
7
Location
Dallas Tx. Collin County
About that NOAA weather radio question, I think that you just need to activate the alert mode on it with the correct SAME codes in it and it could be scanning other channels besides the Weather radio and still get a warning. The only reason that I think this will work is because of simple logic. If you have your "VHF" weather channel programmed in it ( 162.400 .425 .450 .475 .50 .525 .55), you would hear a constant broadcast. That is unless you put it on lock out, but then it won't monitor it because it is locked out. So, if there is an alert mode in it, you should not need to have the frequency programmed in as a channel, just under the menu as your local station with the correct SAME code.
Tell me if you need it re-worded.
Hope this helps!

I am really hoping it works this way, I should know in the next few hours because we have some storms coming into Denton county to the west of me and I have them programed into SAME.
 
D

DaveNF2G

Guest
Just remember that all of the scanners with Weather Alert features have to be in a special weather mode and not scanning if you want to receive the alerts.
 
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