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rob995

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I'm trying to program in SAME groups, and I think I have it, but need to confirm it. I could wait until the next weather emergency to see if it works, but I need it to work during the next weather emergency.

In FreeScan, there are several columns:
SAME Group Name, FIPS 1, FIPS 2, FIPS 3, FIPS 4, FIPS 5, FIPS 6, FIPS 7, FIPS 8

On row 1, column 1 under SAME Group Name, I entered "Home"
On row 1, column 2, under FIPS 1, I entered the 6 digit SAME code for my county.
On row 1, column 3, under FIPS 2, I entered the 6 digit SAME code for the next county over.

So it looks like this:
Home 006085 006075
I left the remaining 4 rows empty.

I did not select the checkbox for Weather Alert Priority because I think that means that the scanner will only listen to weather alerts and not all the other frequencies I programmed into my scanner.

Is this correct?
 

UPMan

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You need to be in Weather Standby mode for SAME to work (not scanning anything else).
 

rob995

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There is a check box in Freescan at Scanner > Setup scanner options > WX Alert
[_] Weather Alert Priority

If I check this box, will that put the scanner in Weather Standby mode, so I can hear SAME alerts?
If I use this does it mean that the scanner won't scan other frequencies? I'd like to hear other frequencies like Police/Fire/EMS and be alerted with SAME alerts at the same time.
 

hiegtx

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There is a check box in Freescan at Scanner > Setup scanner options > WX Alert
[_] Weather Alert Priority

If I check this box, will that put the scanner in Weather Standby mode, so I can hear SAME alerts?
If I use this does it mean that the scanner won't scan other frequencies? I'd like to hear other frequencies like Police/Fire/EMS and be alerted with SAME alerts at the same time.
The scanner cannot do that. In order to get the databurst containing the SAME code information, it would have to listen to the weather frequency full time. Otherwise, while it is scanning other frequencies, not listening for the SAME code, those could be transmitted and missed, In Weather Alert Priority, where it can also scan for other traffic, it simply checks for the alert tone, which would be present long enough for the scanner to catch it.

To actually monitor SAME correctly and consistently, as well as scan other systems and frequencies, the scanner would need to have two receivers in it, instead of only one. That would increase the cost above what most people would pay.
 

Voyager

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There is a check box in Freescan at Scanner > Setup scanner options > WX Alert
[_] Weather Alert Priority

If I check this box, will that put the scanner in Weather Standby mode, so I can hear SAME alerts?
If I use this does it mean that the scanner won't scan other frequencies? I'd like to hear other frequencies like Police/Fire/EMS and be alerted with SAME alerts at the same time.

The 'other half' of the answer is that what you describe is weather priority which uses the 1050 Hz alert tone to trigger an alert. The scanner will sample the weather channel every 5 seconds for this tone (which is transmitted for 8 seconds).
 

rob995

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Ok, I have enabled Weather Alert Priority and the scanner is still scanning all the programmed frequencies. Does this mean that if there is a SAME alert, it will interrupt current scanning and go to the SAME alert so I can hear it?
 

Voyager

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Ok, I have enabled Weather Alert Priority and the scanner is still scanning all the programmed frequencies. Does this mean that if there is a SAME alert, it will interrupt current scanning and go to the SAME alert so I can hear it?

Nope - it will only trigger on the 1050 Hz alert tone.

To use SAME, you must be in WEATHER STANDBY mode.
 

rob995

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ARG. Isn't that what I want? Isn't the 1050 Hz alert tone the notice that there is a weather alert? What does the scanner do when it hears this tone?

How do I change to Weather Standby mode?
 

Voyager

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ARG. Isn't that what I want? Isn't the 1050 Hz alert tone the notice that there is a weather alert? What does the scanner do when it hears this tone?

It emits an alert beep and monitors the weather channel. It will do this for an alert in any area that weather station serves.

How do I change to Weather Standby mode?

MENU button
WEATHER OPERATION
WEATHER ALERT
(select SAME set to alert on)
 

rob995

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Obviously, I don't know very much about the different weather modes, and it sounds like you know a lot about this. The official manual doesn't explain this at all and the Easier to Read manual only explains (a little bit) how to change the settings. Could you explain the difference between Weather Alert Priority and Weather Standby Mode? It sounds like the same thing to me.

What I'm trying to do is set up the scanner so that it will normally scan the Sites/Groups/Channels that I have programmed into it, but if there is an earthquake or some other natural disaster or emergency, the scanner will jump to those alerts so I can hear them.My understanding of SAME is that instead of hearing general NOAA alerts for my state, I will only hear the alerts specific to the counties that I have programmed in with the 6 digit SAME number.

For some settings, I can use trial and error, but for this particular thing, I don't want to wait for an earthquake to see if I configured it right. I'd like to get it right before the next one hits.

I appreciate your time for explaining this.
Thanks!
 

phask

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It can't do what you want.

To hear the SAME tone it must be on that freq. 100% of the time. The tone is only broadcast at the beginning of the alert, so if it's scanning it may not hear the beginning.

IMHO - it's better to have a dedicated Wx radio.


Obviously, I don't know very much about the different weather modes, and it sounds like you know a lot about this. The official manual doesn't explain this at all and the Easier to Read manual only explains (a little bit) how to change the settings. Could you explain the difference between Weather Alert Priority and Weather Standby Mode? It sounds like the same thing to me.

What I'm trying to do is set up the scanner so that it will normally scan the Sites/Groups/Channels that I have programmed into it, but if there is an earthquake or some other natural disaster or emergency, the scanner will jump to those alerts so I can hear them.My understanding of SAME is that instead of hearing general NOAA alerts for my state, I will only hear the alerts specific to the counties that I have programmed in with the 6 digit SAME number.

For some settings, I can use trial and error, but for this particular thing, I don't want to wait for an earthquake to see if I configured it right. I'd like to get it right before the next one hits.

I appreciate your time for explaining this.
Thanks!
 

rob995

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To be able to be on that frequency 100% of the time to hear the SAME alerts, which setting would that be?

In my scanner, I have a couple of different weather modes: Weather Scan and Weather Alert. Under Weather Alert, I have Alert Only, the SAME Group Name I programmed in with 6 digit SAME numbers, the other SAME Group names I didn't program (SAME 2, SAME 3, SAME 4, SAME 5) and All FIPS.

Voyager said that when I have Weather Alert Priority on, it will only trigger on the 1050 Hz alert tone. Does that mean that while the scanner is scanning the regular Sites/Groups/Channels that I have programmed in, the scanner will just beep, and then display something on the screen that says there is a weather alert for a certain county and I should manually switch over to Weather Scan or Weather Alert mode to hear the alerts?
 

UPMan

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Weather Alert Priority: The scanner will check the weather channel every 5 seconds (you'll notice the audio drop briefly on other transmissions). If the 1050 Hz tone that is sent with every alert is present, the scanner alerts you to the weather event and stays on the weather channel. It does not pay attention to SAME at all (it cannot, as the SAME data is sent before the 1050 Hz tone).

Weather Alert Standby: The scanner stays on the weather channel continuously and does not scan. In this mode, the scanner will only alert you for events that include the county(ies) you have set up in the SAME list.
 

kc2kth

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I'll just chime in and add that this wass pretty confusing to me as well. It took me a while to figure out that I didn't want to use the same scanner for monitoring for SAME alerts and my typical scanning as well. I didn't care for the interruption every five seconds during a transmission. Instead I have dedicated my previous scanner to SAME standby mode monitoring, and even then only when there is a chance of extreme weather.
 

SCPD

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I remember when I set mine for weather alert on my 996xt,and one night I forgot it was on I woke up I thought there was an air raid!LOL!Man that thing scared the crap out of me.Be warned,dont forget you set the weather alert.And be ready for it if you live in Kansas.;)
Im sure the 396xt will warn you too!
 
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