BCD436HP/BCD536HP: WX Operation

[KI5IRE]

Hello guys, i am a weather enthusiast and storm chase/spot when theres events here near me and I have a few questions about the WX Operation function on my BCD436. Does the weather alert function actually send out and audible alarm like my NOAA weather radio when a Tornado Warning or Watch is issued for my area? If so, does this function work while I am scanning other radio systems? What does WX Alert priority do?


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[srpawski]

I have not yet tried it out, but I do know it has SAME alerts built into it. I believe it has the ability to have the weather alert set as a priority.

 

[jonwienke]

Turn on WX Priority, and the scanner will check for alerts every 2 seconds or so.

 

[JamesO]

Best to buy a cheap non trunking or just a cheap used scanner specific for Weather Alerts if really a requirement.

Weather Priority is not something I would want to put up with while scanning.

 

[hiegtx]

Best to buy a cheap non trunking or just a cheap used scanner specific for Weather Alerts if really a requirement.

Weather Priority is not something I would want to put up with while scanning.

Plus, realize that if you use the weather priority, it's only checking for the alert tone, so you'd get alerts for anything sent out from whichever NOAA station you set it for, some of which would likely not be of interest or importance to you, i.e. not a threat since the storm(s) may be too far away, not moving anywhere close to approaching your location, etc.

While you can enter the S.A.M.E. codes, which will show the specific alert for whichever counties you choose, that only works if you put the scanner in the correct mode for those to be used. If in that mode, then the scanner is only searching for the codes for the areas you entered. It cannot scan regular channels while listening for the S.A.M.E. alerts.

At home, I have a couple of weather radios, one in my bedroom, the other in my home office at the other end of the house. If I'm going to be out and about, away from home when there is a possibility of strong storms, I'll take one of the older, seldom used, scanners to set up as a 'weather radio' if needed.

 

[sodakney]

this post is in reference to the SDS100

after a weather alert siren triggers from NWS, the alert message keeps repeating(as it should) and my issue is:
1. I would like to have the scanner resume scanning after a certain time period. It's a pain to have to track down the scanner and get it to scan again(laying in bed, for example). You can only listen to the weather message so many times!
2. Next problem is when I press the upper left key to return to scanning it starts asking me for "direct input", a shortcut I assume. The only way I can get back to scanning, most of the time, is to restart the radio, which I would like to avoid. Am I doing something wrong?
Jim

 

[scan-pa]

try (Function key then System Key) to resume scanning.

 

[sodakney]

Thanks for the advice, Peter. I was hoping there might be a way for it to resume scanning automatically, in case I was in bed or in another room. I'll try what you said however, because it may save me from restarting the radio.

 

[scan-pa]

Whenever your out of Favorite List or Database scan mode, as in search, cc, wx, ect... just hit function then system to return to scanning.

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