Weather Radio Help..?

Kstornado11 · #1 06/05/08, 04:32 PM

I just bought a NOAA weather radio,and am having a bit of trouble. I programed it for multiple counties here in Kansas,got it on the right channel, can hear the broadcast. However I am not getting any alerts for the counties that are currently under warnings( I programmed a few in west of here that are currently getting tornadoes to test it). Any ideas would be really appriciated!!

OUVickie · #2 06/05/08, 04:38 PM

I've never programmed one, but here's a link about the radio and a telephone number you might get some info from:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/same.htm

Kstornado11 · #3 06/05/08, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUVickie

I've never programmed one, but here's a link about the radio and a telephone number you might get some info from:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/same.htm

Thanks,tried that;line's been busy for over an hour.

TexasArtist · #4 06/05/08, 04:41 PM

well I know when mine went off during the last storm my mom said on the tv they showed tornado warning for about 2 hours before my radio started giving me any warnings. I think the t.v warnings show up first cause they are there to let just about everybody know no matter where they are and these little radios seem to be when your in the most immediate danger or something.
Hope that make some sort of sense.

Kstornado11 · #5 06/05/08, 05:03 PM

Well,that isn't very helpful,if the TV warns you before the radio,is it? What if the power is off? I can't figure out why I can hear the radio broadcast,but why it's not alerting to the counties I programmed in,that were being hit by tornadoes!! Wonder if it only alerts to those in your channel area? I don't think that's it,tho',it says it's supposed to alert for ny you program the SAME code in for. Maybe I wasted my $32.

Windy in Kansas · #6 06/05/08, 05:44 PM

A few days ago I read that one of the NOAA alert stations was off line, down for repair or however you wish to say it. I tend to remember that it might have been the one for your area.

I think http://www.wunderground.com plus your zip often gives announcements such as radar outages, weather radio outages, etc.

mistletoad · #7 06/05/08, 05:45 PM

Is it possible you are out of range for those counties' transmitters? I need to get a couple of these, can you tell me which one you got and how easy they are to program?

Quint · #8 06/07/08, 06:31 AM

Are you getting activation on test day? Double check your SAME codes and double check your programming manual. Some have an option of turning on or off warnings and such. Check your manual well.

Also something that many people aren't aware of is that the NWS won't necessarily activate the alerts on your weather radio for every watch or even for every warning. We've had severe thunderstorm warnings, thunderstorm, tornado, winter storm flash flood and other WATCHES that the NWS doesn't alert for. They issue alerts for SELECTED watches and warnings. I was told that there are certain criteria that need to be met before they will generally issue an alert. Even some warnings don't meet that criteria.

Check and recheck your programming carefully and the FIPS codes carefully. Chances are the problem is there.

Scrounger · #9 06/07/08, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quint

Also something that many people aren't aware of is that the NWS won't necessarily activate the alerts on your weather radio for every watch or even for every warning.

Hmmmmmmm.....
My weather radio - I bought it 4-5 years ago - won't SHUT-UP!
I have it programmed for the local counties. It posts an alert if it LOOKS like rain (a lot lately....).
Every watch, warning or advisory gets sent out, even heat, flood watch/warnings, wind, stream, lake and stockman's advisorys. Sometimes it is annoying when the thing goes off and they tell you about how hot it's gonna get today......

ErinP · #10 06/07/08, 09:53 AM

We tried a weather radio, but we aren't anywhere near a broadcast station... :P
All we pick up is fuzz.

BaronsMom · #11 06/07/08, 03:28 PM

Maybe call your county's Emergency Management Coordinator...

just happened that our Emergency Management Coordinator has an article in the local newspaper for people to call his office if they can't get their weather radios programmed...

Obviously you aren't the only one having trouble -

Just a thought.

Kstornado11 · #12 06/07/08, 03:31 PM

Well, by the time I got home from the library,it was working just fine. Apparantly because I programmed in the county codes that they had already issued the warnings for,it had to wait untill they updated the warning or issued a new one. I got a Midland NOAA radio,was about $32. I programmed mine to all the sourrounding counties,so when a storm comes,I'll know before it hits us.

BaronsMom · #13 06/07/08, 04:45 PM

I have the same radio and when I first bought it, set it so it went off when surrounding counties were impacted. But, then it was going off all the time and I found myself shutting it off...

So, now it is just set for our county and that still gives us plenty of time.

Darren · #14 06/07/08, 08:09 PM

Unless you know of someone in your county close to you that does get alerts on a weather radio, check to see if there's a local transmitter before buying a weather radio. Often the local office of emergency services may not know. The state office of the National Weather Service will know. You can contact them through an 800 number listed on the NOAA site for your state.