Satellite Radio instead of NOAA?

I recently picked up a small Midland NOAA weather radio and it was pretty much dead out of the box. Because of the circumstances I bought it under, returning it will be very difficult (damn me and my bargain hunting!)

While trying to think of a replacement, I came up with all sorts of ideas for something more practical ranging from scanners to CB radios with NOAA to GMRS radios with NOAA built in but then I thought of something. NOAA is dependent on there being a station broadcasting in your area. When I'm on a road trip or on my way to camping, there could be many places or stretches of highway which don't have coverage. Even in most of the national parks the emergency channels are AM because there are no NOAA stations.

My Sirius Satellite radio on the other hand has access to a 24 hour weather channel. If any severe weather warnings were around, I'm sure they'd say something sooner or later. Plus I'd have access anywhere. The downside is that there would be no 'warning' and it's built into my jeep...not exactly backpack portable unless I buy another radio portable radio.

Has anybody used satellite radio this way and had any success?

The Inno that I use (via XM Radio) is portable and comes with ear phones so that it can be carried in your pocket (about the size of a pack of cigarettes).

I haven't used it in that mode yet but now that you've brought this subject up, I will carry it the next time I go out hiking/camping.

Is the weather channel on the Sirius system geographically-specific? The NOAA channels are area-specific. I'm guessing the Sirius system isn't.

Sirius and XM both give regional forecast along the lines of the Weather Channel. It is useful in the format that they give it in.

MoBOB: It's not region specific which is one of the down sides. I assume in Canada it's the same as it is in the US but I know that the same channel in the US goes from weather to emergency status any time there is a disaster or an AMBER alert to report on evacuations routes and what not.

On the flip side the NOAA channels aren't completely area specific here as they aren't as dense as they are in the US and many use the same frequency...unless I had a radio with SAME then reports would be area specific...but so far I've only been able to find one portable NOAA radio with SAME built in.

I'm guessing that the Midland you got is the yellow, model 74-250. I have one and I like it. Another portable I have is the Oregon Scientific WR103N. Both have SAME and each has its pros and cons. I bought both on sale for about $35 each over the years.

On a road trip, where there is no coverage, or very spotty broadcast radio coverage, I think satellite radio would seem to be a useful option. I don't know if satellite radio is as susceptible as satellite TV to bad weather, though, but if you're already stuck in nasty weather, the signal could be very significantly degraded. One thing I've long wondered about is how often XM or Sirius get updates.

It's a little worrying sometimes when I will see a weather alert, say, on TV, but when I turn on my NOAA radio, there's no mention of it, or vice versa. Then there are the alerts announced by a local TV station, but the cable provider itself doesn't make the annoucement. Sometimes the alerts "catch up" with the other providers, but sometimes you never get them. Anyway, so I wonder about the timing and distribution of such alerts. Trying to get area-specific weather alerts from NOAA to a service with such a wide coverage area, like satellite radio, would seem to be the slowest, you would think. <shrug> Anyway, any info is better than none, although I'm not sure how reliably you can get info that pertains to your particular locality in a timely fashion, say a flash flood warning or something like that, through satellite radio.

It's not the yellow one. It's the ultra cheap HH-50. The main reason I got the satellite radio built into my jeep (and my previous radio in our previous car...now in my beater) was for camping and road trips...but I've never used it for the weather channel because it's a national forecast and you have to listen to an hour of radio to hear a brief forecast for your current area.

I haven't heard that weather radio is going to digital Izzy. The Canadian system was just upgraded as of last year to include SAME capabilities. It seems odd that they'd switch to completely digital and make so many emergency devices obsolete. Do you have a link with any documentation that has dates? If it's soon then there's even more reason to not buy another one to replace this broken one.

I question this. Where did you hear this? Weather radio (NOAA) are on 162.xxx MHz. this band is mostly all analog. (The Secret Service uses it and is digital) There is no reason I can think of for it to go digital like the government is pushing for the TV spectrum.

Is there a link to any info on this?

I never heard of this either. I double-checked the NOAA weather radio website and there is no mention of an impending switch to all-digital.

There already is a digital signal embedded in the normal VHF analog signal as part of any Emergency Alert System activation--that burst of static at the start and end of alerts. Among other bits of info, that's what allows my weather radio to display a brief description about what kind of alert is coming through and when it expires.

I have NOAA channels on both of my cb's and scanner. I get coverage on the mobile just fine when traveling, just have to switch from one channel to another.
XM and others require yet another monthly subscription so I find them pretty much worthless.

I believe the source of confusion is because of 2 unrelated things happening at the same time:

1) Certain VHF and UHF frequency users must convert their equipment to 12.5Khz bandwidth by January 1, 2013. New licenses for the old 25Khz systems will no longer be accepted past January 1, 2011. The NOAA Weather Radio is specifically exempted, there will be no need to replace receivers. Also, it is now the "NOAA All-Hazards Radio", and thus is a very important component of the public safety warning system. Upgrading it's equipment will be about as difficult as replacing our aging air traffic control system.

2) Digital TV conversion, resulting in portable radios (not NOAA Weather Radios) being unable to receive the digital audio portion of Digital TV. NOAA Weather Radio operates on 10 designated frequencies, that are exempt from narrowbanding, and will continue to operate in analog mode.

Hacksaw,

Have you seen the new GPS units which display realtime weather for your location? They use XM radio to get the information.

Bushnell GPS

I'm not sure if they report other hazardous situations...

-Blast

My TomTom can already do that but it needs to use my phone as a modem....$$$!

New vehicles with Sirius (just Ford and some Chrysler that I know of) have access to weather and traffic data through the built in navigation system courtesy of Sirius.

My current handheld is about 9 years old (I don't think that GPS12 will EVER quit) so maybe it's time for an upgrade. I've heard that the Bushnell GPSs are pretty slick and coming up fast under the radar of the big guys like Garmin.

Several Garmin models can do that, as well as get text Aviation weather.

That's only with marine and aviation models (and a few in car models)...no handhelds which I'm aware of...most of them require an additional XM module to function.

I've checked the XM site and I'm not sure you can get this in Canada...either way it's completely absent from the XM Canada site.

So far it seems the best bargain is a mobile CB radio like the Cobra Road Trip or the Midland model with the removable battery pack and car adapter kit...more bang for the buck.

Thats one of mine, the midland one. I have a cobra 25 cb in the truck. The only annoyance is the noaa channels are not standardized and the cobra and midland have them opposite, so channel 1 one one is the frequency of channel 7 on the other
The cobra I bought new and it came with a little chart so I copied it for the hand held but then found the noaa web site and learned that they added several more transmitters since the chart was printed. I've found that I can pick up at least two most anywhere.

I managed to trade in the HH50 for a Freeplay crank radio with weather bands. Handy for camping but not practical in the Jeep (not entirely practical anyhow since the weather bands tune on an analog dial anyhow)

I'm definately going to pick up a CB for the Jeep before I drive to Alaska later this year but I may also upgrade my GMRS radios to models which include weather bands so I have something truly portable as well.

The Satelite radio is super nice but I don't think it will replace the emergency nature of the weather radio.

Tuning the weather on an analog dial seems to be kind of odd, its only 10 frequencies, no need for analog.

I don't get the point in the satalite radio, I guess I'm spoiled here because we have two good radio stations and cd's for when we travel that it doesn't make sense to pay every month for a subscription service.

Eugene: If you never leave the urban areas then local radio is fine...though commercial and talk free is a very nice bonus...and if I want to relive my childhood the 70s and 80s only stations are always close at hand.

The reason I bought one in the first place is because I do a lot of camping and I do at least one 5000km-8000km road trip a year. The satellte radio becomes a huge asset at this point especially if driving through Utah or Ontario or anywhere the towns are few and far between. The variety of programming is also nice. Having 3 dedicated comedy channels (sometimes 4) when you've been on the road 12 hours and are a wee bit sleepy sure helps.

It's really too bad there isn't more thought put into integration of these devices. I'd kill to have a satellite radio that could do am/fm/NOAA frequencies too or to have a weather radio built into my GPS...or my car. It makes so much sense and the technology is so simple it could easily be done. Instead we're forced to buy dedicated hardware or another radio within a radio to go inside the car or backpack which may already have several radios in it. Don't get me wrong; I'm totally on board with the risks of having too many 'all in one' devices (or just one all in one device) but if you're going to have a 'radio' why not just have one to cover all your radio needs? If you're going to use weather as part of your navigation planning, why not have it built into your GPS (though as was discussed there are some emerging technologies moving in the right direction)?

On top of that the geek in me is even more upset that the devices which are out there don't have Bluetooth capability. I have bluetooth everything and it would be so handy to have a radio set up not unlike a cellular phone that could just connect to a headset or handsfree device (or my GPS) and alert me without having 5 devices in my car competing for my auditory attention...unfortunately integration is only as good as the hardware which integrates (or doesn't integrate) them.

I guess I could blame free enterprise and market competition. Why would Sirius or XM allow a person to use their products to access a free service? Why would a GPS (which accesses satellites already) not use more satellites to access additional features? Makes sense...but that doesn't mean I have to like it

I leave the urban areas plenty but we listen to the few cd's we own on those trips, we bought several years ago and haven't bought a lot lately so we play those old ones while were driving on trips.

I wish my gps had bluetooth then I wouldn't need a usb cable for it.

I picked up the new Cobra 425 Radio 3 weeks ago. It is a VHF / GMRS / NOAA radio. The first of its kind. It is an awesome radio. Light, long antenna, dual battery source (rechargabel or 6AA). It even has a rewind feature that will play back the last 20 seconds of sound that came out of the radio in case you only heard the last few seconds of a call. VHF (ch 16) is really the only emergency channel monitored by most rescue sources. Plus it only costs about $150.00 (124.00 on ebay)

steve

I've seen this radio and truly I do like it. Unfortunately in Canada it's neutered as 5 Watt radios aren't allowed to be in the hands of the public.

If I ordered it from a place like Cabela's, customs likely wouldn't allow it across the border without some kind of fancy permit.

Do you need a license for the VHF channel like GMRS?

The below was copied from http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/radio.htm

Do I need a radio license? The Telecommunications Act of 1996 permits recreational boaters to have and use a VHF marine radio, EPIRB, and marine radar without having an FCC ship station license. Boaters traveling on international voyages, having an HF single sideband radiotelephone or marine satellite terminal, or required to carry a marine radio under any other regulation must still carry an FCC ship station license.

Those not exempted by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 must still have an FCC ship station license. A ship station license application is made on FCC Form 506, available from local FCC Field Offices, by writing to the FCC, P.O. Box 1050, Gettysburg PA 17326, or by calling the FCC Forms Distribution Center at (202)418-3676 or the toll-free number (800) 418-FORM. Forms can also be obtained from most marine electronics dealers.

Radios can be used immediately upon license application. The license is not transferable if a boat is sold or if the installed radio equipment is moved from one boat to another.

Effective 18 September 1995, the FCC fee for renewing or applying for a new ship station license is $75. Licenses will be valid for ten years.

If you wish to purchase a portable radio for use on more than one boat, only one license is necessary. When completing an FCC Application for Ship Station License (form 506), check "Portable" in block 10, "Type of License".

Do I need a permit to operate a radio? The FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit is required for boaters having an HF radiotelephone, for boaters having a VHF transceiver and traveling in foreign waters, or where fitting of a marine radio is required by law (e.g. on boats 20m long or larger). There is a fee for this lifetime permit, but no tests are required in applying for this license. An application is made on FCC Form 753, available from local FCC Field Offices or by writing to the FCC, P.O. Box 1050, Gettysburg PA 17326.

In Canada it doesn't work the same as in the US. In the US you can use high power but you need an FCC license. In Canada you can't use anything high powered unless you have a permit or are a professional which requires it (coast guard, police, etc). You can't buy 5 Watt GMRS radios in Canada at all because they're for recreational use only.

My SAR group uses high power VHF hand helds and a VERY high powered base station in a trailer with a 40 foot antenna and something like a 40 mile range...but we have special permission from the RCMP to do so (and use some of their frequencies).

Have you considered a decent portable shortwave receiver?

I recently purchased a Sony ICF-SW7600GR.

It's small, light weight but sturdy, and seems to have great range. 4 AA batteries should get you about 40 hours of life.

The radio has great reception of the area AM/FM Stations, includes NOAA weather channels, and access to the full spectrum of short wave channels.

I think it will be great to take camping as you will be able to find local radio, NOAA, and many of the national (or international) stations that broadcast on shortwave. You can preset them into the radio for easy access.

In a big picture catastrophe from massive earthquake up to and including a terrorist action, the shortwave radio might be the only access to outside media reports.

From what I've seen recently, most newer AM/FM radios are not strong on components - they rely on a stong signal from the station, where a decent portable shortwave receiver has a much stronger ability to pick up distant or weaker signals.

This model I purchased cost about $150.00, and so long as I keep it out of the hands of my 2 year old son, it should last a long time. Even when commercial radio goes digital, there will still be a wide range of communication on the shortwave spectrum worth listening to.

I've tried SW and I much prefer the satellite radio...in my opinion, the results are the same only the satellite is much less finicky...both have similar pros and cons. The only advantage is access to the NOAA channels but the only SW radios I've seen which access those frequencies don't do the alert tone alarm thing or the digital local programming.

I also own a Sony ICF-SW7600GR and haven't found any NOAA weather channels (162.xx MHz). What frequencies do you dial in to hear NOAA?

BTW - I love the Sony's AM/FM reception and the SW bands (with SYNC Selection;USB and LSB reception) come in better than any other portable I've owned (although my new Eton E1XM is giving it a run for it's money and my old Sangean 183A still works).

FWIW - I also like Satellite Radio, although I decided to go with XM (the E1 was XM ready). My wife took a lot of convincing, particularly when she considered the cost of the monthly service. The number and variety of stations is beginning to interest her. I also went with XM because I'm a baseball fanatic and Sirius had the NFL package, not the MLB package.