Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 2 of 2 < 1 2
Topic Options
#132457 - 05/09/08 07:42 PM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: Arney]
UTAlumnus Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/08/03
Posts: 1019
Loc: East Tennessee near Bristol
I guess part of it is what do you consider severe. Our's issues warnings for a decent thunderstorm. It's gotten to the point I consider their warnings "crying wolf".

I've had one of those SAME radios. Either they don't put the SAME signal in our system or the published code is wrong or all of mine are broken. I've seen a warning for the county I'm in on TV & the radio never went off.

Top
#132458 - 05/09/08 07:45 PM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: Arney]
GrilledBison Offline
Stranger

Registered: 09/06/07
Posts: 22
Loc: PA
I have this Radio Shack 7-Channel Handheld Weatheradio® with SAME Operation, and you can program out all those persistent "20% chance of sprinkles" messages by setting what alerts you want to be notified about: tornado, earthquake, volcano, etc. I think you can also program multiple counties for the SAME (Specific Area) alerts.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index....rentPage=search
http://RSK.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-2077813_rshalt1_dt.jpg

I found that it burned through the 3 AA batteries rather quickly (in hours rather than the claimed 4 days), so I use NiMH rechargeable AAs, and I stopped using it except when in the 1-day path of a hurricane while on vacation (because I'm always in the direct path of a hurricane when I go on vacation), the only time I've ever actually had to bug out. If I was in Oklahoma or California, I'd buy an A/C adapter and a box of batteries.

Note the user comments on the web-site. The volume is way too loud on its quietest setting--a good feature if you need to wake up and leave, otherwise highly annoying.


Edited by GrilledBison (05/09/08 07:56 PM)
Edit Reason: Received poor grammer alert on SAME radio

Top
#132459 - 05/09/08 07:57 PM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: GrilledBison]
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
Originally Posted By: GrilledBison
I found that it burned through the 3 AA batteries rather quickly (in hours rather than the claimed 4 days)... with rechargeable batteries.

I also find rechargeables work rather poorly in my weather radios. Like you, just a matter of days, plus the radio dies all of a sudden. But with alkalines, mine will go maybe 10-14 days, and for the last couple days, the low battery light flashes.

This particular application is one situation where alkalines have an advantage over NiMH in my opinion--the gradual decline in voltage is long so you have a chance to catch the low voltage condition before the battery completely dies. With the NiMH batteries, I'll go to sleep with the light blinking green and wake up the next morning with the radio dead. Never had a chance to see it go into that low battery mode.

I have read that the newer low self discharge (LSD) NiMH, like the Sanyo Eneloops should do better, but I haven't gotten around to buying any yet.

Top
#132460 - 05/09/08 08:26 PM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: KenK]
BobS Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/08/08
Posts: 924
Loc: Toledo Ohio
Originally Posted By: KenK
Originally Posted By: BobS
I’m not looking for weather alert radio that goes off every time there is 3-rain drops coming down in the area.


This hasn't been my experience with the weather radios. They only go off when there is an alert or warning issued for my SAME area.

Actually I'm just the opposite. I don't want the chatter of a scanner when I don't need it. The weather radio sits quietly until a real alert is issued.


What chatter? When I want to know what the weather is going to be I turn on a scanner and go manually (I have it locked out so it doesn’t stop on the channel when scanning) to the channel with the weather broadcast and listen to it and then shut it off.
_________________________



You can run, but you'll only die tired.


Top
#132464 - 05/09/08 10:41 PM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: BobS]
KG2V Offline

Veteran

Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 1371
Loc: Queens, New York City
I agree with Marty - at least around here (NWS Upton) you'll get " URBAN FLOOD ADVISORY" (aka there is 2" of water on the road) "Dense fog warning" (gee, it's under 1/2 mile)

.WIND ADVISORY

Then a couple of hours later (again - tripping a warning)
.WIND ADVISORY IS CANCELLED

For instance - that Urban Flood Advisory? They issued it the other day at 7:02ap to last to 10am
at 8:00 they issued it again - to last till 10:00am
and again at 9:00
and then at 9:20ish, they issued it AGAIN, but canceling it

I don't need to be warned every hour or two for the same warning - really - I understood the first time you told me

The BIG problem is the Pager service I use (they send it to my cell phone) doesn't allow you to tailor what you get - you get them all - or nothing
_________________________
73 de KG2V
You are what you do when it counts - The Masso
Homepage: http://www.thegallos.com
Blog: http://kg2v.blogspot.com

Top
#132468 - 05/09/08 11:21 PM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: KG2V]
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
Originally Posted By: kc2ixe
Then a couple of hours later (again - tripping a warning).WIND ADVISORY IS CANCELLED

Really? A wind advisory will make your weather radio alert when it's on stand by? That seems totally against the general idea of the Emergency Alert System that only news that is serious enough to justify waking people up in the middle of the night is what will activate a weather radio.

Yeah, if that happened here, I'd probably just keep my radio off and only turn it on when the weather is bad.

Top
#132473 - 05/10/08 12:14 AM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: PaleHorse]
powerring Offline
Newbie

Registered: 04/25/08
Posts: 32
I've had good luck with the Midland WR-300. It has SAME ability so you only get the alerts for areas you want. You have excellent control over the types of alerts you want to hear (i.e. just tornado warnings, etc.). There are several notification methods (siren, voice, light). Reception is consistently clear in central Virginia. I have two in the house, one on each floor.

t's not a bad little clock/radio either since it also has AM/FM radio and battery backup.

Top
#132477 - 05/10/08 12:35 AM Re: Weather Service radio [Re: powerring]
BobS Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/08/08
Posts: 924
Loc: Toledo Ohio
Here the local weather service activates SkyWarn (amateur radio weather watchers and storm chasers) at the drop of a hat. To the point of being stupid to do for the frivolous weather, I think the same mentality transfers to the alert system here.
_________________________



You can run, but you'll only die tired.


Top
Page 2 of 2 < 1 2



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 324 Guests and 6 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.