Author Topic: New Weather Radio question (Read 7167 times)

qwert007 · « **on:** December 30, 2008, 08:57:20 AM »

Hi all I am new here and I have a question. I got a NOAA weather radio for Christmas the First Alert WX-150 but its never gone off yet. This is my first weather radio so I am not sure how bad the weather is supposed to be for it to go off? For instance today where I am there is a Wind Advisory but the radio has not sounded with an alert is that normal? Or does it only go off for major weather related things like hurricanes? I think I set it up right although I only inputted my county into it and not any others was that a mistake? When I hit listen it gives the weather and the signal seems perfect. Any ideas if this is normal or not? Thanks

JOE · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2008, 09:59:56 AM »

I would open it up to more of the surrounding Counties. Especially the ones in the primary direction your weather comes from.

I don't know if advisories are given or not. I'll have to read my manual again.

I know what you mean, tho. I had one for several months that "didn't do anything". Made me wonder whether or not it worked.

floodcaster · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2008, 10:05:47 AM »

Welcome to the forum!

Not all products activate the alarm. The standard listing can be found here although it may vary somewhat based on policies at your local NWS office.

qwert007 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2008, 10:44:40 AM »

Thanks for the welcome and the info! From reading that link it looks like only major events are sent out as an alert which is good to know (I was afraid my radio did not work!) I will add some more of the surrounding counties though like Joe suggested and it looks like we may be getting a snow storm later in the week maybe it will alert me to that.

sam2004gp · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2008, 10:57:07 AM »

I downloaded the manual for your radio, and looked it over. Are you able to press the "Listen" button and hear a NOAA Broadcast?

qwert007 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2008, 12:20:54 PM »

Yep when I hit the listen button the NOAA broadcast comes in perfectly.

mmorris · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2008, 12:40:33 PM »

My weather radio go off every Wednesday at 11:00am that is when the NWS here in Ohio does it test of the system. I would think it is the same every where.

JOE · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2008, 02:57:07 PM »

^^^^^10:00 am on Tuesdays here.

Weather permitting, of course.

qwert007 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2008, 05:19:08 PM »

Good news it works! I was sitting at my desk when I heard an alarm and was like "whats that?" Then it dawned on me that it must be the Weather Radio! So I ran downstairs and low and behold it gave me a Winter Storm Warning alert for tommorow mornings snow storm that we are supposed to be having! So it works

Thanks for the help everyone.

W Thomas · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2008, 06:16:34 PM »

Quote from: qwert007 on December 30, 2008, 05:19:08 PM

Good news it works! I was sitting at my desk when I heard an alarm and was like "whats that?" Then it dawned on me that it must be the Weather Radio! So I ran downstairs and low and behold it gave me a Winter Storm Warning alert for tommorow mornings snow storm that we are supposed to be having! So it works Thanks for the help everyone.

Like the A Team used to say..."I Love It When A Plan Comes Together"

They are actually calling for a chance for a flurry for here...must be one heck of a snow event for anything other than rain to penetrate our shield

Sigdigit · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2008, 10:30:43 PM »

I was wondering the same thing about the alerts. I got the Midland 300 weather radio, programmed it, NOAA reports come in crystal clear, but although the internet showed wind advisories and winter weather advisories for my area here in Northern NJ, the alert never went off on the radio (there is an LED for ADVISORIES as well as WARNINGS and WATCHES). Thanks Floodcaster for the link about what triggers alarms. I guess I'll have to wait for something a bit more serious to see if the alarm works!

WeatherBeacon · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2008, 10:58:26 PM »

Well, you don't want too many alerts going off as you (and especially the wife) get awfully tired of being wakened many a night.

Before long you would find yourself disabling many of the alerts and leaving only the most critical warnings and watches. A good way to decide which alerts to enable is to ask yourself, "Which alerts are important enough that I want to be wakened?"

Some winter advisories can be posted a day or two in advance. As a weather enthusiast, you're probably already aware of those advisories anyway.

Enjoy your new radio!

Kevin...

Sigdigit · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2008, 11:10:05 PM »

Absolutely right about the wife, lol. She was watching me program it the day after Christmas and was begging me not to configure the alert for siren instead of voice alert. Of course it is set to siren.

Why do I feel compelled to do these things......

WeatherBeacon · « **Reply #13 on:** December 30, 2008, 11:13:28 PM »

Quote from: Sigdigit on December 30, 2008, 11:10:05 PM

Absolutely right about the wife, lol. She was watching me program it the day after Christmas and was begging me not to configure the alert for siren instead of voice alert. Of course it is set to siren. Why do I feel compelled to do these things......

He he he!

Been there . . . done that!

JOE · « **Reply #14 on:** December 30, 2008, 11:59:42 PM »

The Radio Shack model I have only has the siren for the alert.

And the volume control doesn't work on the siren part.

No wife to annoy.

SlowModem · « **Reply #15 on:** December 31, 2008, 09:43:53 AM »

The question is: Do you want to be awake when the tornado hits, or would you rather go in your sleep?

WeatherBeacon · « **Reply #16 on:** December 31, 2008, 10:06:10 AM »

Quote from: Slowmodem on December 31, 2008, 09:43:53 AM

The question is: Do you want to be awake when the tornado hits, or would you rather go in your sleep?

Tornado...definitely want to be wakened for that!

On my radio I also have tornado alerts set for the adjacent counties to my west and south. If they have twisters, I want to know about it before they reach us!

Mark / Ohio · « **Reply #17 on:** December 31, 2008, 09:57:46 PM »

Quote from: Slowmodem on December 31, 2008, 09:43:53 AM

The question is: Do you want to be awake when the tornado hits, or would you rather go in your sleep?

I've debated that one. If I'm going to end up "going" anyway I'd rather be asleep. On the other hand if I will be "staying" and suffering the consequences afterward I want to be awake to see it. I've decided that until the fog clears from my crystal ball enough to give me a message that my number is up, I will have my weather radio set to wake me up.

kray1000 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 01, 2009, 03:43:56 AM »

Quote from: JOE on December 30, 2008, 11:59:42 PM

And the volume control doesn't work on the siren part.

You could try mashing some peanut butter into some of the little speaker holes to cut the volume.

On the other hand, you might wind up listening to Charlie Brown's teacher give the tornado warnings.

JOE · « **Reply #19 on:** January 01, 2009, 09:55:46 AM »

^^^^ it's really not too bad. I want it to wake me up.

A year or so ago, the NWS issued separate County warning for each individual County as a storm front moved thru. That was a little annoying. Just about the time I would get back to sleep, they announced the nnext County.

I guess it was just the way the storm was moving, and maybe I have too many Counties set up to receive, but that night, I finally turned the weather alert radio off for a few hours.

Wouldn't the dog lick the peanut butter off the radio? Oh, wait, I don't have a dog.
I think if I heard Charlie Brown's teacher talking I would definitely want to get up and check that out. Good one.

News:

Author Topic: New Weather Radio question (Read 7167 times)