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How to Select the Best Weather Radio for Your NeedsSelecting the right weather radio is easy, once you know how the service works and which radio features are the most useful.
Did you get reliable information during the course of the event, including advice as to when the emergency was over?
Or are you just interested in observing the more interesting types of weather, either using a home weather station, or out of general interest, and would like to be informed when something is in the air?
If you answered yes, or even maybe, to any of those questions, you probably should get your own Weather Radio. If you live in an area likely to be affected by hurricanes, severe storms or tornadoes, a Weather Radio should be the first item in your emergency kit.
What is a Weather Radio?
There are two answers to that question.
Firstly, Weather Radio is a service provided by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a Federal Government agency. For more details go to the Weather Radio Service page. It is a dedicated radio network which provides weather information routinely, and alerts when necessary. The warnings are provided by the Emergency Alert Service (EAS) and include all forms of weather warnings, plus alerts on civil and other natural emergencies such as hazardous material spills, fires, law enforcement warnings, and even instances of child abduction. To make sure of clear reception, the warnings are broadcast on frequencies away from the range of normal AM/FM radio, so a special type of radio is needed to receive them. And that brings me to the second answer...
Secondly, a Weather Radio is a receiver designed to pick up NOAA broadcasts from any one of the seven VHF frequencies used for warnings. The radio receivers may be restricted to reception of the weather radio frequencies (between 162.40 and 162.55 MHz), or they may be AM/FM radios with an extended range to pick up the NOAA frequencies.
Either way, they will have an inbuilt function which automatically switches the radio from standby mode to active whenever a warning is received.
Weather Radio Features
Weather radios are not your standard background noise maker - they are designed to provide information about events that may directly affect you, so they need to be reliable and be able to get your attention when necessary.
Good weather radios will have all these features;
Weather radios by definition must all have a standby facility and access to all seven NOAA channels. This shouldn't be a problem with current models sold as weather radios, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to check. Weather Radios are widely available from electronics retailers, but Amazon and eBay are always worth checking. Another good online source is Ambient Weather. More about pricing can be found at the end of this page.
Selecting a Weather Radio
Weather radios come in four forms - Portable and Desktop, and with or without SAME - for more information visit the Weather Radio Service page - which allows you to limit information on emergencies to the area closest to you. With two exceptions, I can't see much point in buying a Weather Radio without SAME. By selecting the counties you need to hear about, you will eliminate false alarms.
However a car radio which would receive the NOAA frequencies could be very useful at times - they aren't standard in most vehicles but are available. An alternative is CB radio.
Secondly, there are many occasions when access to alerts by users of two way radios is important if not essential. Midland, Audiovox, Motorola and Uniden all make two ways with weather radio access.
Portables
Manufacturers of portables include Oregon Scientific and
Midland. Coincidentally both the Midland WR-100 and the
For an interesting alternative, scroll down to Something Different
Desktops
A wide range of models ensures you'll have no trouble finding a weather radio to suit your needs. The major manufacturers are Midland, First Alert, Reecom and Sharecom, all with plenty of experience in this field.
You can expect to pay a little more for desktop weather radios compared to a portables, with most manufacturers suggesting a retail price of between $59.95 and $79.95. Once again, you will be able to find considerable discounts from internet retailers, and don't forget eBay for both new and used models.
The main differences between models are whether they are dedicated to the weather radio network or can pick up AM/FM stations, and in the number of counties that can be programmed under the SAME system. Some of the more expensive ones claim greater ease in programming the counties you have selected, so if you can't find an eleven year old genius to do it for you, consider the Sharecom WRP-500 at $149.95 or the First Alert WX-268 for around $95.00
Three models stand out, mainly because of their usefulness in times of no emergency, where they function as basic clock radios. All have AM/FM, which is overridden when an alert is broadcast. They are
While any of the three radios listed would satisfy any requirements, I am impressed by the Midland WR-300's extra options at little extra cost.
Something Different
Oregon Scientific has recently released a useful combination
of a portable weather radio, the WR108, with a temperature
station. It is called the WRB308
The WR108 can be programmed for up to six SAME areas, indicates
whether the message is a statement, watch or warning, and will
display the type of threat on its LED screen. It's recommended
price is $89.95, but it is available on its own for under
$55.00. One source is Amazon, which also has the WRB308
Conclusions
While some weather radios have a few more options than others, any of the brands mentioned will have a model that is more than adequate in an emergency situation, although it would be prudent to have plenty of batteries on hand in case of long power interruptions. The recommended models have just a little extra in their favour.
Finally, the backup to weather radio if you are out of range or away from your normal environment is the warning service on the internet through any of the weather channels.
Good luck with your selection, and I hope you don't need to use it too often.
The Severe Weather Page includes information and links to articles on the types of weather that are likely to result in weather watches or warnings by weather radio. This link will take you back to the Top, or, when you're ready, here's how to return to the Home page.
Click Here For Your Free 20 Page Report on Solving
*Product links and pricing. The
products I mention are, in my opinion, the best of the
range in each category. But this doesn't mean they are
just what you are looking for, and it is always worth
following the link to the manufacturer's page.
But don't buy from there - in almost all cases much
better prices are available from both shopfront and internet
based retailers. At all times eBay and Amazon are worth
checking out, and you will notice many of the links go to
Amazon. Amazon has built a very sound reputation for customer
service, given the huge amount of business that passes through
their website, and many products are accompanied by clear
descriptions, alternatives, and reviews from customers. These
can be very helpful, and I shop at Amazon myself.
But prices can change very quickly there, so if you have made
up your mind on a product and you see a good price at Amazon
or eBay, grab it before it goes.
Where possible, I provide links to other retailers where their
prices are competitive. Some may be better than they seem if
the prices include delivery and, where needed, batteries -
check the terms they offer.
Finally, I stand to make small commissions on some of the products
I recommend. A lot of work goes into building and maintaining a
site like this, and I am not ashamed if I recoup some of the costs,
and even make a little money on top.
That being said, I will and do recommend sellers where I will not
make anything for myself. One of these is Ambient Weather
, a useful retail site with good supporting information. But if
you visit there, don't forget to come back!
Last update 01/01/2007
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have a recommended retail of $59.95, but
you will find them much cheaper, particularly from internet
retailers. There appears to be little between them, although
the 
is usually less expensive, and comes with a stand.
It also has a 3 line LCD field to identify the alert type,
and a three light display to allow instant identification
of alert status (statement, watch or warning).
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