I hinted at this earlier when I mentioned using my Ham gear to monitor on occasion.
If you get a radio with an external antenna jack, or a detachable (BNC usually) antenna. You can put a Scanner Antenna up high on the roof outside and use it (you want one that gets VHF 160-161 MHZ range) This will greatly improve your weather radio performance.. HEIGHT IS MIGHT and if you get a good antenna it adds more might as well. (I sometimes make my own antennas).
More than the radio is the antenna.
How important is height? Well this is transmitting but.
I once took my new hand held fully synthesized 2 meter (Close enough to be a fair comparison) radio up to the 21st floor of an office building where I worked.. I run 1 watt into a very poor antenna, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 watt Effective Radiated power.. I'm in Downtown Detroit (Lodge freeway at Howard) and I am chatting with some hams in Toledo Ohio via a repeater station in Adrian, MI.
A VE3 attempts to join in and fails.. (VE3 is Windsor. I can actually see his house from where I'm standing) He's not making it, I forget if he had 40 watts at 30 feet or 30 watts at 40 feet.
But I had 250 feet and that's why I made it with flea power.
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times
