Just purchased a Weather Radio with S.A.M.E.; need help

[GlennB]

Yesterday I posted a message titled "Weather -How to know if tornados are predicted?"
You folks gave me lots of informative answers. Many of the answers suggested I get a Weather Radio with the S.A.M.E. feature.

As a result of your replies: I am now the owner of a Midland WR-300 weather radio.
I now have another question:
I've been reading the WR-300 owners manual on how to program the radio.
It says you can program a SINGLE S.A.M.E. County code.
OR
You can program UP TO 23 County codes.

The manual does not indicate why one would program more than the code for the county you are in? I'm totally confused on this. Could one of you explain what this means?

Thanks again,
Glenn

[rk911]

nazpaz wrote:
I like to put in the county I am in and the county just west and southwest of us. Most severe weather in the spring will come from the southwest.

The other day in Des Moines I didn't use the SAME codes and had a sleep deprived night because of it. The radio went off all night, mostly due to rising water elsewhere in the region. The next morning I got up and put Polk county in (we were in the north central part of the county). The radio behaved itself much better that night.

with many of the newer weather alert receivers you can select the types of events to be warned about. unless you're camped next to a lake, stream or wetland and if your radio is newer you should be able to turn off those warnings.

[rk911]

dalenoel wrote:
I do a selection of the clearest channel I can get instead of a single code for one or more counties. This way I get all of the warnings that are in the area for my reception.

Keeping a county map available is also a help if you don't know the area you are in well enough.

i second that notion...that is absolutely the best way to go when traveling. I want to be aware of severe weather that may be moving in my direction as early as possible. when we're on the road I make it a habit to know the name of the county we're in but I usually don't know the names of the surrounding counties. by NOT programming a SAME code into the alert receiver I get warnings for all counties covered by the station we're tuned to. a map then helps us pinpoint where we are relative to the warning. if we have internet and/or cell phone service that task is made all the easier.

when we're at home it's different. I know the names of the counties that border ours and even those that are quite a distance away. so I've programmed our home alert receiver with just the SAME code for our home county. I have weather radar from weather underground running 24/7 in my hamshack so I can see what's coming. but on the road we want as much info as early as possible.

[wa8yxm]

There are two reasons for programming multiple county codes, not all apply to you of course.

I used to live near 7 Mile and Telegraph in Detroit, that is Wayne County, Michigan (I no longer live there folks) but it is only ONE MILE (Plus 1.5 blocks) from Oakland County and not all that far from Washtenaw County. So that's 3 counties I might wish to program. (And did)

As an RVer I normally park in one of 3 counties, Currently in one, Next week this time I'll be in another (And not far from a third) and in the winter I park in mostly one county, (Sometimes another) and 3 miles from another state.

So that's 4 more counties to program. Of course I won't get "Michigan" county alerts when I'm in South Carolina,, or SC in MI.


Finally,,, as a Ham Radio operator I am sometimes a "Responder" (generally not first but later) when storms hit.. Thus I may well want all the counties around me cause that way I know where I'll be needed.. Not so much since I do not have a car just now, but I hope to fix that in a few months.

[PatrickA51]

Glenn
Don't feel bad So am I confused. And I'm an Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator, you might look here to start Look here
If you like PM me I'm close to you I have that same radio.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Ditto on leaving the county setting on "ALL" When you arrive at your destination, go into the menu, to "channel" and scroll until you get the clearest channel. That way you will get a couple of surrounding counties as well as your own. Note what county you are in and the 2 counties to the south and west of where you are. I keep an atlas by the radio and circle the county I'm in. The warnings will tell you what county and what cities will be affected, what direction the storm is moving and how fast. This will give you more time to prepare.

[Wiscampsin]

Just in case you don't already have it, link to S.A.M.E.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm

[RoyB]

I purchased this inexpensive NOAH WX Radio model 12-260 from Radio Shack. It only has one smart mode and that is it will find the transmitting WX CHANNEL when you first turn it.

I didnt think I would want to have one of the really smart mode NOAH receivers as you would have to program it for all of the areas and counties you will be going thru.

I have this WX Radio wired directly to 12VDC using one of those multi-tap DC output adapters. I think this radio radio requires 6.0VDC to operate. I removed the batteries... The only time I turn it off is when I am in travel mode with my POPUP top down. This radio is good and loud and does what it is suppose to do sounding off the various BAD WEATHER alerts..

AS discussed on some other posts here recently you should always be aware of the county you are in including the surrounding counties in order to fully understand the radio alerts.



Roy Ken

[nazpaz]

I like to put in the county I am in and the county just west and southwest of us. Most severe weather in the spring will come from the southwest.

The other day in Des Moines I didn't use the SAME codes and had a sleep deprived night because of it. The radio went off all night, mostly due to rising water elsewhere in the region. The next morning I got up and put Polk county in (we were in the north central part of the county). The radio behaved itself much better that night.

[camperpaul]

The easy way is to just leave the SAME function turned off.

From my experience, it gives you tunnel vision.

[dalenoel]

I do a selection of the clearest channel I can get instead of a single code for one or more counties. This way I get all of the warnings that are in the area for my reception.

Keeping a county map available is also a help if you don't know the area you are in well enough.

[downtheroad]

If you are just going to be in one place (not move around) you only really need to program the radio for the place/county you are in...

But, if you plan on driving on down the road through many different counties, then you can pre-program the radio for up to 23 different counties that you will be driving through...takes some pre planning.

At least that's the way I understand how it works.