UM1A
12
WEATHER BAND OPERATION
What is the NOAA Weather Radio/Weatheradio Canada?
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is a nationwide system that
broadcasts local weather emergency information 24 hours a day via the National Weather
Service (NWS) network. The U.S. network has more than 530 stations covering the 50
states as well as the adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the
U.S. Pacific Territories. Each local area has its own transmitting station and there are a total
of seven broadcasting frequencies used. A similar system is available in Canada under the
Weatheradio Canada service administered by Environment Canada.
Tuning to Weatherband
Press the
WB
soft
button to access the Weatherband. The indication "WB" will appear on the
display panel, along with the current number and channel indication: "WB-
1", “WB
-2",
"WB-3", "WB-4", "WB-5", "WB-6" or "WB-7". The seven frequencies are shown in the
following table:
Weatherband Frequencies
Frequency (MHz)
Preset
162.400
2
162.425
4
162.450
5
162.475
3
162.500
6
162.525
-
162.550
1
Under normal conditions the unit will automatically tune to the strongest station in the area
within 10 seconds.
Manual Tuning
Press the
Tune
soft button and use the
|<<
or
>>|
soft
buttons to adjust station tuning
step-by-step.
LIST
Press the
LIST
soft button
to display the preset list.
Recall a Station
Rotate the
Encoder Knob
to navigate the preset list and highlight the desired preset
memory location. Press the
Encoder Knob
to select and tune to the corresponding stored
station. Note that the presets are assigned and cannot be changed by the user
How many stations can I expect to receive?
Since the broadcasts are local weather and information, the transmission power is usually
very low (much less than standard AM or FM stations) so you will usually receive only one
station unless you are on the edge of two or more broadcast signals. The most you will
receive will be two or three, and that is rare.
Is it possible I won't receive any stations?
Depending on where you are located, there is a possibility you will receive only a very weak
signal or none at all. Also, similar to AM and FM signals, weatherband signals are subject to
surrounding conditions, weather, obstructions of the signal by hills or mountains, etc.
