Weatheradio
Encyclopedia
A weather radio service is a broadcast service that airs weather report
s. When the radio is on and tuned to the weather band, it airs both normal and emergency weather information. If the radio is off or tuned to another band, it automatically turns on and goes to the weather band for emergency weather information.
Weatheradio services may also broadcast non-weather related emergency information, such as in the event of a natural disaster
, an AMBER alert
or a terrorist attack. They generally broadcast in a preallocated VHF frequency range using FM
. Usually a dedicated weather radio receiver or radio scanner is needed for listening, although in some locations a weatheradio broadcast may be retransmitted on a conventional AM or FM frequency (as well as HD Radio
substations), some terrestrial
television station
s broadcasting in MTS stereo
transmit weather radio on their second audio program
(SAP) channel as well as on one of its digital subchannel
s (where news and weather are applicable), on local Public, educational, and government access
(PEG) cable TV channels or during Emergency Alert System
activations for tornado warning
s primarily on cable systems.
Weather radios come with several features that make them very helpful in case of an emergency. Some models use crank power, in addition to mains electricity
and batteries
in case of a power outage
. Some models have an embedded flashlight
, and can double as a cellphone charger. Some also serve as a more general emergency radio
.
Weather radios are widely sold in home electronics stores and even many supermarket
s and drugstore
s in the United States and Canada. The price of a consumer model weather radio varies depending on the model and its extra features.
Most 21st century receivers are able to listen silently for weather alerts via the SAME protocol
and then sound an alarm to warn the listener of the oncoming weather or event. Additionally many weather radio vendors also include a visual element such as colored warning LEDs or strobe light
s which attach via an accessory port to give a warning to those who are hearing impaired.
The United States, Canada and Bermuda operate their government weather radio station
s on the same band.
Notable weatheradio services include:
The original numbering was from the order in which the frequencies were assigned, with 162.55 at first the only frequency, then 162.4 and 162.475 added later to prevent RF interference. The others mainly came into use in the 1990s in less-populated rural
, areas and as fill-in broadcast translators relaying an existing station into remote or mountain
ous areas.
Canadian broadcasts are also transmitted on travelers' information stations on FM
and AM
, especially near national parks. Bermuda has only one station dedicated purely for weather, on 162.55 MHz from Hamilton
, now operated by the Bermuda Weather Service
. It has a second station, however, for marine conditions and forecasts, ZBR
, at 162.400 MHz.
All stations transmit a 1050 Hz tone immediately before issuing a watch or warning, and this serves to activate the alert feature on many older radios. Except for Bermuda, all U.S. and later Canadian stations transmit WRSAME codes that allow more advanced receivers to only listen for certain warnings that carry a specific code for the local area, and often to alarm only for serious warnings (for example, a flash flood warning
could be ignored by a person living on the top of a hill, while a tornado
warning is an immediate emergency in all cases).
forecasts, partnering with a meteorologist from a local television station, or affiliating with a commercial weather service company. Accuweather
(through United Stations
) and The Weather Channel
(through Westwood One
) both operate large national weather radio networks through AM and FM stations.
Weather report
Weather report may refer to:*Weather forecasting, the application of science and technology to predict the weather*Weather Report, a jazz fusion musical group...
s. When the radio is on and tuned to the weather band, it airs both normal and emergency weather information. If the radio is off or tuned to another band, it automatically turns on and goes to the weather band for emergency weather information.
Weatheradio services may also broadcast non-weather related emergency information, such as in the event of a natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
, an AMBER alert
AMBER Alert
An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
or a terrorist attack. They generally broadcast in a preallocated VHF frequency range using FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
. Usually a dedicated weather radio receiver or radio scanner is needed for listening, although in some locations a weatheradio broadcast may be retransmitted on a conventional AM or FM frequency (as well as HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
substations), some terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s broadcasting in MTS stereo
Multichannel television sound
Multichannel television sound, better known as MTS , is the method of encoding three additional channels of audio into an NTSC-format audio carrier.- History :...
transmit weather radio on their second audio program
Second audio program
Second audio program , also known as secondary audio programming, is an auxiliary audio channel for analog television that can be broadcast or transmitted both over the air and by cable TV.-Usage:...
(SAP) channel as well as on one of its digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
s (where news and weather are applicable), on local Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) cable TV channels or during Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
activations for tornado warning
Tornado warning
A tornado warning is an alert issued by government weather services to warn that severe thunderstorms with tornadoes may be imminent. It can be issued after a tornado or funnel cloud has been spotted by eye, or more commonly if there are radar indications of tornado formation...
s primarily on cable systems.
Weather radios come with several features that make them very helpful in case of an emergency. Some models use crank power, in addition to mains electricity
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...
and batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
in case of a power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
. Some models have an embedded flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
, and can double as a cellphone charger. Some also serve as a more general emergency radio
Emergency radio
An emergency radio is, broadly speaking, a radio receiver designed to remain functional in cases of power outage or isolation from contact with civilization...
.
Weather radios are widely sold in home electronics stores and even many supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s and drugstore
Drugstore
Drugstore is a common American term for a type of store centrally featuring a pharmacy. Drugstores sell not only medicines, but also miscellaneous items such as candy, cosmetics, and magazines, as well as light refreshments....
s in the United States and Canada. The price of a consumer model weather radio varies depending on the model and its extra features.
Most 21st century receivers are able to listen silently for weather alerts via the SAME protocol
Specific Area Message Encoding
Specific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol used to encode the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio's SAME Public Warning System in the U.S...
and then sound an alarm to warn the listener of the oncoming weather or event. Additionally many weather radio vendors also include a visual element such as colored warning LEDs or strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
s which attach via an accessory port to give a warning to those who are hearing impaired.
Governmental weather radio services
| Frequency | Old name | New name |
|---|---|---|
| 162.4 MHz | WX 2 | WX 1 |
| 162.425 MHz | WX 4 | WX 2 |
| 162.45 MHz | WX 5 | WX 3 |
| 162.475 MHz | WX 3 | WX 4 |
| 162.5 MHz | WX 6 | WX 5 |
| 162.525 MHz | WX 7 | WX 6 |
| 162.55 MHz | WX 1 | WX 7 |
The United States, Canada and Bermuda operate their government weather radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s on the same band.
Notable weatheradio services include:
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- NOAA Weather Radio All HazardsNOAA Weather Radio All HazardsNOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of... - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Weatheradio CanadaWeatheradio CanadaWeatheradio Canada, in French Radiométéo Canada, is a Canadian radio network that broadcasts weather information. Owned and operated by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division, the network transmits in both official languages from 199 sites across Canada.In most locations,... - BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
- Bermuda RadioBermuda RadioBermuda Radio is a radio station in Bermuda working under the Government of Bermuda.- Services :Its service provided by the government of Bermuda to assist mariners in and around Bermuda with weather information, government immigration and customs formalities, and practical advice, including search...
The original numbering was from the order in which the frequencies were assigned, with 162.55 at first the only frequency, then 162.4 and 162.475 added later to prevent RF interference. The others mainly came into use in the 1990s in less-populated rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
, areas and as fill-in broadcast translators relaying an existing station into remote or mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous areas.
Canadian broadcasts are also transmitted on travelers' information stations on FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
and AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
, especially near national parks. Bermuda has only one station dedicated purely for weather, on 162.55 MHz from Hamilton
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...
, now operated by the Bermuda Weather Service
Bermuda Weather Service
The Bermuda Weather Service is Bermuda's national meteorological service. It provides public, marine, tropical and aviation weather forecasts as well as warnings and climatolological services. The service began operations under contract from the Department of Airport Operations, Ministry of...
. It has a second station, however, for marine conditions and forecasts, ZBR
Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre
The Search and Rescue component of Bermuda Harbour Radio The Search and Rescue component of Bermuda Harbour Radio The Search and Rescue component of Bermuda Harbour Radio (see above and http://www.marops.bm/ and Rescue Co-ordination Centre / Bermuda Maritime Operations www.rccbermuda.bm – they...
, at 162.400 MHz.
All stations transmit a 1050 Hz tone immediately before issuing a watch or warning, and this serves to activate the alert feature on many older radios. Except for Bermuda, all U.S. and later Canadian stations transmit WRSAME codes that allow more advanced receivers to only listen for certain warnings that carry a specific code for the local area, and often to alarm only for serious warnings (for example, a flash flood warning
Flash Flood Warning
A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring in the warned area. A flash flood is a sudden, violent flood after a heavy rain...
could be ignored by a person living on the top of a hill, while a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
warning is an immediate emergency in all cases).
Commercial weather radio services
The weather radio band is reserved for governmental services. However, most AM and FM radio stations provide some sort of private weather forecasting, either through relaying public-domain National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
forecasts, partnering with a meteorologist from a local television station, or affiliating with a commercial weather service company. Accuweather
AccuWeather
AccuWeather is an American media company that provides for-profit weather forecasting services worldwide.AccuWeather was founded in 1962 by Joel N. Myers, then a Penn State graduate student working on degrees in meteorology. His first customer was a gas company in Pennsylvania. While running the...
(through United Stations
United Stations Radio Networks
United Stations Radio Networks is a radio network providing a wide range of programs and programming services for radio stations across the US and elsewhere...
) and The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
(through Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
) both operate large national weather radio networks through AM and FM stations.