SECTION 4: THE NOAA MESSAGING UNIT
USING THE EARLY ALERT WARNING SYSTEM
The early warning system uses radio signals to alert the user to weather and environmental dangers A
The WR196T has four activity status levels:
1.
2.
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4.
To select an activity level, press [NOAA]. With each press, the status level advances sequentially.
To hear an alert message when the radio is in
ALERTS AND MESSAGES
When a NOAA message is detected, an alert will sound (except in Mute or OFF modes) and the backlight will flash. The alert type (warning, watch or statement) and description (flood, tornado, fire, etc.) will be displayed. The WR196T can store up to 3 NOAA messages. To display stored messages, press [MESSAGE]. The messages will be displayed with the most current one as “MSG1.” The red message LCD will be lit when at least one message is in effect. The message(s) will automatically erase when the alert has been discontinued.
SAME MESSAGE CODES USED BY THE NWR
When the NWR airs alert warnings, a digital code known as “Specific Area Message Encoded” (SAME) is included as part of the warning. This code includes information specific to an affected or endangered local geographical area. With SAME codes, the user can select the geographical area(s) of interest and program the WR196T to receive only those specific alerts. When the WR196T is programmed with SAME codes, the user will be alerted to warnings only for those
In
FINDING LOCAL NWR CODES AND CHANNELS
SAME codes are available from the NWR. To contact the NWR by phone, call
Example of the first ten county radio channels and SAME codes for Montana:
ST. | COUNTY | SAME # | NWR TRANSMITTER | FREQMHZ | CALL | WATTS REMARKS | |
M T | Beaverhead | 030001 | Butte MT | 162.550 | WXL79 | 100 | |
M T | Big Horn | 030003 | Billings MT | 162.550 | W X L 2 7 400 | ||
M T | Blaine | 030005 | Havre | MT | 162.400 | W X L 5 3 300 | |
M T | Broadwater | 030007 | Helena | MT | 162.400 | W X K 6 6 300 | |
M T | Carbon | 030009 | Billings MT | 162.550 | W X L 2 7 | 400 | |
M T | Carter | 030011 |
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M T | Cascade | 030013 | Great Falls MT | 162.550 | WXJ43 | 300 | |
M T | Chouteau | 030015 | Havre | MT | 162.400 | W X L 5 3 | 300 |
M T | Chouteau | 030015 | Great Falls MT | 162.550 | WXJ43 | 300 | |
M T | Custer | 030017 | Miles City MT | 162.400 | W X L 5 4 | 300 | |
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In addition, many counties have been further subdivided into as many as 9 smaller
ABOUT NOAA CHANNELS
The NWR radio channels work in the same way as channels of a regular radio. All of the NWR transmission stations operate on one of seven frequencies:
Channel | Corresponding Radio Frequency |
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A | 162.400MHz |
B | 162.425MHz |
C | 162.450MHz |
D | 162.475MHz |
E | 162.500MHz |
F | 162.525MHz |
G | 162.550MHz |
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The WR196T labels each frequency channel “A” to “G.” Once a radio frequency for a region has been selected, the WR196T will receive audio and code information on this frequency. The radio channel is located in the upper left hand corner of the LCD screen.
CHANGING RADIO CHANNELS
1.In any of the time display modes, press [CHANNEL] and hold for two (2) seconds. The channel selection icon will begin to flash.
2.While the channel selection icon is flashing, press [VOLUME UP/DOWN] to scroll through the channel selections.
3.When the channel has been selected, press [MODE] to save selection and return to time display mode.
PROGRAMMING SAME COUNTY CODES
SAME county codes are required to selectively receive weather and environmental alerts for a specific county, and need to be entered into the WR196T. Up to nine selected SAME codes can be entered.
The first step in programming SAME codes requires the user to select the option of receiving [ALL] warnings or selected warnings. Selecting [ALL] will result in the WR196T broadcasting all alerts and warnings issued on a particular radio frequency which can encompass a large geographical area of many counties.
(See “About Radio Channels”) To receive warnings for a specific county, that county code must be programmed into the WR196T
NOTE: It is recommended that the user program the WR196T with specific county codes of interest or need in order to receive alerts and warnings pertinent to only those counties. Selecting [ALL] of the county code will result in the WR196T receiving all of the messages for an entire transmission region. These regions are quite large and encompass about 5,000 square miles.
Display fields permit up to nine county codes to be entered. The user can select less than nine codes by leaving the unused fields empty.
To program a county code:
1.Press [COUNTY] once. “County 0 ... All” will be displayed.
2.Press [COUNTY] again to bring up “County 1.” Hold [COUNTY] until the first digit field begins to flash.
3.When the digit field flashed press [VOLUME UP/DOWN] to select the first code digit.
4.Press [COUNTY] to save selection and to advance to the second digit field.
5.Repeat steps 3 and 4 to select and save digit selections in the other code fields.
6.Repeat step 2 to advance and program other county codes.
To individually enable or disable a county code:
1.Locate the county number by using [COUNTY]. To select all counties, choose COUNTY 0.
2.Press [ALARM ON/OFF]. When a county is disabled, blanks will be displayed. To enable it again, simply press [ALARM ON/OFF].
Note that the unit will only response to enabled county codes.
DESCRIPTION OF SAME CODES
SAME codes are comprised of 6 columns of numbers.
The 3 digits on the far right identify the specific county coding. Each county within a state will have an independent
NOTE: To receive all of the alerts for a given state, insert 000 into the county section.
State codes:
The next two digits, to the left of the county code, are for state coding. Each of the 50 US states has its own
County sub-section code
The last digit on the extreme left is the county subsection. A county may be are broken into nine subsections; each number between one to nine represents a specifc county subsection.
NOTE: If the county subsection code is stated as 0, then that county is not subsectioned. To receive all of the alerts for a given county, insert 0 into the county subsection field.
| Code |
| Area |
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| Code | Area |
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| 1 |
| Northwest | 6 |
| East |
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| 2 |
| North | 7 |
| Southwest |
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| 3 |
| Northeast | 8 |
| South |
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| 4 |
| West | 9 |
| Southeast |
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| 5 |
| Central |
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SAME MESSGES
The WR196T receives and displays SAME warning messages in three classifications depending upon severity of emergency: Warning, Watch and Statement. In addition to these classes of alert messages, there is now a new type of message: Test.
The purpose of this new class is to assist you in verifying that your NOAA weather radio is
WR196T needs to be in
NOAA Weather Radio stations broadcast the Test message every Wednesday between
Corresponding with the “Test” icon, the following broadcast will be made immediately after sounding the Test alarm:
“This is the National Weather Station office in ...(city).... The preceding signal was
a test of the Weather Radio Station ...(call sign)... public warning system. During potentially dangerous weather situations, specially built receivers can be automatically activated by this signal to warn of the impending hazard. Tests of this signal and receivers’ performance are normally conducted by the National Weather Service at ...(time)... each Wednesday. If there is a threat of severe weather, the test will be postponed to the next available
When more than one state is involved, the state names will always precede the names of the counties in that state.
If the Test is cancelled due to threat of severe weather, the Test broadcast schedule will resume with the next
If you have questions regarding alarm tests or to verify if a test was conducted, contact the programming office of your local NOAA Weather Radio station.
SECTION 5: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
RESET THE UNIT
If the unit needs to be reset, unplug the AC power adaptor then remove the batteries. When the display is blank, reinstall the batteries and all the settings will reflect their default values.
PRECAUTIONS
•Read the user’s manual thoroughly.
•Do not subject the unit to excessive force, shock, dust and temperature.
•Do not tamper with the unit internal components.
•Do not mix fresh and old batteries, or batteries of different specifications.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Oregon Scientific has made every effort to design and manufacture the WR196T to provide you with many years of service. Should you have questions or require additional information, please contact our Customer Service Department at
We also invite you to explore the international world of Oregon Scientific and our diverse line of practical and useful products designed to enhance your lifestyle and protect your family. Please visit our website at: www.oregonscientific.com.
WARRANTY
This product is warranted to be free of manufacturing defects for 90 days from day of purchase. Defective product returns should be directed to the place of retail purchase. This warranty does not cover a product subjected to abuse, misuse or accidental damage.
MAINTENANCE
When handled properly, the WR196T will provide you with many years of service.
1.Do not clean with abrasive or corrosive materials. Abrasive cleaning agents may scratch the plastic parts and corrode the electronic circuit.
2.Do not subject to excessive force, shock, dust, temperature, moisture or humidity. Such treatment may result in malfunction, a shorter electronic life span, damaged batteries or distorted parts.
3.Do not tamper with unit’s internal components. Doing so will void product’s warranty and may cause damage. The WR196T does not contain any user- servicable parts.
4.Use only fresh batteries as specific in this manual. Do not mix old and new batteries as the old batteries may leak corrosive or hazardous fluids.
NOTICE
-The content of this manyual is subject to change without notice.
-Due to printing limitations, the displays shown in this manual may differ from the displays on the actual product.
-The manufacturer and its suppliers hold no responsiblity to you or any other person for any damage, expenses, lost profits, or any other claim arising from using this product.
-The contents of this manual may not be reproduced without permission of the manufacturer.
| SPECIFICATIONS |
Radio Functions |
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NOAA Channels: | Digital PLL tuning for seven (7) NOAA channels |
SAME code setting: | Nine (9) independent setting or ALL counties |
| options |
FM Band: | 88 - 109.2MHz at 100KHz steps |
AM Band: | 540 - 1600KHz at 10KHz steps |
Preset Memory: | Ten (10) preset memories can be assigned to |
| stations in either AM or FM bandswidths |
Volume: | Sixteen (16) adjustment levels |
Sleep timer: | 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes |
Time Functions |
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Clock: | 12 hour format |
Calendar: | |
| French, Italian or Spanish |
| Month / Day / Year format |
Daily alarms: | Two (2) one - minute duration alarms with alarm beep |
| tone or 60 minutes radio |
Snooze: | Eight (8) minute alarm delay |
Accuracy: | +/- 0.5 seconds / day |
General Specifications |
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Battery Type: | Three (3) |
| alkaline batteries |
LCD Dimensions: | Upper: |
| Upper: 65mm (L) x 32mm (W) |
| Lower: |
| Lower 65mm (L) x 14mm (W) |
Unit Dimensions: | |
| 173.6mm (L) x 135mm (W) x 23mm (H) |
Unit Weight: | 11.2 oz (without batteries) |
| 320g (without batteries) |
Operating Temperature: | 23°F to 122°F |
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NOTE ON COMPLIANCE
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2)this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
-Reorient or relocate the WR196T
-Increase the distance between the WR196T and the radio and/or television
-Plug the WR196T into a different electrical outlet from that which the radio or television
-Consult an experienced radio/television technician for further assistance
Product Name: | NOAA - SAME AM/FM Weather Radio |
Model Number: | WR196T |
Responsible Party: | Oregon Scientific, Inc. |
| 19861 SW 95th Place |
| Tualatin, Oregon 97062 USA |
| Tel: |
