7-Channel Portable SAME Weatheradio w/Alert
(120-0254)                 Understanding Radio        Faxback Doc. # 59660

How Your Radio Works

Traditional weather radios simply receive the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather broadcast (usually within a 50
mile radius) then sound an alarm if any emergency code was transmitted 
along with the broadcast.  This means that people who live outside an 
affected area are often alerted even when their area is not affected, 
causing many of them to ignore potentially real weather warnings that can 
save lives.

In 1994, NOAA began broadcasting coded signals called FIPS (Federal 
Information Processing System) codes along with their standard weather 
broadcasts from stations in your area.  These codes identify the type of 
emergency and the specific geographic area (such as a county) affected by 
the emergency.  Your Weatheradio receives, interprets, and displays 
information about the codes so you can determine if the emergency might 
affect your area.  Only SAME-compatible weather radios (such as this 
Weatheradio) are able to take advantage of this new technology.

Each FIPS code identifies a specific geographic area (defined by the 
National Weather Service), so your Weatheradio sounds an alert only when
a weather emergency is declared in that area.  This helps you more 
efficiently track the weather conditions in and around your area.

Weather Alerts

When the Weatheradio receives a weather alert:

  It sounds an alert beep

  It displays a description of the alert and the alert duration.

Note:  If the Weatheradio receives more than one weather alert at the same 
       time, it displays information for each alert in sequence.

       The alert descriptions your Weatheradio can display are based on a 
       list of specific weather alert types published by the NWS.  For a 
       list of all the alert descriptions that your Weatheradio can 
       display, see "NWS Weather Alert Descriptions" in Faxback Doc. #
       59666.

WARNING: The NWS uses sophisticated weather models to determine an alert's
         effective time. However, the end of an alert does not necessarily
         mean that the related weather emergency is over.

New Alert Types

Your Weatheradio is designed to recognize all common weather alert types 
currently used by the NWS.  However, the NWS occasionally creates and 
broadcasts new alert types (for which the Weatheradio's memory does not 
contain a specific, corresponding description).  If your Weatheradio 
receives a signal for a new alert type, it is preset (if the alert 
function is turned on) to display UNKNOWN< the alert description, 
(EMERGENC, STATEMENT, WARNING, or WATCH), and TUNE TV, then sound a 
beeping alert.

Understanding FIPS Codes

For the purpose of broadcasting weather information, the NWS has divided 
the United States into regions by state and county (or parish, where 
applicable) then assigned a 6-digit FIPS code to identify each county or 
parish.  For example, the code for Tarrant County, Texas, is 048439.

The first digit in a FIPS code identifies the county subdivision, the next 
two digits identify the state, and the last three digits identify the 
county or parish.

            State
            \/ 
           | |
          048439
          |  |__|<---- /county/Parish
          |
          |_____ County Subdivision

Note:  Most FIPS codes begin with 0, which means the code represents an 
       entire county.  The NWS, however, plans to eventually subdivide 
       some large counties.  When that happens, each subdivision will be 
       assigned a digit from 1-9, resulting in codes such as 148439, 
       248439, and so on.

       Your Weatheradio can receive all SAME alert signals broadcast 
       within about a 50-mile radius of where you installed it. To receive 
       SAME alerts and broadcasts about weather occurring only in 
       particular counties within that area, you can program up to 15 FIPS 
       codes into the Weatheradio's memory.  For example, this lets you 
       avoid hearing an alert that applies to an area within a 50-mile 
       radius but not necessarily to your county or parish.

Obtaining Your Area's FIPS Code(s)

To obtain the FIPS code for the location where you installed your 
Weatheradio, contact your local RadioShack store or call the NWS toll free 
at 1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263).  If you call the NWS, follow the 
instructions you hear.

You can also obtain a state/county list of all FIPS codes by visiting the 
NWS web site:  www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm#sametable

Note:  If you are close to a county or parish line, you might want to 
       obtain the codes for the nearby counties or parishes.

Hint:  Since you can program up to 15 FIPS codes into the Weatheradio's 
       memory, you might want to obtain the codes for other local areas 
       that you frequently travel through (as long as those areas are 
       within a 50 mile radius of your location and within an area covered 
       by your local NWS broadcast station).  That way, you can program 
       those codes into the Weatheradio and receive broadcasts covering 
       those locations, too.

(BR EB 5/8/00)

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