Oregon Scientific WR606 User Manual

BACK VIEW
WR606
Desktop Emergency Weather
Station
7
USER MANUAL
8
EN
INTRODUCTION
1. NOAA: Press to switch between NOAA On /
Thank you for selecting the Desktop Emergency Weather
Standby / Mute / Off modes; press and hold to turn
Station (WR606). This device operates on the same
On / Off NOAA display
radio frequencies used by the National Weather Radio
2. MSG: Press to switch between NOAA alert mes-
(NWR) and can send you NOAA alert messages to warn
sages; press and hold to activate / deactivate keypad
you about weather and other environmental dangers.
lock
This weather station is constructed of durable materials
3. MEM: Press to switch between the current, maximum
and has a reception range of up to 50 miles (64 km). It
and minimum temperature or humidity reading; press
is also equipped with weather information display, digital
and hold to clear all maximum / minimum records
clock and daily alarm.
4. CH: Press to switch between temperature and hu-
midity display; press and hold to enable auto-scan
Keep this manual handy as you use your new product.
of remote outdoor sensor channels
It contains practical step-by-step instructions, as well
5. PRESSURE: Press to select the barometric pressure
as technical specifications and warnings you should
unit (mb and inHg); press and hold to set the altitude
know.
compensation range for barometric reading
6. : Press to adjust the altitude when setting the
ABOUT THE NATIONAL WEATHER RADIO SYSTEM
altitude compensation range
7. RESET: Press to reset the unit to default value
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency
8. °C / °F: Switch to select the temperature unit
within the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administra-
tion (NOAA) that operates a nationwide network of radio
stations known as the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). GETTING STARTED - MAIN UNIT
The NWR radio system broadcasts warning information
for all types of hazards, both natural and technological.
ADAPTOR AND BATTERIES
Working in conjunction with the Emergency Alert System
(EAS), NWR is an all-in-one hazards radio network and is You must use the AC/DC adaptor as the main source of
considered to be the single source of all comprehensive power supply. Make sure the adaptor is not obstructed
weather and emergency information. and the adaptor socket is easily accessible to the unit.
A nationwide network, the NWR consists of more than
900 stations in 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin
Islands and US Pacific Territories. Broadcasts are
designed to meet local needs. Routine programming is
repeated every few minutes and consists of local fore-
cast, regional conditions and marine forecasts.
Additional information, including river stages and climatic
data, is also provided. During emergencies, these routine
broadcasts are interrupted to report specific warnings.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOC. (CEA)
This product complies with the Consumer Electronics
Association (CEA) testing standards.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Batteries serve as back-up only. Use 3 pieces of AA
FRONT VIEW (UM-3) 1.5V batteries. Insert batteries before first use,
matching the polarity. Press RESET after each battery
change.
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3
4
10
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6
7
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11
12
LOCATION
in outdoor
temperature area
13
in NOAA area
TURN THE NOAA RADIO ON / OFF
14
To turn the NOAA radio ON / OFF, press and hold
15
When the unit is first connected or reset, it will imme-
16
diately enter the clock / language setting mode (see
Change Settings section). It is advisable to set your
preferred language English (E), French (F) or Spanish
1. Remote outdoor sensor reception icon
(S) at this time, so you can read the NOAA alert
2. Barometric pressure
messages.
3. Outdoor temperature and humidity
4. Weather forecast
5. Indoor temperature and humidity
DISPLAY MODES
6. Alarm icon
7. Radio channel There are 2 display modes:
8. Clock / Alarm / Calendar / NOAA alert messages /
1. Clock mode
Setting options display
To switch between the clock mode displays, press
9. MENU: Press to switch between clock, calendar,
MENU.
alarm 1 and 2 displays; press and hold to enter
setting mode; confirm setting value
10. EXIT: Press to exit any setting mode or return to
clock display
11. / : Increase / decrease settings; increase /
decrease volume; enable / disable alarm 1 or 2
12. SNOOZE / LIGHT: Press to activate 8-minute
snooze or backlight for 5 seconds; press and hold
to disable snooze function
13. Antenna
14. External antenna jack
15. External speaker jack
16. AC / DC adaptor jack
WR606 EN UM R2.indd 1
2. Radio status mode
1 2 3 4 5 6
To switch between the radio status mode displays,
press NOAA.
NOTE Leaving the unit in NOAA ON mode will consume
substantially more power. To save power, set the unit
to NOAA Standby when you are not listening to radio
broadcasts.
CHANGE SETTINGS
To change clock, alarm, channel and location settings:
1. Press and hold MENU for 2 seconds to enter
setting mode.
2. Press or to scroll through the setting
options (Set Alarm / Set Clock / Set Channel / Set
Location) and press MENU to select the desired
one.
one.
3. Use or to change a setting, then press
MENU to confirm and move onto the next one.
4. Press EXIT to leave the setting mode at any time.
NOTE To reach a number quickly, press and hold
or .
RECEPTION SIGNAL STATUS
To check the status of the reception signal, look at the
reception icon on the display.
ICON DESCRIPTION
Current selected channel signal is strong
Current selected channel signal is weak
No NOAA alert message has been
received for 10 days. Current selected
channel signal is weak
No NOAA alert message has been
received for 10 days. Current selected
channel signal is strong
NOTE When the unit is set to NOAA ON, Standby or
Mute, it will continually search for NOAA signal.
GETTING STARTED - REMOTE OUTDOOR SENSOR
2
1
3
MEANING
1. LED status indicator
Remote outdoor sensor
2. Wall mount hole
batteries low
3. Battery compartment
Main unit batteries low
4. RESET hole
5. CHANNEL switch
The remote outdoor sensor can collect data from up
NOAA. to 3 channels.
To set up the remote outdoor sensor:
1. Open the battery compartment and insert batteries,
matching the polarity.
2. Select a channel then press RESET.
3. Close the battery door.
4. Place the remote outdoor sensor within 30 m (98 ft)
from the main unit.
NOTE Use alkaline batteries for longer usage and
consumer grade lithium batteries in temperatures
below freezing.
SENSOR DATA TRANSMISSION
To search for a remote outdoor sensor:
Press MEM + CH.
The remote outdoor sensor reception icon will show the
following status:
ICON DESCRIPTION
Main unit is searching for sensor(s).
A channel has been found.
The sensor cannot be found.
TIP The transmission range may vary depending on
many factors. You may need to experiment with various
locations to get the best results.
NOAA ALERT MESSAGES
When the NWR airs urgent warnings, a digital code
known as Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) is
included as part of the message. This coding system
contains specific information including the localized
geographical area affected and the expiration time of
the message. The WR606 retrieves and interprets SAME
code messages and alerts the user. When SAME codes
for a specific region have been entered into the unit, the
unit alerts the user to relevant warning information for
the specified region. Once alerted, a voice broadcast
can be heard.
FIND LOCAL CHANNELS AND SAME CODES
The codes are subject to change. Therefore, to ensure
successful operation you must obtain the most ap-
propriate, up-to-date NWR radio channels and SAME
codes for a specific county or region, from the contact
details listed below.
To contact the NWS by telephone:
1. Phone 1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263).
2. Follow prompts through a simple voice menu.
To obtain NWS radio channels and SAME codes on
the internet:
1. Locate www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm
2. Click the State for which information is needed.
For example, clicking on "Montana" will give a list of
information relevant to the State of Montana including
the names of counties, SAME codes, NWR transmitter
locations, the frequency of the transmitter, the strength of
the signal in WATTS, and any remarks as applicable.
Example of the first 10 county radio channels and SAME
codes for Montana.
COUNTY SAME# NWR FREQ. CALL WATTS RE-
TRANSMIT- MHZ MARKS
TER
Beaverhead 030001 Butte, MT 162.550 WXL79 100
Beaverhead 030001 Dillon, MT 162.475 WNG638 150
Big Hom 030003 Billings, MT 162.550 WXL27 300
Blaine 030005 Havre, MT 162.400 WXL53 300
Blaine 030005 Billingd, MT 162.475 WWG85 100
Broadwater 030007 Helena, MT 162.400 WXK66 1000
Carbon 030009 Billings, MT 162.550 WXL27 300
Carter 030011 Baker, MT 162.550 WXK57 300 N
Cascade 030013 Great 162.550 WXJ43 300
Falls MT
4
Chouteau 030015 Miles 162.500 WWG84 300
5
Hill, MT
NOTE Many counties have been subdivided into as
many as 9 smaller subsections. The numbers 1-9 in the
far left column of the SAME code identifies specific sub-
sections of a county. If a county has not been subdivided,
the first digit of the SAME code will be 0.
ABOUT RADIO CHANNELS
The NWR radio channels work in the same way as a
regular radio channel. All of the NWR transmission sta-
tions operate on 1 of 7 frequencies.
CHANNEL CORRESPONDING RADIO
FREQUENCY
1 162.400 MHz
2 162.425 MHz
3 162.450 MHz
4 162.475 MHz
5 162.500 MHz
6 162.525 MHz
7 162.550 MHz
Auto – the unit will tune to the
A
strongest RF signal available
The unit labels each frequency as a channel (1-7 or
Auto). Once the radio frequency for a region has been
selected the unit will receive voice and code information
from that station.
The channel number in use can be viewed on the top
left-hand corner of the LCD.
000 into the county section.
State code:
Moving towards the left, the next 2 digits are for state
coding. Each of the 50 U.S. States has their own 2-
digit code.
County sub-section code:
The last digit on the left is for county sub-section cod-
SET THE RADIO CHANNEL ing. A county may be subdivided into nine sub-sections;
each number between (1-9) represents a specific county
To change the radio channel, navigate to "Set Channel"
sub-section.
setting mode and select the desired Channel, as shown
in the Change Settings section.
NOTE If the county sub-section code is stated as 0,
then that county is not sub-divided and all alerts for that
county will be received. To receive all of the alerts for a
SET THE LOCATION
given county, insert 0 into the county sub-section.
You need to set the location so that you can receive
weather and environmental information for an area that A county can be subdivided as follows:
is relevant to you.
1
You can choose the location by either the state and
county name, or FIPS code. Up to 9 locations (1-9) 2
can be stored.
3
NOTE If you do not set a location, the unit will use the
default setting "CO:All" for all counties. 4
To set the location: 5
1. Navigate to "Set Location" setting mode as shown
6
in the Change Settings section.
2. Select where you want to store the location e.g.
7
C1.
3. Select the 6-digit number e.g. "000000". ("----"
8
means the location is disabled.)
4. Select "Name" or "FIPS".
9
• If you select "Name" you can select first the State
and then the County of your chosen location, then
press EXIT. (If you wish to receive State-wide NOAA
messages, press EXIT once you have selected the
State.)
• If you select "FIPS" you need to enter the 6-digit
SAME code of your chosen location and then press
EXIT (see Find Local Channels and SAME Codes
section for how to obtain a SAME code).
NOTE If at step 2 you select "C0:All" you will receive
all warnings within the unit's reception range. This may
result in giving you information for regions that are not
relevant. The regions can be as large as 5,000 square
miles (13 sq km). If you select "CO:----" you will disable RECEIVING NOAA ALERT MESSAGES
the ALL option and will only receive warnings from
To receive NOAA alert message, press
specified local areas.
the unit to one of the following options:
NOTE Once the location name is selected, the cor-
• ON [
responding FIPS code will be set into the memory.You
can be heard continuously.
cannot convert the code back to the location name.(FIPS
• Standby [
is the Federal Information Processing System number
to ON when NOAA alert message is received.
assigned to each State, or open waters in or around the
US. The SAME code comprises of numbers generated
• Mute [
by the FIPS system.)
turned OFF. NOAA alert messages can be viewed but
not heard. Switch the unit ON to hear messages.
ACTIVATE / DEACTIVATE LOCATION
• OFF: The unit is turned OFF and will not respond to
NOAA alert messages.
You can activate / deactivate 1, some, or all of your
stored locations.
Turning the unit off by setting it to Standby, Mute or OFF
will help to save power.
When a location is activated, the 6-digit SAME code can
be viewed in your stored locations display.
RECEPTION TEST
The fact that you can get clear voice reception does
not guarantee that an emergency alert will trigger your
unit's alert tone. To test actual reception, your unit must
receive a test or emergency alert signal broadcast. The
National Weather Service (NWS) broadcasts a test alert
every week on Wednesday between 11AM and 12PM
When a location is deactivated, "----" can be viewed in (noon). To find out the specific test schedule in your area,
your stored locations display. contact your local National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) or National Weather Service
(NWR) office. These offices are usually listed in the
telephone book under "US Government".
REMEMBER
must place the unit in a location where it can receive
an emergency alert signal, you can hear its siren, and
see its flashing indicator lights.
To switch between activated or deactivated loca-
RECEPTION PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
tion status:
Forests, deserts, and hills / mountains tend to greatly
1. Navigate to "Set Location" setting mode as shown
reduce reception. Reception in cities may be reduced
in the Change Settings section.
due to steel and concrete, while higher elevations will
2. Select a stored location e.g. C4 and press MENU. enhance the signal. Reception can vary from room
to room. Moving even a few feet can enhance signal
Then when "000000" or "----" is blinking, press
reception.
or to activate or deactivate it and press EXIT to
confirm the setting.
RECOMMENDATION
a window, away from other electronic equipment, and
on an upper level of your house.
SAME CODE – WHAT EACH DIGIT MEANS
A SAME code is broken into 3 sets of numbers.The
example below is the code for the northeast sub-section INTERPRETING NOAA ALERT MESSAGES
of Cochise County.
This product is equipped to receive all required NOAA
and Emergency Alert System (EAS) events. When an
EAS event is sent by the NWS, any 1 of the following
3 04 003
NOAA alert messages will scroll across your weather
Code for Cochise County
station display: "WARNING", "WATCH", or "ADVISORY".
The unit can store up to 8 NOAA alert messages.
Code for Arizona
Additionally, to help you check that your unit is set-up
and working properly, your local NOAA will release a
Code for northeast sub-section of
Test NOAA message every Wednesday between 10am
Cochise County
and noon, local time. To receive the Test message make
sure that your unit is set to NOAA ON, NOAA Standby
State-county code:
or NOAA Mute mode, that a Channel has been selected
The 3 digits on the right are for state county coding. Each
and a SAME code programmed in. If you have any
county within a state has an independent 3-digit code.
questions regarding alarm tests or to verify if a test was
NOTE To receive all of the alerts for a given state, insert
Northwest
North Central
Northeast
West Central
Central
East Central
Southwest
South Central
Southeast
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
NOAA to set
]: The unit is ON and voice messages
]: The unit is in Standby and will switch
]: The unit is in Standby with the sound
For your system to be effective, you
Place your weather station near
5/27/08 3:02:35 PM