Related Manuals for Radio Shack 7-Channel Weatheradio
Summary of Contents for Radio Shack 7-Channel Weatheradio
- Page 1 Cat. No. 12-249 OWNER’S MANUAL Please read before using this equipment. 7-Channel Weatheradio with NWR-SAME Severe-Weather Alert...
- Page 2 The graphical symbols with supplemental markings are on the bot- tom of the unit. © 1997, 1998 Tandy Corporation. All Rights Reserved. RadioShack and Weatheradio are registered trademarks used by Tandy Corporation. X-10 is a registered trademark of X-10 (USA) Inc.
- Page 3 AM or FM radio frequencies or on TV. NOAA transmits the coded weather emergency sig- nals using a technique called Specific Area Message Encoding, or SAME. Your RadioShack 7-Channel Weatheradio with NWR-SAME (National Weather Radio-SAME) Severe-Weather Alert is specially de- signed to receive these SAME transmissions.
- Page 4 The Weatheradio’s features include: Alert Function — lets you set the Weatheradio to sound an alert when it receives a weather emergency broadcast from NOAA. SAME Operation — lets you program up to 15 differ- ent FIPS (Federal Information Processing System) codes into the Weatheradio’s memory.
- Page 5 Adjustable Display Backlight — makes the display easy to read in low light situations. You can set the light to turn on for about 10 seconds when you press a key, or remain on until you turn it off. Alert Volume Control — lets you adjust the volume of the alert so you will be sure to hear it.
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Page 6: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS Preparation ..............7 Connecting Power ............. 7 Connecting AC Power ........8 Installing a Back-Up Battery ......9 Using the Antenna ........... 11 Connecting an External Antenna ....11 Getting Started .............. 12 Understanding the FIPS Code ........ 12 Obtaining Your Area’s FIPS Code(s) .... -
Page 7: Preparation
Weathera- dio requires a 9V battery (not supplied). For the best performance and longest life, we recommend an al- kaline battery, such as RadioShack Cat. No. 23-553. Notes: • A fresh back-up battery will power the Weathera- dio for up to 1 hour with the weather broadcast turned on (see “Listening to the Weather Broad-... -
Page 8: Connecting Ac Power
Connecting AC Power 1. If the Weatheradio is on, turn to the VOLUME right until it clicks to turn the Weatheradio off. VOLUME 2. Plug the Weatheradio’s power cord into a stan- dard AC outlet. Caution: Your Weatheradio’s power cord has a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other). -
Page 9: Installing A Back-Up Battery
Installing a Back-Up Battery Cautions: • Use only a fresh battery of the required size and recommended type. • We recommend you not use a rechargeable bat- tery. 1. If the Weatheradio is on, turn to the VOLUME right until it clicks to turn the Weatheradio off. 2. - Page 10 When (then) appears, replace REPLACE BATTERY the battery. STATEMENT STATEMENT WATCH WARNING WATCH WARNING ALERT LEVEL ALERT LEVEL Note: also appears if no bat- REPLACE BATTERY tery is installed and the Weatheradio is turned on and connected to AC power. Caution: Never leave a dead or weak battery in the Weatheradio.
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Page 11: Using The Antenna
To improve reception (in remote areas, for example), you can connect an external antenna using an adapt- er cable (RadioShack Unlimited Cat. No. 11806437, not supplied) with a phono plug to the Weatheradio’s jack. Your local RadioShack store sells a EXT ANT wide variety of antennas. -
Page 12: Getting Started
GETTING STARTED UNDERSTANDING THE FIPS CODE The NWS divides the United States by state and county (or parish, where applicable), then assigns a 6-digit “FIPS” (Federal Information Processing Sys- tem) code to identify each county/parish for the pur- pose of broadcasting weather conditions. For example, the code for Tarrant County, Texas, is 048439. -
Page 13: Obtaining Your Area's Fips Code(S)
FIPS codes into the Weatheradio’s memory. That way, for example, you can avoid an alert that applies to an area within that 50-mile radius but not in your county. Obtaining Your Area’s FIPS Code(s) To obtain the FIPS code for the location where you in- stalled the Weatheradio, contact your local Ra- dioShack store or call the NWS toll free at: 1-888-NWR-SAME... -
Page 14: Programming The Weatheradio
PROGRAMMING THE WEATHERADIO Note: Some of the Weatheradio’s keys (such as – are located under the cover on top of the Weathera- dio. Lift the cover to access the keys. The first time you use your Weatheradio, it is auto- matically set to: •... - Page 15 1. To turn on the Weatheradio, turn to the VOLUME left until it clicks. Then set SINGLE/MULTIPLE the bottom of the radio) to if you are SINGLE entering only one FIPS code or to MULTIPLE you are entering more than one. 2.
- Page 16 Contact your local RadioShack store or NWS office to find out which frequency NOAA is using to broadcast from the station...
- Page 17 5. Press three times. The Weatheradio dis- plays the FIPS code stored in the first memory position. WEATHER ALERT VOLUME STATEMENT WATCH WARNING ALERT LEVEL 6. To change the code in the first memory position, press appears. ------ STATEMENT WATCH WARNING ALERT LEVEL To add or change a code in a different position,...
- Page 18 • To reset the Weatheradio to receive all SAME signals within a 50-mile radius, simply enter the code 99 in the first memory position. See “Using the Weatheradio’s ‘All Signals’ Code” on Page 19. • For easy reference, write down each FIPS code you store in memory on the label located beneath the Weatheradio’s keypad cover.
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Page 19: Using The Weatheradio's "All Signals" Code
Important: The fact that you get clear reception of a weather broadcast signal does not guarantee that an emergency alert broadcast will trigger your Weathera- dio’s alert function. Be sure you choose the proper lo- cation for the Weatheradio (see “Choosing a Location and Mounting the Weatheradio”... -
Page 20: Choosing A Location And Mounting The Weatheradio
CHOOSING A LOCATION AND MOUNTING THE WEATHERADIO You can set your Weatheradio on any flat surface (such as a shelf or counter top), or you can mount it on a wall using the supplied mounting bracket and two screws (not supplied) with heads that fit the key- hole slots on the mounting bracket. - Page 21 Follow these steps to mount the Weatheradio on a wall. 1. Select a mounting location near the AC outlet, then drill two holes 2 inches apart. Then thread a screw into each mounting hole until head extends about inch from the wall.
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Page 22: Operation
OPERATION To turn on the Weatheradio, turn to the left VOLUME until it clicks. WEATHER (then) ALRT (alert) pears. WEATHER ALERT VOLUME STATEMENT WATCH WARNING ALERT LEVEL Note: also controls the Weatheradio’s audio VOLUME broadcast volume. To set the alert volume, see “Set- ting the Alert Volume”... -
Page 23: Listening To The Weather Broadcast
LISTENING TO THE WEATHER BROADCAST Your Weatheradio is preprogrammed with the seven NOAA weather broadcast frequencies (Channels 1– 7). To select the frequency broadcast in your area (if you did not do so already), follow Steps 2–4 and 9 in “Programming the Weatheradio”... -
Page 24: Using The Alert Function
USING THE ALERT FUNCTION To set the Weatheradio to sound an alert when the NWS broadcasts a weather warning, watch, or state- ment for the FIPS code(s) stored in its memory, press (then) appears. WEATHER ALRT ON ALERT WEATHER ALERT VOLUME STATEMENT WATCH... -
Page 25: Setting The Alert Volume
Setting the Alert Volume To set your Weatheradio’s alert volume, use a coin to turn clockwise to increase the volume or ALERT TONE counterclockwise to decrease it. To begin (before you hear the alert the first time), we recommend you se- lect the highest volume setting, then decrease it as needed. - Page 26 — the Weatheradio sounds an (Continuous) ALERT alert and displays an alert description until the alert’s effective time expires. The Weatheradio automatically selects the VOICE setting the first time you turn it on. To change the alert pattern setting (or check which setting is currently se- lected), follow these steps.
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Page 27: When A Weather Alert Occurs
When a Weather Alert Occurs When shows on the display and WEATHER ALRT ON the Weatheradio receives a broadcast for the FIPS code(s) stored in its memory, the Weatheradio sounds an alert (siren or beep), displays the alert de- scription, and turns on the corresponding colored in- dicator (WARNING/red, WATCH/yellow, or STATE- MENT/green). -
Page 28: Nws Weather Alert Descriptions
Caution: The NWS uses sophisticated weather mod- els to determine an alert’s effective time. However, if a storm front (for example) moves through an area at a slower speed than initially predicted, the storm- related activity might continue after the alert ends. The end of an alert does not necessarily mean that the related weather emergency is over. - Page 29 Weather/Alert You See Description Hear SEVERE Severe weather Beeps WEATHER statement SPECIAL Special weather Beeps WEATHER statement FLASH Flash flood watch Siren FLOOD WATCH FLASH Flash flood warning Siren FLOOD WARNING FLASH Flash flood statement Beeps FLOOD FLOOD Flood watch Siren WATCH FLOOD...
- Page 30 Weather/Alert You See Description Hear BLIZZARD Blizzard warning Siren WARNING HIGHWIND High wind watch Siren WATCH HIGHWIND High wind warning Siren WARNING HURRICAN Hurricane watch Siren WATCH HURRICAN Hurricane warning Siren WARNING Hurricane statement Beeps HURRICAN NUCLEAR Nuclear attack Siren ATTACK warning WARNING...
- Page 31 Weather/Alert You See Description Hear TUNE TV Note: The alert description could also indi- cate the Weatheradio has received a signal for a condi- tion not defined in the Weatheradio’s memory — see “Locking Out Undefined (New or Commercial) Weather Descriptions”...
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Page 32: Reviewing Overlapping Alerts
Reviewing Overlapping Alerts Your Weatheradio can store up to three different alerts (with overlapping effective times) in its memory. If the Weatheradio receives a new alert while a previ- ous alert is still in effect, it automatically displays the alert description and sounds an alert for the new alert. To scroll forward or backward through the Weathera- dio’s memory and review all effective alerts, press (to scroll forward) or... -
Page 33: When A Test Or Demo Alert Occurs
When a Test or Demo Alert Occurs The NWS sends out daily and weekly test (and some- times demonstration) signals, which let anyone with a receiver, such as your Weatheradio, verify that the equipment is working properly. To find out the specific test schedule in your area, contact your local NOAA or NWS office. -
Page 34: Locking Out Undefined (New Or Commercial) Weather Descriptions
Locking Out Undefined (New or Commercial) Weather Descriptions The NWS might occasionally broadcast several types of weather information intended for commercial or other non-private use. This information could include, for example, messages intended for automated weather services (such as those used by radio or TV stations). - Page 35 1. Turn toward off until it clicks to turn off VOLUME the Weatheradio. 2. While holding down , turn to the left VOLUME until it clicks to turn on the Weatheradio. TEST- MODE appears and all colored indicators turn on. WEATHER ALERT VOLUME...
- Page 36 Important: To ensure your Weatheradio is always set to notify you of a valid emergency, we recommend you do not select the setting (8) that causes the Weatheradio to not respond to new weather alert types . Note: Your Weatheradio can also perform these functions while appears: TESTMODE...
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Page 37: Special Features
SPECIAL FEATURES USING CONTINUOUS BACKLIGHT Your Weatheradio is preset to turn on its display backlight while you listen to the weather broadcast (see “Listening to the Weather Broadcast” on Page 23), and for about 10 seconds each time you press a key. For extended use in low light situations, you can set the backlight so it remains on until you turn it off. -
Page 38: Connecting The Weatheradio To An External System
Weath- eradio receives a weather emergency alert broad- cast. Note: Your local RadioShack store carries a wide se- lection of cable and audible or visible alert accesso- ries you can use with the recommended external module interface. - Page 39 When the Weatheradio’s alert function is turned on and it receives an NWS alert broadcast, the Weath- eradio sends 7.5VDC signals to the connected mod- ule interface, and an alert sounds on both the Weatheradio and the connected system. Note: For instructions on operating the external mod- ule interface, see the owner’s manual provided with that system.
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Page 40: Troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING If your Weatheradio is not working as it should, these suggestions might help you eliminate the problem. If it still does not operate normally, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance. Problem(s) Suggestion(s) No power. Ensure the Weatheradio is prop-... - Page 41 Problem(s) Suggestion(s) No weather broad- Ensure that the telescoping cast when you antenna is fully extended. press WEATHER . See “Using the Antenna” on Page 11. If you connected an external antenna, ensure that it is con- nected properly and the telescop- ing antenna is lowered.
- Page 42 Problem(s) Suggestion(s) The radio is not Ensure you programmed the cor- responding prop- rect FIPS code(s) into the Weath- erly to NWS eradio’s memory. weather alert See “Programming the Weathera- broadcasts. dio” on Page 14. Ensure the display shows WEATHER ALRT ON .
- Page 43 Problem(s) Suggestion(s) CHECK OP The Weatheradio has not (check operation) received any type of SAME alert appears. signal (including test or demo sig- nals) for about one week. Ensure the FIPS code(s) stored in mem- ory are valid/correct. See “Programming the Weathera- dio”...
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Page 44: Care
CARE Your RadioShack 7-Channel Weatheradio with NWR-SAME Severe-Weather Alert is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following suggestions will help you care for your Weatheradio so you can enjoy it for years. Keep the Weatheradio dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. - Page 45 Modifying or tampering with the Weatheradio’s inter- nal components can cause a malfunction, invalidate its warranty, and void your FCC authorization to oper- ate it. If your Weatheradio is not performing as it should, take it to your local RadioShack store for as- sistance.
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Page 46: The Fcc Wants You To Know
Weatheradio is causing the interfer- ence, turn off your Weatheradio. If the interference goes away, your Weatheradio is causing it. Try to eliminate the interference by: • Moving your Weatheradio away from the TV or radio • Contacting your local RadioShack store for help... -
Page 47: Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Coverage (MHz): Channel 1 ..........162.400 Channel 2 ..........162.425 Channel 3 ..........162.450 Channel 4 ..........162.475 Channel 5 ..........162.500 Channel 6 ..........162.525 Channel 7 ..........162.550 Receiving Sensitivity (at 12 dB SINAD)....0.3 V FIPS Code Sensitivity kHz Deviation/90% Success Rate ..... - Page 48 In the event of a product defect during the warranty period, take the product and the RadioShack sales receipt as proof of purchase date to any Ra- dioShack store. RadioShack will, at its option, unless otherwise provided by law: (a) correct the defect by product repair without charge for parts and la- bor;...