BACKGROUND:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has an extensive VHF radio system for disseminating weather information including Watches and Warnings. The NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) system reliably covers about 85% of the United States. Countless lives have been saved by advisories, watches, and warnings issued over NWR. NWR is the only government operated national emergency broadcast medium.
NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts weather information...24 hours a day...all year long
In the early days of NWR the warning system was patterned after the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS). The EBS and NWR systems used 8-10 second tone (1050 Hz) to trigger automatic alarm receivers. The tone was immediately followed by a voice message containing information for the public. The tone became so familiar and easily recognized by the public ear that nearly anyone could recite the test message: "Beeeeeeeeep This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. Had this been a actual emergency you would have been instructed .......".
NWR is a nationwide network of radio transmitters broadcasting continuous local weather information directly to the public. These local broadcasts originate from and are controlled by a neighboring NWS forecast office. NWR broadcasts National Weather Service watches, warnings, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day.
Known as the "Voice of the National Weather Service," NWR is provided as a public service by the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NWR coverage includes the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts emergency and post-event information for all types of hazards -- both natural (such as severe weather, flooding, earthquakes and volcanic activity) and man-made (such as chemical releases or oil spills). Working with other Federal agencies and compatible with the Federal Communication Commission's new Emergency Alert System, NOAA Weather Radio is an "all hazards" radio network, making it the single source for the most comprehensive weather and emergency information available to the public.
CURRENT DAY:
The EBS has been replaced with a new automated relay system called the Emergency Alert System (EAS) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The EAS transmits a digitally coded tone at the beginning of each message identifying its type, target area, and timing. A digital tone is also transmitted at the end of the message. The new technology allows messages to target a very specific area unlike the old system which alerted the whole radio reception area for each message. Insuring that alerts are relevant to the listner improves the and public trust of the system. Depending on the audience served and other parameters, almost all FCC licensed broadcasters and cable providers are required to carry and relay EAS messages.
These new radios will be programmed by you, to alert you only when you want to be alerted. This technology uses individual county codes called FIPS Codes (Federal Information Processing System codes) to discern when to sound an alert. The SAME system has been in use by the National Weather Service to alert emergency officials and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) formerly the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS).
Recently the NWR has undergone a major upgrade. In order to speed up the issuance of warnings NOAA has switched to an automated computer generated speech system. Formerly the typed messages had to be read onto tape by an operator and then broadcast. The upgraded system has been renamed NWR 2000. NWR 2000 automates the process of assigning SAME codes to watches and warnings - making that life-saving information available faster, and more reliably than currently possible
NWR 2000 now uses the EAS style digitally coded tone technology for watches and warnings. Recognizing the large number of older tone activated radios still in the field, NOAA has chosen to keep the old 1050 Hz tone activation system operating. The older tone alert style warnings are simply encapsulated by the EAS style digital tones.
To insure reliability NWR 2000 transmitters broadcast test messages each week, usually on wednesday. Some stations broadcast tests morning only and some both morning and evening. Times are typically 11:00AM and 7:00PM local time. The test messages provide a list of state-county codes covered by the specific NWR 2000 transmitter. It is important to insure that you are tuned to a transmitter which carries warnings for your area. Because location codes sre stored in the decoder you must remember to change the codes if the decoder is moved to a different area!
See the FIPS codes for Click here for aist of FIPS codes nationwide by state.
There is a toll-free number you can call to get this same information. It is : 1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263).
In our area the newest and closest thus strongest station is 162.450 in Howell, located at the Coast Communications tower in Southard. This site provides SAME tests weekly on wednesday between 11:00am-12:00pm if no real weather situations are in progress.
In our central NJ area, the SAME 6 digitl FIPS geographic code numbers are:
Ocean: 034029 Monmouth: 034025 Middlesex: 034023 Burlington: 034005
I shall have all four counties above setup for the N2CKH/R hub.
In addition, the receiver used for monitoring the weather transmissions is in a continuous auto sync mode taking the strongest signal. Thus it will normally be tuned to 162.450 capturing the signals from Howell, however should that transmitter have problems it will take the next strongest signal.
Click here for coverage plots of the 162.450 NWS station in Howell.
Click here for coverage plots of the 162.400 NWS station in Atalantic City.
Click here for coverage plots of the 162.550 NWS station in New York.
The receiver used for monitoring the weather transmissions is in a continuous auto sync mode, taking the strongest signal. Thus it will normally be tuned to 162.450Mhz capturing the signals from Howell. However should that transmitter have problems it will take the next strongest signal. At present a Uniden/Bearcat scanner is being used for the WX radio recevier, however GE Master II VHF receiver is being configured for better immunity to strong local VHF signals.
Below is the current list of stations for the NJ, NY, PA area, stations are being added all the time.
ST. COUNTY SAME # NWR TRANSMITTER FREQ. CALL WATTS REMARKS NJ Atlantic 034001 Atlantic City NJ 162.400 KHB38 1000 NJ Bergen 034003 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Burlington 034005 Atlantic City NJ 162.400 KHB38 1000 East NJ Burlington 034005 Philadelphia PA 162.475 KIH28 1000 West NJ Camden 034007 Philadelphia PA 162.475 KIH28 1000 NJ Cape May 034009 Lewes DE 162.550 WXJ94 500 South NJ Cape May 034009 Atlantic City NJ 162.400 KHB38 1000 NJ Cumberland 034011 Atlantic City NJ 162.400 KHB38 1000 Central/E NJ Cumberland 034011 Philadelphia PA 162.475 KIH28 1000 N NJ Essex 034013 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Gloucester 034015 Atlantic City NJ 162.400 KHB38 1000 SE NJ Gloucester 034015 Philadelphia PA 162.475 KIH28 1000 NJ Hudson 034017 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Hunterdon 034019 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Hunterdon 034019 Allentown PA 162.400 WXL39 1000 NJ Mercer 034021 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 North NJ Mercer 034021 Philadelphia PA 162.475 KIH28 1000 S/Central NJ Middlesex 034023 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 Central/E NJ Monmouth 034025 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 Except SW NJ Monmouth 034025 Howell NJ 162.450 WXM60 350 Central NJ Morris 034027 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 Central/E NJ Ocean 034029 Atlantic City NJ 162.400 KHB38 1000 Central/S NJ Ocean 034029 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 North NJ Passaic 034031 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 Except NW NJ Salem 034033 Philadelphia PA 162.475 KIH28 1000 NJ Somerset 034035 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Sussex 034037 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Sussex 034037 Allentown PA 162.400 WXL39 1000 Cent/South NJ Union 034039 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Warren 034041 New York City NY 162.550 KWO35 500 NJ Warren 034041 Allentown PA 162.400 WXL39 1000
