Radio Shack Weatheradio User manual

Cat. No. 12-251
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
Weatheradio®
with Alert
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WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or
shock hazard, do not expose this product
to rain or moisture.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT OPEN.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE-
ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
This symbol is intended to alert
you to the presence of uninsu-
lated dangerous voltage within
the product’s enclosure that might
be of sufficient magnitude to con-
stitute a risk of electric shock. Do
not open the product’s case.
This symbol is intended to inform
you that important operating and
maintenance instructions are
included in the literature accom-
panying this product.
The graphical symbols with supplemental mark-
ings are located on the bottom of the product.
!
!
©1999 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack and Weatheradio are registered trademarks
used by Tandy Corporation.
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FCC DECLARATION OF
CONFORMITY
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 re-
ceived, including interference that may cause un-
desired operation.
THE FCC WANTS YOU TO KNOW
This equipment has been tested and found to com-
ply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursu-
ant 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
Product: Weatheradio with Alert
Model: 12-251
Responsible Party: RadioShack
100 Throckmorton
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: [phone]
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accordance with the instructions, may cause harm-
ful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. If this equip-
ment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encour-
aged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a cir-
cuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult your local RadioShack store or an
experienced radio/TV technician for help.
• If you cannot eliminate the interference, the
FCC requires that you stop using your Weath-
eradio.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved
by RadioShack may cause interference and void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
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FEATURES
Your RadioShack Weatheradio with Alert is the next
generation of weather alert technology. Your Weath-
eradio uses SAME (Specific Area Message Encod-
ing) circuitry to provide more complete information
about weather conditions in your immediate area,
letting you avoid hearing alerts for geographical ar-
eas that do not interest you.
Your Weatheradio’s features include:
SAME Operation — lets you program as many as
two different geographical codes into the Weathera-
dio’s memory, so the Weatheradio sounds an alert
only when a weather emergency is declared in any
of those locations.
Audible Alert — the Weatheradio sounds a built-in
siren when it detects emergency weather situations.
7 Weather Channels — let you select the frequen-
cy for your local National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) weather broadcasts.
Selectable Alert Function — lets you set the
Weatheradio so it sounds an alert then automatical-
ly sounds the accompanying NOAA broadcast when
it receives a weather emergency broadcast. You
can also set the Weatheradio so it sounds only the
alert, letting you manually tune the NOAA broad-
cast.
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Alert Indicator Lights — the Weatheradio’s display
clearly shows whether a received alert is a state-
ment, watch, warning, or emergency.
Battery Backup — the Weatheradio uses a 9-volt
battery (not supplied) for backup power if AC power
fails or is temporarily disconnected.
Alert Volume Control — lets you adjust the volume
of the siren so you will be sure to hear it.
We recommend you record your Weatheradio’s seri-
al number here. The number is on the bottom of the
radio.
Serial Number:
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CONTENTS
How Your Radio Works ....................................... 8
When a Weather Alert Occurs ....................... 9
Understanding FIPS Codes ........................... 9
Obtaining Your Area’s FIPS Code(s) .... 11
Preparation ........................................................ 12
Powering the Weatheradio ........................... 12
Connecting AC Power .......................... 12
Installing the Backup Battery ................ 13
Using the Built-In Antenna ........................... 14
Choosing a Location for the Weatheradio ... 15
Programming the Weatheradio .................... 16
Selecting a Broadcast Frequency ........ 17
Storing/Changing FIPS Codes ............. 19
Testing the Weatheradio .............................. 21
Operation ........................................................... 22
Listening to a Weather Broadcast ............... 22
Using the Alert Function .............................. 23
Setting the Alert Volume ....................... 24
Changing/Checking the Alert Pattern ... 24
Using the Weatheradio’s
‘All Signals’ Code ................................. 25
When a Test or Demo Alert Occurs ...... 26
Troubleshooting ................................................ 28
Care .................................................................... 31
Specifications ................................................... 32
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HOW YOUR RADIO WORKS
Traditional weather radios simply receive NOAA’s
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 of-
ten alerted even when their area is not affected,
causing many of them to ignore potentially real
weather warnings that can save lives.
In 1994, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration (NOAA) began broadcasting coded sig-
nals 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 geo-
graphic 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 ar-
ea. 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 condi-
tions in and around your area.
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WHEN A WEATHER ALERT
OCCURS
When the Weatheradio receives a weather alert:
• it sounds the built-in siren
• an indicator on the front of the Weatheradio
lights
Warning: The NWS uses sophisticated weather
models to determine an alert’s effective time. How-
ever, the end of an alert does not necessarily mean
that the related weather emergency is over.
UNDERSTANDING FIPS CODES
For the purpose of broadcasting weather informa-
tion, the NWS has divided the United States into re-
gions 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.
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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.
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 sig-
nals broadcast within about a 50-mile radius of
where you installed it. To receive SAME alerts and
broadcasts about weather occurring only in particu-
lar counties within that area, you can program up to
two FIPS codes into the Weatheradio’s memory. For
example, this lets you avoid hearing an alert that ap-
plies to an area within a 50-mile radius but not nec-
essarily to your county or parish.
048439
State
County Subdivision
County/
Parish
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