Testing Weather Alert on VHF radios... Standard Horizon 300

[rob-kayak]

Testing Weather Alert on VHF radios... Standard Horizon 300..
Got the HX300 last week....
The manual says "every Wednesday between 11am and 1p," there is a test.

I guess with the nasty weather that is rolling through today there may be an alert... and tomorrow is Wednesday.... but if not..
has anybody every tried the "Wednesday" test, or actual weather live alerts.
I have the WX station set in the scan... so other than that it seems a no brainer.

Thx.
R.

[On the fly]

Yes there is a test every weds. But, with tonight's predicted storms you might get one then.

[Cowpokey]

Does it broadcast on the normal VHF channels, or do you get it from the weather channels?

[john from md]

Do Standard Horizon radios have to been on a weather frequency to get alerts or will it cut in when you are monitoring 16 and 68?

Thanks,

John

[Mark]

Last Wednesday when Raptor and I were fishing (and deer herding) in the Mill Creek area I had my Standard Horizon HX 851 radio on Channel 68.

All of a sudden I heard the weather alert alarm. It scared the daylights out of me because we were at Greenbury Point at that moment, a good 40 minutes from our ramp.

It was the weather test.

So yes, my Standard Horizon radio interrupts my normal channel to bring me the weather alert.

[Cowpokey]

Last Wednesday when Raptor and I were fishing (and deer herding) in the Mill Creek area I had my Standard Horizon HX 851 radio on Channel 68.

All of a sudden I heard the weather alert alarm. It scared the daylights out of me because we were at Greenbury Point at that moment, a good 40 minutes from our ramp.

It was the weather test.

So yes, my Standard Horizon radio interrupts my normal channel to bring me the weather alert.

Good to know. Probably works on all marine channels then, not just SH radios.

[rob-kayak]

Well.. just now at 1:42 pm I got the loud pinging noise indicating a weather alert on the HX300.
Cool beans !! At least I know it works.
For my radio I had (well at least I think I had to do it cause that is what the manual says..)
put the WX radio channel... for example the #1 WX channel which is 162.550... into the scan mode.
162.550... is the Manassas location
So it scanned 16/9/WX#1/68/ etc etc....

Since I am so new to this radio... et al all these VHF radios.... I don't know if some automatically include your chosen WX etc etc... I guess hit the manual and play around with it today because the WX is making all kinds of noises and alerts... :-) good day for some tests .

Now my next investigation...or if somebody already knows... which frequency is best for the parts of the Bay.
Channel #1 is Manasas... 162.550 which comes in strong here in Kensington.
Channel #2 is ? 162.400 comes in weak... but clear enough (probably Baltimore)
Channel #5 is Sterling ? 162.450 strong....

the other channels I don't get here.

And this thing is pinging like crazy... wouldn't be so good if it kept pinging and I had to get an emergency call in but maybe the radio is smart enough to know that situation.

Also... some of the reviews for these radios mention that there is no lanyard attachment, but there is clearly a hole on the belt clip and a lanyard attachment included.

[Cowpokey]

I'm in AA County, channel 2 is the best reception.

[rob-kayak]

this what I was looking for...
Weather Radio Locations Map...
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/akq/nwr.php
also this... for Balt/DC..
http://www.weather.gov/lwx/nwrmap


One is easier to read than the other...

The erh.noaa.gov link out of Wakefield has always provided better information in my opinion...

gives frequencies and broadcast areas...

[On the fly]

Weather channels

[Mark]

A little off-topic here but I’ve noticed when monitoring Channel 68 in the Severn or that vicinity I get good insight as to fishing conditions.

It’s rare for example, that I hear charter captains or others talking about catching multitudes fish when I am not. The charter captains especially are tight-lipped bunch. But occasionally I’ll hear queries such as “Any luck, captain?” “Where’s the fish?” “Whatcha usin?” "How deep?" The recreational guys are chattier sharing their fishing woes freely.

When or if the fishing picks up for me, the radio talk usually diminishes greatly, which I assumes means everyone is catching fish. Then all I hear is the Annapolis Harbor Taxi broadcasting passenger counts.

[rob-kayak]

A little off-topic here..

No worries... you guys always provide good information...

I updated post #9

[Cowpokey]

I just turned mine on to see what they were saying on weather channel 2, it's a constant loop of high tides for Baltimore harbor and Thomas Point lighthouse.

[LoudounFisher]

I turned my marine radio on earlier to see if got any WX alerts as the rain was moving through. It did

[john from md]

If it was anything like mine, it was screaming away. ( that was just before the tornado picked up the house) Forget I said that, cheap liquor.

John