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This forward from Skip's group is interesting:
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Wed, 6 Aug 1997 01:54:59 -0500 (CDT)
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 01:54:58 -0500 (CDT)
From: MILWAUKEE AREA SKYWARN ASSOCIATION <svoros{at}execpc.com>
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To: Skip Voros <svoros{at}execpc.com>
Subject: New Weather Radios with "SAME."
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NEW WEATHER RADIOS WITH "SAME."
By Skip Voros & Rick Swierczynski,
Reprinted from the August 1997 Milwaukee Area SKYWARN Association
newletter. Copyright 1997 MASA, Inc.
*Duplication & reproduction granted provided above credits included*
Now that the severe weather season is in full swing, and you have
probably had some unwelcomed and unexpected visitations from nearby
lightning, high winds, hail, and flooding, you may be thinking that
its time for a new weather radio for the home, office, or personal
use. Are YOU thinking about a new radio?
For the past 2-3 years this publication has been talking about a new
type of weather radio that would be programmable using what is called
Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME). Although industrial grade weather
radios with SAME have been around for several years, they also featured
industrial strength prices (up to $500) along with a variety of technical
features that the average consumer would have great difficulty with.
Now, the Radio Shack Corporation has announced plans to manufacturer a
limited feature SAME weather radio for under 80 dollars. Distribution is
tentatively set for after August 1997, with the model 120-0249 also set
for display in their upcoming fall catalog.
Some of the new generation weather radios that have Specific Area
Message Encoding (SAME) functions will allow users to receive NOAA
Weather Radio products on an "event specific" and "county specific"
basis versus having their alarm 'go off' for all 1050 hertz alarms
that apply to the entire coverage area of each transmitter (which may be
a 40 mile radius and apply to 8-12 average sized counties).
From the mid 1970's thru the mid 1990's NOAA Weather Radio used only one
alarm tone for all watches, warnings, and emergency annoucements to
activate receivers throughout the transmitters service area. Thus,
everyone's radio was turned on for all tornado warnings, etc., in all the
counties served by the monitored transmitter---even though the storm was
miles away from your area, and moving away from your loction.
With full function SAME weather radios the perception of being "over-
warned" as noted by many weather radio users will be eliminated. Specific
Area Message Encoding will allow weather radio users to program their
new weather radios to 'alarm' only for the specific message (tornado,
severe thunderstorm, flash flood, etc.) affecting only a specific area
(county/parrish).
Besides serving the general public, emergency managers, the media,
industry, and others, SAME has been designated as the method by which
most National Weather Service warnings and emergency information will
enter the new Emergency Alert System (EAS) which became effective
January 1st, 1997. SAME will allow warnings to interrupt cable and TV
programming, including automated radio station formats, or activate a
users external alarm device, and then at the end of the warning
annoucement automatically reset the users equipment to its previous
configuration.
Using the EAS-SAME technology, Radio, TV, and cable stations can now
broadcast the audio and text of the weather warnings simultaneously as it
is being aired on the NOAA weather radio station. TV viewers will see
the text at the top of their screens and hear the audio. Commercial radio
station listeners would hear the audio, and the new weather radios so
equipped with SAME will also state the message on their LCD displays.
Weather sensitive consumers should carefully evaluate the new SAME
weather radio since features and functions will vary with each
manufacturer. At the request of the Milwaukee Area SKYWARN Association,
Radio Shack has forwarded an advance product info sheet regarding this
new programmable weather radio.
(Photograph and product info displayed in newsletter)
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