Does anyone here have a weather radio? The only weather radio we have is our GE Spacemaker kitchen radio. It is not a weather alert radio, it just has the weather/DX band along with the AM and FM.

Also we used to have a Black and Decker Storm Station that too had a weather band, but again no alerts.

I thought about getting a Midland Weather Alert Radio, but I heard you can't turn down volume for the alerts, so it goes off for anything and it's very loud. Therefore, I don't want one.

used to have one of those white weather radios.  thinking of getting another one day.

I thought about getting a Midland Weather Alert Radio, but I heard you can't turn down volume for the alerts, so it goes off for anything and it's very loud. Therefore, I don't want one.

I dont think it would beanything complex to make the volume adjustable...

Yup, I have a midland weather radio as well.  Handy to have in tornado season, but the only problem is that the channel/frequencies cover a very large area, so I get alerts for things happening 50 miles away. 

Yup, I have a midland weather radio as well.  Handy to have in tornado season, but the only problem is that the channel/frequencies cover a very large area, so I get alerts for things happening 50 miles away. 

Isnt that controlled by some subtone coding? So you select the coding for your local area and the thing filters only what bears that code, so what is relevant for you? Or at least that is the system used here for the wireless modes of PA system (although here the receivers, with thespeakers use to beon public utility poles, older ones fed by dedicated wiring, but the wireless versions are taking over.
Although here the system is not designed for home receivers...

Nope, we don't have sub tone coding thingies on the national weather service alert radios. 

And what is then the SAME coding? To me it looks like the subtone...

@Medved:
SAME is Specific Area Message Encoding.
Not sure how it works or anything, but its supposed to make so you get alerts that are more for your area.

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I would like to get a weather radio, but I'd want one that supports all 7 frequencies (not all models do)
I'd also want one that supports the SAME thing. (only a limited number do from what I've heard)
I'd also prefer something with an audio-out so I could connect it to my existing stereo and listen when I want.

For me, having a weather-radio would be more of an interesting/fun thing (I've always liked watching weather/storms/etc). I have zero fear of ever being hit by a tornado in my area...if I ever see a tornado it'll because I specifically went out into the eastern part of the state to do so.

@Medved:
SAME is Specific Area Message Encoding.
Not sure how it works or anything, but its supposed to make so you get alerts that are more for your area.
...

It was more of a rethoric question, pointinfg out it does use things as either subtone (a combination of frequencies below the audio spectrum, usually in the 15..100Hz range, superimposed onto the audio during the whole transmission) or lead-in/out sequences (something like telephone dialing DTMF; there were also single tone systems, where the dedicated tone sequence activates the audio output; used in the US to switch over the local radio stations to the programming of the selected large coverage ones, who are transmitting messages like president speech in case of nation emergencies like war, global disaster or so; sometimes it was activated by error, dont know if it was ever really used for real transmission).

Here the subtone concept is used to allow multiple towns in vincinity to each other to use common frequency for their emergency PA system, so the receivers activate their output only when the signal carries the signature of the given town.
And I think there is also some code used by fire or police dpt, to allow to use the system really locally from their portable transmitters (there the range is limited to few 100's m by just the signal strength, it activates about 3..4 speakers around the transmitting officer)

@Medved:
One thing I did find out (from someone who works in radio)
Is that the NOAA emergency alert weather broadcasts use part of the low frequency audio spectrum (I can't remember the frequencies - it was either in the teens, or around 9hz), so I would assume that the SAME is likely done with a subtone.
FM Radio stations here also generally cut off anything below 55hz in music.

@Medved:
SAME is Specific Area Message Encoding.
Not sure how it works or anything, but its supposed to make so you get alerts that are more for your area.

------------------------------
I would like to get a weather radio, but I'd want one that supports all 7 frequencies (not all models do)
I'd also want one that supports the SAME thing. (only a limited number do from what I've heard)
I'd also prefer something with an audio-out so I could connect it to my existing stereo and listen when I want.

For me, having a weather-radio would be more of an interesting/fun thing (I've always liked watching weather/storms/etc). I have zero fear of ever being hit by a tornado in my area...if I ever see a tornado it'll because I specifically went out into the eastern part of the state to do so.

Our GE one has all 7 channels on the WX band. But some are static and the ones that do pick up are all playing the same thing. I don't remember how our Storm Station worked, but it was manually tuned on the same scale as the AM/FM.

Neither of these radios have the alert system though.

The problem here is that the signals travel pretty far so if a transmitter signal reaches areas that are not affected and areas that are affected, it's going to send out the same "alert" signal on that frequency assigned to the transmitter.  I So for example, I live in Douglas County, Colorado.  However- there is not a transmitter exclusive to Douglas County.  There is a transmitter in Franktown, which is in Douglas County, but that transmitter also reaches into Arapahoe, Elbert, El Paso, Denver, and parts of Jefferson Counties. So I can monitor that one.. but because that transmitter reaches into those counties, any alert sent out will cause the radios to alarm for whomever is monitoring that frequency.  There is also a transmitter in Denver.  I live about 20 miles south of Denver.  The one in Denver, reaches many communities in a 150+ mile radius.  So people's weather radios in Denver will go off.. and so will others 150 miles away.  It's better than nothing, but annoying as all can be.  Some of you out in the eastern United states have more centralized transmitters, especially those of you in tornado alley. 

https://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/coverage/stations.php?State=CO 

Here in the US and Canada, they utilize the VHF (Very High Frequency)

Weather radio broadcasts in the United States (NOAA NWR) and Canada (Weatherradio Canada) occur on seven dedicated frequencies: 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550 MHz.

The problem here is that the signals travel pretty far so if a transmitter signal reaches areas that are not affected and areas that are affected, it's going to send out the same "alert" signal on that frequency assigned to the transmitter.  ...

That is, why you need the SAME capable receiver. The SAME code is unique to any given county (or sometimes even with finer granularity), so it activates only with messages relevant for that area, regardless from which transmitter the warning is comming. You should be jest sure you are tuning in the exact transmitter officially designed to cover your place (even when it will be weaker than other station), as the others may not transmit messages for you, so will remain silend all the time.