NOAA - Official Auto Alert, All Hazards, Alert Weather Radio

What is an NOAA Weather Radio? This life-saving technology broadcasts weather forecasts and travel conditions, storm warnings, and alerts affecting life and safety on a 24/7 basis - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system is operated by the National Weather Service which is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; both agencies are branches of the US Commerce Department. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts are localized using over 600 special VHF transmitters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (stations are continually being added). The NOAA frequencies are in the VHF radio spectrum ranging from 162.400 to 162.550 MHz, which is outside of the normal AM/FM radio bands and must be monitored by special receivers like the All Hazards/Weather Emergency Alert radios. These broadcasts can be received up to 40-50 miles from a NOAA transmitter.

What is S.A.M.E. Technology? S.A.M.E. is Specific Area Message Encoding. S.A.M.E. radios receive the same alerts and warnings as the NOAA radios, however they allow users to adjust their reception and identify information for specific counties of interest and concern, rather than for an entire regional broadcast area. Weather Radio owners can easily program a SAME-equipped receiver with a six-digit code for a specific county location. This eliminates the numerous "false alarms" for weather alerts that may apply to an area 40 or 50 miles distant. Multiple county codes can be programmed and memorized by Oregon Scientific Weather Radios to permit storing home and business locations, travel/vacation destinations, and favorite recreational sites. Emergency Radio Weather Codes Click Here