Radio Shack 12-258 User Manual

www.radioshack.com

SAME Weatheradio

™

OWNER’S MANUAL —
Please read before using this equipment.

12-258

IMPORTANT

!

If an icon appears at the end of a paragraph, go to the box on that
page with the corresponding icon for pertinent information.

— Warning

o

Ó —Hint Ô —Note

— Important  —Caution

!

!

© 2003 RadioShackCorporation.

All Rights Reserved.

RadioShack, RadioShack.com,

and Weatheradio are trademarks

used by RadioShack Corporation.

CONTENTS

Introduction ....................... 2

Computer System

Introduction

Requirements ................ 3

Supplied Accessories .... 4

FCC Declaration of

Conformity ..................... 4

The FCC Wants You

to Know ......................... 5

A Quick Look at Your

Weatheradio ..................... 6

How Your Weatheradio

Works ............................... 7

When a Weather Alert

Occurs ........................... 8

Understanding FIPS

Codes ............................ 8

Preparation ....................... 9

Using the Weatheradio for

the First Time ................ 9

Connecting the

Weatheradio to

AC Power .................... 10

Mounting the

Weatheradio ................. 11

Connecting the

Weatheradio to an

External System .......... 12

Testing the Weatheradio’s

Tone ............................ 12

Programming the

Weatheradio ................... 13

Selecting an

Alert Type .................... 14

Selecting Missed Alert

Reminders ................... 15

Selecting/Changing a

FIPS Code .................. 16

Enabling/Disabling

Alert Tones .................. 17

Selecting a Channel .... 19

Listening to a Weather

Broadcast .................... 20

INTRODUCTION

Your RadioShack SAME Weatheradio represents
the latest generation of weather alert technology.
As soon as you connect it to power, your
Weatheradiois ready to monitorweather conditions
in your area, providing unobtrusive, round-the-clock
protection for you and your family or business. With
the supplied software, you can even connect the
Weatheradio to and use it with your personal
computer. Your Weatheradio uses SAME (Specific
Area Message Encoding) circuitry to provide more
complete information about weather conditions in
your immediate area, letting you avoid hearing
alerts for geographical areas that do not interest
you.

SAME Operation — you can program up to 15
different location codes into the Weatheradio’s
memory, so the Weatheradio sounds an alert only
whena weather emergencyis declared in your local
area (or one nearby).

7 Weather Channels — let you select the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
weather broadcast in your area.

Auto Channel Scan — lets you set the
Weatheradio so it automatically receives the
strongest weather broadcast in your area.

Remote Operation Using Your Personal
Computer— you can connect the Weatheradio to

your computer’s USB port, then use your computer
to program your Weatheradio and view weather
alert messages received by your Weatheradio.

Weather Alert with Voice/Tone Selection —lets
you set the Weatheradio so it sounds an alert then
automatically turns on the weather (voice)
broadcast or sounds an alert for 5 minutes and
displays a description of the alert.

2

Weather Alert Status — indicators on the front o f
the Weatheradio light, showingyou the type of alert.

12-Character Liquid Crystal Display —the
Weatheradio’s large, easy-to-read display clearly
shows a description of the type of alert in progress
(such as a tornado warning, flood watch, and so
on), setup and programming information, the
currently selected alert type and FIPS mode, and
notifications about how the Weatheradio is working.

Missed Alert Reminder — so you do not miss
important weather alerts, the Weatheradio sounds
tones every 10 seconds while an alert is active.

External Alert Terminals — let you connect an
optional external controller system (such as a Plug



’n Power

or X-10system) to the Weatheradio,
then set that system to indicate an alert based on
signals received by the Weatheradio. This lets you
hear or see the alert in a location (such as the
garage) that might be some distance from where
you installed the Weatheradio.

External Antenna Connector — lets you connect
an optional external antenna to the Weatheradio to
improve reception in remote areas.

COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

If you want to use your computer to program your
Weatheradio or view weather alert messages, be
sure your computer is an IBM
Pentium 100 MHz processor or compatible,running
Windows 98SE, Windows 2000, Windows ME, or
Windows XP and having all of the following:

•atleast16MBRAM

• standard VGA card

• CD-ROM drive

•USBport



PC with at least a

Ô

Turning the Alert Tone

On/Off .......................... 21

Reviewing Overlapping

Alerts ........................... 21

Using the Weatheradio

With a PC .................... 22

Troubleshooting .............. 23

Care ............................. 25

Service and Repair ...... 25

Specifications .................. 25

NWS Weather Alert

Descriptions .................... 26

Parts and Accessories .... 29

Notes .............................. 30

Ô NOTE Ô

• The Weatheradio’s
computer connectivity
feature works with
Windows 98SE or later
only.

• To use the
Weatheradio’s computer
connectivity feature with
Windows 2000, you
must download and
install the Microsoft
Update Service Pack for
Windows 2000.

• The Weatheradio does
not work with Macintosh
computers.

Introduction

3

• at least 60 MB free hard disk space (for
installingsupplied software)

Introduction

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES

Make sure you have all of the following accessories
as you take the Weatheradio out of its box.

• AC adapter

• Weatheradiosoftware CD

• USB low-speed detachable cable

• Wall-mount bracket

FCC DECLARATION OF
C

ONFORMITY

ThisdevicecomplieswithPart15 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
received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.

Product: SAME WX Radio

Model: 12-258

Responsible Party: RadioShack

Phone: [phone]

100 Throckmorton
Fort Worth, TX 76102

4

THE FCC WANTS YOU TO KNOW

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipmentgenerates, uses and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference
will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipmentdoes causeharmful interferenceto radio
or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged 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
circuit 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 Weatheradio.

Introduction

Changes or modifications not expressly approved
by RadioShack may cause interference and void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

5

A QUICK LOOK AT YOUR

r

).

WEATHERADIO

/Ý /Þ

ß / Ü

Let you navigate
programming menus
(see “Using the
Weatheradio for the
First Time” on Page 9
and“Programming the
Weatheradio” on
Page 13).

A Quick Look at Your Weatheradio

MENU

Lets you select
programmingoptions
(see “Testing the
Weatheradio’sTone”
on Page 12 and
“Programming the
Weatheradio” on
Page 13).

DC 9V

Lets you power your W eat heradio
(see “Connecting the Weatheradio
to AC Power” on Page 10).

STATEMENT/WATCH/WARNINGLEDs

Let you see the severity of a weather alert at
a glance (see “Reviewing Overlapping
Alerts” on Page 21).

WEATHER

Press to hear a
weather
broadcast (see
“Listening to a
Weather
Broadcast” on
Page 20). You
canalsopress
WEATHER to
help set up you
Weatheradio
(see“Testingthe
Weatheradio’s
Tone” on Page 12

PC

Lets you connect your
Weatheradio to your
personal computer
(see “Using the
Weatheradio With a
PC” on Page 22).

ALERT ON/OFF

Lets you turn your
Weatheradio’s audible
alert on or off to suit
your preference (see
“Turning the Alert Tone
On/Off” on Page 21).

6

ALARM OUT

Lets you connect your
Weatheradio to an external siren
or flashing light, so y ou can be
notified of weather alerts almost
anywhere in your home (see
“Connecting the Weatheradio to
an External System” on Page 12).

EXT ANT

Lets you connect
an external
antenna to your
Weatheradio for
crisp, clear
reception (see
“Connecting an
External Antenna”
on Page 10).

HOW YOUR
WEATHERADIO WORKS

Traditional weather radios simply receive the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)weatherbroadcast(usually within a 50-mile
radius),then soundan alarm if anyemergencycode
was transmitted along with the broadcast. This
means that people who live near an affected area
are often alerted, even when their own area is
unaffected. Eventually, these excess warnings
could cause someone to ignore a potentially life­saving weather warning.

In 1994, NOAA began broadcasting coded signals
called SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding)
codes along with their standard weather
broadcasts. These codes identify the type of
emergency and the specific geographic area (such
as a county or parish and one or more separate
areas within a county called a subcounty) affected
by the emergency. Your Weatheradio receives,
interprets,anddisplaysinformationabout thecodes
so you can determine if the emergency might affect
your area. Only SAME-compatible weather

radios (such as this one) are able to take
advantage of this technology. Each SAME alert

includes a FIPS (Federal Information Processing
System) code that identifies a specific geographic
area (defined by the National Weather Service).
Your Weatheradio can be programmedto sound an
alert only when a weather emergency is declared in
that area. This helps you more efficiently track the
weather conditions in and around your area.

Your Weatheradio displays weather alert
informationinthefollowingways.



 CAUTION 

The National Weather
Service (NWS) uses
sophisticated models to
determine an alert’s
effective time; however, the
end of an alert does not
necessarily mean that the
related weather emergency
is over.

How Your Weatheradio WorksHow Your Weatheradio Works

Type of

Alert

Warning Red

Indicator Recommended Action

T akeshelter/take immediateaction
to protect life and property from
the described weather condition.

7

Ô NOTE Ô

• If the Weatheradio
receives more than one
weather alert at the
same time, it displays
information about each
alert.

• If you are close to a
county line, NWS­assignedsubc ounty line,
or parish line, you might
want to obtain the codes
for the adjacent
counties, sub-counties,
or parishes.

• Although the list of FIPS
codes programmed into
your Weatheradio is up
to date as of the time it
was manufactured, the
NWS periodically des­ignates new codes. If
you do not find your
county code, subcounty

How Your Weatheradio Works

code, or parish code on
the FIPS code list,
contact the NWS at
1-888-697-7263 to get
the current FIPS code
for your county,
subcounty, or parish.

Type of

Alert

Watch Yellow

Statement Green

Indicator Recommended Action

Be aware that conditions are
favorable for the described
weather condition to develop.

Be aware that conditions could
becomefavorable for thedescribed
weather condition to develop.

WHEN A WEATHER ALERT OCCURS

When the Weatheradio receives a weather alert, it
sounds an alert (siren or beep), the alert’s
description and duration appear, and an indicator
on the front of the Weatheradio lights.

The alert descriptionsyourWeatheradiocan display
are based on a list of specific weather alert types
published by the NWS. For a list of all the alert
descriptionsthat your Weatheradio can display, see
“NWS Weather Alert Descriptions” on Page 26.

Your Weatheradio works with FIPS codes in the
following ways:

First
Digit

of

FIPS

Code

0

1–9 Subcounty

Key Result

All

counties

If programmed, receives all alerts for

a county, including subcounty alerts.

If programmed, receives only sub­county alerts that match t he entered
digit and all-county alerts that start
with 0.

Ô

UNDERSTANDING FIPS CODES

For the purpose of broadcasting weather
information,the NWS has divided the United States
into regions by state, county and subcounty (or

8

parish, where applicable) then assigned a 6-digit
FIPS code to identify each county, subcounty, or
parish. For example, the code for Tarrant County,
Texas, is 048439. The first digit in a FIPS code
identifies the subcounty (if any), the next two digits
identify the state, and the last three digits identify
the county or parish.

Your Weatheradio can receive all SAME alert
signals broadcast within about a 50-mile radius of
where you install it. To receive SAME alerts and
broadcasts about weather occurring only in
particular counties within that area, you can
program up to 15 FIPS codes into the
Weatheradio’smemory. This lets you avoid hearing
alerts that pertain to areas within a 50-mile radius
but not within your immediate vicinity.

To get all alerts for your county, enter
digit of the FIPS code. To only be alerted to all­county notices and notices for your particular
subcounty, enter your subcounty’s code (

0 as the first

1–9).

PREPARATION

USING THE WEATHERADIO FOR THE

IRST TIME

F

1. Connect the Weatheradio to AC power (see
“Connecting the Weatheradio to AC Power” on
Page 10).

2. Install the backup battery (see “Installing the
Backup Battery” on Page 10).

3. Extend the Weatheradio’s antenna (see “Using
the Built-In Antenna” on Page 10).

4. Press

5. Repeatedly press

WEAT HER to hear the weather broadcast.

to the desired listening level.

ßorÜ

number appear showing the current volume.

to adjust the volume

VOLUME: and a

Obtaining Your
Area’s FIPS
Code(s)

To obtain the FIPS code
for the location where you
installed yourWeatheradio,
contact your local
RadioShackstore or call
the NWS toll free at
1-888-NWR-SAME
(1-888-697-7263). If you
call the NWS, follow the
instructions you hear.

You can also obtain a
state/country list of all
FIPScodesby visitingthe
NWS website:

www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/
indexnw.htm

Click on your state or
territory.

Ó

Ó HINT Ó

Since you can program up
to 15 FIPS codes into the
Weatheradio’s memory,
you might want to obtain
codes for other areas that
you frequently travel
through (as long as those
areas are covered by your
local NWS broadcast
station). That way, you can
program those codes into
the Weatheradio and
receive broadcasts cover­ing those locations, too.

Preparation

9

WARNING o

!

o

Dispose of an old battery
promptly and properly. Do

Preparation

not burn or bury it.

 CAUTION 

Connecting the
Weatheradio to
AC Power

You must use
a Class 2
power source

9V DC and delivers at
least 300 mA. Its center
tip must be set to
positive and its plug
must fit the
Weatheradio's DC 9V
jack. The supplied
adapter meets these
specifications. Using an
adapter that does not
meet thesespecifications
could damage the
Weatheradio or the
adapter.

• Always connect the AC
adapter to the
Weatheradio before you
connect it to AC power.
When you finish,
disconnect the adapter
from AC power before
you disconnect it from
the Weatheradio.

LOW

If flashes, the backup
battery is not installed or is
low. Install or replace the
backup battery.

that supplies

Ô NOTE Ô

6. Press

WEA THE Rto turn off the weather broadcast,

then repeatedly press
tone volume to the desired listening level.

ßorÜ

to adjust the alert

CONNECTING THE WEATHERADIO

TO AC POWER

Your Weatheradiouses the supplied AC adapter for
normal operation and one 9V battery (not supplied)
for backup power when AC power fails or is
temporarilydisconnected. For the best performance
and longest life, we recommend a RadioShack
alkalinebattery. Always connect the Weatheradio to
the supplied AC adapter for normal use. Power the
Weatheradio using the supplied 9V, 300 mA AC
adapter.

Insert the supplied AC adapter’s barrel plug into DC

9V

adapter into a standard AC outlet.

Installing the Backup Battery

Using the Built-In Antenna

The Weatheradio’s built-in telescoping antennalets
it receive strong local signals. To use the telescoping
antenna, lift it up so it is vertical, then fully extend it.

Connecting an External Antenna

To improve reception in remote areas, you can
connect an external antenna to the Weatheradio
using an optional adapter cable with a phono plug.
YourlocalRadioShackstoresellsavarietyof
antennas.



on the back of the Weatheradio, then plug the

1. Press the tab on the battery compartment
cover, then lift up the cover to remove it.

2. Snap a 9V battery onto the battery terminals
insidethe compartment.Thenplacethe battery
inside the compartment.

3. Replace the cover .

o

 Ô

10