Radio Shack Bedside SAME Weatheradio, 12-261 Owner's Manual

www.radioshack.com

SM

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

© 2004 RadioShack Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

RadioShack and RadioShack.com are trademarks

used by RadioShackCorporation.

Public Alert is a trademark of the Consumer Electronics Association.

Liquid Crystal Display
— a large, easy-to-read

display shows alert and
channel information.

MENU — Press to
select programming.

CLOCK — Press to set t h e
clock and alarm time.

WEATHER/SNOOZE — Press
to listen to a broadcast. Press to
silence the alarm to snooze.

ADVISORY/WATCH/
WARNING LEDs —

Light to indicate the
severity of a weather
alert.

e, d, f, g

— Press to navigate

programming menus.

Weather and othe r hazar d infor matio n brou ght to you b y the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

®

.

!

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.

o

— Warning! — Important Ô — Note

Bedside SAME

Weatheradio

®

12-261

2

Back view

DC 9V Jack — Insert the supplied
adapter to power your Weatheradio®.

ALERT ON/OFF — Turn
the audible alert on or off as
desired.

ALARM ON/OFF/SNOOZE —
Turn the alarm on or off, or enable
the snooze function.

ALERT OUT — Connect to an
external device to be notified of
weather alerts almost anywhere in
your home.

EXT ANT — Connect an
external antenna for crisp,
clear reception.

How Your Weatheradio® Works

3

HOW YOUR
WEATHERADIO

®

WORKS

Traditional weather radios simply
receive the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
weather broadcast, and then sound an
alarm if an emergency code is
transmitted along with the broadcast.
This means that people outside an
affected area are often alerted even
though their area is not affected,
causing some to ignore weather
warnings that apply to their area.

In 1994, NOAA began broadcasting
signals called FIPS (Federal
Information Processing System) codes
along with their standard weather
broadcasts. These codes identify the
type of emergency and the specific
geographic area (such as a county)
affected by the emergency. Your
Weatheradio

®

receives, interprets, and
displays FIPS code information so you
can determine if the emerg enc y affects
your area. Only SAME-compatible
weather radios are able t o take
advantage of this technology.

Each FIPS code identifies a specific
geographic area defined by the

CONTENTS

How Your
Weatheradio

®

Works ........ 3

Weather Alerts .............. 4

Locking Out Undefined
Weather Descriptions ... 4
Understanding

FIPS Codes .................. 5

Obtaining Your Area’s

FIPS Code(s) ................ 6

Preparation .................. ..... 6

Connecting to AC Power 7
Installing the Backup

Battery .......................... 7

Using the Antenna ........ 8

Connecting an

External Antenna ..... ..... 9

Choosing a Location .... 9

Connecting to an

External System ...... ... 10

Testing the
Weatheradio

®

............. 10

Programming ................. 11

Channel Setup ............ 12

Alert Type Setup ......... 13

Missed Alert Reminder 14
Signal Loss Reminder 15

Response Location ..... 15

Tone Defeat ................ 18

Operation ..................... ... 21

Setting the Clock

and Alarm ................... 22

Listening to a Weather

Broadcast ................... 24

Using the Alert ........... 24

Setting Alert Tone Level 24

Viewing Multiple Alerts 25

Backlight ...................... .... 2 6

Troubleshooting ............. 27

The FCC Wants

You To Know .................. 28

Specifications ................ 29

NWS Alert Descriptions .. 30

How Your Weatheradio® Works

4

National Weather Service (NWS). If
FIPS codes are entered, your
Weatheradio

®

sounds an alert only
when a weather emerge ncy is decla red
in that area. This helps you more
efficiently track the weather conditions
in and around your area.

WEATHER ALERTS

When a weather alert is received, an
alert sounds, and the alert description
and duration appear on the display,
Alert descriptions are base d on a li st of
specific weather alert types published
by the NWS. For a list of alert
descriptions display ed on your
Weatheradio

®

, see “NWS Alert
Descriptions” on Page30. Ô

o

LOCKING OUT UNDEFINED
W

EATHER DESCRIPTIONS

The NWS might occas ionally broadc ast
weather information intended for
commercial or non-private use. This
information could include a message
intended for automated weather
services (such as those used by radio
or TV stations). Your Weatheradio

®

memory does not contain a specific,
corresponding descrip tion for the

Ô NOTE Ô

If more than one
weather alert is received
at the same time, the
latest one will be shown.
User can browse the
alert buffer by pressing

f

or

g.

o

WARNING o

The NWS uses
sophisticated weather
models to determine an
alert’s effective time.
However, the end of an
alert does not necessar

y

mean that the weather
emergency is over.

How Your Weatheradio® Works

5

signals related to these commercial
weather types.

Additionally, your Wea thera di o

®

is
designed to recognize all common
weather alert types currently used by
the NWS. However, the NWS
occasionally creates and broadcasts
new alert types. If a signal for a new
alert type is received and the alert is
turned on,

UNRECOGN and the alert

description (

EMERGENCY, STATEMENT,

WARNING or WATCH) appear.

UNDERSTANDING FIPS
C

ODES

For the purpose of broadcasting
weather information, the NWS has
divided the United States into regions
by state and county (or parish, where
applicable), and assigned a six-digit
FIPS code. For example, the code for
Tarrant County, Texas, is 048439.

The first digit of a FIPS code identifies
the county subdivision, the next two
digits identify the state, and the last
three digits identify the county or
parish. Ô

Your Weatheradio

®

can receive all

SAME alert signals broadcast within

Ô NOTE Ô

Most FIPS codes begin
with 0, which means the
code represents an
entire county. The NWS
plans to subdivide some
large counties. When
this happens, each
subdivision will be
assigned a digit from
1-9, resulting in codes
such as 148439,
248439, and so on. If
you are close to a
county or parish line,
you might want to obtain
the codes for the nearby
counties or parishes.

6

Preparation

about a 50-mile radius. To receive
alerts about weather occurring only in
particular counties within th at area, you
can program up to ni ne FIPS codes int o
memory. You can then avoid hearing
an alert that applies to an area within a
50-mile radius, but not necessarily to
your county or parish.

OBTAINING YOUR AREA’S
FIPS C

ODE(S)

To obtain FIPS codes, contact your
local RadioShack s tore or cal l the NWS
toll free at 1-888-NWR-SAME
(1-888-697-7263).

!

You can also visit the NWS website at:

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

PREPARATION

Your Weatheradio

®

uses the supp lied
AC adapter for power, and one 9V
battery (not supplied) for backup if AC
power fails or is temporarily

!

IMPORTANT

!

You might want to obtain
codes for other local
areas that you frequently
travel through (as long
as they are within an
area covered by your
local NWS broadcast
station). That way, you
can program those
codes into the
Weatheradio

®

and
receive those
broadcasts.

7

Preparation

disconnected. We recommend
RadioShack alkaline batteri es .

CONNECTING TO AC
P

OWER

1. Insert the supplied AC adapter’s
barrel plug into the W eatheradio

®

’s

DC 9V jack.Ô

2. Plug the other end of the adapter
into a standard AC outlet. Ô

INSTALLING THE BACKUP
B

ATTERY

1. Slide the battery compartment
cover downward to remove it.

Barrel Plug

Ô NOTE Ô

• Using the
different polarity
adapter may
cause the
weatheradio's
electronics
trouble.

• Always connect
the
Weatheradio

®

to
AC power for
normal use.

8

Preparation

2. Place a 9V battery in the
compartment according to the
polarity symbols marked inside.

3. Replace the cover.

When

² appears, backup battery

power is low. When

² flashes and AC

power is connected, th e backup b attery
is dead, or not installed correctly.
Replace or install a fresh battery. Ô

USING THE ANTENNA

The built-in telescoping antenna lets
you receive strong local signals. To use
the built-in antenna, lift it so it is
positioned vertically and fully extend it.

ÔBATTERY NOTESÔ

• Dispose of old batteries
promptly and properly.

• Do not burn or bury
batteries.

• Use only a fresh battery
of the required size and
recommended type.

• If you do not plan to use
the Weatheradio® for
several weeks, remove
the battery. Batteries
can leak chemicals that
can damage electronic
parts.

9

Preparation

CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL
A

NTENNA

To improve reception in remote areas,
you can connect an external antenna
using an adapter cable with a phono
plug. Your local RadioShack store sells
a wide variety of antennas.

To connect an external antenna,
connect one end of the adapter c able to
the Weatheradio

®

’s EXT ANT jack.
Connect the other end of the cable to
the antenna.

CHOOSING A LOCATION

You can set your W e ath erad io

®

on any
flat surface. For the best reception,
place your Weatheradio

®

where:

• it can receive alert signals.

• you can hear the alert tone.

Make sure the Weatheradio

®

is away
from obstructions such as metal
cabinets or bookshelves. Higher
frequencies are noticeably affected by
obstructions. Do not place the
Weatheradio

®

near any metal surface
such as a refrigerator, a metal door or
wall, or a water pipe hidden behind a
wall. This reduces the Weatheradio

®

’s

ability to receive signals.

10

Preparation

CONNECTING TO AN
E

XTERNAL SYSTEM

The Weatheradio®’s ALERT OUT
terminals let you connect an external
module interface using t win-lead 20­gauge cable (not supplied), such as
Plug’n Power or X-10. Then you can
set the interface to s oun d an au dib le or
visible alert on a connected appliance
when a weather emergency alert
broadcast is received . Ô

1. Connect the Weatheradio

®

’s

positive (+) and negative (-)

ALERT OUT terminals to the

corresponding (+ and -) terminals
on the external system.

2. When you are finished, use a
pointed object (such as a
straightened paper clip) to press
on the orange t abs u nder the cable
wires, and gently pull on the wires
to remove them.

TESTING THE WEATHERADIO

®

In the United States, the NWS
broadcasts a test alert every week on
Wednesday between 1 1 AM and 1 PM.
To find out the specific test schedule in
your area, contact your local NOAA or
NWS office. These offices are usually

Ô NOTE Ô

•Your local
RadioShack
store carries a
wide selection of
cable and
audible or visible
alert
accessories.

• The ALERT OUT
terminal is turned
on when an valid
alert is received
and turned off
after the effecti ve
time has expired

.

•Pressing
WEATHER to
turn broadcast
off can turn off
ALERT OUT
also.