NWR Receiver Consumer Information

• Programming Your NOAA Weather Radio
• Where to Buy a NOAA Weather Radio Receiver
• Receiver Types and Models
• Public Alert™ Devices/NWR All Hazards Logo
• Residential Grade Radios and Features
• Weather Radio Receivers for Consumers: List of Manufactures
• Industrial/Commercial Weather Radio Receivers: List of Manufacturers
• Receiver Recalls

NEW EAS Event Codes, effective 2017

NWR transmitters broadcast on one of seven VHF-FM frequencies from 162.400 MHz to 162.550 MHz. The broadcasts cannot be heard on a simple AM/FM radio receiver. There are many receiver options, however, ranging from handheld portable units that just pick up Weather Radio broadcasts, to desktop and console models which receive Weather Radio as well as other broadcasts.

Where to Buy One

NWS staff produce Weather Radio broadcasts. NWS neither manufactures nor sells receivers. You can buy receivers at many retail outlets such as electronics, department, sporting goods, and boat and marine accessory stores and their catalogs as well as online.
 

Receiver Types and Models

NWS does not endorse a specific make or model of receiver. The lists below, which contain just some of the many NOAA Weather Radio/EAS receiver manufacturers and resellers, is provided as a convenience and not an endorsement.
 

• Residential receivers
• Industrial/commercial grade receivers
   

Depending on the information you want to access, and how and where you plan to access our broadcasts, you have many options. There are standalone Weather Radio receivers as well as multi-band/function receivers with the weather band included. If you are want to be alerted to Warnings and Watches day or night, a standalone receiver might work best for you. If you just want to be able to tune to in the weather broadcast and do not care about receiving alerts, a general multi-band/function receiver might be better.

Standalone Receivers: Standalone receivers might also come with AM/FM bands, but their primary use will be to receive Weather Radio broadcasts. You can choose between handheld and desktop models, depending on whether you plan to take your radio with you when you go out. There are many choices from a number of manufacturers with prices ranging from around $20 to over $100, depending on the number of features included.

Multi-Band/Function Receivers: These receivers bundle a number of features. Weather Radio is just one of many frequency bands included. You can find the Weather Radio band included in:
 

Public Alert ™ Devices and NWR All Hazards Logo
 

We cannot recommend one brand of receiver over another, but we do recommend users look for receivers with the Public Alert and/or the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) All Hazards logo. The Public Alert Standard (CTA-2009-B) was developed by the Consumer Technology Association in conjunction with NWS. Devices carrying the Public Alert logo meet certain technical standards and come with many, if not all, of the features mentioned below. NWS has evaluated devices carrying the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo for user friendliness and performance capabilities.
 

 
Residential Grade Radios and Features

Prices vary from $20 up, depending on the model. Many receivers have an alarm feature, but some may not. Among the more useful features in a receiver are:

• Tone alarm: NWS will send a 1050 Hz tone alarm before broadcasting most warnings and many watch messages. The alarm will activate all the receivers equipped to receive it, even if the audio is turned off. This is especially useful for warnings during the night. (Public Alert ™ - required)
   
• SAME technology: SAME, or Specific Alert Message Encoding allows you to specify the particular area for which you wish to receive alerts. Most warnings and watches broadcast over NOAA Weather Radio are county-based or independent city-based (parish-based in Louisiana), although in a few areas of the country the alerts are issued for portions of counties. Since most NWR transmitters are broadcasting for a number of counties, SAME receivers will respond only to alerts issued for the area (or areas) you have selected. This minimizes the number of “false alarms” for events which might be a few counties away from where you live. (Public Alert ™ - required)
   
• Selectable alerting of events: While SAME allows you to specify a particular area of interest, some receivers allow you to turn off alarms for certain events which might not be important to you. For example, if you live in a coastal county, but not right at the beach, you might not care about Coastal Flood Warnings. This feature may also be called "Event Blocking" or "Defeat Siren". (Public Alert ™ - optional)
   
• Battery backup: Since power outages often occur during storms, having a receiver with battery backup can be crucial. However, unless you have a portable unit which you will use away from other power sources, an AC power connection is recommended to preserve battery life. (Public Alert ™ - required for radios, optional for other devices)
   
• External antenna jack: While most receivers come with a whip antenna you usually can extend to improve reception, depending on your location you also may need an external antenna. Some receivers come with an external antenna jack so you can connect to a larger antenna indoors or outdoors. You can often buy these antennas where you bought your receiver or from most stores with an electronics department. NWR broadcasts are in the Public Service VHF frequencies, just above FM radio and between the current TV channels 6 and 7. An antenna designed for analog VHF televisions or FM radios should work.
   
• External device jack-special needs: Some radios have a jack to plug-in external notification devices, such as strobe lights or bed shakers, which can be useful for those with special needs. (Public Alert ™ - required for institutional receivers, optional for consumer receivers).

Programming Your SAME Enabled NOAA Weather Radio

NWS does NOT manufacture any brand of weather radio receiver. To get assistance programming your receiver, or to discuss problems, you may be experiencing with its operation, please contact the receiver's manufacturer.  Below is a list of many NWR manufacturers. If your radio's manufacturer is not listed, please refer to your User/Owner’s Manual for contact information.
 

Traveling to Canada?

Your Weather Radio receiver also will work in Canada. Environment Canada, which includes the Canadian weather agency, operates weather radio transmitters that generally operate on the same frequencies as the U.S. NOAA Weather Radio network.
 

Receiver Recalls

For information on Weather Radio receiver recalls, go to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission web site and choose "Radios Weather" in the product type list