Choosing a Portable Weather Radio

ChristinaJ | Aug 11, 2011 |

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Portable weather radios are important safety devices that should be a staple of every home. In an age where we are technologically connected at every moment of the day, it’s hard to imagine not having cell phones or internet access. But in times of major storms the electricity may go out, leaving many unconnected to the world. The problem is with so many different options and a cost ranging from $20 to over $100, how do you know what features you really need. Here are some basic features that every weather radio should have.

Get the Alerts

Ensure that the radio receives NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) alerts, which are identical to the emergency weather alerts that you see scrolling across television screens. Some cheaper models do not perform this basic function, and without the alerts all you really have is a radio. In addition, ensure that the radio also receives the FCC's Emergency Alert System (EAS) alerts. These alerts focus on issues other than weather, such as national emergency situations.

Codes Are Important

Buy a radio that you can program with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) codes. These codes are specific to your region and are the most beneficial to you. If you don’t set up these codes properly, the alerts you hear may be for a state far away from your own. Many local weather stations offer free programming classes that are open to the general public to ensure accurate configuration of the codes.

Other Important Features

Consider a radio that also has an AM/FM tuner on it so that you can listen to regular radio as well as weather alerts.

Get a radio with an autoscan feature. These radios will automatically scan for weather channels that are closest to you and that have the clearest reception. This is especially important if you live in the country or remote locations. It’s also important if you like to travel, since you can take the portable weather radio with you and get information for those areas.

Finally, buy a radio that runs on batteries as well as with an AC adapter cord. You may not have electricity in bad weather so you still want your weather radio to function. Some advanced models also have solar charging cells, which allow you to charge the batteries by placing them in the sun.

Whether you listen to your weather radio regularly to get updates on thunderstorms, or use it only in emergency situations, these devices will pay for themselves very quickly. By purchasing and properly configuring a portable weather radio, your family will be on step ahead of the storm.