Educational Communications Board - resources on the DTV Transition

NOAA All-Hazards Radio

NOAA Public Safety Weather Radio Stations in Wisconsin
City	Call Sign	Frequency
Delafield/Milwaukee	KEC-60	162.400 MHz
Madison	WXJ-87	162.550 MHz
Dubuque/Kieler	WXL-64	162.400 MHz
Coloma	WWF-40	162.400 MHz
La Crosse	WXJ-86	162.550 MHz
Eau Claire/ Menomonie	WXJ-88	162.400 MHz
Park Falls	WXM-91	162.500 MHz
Wausau	WXJ-89	162.475 MHz
Green Bay	KIG-65	162.550 MHz
Sister Bay	WXN-69	162.425 MHz
Janesville	WWG-90	162.425 MHz
Ash Ridge	WWG-89	162.475 MHz
Sheboygan	WWG-91	162.525 MHz
Bloomington	WWG-86	162.500 MHz
Fond du Lac	WWG 87	162.500 MHz
Crandon	WWG-88	162.450 MHz
Ashland	KZZ-78	162.525 MHz
Racine	KZZ-76	162.450 MHz
Webster	KZZ-79	162.475 MHz
Withee	KZZ-77	162.425 MHz
Ladysmith	WNG-577	162.550 MHz
Rhinelander	WNG-565	162.400 MHz
Wausaukee	WNG-553	162.400 MHz
Black River Falls	WNG-564	162.500 MHz
New London	WNG-552	162.525 MHz
Baraboo	KHA-47	162.450 MHz

Map of NOAA All-Hazards/Weather Transmitters serving Wisconsin (PDF)

Service Overview
The NOAA All-Hazards/Weather Radio is a service of the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provided in cooperation with the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Government and through the facilities of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. It provides around-the-clock broadcasts of the latest weather and other emergency information directly from the National Weather Service Offices. Recorded messages are repeated every four to six minutes and are routinely revised every two to three hours, or more frequently if needed. The broadcasts are tailored to weather information and other emergency information needs of people within the service range of each transmitting station. For critical weather events or other hazards to life and property, a distinctive tone is emitted for about ten seconds prior to the emergency broadcast.

The US Department of Homeland Security has the authority to develop an alert and warning message that can be delivered directly to NOAA and broadcast to affected areas. The system is capable of reaching over 97 percent of the United States territory on a 24/7 basis through broadcasts in 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and Saipan. All-Hazards/Weather Radios currently equipped with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/wi/nwrwi.htm) allow listeners to pre-select the categories of alerts they wish to receive in chosen listening areas. All-Hazards/Weather receivers are located in emergency operations centers and many public sites and workplaces.

Each All-Hazards/Weather Radio is a very high frequency (VHF) FM station. The service area of each transmitter is only approximated by the map, and covers about a 25-40 mile radius from the transmitter.

Routine, daily broadcasts contain weather information regarding recreation and travel within about a day's drive of each transmitter, weather forecasts for Wisconsin (or portions thereof), extended outlooks, hourly weather observations, and radar summaries as appropriate. Special weather forecasts and advisories of interest to the agricultural industry are broadcast at selected times during the day. During winter months a summary of road reports is broadcast.

More Technical Information
For certain critically important weather events or other significant hazards to life and property, primarily severe weather watches and warnings, each transmitter will emit a distinctive audible tone signal for about ten seconds at a frequency of 1050 Hertz (cycles per second) just prior to the broadcast of any emergency messages. Compatible tone activated receivers would normally be left in a speaker "muted mode" with the volume control of the receiver preset to the level required by the individual listener. The receiver would provide no output until the alerting tone is received from the All-Hazards Radio Station. Upon receiving the 1050 Hertz signal, the speaker audio is turned on and all transmissions would become audible. Routine programming is reduced during these critical periods with most information broadcasts being related to the hazards. A test of the "warning alarm" tone is conducted each Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 12 noon. If severe weather appears imminent, this test is canceled until the next good weather, normal business day.

This special alert service has its greatest value to law enforcement and Homeland Security offices as well as to industrial plants, schools, hospitals, and other institutions where large numbers of people assemble. The warning alarm will normally be sounded for threatening weather related events for the counties located within the range of each station (about a 25-40 mile radius from the transmitter).

An important consideration
when planning the purchase of a receiver is remembering that the signal from the transmitting antenna to the receiver should be a direct line-of-sight for the best reception providing the receiver is within the range of the transmitter. It is recommended that the receiver be able to operate automatically on batteries in case the commercial power were to fail. Also, the alarm feature on the radio should be such that the speaker will come on and stay on by itself when the warning alarm tone is transmitted and requires the listener to physically reset the radio back to the muted mode. Most importantly, a receiver should be tried at its place of intended use before making a final purchase. If a stronger signal is desired, a brochure on a suitable antenna and construction information is available from the nearest National Weather Service Office. Prices of consumer grade radios range from $20 to about $80. Industrial quality radios range upward from about $150 and up.

Commercial radio and TV stations are authorized to rebroadcast any material especially watches and warnings, transmitted over the NOAA All-Hazards/Weather Radio, subject only to minimal restrictions which are stated in FCC Public Notice 70-1108-52876.

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