Even though the product is not yet available, we thought we would let you see how easy it is to find or build the parts of the system we don't supply. From audio level booster circuit schematics to weather radios, it will (< key word!!) all be here.
For good reason, we do not market the NWSAMD with a built-in radio receiver. The reason is that the SAME protocol decoded by the device is also compatible with the EAS. As such it is impossible to supply a receiver that could cover every possible EAS transmission source. Even supplying a good National Weather Service radio would be difficult. However, we have found a source of radios that are good and abundant. Amateur handheld radios often receive more than just the amateur bands. Most two-meter radio's receive up to 172 megahertz, high enough to catch the National Weather services around 162 megahertz. You will also find that a good handheld also has amazing selectivity and sensitivity for such a small and programmable radio. If the frequency can be set and then forgot about, the radio could make a very good companion to the NWSAMD. (Our own repeater site uses old handheld's and small old mobiles for such purposes.)
However, for more demanding situations, Hamtronics produces a weather radio specialized for amateurs that may be used with the NWSAMD. There are three or four models from a simple 7 channel weather receiver (crystal controlled) to a helical filtered crystal controlled receiver to synthesized receivers. For commercial or demanding applications we suggest one of the non-weather receivers tuned to your local Weather Service. Check out Hamtronics at http://www.hamtronics.com/.
And for really demanding cases, Thunder Eagle, Inc makes scanning receivers suitable for commercial and mobile applications. Check them out at http://www.thuneagle.com.
There is of course several ways to find the location codes used by the SAME and EAS protocol. One is to look up your area's Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) number, and convert it to the location code format used by the protocol. Another is to call your local National Weather Service (NWS) office and ask for the codes, which may give you a better idea of what the NWS supports in your area. The National Weather Service also maintains a list on the Internet at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/.
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