National Weather Service
Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) data
 
The National Weather Service is changing (or enhancing) the format used to alert the public of
watches, warnings, and whatever else is required of them. Most of you are familiar with the 1050 Hz
tone that has been traditionally sent to activate muted weather alert receivers. That will be phased out
at some date in the future. (Some say NEAR future!)  Replacing this single tone activation method is a
new format that is part of the Emergency Alert System (E.A.S.) which used to be called the Emergency
Broadcast System (E.B.S.)  This new format uses digital information to not only tell your new alert
receiver that there *IS* an alert, but *WHERE* the alert area is and the *DURATION*, *TYPE*,
and *SOURCE* of the alert that is being broadcast. YES! Your receiver can, if so equipped,
DISPLAY that there is a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for your County until whatever time it
expires. The receiver then resets to a normal display. Some units are even providing LEDs that will
indicate at a glance if you are currently in an area under watch or warning separately. Although the
NWS seems to not be using this particular function, (at least not in my area) there are provisions to
specify that only the *NORTHERN* section of your county is under a warning. This transmission
sounds similar to a short packet data burst. I'll let those so inclined read the more technical details
by following the link below. This system is currently in use in many (if not all) parts of the country
served by a NWS emergency radio transmitter. (found from 162.400 - 152.550 MHz)
For more information, see the information below or follow the links.
I'll post more links and info as it becomes available.
 
Links:
 
Here are some links to various S.A.M.E. sites:
This one is more technically oriented. It's the actual rules governing the
Emergency Alert System (E.A.S.) - 47 C.F.R. Part 11 of the FCC rules
(Original source is Bill - W1UUQ, but the above is a page with updated information)
 
 
This one is more for the USERS of the S.A.M.E. systems. It is the National Weather Service's
information pages concerning weather radio. It includes the S.A.M.E. codes and frequencies for
areas throughout the United States and it's territories and possessions. Just follow the links on S.A.M.E.
(Source: Bill - W1UUQ)
 
 
Here is the blurb from the front of the Radio Shack Manual:
 
In 1994, NOAA began broadcasting coded emergency weather signals that
identify the specific geographic area (such as county) affected by an
emergency. Until that time, such specific emergency weather information
was sent in other ways (over land wire, for example) to other
communication outlets (such as radio stations), then broadcast to the
public on AM or FM radio frequencies or on TV.
NOAA transmits the coded weather emergency signal using a technique
called Specific Area Message Encoding, or SAME. Your Radio Shack
7-channel Weather Radio with NWR-SAME Severe-Weather Alert is specially
designed to receive these SAME transmissions.
The Weatheradio's SAME technology circuitry lets you program it with up
to 15 predefined state/county codes and receive emergency weather alert
broadcasts that notify you of weather warnings, watches, statements --
bout 30 different types -- for only those areas. You can set the
weatheradio to sound an alert when it receives a SAME emergency signal,
and you can adjust the alert volume.
The Weatheradio also comes preprogrammed with the seven NOAA broadcast
frequencies, so you can select the channel that is broadcast in your
area and listen to general weather information 24 hours a day.
 
Features include:
ALERT FUNCTION -- lets you set the Weatheradio to sound an alert when it
receives a weather emergency broadcast from NOAA.
SAME OPERATION -- lets you program up to 15 different FIPS (Federal
Information Processing System) codes into the Weatheradio's memory.
Each FIPS code identifies a specific geographic area (defined by the
NWS), so your Weatheradio sounds an alert when a weather emergency is
declared only in those locations. This helps you track the weather
conditions in and around your area.
8-CHARACTER LCD -- clearly displays as digital characters items such as
channel numbers and alert status descriptions (TORNADO WARNING, FLOOD
WATCH, and so on).
ALERT STATUS INDICATORS -- different colored indicators let you
determine at a glance the type os alert received (red is for a warning,
yellow is for a watch and green is for a statement).
7 CHANNELS -- let you select the frequency for your local NOAA weather
broadcasts.
EXTERNAL ALERT TERMINALS -- let you connect an external controller system
(such as a Plug 'n Power or X-10 systems) to the Weatheradio and set
that system to indicate as alert based on signals received by the
Weatheradio.
 
NWS Weather Alert Descriptions
You See     Description              You Hear
-------     -----------              --------
TORNADO     Tornado watch            Siren
WATCH
 
TORNADO     Tornado warning          Siren
WARNING
 
SEVERE      Severe thunderstorm       Siren
THUNDER     watch
WATCH
 
SEVERE      Severe thunderstorm      Siren
THUNDER     warning
WARNING
 
SEVERE      Severe weather           Beeps
WEATHER     statement
 
SPECIAL     Special weather          Beeps
WEATHER     statement
 
FLASH       Flash flood watch        Siren
FLOOD
WATCH
 
FLASH       Flash flood warning      Siren
FLOOD
WARNING
 
FLASH       Flash flood statement    Beeps
FLOOD
 
FLOOD       Flood watch              Siren
WATCH
 
FLOOD       Flood warning            Siren
WARNING
 
FLOOD       Flood statement          Beeps
 
WINTER      Winter storm watch       Siren
STORM
WATCH
 
WINTER      Winter storm warning     Siren
STORM
WARNING
 
BLIZZARD    Blizzard warning         Siren
WARNING
 
HIGHWIND    High wind watch          Siren
WATCH
 
HIGHWIND    High wind warning        Siren
WARNING
 
HURRICAN    Hurricane watch          Siren
WATCH
 
HURRICAN    Hurricane warning        Siren
WARNING
 
HURRICAN    Hurricane statement      Beeps
 
NUCLEAR     Nuclear attack warning   Siren
ATTACK
WARNING
 
TSUNAMI     Tsunami watch            Siren
WATCH
 
TSUNAMI     Tsunami warning          Siren
WARNING
 
TUNE TV     Civil emergency --       Siren
            turn on the TV for
            information or if no
            information is avail-
            able on TV, call your
            local NWS office.
 NOTE: The alert description TUNE TV could also indicate the Weatheradio
has received a signal for a condition not defined in the Weatheradio's
memory.
 
SEVERE      Severe marine warning    Siren
MARINE
WARNING
 
EVACUATE    Evacuate immediately     Siren
IMMEDIAT
 
EMERGENC    Emergency action         Siren
ACTION      warning
WARNING
 
COASTAL     Coastal flood warning    Siren
FLOOD
WARNING
 
TEST        Daily test or demo       No sound
 
TEST        Weekly test              Beeps
 
The Weatheradio can store up to three different alerts (with overlapping
effective times) in its memory. If the Weatheradio receives a new alert
while a previous alert is still in effect, it automatically displays the
alert description and sounds an alert for the new alert.
Source:  Randy Hammock   KC6HUR
 
 
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