Midland WR-100C Weather / All Hazards / Civil Emergency Alert Monitor with S.A.M.E.

I'll start off with saying that a radio like this is just as important as a smoke detector in your home or business. It doesn't matter if you live in tornado alley or not, as an "all-hazards" radio receiver, the National Weather service not only signals alerts for tornadoes, but also flash floods, chemical haz-mat spills, and tsunamis.

This radio is your basic model with the SAME alert decoder. What this means is, unlike the weather alert radios of the past that would sound off for weather several counties away, you can program this one to only alert when hazards affect the county(s) that you specify. Outside of that, it's nothing fancy and is your basic weather alert radio with only the essential features.

The receiver sensitivity is fairly good, especially when compared against other receivers that have the "weather band" receiver as an afterthought. If the built-in telescoping antenna isn't enough, this radio features an external antenna connector (RCA-style plug) for connection to an outside antenna for better reception. While I don't use it in my home radio, I do use it at my workplace where I am inside a steel building. I have often felt that this was an important feature that many radios available on the market often overlooked.

The radio is normally powered by an AC wall adapter (included), but is fully functional using its battery back-up power (3 AA's). The batteries are indeed a backup, as the radio will run for perhaps only 2 weeks on battery power.

The setup and programming is fairly simple, though you will need to visit NOAA's web site or make a phone call to get the codes for your area. The keypress beeps are fairly loud, so don't plan on your setup at a time when you might have to worry about disturbing someone.

The radio also features a built-in alarm clock, provided that you like to be woken up by an actual alarm sound.

There is also an external alert switch contact, which can be used for activating some other kind of alarm, such as a strobe light for the hearing impaired (the type of warning is displayed on the screen). While the manual makes note of it, it is rather vague on how to wire something to be compatible with it.

If there was one thing I wish this radio had, it would be an external speaker jack. Instead, it has a programming jack, for which there is no readily available software for (not that you'd need a software program to set this radio up, anyway).

All in all, for the price, it's really cheap insurance for your safety.

so far this radio works great even in a trailer. just takes a little common sence to program and operate. i don't know why some people are complaning about the beep when you push a button it is an alert alarm device so set it and stop pushing buttons! and if you have kids the beep lets you know when they are messing with it. so it's kinda handy in that way. and as far as reception goes i live about 70 miles away from the closest tower and i can pick up 3 signals on a good day and 2 on a bad form inside a metal box.

I gave these weather monitors as Christmas presents to family. I have a much older model and Midland WR-100C Weather/All Hazards/Civil Emergency Alert Monitor with S.A.M.E. does appear to have many more types of alerts and many times easier to program than the older model.

My first purchase was not able to receive the closest stations, nothing heard. I exchanged for the rat shack model with best reception (years ago). It received poor to fair but at least you could almost always make out the words.

After it quit, I chose this as replacement because it had provision for external antenna.

But running naked it picked up two stations in the clear on the bottom floor from our house. And even stronger on the second, no need for an antenna. Although a mobile car antenna might be good idea for when we are traveling.

Had this product for 10 days and it went dead. Don't waste your money.