MIDLAND WR300 Weather Radio

Picked this up about a month ago. Had one of the old non-selective monitors that was driving us crazy. With all the storms hitting SW Missouri this year, we were getting alerts from several counties away. Plugged this baby in, programmed it for our county and it works great. Only get alerts for us. Like the lights indicating watch or warning.

This radio is clear and works fine. We don't use it as a am/fm just a weather alert. If you are looking for just an alert I'm sure you can find a less expensive one. We chose Midland b-cause of their reputation. Programing wasn't a problem. Really no complaints. Just hope we never have to hear it sound. It's kind of like insurance. You have it but hope you never have to use it.

We have had the Midland WR-300 for just over a month and it has already proved useful. In Iowa we frequently have severe weather watches and warnings from the NWS and this radio has alerted us many times already. The radio is compact, easy to set up and does an excellent job. I highly recommend it.

I recently purchased the Midland WR-300 AM/FM Weather/All Hazards/Civil Emergency Alert Monitor with S.A.M.E. through a link from a mobile weather website. I had been checking models and prices for awhile. I had noticed the same basic radio is sold in "accessibility catalogs" because of the alerting connectivity to accessories to make it more accessible for deaf/hard of hearing (vibrating bed shakers and flashing lights, etc.). It is much more expensive in those catalogs (they tweak the model number just a little to add confusion, because they are essentially selling it in a package deal to INCLUDE the flashing lights and/or bed shakers etc, but it's still way over priced!). So really it does what I want it to do, and I already had flashing lights (and a hearing husband!).

The instructions for programming the machine are clear enough, but I would have preferred something a little larger font, to make it more user friendly for those not wearing their glasses (or other visual issues).

Also they don't specifically include the state/county codes for the SAME feature - you have to look them up on the internet, or go through an automated 800 toll-free calling system. You can, however, leave it set to the default of "every county in the radio signal coverage zone", or you can set it to multiple counties (helpful if you're up in the corner of a county and might want to know when the county above you is getting clobbered just before it hops over the county line 2 miles away from your house, etc.). The third option, of course is just program your county alone.

We have it programmed now for just the three or four counties in our metro area, and my husband loves it now that he can sleep through the night without receiving alert signals from places 300 miles away getting a fog advisory or other such weather alert!

If the power goes off, you have to reprogram everything - oh joy! So I'd recommend that you print off the codes you laboriously obtained from the 800 number or from the website and keep them written in or near your instructions. They recommend that you put the AA batteries in at the time you are programming...which I did (I think it was 4 batteries ? need to double check)...but turns out, it's merely there to keep the receiver on and drive the alert when an incoming weather alert arrives. Once the power was back on - I had to reprogram the S.A.M.E. and the three radio stations (3 FM and 3 AM radio stations can be programmed to memory.).

It's cute going through all the pre-programmed alert possibilities to turn them on or off. It tells you what the default is, and most of them the default is off, but you can toggle it on if it's appropriate for your area - for example, there were alerts for coastal tidal wave, avalanches, coastal flooding, things like that which are good to know if you are on the coast (and I used to live in Florida, so I understand this), but given that we're out in the mid-west, miles and miles from the nearest coast, it seemed funny. Or I'm easily amused - BUT - I was also pleased that I did have the option, as I could theoretically take this in my luggage if I was traveling somewhere and wanted a more reliable way to be alerted for emergencies (in the USA).

So far, I'm basically happy with this. Why they couldn't offer this is pretty colors (pink? purple? why not??) I don't know, but oh well. When the lights go out, I guess it hardly matters what color it is!! ;-)

There are three different colored LED lights that flash during an alert, to indicate visually what level of severity - advisory, watch, or warning (which is when it's actively happening 15 minutes to NOW!). The Text also flashes on "SEVERE THUNDERSTOM WATCH" "TORNADO WARNING" etc. and of course, the trippy little voice from the station also starts speaking. One of the toggle selections is if you want to be alerted by tone or by voice. If by tone, it squeals for awhile (? what my husband says, I can't hear it!) and then the voice comes on. I have it set to "voice" so there is a tone but not the long obnoxious kind, and then the voice of the radio station comes on reading the statement. There is also a toggle for loud alert or softer alert.

There are output jacks in the back where one can plug in whatever signaling device - I'm not looking at it now so can't tell you the exact size but I'm sure it's available elsewhere on the 'net, or ask and I can go look it up on the instruction booklet.

This radio works great and was easy to setup. It has already proved its usefulness as an alert radio by giving us warnings and watches for current weather conditions. The AM/FM radio works great too and has the expected features. I would purchase this product again or give as a gift!