What is Wrong with the National Weather Service?

The Featured Image (at the top of the page), is the Weather Alerting Radio I use, a Reecom R-1630.

Here is my problem with the National Weather Service (hereafter NWS). The Pittsburgh Area NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter has been “Out of Service” since, according to the NWS, 08 April 2022. As of this writing, it is 20 May 2022.

Weather Radios and Weather Transmissions, Overview:

Due to the Limitations on Signal Propagation, Multiple Transmitters are needed in Each State and Area of Coverage. NOAA Weather Radio (hereafter NWR) is the term they use for such Transmissions.

The NWS maintains “more than 1000  transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. NWR requires a special radio receiver or scanner capable of picking up the signal. 

In general, for more common Thunderstorm Weather Events:  

• • “Advisories and Statements” – Weather and conditions that may evolve.
  • Watches – conditions that may arise over a period of hours that can result in a specific Severe Weather Event/s.
  • Warnings – indicates that a Specific Severe Weather Event/s is ongoing near the warning area, or other observations indicate that it is highly possible to have a Severe Weather event. (usually within 1 hour of the time of issuance, or less).

For more specific meanings: Watch/Warning/Advisory Definitions

On my Weather Radio, we have it programmed to Set (Light) the LED for a “Advisories and Statements” and Watches, Set the LED and Sound an Alarm for Warnings, and some of the Alarms Possible are shut-off, like Tsunami Warnings, if we get a Tsunami in Pittsburgh, I don’t want to know it’s coming. Avalanche Warning is off too, not something we really get.

On my Weather Radio, when the Alert Sounds, you Press the Stop Button to Stop the Alert Sound, and the Radio Button to Turn on the Weather Radio, and listen to the nature of the Warning, where it’s at, which way it’s heading, etc. We get an occasional one in the middle of the night. When I was working (before retiring), it was funny, because I’d get out of bed and grab the Alarm Clock, trying to turn off the alarm, until my wife told me it’s the Weather Radio.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), is a separate system from the NWR. Using this system, the Govt Sends Out Warnings (determined to be important to send by Federal and Local Authorities) to Cellphones, and if Tornadoes threatened, for example, we’d likely get a Warning, but it doesn’t provide the “Advisories and Statements” and Watch Alerts, it doesn’t provide details on the storm path, etc. After seeing the problems the govt is now having with the NWR, with transmitters down, and no projected resolution date, I’m losing confidence in the govt to reliably provide any alert.

But for years, in multiple locations; and we carry a Weather Radio when traveling; we’ve not had any problems. Until now.

My Model Weather Radio Display – From an Online Image

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NOAA Weather Radio

• • NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office.
  • Known as the “Voice of NOAA’s National Weather Service,” NWR is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce. 
  • Broadcasts are found in the VHF public service band at these seven frequencies (MHz):
  • 162.400 MHz     162.425 MHz     162.450 MHz     162.475 MHz
    162.500 MHz     162.525 MHz     162.550 MHz

Here are the Frequencies by State or Area, and supposed coverage:
Nationwide Station Listing Using Broadcast Frequencies

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The link above lists other Frequencies that provide service to Pittsburgh. I’m going to demonstrate that despite being Technically Correct, it’s not actually correct for most users. A Commercial TV or Radio Station, or an Amateur Radio Operator, with a Mast for their Antennas, and if that Mast had an Antenna that worked with the Weather Radio Frequencies, and if one had it connected to the Weather Radio, you might get the alternate frequencies IF you knew to switch your Radio to one of those Frequencies and test that it works.

The Pittsburgh NWR Outage has no date when it will return. Are they credible Meteorologists? I’d say yes. Yet the same govt that tells you how indispensable Weather Warnings are doesn’t seem to care about their equipment not sending out “Advisories and Statements”, Watches, and Warnings, and not being available for Local and National Emergency Broadcasts. Therefore, are they operating the NWR with the respect that it should be given, considering how much they like to criticize people for not taking Severe Weather Watches and Warnings seriously, I’d say no.

I’m a radio enthusiast, have outdoor antennas, including scanner antennas, and, by and large, can’t receive the Alternate Frequency the NWS Advises, even on the dedicated Weather Radio I own.  The Details of which Radios Worked, which Did Not Work, are further below.

Consider, though:

1. 1. I’m way up on a hill (excellent reception opportunities).
   2. If someone lived in a valley, they may be unable to receive the Alternate Frequencies even with an External or Outdoor Antenna.
   3. And most people don’t have External or Outdoor antennas on their Weather Radios.

So, overall, it’s not looking good for the NWS to claim there are Alternate Frequencies available for my area, or other areas in hilly terrain.

Both Scanners (Whistler and Uniden) have a Weather Radio built in, and would work for notifications, unless the power fails, then they do nothing (yet the Dedicated Weather Radio Works, on Batteries, without Power for up to 200 Hours).

Left to Right:

Yaesu VX-2, Yaesu VX-5, Yaesu VR-500, Alinco DJ-V5, Alinco DJ-X10

These are my Handheld Radios. The Middle and the Right Radios are Receive Only, the other 3 Transmit as well. The first 3 radios starting on the left, there is no hint of the Alternate Weather Radio Frequencies, none, zip, zero, nada. These radios are each considerably more expensive than most weather radios.

The Alinco DJ-V5, if held right, in the correct part of the house, receives the New Philadelphia, Ohio, Transmission (93 Land Miles Away) very weakly. The Alinco DJ-X10 Receives the New Philadelphia, Ohio, Transmission fairly reliably in most parts of the house.

Whistler WS-1065 Scanner, on top, is a Newer Scanner, Has Weather Alerts and Warnings, is Connected to an Outside Antenna, and it doesn’t receive ANY of the Alternate Frequencies from the NWR. If a Signal Was Available, when Power  is lost, then restored, the Whistler Scanner stays in Weather Mode, and Scans for an Active Weather Frequency, assuming it doesn’t lock onto a Static Signal Caused by Noise, it should resume Weather Radio Operation on Power-up.

Images Above: ⬆, the Bottom Radio, is a Shortwave Receiver, the venerable Yaesu FRG-100, this one survived a Lightning Strike of sorts.

Click on Images to Enlarge:
Above Left: ⬆ Yaesu FT-8900R. This is a relatively Expensive Transceiver. It has 2 Separate Tuners, the Left Side of the Display is One Frequency, the Right Side is another, it will literally receive 2 Frequencies at the same time, and you can turn down the volume for either. Though I use it for Receive, I am Licensed to use it for Transmitting, as I am for the Transmitting Handhelds I have too. It’s a Mobile, the Power Supply below it is needed to use it in the home, and to power the HF Transceiver to the left of this radio.
The FT-8900R is connected to a Scanner Antenna, out back, and it receives the New Philadelphia Ohio Signal Fairly Strongly, another area Signal is received fairly strongly, and another one still is weakly received. A Weather Radio on this Antenna may work, I’ll be moving mine to that antenna soon.

Images Above Right: ⬆, to the left of the FT-8900R is a Yaesu FT-840 Transceiver, I am not Licensed to Transmit on it, I do not use it for Transmitting, Receive Only.

Click on Images to Enlarge:
Above Left Top Radio: ⬆  This is a Uniden Bearcat BC-785D Receiver, it’s Digital Capable, has the Digital Card (the Whistler is Digital Capable too and doesn’t need a card), is Connected to an Indoor Antenna (actually a Trunk Mounting Antenna for a Car, but it’s Mounted on a Portable Metal Magazine Rack). It has weak reception for the New Philadelphia Ohio Transmitter and doesn’t receive any others. This works as a Weather Radio, providing it isn’t turned off or subject to a power failure, as it starts up in Memory Scan Mode and not the Weather (WX) Mode. I even wrote to Uniden about it, they told me it’s not a Weather Radio, it’s a Scanner, so put a lid on it. (I paraphrased here, LOL).

The Radio to the right of it is a Shortwave Receiver, a Palstar R30. These are interesting radios.

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From the National Weather Site, on National Weather Radio (NWR) Issues, I have found the following:

NWR Outages and Issues 

The First Listing is of a Problem that is not a Problem. Midland was smart enough to detect the loss of a Weekly Test if the Test is missing for 10 Days (i.e. No Weekly Test). To verify that the Radio System is intact for Alerting, NWR does a Weekly Test that puts the radio into Alarm, States that it is Just a Test and gives details, and the Radio Resumes Normal Operation. Weekly Tests are not done when Severe Weather Threatens. So, every Wednesday, at Noon, ours was tested. But it’s like Back-Up Beepers on Vehicles. Great idea, unless you work around them, then you ignore them regardless of number of them. Same with getting used to the Weekly Test. We’d hear it, when the system was working, but when they stopped coming, we never noticed.

The Midland radio then commences to Alarm periodically to Alert the user that the Radio is Not Receiving the Weekly Test. In Pittsburgh, the National Weather Service Stopped Radio Broadcasts on 08 April 2022, and it wasn’t until 03 May 2022, during a storm, that I noticed it failed to Alarm because there was no Radio Transmissions. Had I owned the Model and Version of the Midland Radio named, I would have known within 10 days that something was amiss. So, let’s move onto the Issues at the NWS, Jump past this first notice.

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“Beeping” on certain Midland receivers and the weekly test

NOTE: If your Midland receiver is beeping, the following explanation is the most common, but it is not the ONLY explanation for a beeping receiver.

The Midland WR-120 desktop NOAA weather radio knows it is supposed to receive a weekly test from the National Weather Service every seven days. If the radio goes for ten days without receiving a test, it gives out one beep every ten minutes.

The radio will re-set itself at the next weekly test, or the next watch/warning issuance.

If you do not want to wait, you can cancel the beeping by unplugging the radio from the wall, turning the radio over, and removing one battery. Wait approximately 10-15 seconds, then replace the battery and plug the radio back in. The settings on the radio will NOT be affected by this, as the SAME county code, and all other information is stored on a flash memory chip.

But you WILL need to re-set the clock. To do so:

1) Push MENU. “SET TIME” appears.
2) Push SELECT
3) Use the up/down arrows to adjust the hour up or down. To get from AM to PM, just continue past the hour 12.
4) Use the right button to move to the minutes setting
5) Use the up/down arrows to adjust the minutes up or down. Right arrow to access both of the minute digits.
6) When you have set the clock to the proper time, hit MENU twice. The radio will display “SAVING”. You are done setting the clock.

We apologize for the inconvenience. The ten-day missed test alarm is a way to assure viewers that their weather radio is performing properly.

​NOTE: The previous version of this radio, the Midland WR-100 does not make an audible beep. However, it will display the words “CHECK RECEPTION” until it is re-set using the same steps as outlined above. Like the WR-120, the radio will automatically re-set itself at the next weekly test, or the next watch/warning issuance.

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Ok, Downgraded VS Out of Service. Downgraded refers to Reduced Radio Transmission Performance due to Damage, or other issues. Severe Weather Alerts are broadcast to a specific area by Antennas located in that area, and thus are themselves subject to Severe Weather. But by hobbling things together, they keep Broadcasting, but possibly with an Altered Coverage Range.

This (below) irritates me, it shows a lackadaisical regard for people that bought and trust Weather Radios for the purpose of being Alerted to Severe Weather.

• • We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
  • Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county.

The Govt, with Essential Services, that may make the difference between Life and Death of people that normally rely on the system, NEVER SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHEN IT WILL BE RETURNED TO NORMAL SERVICE.

Yet, of a PBS Channel in the Pittsburgh PA area, I noticed this:

WQED-FM Goes Off-Air Due To Transmission Line Damage

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It has been radio silence for WQED-FM for the past couple of days. According to the station, its transmission line was damaged about 350 feet up at their tower in Oakland. The transmission line will likely not be fixed until Thursday. 

PBS is Non-Profit, Govt Funded, and they were off the air for a Few Days and the Date that they expected to be returned to Service is given, just a Few Days after the incident. Yet the National Weather Service has no idea when the repairs will be made to many of these Out of Service or Downgraded Performance Transmitters.

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WWF42 Ponca City, OK is degraded (5/03/2022)
(5/03/2022) WWF42 Ponca City, OK on frequency 162.450 is currently degraded due to limited coverage caused by antenna and cable damage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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Below, the Pittsburgh Area Transmitter, the notice was posted on 04-26-2022, or updated then, the outage, according to the NWS, was since 08 April 2022. A construction incident, I heard, destroyed the phone line, or data line, depending on the person responding. How in Sam Hill can a Transmitter Serving over 1.5 Million people be out for over a month and not expected (I was informed) to return to service for Several Weeks?

Is this how they repair their Radio Transmitters?

Despite Cellphones purportedly already being used to link Transmitters with the Local Weather Office of the NWS, they claim Procedures and Finances keep them from implementing the change to repair the Pittsburgh Transmitter.

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KIH35 Pittsburgh, PA is out of service (4/26/2022)

(4/26/2022) KIH35 Pittsburgh, PA on frequency 162.550 is currently out of service due to a telecommunication outage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.

Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WXJ35 Portales, NM is out of service (4/12/2022)
(4/12/2022) WXJ35 Portales, NM on frequency 162.475 is currently out of service due to a degraded audio signal caused by a damaged antenna. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WXL90 Des Moines, NM is out of service (3/29/2022)
(3/29/2022) WXL90 Des Moines, NM on the frequency 162.550 is out of service due to antenna damage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WWG76 Kulani Cone, HI is degraded (3/24/2022)
(3/24/2022) WWG76 Kulani Cone, HI transmitter on frequency 162.550 MHz is degraded due to limited coverage caused by antenna damage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WZ2540 North Kohala, HI is degraded (3/24/2022)
(3/24/2022) WZ2540 North Kohala, HI transmitter on frequency 162.500 MHz is degraded due to limited coverage caused by antenna damage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WWF39 Hawaii Kai, HI is degraded (3/24/2022)
(3/24/2022) WWF39 Hawaii Kai, HI transmitter on frequency 162.425 MHz is degraded due to limited coverage caused by antenna damage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WXM35 Hays, KS transmitter is degraded (3/3/22)
(3/3/2022) WXM35 Hays, KS on the frequency 162.450 was degraded due to limited coverage caused by antenna damage. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WWF37 Carlsbad, NM transmitter is out of service (2/11/22)
(2/11/2022) WWF37 Carlsbad, NM on the frequency 162.475 is out of service due to an inoperable transmitter. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WXN24 Artesia, NM transmitter is Out of Service (1/19/22)
(1/19/2022) WXN24 Artesia, NM on the frequency 162.425 is out of service due to a transmitter power issue. We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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Multiple Alaska transmitters are Out of Service (1/12/22)
(01/24/2022) WNG528 Bede Mountain, AK transmitter on frequency 162.450 MHz is out of service We do not have an estimated time for a return to service.
Listeners are advised to check the https://www.weather.gov/NWR/outages page for updates. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
(01/24/2022) KZZ88 Cape Fanshaw, AK transmitter on frequency 162.425 MHz is out of service. We do not have an estimated time for a return to service.
Listeners are advised to check the https://www.weather.gov/NWR/outages page for updates. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
(01/12/2022) WNG718 Sitkinak Dome, AK transmitter on frequency 162.450 MHz is out of service. We do not have an estimated time for a return to service.
Listeners are advised to check the https://www.weather.gov/NWR/outages page for updates. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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WNG728 Bellflower, MO transmitter is Out of Service (07/16/21)
(7/16/2021) WNG728 Bellflower, MO on frequency 162.425 is currently in the process of being moved to another tower. We do not have an estimated date for a return to service.

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Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. 

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The Bottom Line, Literally (LOL) is that most of my Amateur Radio Receivers DO NOT RECEIVE THE ALTERNATE FREQUENCIES that the NWS so casually says that you should tune to when the Primary Frequency is out. My Amateur and Broadband Receiver equipment, though many of them are older, are Higher End stuff than most Weather Radio Circuits (though the Weather Radio Circuits, being limited in Reception Range, may be more sensitive than my Radios). If I did not live on a hill, I may not have received anything. Many people in this area live in valleys. If I did not have an Outdoor Antenna, I may not have received the Alternate Frequencies on my Transceiver. Although a Weather Radio may work connected to that Antenna, most people DO NOT HAVE OUTDOOR WEATHER RADIO ANTENNAS.

The NWS made no attempt, that I am aware of, to Notify the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area that they would not have NWR Transmissions for over a month, well over. Even if I could use an Alternate Frequency, I didn’t know I needed to, and my Radio DOES NOT scan for a Secondary Frequency if the Assigned Frequency is missing.  This is substandard performance by the NWS. They Use Facebook and Twitter for receiving Notifications of Severe Weather from Weather Spotters, I checked, there is no notice that the NWR Transmissions are Out of Service.

They have over 1000 Transmitters and relatively few are Out of Service, or Downgraded, so, really, that means that by far, most of the equipment works. Although that’s true, and I could understand a week or two of Out of Service or Downgraded Transmissions, ones lasting a month, or 6 weeks, or more, indicates that the service they tout as indispensable when it comes to funding it, is not indispensable when it comes to repairing it. It’s easy to sit in an office and type:

• • We do not have an estimated time for a return to normal service.
  • Listeners are advised to check the NOAA Weather Radio County Coverage Listings for alternate transmitters serving their county.

But this doesn’t assure that those with Weather Radios will have an Alternate Frequency to use, or that their radios will be switched to the Alternate Frequency.

The NWS should have, for Temporary Use:  Drop In Antennas, Cellphone Links, Power Back-up (Permanent) or Mobile Generators, just to keep these supposedly vital Watches and Warnings functioning on a reliable, ongoing, basis (and I suspect much of this is in place already, but the Loss of Data or Phone Line to the Transmitter does not seem to have been considered).

Perhaps privatizing the NWR system is in order, since the govt would hold them responsible for keeping the Transmissions active, whereas the way it is, they simply say that they have no idea when it will be repaired, why am I not surprised?