Weather Band when traveling?

[C-dub]

With our Colorado trip less than a week away I’ve been checking the weather and the forecasts look promising. This got me to thinking. I’ve removed my phone mount and keep my phone in my jacket pocket. The bike does have the weather alert thing in the display, but I think that might only work for select major metro regions. Or maybe that’s the traffic stuff. I guess we’ll find out.

Anyway, I was wondering if any of you knew if the information on the weather band was location specific or at least current region specific whenever listening to it? I checked western Colorado’s weather this morning and noticed Red Flag alerts for fire conditions due to low humidity. I wonder if that is something that would be communicated on that weather band. I could keep that running in my headset while riding.

[WingAdmin]

The NWR station transmitters are on one of seven different frequencies (used because some overlap coverage). Each transmitter transmits weather information specific to that local area.

So the best thing to do is tune through the frequencies until you find the strongest station (the closest one) and listen to the weather on that one.

You can see more about it here: https://www.weather.gov/nwr/Maps

[C-dub]

The NWR station transmitters are on one of seven different frequencies (used because some overlap coverage). Each transmitter transmits weather information specific to that local area.

So the best thing to do is tune through the frequencies until you find the strongest station (the closest one) and listen to the weather on that one.

You can see more about it here: https://www.weather.gov/nwr/Maps

That’s cool. I’ve never even tried to go to different stations when on the weather band. I’ll try setting different ones at home and if that works preset the various ones I’d need in CO then just rotate as needed.

Thanks. I’ll let everyone know how it went upon return.

[kwthom]

A quick little tale about these stations and their usefulness while traveling in unfamiliar places. My wife and I hadn't been touring for long at this time. This was back in 2010, so not much in the way of smartphones, and the technology we have today.

We'd crossed the border into Montana, and heading toward Billings and our lodging for the night.

Well, I could see the impending storm, but just didn't have an idea of the direction it was moving at that time. It's in the West; we don't always have storms that move toward the east, as they can and do follow terrain.

When the rain began, we were fortunate to come across an overpass at some nondescript local road. We pulled over and decided we'd wait it out for a bit under the bridge.

As we waited, a few people met us under that same bridge, driving cars and trucks. Turned out, there was a Native American community about a quarter mile away from I-90, and the locals were doing the same thing, hiding under the bridge.

Now, I had the weather radio, and had been listening to it. However, my atlas didn't have marked county names. There really weren't many major communities, so the weather crew was listing the severe weather warnings by county! If you're not from around there, it means nothing.

After about an hour, we continued on - the rain lasted about another 15 miles or so, which wasn't bad.

Did the weather radio help me? Nope - saw it before hearing about it.

Luck to ya!

[C-dub]

Thanks for relating that KW. It tells me that I should be aware of the counties I’ll be passing through.

[tamathumper]

I've never been able to hear the darned thing when moving - the robotic voice they use doesn't play well over the stock speakers. Of course, neither does music. I guess that's why I always have my speakers on AUX, and the only thing coming through is radar detector beeps.

[kwthom]

Personally, the smart cell phone alerts (if activated) when severe weather in in the vicinity is probably better than NWS radio.

Again, the phone is tracking you - as you enter a warning area, the phone gives you the alert at the time you need it - now. If you're traveling and *not* in an alert area, none needed, none received.

Welcome to the 21st century.

[C-dub]

Personally, the smart cell phone alerts (if activated) when severe weather in in the vicinity is probably better than NWS radio.

Again, the phone is tracking you - as you enter a warning area, the phone gives you the alert at the time you need it - now. If you're traveling and *not* in an alert area, none needed, none received.

Welcome to the 21st century.

True enough. It’s just that I removed my phone bracket a few months ago and have liked having it in my pocket and not “in my face.”