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Weather radios and tripping

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(Moving this discussion to its own thread)

People south of our friendly border have the NOAA to keep them alerted to risky. Maybe all of you know this already, but it's all news to me.

I am addicted to a morning listen to the NOAA weather forecast, especially when paddling big open water on the coast. I listen every morning and write a summary of the extended forecast on a “weather page” in my journal. Comparing the changes in those daily forecasts each morning has helped me better recognize developing weather patterns.

On coastal trips I am especially interested in changes in wind speed and direction, not just for the immediacy of the day’s weather but for what those changes portend for the week to come.

Although the immediacy can be darned useful too. I heard from friend Joel this morning, coming off guiding an Everglades trip. He was up before his clients one morning listening to the NOAA forecast and heard tornado warnings issued for his area in time to secure the boats on the other side of the chickee and batten down the hatches.

Once the storms passed they continued their trip and found other parties had had a tough time of it, with boats battered against chickees, tents flattened and gear blown into the bay.

We had a similar tornado warning in the Carolinas a few years ago and passed through some awesome devastation later that day.

Having a dependable forecast on open water trips is a safety issue, but it can also be a convenience issue. From minor benefit like reorienting the tarp for better wind performance before the gusts hit, to planning should I go or should I stay wind considerations.

The advantage of staying over an extra day or leaving a day early to take advantage of fortuitous wind speed and direction has paid for the weather radio a dozen times over. Just the couple of trips where I have been able to adjust my schedule to both sail in and sail out have been worth more to me than the cost of the fanciest weather radio.

I carry an old, inexpensive WeatherOne receiver. It is the size of a small digital pocket camera and including a spare transistor battery and auxiliary wire antenna it weighs less than 6 oz. There are much better weather radios, or am/fm/wx radios, but that one hasn’t failed me yet. And it’s been on the same battery for as long as I can remember.
 
I looked into getting a weather radio before my big trip this summer but after doing a little research I came across many who had the same idea who were disappointed with no reception in the Canadian bush. Sounds like if you're not on the coast or near a larger town/city then you're out of luck.

Alan
 
I looked into getting a weather radio before my big trip this summer but after doing a little research I came across many who had the same idea who were disappointed with no reception in the Canadian bush. Sounds like if you're not on the coast or near a larger town/city then you're out of luck.

I haven’t used the NOAA weather radio in Canada. I’m not even sure if it is compatible. I have managed to pick up am stations in remote areas and while the forecast isn't NOAA specific it’s better than nothing.
 
Unless I am going real light, I take a marine HT. I listen to the weather, and have a chance of calling other stations if I need to. I am a HAM, and sometimes carry a 2m HT in the Adirondacks. I program in the DEC repeaters. I can listen to NOAA, law enforcement, or other HAM users.
 
Someone here mentioned a Sangean DT-400. It works well in the ADK's but will only pick up distant am stations in northern Ontario after dark. I try but usually fall asleep before I hear much of what's new. Never found a weather station up there and Detroit weather isn't the same.

That kinda reminds me of the old days in the Ottawa Valley when I was 17, I couldn't wait to get there from my NY home, but then sat in the car after dark listening to WABC out of NY for the latest R&R songs.
 
Someone here mentioned a Sangean DT-400. It works well in the ADK's but will only pick up distant am stations in northern Ontario after dark. I try but usually fall asleep before I hear much of what's new. Never found a weather station up there and Detroit weather isn't the same.

I have at times picked up some North Country Public Radio station in the Adirondacks.

In places where I know I can get a NOAA station I just bring the weather radio, but I need to upgrade my am/fm/wx radio for use in other areas. The POS Kaito works but the sound quality is unlistenable. I was looking for something cheap, simple and old-school analog dialed; the Kaito is all of that, and a complete piece of junk.

The Sangean DT-400W gets good reviews. $52 at Amazon (or WallyWorld). Robin, how is the sound quality?

http://www.amazon.com/Sangean-DT-40...qid=1454170889&sr=8-1&keywords=Sangean+DT-400

Anyone want a cheap, warped in the heat POS Kaito am/fm/wx radio. Free. Just send me a mailing address. BWAHAHAHA. . . .
 
Due to GAS I bought a Sangean DT-400W last spring and used it on two trips so far. I like it very much for what it is ( a compact weather radio). It is my first am/fm/wx radio so I have no baseline to compare it to.
 
Due to GAS I bought a Sangean DT-400W last spring and used it on two trips so far. I like it very much for what it is ( a compact weather radio). It is my first am/fm/wx radio so I have no baseline to compare it to.

So I guess you don't need me to mail you that Kaito?
 
Environment Canada broadcasts their warnings on VHF 162.400-162.550 depending on your location. NOAA broadcasts in the same range- there is supposed to be coverage for all of N. America.
Here's the link to local frequencies in Canada- http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=F11D11D2-1

I have used my marine radio with wx channels extensively on the Canadian Superior coast. My only gripe is the forecast is broadcast in both English and French hence , goes on forever

I've never felt the need to take it to Woodland Caribou or Wabakimi for typical tripping. Because of my guide training I was forced to keep a cloud diary for a month and learned a lot. That usually works fine in the field, but on Superior winds are everything.. I want to know where and how strong.
 
I have used my marine radio with wx channels extensively on the Canadian Superior coast. My only gripe is the forecast is broadcast in both English and French hence , goes on forever

I've never felt the need to take it to Woodland Caribou or Wabakimi for typical tripping. Because of my guide training I was forced to keep a cloud diary for a month and learned a lot. That usually works fine in the field, but on Superior winds are everything.. I want to know where and how strong.

That is my idea of heck – listening to the weather forecast cycle in both English and French. I guarantee my attention will wander before it gets to my area and I’ll have to listen to the whole dang cycle again.

On the Mid-Atlantic coast I have a 40 year observational grounding in past weather events, although in part that comes from listening to the forecasts vs experiencing the reality of exactly what different weather patterns mean in terms of wind speed, fetch and paddling conditions.

On open water trips the wind speed, direction and timing is critical for my day-to-day trip planning. It makes a big difference if that speed/direction is going to shift at a get-going-now 2pm or a-not-worth-the-risk 10am. I’m not on a schedule, and would rather lay over and paddle some extra miles the next day in favorable conditions.

I am not as confident of my-watch-the clouds wind timing predictions as I am in a NOAA forecast, especially 24 hours out where the weather radio forecast is largely reliable.

I got no subterranean homesick blues, and I do need a weather man to tell me which way the wind blows. And when.
 
That is my idea of heck – listening to the weather forecast cycle in both English and French.
You become fluent in listening to French very quickly. The French part lasts more than the English part . French is just wordier.

Quickly you learn the difference between nuageux and neige. And become adept in metric measurements which is the only correct way to measure. We in the US are stuck with yards and worse in the BWCA ,rods..

The difference between deux mm and deux centimetres becomes quickly apparent.
 
My wife and I alsways carry marine radios, which give us access to the weather channels in the USA and Canada. First trip to Canada the weather report of "waves 2 to 3" didn't sound too bad until the announcer added "meters"!
 
I'm an Amateur Radio operator and carry a submersible Yaesu VX-6, it has an extremely wide band pre-programed receiver and transmits in the 2m/70cm bands. It has an open band mod and transmits on Marine Band, FRS, GMRS, aviation bands along with the HAM bands. I carry a small gauge wire receive antenna and a wire 'J' pole transmit antenna that can be hoisted up in a tree. VHF/UHF is line of sight, but if I get up high, sometimes I can hit repeaters at surprising distances.

I rarely turn it on :- )

Good receive is more about antenna than radio, just make sure your receiver has an external antenna jack and whip up a 50' 26 gauge wire to string in the tree's when you need some reception. It also helps to use earbuds.
 
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Well no trees and the weather radio stations were out of Key West. And Miami. The former 90 miles away and the latter 70. So for a week we guessed guessing winds is wicked hard
 
I believe Mike has called posting to a dead and gone thread as "necro-posting" but I'll give it a go anyway....

We've wanted a portable NOAA weather radio for some time and so after I found this thread I went spelunking around the internet and saw that Sangean has an updated radio, the DT-800, similar to the DT-400 discussed here that has pretty good reviews. So I ordered a DT-800 from the evil Empire of Amazon so I would have it tomorrow. It has a fair number of upgraded features and if used with Ni-MH batteries it will charge them when plugged in. As it will get used on camping trips as much as backcountry trips that sounds like a good feature to me.

We're going camping and paddling next week with the major goal of getting Rosie, our coon hound, more comfortable in a canoe....wish us luck.

https://radiojayallen.com/sangean-dt-800-am-fm-weather-pocket-radio/

I'll post a mini-review after we get back.

Best regards to all,


Lance
 
Weather forecasts available through my InReach are probably much better than anything available through a weather radio, coverage for virtually the entire planet customized for your exact location.
 
Weather forecasts available through my InReach are probably much better than anything available through a weather radio, coverage for virtually the entire planet customized for your exact location.

In Manitoba's Atikaki Park we found our travel plans being dictated by advancing forest fires and wind direction. With good forecasts we knew where not to head. AND our pilot was only a text away!
 
Weather forecasts available through my InReach are probably much better than anything available through a weather radio, coverage for virtually the entire planet customized for your exact location.

Yep, the inReach weather is great.
 
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