MIDLAND WR300 Weather Radio
by Midland
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List Price: Our Price: $39.99 You Save: $40.00 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $19.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of MIDLAND WR300 Weather Radio
Customer Review: Simply a great product
Summary: 5 Stars
This weather-alert radio is one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. It's attractive, functions exactly as advertised and is a good value.
The complaints of other reviewers have ranged from the radio being difficult to program, the quality of the speakers, the unit not functioning very well as a clock-radio, and the loud beep that sounds every time a button is pressed.
I found programming the radio wasn't difficult at all. To be sure, you have to carefully read the instruction manual, but the instructions are clear and concise and take you through the process step-by-step. Not including the time it took to read the manual, I had the radio programmed in about 5 minutes.
As for the quality of the speakers, well, it's a small clock-radio. We're not talking stereo surround sound here, but we're not expecting that, either. Bottom line, the speakers are just fine and deliver more-than acceptable sound.
I have no complaints with the unit functioning as a clock-radio, either. The time display isn't terribly large, but that's because most of the clock-face real estate is taken up by whatever warning message is being displayed. The main function of the radio, after all, is to alert you to approaching danger. At night, you can choose to have the display backlit continuously so you can see the time.
The radio has three memory presets for FM stations and three more for AM stations. When you set an alarm time, the radio turns on at the assigned time, just as you'd expect. There's also a snooze button. There aren't any bells and whistles, but again, it's a weather-alert radio that doubles as a clock-radio -- not vice versa.
Yes, the unit does beep every time a key is pressed. I don't find it particularly bothersome, but if you do, you can silence the beeps when you're programming it by turning off the volume/power switch on the side of the radio. You can then program to your heart's content without a single beep. Just remember to turn the switch back on when you're done so the weather-alert function will work.
Finding the S.A.M.E. county codes on the Internet was easy and it was simple to program the ones into the unit that I'm interested in. Sure enough, each time there's been a weather event, the unit has gone off and displayed what's happening. The radio also turns on and broadcasts the appropriate NOAA warning. You can filter the types of warnings you receive in various manners and you can also choose whether or not to have the radio's siren alert you, as well. There are even two volume levels for the siren.
All in all, this is a great product. If you're concerned about the weather and your safety, you won't regret this purchase.
Customer Review: Excellent safety device
Summary: 5 Stars
Other reviews helped me to buy this radio. Live in tornado alley and hard to hear the public sirens. Set this to go off only for tornado warning while lights show other conditions like watches and advisories or warnings I do not have flagged for siren since do not need to be awakened middle of the night for a flood warning or severe thunderstorm warning since first not issue for me and second there is nothing I would get up to do about it!
Instructions are not intuitive as others have mentioned and have to work with this to get it set properly. Knowing you have to push up and down buttons to review if more than one event e.g., tornado warning with flood warning and high wind warning and then have to turn on and off to go back to the screen is awkward. Print a bit small on screen and too bright for using at night if leave on continuously. But it does now show when events expire and the notice and lights turn off automatically when expires.
As a radio the speaker is tinny as seems typical for these types of radio. If you love Bose clock radio this is not it!
In two months I have owned this it has gone off twice, once at night when tornado was very close and second time early evening when did not know storms were in the area. Could be a life saver especially at night. I use satellite TV so do not get warnings on TV screen when something is going on in my area. Also use DVR to cut out commercials and watch shows on my schedule so warnings that would otherwise show up I would not get. Therefore having something what will alert me when watching TV or when TV is off is valuable to me.
I am pleased enough to recommend to friends and my two adult children. Does have a few odd items listed such as Iceberg alert which is probably not too useful in Missouri. Also not all the alert items are listed to check for siren notice and assume the more serious would sound alert e.g., nuclear event, chemical spill, tsumami event, etc.
While I have given this five stars because it performs it major function well the set up, quality of speaker and reception issues cause me to give it lower scores on those issues. But it does what I bought it to do and for that it gets highest rating.
Customer Review: Excellent product and fast shipping.
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by stating that I'm in Florida. I tried finding a weather alert radio in a 80-mile radius of my home (no joke). I asked big-name electronics stores, department stores, and even the usually dependable pharmacy. All were out-of-stock. Home improvement stores stock up on them during hurricane threats. This search went on for 3-weeks. "Call back, we may get them in stock". I even went online with a large electronics chain and ordered their "in-stock" radio, only to be notified that it was on back-order.
Then I turned to Amazon. A little concerned about availability, I placed my order. This was on April 22. I received it today, 3-days later! How quick and simple can that be?
Ok, about the radio (ahem). Very nice unit. I live about 30-miles from our local weather station. Reception is clear and sounds very good on this radio. Programming was very easy. Right now, I'm monitoring alerts for 3 counties. The loud alert tones are ... LOUD. You can also set a "Lo" alert. I also like the feature of disabling certain alerts (test alerts by NOAA on Wednesdays comes to mind). The screen is big and clear with a nice blue backlight. AM reception is ok (I'm too far from my particular favorite station). FM reception is much better. Yes, it has AM/FM as well as a time/date display. It also has a wake-up alarm feature. So far, I'm very satisfied with this product. And, it was priced $20 cheaper than what the local electronics chain was offering online.
Now, about the loud beep everyone is complaining about. There is a simple fix for this - TURN THE VOLUME CONTROL "OFF"! While programming the radio, I found this out easily enough. If you turn that dial on the side, for volume, off (until it clicks), you don't hear the beeps anymore. Problem solved. If this fix was mentioned already, sorry I missed it.
As a last note about the main function of the radio: As I'm writing this, it is currently sunny and hot here, so I can't say if the alert does its job or not. But the season is just starting so I know it will have a
lot of work to do, soon.
Customer Review: Be notified when the news stations are notified...
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this unit 6 months ago with the fear of "tornado season" coming. I live in an area where a tornado is likely with almost every storm. In past years, Easter weekend has been ruined by the destruction of houses in the path of a tornado.
We hear the alarm and listen to the weather service warning BEFORE the news stations can announce the warning on t.v.
The WR-300 has been great. The alarm is clearly heard by everyone throughout the house and the display gives a read out of the alert while the alarm is sounding. You can hear the local weather service with the touch of a button or press the AM/FM button and listen to local radio stations of your choice. The use of this radio is very simple. My kids know how to turn off the siren and how to press the weather radio button to listen to the verbal warning from the National Weather Service. The alarm is a great asset to have during night time hours.
The radio can be plugged in for everyday use and then when power is out for whatever reason, the backup batteries take over so that you can hear announcements and further weather warnings.
Many people have complained about the beeping while pressing the buttons. Yes, there is a beep but it is not that annoying. We do not do very much button pushing in the middle of the night and it has not bothered us.
There is a weekly test that can be a little annoying if you are asleep during the day. My husband is military and his schedule changes regularly, sometimes causing him to work mid-shift. When he is sleeping during the daytime hours, the alarm sounding during the weekly test can be disturbing but it is a small price to pay for safety. On the other side, the weekly test is a nice option. Each week we are assured that the radio is working and the alert will come through during an emergency.
This is a great item and wonderful purchase to make for yourself or a loved one. You really can not put a price on safety.
Customer Review: One of the best weather radios out there!
Summary: 5 Stars
For the longest time, I never felt the need for a weather radio, but when I moved to MS, I really felt the need for one, with the majority of severe weather and tornadoes occuring during the middle of the night a lot more than other places I have lived. I got this model based on the recommendation of a co-worker who has the same one. I have no complaints whatsoever! My mom had purchased the cheaper model(the $30 model), and it never seemed to work. I personally know it was programmed correctly as I am employed by the NWS and know how to program a weather radio. She returned hers and got a replacement and that one did not work..and I do know that her NWS was sending out the weekly test, warnings, etc. I have also been told by many other people that that model did not work that well either. So, I decided to go with this model, plus I really liked the added feature of being able to disable certain alarms, like the monthly and weekly tests. Those are good things to have alert, but I did not wish to hear them.
I found that this model weather radio was fairly easy to program, and I did not even need to use the manual. That may be different for other people who are not as fluent in weather radio programming or programming technology in general. But the manual is well written to explain it all. I like the ability to turn down the volume of the alert, and that you can view expired alerts. I am usually at work during severe weather, so I do not know whether it goes off or not, but being able to review alerts lets me know that the radio did go off.
I have to agree with those that stressed this is a weather radio first and a radio second. And if I were to recommend a weather radio to anyone, this would be the model I would recommend. I have heard, read, and experienced nothing but good things with this model. It is worth the money since it does save lives.