WX500 web OM final.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Precautions Before you read anything else, please observe the following: Uniden DOES NOT represent this unit to be waterproof. To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, DO NOT expose this unit to rain or moisture. Changes or modifications to this product not expressly approved by Uniden, or operation of this product in any way other than as detailed by this Reference Guide, could void your authority to operate this product.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About Your Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About Emergency/Weather Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . 2 About FIPS Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Obtaining Your Areas FIPS Code(s) . . . . . . . . . 4 Taking Proper Care of Your Radio . . . . . . . . . . 5 Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM INTRODUCTION About Your Radio Traditional weather radios receive NOAA's weather broadcast (usually within a 50-mile radius) then sound an alarm of any emergency code which was transmitted along with the broadcast. This means that people who live outside an affected area are often alerted even when their area is not affected, causing many of them to ignore potentially real emergency/weather warnings that can save lives.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Your new radio is equipped with the following features: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 7 Preprogrammed National Weather Service Broadcast Channels Programmable Emergency/Weather Alert with S.A.M.E.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM About FIPS Codes For the purpose of broadcasting emergency/weather information, the NWS has divided the United States into regions by state and county (or parish, where applicable) then assigned a 6-digit FIPS code to identify each county or parish. For example, the code for Tarrant County, Texas, is 048439.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Obtaining Your Areas FIPS Code(s) To obtain the FIPS code for the location where you installed your radio, contact the NWS toll free at 1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263). Visit their website: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm If you call the NWS, follow the instructions you hear. If you are close to a county or parish line, you might want to obtain the codes for the nearby counties or parishes.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Taking Proper Care of Your Radio ■ ■ ■ Do not use the radio in high-moisture environments such as the kitchen or bathroom. Avoid placing the unit in direct sunlight, near heating elements, or vents. Do not plug the radio into an outlet controlled by a wall switch as prolonged periods without power causes the clock to reset.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM GETTING STARTED Setting Up the WX500 All Hazards/Weather Radio 1. Plug the AC adaptor into an outlet and into the WX500. Make sure that the outlet is not controlled by a switch that is turned OFF. 2. Install the 9V Backup Battery by removing the battery compartment cover and snapping the battery onto the terminals. 3. If you would like to program your radio to receive Alerts only for certain areas, determine the SAME codes you need.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 4. 7 4:30 PM Determine the best Emergency/Weather Channel to use in your area. The best channel for your area is listed on the NOAA website at: http://205.156.54.206/nwr/indexnw.htm along with the SAME codes, or at http://205.156.54.206/nwr/nwrbro.htm. Or, you can turn the Emergency/Weather Radio and NWR broadcast ON, enter the Menu, and change the CHANNEL until you find the broadcast with the best reception. Channel Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 5. 07/15/2002 NOAA Frequency (MHz) 162.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Battery Backup Battery backup capability allows the WX500 to operate for a limited time when AC power is not available. During AC power loss, all radio features are available, but turning the Emergency/Weather Radio OFF will conserve the battery. Remove the battery if the WX500 will not be plugged in for an extended period of time. Without AC or Battery Backup power, the Clock time will be lost, but all other programmed information will be kept.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Controls & Functions 1. LCD Display Displays time, channel, frequency, and functions. 2. Green Indicator Indicates that a Statement type of alert broadcast is in effect. Refer to the alert table for details. 3. Yellow Indicator Indicates that a Watch type of alert broadcast is in effect. Refer to the alert table for details. 4. Red Indicator Indicates that a Warning type of alert broadcast is in effect. Refer to the alert table for details. 5.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM and sets the Alarm Clock tones to start again in 8 minutes (press any other key to reset the Alarm until the alarm time is reached again). 11. volume/on/off Turns the Weather Radio's receiver ON and OFF. Sets the Volume level for NWR broadcasts. The receiver must be ON in order to use the Weather button or to receive alerts. 12. Speaker NOTE: If the Emergency/Weather Radio is turned OFF while alert messages are active, the active alerts will be deleted.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Initial Settings There are six menu options that you must set up prior to proper operation. To do this, press the menu key. Use the 5/6 keys to change the six menu options. Setting Default Clock Time (TIME) 12:00 AM Alarm (ALARM) OFF Channel (CHANNEL) 1 (162.550 MHz) SAME code (SAME SET) ANY Alert type (ALT TYPE) VOICE Backlight mode (LIGHT) SAVE To exit the menu mode, press menu repeatedly.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Clock Setting When you first apply power or when there is a power outage without the battery backup, the current time on the display will not be correct. To set the current time: 1. Press menu. 2. TIME appears on the display. 3. Press select. 4. Enter the time by pressing the 3, 4, 5, and 6 keys. 5. Press select to complete the entry. The display goes back to the Menu mode.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Alarm Clock Setting As an additional feature, the WX500 has an audible alarm clock. Before setting this feature, set the clock to the current time. (See page 12.) 13 1. Press the menu key. 2. Press 5/6 until ALARM appears. 3. Press select for setting the Alarm Clock. 4. Press 5/6 to choose the Alarm Clock Setting. If you do not want to set the Alarm Clock, select OFF. The display goes back to the menu mode. 5.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM NWS Broadcast Channel Setting Your radio is preprogrammed with the seven National Weather Service broadcast frequencies (Channel 1-7). Depending on your location, you may be able to receive more than one channel with clear reception. CH No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frequency (MHz) 162.550 162.400 162.475 162.425 162.450 162.500 162.525 The first time you use your radio, Channel 1 (162.550 MHz) is automatically set as your emergency/weather channel.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM FIPS Code Setting The 6-digit Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) code established by the National Weather Service (NWS) identifies geographic areas in the United States. Programming FIPS code is necessary to receive S.A.M.E. alerts about emergencies/weather occurring in a particular area. To set FIPS codes: 1. Press menu and toggle 5/6 until SAME SET appears in the display. 2. Press select. 3. Press 5/6 to select SINGLE, MULTIPLE, or ANY.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Option Description: ANY FIPS SINGLE MULTIPLE 6. When this option is selected, your radio receives the alert signals of any FIPS codes whether you have programmed them or not. When this option is selected, your radio only receives the alert signals corresponding to the FIPS code that you enter. When this option is selected, your radio receives the alert signals corresponding to the FIPS code that you program in any of the 20 memory locations.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Alert Type Setting When the All Hazards/Weather Radio is ON, this setting determines how WX500 will communicate screened NWR Alert messages. For all three selections, the 5 most recent Alerts, along with Severity and Time of the Message Expiration, will be shown on the display. DISPLAY: Upon receiving a screened NWR Alert, only the Alert and Alert Severity displays will be affected.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM To change the Alert Type setting, see the following steps. 1. Press the menu key 2. Press 5/6 until ALT TYPE appears on the display. 3. Press the select key. 4. Press 5/6 to choose TONE, VOICE or DISPLAY. 5. Press the select key again. 6. Press menu to exit. The Alert Type setting you selected will determine the Alert Type icon on the display. If you selected the TONE Alert Type alert, the following icon will be displayed.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Backlight Setting The initial setting for the display backlight is SAVE, which means the backlight stays on for 10 seconds. You can change this setting by following the steps below: 1. Press the menu key. 2. Press 5/6 until LIGHT appears on the display. 3. Press the select key for the Backlight Settings. 3. Press 5/6 to select OFF, SAVE, CONST-LO, or CONST-HI. OFF The LCD backlight will never be illuminated.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM OPERATION Using the All Hazards/Weather Radio Your radio functions as an all hazards/weather warning radio. This is especially useful when your area is expecting severe weather conditions any time of day. It emits a loud tone whenever your local NOAA weather station broadcasts a severe emergency tone. You have the option of listening to the emergency/weather broadcast or not.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 4. 07/15/2002 4:30 PM The last five, non-expired, Alerts will scroll across the LCD one at a time. Each Alert will be displayed with its appropriate Severity indicator and with the time until the Alert message expires. You can force the WX500 to quickly skip to the previous/next Alert by using the 5/6 keys. Stop Alert tones by pressing any key. The NWS uses sophisticated models to determine an Alert's expiration time.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM The following is a list of Event codes transmitted by the National Weather Service. When a specific Event code is received, this chart indicates the displays as they alternately appear on the display with the corresponding Alert Type indicator, and the Alert Type tone of the siren.
WX500 web OM final.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM Testing the Weather Alert Radio NWR stations conduct regular tests of Alert broadcasting. Tests normally occur on Wednesdays between 10AM and 12PM unless threatening weather is occurring. Your local station can be contacted to find out exact dates and times of tests. You should make sure your WX500 receives these Test Alerts in its installed location.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM TROUBLESHOOTING If your WX500 radio is not performing properly, try the following steps. If you are still unable to resolve the problem, contact your place of purchase or call customer service at (800) 297-1023. Problem Solution Check the connections at both ends of the AC Adapter. Turn on the wall switch of your room. You could be using an outlet controlled by the wall switch. Move the AC Adapter to another wall outlet. Move the antenna. Poor reception.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Coverage (MHz): Channel 1: Channel 2: Channel 3: Channel 4: Channel 5: Channel 6: Channel 7: 162.550 162.400 162.475 162.425 162.450 162.500 162.525 Receiving Sensitivity (at 12 dB SINAD): 0.35 mV FIPS Decode Sensitivity @ Dev. ±4.5 kHz Deviation/90 % Success Rate: 0.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM ONE-YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY Important: Evidence of original purchase is required for warranty service. WARRANTOR: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION (Uniden) ELEMENTS OF WARRANTY: Uniden warrants, for one year, to the original retail owner, this Uniden Product to be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship with only the limitations or exclusions set out below.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. Some states do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. LEGAL REMEDIES: This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty is void outside the United States of America.
WX500 web OM final.qxd 07/15/2002 4:30 PM THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING THIS UNIDEN PRODUCT! ©2002 Uniden America Corporation OMWX500 All rights reserved Printed in China Covered under one or more of the following U.S.
