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I bought a pair of A2′s a couple of months ago. They are great speakers. I now feed them from an affordable Creative X-Fi Go Pro USB DAC, and my laptop is now my stereo system. I also bought a…
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With all of the unpredictable weather we have been experiencing lately, particularly the destructive tornados from last week, we have been receiving an uptick in interest in our weather radios. We thought it might be helpful to put together a quick guide to make it a little easier for those shopping for their first weather radio.

What Is A Weather Radio?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a federal agency that, among other things, is tasked with monitoring the weather (through the National Weather Service). NOAA has transmitting stations spread throughout the United States that constantly broadcast the current weather conditions for the surrounding area. Each station transmits a message on one of seven VHF frequencies (162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550). A looped recording is constantly played over these frequencies describing the current weather.

A basic weather radio allows you to tune into these frequencies and instantly hear a weather report at any time. Very simple models are super easy to use, only requiring that you choose your local channel and press a button to start listening. Choosing a channel is often as simple as scrolling through stations 1-7 and listening for the one that is the clearest, but NOAA has a page on their web site that will allow you to find the station that is designated for your area.

While a basic weather radio can be useful, a more advanced radio is really recommended.

Proactive Alerts
More advanced weather radios take things a step further, proactively alerting you when an emergency or dangerous weather situation occurs. When an emergency arises, a special tone is transmitted by the NOAA stations. Many weather radios can constantly monitor for these tones and turn themselves on when the tone is heard. This is critical, as it allows your weather radio to now alert you proactively to an emergency.

One drawback of the weather radios that proactively alert is that a NOAA transmitting station covers a very large area, and you may find yourself being alerted to events that do not necessarily apply to your city or county. If this happens enough, you may find yourself paying less attention to the radio when it sounds an alert. The most advanced weather radios support “Specific Area Message Encoding,” or SAME, which solves this problem. Weather radios using SAME technology allow you to enter a code that will focus the alerts on roughly a zip code sized area, ensuring that only warnings in your designated area will be alerted to you.

Who Needs A Weather Radio?
As a retailer, it is a little cliché to say that everyone needs our product. In the case of a weather radio, however, I offer no apologies. Year after year we see news stories about people who die in emergencies in which they just didn’t have time to get to safety. Weather radios save lives year after year by waking people in the middle of the night or providing enough warning time for them to get to shelter. This is a product that sells for a range of – that could make the all the difference in the world when an emergency occurs, so there is really no reason not to have one.

Fortunately, it seems like weather radios are catching on in a big way. Local news channels have gotten the word out about the importance of having one and we see many businesses purchasing them to help keep their employees safe. Weather radios are also in use by almost all of the schools in the nation now, with the Midland WR-120 being the most popular model.

What Is The Best Weather Radio?
As with most products, the best weather radio really depends upon how you plan to use it and even how much you want to spend. Here I’ll outline a few of our best sellers and give the pros and cons of each.

Midland WR-120 Weather Radio – The Midland WR-120 is possibly the most popular weather radio in the world. It is a full featured desktop weather radio, supporting SAME technology and even allowing for the connection of (optional) external accessories such as a strobe light or antenna.

Midland WR-300 Weather Radio – More advanced than the WR-120, the WR-300 also includes features such as an AM/FM radio, alarm clock, selectable alert settings, and color coded alert lights.

Midland HH54VP Weather Radio – This is a full featured hand-held weather radio with SAME technology. Also available with a charger.

Midland XT-511 Emergency Crank Radio – This is more of an all-around emergency device than simply a weather radio. It can be powered by AC, DC, battery, or by crank. It has a flashlight, AM/FM radio, weather radio, GMRS two way radio and USB port. It would be nice to have during a power outage or on a camping trip. Does not support SAME.

Midland HH50 Weather Radio – This is a very small and inexpensive hand held All Hazards Alert radio. Does not support SAME.

Weather Radio Accessories
Midland 18-STR Strobe Light – This accessory is made to go with your Midland Weather Radios. This strobe light will plug directly into many weather radio models, giving you a visual alert in case of an alert. This would be great if you had a family member with hearing problems or simply wanted to keep the volume on your weather radio at a minimum.

Midland 18-259W Weather Antenna – This antenna is will help if you are in an area or in a building where it is difficult to receive a strong signal. Great for cars, vans, homes, boats, RVs, and is specially designed to use for steel buildings and manufactured homes with metallic siding or construction.

Survival & Emergency Kits – Our emergency kits are a necessity when severe weather hits. Ideal to keep in a home or a vehicle, these kits can be the difference maker in an emergency situation. They range from a bare necessities kit (food, water, first aid materials) all the way up to an Emergency Zone Survivor kit that is built for 4 people (includes folding stove, tent, knife, sleeping bag, water, food, rope, toothbrush, shampoo and much more!)

Whether you live in a region with unpredictable weather or you just want to be prepared in an emergency situation, we here at www.BuyTwoWayRadios.com have the tools to keep you and your loved ones safe and prepared. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact our sales staff at 1-800-584-1445!

Buy Two Way Radios – The Blog

Louis has sent us this article about a possible breakthrough in wireless technology, vortex radio waves.
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This tutorial produced by Vertex Standard explains how to use the Stun/Kill/Revive features found on Vertex Standard VX-450 Series two way radios available from www.buytwowayradios.com.

Buy Two Way Radios – The Blog

Last month we told you about some exciting changes to Midland’s 2012 lineup of FRS/GMRS two way radios. We now have more details and we’re even more excited to pass them along to you. Early this year, Midland promised technical and cosmetic upgrades to its line of consumer radios, including new models. Midland has made many enhancements and performance improvements to its entire line of two way radios during the last few years, and they are taking it all to the next level in 2012.

Feature Upgrades
Among new products to be introduced this year is the new GXT2000 Series. According to Midland, the new GXT2000 and GXT2050 radios will each offer a large, easy to read LCD display. A fast charging, higher capacity lithium polymer battery will also be included to provide longer battery life. This battery can charge from 0-90% in about an hour and trickle charge the final 10% in less than another. The battery upgrade will be a welcome one for hikers, campers and others who love the outdoors and need a battery that charges faster and lasts longer out in the field.

In addition to the new models, Midland’s 2012 lineup includes two popular, tried and true standards, the GXT1000VP4 and the GXT1050VP4.

All Midland two way radios include a 3 year warranty, proving their commitment to stand behind their products.

2012 Model Specifications

Here is a sneak peek at the lineup of new models with the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices. We expect to have them in stock by mid-summer of 2012. Note that actual prices may vary on release.

LXT118 (MSRP .99) – 22 channels, channel scan, keypad lock, eVOX, call alert, auto squelch, dual power options, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, charges through the headset jack, battery life extender, water resistant.

LXT118VP (MSRP .99) – This is the LXT118P in a value pack with two radios, beltclips, rechargeable AAA batteries, AC adapter and owner’s manual.

LXT500VP3 (MSRP .99) – 22 channels, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, channel scan, keypad lock, call alert, auto squelch, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

LXT535VP3 (MSRP .99) – 22 channels, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, channel scan, keypad lock, call alert, auto squelch, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

LXT600VP3 – (MSRP .99) – 22 channels plus 14 extra channels, 121 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio w/weather scan, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, silent operation, HI/LO power settings, eVOX, channel scan, keypad lock, 5 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

GXT860VP4 – (MSRP .99) – 22 channels plus 20 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX, channel scan, keypad lock, 10 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

GXT895VP4 – (MSRP .99) – Camo shell, 22 channels plus 20 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX, channel scan, keypad lock, 15 call alerts, 5 animal call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant.

GXT1000VP4 – (MSRP .99) – 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 285 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 10 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

GXT1050VP4 – (MSRP .99) – Camo shell, 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 285 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 10 call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual power options, roger beep, keystroke tones, mic and headphone jacks, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

GXT2000VP4 – (MSRP 9.99) – 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 15 call alerts, 5 animal call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual watch, dual power options, SOS siren, roger beep, keystroke tones, HD dynamic audio, mic and headphone jacks, EXTREME Lithium-Polymer battery pack, ultra fast charge, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

GXT2050VP4 – (MSRP 9.99) – Camo shell, 22 channels plus 28 extra channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather alert radio with weather scan, LCD backlit display, vibrate alert, silent operation, whisper mode, HI/MED/LO power settings, eVOX (9 levels), channel scan, keypad lock, group call, 10 call alerts, 5 animal call alerts, auto squelch, monitor, dual watch, dual power options, SOS siren, roger beep, keystroke tones, HD dynamic audio, mic and headphone jacks, EXTREME Lithium-Polymer battery pack, ultra fast charge, drop-in charger capable, battery life extender, water resistant, JIS4 waterproof.

We will keep you updated with more information as it becomes available.

Buy Two Way Radios – The Blog

We talk about taking two way radios on camping trips. We also review the Garmin Rino 655t two way radio with GPS.

Intro :00
Billboard 1:16

Topic Discussion 1:30
We talk about using two way radios while camping. We’ll identify what features are important to have in a two way radio when out camping and make a few recommendations on the best radios for use on camping trips. Radios discussed include the Midland GXT1000VP4, Midland GXT5000, Cobra microTALK CXR925, Motorola TALKABOUT MR350R VP, Motorola TALKABOUT T9680R-SAME, Uniden GMR3689-2CK, Garmin Rino Two Way Radios with GPS, and the Midland XT511 Base Camp Two Way / Emergency Crank Radio. For more information about using two way radios on camping trips, read Two Way Radios For Camping and listen to The Two Way Radio Show Episode 3 – Radios In The Woods.

Commercial Break 22:59
buytwowayradios.com 1:00

Product Review 23:57
Today we review the Garmin Rino 655t Two Way Radio With GPS.

Questions and Answers 33:25
Questions from readers of our Two Way Radio Blog and members of the Two Way Radio Forum. The Two Way Radio Show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, BlackBerry and WebOS phones. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com.

Wrap up and Close 36:02
Send in your comments and questions for Danny, Anthony and Rick to show@buytwowayradios.com. Feedback on this and other topics will be read by the hosts and included in future episodes of the show. Visit us at www.twowayradioshow.com!

© 2012 Cricket Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.

Buy Two Way Radios – The Blog

Constant and effective communication provided by the Motorola radio is very important; may it be in business, in school, government, or even privately. Lack of communication is the reason why problems arise and why difficulties at work exist. If communication is always present, there will be success in every venture made. Companies and business need [...]
Two Way Radios

Japan is a well-known manufacturer of high-quality, modern technological products. Kenwood Corporation, along with its many branches around the world is a manufacturer of radio and audio equipment.

With revenue reaching up to one billion dollars in 2006, Kenwood Corporation started as the Kasuga Radio Co. Ltd. 1946 and renamed Trio Corporation in 1963; but in the period where Japanese made products are treated as low-quality, the co-owners of Trio Corporation changed the name of the company to Kenwood to make it sound American. Ken is a Japanese and Western name while Wood refers to the sturdiness.
Two Way Radios

We talk about the Mil-Spec and Mil-STD ratings on two way radios and what they mean. We also review the Icom IC-F3001 and IC-F4001 two way radios.

Intro :00
Billboard 1:18

Topic Discussion 1:32
We talk about Mil-Spec and Mil-STD. We discuss what they are, what tests are performed on the radios to meet these ratings and identify some radios that carry these designations. Radios discussed include Icom, Kenwood, Motorola and Vertex business radios. For more information about Mil-Spec and Mil-STD, read the Military Standards Publications at The US Army Developmental Test Command.

Commercial Break 16:05
buytwowayradios.com 1:00

Product Review 17:03
Today we review the Icom IC-F3001 and IC-F4001 business two way radios.

Questions and Answers 24:12
Questions from readers of our Two Way Radio Blog and members of the Two Way Radio Forum. The Two Way Radio Show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, BlackBerry and WebOS phones. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com.

Wrap up and Close 31:30
Send in your comments and questions for Danny, Anthony and Rick to show@buytwowayradios.com. Feedback on this and other topics will be read by the hosts and included in future episodes of the show. Visit us at www.twowayradioshow.com!

© 2012 Cricket Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.

Buy Two Way Radios – The Blog

Decent price for one of my favorite Invicta designs, the monochromatic gunmetal Ocean Reef with 46mm bezel. I used a photo of mine. I would love to see Invicta make a new, bigger version, perhaps around 50mm.
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