# Got a new NOAA Weather Alert radio today: SANGEAN CL 100



## Melensdad

Picked up a new weather radio today.  I wanted one with both NOAA alerts and the more targeted SAME alerts.  Looked at the reviews, shopped around and bought the SANGEAN CL 100.  Nice little radio.  I was really wanting something bigger, with a bigger speaker, but this is a very well built, high quality little radio and it has a big enough sound to do a good job as a bedside or kitchen radio.  

The radio is very programable and you can select which emergency conditions you want to be alerted about, and then you can program how you want the alert received.  It also does a very nice job of bringing in distant FM radio stations _(I can receive Chicago, Kankakee, IL and also the local N.W. Indiana radio stations clearly, many of our other radios cannot get all the major Chicago stations clearly)._ 

The radio also has DUAL alarm clocks, sleep mode, and user adjustable dimmable display so it would make a great alarm clock if you chose to use it on your nightstand.

The radio runs on either 4 AA batteries or AC power.  While it does not charge the batteries, it will default to AC power when its plugged in and automatically switches to AA battery power during power failures.

So far I'm very happy with this choice.






Read about here => http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/wx/5100.html


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## bczoom

I have the same radio.  Wish I knew you were looking for one as I would have parted with mine.  As the reviews said, great radio.  Bad for me is that where I live, there's no signal to speak of so it never kicks on the weather alarms.


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## Melensdad

Bummer.  I can pick up 2 of the NOAA stations clearly and a 3rd with a bit of interfearance.


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## bczoom

Weather channel has warnings scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

The radio sitting on my desk sits quietly...


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## Melensdad

I have mine set to be silent during ADVISORIES and WATCHES, the little light on the front panel lights up, the screen shows the message, but the radio stays silent until there is a WARNING


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## bczoom

Hmmm.  Maybe I need to look at it closer.  I wonder if I did the same settings which is why I don't ever get anything.


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## Melensdad

Its semi-complicated to set up.


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## tiredretired

If you don't mind me asking, how much do they run?


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## Melensdad

About $59, give or take, depending on where you order from.


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## bczoom

About $60.


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## tiredretired

Melensdad said:


> About $59, give or take, depending on where you order from.





bczoom said:


> About $60.



Oh hell, that ain't bad.  Maybe there's one in my future. Been thinking about one of those radios with the crank generator as part of my prepper  collection as well.


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## Melensdad

Weather radio started going crazy this morning about 6am.  Sky looked clear.  Issuing WATCHES.

Then about 6:40 the light went from YELLOW to RED.

10 minutes later the sky turned black, the wind gusts went from really mild breezes to tree shaking bursts.  Right now the willow tree is dumping its leaves into my swimming pool at an alarming rate_ (no radio warning for that). _ The woods behind the house are swaying to a big band number that predates rock & roll and it makes me wonder how many trees we will lose if the wind keeps up.  The house is shaking.  I have 4' overhanging eaves on the house, the builder put extra joist ties along the roof to hold the rafters on the house in a heavy storm because with a 3 story tall wall and those 4' overhanging eaves he was concerned the westerly winds would hit that wall and blow the roof off.  Today is a day I should send him a thank you letter.

7:10am and the rain started.


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## EastTexFrank

Melensdad said:


> I have mine set to be silent during ADVISORIES and WATCHES, the little light on the front panel lights up, the screen shows the message, but the radio stays silent until there is a WARNING



That would be nice.  

Mine sits beside the bed because I was always worried about bad weather developing while we were asleep and the first thing that I'd know about it was when the windows got blown in.  I eventually turned it off because the darned thing would keep you awake all night with beeps and warnings that were for areas miles and miles away.  Maybe I need to check the instructions again and see if I can program it differently.  These days I check the weather before going to bed and if there's anything reasonably local, I turn it on.  A tornado warning in Florida doesn't interest me much.  

I may have to replace it with one of the newer ones.  I have a hand cranker in my emergency bag but it's going to stay there.


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## bczoom

The Sangean allows you to define warnings by whatever Counties you specify.  I'm on the border of 2 so I have it warn for both.


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## Melensdad

bczoom said:


> The Sangean allows you to define warnings by whatever Counties you specify.  I'm on the border of 2 so I have it warn for both.



I'm on the border of 3.  So I specify 2 counties in IL and my home county in IN.  But I'm within a mile of the northwest corner of 1 of the Illinois counties, and the southwest corner of the other Illinois county, and only 1 mile inside my county.


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## EastTexFrank

Well that was worthwhile.  Thanks Bob and zoomer for getting me started.  

I dug out the instructions and it seems that my ol' Radio Shack radio has all the goodies except AM/FM which isn't needed.  

It has SAME and I can enter FIPS codes to designate my particular area or surrounding area.  I can also select the type of weather alerts received so I no longer get iceberg alerts or avalanche warnings for East Texas.  Just kiddin'.  

It was a pain in the butt to reprogram but it's done.  That'll make it much more useful as a constant monitor rather than the spot checker it had become.


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## Dargo

I have everything on mine disabled except for my half of our county and then it is programmed to only go off for 1) a tornado warning or 2) a severe thunderstorm warning.  Other than that, I don't care to be greeted at 2am with it screeching because there is a flash flood watch!  My home nor any other homes I own are in a flood prone area.  I figured Bob would leave the avalanche watch enabled on his...


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## Melensdad

Dargo said:


> . . . blah blah blah . . .  I figured Bob would leave the avalanche watch enabled on his...



I need to be alert for midwest Snow Cat rescues


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## tiredretired

Mel, did the alarms wake you up?  It would have to me.


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## Melensdad

Nope, but it woke up my wife!


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## squerly

Ordered one, it arrives on Friday.


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## bczoom

bczoom said:


> I have the same radio.  Wish I knew you were looking for one as I would have parted with mine.  As the reviews said, great radio.  Bad for me is that where I live, there's no signal to speak of so it never kicks on the weather alarms.





squerly said:


> Ordered one, it arrives on Friday.


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## squerly

Sorry, I should have read the thread.  What do you want for it Brian?  I might put it in the barn.


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## Snowtrac Nome

Melensdad said:


> I need to be alert for midwest Snow Cat rescues


 the 2 krustys are in Idaho.


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## Rusty Shackleford

Sangean makes a quality product, though I lean towards Midland. Had them in the past and they work very well, and are real easy to program. Just bought a new handheld one with rechargable battery pack and dock charger for when I am mobile. Only complaint I have about them is they are made in China now. I still prefer them due to past experiences. Just curious, where is that Sangean made?


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## squerly

Rusty Shackleford said:


> Just curious, where is that Sangean made?


The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, with a factory located in Dongguan, China.
 In Europe, Sangean is a 50/50 joint-venture between Sangean/Taiwan and the STL group in the Netherlands.[1]


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## Rusty Shackleford

Well, I should know by now that fi it's electronic, it ain't made in US!


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## Snowtrac Nome

even shwinn bicycles aren't made in the us now days about the only things that are sill made here are  Ruger, Remington and and marlin rifles


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## Rusty Shackleford

dds said:


> even shwinn bicycles aren't made in the us now days about the only things that are sill made here are  Ruger, Remington and and marlin rifles



And Dollar Tree laundry baskets!


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## bczoom

OK, I took mine upstairs into the bedroom.  I need to put a better antenna on it but it's working up there.
In the last hour it's gone off 4-5 times.  Everything up to and including tornado warnings.

So, for now anyway, I'm going to keep it.  That weather alarm even on low volume will wake the dead.


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## muleman RIP

I should get one as a backup for the little Mexican dog. If there is any thunder going on she will wake you up. If it is real close the Jack Russel starts in as well.


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## Jim_S RIP

bczoom said:


> OK, I took mine upstairs into the bedroom.  I need to put a better antenna on it but it's working up there.
> In the last hour it's gone off 4-5 times.  Everything up to and including tornado warnings.
> 
> So, for now anyway, I'm going to keep it.  That weather alarm even on low volume will wake the dead.



Glad you got it working!

Jim


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## Jim_S RIP

I found one on Amazon.  $60 with free shipping.



> I need to put a better antenna on it but it's working up there



This should be better than the built in $15.49

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sangean-America-Inc-ANT-100-External/dp/B0055Q5FIQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373572288&sr=8-2&keywords=Sangean+antenna"]Amazon.com: Sangean ANT-100 External Antenna: Car Electronics[/ame]


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## bczoom

Thanks Jim.  That looks so much like a CB antenna, I may check my cache of antennas before buying one.


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## Jim_S RIP

bczoom said:


> Thanks Jim.  That looks so much like a CB antenna, I may check my cache of antennas before buying one.



Worth a try!

 You'll need an adaptor to match the plug on the scanner.  Radio Shack will have one. 

The only potential problem could be the matching network at the base of the antenna.  CB is 27 mHz and you're working much higher 160 mHz. The mismatch might reduce the signal. As long as it works better though you've made progress!

Jim


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## bczoom

I checked the stereo box for an antenna last night but only had an AM antenna.  Going to dig more as the jack is for both FM and weather.  I gotta have a FM antenna laying around here somewhere (hopefully with 3.5 mm jack)...


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