How do i receive activation signals from local EM or NWS?

[1000chb385]

I want to find out how to receive activation signals with purpose to activate the outdoor and indoor warning system for my apartment house and grounds. The neighbors think this is a great idea, since, our county does 'not guarantee full coverage' of our area. I found an FS Informer receiver...would that work for this purpose? We plan to install a FS Model 2 on top of the Carriage House apartment. Jeez..i hope i don't have to buy this new--the new models dont seem to sound as good as the older models, and are quite pricey

[Bryan]

Though I like your idea and it would be a decent thing to do, I would caution you about rushing head-on into this without taking the proper steps and checking with the proper officials about it. I would strongly recommend that you talk with your Emergency Management official and mention to them your concern and your willingness to provide your own siren to cover the area. They most likely will not just hand out the activation information so you can set up a siren on your own. I would mention to them that you'd like to have better coverage in that area, and that you're willing to provide a siren but would like to either have it activate with the exsisting system or would like to know if you can activate it if/when they activate the system. Some places will absouletly not allow this idea due to the liability, and some places will be more willing to allow you to use the siren. I would also concider the personal liability that you may face if someone eles relies on your siren and it does not go off at a time that it should. I don't think that someone would be able to come after you and say you're at fault for loss of life or property damage, but crazier things have happened.

The MOST important thing is that you have very good communication with the local officials and make sure that you go out of your way to show them you're wanting to help not cause unneeded complications.

[MysteryMachine]

The Informer would work if it has the relays, not all of them do. It also has to be programmed correctly. Like Bryan said I would check with the EM first before spending money on everything. They are also probably the only ones that will be able to give you the freq and tone info you need

[Bryan]

The informer will be not so cheap, and you'll pay more for one that has relays, but till you talk to the EM its a mute point

[MysteryMachine]

Yes he speaks the truth with that. I've been trying to get at least one for myself and used they are close to if not a little over 300

[Andys Live WX]

I want to find out how to receive activation signals with purpose to activate the outdoor and indoor warning system for my apartment house and grounds.

I have always wondered this too, because I'm sure every Emergency Management office handles things a little differently. All the sirens in my town are using newer controls including the Thunderbolt 1003 that I believe has been fitted with an FC. So if I were to find the original SiraTrol box with the AF timer, would I still be able to receive activation signals? That is, if the county is using a frequency that the SiraTrol is capable of picking up? Unless the county purposely updated the controls so no one could tamper with the system and are using a frequency that only the FC could handle? I really do not know.

[Bryan]

There are many places to find the frequency, radio reference (as stated above) also you can find it from the FCC database. Obviously you still need to contact and get permission from the local officials. Many places have laws/regulations on sound levels, and such that you could be violating by running a siren without permission. If you have the permission then these things won't be an issue for you more than likely

[MysteryMachine]

Yes but just having the frequency won't do any good. You have to have the correct tone to have it go off. They ain't gonna post that on radio reference. If they did anyone with a two way radio with the frequency and a know how to make tones in a generator could set the sirens off

[archangel_cpj]

You need to talk to EMA the codes are the most guarded secret of our systems and we are even getting away from codes and moving over to digital encryption. At the very least you will have a sub audible tone to even talk to the decoder and EMA is not going to just give that away...

[Andys Live WX]

You need to talk to EMA the codes are the most guarded secret of our systems and we are even getting away from codes and moving over to digital encryption.

Yeah I was trying to think of that word "digital encryption" but just could not put my tongue on it