While my J-pole antennas where primarily designed for transmitting on the amateur radio bands, over the years I’ve increased the models available to cover other VHF and UHF radio bands. One underlooked band that is very important to public safety is the NOAA weather radio band. Every household should have a NOAA weather radio tuned to the closest NOAA weather radio transmitter. Even though you may receive weather watches or warnings via your television, radio, or phone; these devices may not alert you in a timely fashion when severe weather strikes. This is especially true at night.

NOAA Weather Radio Band Antenna. (Click to enlarge)

Unfortunately, the NOAA weather radio signal may not be well received in some communities due to terrain, distance from the transmitter, or urban geography. NOAA weather radio transmitters are designed and located to cover about a 40 mile radius. This allows the National Weather Service to broadcast specific weather alerts for a geographic location. If you live on the fringes or in an area of rough terrain, you may need an external antenna to receive NOAA weather radio broadcasts. My Railroad Band J-Pole antenna is tuned to 162MHz which in the same frequency range of NOAA weather radio. If you are having a hard time picking up NOAA weather radio signals, connecting an external antenna like my railroad band antenna will greatly increase your reception and give you a solid signal.

 

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