Reception Problems and Solutions
First check to see if your county is covered
by a NWR station.
The range for NWR reception is about 40 miles from the transmitter.
However, many things affect reception. Large bodies of salt water
tend to greatly increase range. Forests, deserts, and hills/mountains
tend to greatly reduce reception. Reception in cities may be reduced
due to steel and concrete, while higher elevations will enhance
the signal. Reception can vary from room to room. Mineral deposits
in the ground can affect your radio signal. Moving even a few feet
can a weak signal to a strong one.
It may help to be near a window facing the direction of the station, away from other electronic equipment, and on an upper level. You may need to to get a receiver with a good quality internal antenna, or hook it up to an external antenna.
Generally the least NWR expensive models are the ones that have
reception problems. Many models will have a port to hook up an external
antenna. You can buy an external antenna from an electronics store
or make your own. The antenna will be similar to the type you use
for your stereo: a two-conductor piece of wire attached to a wall
and stretched up the wall toward the ceiling. When it nears the
ceiling, split the wire conductors to form a T where the wire splits
into it's horizontal section, each section should be at least 18
inches long. You can also tap into your regular outside or inside
TV antenna.
For specific reception questions, contact your local National Weather
Service office. The NWR station
listing includes the programming office for each station, with
links to the programming office's home page via a regional map.