Why no UHF NOAA channels?

[WSAA635]

For some reason NOAA Weather channels are all VHF. Why no UHF channels so GMRS only radios that'll only get 400-470MHz frequencies could get weather info too?

Is there anyway to get NOAA to add some UHF channels?

[OffRoaderX]

Probably something to do with VHF propagating better/more fars than UHF and because NOAA does not care if you bought the wrong radio. I'm sure some radio-dork will chime in with a 10-paragraph explanation saying the same thing unless i'm totally wrong, in which some radio dork will chime in with a 20-paragraph explanation saying I'm wrong.

[Guest]

gmrs only radios arnt 400-470 they are a set of specific frequencies or “channels” so this wouldn’t help anyway.   If you wanted noaa you should have purchased a noaa capable radio. Many gmrs radios have noaa.  All my radios I use for gmrs also have noaa.  

[WSAA635]

Just now, WRXP381 said:

gmrs only radios arnt 400-470 they are a set of specific frequencies or “channels” so this wouldn’t help anyway.   If you wanted noaa you should have purchased a noaa capable radio. Many gmrs radios have noaa.  All my radios I use for gmrs also have noaa.  

Notice I didn't say "transmit" on 400-470MHz, my KG-805g will RECEIVE on any 400-470MHz channel, I can only transmit on 462/467MHz. With NOAA I only care about receiving. 

I have radios I use for GMRS too that'll get NOAA, FM Broadcast, MURS and even one that gets Airband but most of those are unlocked HAM radios. 

With something like the 805g(which will get broadcast FM radio) or the 905g(which will only receive 400-470MHz) there's no NOAA channels that I can use.

[WRQC527]

2 hours ago, WSAA635 said:

Is there anyway to get NOAA to add some UHF channels?

Fun fact. At least two commercial AM radio stations here in southern California, KNX 1070 and KFI 640, simulcast on UHF FM narrowband, 450.700 and 450.725 respectively. I'm listening to KNX right now and it sounds so much better on UHF FM than it does on AM. Mayhaps there is a similar setup in Phoenix. It's not NOAA, but they do have news and weather. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the FCC to allocate eight UHF frequencies for NOAA.

[Guest]

NOAA NWR’s functional history is closely aligned to aviation and marine activity, with the first one or two stations primary use being aviation forecasts. With both marine and aviation being within (and somewhat nearby) the VHF band allocation, it makes sense to why they are in the VHF band space. 
As to why not UHF… my guess, history, cost, and existing infrastructure that has proven to work for well over 60 years to save lives.
Go ahead, call NOAA and start the conversation about adding UHF to their nationwide co-ordinated radio system because you want to listen on your Wouxun radio, and then let us all know what they offer you. 

 

<Not 20 pages, and Not radio reasonings, but below is my preach about this… live through 2 tornado events with personal loss of life/homes, weeks of no utilities, etc. and you may start preaching this too>

I’ll echo a thing already in this thread… NOAA NWR is meant as “inform and save life” function, not “casual listen and hear”. Given the use of NOAA radio has literally saved my family twice in the last 4 years, it’s not something I want to think of as a “1 radio to hear it all” thing…. 
NOAA NWR services even recommend Mariners, Aviators and general population who see the need to rely on NWR to have a dedicated NWR receiver as opposed to a shared service device… 

If you deem NOAA Radio reception important enough to have, then likely it’s worth enough to you to have a NWR specific radio receiver, and not try to cram it into a single do all device.

[Lscott]

Apparently there are some of the VHF NOAA transmitters connected to the studio/control site through a UHF link. See attached file. So far I haven’t had any luck with the UHF link frequencies but others might. 

NOAA UHF Weather Link Frequencies.pdf

[back4more70]

2 hours ago, WRZE995 said:

because you want to listen on your Wouxun radio

Both of my Wouxun radios pull in NOAA just fine.

2 hours ago, WRZE995 said:

If you deem NOAA Radio reception important enough to have, then likely it’s worth enough to you to have a NWR specific radio receiver, and not try to cram it into a single do all device.

No reason, if my existing radios pull in NOAA just fine.

[Guest]

@back4more70 Good for you! That said - the OP had said his 805g and 905g doesn’t get NOAA channels, that’s what I’m addressing, and was challenging why not UHF for NWR radio… (“Is there anyway to get NOAA to add some UHF channels?”)

My point isn’t what radio can and can’t receive, it’s about a mentally of purpose and philosophy of use. For me personally, I live in an area where utility (power, internet, etc) is more fragile, so I plan accordingly. If I’m actively using my radio to for comms (listen or send) then I’m not listening to NOAA transmits, and more so, most multi-band radios don’t get the S.A.M.E alerts for localization. Hence my desire to separate those functions.

Again, if that isn’t important or needed for you, then so be it, and glad your radios suit your need. You just won’t convince me that I should expect a nationally co-ordinated radio service meant for life saving function to add/change or alter because someone isn’t willing to adjust their philosophy of use.
 

[wrci350]

20 minutes ago, back4more70 said:

Both of my Wouxun radios pull in NOAA just fine.

Some of the models will; some won't.

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-805g.html

Scroll down and there is a table listing four.  935G does, 805G, 905G, and S88SG do not.

And having a dedicated NOAA radio that runs off AA or AAA batteries is a good idea.  That way you aren't dependent on the battery in an HT.

[WSAA635]

I'm sure I could fine a local News/Talk FM Broadcast station to get local weather reports. 

My main question is WHY something as important as NOAA doesn't have at least a couple UHF channels? 

Not trying yo start a big debate over which radio to get or anything.

[OffRoaderX]

6 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

WHY something as important as NOAA doesn't have at least a couple UHF channels

Because they know that for something as important as NOAA people will purchase the correct radios to receive them.

And, what if they DO start transmitting on UHF? - then someone will want them to transit on HF, because their HF radio can't receive them.. Then someone will want them to transmit on commercial FM, becuase their car radio can't receive them. Then someone will want them to transmit on CB, because their CB radio cant receive them.  Then someone will want them to transmit on 1.2Ghz because their cellphone cant receive them.

The more i think about it, the dumber this question gets.

[kirk5056]

I would rather that NOAA spend their (our) limited (I wish) money on maintaining and upgrading the current system not using that money to buy new and expensive transmitters at every one of their 1,000+ towers.

 

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, kirk5056 said:

I would rather that NOAA spend their (our) limited (I wish) money on maintaining and upgrading the current system not using that money to buy new and expensive transmitters at every one of their 1,000+ towers.

 

This!!!

It makes no sense to add UHF transmitters just because they don’t have UHF transmitters. 

[WRQC527]

On 3/24/2024 at 10:15 AM, WSAA635 said:

For some reason NOAA Weather channels are all VHF. Why no UHF channels so GMRS only radios that'll only get 400-470MHz frequencies could get weather info too?

Is there anyway to get NOAA to add some UHF channels?

I can't believe I'm defending this guy, but his questions are fair questions, and certainly not dumb.

Why no UHF NOAA channels? For a variety of reasons, such as the reduced range of UHF over VHF, meaning more transmitters might be needed, costly infrastructure for new UHF transmitting equipment, no demand, and a variety of other reasons already put forth in this thread.

Can we get the FCC and NOAA to add UHF weather channels? Probably not, because of the cost, complexity, bandwidth, and equipment required, among probably many other reasons, but if you feel strongly enough about it, contact them. What can they say? Yes, no, or maybe. Or maybe they won't respond at all. Like a boss of mine once said, if you don't ask, it's an automatic no.