New Uniden 980SSB NOAA Weather

It does have an alert that can be turned on or off

 

Here's a link to the owner's manual at Uniden: http://www.uniden.com/content/ebiz/uniden/resources/ownersmanuals/Bearcat980SSBom.pdf

From reading the specs and the owner manual, it looks like, when the radio is in CB mode, it will give an alert tone and lamp indication anytine NOAA fires off its 1050 Hz tone. The radio does *not* have S.A.M.E. ("specific area message encoding") to allow you to hear messages intended for just a county or two. But if you're driving OTR, it makes more sense to me to have it grab your attention anytine they've got an alert for someplace that's within their listening radius.

The 980 will scan for the closest NOAA (or at least strongest) WX channel and if it sends out their general alert tone (the 1050 Hz tone), you'll know to listen to the live broadcast. I've got a small-frame Radio Shack CB with weather alert in the wife's car and it works like this one (well, it's AM-only on CB) but it's otherwise similar.
Hope that helps,
-- Handlebar --
diddly dahdidah

 

I was mistaken. It has Wx Scan that can be turned on or off. I'm afraid the alert (assuming there is one) is not switchable.

 

yes there is a alert feature... and yes it is switchable.... when the weather alert goes off it starts as a low or mild tone (so it dont scare the piss out of you) and gets louder as it goes for a few seconds... then after the tone the radio takes you to the live brodcast. you have to switch it back to CB after your done listening...

To turn it on, press and hold the weather button till "alert" appears in the window... repeat holding the weather button till "alert is gone to turn it off...

BTW i love my 880 and 980!

 

So I incorrectly corrected myself. Can't win sometimes

 

It's okay, we all have our moments....

all aside the weather features are really nice on it...