Is weather a big concern for you? Do you live in a state that is affected by a lot of storms and rain? It is never too early to be prepared for such weather conditions. Having a weather radio is the smartest idea since it can give you forecasts. And that is even if you do not have access to WiFi or a TV. But getting an ordinary weather radio won’t do. You might want to consider investing in the Midland WR120 weather radio instead.
If you live in a place like Florida, where a lot of hurricanes occur, being updated on the weather isn’t such a bad idea. If you are on a trip nearby, you would not have access to amenities such as TV or the internet. Even if you have mobile data to spare, who is to say the reception will be perfect throughout the state? You might be in the hotspot for a storm and you would never find out before it is too late.
But if you knew how the weather was, maybe you have a chance of getting out of it without problems. So in such situations, a weather radio will give you a much better chance of getting out unscathed before things turn bad. But you would need one that gives you updates straight from the National Weather Service which is a division of NOAA. The NOAA or National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration issues storm warnings nationwide when they occur.
The WR120 receives its weather updates straight from the local National Weather Service. This makes the forecast it provides accurate and much more credible.
Pros
- Accurate and credible forecast
- Affordable in comparison to other weather radios
- Boosts an alarm clock feature
- Lightweight and convenient to carry
- Long antenna to easily catch forecasts
- Easy to program
- Long antenna for an excellent reception
Cons
- The settings can initially be tricky to work around
- Unadjustable alarm volume
What Is a Weather Radio?
You might have heard of what a radio is, which is a device that receives radio waves and converts them into audio. Radio towers transmit radio waves in the air, a radio uses a small antenna receiver to receive these signals. There is a whole process as to how audio first turns into radio waves then converts back to the audio again. But that is not an important discussion right now. But this is the gist of how radio actually works.
A normal radio usually plays music and talk shows with hosts who interview people. It can tune into various other frequency channels as well. Like the traffic radio channel where you can get traffic updates to see if there are any traffic jams on any roads. This allows you to take another route to avoid traffic. A weather radio is just like a normal radio, but it receives weather updates from the National Weather Service.
But that is not all a weather radio does, it plays audio-visual queues for warning you about bad weather in the vicinity. You can even program it to play weather updates for specific weather conditions as well. This makes the weather radio a very useful tool since it gives you a heads-up about any bad weather. You get daily weather updates on the radio too. Also, you can program it to give you weather update for your specific county and state or all of them.
The Midland WR120 Review – Who Is It For?
Do the weather conditions affect your profession? Is a weather station a bit too expensive or something you cannot operate proficiently? Then a weather radio is what you need. The WR120 from Midland is a value-for-cost weather radio that will serve you very well. It is light, easy to take around on your trips, can play the weather updates, give you alerts and warnings. It even has an alarm clock feature that can help you wake up early in the morning.
Though the WR120 is not very expensive, it is very reliable and sturdy. Midland is famous for making products that last a long time. They have been in the business of creating radio-based equipment since the 1960s. The Midland brand has been well known all around for its weather hazard alert radios, 2-way radio systems, and CB radios.
You can find the WR120 by Midland in various department stores, and even pharmacies. You can order it online from Amazon as well.
Design
The Midland WR120 is a small, light, and portable weather radio. It is white-colored throughout the body. The front of the body is a huge speaker, which is used as the audio output. With a speaker so big you can actually hear everything very clearly. The top has buttons in black, to contrast the white of course, with one big button that is shared by weather and snooze options.
Above that big button are smaller buttons that help out in the functions of the weather radio. There is a button for pulling up the menu on the LCD screen above. Under that is the select button to choose the option presented on the screen. There are four navigation buttons as well, and beside them are two buttons for volume up and down.
Right above the buttons and below the LCD screen is 3 color-coded indicators. Each of these color-coded indicators shows different weather alerts. On the top is the antenna which is safely tucked inside a hook. The antenna can be slid out of the hook and then extended for clearly receiving National Weather Service’s transmissions.
Features
The Midland WR120 has ports on the top and a battery compartment underneath. There is also an on and off button as well to turn the radio on and off whenever you need to. It uses 3 AA batteries for backup power in case of a power outage. Otherwise, you can power this weather radio using the power adapter included inside the package.
The antenna is pretty long and good enough to catch weather forecasts, alerts, and warnings on its own. But in case you need to extend the reach of the WR120 by Midland, you can use the external antenna port. Just plug the antenna wire into the port and you can receive signals from far away.
Functionality
1) Weather Alerts According to Counties
The radio has the option to receive weather from specific counties. By entering the SAME codes, provided on the Midland website, you can receive localized weather updates. There is also the option of receiving updates from multiple counties. Just select the option that allows you multiple counties and enter their SAME codes to receive the forecast. If you want to stay updated on all the counties, just select the “all” option.
2) Language Options
When you power on the radio for the first time, it will give you the option to choose between 3 languages. First and foremost, English, secondly, Francaise, third and lastly, Espanol. If you speak any of the three languages, choose your respective language to see all the options in the relevant language. You will also hear alerts from the Midland WR120 in that specified language as well.
3) Visual and Audio Alerts
The three color-coded indications LED lights under the screen are for alert warnings. There are red, orange, and yellow LED lights that serve a purpose of their own. The red LED is for a warning alert, when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issues a warning. The orange LED is for a heads-up for the weather watch. Lastly, the yellow LED light is for local weather advisories.
The WR120 also features a very neat voice warning system. This is specifically good for those who are visually impaired or challenged. By listening to the alerts instead, you can find out the kind of warning issues without even seeing the 3 color-coded LEDs.
4) Built-In Alarm Clock
When you are out on a trip and need an alarm for waking up, you can use the Midland WR120. It has a 12-hour format clock, with A.M. and P.M. timings. And a visibly large snooze button in case you need to snooze the alarm. This feature is great when you are on a trip and take your weather radio with you to steer clear of any dangerous weather conditions.
Who Needs to Buy This?
Farmers
Are you someone who lives on a farm far away from the amenities of the city? Does the weather worry you since it might harm your crops or your cattle? Do you have internet access or a TV? Even if you do have a TV or internet, pinpointing the weather condition of your specific county might not be possible. Where a smartphone app or TV weather forecast might fail you, a weather radio can save your life. It can help you plan out what to do accordingly, specifically if your area is prone to bad weather conditions.
Travelers
Everyone heads out into the states for a trip every now and then. People want to meditate, relieve themselves from the stress of city life, and get a breather from their daily lives. Going on a trip is the best way to do this, but you should always be prepared when you head out. Chances are, you might not get the best phone reception, and your mobile internet might not work out for you. In such scenarios, a weather radio can be a lifesaver. It can warn you of any impending dangers pertaining to the weather in the state you are traveling to.
Dangerous Region
Lastly, if you live in some region that is prone to storms, rains, and hurricanes, you might want to invest in a weather radio. During a state-wide power outage, you will not be able to get your cable to work. And you will not have a WiFi connection for any of your phone apps to give you any warnings. In such situations, a weather radio with backup power can save your life.
In all the above scenarios, a weather radio is a really important device to have. It is inexpensive and does not require a lot of assemblies. The Midland WR120 is one such gadget, which is not only inexpensive but also has a long life compared to other brands. The company uses its long expertise in the field of radio device development to create this amazing and inexpensive weather radio for people.
Buyer’s Guide – What to Look for in a Weather Radio
A weather radio is a very important tool if you want to survive hazardous weather conditions. If you are not updated by the latest weather forecast for the coming days every now and then, you might end up facing a lot of danger later on. Since there have been a lot of hurricanes in some regions due to activity in the ocean, it has become even more vital to have a weather radio handy. The Midland WR120 is a perfect weather radio for such situations.
Not only because it has a long life, but also because it has audio indicators along with visual ones. Not to mention it also has a backup power supply in the form of 3x AA lithium batteries. If you are looking to buy another brand or model of weather radio, let us give you a short buyer’s guide to help you choose your product.
Backup Power
These days you can find a lot of weather radios that are powered with an adapter. But you should also make sure they have a form of backup power to them. In case of a power outage, you will not be able to power your weather radio and miss out on any important weather updates regarding your local region. Also when you are traveling, you will not have a power outlet to plug your adapter into. During such scenarios, battery-powered weather radios should be the preference.
Also, these days there are models that use hand-crank to power the radio as well. This is a neat feature to have when you run out of batteries. Some models even feature solar-powered charging, which is great if you have sun outdoors. If there are more ways you can power up the weather radio, like a USB connector that uses your phone’s battery to power the weather radio, that would be extremely useful of a feature to have.
Antenna and External Antenna Options
If you live really far away from the city, you might not receive radio signals on your weather radio. Even with an antenna that can be extended to long lengths, you might not get enough signals to hear any warnings whatsoever. If you have an external antenna though, you can easily connect your weather radio to that if it has a port. Get a weather radio with a port for an external radio antenna connection if you live far away from the city and don’t get proper reception.
Features
Buying a weather radio is all fine and good, but be sure to buy one with a lot of features. So along with its main purpose, it can serve you for other things as well. For instance, the Midland WR120 gives you an alarm clock feature as well. So you can use the weather radio for more than just its primary function. There are also weather radios that give you a flashlight feature which is a great tool to have during blackouts and power outages.
Options
When choosing a weather radio, make sure it has all the options you want from it. When you turn on the Midland WR120, you can choose from 3 different languages. Also, you can choose from multiple counties or just listen to your county. You also have the feature to listen to all 25 counties’ weather updates from the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Durability
When you are buying anything, you always want it to last long. When we are talking about durability, we are speaking of how long the weather radio lasts without causing any issues. The Midland WR120 is one of the most durable weather radios we have ever seen. People have been using these for years and have not had the need to replace them since. This way, even if you spend more money than you usually would have, you do not feel any regret since the thing has such a long life.
The Midland WR120 Weather Radio – Verdict
The weather is an incredibly unpredictable phenomenon that needs to be monitored constantly. We are yet to be able to control weather conditions, the technology and means to do so have not yet been invented. But we can always take precautions using weather radios.
After looking at each and every feature of the weather radio and checking out a buyer’s guide detailing the ideal brand and model for the job, it is safe to assume that the Midland WR120 is one of the best out there. We have used plenty of weather radios in the past, but none of them, in the price range, have given us results as great as this one. So it is safe to recommend this to anyone who requires daily weather updates or even frequent ones.