Customer Reviews

Oregon Scientific WR601 Portable Weather Radio

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Overall, this radio works as advertised. It's solidly built. Comes with a very nice cradle and AC adapter. The radio COULD be difficult for some people to set up if they are not comfortable with electronics (or reading directions). Reception is clear in our house and the weather alerts certainly can roll you out of bed when they go off in the middle of the night. I was looking for a weather radio with SAME technology that could also sit on my dresser. This fit the bill perfectly. The backlight is also bright and the display is clear. The red alert light (it's normally green) is not as bright as it should be and should be more prominent. However, only a minor complaint and it's worth the price.

When I first got this radio, it worked great -- it was easy to set up and I never had a problem.

Then I moved to another area in the state. I never could get the radio to react to the warnings issued for our new county. It was able to pick up the weather station fine but no matter how many times I entered and re-entered the S.A.M.E. codes I wanted, it would not budge.

I have given up and ordered a different radio.

Great little S.A.M.E weather for the price. Portable and easy to use, plus it comes with an A/C adapter.

Having owned several Oregon Scientific products, I expected perfection with this weather radio and it works as expected. It has more 'bells & whistles' than I needed, but I'll just ignore them. My old Weatheralert only had 3 chanels and finally died so this one was welcome. It does recieve NOAA warnings in my area, a problem that evidently some purchasers of the previous model 103NX had.

I purchased this radio mainly because I wanted something portable during a round of storms. I have had this radio for about a year now and it has not let me down one time. We live way out in the country and we do not have a problem with reception at all. I followed the directions on the website to set it up and what I love is even when you have to change the batteries it does not lose it's programming information. We live in an area where we cannot hear sirens when needed so it is important to us to have a reliable radio and this has definitely proven worthy!!!

I bought this as we live in an area with a lot of tornadoes, severe storms, etc. After a lot of research I selected this radio. So far I am really quite pleased with the quality, reception, and sensitivity of this radio.

The initial set-up was a little confusing as the instructions indicated inputting more data than the manual's illustration of the display showed (i.e., inputting more digits than it looked like the display had room for). However, just input the number of digits as called for in the manual, and it will work properly.

We live at least 35 miles from the transmitter, and the signal is strong, and the alerts all work as they should. Unit has a lot of features that I will never use; clock display, two separate timed alarms, etc.

A very real criticism is the inability to limit the volume when an alert message is broadcast. It seems that even after adjusting the volume (during an alert message) to a lower level, the next alert that comes in defaults to full volume. In non-alert mode (normal NOAA mode), once you set the volume control, it stays that way.

All-in-all, a great weather radio for the money. Highly recommended, as the build quality and reception are outstanding. I did not give it five stars primarily due to the volume control default issue during alerts as outlined above.

Bought this radio to replace an older model desktop that did not have SAME technology.

Great little radio.

Pros - hand held, programmable, battery backup.

Cons - no volume control when it activates, which is typical for all of these kinds of radios.

This one will wake the dead, very loud.

I just received this radio for Christmas and I would give it a 5 if not for some minor annoyances. I chose 4 stars but really I would rate it at 4.5 but that's not an option. First, it works well once you decipher exactly how to set it up. I read other reviews saying the directions were sketchy but the product was good, and that's the truth. You'll have to read them over a few times. Once I figured it out, it's a great product. It feels pretty solidly built and is great since it comes with the cradle but is meant to be portable. Once I figured it out, I was soon listening to my local broadcast and it became very useful.

I highly recommend this if you're looking for a cheaper radio with all the important features.

Just went through two fronts that decimated the south with over 50 deaths. The first tonado warning came at 9:30 PM when we heard the tornado sirens the unit did nothing not a peep. I have BS in engineering with other acreditations and have written technical software that is used by engineers at fortune 50 companies. After the first front I went online and with the instructions double checked that it was set-up correctly. At 1:20 AM we were awoken by the tornado sirens again for second front coming through...again not a peep from the unit. Do not rely on this unit for yours or your family's safety!!!!! It does not work!!! I could not even sell it on ebay and sleep at night. So its going in the trash.

I purchased one of the first versions of the Oregon Scientific Portable Weather Radios and I posted a very poor review of that radio in the past. It lost every setting when the power went out even while connected to an uninterruptible power supply! That's a major problem especially during severe weather don't you think? That radio was recalled because the manufacturer finally figured out the radio was junk. I sent mine in and it was replaced free of charge with a brand new unit. Guess what folks; the new one isn't any better than the original one! It keeps the settings but doesn't sound an alert even when a cheap hand crank radio receives weather alerts. Stay away from Oregon Scientific if you want to be alerted of severe weather. I was so frustrated with the two Oregon Scientifics that I did some research and purchased a Midland WR-300. The Midland WR-300 is by far the weather alert radio to beat. It is more expensive but it functions as expected and keeps the settings even during a power outage while plugged directly into the wall outlet. None of the weather radios I've purchased were very user friendly but I have no regrets buying the Midland WR-300 and that's the radio I rely on for weather alerts. Don't penny pinch buying cheaper radios. Save yourself some money by getting the good one the first time. I have no affiliation with Oregon Scientific or Midland. My only reason for giving this company such a bad review is that they know they're selling junk and I don't want someone thinking they'll receive alerts that'll never come during weather emergencies.