Customer Reviews

Oregon Scientific WR103 Weather and Emergency Alert Monitor with NOAA Reception (Silver)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

The reception wasn't that good, and you can not turn off some of the lower alarms. Like thunderstorm warning and watches. So I returned it and got the Midland WR-300. I am happy with the WR-300 more features with battery backup.

While this radio is better than some cheaper units it still has problems. Even though it's advertised has having a battery backup it does not work. This unit does not utilize non-volatile memory so every time I plug or unplug the unit from the wall outlet, all the settings and S.A.M.E. codes go bye-bye! This happens even when the unit has new batteries in it. Not a good situation. If you grab the unit to head to the basement during a storm you'll be re-entering the codes when you get there. You'll constantly need to use the manual and code sheet with this unit. A far worse situation is when the power goes out causing the memory to clear and you're relying on it to wake you up. I even have this unit plugged into a UPS system but the short delay that takes place when the power goes out and the UPS kicks in is enough to wipe the weather radio memory clean. Not good when you rely on it to wake you up! Like all of you, I'm looking for a good weather radio I can rely on but this is not it! The next weather radio I buy will be my third and it will utilize non-volatile memory.

Just got this radio a couple weeks ago. When I recieved it I couldn't wait to program it. The intruction booklet is not very clear if you haven't used other Oregon Scientific products. I have an Oregon Scientific WR196T, that is broken, that basically has the same set up procedure so I knew how to program this. One nice thing about this radio is there is an AC adapter that comes with it. Then on June 25 I got to see this weather radio in action. There were a few severe thunderstorm warnings and it picked them up perfectly. Also, on June 30 we got a one-two punch and the first round of severe storms knocked out power here for about four hours! The weather radio worked great with batteries. It picked up every severe thunderstorm and flood warning/watch that was issued. On the top right hand corner of the screen it displays "Warning", "Watch", or "Statement" when one of these is issued. My only problem is when the power flickered because of lightning, the radio lost all memory and you had to reprogram it, but that's not a big deal once you get the hang of it. I also have to add that this radio picks up many stations. I can pick up 6 frequencies, one that is 120 miles away! I was shocked that it can pick up that with such a little stubby antenna! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this won't have the same fate as my WR196T that is broken.

If you can make it through the tiny, poorly organized, and often cryptic operating instruction booklet you may have a chance to put this to use, but then you may find like I did that it loses functions after several months of use in a very friendly environment. Why they can't make their controls intuitive and their instructions clear is beyond me, this seems to be a problem with all of the products I've used by this company. Expect frustration if you buy this. I'm buying something else.

I purchased an Oregon Scientic WR 103 and was very disappointed with the quality of this product. It's supposed to have a feature called "non-volatile memmory back up." When the first storm that came through after purchase, I was excited to see it work. It got the NWS alert signal, turned itself on, and broadcast the alert. OK its working just fine, I thought. Then came the first nearby lightning strike. Instantly the radio lost all power and memory, including the NOAA channel and county codes. No other appliances in my home were affected. I called Oregon Scientific; customer service said that it was defective and should be replaced.

Amazon did a great job handling the return and providing service. I received a replacement a few days later. I programmed the new one and used if for ten minutes. In the first ten minutes the Oregon Scientific radio lost all memory three times. I don't want to have to depend on this usit in a storm.

The Oregon Scientific WR103 Weather radio does everything it's suppose to do. For a non technical person the instructions may seem a little scary. It's actually simple once you input your county code and set it in standby. Once it's set the radio does all the work. Very nice I like the radio and it works well.

I currently have a Reecom weather radio. I wanted a second unit for my RV so I was looking for a weather radio that was smaller, more portable, and one that ran on batteries. The problems started upon receipt of the unit. I took the battery compartment door off to put batteries in and the little battery compartment door o-ring came off. I put batteries in and I somehow was able to put the o-ring back on (tricky). The programming of the unit was not user friendly because the programming mode "times out" quickly if buttons aren't pushed soon enough. If the programming mode times out any information entered thus far is lost and I had to start over. VERY frustrating. Once the programming was done I wanted to see if this radio would go off during the weekly test just like my Reecom. This unit RARELY went off during the weekly test and when it did I could barely hear it. It rarely went off during a real weather alert and when it did I could barely hear it. The kicker happened about a week ago when the power button fell off. I took the batteries out and thew the radio in the trash. I would steer clear of this model.

I bought this approximately 3 weeks ago. So far, it has worked as advertised. The battery door is a little tricky, you would think there could have been a better design for this. The buttons are well mapped out and can be easily pressed. The unit has volume up/down on the left side and a "Indiglo/Snooze" button on the right side. In order for the radio to work properly, one must enter the proper codes pertaining to your county so that when severe weather is in or near your county, it will go off. The unit is slightly difficult to program but the instructions do a good job of explaining everything.

The unit includes a belt clip, stand, and an AC adapter. The ac adaptor is really nice because you can plug it into the wall and not have to use batteries. I called the manufacturer to see if batteries can be in the radio while it is connected to the AC adapter and they said it was no problem.

Overall, I do like this unit and for the price, it really can't be beat.

If you lose the instructions, go to www2.oregonscientific.com and search under WR103 for instructions to program the radio.

I have used this product at a fixed location for a couple of weeks now. It has done just what it is supposed to do. It picks up the local weather radio station quite successfully, and I have heard its loud alert signal that a tornado was nearby, and just this morning, a blizzard was coming. I bought this for a trip that I never took, but now that I have this fine product, I don't think I'd be without it. I recommend this as a reliable and necessary warning device in those areas subject to severe weather.

Others have complained that the manual is hard to understand, and it is a bit. A slight bit of effort will get you through it, and you only have to set your local county once. If you can set a digital watch, you can do this. Additionally, when it was unplugged for a few seconds by mistake, it held the time and county information.

Don't believe all the crap about the programming being too difficult on this radio. If you can read, and have half a brain, you can probably set it up. Of course, you do need to get online and pull down the county codes, but if you are reading this, then it is a non-issue. The unit will definately wake you up when a warning has been issued. We take it camping and it does the job. Yes, it will eat batteries unless you use the AC adapter, but inverters are cheap - so get one if you plan on using it in a vehicle (long term). The only complaint I have is the annoying beeps when you hit any button. This is just poor design. Also, an on-off switch would have been nice, especially if they would have put in an eprom to store the county codes\settings. But, this is not a high end device. It does the job. If you want to spend 100 bones on something more "perfect", go right ahead.