Midland Wr-300 Noaa Weather Monitor Owners Manual

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light tells you that a watch has been issued for your area by 
the National Weather Service. 
 
6.  “ADVISORY” Alert Status Light.  This yellow LED 
Indicator light tells you that a statement or emergency has 
been issued for your area by the National Weather Service. 
 
7.  AM/FM radio Am or FM selector button.  Switches 
between AM & FM bands of the broadcast radio.  (Weather 
Monitor and AM/FM radio must both be turned on.) 
 
8.  RADIO AM/FM radio on/off button.  Turns FM/AM 
(broadcast) radio on & off.  (The weather service channel is 
monitored for alerts whether or not the FM/AM radio is on.) 
 
9.  OFF Weather Monitor unit on/off dial & volume control.  
This is the MIDLAND Weather Monitor volume control 
and the main power switch.  Click unit on & adjust to 
desired listening level.  (Only the clock is active when this 
dial is set to off.) 
 
10.  ALARM OFF/ON switch.  Enables and disables clock
 
alarm function. 
 
11.*  MENU (programming) menu mode activation button.  Press 
to activate programming mode.  (Use directional arrows to 
move through programming menu options.) 
 
12.*  SELECT (programming) select & confirm option button.  
Press to confirm your selection. 
 
13.*  Arrows (programming) buttons – up, down, right & left.  
Use directional arrows to program the MIDLAND Weather 
Monitor menus.   (This unit programs with menus similar to 
a TV remote control.)  Note:  you can also use the arrows to 
review previous alerts when in normal display mode.  
						

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QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS: 
After reading the “Features” & “Controls” sections in this 
manual set up your MIDLAND Weather Monitor as follows: 
 
1.     BATTERIES
.  This Weather Monitor operates on AC 
power or 4 AA battery backup.  (Batteries are not included.)  It is 
recommended that you install emergency backup batteries:  (4) 
type AA alkaline batteries (not supplied).  First, be sure the unit is 
disconnected from the AC power adapter.  Then, remove the 
battery compartment cover on the underside of the unit by 
pressing the battery compartment door latch in the direction of the 
arrow and lifting.  Observe the battery polarity indicators (+ and -
) as you install the batteries.  Replace the battery compartment 
cover.  (Rechargeable batteries are not recommended because the 
WR-300 will not charge the batteries.) 
 
2.     AC POWER ADAPTER
.  Plug the AC Power Adapter into 
a 110-115 Volt AC power outlet (standard house current).  Plug 
AC Power Adapter into DC jack on back of the Weather Monitor.   
 
3.     ANTENNA.  Position telescoping antenna vertical and 
extend to its full length above the Weather Monitor.  In most 
cases, this antenna will provide good reception.  In some remote 
areas an external antenna may be used to improve weak reception. 
  
						

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4.  SETTING THE AM/FM CLOCK RADIO. 
 
 
a.  Set the TIME
.   First turn on the Weather Monitor unit, 
then: 
Press and release the “MENU” button.  Press the “DOWN” arrow 
button until “SET UP TIME” is displayed in the left side of the 
display.  Press the “SELECT” button, hour setting will begin 
flashing.  (Note and adjust A.M./P.M. indicator located to left of 
the flashing hour setting.)  Press and release the “UP” buttons to 
adjust the hour setting.  Press and release the “RIGHT” arrow to 
adjust minutes.  Press and release the “UP” buttons to adjust the 
minute setting.  Press the “SELECT” button to store the time 
setting. 
 
b.  Set the DATE
.   First turn on the Weather Monitor unit, 
then: 
Press and release the “MENU” button. Press the “DOWN” arrow 
until “SET UP DATE” is displayed in the left side of the display.  
Press and release “SELECT”.  Press and release the “UP” arrow 
to adjust the day.  Press and release the “RIGHT” arrow to choose 
setting the month.  Press and release the “UP” arrow to adjust the 
month.  Press and release the “RIGHT” arrow to select the year.  
Press and release the “UP” arrow to adjust the Year.  Press and 
release the “SELECT” button to store DAY/MONTH/YEAR. 
 
c.  Set the ALARM (for the AM/FM Clock Radio)
.   First turn 
on the Weather Monitor unit, then: 
Press and release the “MENU” button. Press the “DOWN” arrow 
until “SET UP ALARM” is displayed in the left side of the  
						

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display.  Press and release the SELECT button. The alarm hour 
setting will begin flashing. (Note and adjust A.M./P.M. indicator 
located to left of the flashing alarm hour setting.)  Press and 
release the “UP” arrow to adjust the alarm hour setting.  Press and 
release the “RIGHT” arrow to choose setting alarm minutes.  
Press and release the “UP” arrow to adjust the alarm minute 
setting.  Press the “SELECT” button to store the Alarm settings. 
 
Choose type of alarm.  Press and Release “MENU”.  Use “UP” 
arrow to choose radio  
  or sound    for clock alarm.  (The 
icons are located below the clock display.)  Press “SELECT” to 
store the type of alarm setting. 
 
To activate the alarm, set the “ALARM OFF/ON” switch to the 
“ON” position.  The clock face        icon will appear. To cancel 
the alarm when sounding, press a button other than “SNOOZE”. 
 
The “SNOOZE” button on the top of the WR-300 is for 
advancing the alarm time by 9 minutes each time the alarm 
sounds. The “SNZ” icon will be displayed.   
(Turn alarm off with the ”ALARM OFF/ON” switch on side of 
unit.) 
   
5.     PROGRAM THE WEATHER CHANNEL FOR YOUR 
AREA.  After you select the weather channel in your area, your 
Weather Monitor will receive all alerts issued by the National 
Weather Service.  Program your Weather Monitor with the 
weather channel in your area as follows:    
  
						

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a.  Turn on Weather Monitor unit. 
b.  Press “MENU”. 
c.   Press up (or down) directional arrow until “WEATHER 
CHANNEL” is displayed on the LCD. 
d.  Press “SELECT”. 
e.   Press up (or down) directional arrow until you hear the 
broadcast of your station.  Be Sure Weather Monitor Unit 
volume is turned up sufficiently for you to hear broadcast. 
f.   Press “SELECT”. 
 
5.     ABOUT S.A.M.E. & THE COUNTY CODES.    
S.A.M.E. -  Is a feature in MIDLAND Weather Monitors that 
allows you to program in your county code or counties codes.  
This will eliminate any Alerts that are not within your 
programmed Specific Area.  For example, if you only want to be 
informed for alerts within your county just program in your 
county code.  But, if you want to be informed about counties that 
are North, South, East and West of you, you can do so.  Find the 
county codes you want on the internet web site of National 
Weather Radio-County by County Coverage @ 
www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm
.  
You can also restrict what you hear on your Weather Monitor to 
alerts in which you have an interest.  Program your Weather 
Monitor as explained in the “Programming” section in this 
manual.  
  
						

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PROGRAMMING YOUR WEATHER MONITOR. 
 
NWR, NOAA, NWS, & SAME
: 
NOAA Weather Monitor (NWR) is a service of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  As the 
Voice of the National Weather Service, it provides continuous 
broadcasts of the latest weather information from your local 
National Weather Service (NWS) office.  
 
In 1994, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
began broadcasting coded emergency signals that identify the 
specific geographic area (such as a county) affected by an 
emergency.  Until that time such specific emergency weather 
information was sent in other ways to broadcast stations and 
others then relayed to the public. 
 
NOAA transmits the coded weather emergency signals using a 
technique called SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding). The 
Midland WR-300 7-channel weather/ all hazards monitor is 
designed to receive these SAME transmissions. 
 
Your Midland WR-300 can be programmed with up to 30 
predefined state/county codes that will determine which notices 
broadcast by your NOAA weather station will cause the radio to 
alert you.  Warnings, watches and advisories of weather and other 
area emergencies, about 50 different types- will activate the radio 
if one or more location code programmed into your unit is 
included in the SAME message.  
						

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Also included in the SAME message is the amount of time for 
which the message is effective.  The WR-300 will continue to 
display the alert until its time expires. 
 
You don’t need to wait for the WR-300 to give you an alert.  Just 
find the NWR station broadcasting to your area from the 7 
available channels.  You can listen at any time, day or night to the 
latest weather information from the National Weather Service. 
 
EMERGENCY POWER
 
Connecting power –  
The AC power adapter is required for normal operation if the 
radio is to be in service for more than a few hours.  Plug the wall 
adapter into a 110-115 Volt AC (standard house current) outlet. 
Connect the cord end to the DC JACK12Volt power jack on the 
back of the unit.   
A backup battery as stated above is also recommended.  The 
condition of the battery is monitored by the radio.  When 
BATTTERY icon flashes on the display, the battery has been 
discharged and should be replaced.  Do not leave a dead or weak 
battery in the radio.  Do not leave a battery in the radio when it is 
not in use. The battery may leak and possibly damage your unit.  
Dispose of batteries properly. 
 The clock will run for at least 10 days on batteries when 
the radio is turned off with the VOLUME / OFF control.  
						

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Reception - 
NOTE:   The National Weather Radio service operates 
Weather Broadcast systems covering a large area of the 
United States. A very few areas are not currently included.  
 
Your WR-300 can receive broadcasts from the Weather Stations 
up to 50 miles. Hills and certain terrain can reduce reception. An 
external antenna can improve range. If your city is listed as 
having a Weather Service Station but you do not receive it please 
call your local Weather Service to confirm they are broadcasting 
(Sometimes these stations are shut down for maintenance). If your 
local Weather Service is transmitting and you are not receiving 
the broadcasts, you may need an outdoor antenna. 
 
What is a FIPS Code:
 
 
The NWR divides the United States and territories by state and county (or 
parish) and assigns a six digit code number called a FIPS (Federal Information 
Processing System) code or also known as a NWR/SAME county code. The 
first digit identifies subdivision. The next two identify the state or territory, and 
the last three identify the county. For example the code for Clay county 
Missouri is 029047. The“047” indicates the county, the “29” indicates the state, 
and the “0” indicates the subdivision of the county.  In this case and most cases 
the code will have a zero for the first digit, indicating that no subdivision is in 
use.  The NWS plans to introduce subdivisions of some counties in the future, 
assigning digits 1 through 9 to the parts resulting in codes like 529047.
 You 
may also program your WR-100 with a code that will alert to any 
code for a state.  That code is 0ss000 where “ss” designates the 
two digits used for all codes in the state. 
  
						

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Acquiring FIPS codes for Your Area:
 
 
The FIPS codes can be found by calling the NWS toll free 
number 
1-888-NWS-SAME 
(1-888-697-7263) 
Automated instructions will guide you to the numbers you 
need. 
 
The FIPS codes and much more information can be found 
by way of the Internet at 
www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm  
 
Note:  You might want to obtain the codes for other counties 
close to you or those you might frequently travel 
through.  The counties still must be within the coverage 
area of your NWS broadcast. 
 
This is what to expect when you call the NWS number.  
      You will be prompted to enter your state. We suggest 
entering the entire state to expedite the process. Next you 
will be prompted to enter the county. Again spell the entire 
county. We suggest you locate several counties surrounding 
you especially the county in the direction most of the storms 
will be coming from. When you have entered the county, 
the system will ask you to confirm what you entered is 
correct. Be ready to write the number. The system tells you 
the number fairly quick but you have the option to have it  
						

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read back to you so you can get the whole number. 
Remember the number will be six digits long. 
 
Adjusting the Weather Frequency
 
 
Adjust your Weather Monitor for the weather frequency for your 
local area as follows:   
Go to the Internet web site of NOAA Weather Radio - County by 
County Coverage @ www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm
.  
Note the frequency for your local area.  Find the channel number 
that corresponds to your frequency.  Turn on the WR-300 unit.  
Press and release the “MENU” button.  Press the “UP” arrow 
until “WEATHER CHANNEL” is displayed.  (This will 
temporarily switch the WR-300 from standby to listen for 
Weather Transmissions.) 
To set the frequency channel.
  Press and release “SELECT” to 
make the channel display flash, then press the “UP” button until 
the channel of your NOAA Weather Radio station shows on the 
display.  You should now hear the voice of the broadcast.  If you 
find there is more than one broadcast station in your area, be sure 
that station will broadcast your county code.  To confirm this 
listen to the broadcast associated with the weekly test.  During the 
broadcast they will give a list of counties covered by the 
transmitter.