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write your own review of the Midland WR-300 S.A.M.E. Weather/All Hazard Radio.
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AB0RE
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Rating: 3/5
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Jul 17, 2005 11:28
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Agree with previous two reviews
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've owned the WR-300 for some time and the previous two reviews hit the mark perfectly.
The Weather Alert feature of this unit works great. I like the fact the unit can be custom programmed so it only alerts for desired counties and desired events (i.e. Tornado, T-storm, Flood, etc.)
I wish that Midland would've stopped the design stage there and offered us the WR-300 at half it's current market price. Simply put, every other feature on this unit sucks.
The alarm clock does not program anything like any other alarm clock on the market, so just forget about using it.
The AM/FM radio portion of this unit completely lacks selectivity. Stations 1+ MHz away will bleed into the station you're trying to listen to. The receiver is not at all sensitive on the AM/FM bands, either. It appears the AM/FM radio was an afterthought.
The crappy AM/FM receiver was especially disappointing as this radio would've otherwise been the perfect thing to put in the storm shelter - you could listen to NOAA for conditions and an AM/FM radio station for other updates and to pass the time.
73,
Dan / ab0re
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KG4NCK
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 17, 2005 08:03
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Good WX Alert, not so good anything else
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had my WR-300 for over a year now and is ,for the most part, good with it's WX Alert abilities. The receiver does not pick up signal that well in rural areas, meaning a better outdoor antenna should be used, but that's why it has a jack for an external antenna. I think this is due to a lack of reciever sensitivity, as my Icom T90A ht will pull in signals from the NOAA stations much better.
When left turned on to silently monitor for the alert tones, the speaker constantly emits static just loud enough to be annoying in an otherwise quiet room, making bedside use next to impossible.
However, I bought the reciever for to be used as a Weather Alert radio for the whole house, not for use as a clock/radio. It goes off with a loud alarm that can be heard throughout the house during severe weather, and it's speaker is loud enough so that I can hear the voice announcement on the other side of the house without having to stop whatever I am doing at the time.
Therefore I give it a 4/5 for the weather alert feature, which is the primary purpose of this radio. If you want a nice bedside clock-radio however, look someplace else, because it gets a 1/5 in that area.
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KB2PSM
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Rating: 2/5
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Oct 26, 2004 12:00
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S.A.M.E. is nice, but other features fall short.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I decided to replace my older stand alone weather radio and my clock/radio with the WR-300. It saved on bedside space and I was happy to get the S.A.M.E. features. This unit looks nice and is well-integrated, but falls short on all of its expected tasks.
I listen mainly to AM broadcast stations and living close to NYC never had a problem with any of my radios. In order for me to hear the 50KW WABC 770 (for one of a few examples) I must use my loop antenna next to the weather radio. No other radio in my house, from $10 Walkman-type on up needs this kind of help. If I didn't employ the loop antenna, I would be forced to re-introduce my clock radio to the night table. If I change to a different station, I often need to reposition the Midland radio and/or the loop. Based on my experiences, the BCB receiver is near-dead. Honestly, I listen to very little FM radio in the bedroom to give feedback.
The unit is and can be used as an alarm clock which will wake you to radio or a buzzer. Unfortunately, the display is back-lit only if you hit a button, so you must be interactive in order to tell the time in the dark. My eyes are good, but with the clock taking up such a small portion of the display, I would expect that someone who wears glasses or contacts would not be able to tell the time. Unfortunately, the clock does not keep accurate time, often gaining 3-4 minutes a month. In order to deal with the lack of visibility at night and the inaccuracy, I am using a small WWV-set clock that shines the time above my head.
Finally, although the design is pleasant to look at, it is not finger friendly when the lights are out- if you want to change a saved station. It is too easy to hit the memory set/set-up button instead of one of the directional buttons just above it. I find that when it is dark, you need to "read the face" of the radio by brushing the buttons to figure out the one you want. Given their closeness, success is seldom guaranteed.
I like the weather radio functions of this radio. It is a nice-looking design. It is much better suited to be used at work on your desk, and not at your bedside. Its a shame that I need to rely on a loop antenna and another illuminated (and accurate) clock to give me what I paid for in the nice package that the WR-300 was supposed to be. My radio might be an anomoly, but it is expensive for what I got (and didn't get).
I rated it a "2" since it does "need help", especially as a clock-radio.
Rob
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